WashPost Promotes Angry Journo Charging Media Only Cover Mexican-Americans When They're Dead
The Washington Post today indicted America’s media for failing to notice a Spanish-language star until she died in a plane crash: “Mainstream media’s belated discovery of Jenni Rivera stirs some anger among Hispanic Americans.”
Media reporter Paul Farhi only spotlighted one angry California journalist, Gustavo Arellano, who writes a column called “Ask A Mexican,” and Farhi must not have asked him skeptical questions like oh, how he expects everyone to know the reality-show stars on the “Mun2" channel:
This degree of cluelessness elicited an acid-laced comment on Monday from the Orange County Weekly’s Gustavo Arellano, who writes the paper’s amusing and often thoughtful “Ask a Mexican” column. Arellano upbraided the mainstream news media for “their pathetic record on reporting on a mega-superstar [who] operated in plain sight under a media that, like usual, didn’t bother to pay attention while she was alive because she was a Mexican and popular mostly to Mexicans — and they never matter unless you can get a diversity grant to cover them.
“Now that she’s dead? Look everyone: we cover Mexicans!”
Farhi didn't ask if someone could make the same argument if -- God forbid -- America lost stars in other subgenres of music like Rivera's banda and norteno -- say, Buckwheat Zydeco. Would America's media be racist for failing to give him enough publicity?
In his article, Arellano seems to direct more of his ire at the Los Angeles Times, which is a better argument considering Rivera was born in Long Beach and lived in its local circulation area. One might also glance a little harder at NBC, which owns the "Mun2" (Mun-dos) channel. They could have put her on the "Today" concert series instead of filthy rappers.
Why the Washington Post wants everyone to flog themselves over their "degree of cluelessness" about Mexican-American music stars is anybody's guess.
Earlier on NewsBusters: Gustavo Arellano's ugly stereotyping of Christians
