In a time where America has marked a milestone by electing its first African-American president to the White House, one would think that an issue such as racial profiling by law enforcement officials or even race in general have become a debate that the country won’t have to deal with anymore.
Sadly, that hasn’t been the case since the issue has resurfaced over the previous week and has gotten an extensive coverage by the mass media. The unfortunate arrest of Henry Louis Gates who is a prominent African-American Harvard Professor, by a white Cambridge policeman has spurred a huge controversy that grew even bigger when President Obama commented on the event by stating that the police has "Acted stupidly".
Today, the President expressed his regret about the words he used and many media sources have weighed in from various perspectives on his remarks.
Firstly, the New York Times article offered various information on the latest remarks made by the president, along with comments made by the different parties involved from Professor Gates to the Cambridge Police department. Moreover, it has gone even further to contrast Obama’s stand on the issue from pre and post election through the fine line he has been walking in regards to race. Overall, the article can be classified as moderately dense and focused.
Secondly, USA today has looked subjectively on the event and implicitly supported the police version of facts by offering witness accounts of a Black officer who was present at the moment of the arrest and who fully supports his fellow officer’s actions. In general the article is more focused on the police disappointment with Obama’s remarks and moderately dense as well.
Thirdly, the BBC follows USA today steps on subjectivity through a short article on the issue, that mostly stresses Obama’s poor choice of words and the critics that seized on the opportunity to express their concern over the President intervention.
Finally, after reading the CNN article it is important to notice that it offers an objective view of the whole events and is very focused on every aspect of it. Clearly, a long article with high density.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us/politics/25gates.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-24-cambridge-police-gates_N.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8168313.stm
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24/officer.gates.arrest/index.html
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I am surprised the BBC said that they felt Obama had a poor choice of words, I would have expected them to have less of a clear stance. I thought the CNN article was the best one with the most facts and interest.
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