Krystle Alarcon Student # 20326104 JRNL 533: Media Ethics and Leadership Professors Candis Callison and Kirk

LaPointe

December 5, 2011

Towards an anti-racist and pro-cosmopolitan world: media ethics for reporting on ethnic minorities This multicultural approach, saying that we simply live side by side and live happily with each other has failed. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, Oct. 17, 2010 Of course we must all respect differences, but we do not want a society where communities coexist side by side. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, Feb. 10, 2011 Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism. James Cameron, U.K. Prime Minister, Feb. 5, 2011

Western European leaders one after the other last year denounced the effectiveness of the policy of multiculturalism in fear of the growing threat of homegrown terrorism. Terrorism, according to these leaders, is a form of extreme Islam. In their anti-multiculturalism speeches, none of the leaders addressed the economic factors for which an Islamic movement was born. That is, American imperialism and the illegal occupations of Middle Eastern land due to its rich resources of oil were completely ignored. But ultimately, linking the growth of terrorism to the failure of multiculturalism is a red herring, because the policy was never created to answer to economic inequality. This shortcoming is a focus of this paper, as the policy of multiculturalism will be examined to propose a better framework of representing minorities in the media. I will combine different media critics theories together to create a cosmopolitan, anti-capitalist, anti-racist approach that does not replicate power structures. Firstly, I will examine how multiculturalism promotes racist images, using Dr. Minelle Mahtanis research of minorities under-respresentation and Alarcon 1

misrepresentation in the media. I will also look at Stephen Wards proposal for a new set of global journalism ethics, using the framework of cosmopolitanism. In analyzing Mahtani and Wards theories, one may understand the shortcomings in each and by merging the two together, a media ethics framework will be formulated that does not tokenize or commodify minorities. In other words, racial and class oppression of minorities must be understood as two intersecting hierarchies in order to refrain from maintaining this objectification in the media. This framework will be of particular importance when reporting on immigration and labour policies, as minorities are racialized and economically marginalized due to such policies. Firstly, one must look at the history of multiculturalism in Canada. Critics argue that multiculturalism was created in 1971 reinforce French and English power, as the policy acknowledged Britain and France as the two founding nations of Canada and gave formal recognition to their languages (Agnew, 274). By 1973, the government funded five hundred ethnic groups events such as folk festivals (Mahtani 2002: 70). The policy since evolved in the 1980s to include other ethnic minorities with a focus of managing diversity (Kunz and Sykes, 6). In other words, multiculturalism treats ethnic minorities as cultural curiosities, allowing them to speak their language, eat their food, and practice their folk dances. It is a far cry from eradicating racism and economic inequality. A 2010 report on the current state of multiculturalism, funded by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada, admitted to this shortcoming: Compared to earlier cohorts, immigrants today are taking longer to catch up to nativeborn Canadians in their earnings, and are at higher risk of poverty. The causes of this trend have been debated and tested in numerous studies, by Statistics Canada and others, and I have little to add to their analysis, except to note that many of these causes seem to lie outside the jurisdiction of the federal multiculturalism policy,

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relating instead to issues such as professional accreditation, the evaluation of foreign job experience, language training, and mismatches between immigrant selection and actual labour market needs (e.g., recruiting large numbers of IT specialists just before the IT bubble burst) (Kymlicka, 21). Mahtani documented researchers who criticized multiculturalism promoting this inauthentic celebration of cultural heritages and a more subtle, embedded form of racism (Mahtani 2001: 17). She discovered that although Canada implemented multicultural policy into the Broadcasting Act in 1991, media organizations have often disregarded the law and stereotyping of minorities persisted(4). Examples of underrepresentation were the lack of women of colour in Macleans magazine over a thirty-year period, only 14% of news stories published in six major Canadian newspapers represented ethnic minorities in 1994, and Muslim women were ignored in the media in favor of sensationalized stories in 2001 (5). In terms of misrepresentation, minorities were represented as pimps, high-school dropouts, homeless teens or drug pushers, Black Canadians as villains or victims, and Indigenous people as savages or drunken Natives in Canadian TV dramas in the 1990s (6). In news coverage, Asians are often depicted as social threats. For example, in 1999, an Asian murder that was proven as not gang-related was continually represented as such in Toronto print coverage (8). Terms such as Middle Eastern terrorists, such as those used by the Western European leaders, are in itself damaging and found frequently in news dailies (9). Francophones were often perceived as a threat to Canadian identity in a study of English-Canadian newspaper coverage of events in Quebec from 1995-1999 (10). Despite (or in spite of) all these negative findings, Mahtani proposes a variety of solutions to better represent minorities without furthering stereotypes. For one, researchers should work with journalists in finding out how minorities themselves want to be represented (24). Researchers

