September 9, 2018
Media Attempts to Sabotage Botham Jean's Reputation
Botham Shem Jean, a risk assessment associate at PrincewaterhouseCoopers, was shot and killed in his home by off-duty Officer Amber Guyger. While much is still unknown, many are outraged by the way the media and police have been handling the case so far.
A Fox 4 News affiliate is under fire after publishing an article with the headline, “Developing: Search warrant: Marijuana found in Botham Jean’s apartment after deadly shooting”.
This continues the media’s practice of criminalizing black victims of police shootings, even in death. News outlets have often shared mugshots of Black shooting victims rather than more relatable and humanizing images such as graduation or family photos. These stereotypical images work to pigeon-hole black victims as dangerous, susceptible to violence, and undeserving of sympathy.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean’s family said,
“They went in with the intent to look for some sort of criminal justification for the victim,” Merritt said. “It’s a pattern that we’ve seen before … we have a cop who clearly did something wrong. And instead of investigating the homicide — instead of going into her apartment and seeing what they can find, instead of collecting evidence relevant for the homicide investigation — they went out specifically looking for ways to tarnish the image of this young man.”
HOW IS THIS RELATED TO STRUCTURAL RACISM?
By criminalizing black victims, the media is reinforcing negative stereotypes of the black community.
Myths and stereotypes founded on racist ideologies can not only be deadly for black men, women, and children, but they also ensure that sympathy and justice remain elusive for black victims killed by law enforcement.
The criminalization falsely justifies violence towards black bodies. It not only increases fear and distrust among racial groups, but it also impacts how the judicial system treats white offenders accused of committing violent crimes on black men, women, and children.
For me see, " A Fox Station in Dallas is Being Accused of Helping Police Smear a Black Man who Was Killed By a Cop Inside His Home "
