As media organizations across the country fold and news deserts grow, it remains to be seen who will tell the tough stories and ask difficult questions traditionally posed by journalists.
Social media provides an opportunity for community organizations and leaders to take that role, but a new study shows that in the case of difficult conversations regarding racial disparities and the COVID-19 pandemic, news outlets still take the lead in sharing such information.
The pandemic saw pronounced health disparities and negative outcomes falling disproportionately on communities of color. That happened around the same time as the murder of George Floyd and resulting protests for racial justice across the country. Those concurrent events provided an opportunity to examine how organizations discussed a difficult topic, said Christopher Etheridge, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at the University of Kansas.
