A Double Murder Relegated to Shades of Grey

Coffeespy tells a story of a horrific double murder that received little to no national media coverage. The story is compelling and it is worth the trip to Coffee's site for his commentary as well as the links to other pundits' positions on the murder and its lack of coverage. Even Wikipedia is keeping a page updated on this unfolding case. The Wiki article links to several examples of black on white murder in which the mainstream media (MSM) fails to report as is typically covered when the crime is white on black. Each of (Ken Tillery murder) these (The Wichita Massacre) articles (James Byrd murder) should be used as a backdrop that makes it clear Mark Alexander from the Patriot Post is absolutely right when he says:

This appalling attack is more than a case study in sociopathic evil. It is also a case study in journalistic malpractice.

I realize I've listed a few links, but they are worth the read – if only to fill out a more complete picture - NOT of the heinousness of the murders, but rather of the MSM's malpractice. Considering the hoopla generated by Imus, the Duke Lacrosse players, and several other instances of MSM "vigilance" and reporting "important breaking news," it seems this double murder might have received a passing nod…

Coffee et al already make the important points about "hate crimes," lack of coverage, etc., but there is another element I believe is noteworthy. It is most easily introduced by comments made at Snopes.com in their article covering this double murder. The writers first reproduce the email describing the murders (as is their SOP), and then proceed to debunk/comment. Normally, I truly like the product at Snopes; however, this particular article over reaches the evidence it provides in the email. It seems appropriate to use similar methods

Some commentators (as cited in the [email]…) have made much of the fact that the bulk of the news reportage about the Newsom/Christian murders has been Local (predominantly in Tennessee, where the crimes took place, and in neighboring Kentucky), while the case has received Little or no national coverage by major news outlets — a phenomenon attributed to supposedly biased news media loath to report black-on-white crime. (Both Christian and Newsom were white: all five of the suspects arrested in connection with their killings are black.)

However, the notion that every major news outlet in the U.S. (all of them competitive, profit-making businesses) has conspired to ignore what would otherwise be a compelling national story is rather implausible. A more rational explanation might be found in the sober observation that murders — even decidedly horrific murders — are unfortunately too frequent an occurrence in the U.S. for all of them to garner national attention. The cases that do tend to attract prolonged, nationwide coverage are ones exhibiting a combination of factors (e.g., scandal, mystery, sexual elements, celebrity involvement, shockingly large numbers of deaths, victims who especially elicit sympathy) that make them particularly fascinating and compelling to the public at large, such as the still-unsolved murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, the mysterious disappearance (and death) of pregnant Laci Peterson, the massacre of 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech, and the celebrity trial to determine whether actress Lana Clarkson committed suicide or was killed by reclusive record producer Phil Spector.

I don't have a clue who originated the email, but Snopes is utterly disingenuous in their comments. After acknowledging that there was indeed little to no national coverage and and after reporting that the email writer and other pundits (none cited in the email) blame the lack of coverage on media bias, Snopes then states that a national conspiracy of media outlets is "rather implausible." The email nowhere suggests that "every major news outlet in the U.S. has conspired" to do anything. In fact, conspiracy of any sort is not suggested. Then of course, by implication Snopes suggests that anyone believing the conspiracy their writers create must be irrational, because a more rational explanation is… It is so much fun to pound the stuffing out of straw men!

The Laci Peterson murder, though horrible, simply wasn't as horrific. Since it seems we must compare the shock value, let's compare it to something that is actually "comparable." For example, it seems that if three rich white college men get accused of gang raping a black woman it IS all about race, and of course, there is an attendant media blitzkrieg. On the other hand, if four black men and one black woman get accused of gang rape, torture, mutilate, and ultimately murder two white kids it IS NOT about race, and of course, it doesn't merit the media blitz. That particular Snopes article was extraordinarily disappointing.

The question remains. Was it media bias? Excluding all "conspiracy theories," was it bias? Let me repeat a comment I heard made on CNN's Paula Zahn. Asked directly about black prejudice/bigotry, the guest made it plain that it is simply impossible for blacks to be bigots because they lack power. What errant nonsense. I think Thomas Sowell is right, there is a media bias and it is a result of a serious Conflict of Visions. We are in a serious situation, one that is not easily resolved.

Thomas Sowell has been reviled as a race traitor, but his books indicate otherwise. His commentaries on race, race relations, political struggle, and political philosophy are remarkable. In his book The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy, he provides a much needed bit of clear headedness. He makes it clear we're making mistakes that are not unique to us:

In earlier eras as well, many individuals foresaw the self-destruction of their own civilizations, from the days of the Roman Empire to the eras of the Spanish, Ottoman, and other empires. Yet that alone was not enough to change the course that was leading to ruin. Today, despite free speech and the mass media, the prevailing social vision is dangerously close to sealing itself off from any discordant feedback from reality (Sowell, 1995).

If you don't think our problems with race and race relations aren't every bit as serious as the war or global warming… think again friend, this is another problem that needs addressing in a meaningful and realistic fashion.