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should also investigate the reasons lurking behind the proliferation of racist images (30). One South Asian reporter, Irshad Manji, suggested that instead of hiring more journalists of colour, one must hire those who are anti-racist and committed to being vocal about it (21). This comparison between multiculturalism and anti-racism is another way critics have exposed multiculturalisms pitfall. Sunera Thobani, a womens studies professor at UBC, also points to it creating an embedded sort of racism, just as Mahtani described: And multiculturalism is the dominant discourse now through which all of us have, or are forced to, articulate our politics. And I think multiculturalism has, in that way, done a big disservice. Because it has just silenced anti-racist discourse and anti-racist politics in this country, which now has been defined as an extreme kind of politics. And meanwhile, the deeply-embedded racial inequalities in Canadian society continue to be reproduced. And multiculturalism masks them, it glosses them over, and it has become a policy of governing and managing communities of colour, so that those politics only get articulated in the name of culture, and culture is defined in highly patriarchal terms (Restructure! 2010: par. 3). She also likens multiculturalism to white supremacy and bilingualism and biculturalism, which, as afore-mentioned, reinforces the power of the British and French. However, debates over the reasonable accommodation of immigrants in Quebec have led to the rejection of multiculturalism. Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who implemented multiculturalism, stated that Quebeckers criticize the policy for being imposed by English Canada (CTV.ca, par. 7). A group of intellectuals are instead proposing interculturalism, as a policy that replaces multiculturalism that centralizes Francophone culture (Ibid, par. 3). In other words, newcomers must learn French before their culture and diversity is respected.

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Whatever the term, the point is, multiculturalism, as a policy applied to media or perhaps any other facet of life for that matter, does not work for its actual purpose. Its served more as a smokescreen to minorities issues, masking the fact that minorities are not equal to their Canadian counterparts. Instead, in the illusion of celebrating culture and diversity, it has diverted from issues central to minorities, such as economic marginalization. Journalists must be mindful of not promoting a deflection from minorities real issues by working within the framework of multiculturalism. Instead, an anti-racist stance should be their position. One must always think if their reporting promotes hatred or contempt on the basis of race or national origin. According to The Journalists Legal Guide, many media organizations codes of conduct urge journalists to avoid mentioning a persons age, race, colour, nationality, religious convictions, disability, marital status, sex or sexual orientation unless it is relevant to the story (Crawford, 542).As afore-mentioned, it is already a Television Broadcasting Regulation to not promote hate. Aside from avoiding lawsuits, perhaps this is why law and ethics should work together. The law, along with ethical standards, exists together with federal and human rights laws against discrimination, and even the Criminal Code has provisions prohibiting hate crimes (Ibid). But as Mahtanis research has proven, the policy of multiculturalism and laws do not necessarily translate into the reporting state. Perhaps looking what our neighbours down south have done to better the representation of ethnic minorities might help Canadian media. The Society of Professional Journalists put together a Rainbow Diversity Sourcebook and Diversity Toolbox in order to broaden perspectives and voices in journalistic works. The sourcebook gives journalists access to an online database of contact information of experts from underrepresented demographic groups. The experts may be filtered according to state, and according to their 67 areas of expertise, ranging from law, to domestic

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violence to the Middle East. The toolbox offers essays and links that journalists may consider as ethical resources for reporting on diverse communities. One essay, entitled Why Diversity? insists that credibility is one reason to represent diversity. The author, David Yarnold, wrote: If readers dont see themselves and hear their voices in your pages, they will no longer view you as a credible source of information (SPJ, par. 2). Yarnold said that diversity is especially important in country that is 48% white, the rest being ethnic groups (Ibid, par. 4). Another essay, Diversity is Accuracy, by Sara Lehrman, points to the skew towards running for a white mans voice for expert sourcing. Lehrman gives the example of KRON-TV, who has a diversity group who meet up every week to talk about stories. She quotes KRON producer, Craig Franklin, a white man, on how this might overcome the disabilities of a largely monochrome, middle-class newsroom (SPJ, par. 10). Franklin said that the group looks at stories from racial and ethnic groups from the inside (Ibid). This strategy created a feature on Filipino war veterans who have been denied benefits and an award-winning series of the profiling of Arab Americans. Another very concrete measure that the SPJ has taken is to put together a list of anti-profiling guidelines on Oct. 6, 2001 to prevent racial profiling in the coverage of the war on terrorism. Less than a month after 9/11, this might be the fastest response to American antiislamophobia in the media. One of the most poignant guidelines was as follows: Avoid using terms such as "jihad" unless you are certain of their precise meaning and include the context when they are used in quotations. The basic meaning of "jihad" is to exert oneself for the good of Islam and to better oneself (SPJ, par. 18). From the above-quote, one may see how the context of nationalism itself might be the most problematic element of reporting on ethnic minorities. As the Western European leaders have also proven, the discourse of national security is used to justify the discrimination against certain

