The issue of police brutality is currently at the forefront of our nation’s attention, as fatal police shootings seem to occur on an almost regular basis nowadays. As a result, professional misconduct on the part of the police has been met with staunch outcry from both members of the public and the press. One of the most prominent voices of this opposition is Wesley Lowrey, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from The Washington Post. During his conference at Penn State, he discussed the issue of police brutality, as well as the social movement that has raised up to challenge it. More specifically, he outlined how The Post compiled a national database to track fatal police shootings, and addressed skepticism surrounding the Black Live Matter movement.
Dubbed “Fatal Force”, The Post’s effort to chronicle fatal police shootings in America was a remarkably successful example of ethically sound, productive journalism. For one, it included a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding each shooting. By doing so, Lowrey and The Post ensured that every situation was accurately represented, regardless of what confounding factors may have been present. The Post also included short insights into the social issues that help lead to police shootings, including mental health and the race of the suspect in question. According to Earnest L. Perry Jr., a journalism professor at the University of Missouri, journalists “…should not cover [police shootings] as if it is the first time it’s ever happened” (Perry 2016). Just as Lowrey and The Post did in this situation, it is important to create an element of context within the work so that readers understand that the issue is an ongoing one, not just an isolated incident.
With regards to the skepticism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, Lowrey made an interesting point by framing the counter argument to police brutality protests in an analogous manner. He explained that going to a Black Lives Matter protest and chanting “All Lives Matter” is like going to a breast cancer awareness event and preaching about prostate cancer. While both parties in this situation make a valid point, and both diseases are an issue, the point of the hypothetical event was to raise awareness specifically for breast cancer, so preaching about another disease is not only irrelevant, but somewhat insensitive as well. According to an article titled Black Lives Matter: Post-Nihilistic Freedom Dreams, the Black Lives Matter movement is an “…attempt to deprive white supremacy of the oxygen it needs to sustain [dangerous] assumptions and the state violence they engender” (Bailey & Leonard 2015). It focuses specifically on the unfair treatment of minority groups in America, and although other demographics may have their own woes as well, it serves no point to bring them into the conversation. As John Rawls’s Veil of Ignorance states, the least advantaged party must be permitted the greatest level of protection. So with regards to the Black Lives Matter protesters, who in this case represent the least advantaged party, Lowrey made a valuable point challenging the relevancy of critics’ arguments.
The topic of police brutality is a controversial one, but given its increasing relevancy in today’s world, it is of the utmost importance that our society continues to discuss it and work towards a solution. The work of journalists like Wesley Lowrey provide a valuable starting point, but in order for true change to occur, we must take the information that is provided to us and use it to work towards making a difference in the way that police and citizens interact. With a collective effort from citizens, journalists, policy makers, and members of law enforcement, we can work towards creating a world where police brutality, and the broader issue of white supremacy, no longer plagues our society like it does now.
Works Cited:
Bailey, J., & Leonard, D. J. (2015). Black Lives Matter: Post-Nihilistic Freedom
Dreams. Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 5(1/2), 67-77. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
Perry, E. L. (2016). Teaching History in the Age of Black Lives Matter: Embracing the
Narratives of the Long Struggle for Civil Rights. American Journalism, 33(4),
465-470. Retrieved October 31, 2017.