Letters to the editor: The problem: Legacy media often ignores Black people

By Anthony Arrington, Cedar Rapids

In the wake of Black History Month, media coverage weighs heavily on my mind. I have a true story to tell you that reflects the lived experience of so many Black people when it comes to negative or limited media coverage. There are data-driven facts that demonstrate this truth.

Do not make the repeated mistake of assuming that I am just an angry Black man venting without seeking to understand.

According to recent studies, upwards of 70% of top newspaper editors are men; and nearly all of them are white. Pew reported in a 2023 survey of 5,000 Black adults that 63% of Black people feel the news of Black Americans is primarily negative; 57% say the media only covers certain aspects of the Black community; 50% say the coverage is often missing critical information; and over 40% say that the coverage is full of stereotypes. The majority of those surveyed do not see the future much brighter for better coverage of Black folks unless there are significant changes inside major news organizations.

Why do Black people experience such negative or limited media coverage — unless it is February? We have to question the system, speak to truth to power and take other necessary actions to influence the media coverage equity we desire. While I have witnessed negative or limited media coverage about Black people in our own community, never in my life have I personally experienced the use of media privilege, power and control to ignore covering a major event celebrating the legacy of one of the greatest Black heroes of my life, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In January, I helped host Cedar Rapids’ first-ever statewide MLK conference, to honor the birthday and legacy of this American hero. The event comprised over 20 major Black leaders, over 60 registered business vendors, most of them Black-owned; over 40 local and major company sponsors. Every well-known media outlet in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City market covered the event, including many outside of the market, including even statewide and national coverage. I want to thank those outlets again:

• The Gazette, as our media partner 
• KCRG
• KGAN
• Iowa Public Radio
• Black Iowa News
• WMT Radio
• The Grio

The only major media outlet in this market that did not cover us was Corridor Business Journal (CBJ). They received the press release twice — almost three months prior to the event and another a month later.

The owner responded via email that he would get the information to his editing staff. CBJ then went silent, and we never heard from them again. How this organization, with a major footprint in Eastern Iowa, dedicated to news about the business community, would miss coverage of a major MLK event in their backyard that included mostly Black-owned businesses, was deeply disturbing.

CBJ blamed a small staff but they had almost three months to write a story. Instead, CBJ chose to publish articles on crime in the community, as well as other topics with no direct relationship or impact on the business community, including a story about a dead cat found in a local house fire.

They also told me they did not to see any other media coverage of the event.

Two suggestions come to mind for CBJ:

Get proactive now about the future diversity of the staff. Unless there is a history I am not aware of, no Black people have ever been employed at CBJ. When you have no diverse voices making news decisions, it is easy to overlook valuable stories that lift Black people. Pew emphasized the need for more Black journalists and leaders.

Grow the cultural competencies of decision-makers. Whether you have Black people at the decision-making table or not, the ability of the staff to have a pulse on the communities they serve is vital to creating equitable and powerful media coverage that benefits the entire community.

The media is one of the most powerful instruments of influence on the planet, and those who control coverage decisions play a very unique role in helping shape our society. We are witnessing this in real time. We cannot afford silence when our media coverage is not doing better by Black people. While this story reflects the challenges of receiving more positive Black media coverage, I challenge you to substitute the word “Black” with “Hispanic,” “Asian,” “Indian,” “Disabled,” “LGBTQ,” “Poor” or any other marginalized descriptor, and do your research.

Notice anything similar?

This letter appears in the winter edition of the Black Iowa Newspaper.

---

Black Iowa News welcomes original letters to the editor. Letters will be edited for length and clarity. 400 words maximum. Email letters to the editor to dana@blackiowanews.com or Black Iowa News, PO Box 3395, Des Moines, IA 50316.