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groups. When Harper said just last September that Islamicism is Canadas biggest threat in a TV interview with CBCs Peter Mansbridge (par. 2), it should have been considered an illegally publishable statement, considering the Broadcasting Act prohibits the publication of statements that is likely to expose a person or a group or class of persons to hatred or contempt (Crawford, 542). The idea that representation of ethnic minorities as an important nationalist ideal was also mentioned by SPJs Yarnold when he indicated that only 48% of the US is composed of white people. This nationalist discourse was also one Mahtani proposed, as she said that an inclusive representation of minorities would no longer be marginalized but imagined as an integral part of the Canadian nation-state (30). Thus, these journalists and theorists have recognized that the representation of ethnic minorities is critical because of their contribution to their respective nations. At this point, it would be appropriate to look into Wards version of global journalism ethics, as viewing minorities as part of the nation-state is in itself problematic in this globalized world. Ward criticizes journalism ethics as it stops at the border, and argues that a journalists responsibilities should be owed to viewers across the world, redefined for citizens across borders (158). One reason for the importance of a set of global journalism ethics is that journalism, due to the development of technology, can reach a broader, global audience now. For example, Al Jazeera and CNN extend beyond the Arab world and the US public, Ward notes (159). He argues that because of the interconnectedness that globalized technology has created, backlash for offensive representations are even greater, such as when Muslim communities resorted to violence in protest of 12 cartoon portrayals of Mohammed published in a Danish paper (Ibid). The need for a cosmopolitan ethics of journalism, versus one limited to national borders, is also important so that one does not get stuck in the blood and belonging discourse (161). Instead,

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by focusing on the cosmopolitan principles of universal human rights and freedom, a journalist would be better equipped at reporting on local and international injustice (Ibid). Three principles are important to change journalism ethics to a cosmopolitan one: (1) to act as global agents, challenging the distortion of tyrants, the abuse of human rights and the manipulation of information by special interests, (2) to serve the citizens of the world by refusing an attachment to a specific country and seeing the world as their audience, versus just one countrys public, and (3) to promote non-parochial understandings by sourcing diverse, international perspectives which is against ethnocentrism or patriotism (162). In the effort to create a cosmopolitan set of journalism ethics, Ward believes that a level of de-Westernization should take place in newsrooms to shift the power imbalance (181). For example, the ethical value in African journalism is predicated on ubuntuism, or communal values. The Western ideal of free press has to incorporate a cross-cultural set of media ethics that gives weight to African, Indian and Eastern ethical systems (182). Just like Mahtani and the SPJ, Ward also argues that language can distort the other (Ibid), such as when labeling Asian crime as gang-related or terrorists as part of a jihad movement. He also believes that less powerful voices should also be considered as sources, just as the SPJs sourcebook is aiming to achieve. Perhaps Wards most important contribution to the representation of minorities is to view social injustice not just as a daily event or fact, but to look into the historical context of their oppression. His analysis may be applied to the current coverage of the Attawapiskat housing crisis as most media organizations have focused on the daily he-said /she-said debates of politicians around the issue, rather than questioning Canadas history of colonization and its lasting effects on First Nation communities. In essence, according to Ward, a cosmopolitan ethics must be radicalizing, anti-colonial and global in perspective (183).

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One must merge Mahtanis ideas of creating a more inclusive, anti-racist perspective and Wards emphasis on cosmopolitanism and human rights values to be able to structurally change the way minorities are represented in the media. Looking at either theorists analysis alone is less comprehensive. Mahtani argues that ethnic minorities should be treated fairly in the media because they are citizens of Canada (5) and their representation shapes the way Canadians interpret citizenship (28). She states, The media is directly responsible for how Canada, in all its diversity, is interpreted among its citizens (2). However, if one views the importance of their representation as important to nation-building and citizenship, then it is simply reinforcing a power structure that gives rights only to those who are entitled to it because of their contributions, rather than their universal right to dignity as a human being, as Ward sees it. To another feminist theorist, Kelly Oliver, this act of seeking recognition for ethnic struggles in the pursuit of multiculturalism is a form of internalized oppression (78). Oliver states, The internalization of stereotypes of inferiority and superiority leave the oppressed with the sense that they are lacking something that only their superior dominators have or can give them (Ibid). To seek equality because one is a citizen is like asking for recognition of ethnic oppression, rather than asserting that all humans have a right to equality. In this sense, using Wards framework of cosmopolitanism is important in this globalized world, as minorities are not always citizens in their receiving countries. But one must also recognize that racism against ethnic minorities exists, and they have been under- and misrepresented in the media, which is what Mahtani asserted. As a journalist specializing in immigration and minority issues, it is imperative for me to be aware of such injustice against ethnic groups. I have reported in the past on the difficulties of Filipinos to attain visiting visas to see sick family members in Canada, the cuts to parent and grandparent sponsorships the government has imposed because they do not see them as

