CI#3

I saw such a terrible article the other day that I need to write this blog post about this. This is the link to the article: http://investik8.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/eden-a-sex-slaves-story/

Sometimes it can be easy to focus on issues such as the equality of women in the workplace, receiving equal pay, etc. These are issues, but there are greater problems that also need to be addressed. I think it is absolutely appalling that this is even a practice in existence. There isn’t even a glimmer of equality in this situation. Or humanity. I can’t believe that I didn’t hear this girl’s story until a movie was going to be made about it. I wonder if the movie will be created for activist purposes or if they will just take this girl’s real life trauma and turn it into a piece of entertainment. I hope that audiences don’t take this story lightly.

Sometimes I worry audiences have become immune to the traumas conveyed in the media. Law and Order SVU has been hitting a little too close to home lately. (http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/05/law-order-svu-episode-inspired-by-hazing-scandal/) The presence of entertainment media and these issues are highly controversial. Media is powerful. This also connects to the media’s portrayal of women.

The media’s portrayal of women can influence societal views of women. Media has the power to reinforce stereotypes. This can be dangerous. Media producers have the responsibility to decide whether they need to filter content. This leads to the in class discussion we had about a similar topic. Do media producers have a responsibility to include diversity? Do they also hold responsibility when it comes to portraying women in the media? Does this hinder free speech?

Chong Kim’s story is delicate subject material. The media can raise awareness. I wouldn’t have found out about the article unless it was published online. I wonder how useful the publicizing of her story will be. If the issue is ongoing, it may result in harsher treatment of the girls and more secretive sex trafficking. I hope what is best for the girls is being done. The only information given in the article about action being taken is: “Chong is working with private investigators and members of the FBI to give as much information as possible to help bring her traffickers to justice.” That isn’t very specific or reassuring. It’s too vague to settle my concern. This article came up on my Facebook News Feed after one of my friends shared the article. I wonder about its legitimacy and intentions. I don’t think it’s geared to simply report this news. It’s written with an artistic flair. Perhaps, written in this way, it will garner more attention. It’s just interesting to consider motivations of the media. The media can misrepresent absolutely anyone or anything. Women, minorities, white men, Southerners, etc. What do you think about media coverage of issues in our society? More importantly, what do you think about the coverage of Chong’s story? How do you feel about it being made into a movie?

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1 comment

  1. That’s one hell of a horror story. What hit home most for me was when she noted that she couldn’t believe where she was at first – she assumed she’d somehow been transported out of the country, because shed been so Americanized that she didn’t think this stuff could happen inside our own borders. Now that is scary.

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