Those who report the news play a significant part in people’s perceptions about whom are accountable for crimes. If one skews reporting, those consuming it will have a false reality. Trump is quick to tweet on crimes by people of color and rarely a peep otherwise. Where’s the president on this white guy?
ThinkProgress reported the following.
On Sunday evening, a man allegedly planted two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, Florida. The police are looking for a person of interest in connection with the incident, but he remains on the loose Monday morning.
The device — described in local reports as “some type of flare inside of a PVC pipe that was wrapped in electrical tape” — caused an explosion near a loading dock. While nobody was injured, you might think that the detonation of IEDs at a shopping mall would be a significant story, especially among right-wing voices who are usually quick to politicize attempted acts of violence in public places.
You’d be wrong. On Monday morning, Breitbart’s homepage featured a story about “knife-wielding jihadist inmates” who attacked a prison guard in France, but not a single word about the IEDs in Florida. A brief write-up was featured toward the bottom of Fox News’ homepage. President Trump — reliably quick to politicize act of violence committed by Muslims, even when they happen overseas — hasn’t said anything about the incident as this is published.
As an activist, one of the reasons I am sympathetic to the Trump supporters, to even the white nationalists, and others that many consider deplorables, is that I understand that our media, mainstream and otherwise are so biased, that they have cauterized within the brains of many, especially those that are financially stressed, a false reality. Deprogramming isn’t easy, but it is the only choice. But we must render the purveyors of misinformation an lies moot or irrelevant.
