Wednesday October 10, 2001

Forum addresses corporate media influence on coverage

University students, local media representatives and Tucson residents gathered last night to analyze the different ways media has represented the Sept. 11 attacks.

Peggy Johnson, a political journalist from KUAT-TV, moderated the hour-and-a-half event which was held in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Building.

Some of the 12 panelists were: Amy Beer, visiting professor in Media Arts, Mary Beth Haralovich, associate professor in Media Arts, LaMonte Ward, deputy director of Access Tucson, Matthew Nelson, KXCI 93.1 disc jockey and students from the Media Arts department.

The forum was divided into four distinct segments. The first displayed corporate media portrayal of the bombing and the images that have been permanently embedded in people's minds. Panelists said there is a need to see them but also realize they only portray one view of the events of Sept. 11.

One of the objectives of the forum was to discuss the different memories people felt as they watched corporate media report the bombing.

When asked to raise their hands if they thought their personal views were properly represented by corporate America, the majority of the audience did not.

The next segment discussed the ways a local radio station has tried to provide other viewpoints about the bombing in helping the community to cope with the disasters.

KXCI has been one of the only radio stations to play certain songs on a rumored "banned list" put forth by Clear Channel Communication Inc., a large radio corporation that owns 1,213 U.S. radio, 19 RV and 240 international radio stations.

Disc jockey Matthew Nelson said he played Middle Eastern music and read peace speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Dalai Lama.

"Music is one level that we and all understand and relate too," he said.

Nelson also said that the mainstream media propagated racism by labeling the perpetrators for the event as "Islamic terrorists."

The labeling of Islam as a terrorist religion is actually against the true purpose of the religion, he said.

The third segment was about independent video and how the UA media arts classes are trying to incorporate the horrific event into a project to educate the future.

Beverly Seckinger, associate professor of Media Arts, said corporate media conveniently chose to forget some of the peace demonstrations around the United States and encourage a nationalistic viewpoint that excluded all those who aren't American.

She said it is important for people to also see other representations of the attacks and understand there are many ideas.

Two short clips were played for the audience. The first showed several students on Fourth Avenue the day following the events and their opinions about it.

The second clip showed a more diversified opinion collection where they interviewed Muslim students around campus and Imam Omar Shahin, director of the Islamic Center of Tucson.

The last segment was how the Internet displayed the events.