Race and Nationality on Headlines, Is it Necessary?
Posted on April 17, 2007
Filed Under People, Random Thoughts
I’m sure by now everyone has heard of the deadliest shooting in modern day US history, when a student decided to go psycho at the Virginia Tech University, where 32 people died. You can visit HighBrid Nation for some video footage of the shooting.
Although it is a sad and devastating story, I can’t help but get annoyed at the headlines, popping left and right. This is always the case when it comes to Non-Caucasian bad guys. You never hear or see headlines like ‘White Man Kills’ or ‘White Man Goes Crazy’ but you always see and hear in the media ‘Black Man Kills’ or ‘Black Men are Snipers’. Today I see this headline on Google News ‘Korean Student was Campus Killer’.
Why is it necessary to add race and nationality on Headlines? Does it sell better? Earn more hits? Why couldn’t they just say ‘Campus Student was Killer’? By adding that he is Korean will do what to the public? Is it warning the public to stay away from Koreans? Does it make it easier for the student in Virginia Tech University to identify potential killers? Ugh…
Comments
9 Responses to “Race and Nationality on Headlines, Is it Necessary?”
Leave a Reply
Well I’m hoping that the reason they keep saying the guy was Korean is not to bring focus to the fact that he is of the Asian race but to focus on the fact that he was a foreigner and not a US citizen. Which is something that may indeed be relevant as the story developes. Of couse this is just me giving the media the benefit of the doubt and indeed it could be just as you stated, racism.
I think only if it actually applies to the content of the story, then it is needed.
It is because white people are usually the ones going around doing thes shooting or anything else when race isn’t mentioned.
You don’t go around saying white man started war (George Bush). Sniper kills president (Lee Harvey Oswald).
The fact of the matter is white people are known for shooting, bombing, killing, raping and everything in between. So when you hear about an incident that isn’t a white person going on some sort of pyscho rampage the color, nationality, race of the person has to be made known.
They want it clear to you that your people are doing it too. That isn’t just white people destroying life.
Everyone is doing their share.
Just my opinion.
Very well said Urban Thought. You just made a good that we are all equal.
Christian this annoys me to no end as well and the headlines just don’t scream it but the news anchors will throw it in with a little extra gusto when the topic comes up. It does seem as if they are trying to drum up anti Korean sentiment with this story and it has nothing to do with him being Korean. Even the south Korean president, while expressing his condolences, pleaded that this did not lead to attacks against Koreans living in America. His ethnicity is not important here. It’s his motives.
I live in Korea and a lot of Koreans are worred about the backlash against them.
esofthub. I know exactly what you mean. I don’t live in America, but we know how they can get when horrible things like this happen. We saw the backlash after 911. I fear the same may happen with Koreans or Asians in general. I’m Asian and honestly I’m a little nervous going to the States. I think I will wait until this sad story dies down before I book my next vacation.
Chesg: Yeah, it’s big news over here. When they talk to me about it, they just feel so stunned about the event.
Chesg I was also worried about a backlash against Koreans here and hope that does not happen. I remember after 9/11 many people from the middle east were attacked and some weren’t even from there. They were Indian. So far I heven’t heard of anything like this happening. I think if you do travel down to the states, you should be just fine in a place like New York City or LA. The news also seems to have backed off from the Korean label a bit. Just stay out of the rual areas however.