On the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, a meditation on journalism values

How the civil rights leader provides an example for journalists and media in turbulent times

On the holiday set aside to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the same thought always comes to me, unbidden:

Too many people misunderstand his works and his legacy.

First among his examples, I think, is the courage to stand for what he knew was right and just, despite what others – and especially the mainstream of American society – thought of him.

It’s easy to forget that Dr. King’s stance and methods weren’t necessarily the most popular notions at the time. Even some Black people feared his non-violent demonstrations were too radical, preferring the NAACP’s strategy of seeking equality in the courts.

And to some Black people fed up with segregation and oppression, the idea of submitting to police officers who would beat and arrest protestors without delivering an equal measure of violence in response seemed insane. Dr. King’s later criticism of the Vietnam War and economic inequality also brought a backlash from the public.

Now, as billionaire media owners line up to fete a returning president who has lied about losing the 2020 election and repeatedly threatened to crack down on the press -- while also spreading damaging falsehoods about immigrants and transgender people -- it is worth noting that Dr. King offers an example of standing for justice when it was not popular and when the way forward to equality was not clear.

Recent media trends are concerning: From Oliver Darcy reporting that CNN is set to move anchor Jim Acosta, known for his aggressive examination of Trump’s actions as president to a “graveyard shift” timeslot at midnight, to the removal of third-party factchecking from Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg, Disney choosing to settle a lawsuit Trump filed against ABC News and rumors CBS is also considering settlement of a lawsuit Trump filed over a 60 Minutes interview.

In the pressure to go along to get along, it’s important for journalists to stay focused on what matters. Holding the powerful accountable. Sorting fact from misinformation and disinformation. Elevating voices which have been unfairly suppressed or ignored. Resisting prejudice, stereotyping, scapegoating, racism and anti-LGBTQ sentiments. Resisting false equivalence, apathy, fear and normalization of extreme behavior.

This doesn’t mean news outlets will always get this right. In particular, because they may have to resist powerful forces in society – including owners of the newsrooms where they work – to tell the stories they feel are necessary. They will likely make mistakes, because we’re all human and journalism is difficult work. And they may make choices in good faith which disappoint.

It's important for the public to know that these kinds of failures aren’t necessarily evidence of a grand conspiracy or journalists losing their nerve. And it’s also important to realize that individual journalists can do great work at institutions with leadership which have made terrible choices. And people who value a free press in democracy will have to learn how to support the journalists doing important work no matter where they are.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to follow individual journalists with their own track records for accuracy and independence. And it’s also important to be a bit skeptical about reporting, no matter where it comes from. News consumers, gifted with access to more news platforms than ever before, now will have to do a little more work to sort out what is believable.

Because no journalist can do this work unless the public stands behind them.

Over the many years since Dr. King’s movement first shook America to its core, a long line of newspapers and journalism outlets have had to apologize for coverage which handled racial issues badly or elevated the concerns of the white mainstream while disregarding or downplaying Black people and civil rights activists pushing for justice.

I wrote a column about them in 2006. Here’s an incomplete list: The Orlando Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, Florida Times-Union, The Meridian Star, Tallahassee Democrat, Charlotte Observer, Lexington Herald-Leader, Harrisburg Patriot News, Hattiesburg American, Bellingham Herald, National Geographic.

Here’s what I said, in part: “That such apologies are still controversial remains saddening. That it took 40 years for these institutions to admit their missteps is maddening. And while some object to them as dredging up old news -- somehow I doubt those who were marginalized in articles seeking to downplay racial violence of that time would feel similarly -- I resist them for another reason.

Apologies for the past are nice. But what are we doing about the future?”

It’s a lesson that failure to live up to journalism values now, can bring a cost later.

Here’s hoping that Dr. King’s example provides inspiration to keep up the difficult work of telling uncomfortable truths and sticking to important values. Because, in so many ways, that may be his most significant legacy as an activist and civil rights leader.