Why We Need the Black Press …

👎🏽 Black Americans critical of news coverage. A new report from Pew Research Center confirms an overarching concern that was spotlighted during the George Floyd protests: Black Americans believe that Black people are covered more negatively in the news than other racial groups. Plus, majorities of Blacks say that the news only covers certain segments of Black communities while missing important information, and 43 percent say coverage largely stereotypes Black people. “There’s not a lot of African American coverage unless it’s February or it’s criminal,” one Black respondent told Pew. As for solutions, 76 percent believe journalists should cover “all sides of an issue,” while 73 percent believe journalists need to understand the history of the issues they’re covering. Plus, 59 percent believe journalists need to “personally engage with the people they cover.”

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