Commercial Appeal

The Commercial Appeal is a newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee that covered many early civil rights activities. I believe the Commercial Appeal to be a very unbiased paper that printed the news the way it was supposed to be seen, during a time when people were swayed by societal laws that did not open up for change. The Commercial Appeal in a way went against these societal norms to print the news how it was supposed to be seen, in every light possible, no matter what. In my paper I want show the readers the views and sides the Commercial Appeal took as well as tell about the actual events that took place and show how the writers of the paper took it upon themselves to show the “real” side of the story.

Slavery in the south has always been an issue and up until very recently nothing was done about it. Many early newspapers in the south were forced to make a

decision whether to print the news how they saw it or how the readers wanted to see it and depending on the area they were in were judged in different ways. Civil Rights news was the main focus of this time period and depending how the newspapers distributed the information was either helpful or harmful to the African American society. In smaller, more rural areas, newspapers might not even mention events about African Americans, while in big cities depending on what region you were in, would have to tell most important information ,some being more bias than others. In this time period, late 1950’s to early 1970’s, we see an increase in African Americans in the news, this was an important time for African Americans trying to voice their opinions because so many people were listening and the media during this time were the eyes and ears of the rest of the country. Another big point for newspapers was how they would present the information, as I stated in the above depending on what area you came from it mattered what you would hear but how they presented the information would also be a factor. In some newspapers they would put very important information in smaller text or of to the side. For instance the Commercial Appeal showed Martin Luther King Jr. on the front page of the newspaper when he died with a few articles about him on the inside. If a famous

figure as big as MLK had died in our time he would most likely have the whole paper be about him. The early south was just not that interested in these events in the beginning and it took papers like the Commercial Appeal to lead the way for other papers.

1968 in Memphis was a hard time for African Americans, Sanitation workers began to go on strike after 2 men were killed. The two men killed were Echol Cole and Robert Walker the city gave the families one months salary and 500 dollars for their funerals and nobody from the company came to the funeral. On top of this wages were not high and if workers were sent home due to weather they would not receive wages while the whites would. Viewing this as the last draw many rallied together to try and stop this kind of treatment. Many Religious groups as well as the African American community came together to march and protest. The city saw its fare share of violence during this time and even the murder of a 16 year old black boy who was

simply walking with protesters. After hearing about these events MLK decided that he wanted to go to Memphis and see what he could do even though he was strongly urged not to. After days of meeting and talking to protesters as well as city officials things seemed to be getting a little better until MLK was assassinated while standing on his hotel balcony. This was a huge blow to the African American society losing a leader of that magnitude but

because of his death many good things stemmed. The Sanitation workers were able to get what they wanted and were finally treated fairly. The workers earned higher salaries and also gained many other rights that they did not have in the beginning. Although a great man was lost this day this is when things started to turn around for

African Americans, His loss sent shockwaves through the United States that many did not see before. In other words people started to pay attention to what was going on in the south and how horrible it was. April 6, 1968 was the day that started many riots in the US and started a revolution so to speak for African American’s everywhere.

As you can see this event in Memphis was of epic proportion causing events to spur up in Memphis as well as across the US. The Commercial Appeal recorded the news as it happened for being in the South there is no real bias shown to blacks or

whites. I did expect to read a lot more on the day of the assassination but was still very surprised that they covered it as thoroughly as they did. Being a bigger Newspaper in the south the Commercial Appeal was forced to cover many of the big events that happened. They also documented and got great interviews with many of MLK’s close friends and family.

I will now go into further detail about why it was a big deal for newspapers to cover civil rights issues. In early American times African Americans were stripped of their rights and dignity through slavery. They were forced to work for low wages as well as treated inhumanly. In the early days they were never given an opportunity to voice their opinion and if they did were quickly killed or put into their place. The role early news mediums played was let the public know what was going on in the world. Many early African Americans were uneducated and unable to read to know what was going on in society especially their society (African American society) . Newspapers had two choices print the news or print what their white constituents wanted to read. In my own best words this is how I see the newspapers shaping early

African American views. They either printed what was happening or printed what was happening with a few blank spots, the blank spots being African American news.

During the coverage of the sanitation strikes in Memphis the Commercial Appeal did a very good job of documenting as well as keeping readers up with the news. I was a little saddened to see smaller articles but realized that given the times and circumstances in which the paper was printing that this was probably normal, some papers would not even give news like that. I also found it interesting that they reffered to African Americans as negro in the paper which once again I guess for the time was normal other than those to minor details their stories don’t tend to take a side of the African Americans or Southern Whites I’d like to refer to their style of writing as straight shooters. One article that proves they were straight shooters is one

they title “King’s slaying stuns troops in war zone” I say this because they didn’t have to write about this it is kind of an extra story they go on to say this tragedy was the same magnitude of kennedy’s death which is epic for a white newspaper they also tend to use a lot of quotes from African Americans as well as an African American Senator, which tells me they see everyones opinion and answers as newsworthy and of equal. Even before MLK’s death The Commercial Appeal was unbias towards African Americans. Another article I noticed that was very interesting was one a Commercial Appeal writer wrote “ There are two truths to be learned by the Beale Street violence. First, seeing is not believing, because prejudice can distort vision. Second, objective reporting from a scene of violence is impossible because things happen too fast to delve into causes and motivations and rightness of either crime or the police response.” He is saying that the police brutality needs to stop, and that many police jump to conclusions about what is going on because of the color of the people who are protesting. For a writer to say “hey you are wrong” given the times this shows the Commercial Appeal writers were educated and not racist but open to news and the stories they were telling.

The writers seemed to portray the people they were talking about as best as possible and wanted the rest of their readers, the non ignorant ones, to see what the African Americans were going through without blatantly saying “hey racist whites are wrong!” Every writer I have come across in articles related to the sanitation worker strikes seem to voice their opinions as they see fit. The paper does a good job of keeping up with the changing times but in a time of civil unrest makes sure both sides of the story are told. In another article the author lists quotes of many government officials (white officials) who reach out to the situation and MLK. New York Gov. Nelson A. Rockerfeller states : “ I am directing that the flags on all state buildings and facilities be flown at half staff tomorrow from sunrist to sunset as an expression of the deep sorrow felt by New Yorkers as well men of good will throughout our nation and the world.” As well as a quote from a southern Gov. Winthrop Rockerfeller states: “ I

am shocked by another act of violence that has been injected into an already explosive situation. Murder under any circumstance is deplorable. I can only interpret this as the

irresponsible act of a deranged mind.” The paper shows points of view from a southern government official and Northern official both of which show great remorse for what had happened. Both of these quotes are used through the newspaper to show the rest of their readers that not only is this event affecting Memphis but the world and that things like this cant happen and go unnoticed anymore. It created a sense of justice in the south and although there was still violence many communities came together to stop these types of things.

The Commercial Appeals coverage of MLK’s assassination was some of the best, not only because they were based in Memphis but because of their bias approach and ability to cover all the angles. The morning of the assassination the front page read “ Dr. King is slain by sniper.” Followed by events that happened because of the death. They show a story about arsen and looting because of Kings death as well as what

Johnson planned to do and statements released by Kings followers saying to stay calm and not retaliate.

In a sense the Newspapers ability to cover stories and spread the word of what happened helped to stop racism in the south. I said stop not completely shut out because there are still traces around the south. Papers like the Commercial Appeal took a stand and wrote about the real issues that were happening without any blinds, they took real people and let them voice their opinions and shared their views with the rest of society as well as the nation.