CNN's Pereira Bemoans Chicago Violence 'Taking A Back Seat in the Headlines;' CNN Barely Covers
On Tuesday's This Hour, Michaela Pereira endorsed guest L. Z. Granderson's take on the media's extensive coverage of the ongoing turmoil in Ferguson, Missouri in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown. The liberal commentator pointed out that "this past weekend, we had over 30 people shot – seven of them died – in the neighborhoods in Chicago – many of them black and brown. None of that was covered." [MP3 audio available here; video below]
Pereira replied to Granderson by asserting that "because of Ferguson, Chicago is sort of taking a back seat in the headlines. And Chicago's a very concerning thing, and we need to keep watching. We need to keep addressing what's going on there." One wonders if the anchor will criticize her own network, as CNN has only mentioned the violence in the Windy City twice over the past week. Back on the August 13, 2014 edition of The Lead, Jake Tapper cited a recent column by Jesse Jackson:
JAKE TAPPER (to Jesse Jackson): In the same op-ed, you also write – quote, 'Michael Brown has joined a long line of blacks, especially black males, who have recently been killed by white men and/or white police officers, who claim 'reasonable fear' or 'self-defense.' Chicago has experienced a rash of young blacks in gangs killing each other over 'territory' or in 'retaliation,' so it's not just whites killing young black males' – unquote.
Five days later, on Early Start, anchor Christine Romans gave a news brief on the most recent violence in Chicago:
CHRISTINE ROMANS: In Chicago, five people were killed and dozens more injured, after a deadly weekend of violence across the city. Police say a 16-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound to the head early Sunday morning in Humboldt Park. A 16-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head during a drive-by shooting just blocks from her home in Englewood. Two teens were shot during a parade on Chicago's South Side Saturday.
Pereira brought on Granderson and left-wing commentator Sally Kohn for their takes on the Michael Brown case/situation in Ferguson. The CNN anchor noted both of her guests' recent columns on the issue, which promoted Granderson's blast about the lack of coverage of the shootings in Chicago:
MICHAELA PEREIRA: L.Z. and Sally, you both have been very busy writing op-eds. And L.Z., we talked a lot about the – the op-ed you wrote. You talk about being sick of Americans not being upset when they hear of an unarmed black teen dying. There is a disconnect here, hon. Where do you think it is?
L. Z. GRANDERSON, SENIOR WRITER, ESPN: Well, there is a general devaluing of black and brown life, and when I wrote that piece, I know a number of people thought I was talking about specifically white people not caring – and I was not. I'm glad I'm here to clear that up. I was talking about America not caring.
This past weekend, we had over 30 people shot – seven of them died – in the neighborhoods in Chicago – many of them black and brown. None of that was covered – including a 16-year-old who had straight 'A's' – was not covered. We generally, in this country, just do not value black and brown life in the same way. That goes for the majority of the media that covers white America, but also black America as well. That's why I wrote that piece. I'm tired of us – black people, white people, brown people – not caring about unarmed black people dying in our streets.
PEREIRA: And I'm really glad you brought that up. Because of Ferguson, Chicago is sort of taking a back seat in the headlines. And Chicago's a very concerning thing, and we need to keep watching. We need to keep addressing what's going on there.
— Matthew Balan is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Matthew Balan on Twitter.
