Unmeasured Effects !!!

After reading the news story " 4 year old black boy Wants to have a Gun" by CBS 2 Chicago News, I realize how framing can really affect the way certain races are viewed within a society. At a first glance at the interview with the small boy, one immediately misinterprets the boys words. One begins to think that this boy at such a young age is already geared towards violence within his community and his home. The story is set/ framed in a way that it gains attention because it promotes fear within this community and those surrounding. They plant doubt to people about the security of the neighborhood and how much they can in reality trust the police. But most importantly what I saw is how they so negatively portray and reinforce stereotypes about African American people. Taking into consideration that this 4 year old boy is African American, people will pay more attention and become more alarmed than if a 4 year old white boy said he wanted a gun when he grew older. I think this really goes to show how Clark and Ivanic place so much emphasis on the power the press has to bring about common beliefs in society. And most importantly who has the power to write? its not just about writing but about having enough power and influence to get your writing out there, to be read by a larger audience. Something that is very commonly reinforced in our education system. Those who have power will continue to have it because their children are the ones receiving the better education and the opportunities that those minority communities will continue to receive a bad, mediocre education. Thus increasing the cultural capital of those few fortunate children and funneling others towards the blue collar jobs in the work force.  If I was writing my own version of this story I would most definitely stress the importance of trusting the police in any situation, instead of trying to take matters into your own hands. I would take the frame of making this 4 year old boy look like he truly wants to help out his community and make his race proud. The way stories like these are framed come to affect a community largely if the right message is not sent out. Those who have the power to write don't realize how their words and ideas can create and shape popular beliefs.