2008 Woodie Awards
Commentary could have used more unbiased research
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Letters to the Editor
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I have some problems with the article, "Media ignore other side of Jena Six controversy," that was published in The Journal. I appreciate the idea of trying to understand all sides of the controversy. However, I feel like the authors overlooked very important issues pertaining to the Jena Six story in their attempt to disprove the supposed existence of a "bad white man, black victim" scenario in Jena, La.
Staff members of The Journal who traveled to Jena, La., complained of the media coverage not telling the whole story of the Jena Six. One staff member said he had a different perspective of the controversy after speaking with the white town members. Then, the article says that Webster's Media Convergence Club returned to Webster University with a "different understanding of the realities of Southern injustice, racism and the difference between what they read and how people live."
I certainly hope the club members didn't get that sort of understanding just from interviewing white town members. They should have interviewed a big group of people of different ages, sex and race before coming to their conclusions. If they did so, what did the people interviewed have to say about the realities of Southern living in Jena, La.? If the Media Convergence Club set out to show the true lifestyles of Jena, I think their research was biased, and the article left me wanting to know much more information about how the authors reached their conclusions.
Melissa Fritz
Senior, Legal Studies
Staff members of The Journal who traveled to Jena, La., complained of the media coverage not telling the whole story of the Jena Six. One staff member said he had a different perspective of the controversy after speaking with the white town members. Then, the article says that Webster's Media Convergence Club returned to Webster University with a "different understanding of the realities of Southern injustice, racism and the difference between what they read and how people live."
I certainly hope the club members didn't get that sort of understanding just from interviewing white town members. They should have interviewed a big group of people of different ages, sex and race before coming to their conclusions. If they did so, what did the people interviewed have to say about the realities of Southern living in Jena, La.? If the Media Convergence Club set out to show the true lifestyles of Jena, I think their research was biased, and the article left me wanting to know much more information about how the authors reached their conclusions.
Melissa Fritz
Senior, Legal Studies
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