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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
Page 8 The Skanner July 18, 2018 News By Lauren Poteat (NNPA Newswire Washington Correspondent) s Donald Trump’s persistent “fake news” rhetoric continues to fester in the media, Black pub- lishers across the nation, recently took charge of the conversation, giving way to a special forum entitled “Black Press vs. Fake News.” The forum took place during the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) an- nual convention. Doro- thy Leavell, the chairman of NNPA and publisher of the Chicago Crusad- er, the Gary Crusader and the Chicago Reader, moderated the dialogue about misinformation in mainstream media. “What do we do in this age of fake news?” Leavell said. “Our struggles and our truths have been at the forefront of battling fake news throughout history.” Leavell continued: “In 1827, we battled the lie that we were nothing more than three-fifths of a human, spearheaded by the Freedom’s Jour- nal, the nation’s first Black-owned and oper- ated newspaper, which stepped in and showed us different. In 1895, ac- tivist Ida B. Wells, who established the Memphis Free Speech refuted the fake news of her day — concerning the mythical rape of a White woman.” Leavell said that, throughout history, A Black people have been victimized by the prolif- eration of fake news and misinformation, includ- ing some of our most profound Black leaders like Marcus Garvey, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., leaders of the Black Pan- ther Party and even to- day’s Black Lives Matter. “All these obstacles are nothing new to us,” Leavell said. “So, while Donald Trump has been credited for populariz- ing the term ‘fake news’ we know this too is ‘fake news.’” Joining in on the dia- logue, additional speak- ers included Sarah Glov- er, the president of the National Association of Black Journalists; Deb- orah Gray-Young, the managing partner of D. Gray-Young, Inc. Con- sulting; Dr. Julianne Mal- veaux, an economist and sociopolitical commenta- tor; and A. Scott Bolden, the managing partner of the Washington, D.C., of- fice of the global law firm Reed Smith. The pan- elists challenged Black publishers and their teams to not only report real stories, but to also report them right. “I’m not so much con- cerned about what is being said, as I am with what isn’t,” Malveaux said. “We [Black people] can define what news is… For example, ‘45’ is run- ning around bragging about how low the Black unemployment rate is, but if you research the statistics and labor mar- ket correctly, you’ll see FREDDIE ALLEN/AMG/NNPA The Black Press Challenges Fake News at Annual Conference Panelists discuss the affects of “fake news” on the Black community during the NNPA’s 2018 annual convention in Norfolk, Va. that a large number of Black people, have actu- ally left the labor market altogether.” “ It’s time we take a page out of Donald Trump’s book and reinvigo- rate our bases Malveaux continued: “This is the real story that needs to be told and not 45’s ‘fake news.’ This year alone over 150,000 Black women left the la- bor market, which rep- resent the stories that nobody is telling.” According to a report by CNBC, nearly 70 per- cent of all American citizens are concerned about “fake news” being used as a weapon. What’s more, in a re- cent report by NBC, “fake news” or just overall lies, were shown to spread faster on social media A career you can be proud of. Being a carpenter isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life. We’re devoted to strengthening the lives of our members with steady work, wealth and personal growth. We take a stand for our members and all workers. We work together to lead the building industry in safety, training and compensation. We create rich lives for our members and partners. To learn more about becoming a union carpenter, go to NWCarpenters.org. PORTLAND: 1636 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214 | 503.261.1862 HEADQUARTERS: 25120 Pacific Hwy S, #200, Kent, WA 98032 | 253.954.8800 More than 20,000 members in the Pacific Northwest. than the actual truth. Examining the criti- cal role of Black media, which has long been the beacon of light in the Black community, along- side the new age of tech- nology, Deborah Gray- Young, placed emphasis on millennials and their role in escaping the idea of “fake news.” “Black media is being dismissed and not be- ing regarded for its true worth,” Gray-Young said. “It’s time we take a page out of Donald Trump’s “ ence of the Black Press on social media is so piv- otal, Gray-Young added. “Increase your SEO’s, tell your own stories and get plugged in,” Gray- Young said. Bolden said that in America, right now, “we don’t struggle with the ideals of what is right and what is wrong, but what is the truth.” Closing out the discus- sion, Chairman Leavell called on mainstream media and the general public to denounce the What comes up in Google searches are items with the highest ratings, which is what the public comes to know to be the whole truth book and reinvigorate our bases. Then we need to take a step back and reestablish trust, par- ticularly among young people. We’re in a time now, where millennials are asking, ‘What’s the source of true informa- tion?’ That source is the Black Press and we need to do a better job explain- ing that.” Gray-Young continued: “And don’t forget about your social media. This is what young people are plugged into. It’s not just about what’s happening in the present moment anymore. Every time we report something we are participating in the documentation of histo- ry, and what comes up in Google searches are items with the highest ratings, which is what the public comes to know to be the whole truth.” This is why the pres- idea of “fake news” and its message, while en- couraging all Americans to support the Black Press. “NNPA has served as a vanguard and a hon- est look into the lives and struggles of Black Americans for over for- ty years,” Leavell said. “The Black Press has been around for over 191 years. To say that there is no real news or report- ing, just isn’t factual as history shows us differ- ent. Leavell continued: “As members of the Black Press it is our job to be that torch of insight and lead other generations on.” Lauren Meredith Poteat is a Washington Corre- spondent for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPres- sUSA.com. You can follow Lauren on Twitter @lau- renmeredithp.
