The media is promoting the narrative that police are more likely to kill black people and that racism in America is rising, when in fact, it is reportedly declining and has been for decades according to Professor Eric Kaufmann.
A professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London, Kaufmann is affiliated with the Manhattan Institute and the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology. He penned an opinion piece published this week based on surveys dealing with the media and racism that is getting a lot of attention.
Kaufmann began the op-ed in the New York Post by stating that the riots following the officer-involved shooting of Daunte Wright simply reinforce what has been playing out in the media: That police officers are far more likely to shoot and kill a black man.
He referenced a report he has done at the Manhattan Institute that is based upon numerous surveys. The professor posited that how much an individual perceives there is racism is in direct correlation to their exposure to leftist news and media.
From column in today’s NY Post. https://t.co/Jdhg14E21p pic.twitter.com/lvK5okwFDx
— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 16, 2021
Despite what the media tells everyone, Kaufmann contends that “racist attitudes and behaviors have been declining for decades.”
The professor highlights the fact that progressives are extremely mired in the ‘Critical Race Theory’ narrative which declares that America is a racist society that suppresses minorities, especially black Americans. They believe that pushing this form of alleged indoctrination will somehow empower racial justice. Instead, what it really does, according to Kaufmann, is cost black lives and impact their chances of being successful.
He goes on to state: “Moreover, my report shows that exposing black survey respondents to a concentrated dose of critical race-inspired writing reduces their belief that they have control of their lives. This affects their trust, health, economic achievement and other aspects of well-being.”
Kaufmann then writes on his survey findings which are eye-opening:
“Young black men are around 10 times more likely to die in a car accident than from a police bullet. Yet when I asked people which was the more common cause of death for young black males, 81 percent of black Biden voters in my survey, and 70 percent of whites who agreed that “white Republicans are racist” said police shootings claimed more young black men’s lives. This was the case even though people who didn’t know the right answer could have selected a “neither” option. By contrast, only 15 percent of white Trump voters believed this fallacy.”
He is crystal clear that Americans’ “picture of reality” is being skewed by racism, peer influences, ideology, and media exposure.
Kaufmann goes on to emphasize: “The media serves up the stories and images we become attached to, shaping what we believe. Since 2014, major American newspapers like The New York Times and Washington Post, as well as progressive online news sites like BuzzFeed, have greatly increased their focus on racism, sexism and other aspects of identity politics. This has produced what Matthew Yglesias terms “The Great Awokening,” a major leftward attitude shift among liberal, especially white liberal, Americans.”
He contends that approximately 70 percent of Americans thought race relations were good and getting better from 2002 to 2014. Those numbers have now cratered to 40-50 percent. He went on to explain: “The gap between Democrats and Republicans on how big a problem racism is, which was around 10 points between 1995 and 2014, stands at over 50 points, entirely because of the rise in the share of Democrats saying racism is a big problem.”
Even more revealing is what he had to say about social media: “In surveys, black people on social media report experiencing significantly more racism than those not on it. When asked whether people “acted suspicious of you” or “acted like you weren’t smart,” over 50 percent of blacks on social media said they had experienced this racism compared with barely 30 percent of those not on social media. This effect remained powerful even after controlling for age, income, ideology and education.”
Kaufmann also noted that most black Americans feel that political correctness is demeaning. They “preferred a future where they had become so confident that racial insults did not offend them over one where the price for racist remarks was so high that none took place.” However, white liberals took the opposite view.
He made a sobering point over how all of this damages how black Americans see themselves:
“Blacks prefer resilience and agency over protection and dependency, but when they hear radical narratives based on critical race theory, this damages their belief in themselves. Just 68 percent of black respondents who read a short passage from radical writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, starting with “In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body — it is heritage,” said they could make their plans work out compared with 83 percent of blacks who did not read that paragraph.”
When a white individual is killed by police officers, it doesn’t usually dominate news headlines because apparently it does not further the leftist political narrative. Kaufmann makes a valid point that racism seems to resonate with the liberal American psyche. It is emotional in nature: “When tragic events like the killing of Daunte Wright or George Floyd take place, this triggers a wave of emotion, powering a politics of unreason that is doing more harm than good.”
Voices on Twitter had nothing but disdain for the media:
The Dem MSM propaganda machine must be pleased with their success.
Integrity in news has been replaced by loyalty to a political party.
Joke was lawyers were the lowest form of life, think they’ve been ‘dethroned’ by media executives.
— Brian Dreyer (@Bwdreyer) April 16, 2021
Media is responsible for the hate the Black people have for police and they know it. Yes there are “bad” racist cops that need to be punished and in jail, but media won’t show half the good outcomes of arrests on Blacks that put a cop in danger for their own life. How about that
— marjorie gill (@marjori80169087) April 16, 2021
“We are the mainstream media. We will tell what you should believe……”
— Oscar Lopez (@oolopeztejas) April 16, 2021
Narrative always beats facts. That’s why the media pushes narrative over facts.
— Russell Mullins (@Russell19531976) April 16, 2021
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Dem elitist mayor living like royalty mocked for hilariously corrupt antics: ‘Real life Parks & Rec’ - January 5, 2024
- Pelosi says states, not voters, should be able to decide who is on a ballot - January 5, 2024
- Whoopi blasts rumors she’s on Epstein’s list, says she’s listed on ‘fake’ one - January 5, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
