Coverage without context: simply irresponsible

An article about a man, jailed for illegal drug use would be remiss in failing to acknowledge that he had an incurable physical ailment for which no legal medication existed. It’s because the news paints a picture for the public, and this one would be incomplete without mention of the offender’s path to his predicament. It seems quite clear in the aforementioned case that a news article or story could project a less than accurate image of subjects by omitting the context in which things occur or the history leading up to an occurrence. Though possibly an afterthought, journalists should still recognize that reporting without providing context or correlative information for the news also perpetuates stereotypes.

In the days following CNN’s coverage of Black-Americans, black news outlets and blogs have praised the coverage for highlighting the daily struggle presented by race and class bias in the U.S.; some have expressed displeasure with program’s failure to address gender inequities, the present face of racism in the U.S. and other issues that plague the Black community; and some recognize how greate inequity in media coverage really is that a program of this nature is even necessary or popular. This brought to mind reports I have seen recently about the number of blacks that succeed in law school in comparison to white counterparts and the bar-passage rates for blacks.

While these stories and blogs highlight statistics, they consistently fail to acknowledge ever-present factors that give context to those numbers. Since reports, articles and news coverage rarely provide background to the number of Black-Americans that go to college, law school, graduate school or pursue a PhD, readers often subscribe to a view of these black subjects that perpetuates the stereotype that blacks are less-qualified, less-intelligent, less-driven, less-responsible, less-accountable and less than. These stories do not address the social construct that race was built on or the limits race can present.

So, while the news media does not and should not bear the burden of countering existing stereotypes that present themselves in the news, we should always provide context for any subject deemed newsworthy.

In the news: the M.B.A., J.D., M.D. or Ph.D. plays second fiddle to your S.E.X.

Even after the suffrage movement, it has taken decades for the media to depict women as three-dimensional beings with abilities that exceed gender roles. With the recent coverage of educated women or those in high-powered positions, has much really changed?

As a graduate student, the Forbes list of 100 most powerful women has always encouraged me, because I saw that gender did not have to hinder success. It publicizes women that do and have it all. The women highlighted were celebrated for their feats despite the societal constraints of sex, rather than because of it. Even in undergrad, I looked forward to seeing this comprehensive list of women that spanned the gamut from: effective, cold and calculating CEOs I loved to hate, to ladies that embraced maternal tactics in their careers—viewing their employees and businesses as family, and became successful because of it. Unfortunately, it seems Forbes stands alone in its balanced depiction of women.

The coverage of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and Michelle Obama had more to do with fashion, emotion, disposition and femininity than character and achievement. That took a little wind from my sails, but what truly sank my battleship was this article in the Wall Street Journal. It basically discussed a study that shows a slight difference in the divorce-rates for women with graduate degrees and their male counterparts.

The article states, “Women with M.B.A.s are twice as likely to get divorced or separated as their male counterparts. The picture isn't much rosier for women with law or medical degrees.” However, when we get to the actual numbers the article shows:

According to Prof. Wilson's study, women with law or medical degrees
divorce less often than those with only bachelor's degrees, but are still more
likely to divorce or separate than their male counterparts (10% of women with
law degrees and 9% of women with medical degrees, compared with 7% of male
lawyers and 5.1% of male doctors).

When you get right down to it, there’s only a 3% difference between divorce rates for men and women in the legal profession and a 3.9% difference between divorce rates for those in the medical field. The article exaggerates the story the numbers tell to support a likely valid point: for some reason, women with high education and achievement levels do not fit the widely depicted gender-roles of American society. The credible argument this article could have made gets lost in the lop-sided coverage. It should have included research on those with graduate degrees compared to the rest of the population, news on marital status among less educated people, maybe even a realistic approach to identifying factors for divorce among professionals would have been nice.

If the media continues to depict educated women as one-dimensional and lonely, the misconception that women cannot have both successful homes and careers will flourish. Meanwhile, I’ll maintain my annual wait for that Forbes issue.

Law School Stress: Students need help rather than hype.

Graduate and doctorate students face challenges that affect each area of life, from fiscal fitness and family responsibilities to physical and mental well-being. Those who have never pursued a degree or have long been removed from the stress associated with higher education sometimes lack the understanding necessary to feel compassion for students. Many often downplay the rigor of classes, homework, studying and the non-stop production of work-products that surpass the work of fellow-students to garner the B- or better average. Some even question a student's motives with quips about putting off "real" work.

