“The mass media play a crucial role in defining the problems and issues of public concern. They are the main channels of public discourse in our segregated society.”

— Stuart Hall

Earlier this week, the Center for Media Justice and Free Press, together with the Main Street Project, Waite House and the Headwaters Foundation for Justice, welcomed author Joseph Torres to the Twin Cities to promote his book News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media, co-written with Juan González.

The senior external affairs director for Free Press, Joseph spoke to college classes at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis Community and Technical College and also addressed gatherings of Minnesota Digital Justice Coalition members and community leaders. In just over 48 hours, Joseph’s visit reached over 200 people in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The high point of his visit was an evening community event. Speaking to an audience of over 70 —the majority of whom were people of color — Joseph unpacked the legacy of racial segregation in the media and the ways in which it distorted news coverage and impacted the health, safety and well-being of communities of color. Using a mix of images, storytelling and facts, Joseph walked the room through over 100 years of history that we never learned in school.

The timing for Joseph’s visit to Minnesota couldn’t have been more perfect. Set against the state’s recent day of action for Trayvon Martin, the conversation explored the ways in which the media not only entertain and offer “news” to people, but also convey the stereotypes, beliefs and values of those in power to entrench the existing social order. It was evident that people didn’t just agree with what Joseph was sharing — most had experienced it firsthand. Though we may not all have the vocabulary to describe it, as people of color we understand that the media create a landscape that shapes how society views and responds to our communities. Did I mention this was only a couple of days after the One Million Hoodies March in Minneapolis? Now, more than ever, it’s clear the media have a huge role to play in the legitimization of racial hierarchy.

Joseph’s presentation and the subsequent discussion ultimately demonstrated that the way the public looks at issues — and whether or not the public is even aware of certain issues — is directly related to the way these subjects are covered by the media. And the way these subjects are covered is directly related to who the media employ — which is directly related to who owns the media. While this affects everyone — in the ways it shapes public opinion, public policy, the responses of public officials and the actions of the state — it disproportionately affects communities of color.

Check out the slideshow of the Race and the American Media book tour in Minnesota.

amalia deloney is the associate director of the Center for Media Justice and also coordinates the media policy initiatives for the Media Action Grassroots Network.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Media Action Grassroots Network