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contributing to the Canadian economy, and the vulnerability of migrant workers in Canada due to their lack of protection and orientation of their rights. My Master of Journalism thesis will focus on how labour and immigration policies look like on the ground and how they affect the Filipino Canadian community. Considering all the stories I have worked on thus far, and my thesis project, the ethical framework that Mahtani, Ward and the SPJ have proposed are central to my work. Because I look specifically at the social injustice and economic inequality people of colour face in Canada, I must investigate both the structural forces behind the actual oppression of ethnic minorities and their replicated oppression in Canadian media. Thus, a combination of Mahtani, Ward and the SPJ would include the following guidelines: 1. Refrain from publishing statements that promote hate or discrimination against people of colour. 2. Avoid stereotypes. For political or social issues that minorities face, such as gang-related crimes, religious-based movements, or even poor housing, it is important to include an historical context. One must be as comprehensive as possible in representing minorities, rather than perpetuating one-sided stereotypes of them as gangsters, terrorists, or even poverty-struck people. 3. Seek resources who can speak about the community who possibly even belong to the community themselves, rather than the dominant, white, middle-class. Breaking stereotypes means also means breaking the stereotypes of who are the gatekeepers of knowledge. 4. Refrain from justifying the need for more or better representation of ethnic minorities in the media because they are participating citizens of Canada. This would become especially helpful in newsroom discussions. Minorities, whether marginalized according

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to gender, race or class, deserve a more realistic and non-stereotypical representation not because of their contribution to nation-building, but because of their rights as human beings. 5. Investigate inequality on a deeper, more humane level. Rather than focusing on marginalization as an isolated or daily case, such as how the Attawapiskat housing story is being portrayed investigate the history behind economic oppression and frame the issue as a denial of human development and dignity. 6. Refuse a nationalist sentiment. One must expose oppression even if it exists within ones own nation or caused by their nation. In investigating the downward mobility of Filipino Canadians in society, I must be even more vigilant in looking at the push and pull factors that has made Filipinos the top source for both immigrants and temporary workers in Canada. In other words, labour and immigration policies of both the Philippines and Canada should be questioned, despite my belonging to both nations as a secondgeneration Filipino-Canadian. The vulnerability of immigrants and migrants should also be framed as a human rights issue, not as a national issue to really criticize how people have been affected by global capitalism and power. 7. Incorporate the Easts media values of communalism into media ethics, rather than centralizing individualism, which is promoted in the West. In doing so, media ethics will focus less on isolated, individual cases of abuse and more on collective or community struggles. 8. Use the discourse of anti-racism instead of multiculturalism and human rights instead of entitled citizenry in newsroom discussions.

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I hope this new model will serve as an important contribution to other journalists covering the intersections of racial and class oppression. As Crawford put it, journalism ethics is an ongoing invention of principles, as it responds to new conditions. He states, Journalism eschews dogmatism (167). As Canada and the rest of the world become increasingly globalized and people are displaced into every corner of the world, a human rights set of ethics that is anti-racist is ever urgent.

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Bibliography Agnew, Vijay, (ed.) 2009. Racialized Migrant Women in Canada: Essays on Health, Violence and Equity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Crawford, Michael G. 2008. The Journalists Legal Guide: Fifth Edition. Scarborough: Thomson Canada Limited. Guidelines for Countering Racial, Ethnic and Religious Profiling. Society of Professional Journalists. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Harper says 'Islamicism' biggest threat to Canada. CBC.ca (Canada). 6 Sep. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Kunz, Jean L., and S. Sykes. 2007. From Mosaic to Harmony: Multicultural Canada in the 21st Century. Ottawa: Policy Research Initiative. Kymlicka, Will. 2010. The Current State of Multiculturalism Canada and Research Themes on Canadian Multiculturalism 2008-2010. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works. Lehrman, Sally. Diversity is Accuracy. Society of Professional Journalists. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Multiculturalism displaces anti-racism, upholds white supremacy. Restructure.wordpress.com. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Mahtani, Minelle. 2001. Representing Minorities: Canadian Media and Minority Identities (Draft). Vancouver: University of British Columbia. Oliver, Kelly. 2004. Witnessing and testimony. Parallax 10 (1), 79-88. Quebec intellectuals promote wave of 'interculturalism.' CTV.ca (Montreal) 6 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011 Ward, Stephen JA (2010). Chapters 4-5. Global Journalism Ethics. Montreal and Kingston: McGillQueens University Press. Yarnold, David. Why Diversity? Society of Professional Journalists. Web. 20 Nov. 2011

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