To the editor: While I understand that your intention in the recent editorial [“Respect the grand-jury process,” April 27] may have been to provide an objective analysis of the situation, I believe that your piece fails to consider important factors that contribute to systemic racism in the media.
Firstly, I want to address the lack of empathy for the victim that is apparent in your article. As noted in an article by UNLV, “The fact that their loved one has been killed by an agent of the state really creates numerous barriers to justice for them,” which can be amplified by the exclusion of victim and family narratives in media coverage. I believe that this is precisely what happened in the editorial, as there was no mention of the victim, Timothy McCree Johnson, other than to say that the incident was “lamentable.”
I find it concerning that the editorial perpetuates harmful stereotypes and bias against Black men. Your failure to provide evidence to support your claims about Johnson’s actions and your lack of mention of the fact that no guns or other weapons were found in the wooded area where the shooting took place suggest a preconceived notion that Johnson was armed and dangerous simply because he was a Black man. This perpetuates a narrative that has been used to justify the unjustified use of force against Black men in the past.
Finally, I want to address the broader issue of systemic racism in the media. The statistics of unarmed Black men being shot and killed in the U.S. are alarming, as evidenced by an article published by BMJ that reports that the rate of fatal police shootings of unarmed Black people in the U.S. is more than three times as high as that of unarmed white people.
It is crucial for media outlets to recognize their role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes and to take steps to address this issue.
I urge you to consider the impact of your words and to take steps to address the broader issue of systemic racism in the media. This could include meeting with the victim’s family to gain a more well-rounded viewpoint and ensuring that future coverage is written with empathy for all parties involved and are based on verifiable evidence rather than harmful stereotypes.
Eric Lynum