When I began having difficulty adjusting to law school, my family and close-friends worked hard to provide support and encouragement. Still, the game-face many of my peers had, made my fears seem unfounded; until I did some research. Although students have lower suicide rates than their off-campus counterparts, graduate students account for the greatest percentage of campus suicides. Additional research revealed that law and med school students have an increased risk for substance abuse; especially women in these fields.

With the attention that school shootings receive, it seems that the media has not highlighted the risks facing graduate students and the factors contributing to pitfalls like substance abuse, self-abuse and suicide.

The point of this blog is not to publicize the dark times that graduate education can trigger, because many students have experienced the heartache first-hand. The point is for students to know they are not insane, incompetent or alone. The dangers of unaddressed, self-medicated depression and or stress are real. However, the avenues for support are open and success can be realized without caving in to the pressure.

A few students will always have "the time of their life" during law school, never knowing what it feels like to try and fail, to lose sleep, friends, lovers or spouses, financial security, weight and sometimes sanity. A few find it easy to complete the experience unscathed by its harshness and possibly delighted by the challenge. Yet, for the rest of us, who bleed when pricked and shiver when cold; there is NO shame in asking for help. We should take comfort in knowing that seeking the support needed to graduate with sanity will enable future success.

If you're studying for the BAR...this one's for you!

Yes, I'm just a rising 3L, and I'm up this late. I say why go to sleep, if this is what I have to look forward to?

How did YOU choose a major?

Anyone with a pulse knows that U.S. immigration coverage has increased in the media and gained weight as a political issue. Now, the policies and rules have become so complex that many law students have decided on Immigration Law as a discipline. Likewise, many law professors and experts have declared Immigration Law a burgeoning career field.

Even savvy, educated individuals might have difficulty deciphering the official website from fee-based "assistance" when it comes to immigration facts and forms. So, while the media and politicians perpetuated the immigration frenzy, the law and legal education run to capitali...eh, argue...I mean advocate for those affected -- not unlike environmental law (a necessary headache, but that's another blog).

What media phenomenon will inspire a flood of "application to change major" forms, stirring up U.S. academia next?

Focused and Comprehensive Coverage Equal Perfection. Let's pray that I can one day deliver.

When should the focus of a news article differ from the newsworthy event that sparked the article? It seems that articles with singular focus yet comprehensive coverage have become rare. For the reader in me, an article with a single focus AND balanced, full coverage of the events would equal perfection.

Maybe what I've learned as a media student has given me a more critical eye or I'm simply a sucker for the details, but I've found myself reading articles and wondering why more than 50% of an article focuses on something other than the reason for the article.

An article I read today left me quite torn. A suspected murderer committed suicide, but the article focused much more on the victim, a Kansas law student and philanthropist. The suicide news came just one day after the victim's body was found, which is why (I'm guessing) the story had a victim-centered focus. I'm torn because, while the story had great information on what took place and did an excellent job of capturing the life of the victim, the article's coverage of the suspect was not comprehensive.

I understand the article would have to give the public a balanced picture of the deceased, respect grieving families and maintain an accurate view of the facts. This story almost did that, but fell just short enough for me to have to do some online research of my own (oh...and blog about it). The article faltered when most of the information on the now deceased suspect came from distant parties -- a police record, an art gallery owner and the ever-faithful MySpace. Still, a family member, co-workers, friends and a professor spoke fondly of the victim.

I anticipated the victim would receive delicate treatment, out of respect for the tragic loss of life and for those grieving. However, the treatment of the suspect really seemed "safe" and somewhat nonchalant. The writer gave us some tidbits about his art and prior police record, but how about some information on how long he had known the victim. It didn't even tell me if he worked or what area of town he was from!

I've not had to write a story on a murder, a suicide or a murder-suicide, but I imagine finding a balance for the story is no easy task. Since I know how difficult reporting has been for me, I don't want to seem harsh. On the other hand, as a reader, I expect all of my questions answered.

Maybe, I'm just nosey and it's possible there's not much more to this man that committed suicide. Yet, I doubt it. Tell me why he came to the United States. How did he meet the victim? Did he have a history of mental illness? I want to know how long he had been dating the victim and if they were having problems, etc. The headline read, "Man held in death of KU student kills himself," but the story told me more about the victim's life, education and achievements than the untimely death of the pair.

I guess I just anticipated a more comprehensive article, like the coverage of the Said killings. Maybe that perfect article's just waiting for the editor's okay, and I'm just impatient. Maybe law school has depleted my good-sense and I can only focus on a single issue at a time. Either way, I wasn't satisfied. :(

Eh...love me or leave me. You were probably asking the same questions!