DOCUMENT RESUME ED 362 863 CS 214 049 AUTHOR Barr, Lisa TITLE The Next Step: Showing a Common History of Treatment for Minorities, Women and Gays in Media Content, Newsrooms and Journalism Schools; A Proposal for Further Research and Suggestions for a Curriculum. PUB DATE Aug 93 NOTE 34p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (76th, Kansas City, MO, August 11-14, 1993). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) -- Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Blacks; Females; Higher Education; Homosexuality; *Journalism Education; Labeling (of Persons); *Mass Media Role; Multicultural Education; Research Needs; *Stereotypes IDENTIFIERS Curriculum Implementation; Educational Issues; Journalism Schools ABSTRACT This paper argues for discussion on the idea that "multi-culturalism" programs at universities, and particularly in journalism programs, should include exposure to gay/lesbian/bisexual issues in addition tO material about minorities and women. The paper's premise is that blacks, women, and gays have received similarly shoddy, stereotypical treatment in the nation's news product, newsrooms, and journalism schools. The paper examines the media content, newsroom conditions for and journalism treatment of first gays, then women, and finally, blacks. The paper then presents some general suggestions about incorporating diversity in pre-existing or special journalism courses. The paper provides examples of "closeted" history and issues pertaining to gays. The methodology and results of a pilot study along with a journalist survey which could be applied to gay, women, black, and non-minority journalists are attached. (Contains 61 notes and 39 references.) (RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** THE NEXT STEP: SHOWING A COMMON HISTORY OF TREATMENT FOR MINORITIES, WOMEN AND GAYS IN MEDIA CONTENT, NEWSROOMS AND JOURNALISM SCHOOLS; A Proposal for Further Research and Suggestions for a Curriculum. Lisa Barr Assistant in Telecommunication/2211 Weimer Hall School of Journalism and Communication University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611 904-392-5200(w)or904-335-7057 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Office of Educational Raisearch aoe Improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) *he document hell been reproduced as mewed from the person or orperwation °nonstop it. 0 Moor Chang* II Mho* bean made to «uproot remoduchon duaMy Points ofnen or opinions stated on thos doCu merit do nOt necessarily ISSIteant othCoal TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OERI IXISIoloOn Of ISOWCY INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." "Ths subtlest and most pervasive of influence* are thosewhich create and maintain the reportonj of stereotypes. We are told aboutthe world before we see it.Isle imagine most things before ws experience them. And those preoccupations, unlesseducation has made us acutely aware, govern deeply the whole processof perception. Walter Lippman (Art.10) THE NEXT STEP: SHOWING A COMMON HISTORYOF TREATMENT FOR MINORITIES, WOMEN AND GAYS IN MEDIACONTENT, NEWSROOMS AND JOURNALISM SCHOOLS; A Proposal for FurtherResearch and Suggestions for a Curriculum. The parallels between the treatment of blacks in the 1960sand present day treatMent of gays are growing ever more obvious. Communities around the nation consider Including sexual orientation language in prevailinghuman rights ordinances. And gays are coming under increasing fire, in a mannerreminiscent of the backlashes against the gains of blacks and women. This paper is a proposal and invitation for furtherdiscussion on the author's premise that "multi-culturalism" programs at universities,and particularly in journalism programs, should include exposure togay/lesbian/bisexual issues(hereinafter referred to as gay issues) in addition tomaterial about minorities and women. The author's premise is that blacks, women,and gays have received similarly shoddy, stereotypical treatment in our nation's newsproduct, newsrooms, and journalism schools. The structure of this paper will examine the media content, newsroomconditions for and journalism school treatment of first gays, then women,and, finally, blacks. These sections will be followed by some general suggestions aboutincorporating diversity in pre-existing or special journalism courses. The paperprovides examples of "closeted" history and issues pertaining to gays, followed by apioposal for a content analysis and journalist survey which could be applied to gays, women,blacks, and non- minority journalists. While the author found ample information about the treatment of womenand blacks in media messages, newsrooms and journalism schools, such was notthe case for gays. Unfortunately, most such studies to datehave been largely anecdotal in nature. Some already available material, however(such as the anecdote whichfollows), points toward ripe areas for future research. A 'GENERALLY ANGRY' PEOPLE?--Stereotype fromCollege Radio In September, 1992, a telecommunications student at a largeSoutheastern University aired a story about gay rights activists being arraigned fortrespassing after the local city commission passed a resolution equating homosexualitywith various crimes, including pedophilia, necrophilia, and bestiality.Outraged, some activists had "taken over" commission chambers and were singing the song HollyNear wrote after the murder of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk. The song's chorus is:"We are a gentle, angry people. And we are singing, singing for our lives." But the student was confused. Her copy read that the actMsts had sung,"We are a generally angry people." The mistake seemed humorousuntil the student said that she'd thought it was odd that gays would admit "how angry they were" in a song. Curious about this student's knowledge of current events concerning gays,the instructor mentioned Harvey Milk, and was greeted with a blank stare. Aftertelling the 1 3 student about Milk's murder, the instructor asked about Fred Paez and received the same response.' The student also knew nothing about the Stonewall riots. Such ignorance on the part of our journalism sttients can no longer be excused in the face of the virulent, violent, and sometimes fatal attacks facing Americans with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual. A SUMMARY OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSAULTS ON GAYS In March, 1993 the Southern Poverty Law Center filed suit against three U.S. Marines charged in the January, 1993 beating of a North Carolina gay man. The center has, for twenty-two years, waged legal battles against white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the White Aryan Resistance. "We see very little difference between Klansmen beating up a black person in Southern Georgia and three Marines beating up a gay person in North Carolina or anywhere else in the United States,"said attorney Morris Dees, adding that their message is, "If you bash somebody, you're going to have to pay." It's a lesson many Americans apparently have yet to learn.In 1990, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) over 7,000 hate crimes against lesbians and gay men were reported. (That figure becomes more shocking when considered with the Kinsey Institute's estimate that there are over 20 million homosexuals in the United States.) But could this violence have some roots in hatred spread by religious fundamentalists", reconstructionists", and "postmilleniumists"?2 Leading reconstructionists have taken to our nation's mainstream call-in shows airing such views as: "The Bible doesn't say that homosexuals should be executed. What it says is this: If Iwo men lie together like a man and a woman lie together, they are to be put to death."3 1 Fred Paez was a Houston gay rights leader. The Houston Police Officer who, in 1980, shot Paez point-blank in the head claimed it was self-defense, and was acquitted in a trial with noted irregularities. 2 The concept orreconstruction", according to researcher Sara Diamond, author of "Spiritual Warfare: The Politics of the Christian Right" is based on an eschatological position called "postmillenialism"--the idea that the return of Christ will not occur until after thousand-year earthly reign by Christians. Some "postmills" believe the millenium is already underway while others believe the start of the thousand-year reign can be hastened as Christians take over society. "Postmillenialists" seek -to evangeliza entire institutions.Diamond defines "reconstructionism" from a 1988 pamphlet by Reformation Covenant Church in Boise, Idaho: "Christian Reconstructionism is a call to the Church to awaken to its biblical responsibility to subdue the earth for the glory of God. While holding the priority of individual salvation, Christian Reconstruction also holds that cultural renewal is to be the necessary and expected outworking of the gospel as it progressively finds success in the lives and hearts of men.Christian Reconstruction therefore looks for and works for the rebuilding of the institutions of society according to a biblical blueprint." 3 Gary DeMar, a leading Christian Reconstructionist's comments on WSB-Atlanta's "Sound Off". Transcript was printed in wThe Freedom Writer: the national newsletter