Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
BlogsNationalNews

Criticisms of Media’s Treatment of Filmed Black Death vs White Death

Posted byBy Zellie Imani | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
The suspected shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan aka Bryce Williams

The suspected shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan aka Bryce Williams

A man, described by authorities as a disgruntled former colleague, gunned down a reporter and cameraman during a live broadcast Wednesday morning, then posted video of the shooting online. The suspect, identified as Vester Lee Flanagan aka Bryce Williams, turned the gun on himself hours later. He died at the hospital from a self inflicted gun shot wound, authorities said.

Flanagan, 41, recorded himself carrying out the attack and posted the video on his social media accounts after fleeing the scene. On twitter, a user identifying as Flanagan tweeted, saying: “I filmed the shooting see Facebook”. Both the Facebook account and Twitter account were suspended.

While the video circulated on social media, various media outlets began to become heavily criticized for airing the footage. CNN, said it would no longer air the footage after announcing it would show the video “once every hour”.

Users on twitter quickly noticed how the media and public treated visuals of white victimhood as opposed to Black victimhood. For many, it was a continuation of protecting the sanctity and humanity of Whiteness. Images of Black death however were products for media consumption. The same outlets who opposed airing the shootings, have played and replayed footage of Blacks being the victims of police violence.

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top