Reading Response #3

Kelsey Hyde
Lapoe
MC 4095
10 May 2012

Ethnic Press Organs

            Press organs like the African American press were crucial to society in the past. It is arguable if they are still needed today. In my opinion, the United States is a combination between cultural pluralism and assimilation because cultures have mixed to become one, but individual customs and beliefs are not lost. If no one stands up for their right to be represented, then beliefs and ideas will be lost about individuals. This cultural pluralism has taken off ever since Freedom’s Journal, the first Black newspaper in the country, was started. They developed very specific requirements to run a Black newspaper, which included appeal to an African American audience, to be owned and managed by an African American and to speak and fight for the African American community.

            W.E.B. Du Bois coined the term “dual conscience” meaning that blacks are American and they are African American. They have a place in our society. The first African American press was started using the Penny Press as a blueprint. Two men wanted to start the African American press but disagreed on how to do it. No matter how it got its start, it was successful. However, readership of the African American press has declined since the Civil Rights movement. It was mainly used to correct misrepresentations that were made in the mainstream press and to fight for African American sovereignty. Some people would agree that African Americans are still fighting for rights or to reverse a stereotype. What will it take for them?

            The theory of Hegelian Dialect revolves around the ideas and cultures transforming over time. It starts with a thesis, or common and popular idea. Then, it is argued by an antithesis, which is the opposite of the thesis. These two points intersect to become a synthesis where a compromise is reached by using Aristotle’s Golden Mean. This series of stages repeats over and over again.

The African American culture was transformed over time catalyzed by the African American press during the Antebellum Press time period. It caused the birth of leaders like Frederick Douglass and Garrison to emerge. Our society needed this then, but I don’t think it is still necessary today. By keeping ethnic media, America will not be able to bridge the gap among diverse groups in the nation. It furthers the division of America by insinuating that we need to read different presses. This implies that America is not united, which contrasts from our beautiful name United States. The natural generalizations called stereotypes that are mostly negative will likely get worse with time since the mass communication professionals are not trying to defy stereotypes, but make them more distinct by maintaining different presses for every ethnicity. The fact of the matter is, neither form of media are strong or beneficial. If minorities started to work for the mainstream press, then they could correct the misrepresentations that they state is the reason why they keep their individual ethnic presses. By joining the mainstream press, ethnic presses (mainly American Indians and Latinos) will gain credibility because they currently lack historical background, socioeconomic and political context in their own press. However, in order for this to all work out, ethnic presses have to be open to the idea of joining mainstream press and the mainstream press have to be accepting and welcoming of ethnic writers and reporters. Is this a likely solution though? People should really care about this issue because it marks the start of our future.