Good afternoon to my lecturer and fellow classmates. Today, I will be speaking on the subject “media provokes racism”. For centuries, the issue of racism has been haunting millions of people worldwide. Almost everywhere you turn you see some form of racism or another, it may be in subtle or direct forms, but racism exists indefinitely. It’s not a problem that is restricted to a specific region nor is it something that should be taken lightly. Most people have, at some point of their lives, made a racist remark or behaved in racist manner. There is no single solid reason that leads to racism. In fact, there is a combination factors put together which results in these racist feelings that a lot of us harbour. One of these factors happens to be the media. From newspapers to movies, television and even advertisements. The media is surrounded by hints of racism. So, the question is how does media provoke racism?
Racism stems from one root cause, anger. Media provokes this anger which in turn leads to racist feelings through a variety of ways. A recent case would be that of the headmistress of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Johor, whom reportedly made a racist comment regarding non-muslim students at a school assembly. She was reported to have referred to these students as “penumpang”. The headmistress was also reported to have made a comment regarding the prayer bands worn by Indian students around their hands and necks. The headmistress was reported to have said that the bands made these students look like dogs as dogs were tied in that manner. In another case, the headmaster of SMK Bukit Selambau made another racist remark by saying that the Chinese students should return to China if they could not respect other races. This remark was made in reference to the fact that the Chinese students were allegedly eating within the school compound during the month long fasting period.
For a non-muslim, such a comment would usually be somewhat upsetting and could provoke rage. I speak for myself when I say that I was none too pleased upon reading such an upsetting newspaper article. Although I may not consider myself to be an outright racist person, this comment did provoke anger within me and I own up to the fact that I did feel a pang of hatred subsequently. I was, however, not alone with my anger as I noticed similar reactions from some of my peers on this issue.
Another example of a situation in which media provoked racism is the case in which the word “Allah” was used in the Christian bible. Newspapers reported heavily on this issue regarding the racist attacks on the churches. Although the media might not have been the root cause of this issue, the constant reports all over the newspapers added fuel to the fire. There was, at the time, already plenty of negative energy between both parties and these reports build more anger within the concerned parties. This anger will most likely lead to racism at the end of the day. If put in the shoes of those people who read about how their places of worship were being burnt down in an attack, wouldn’t you be provoked?
Newspapers are only one example of how the media provokes racism. Advertisements that boast the superiority of White Americans in comparison to African Americans by portraying these both races in double standards provoke racism within society. Movies that often showcase stereotypical images of Hispanics ranking in the lower class society can provoke racism. This is due to the fact that no one fancies bearing witness to their race being compared unfavourably against that of a different race.
Hence, media might not have intentionally set out to provoke racism within the citizens but it is important for the media to understand that racial matters are often sensitive and may lead to unpleasant endings. It is important for the media to ensure that the material being published will not result in resentment between races. Media should practice equality throughout. Although media cannot be held fully responsible for the existence of racism, it does to certain extent cause racism.
However, this goes to show that media is indeed a very powerful source which has the ability to influence the minds and actions of millions of people worldwide. So, if media has the ability to provoke racist feelings, it should also have the ability to reverse the amount of racism by a fair bit. It’s a long shot, but in future, there is a possibility that media can reduce racism.
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