Informal Survey – Dallas Morning News portrays blacks as athletes, homeless, bank robbers, suspects

On Thursday I opened the Dallas Morning News and flipped through the front of each section.  I started looking at the color images on the front of the main pages.  

Then I began to think about my claims, and others, on how African-Americans are portrayed in this paper and media outlets across the country.  I did an informal survey of the Thursday paper, and extended it to Wednesday and Friday to get more data.

What's listed below are the images on the Front Page of the major sections of the Dallas Morning News: Front Page, Metro, Sports, Business and Guide Live.  I wouldn't consider HS Gametime major but I did include it from Thursday.  Here are some observations from this rudimentary survey:

• The images of African-Americans for the three days all had to do with Sports with the exception of Norma Adams Wade – Metro columnist, bank robbers, an accused principal, and homeless veterans. 

• There are a lot of White columnist writing for the Dallas Morning News

• Zero images of African-Americans on front of Business section

What does this speak to?  Does it speak to the way The News chooses to portray blacks and others?  Are African-Americans just not present in the fields of acting, business, music, education, government and other vocations?  Is this more and American problem than a media problems?  I'd like some feedback on this one.

WEDNESDAY

Front Page 

Terrell Owens and Ray Sherman, Cowboys receiver and receivers coach, both Black

Helio Castroneves, and Dancing w/the Stars partner Julianne Hough (Helio is from Brazil, partner is Anglo)

Santiago Morales, Mexico – immigration story

Dr. J Robert Cade, Anglo – Gatorade inventor 

Metro 

Alphonso Warfield – Black Asst. Principal accused in fake badge case

Tom Leppert, White Dallas Mayor

7 Bank Robbery Suspects – 3 Black, 3 White, 1 undistinguishable

Norma Adams Wade – Black Columnist (article on page 7B)

Amber Twiss, White, and other nameless Black Homeless Veterans 

Sports

Tim Cowlishaw – Anglo Columnist

Owens and Sherman again

Sean Taylor – Black football player killed earlier this week

Jeremy Maclin – Black U of Missouri football player

Business 

Cheryl Hall – White business columnist

Guy Kerr – Belo Corp (Co that owns the Morning News) Executive

Guide Live

Emily Gray, Davide Fluitt, Sara Lovett – White actors

Trisha Miller Smith, Justin Flowers, Dana Schultes – White Actors

Castoneves and Hough

Michael Jackson – uhhhh, take your pick

THURSDAY

Front Page 

Shannon Hawari – White (I think) volleyball player at Plano West

Greg Gunderson and John O'Neill – White Green Bay Packer Fans

Tony Romo – Anglo/Hispanic quarterback Dallas Cowboys

Metro

Legs of White skater at Katy Trail

Steve Blow  – White Columnist

Rick Walden and sons Jay and Trey – White complainants over school paddling 

Hector Montenegro – Hispanic candidate for Arlington Superintendent 

4 white females – Duncanville Women's Club

Sports

Dirk Nowitzki – White Dallas Maverick

Tim Cowlishaw – White Columnist

Tony Romo

Bret Farve – White Green Bay QB

Bob Knight – Texas Tech B-Ball coach in verbal dispute

Art Briles – New Baylor football coach

Business

Pat Snuffer -owner of burger franchise

White male on Wall Street holding up peace signs

Karen Harvey – White flight attendant unloading bags 

Scott Burns – Business Columnist

James Moroney III and Skip Cass – Belo Corp. executives

Guide Live 

Jeff Griffith – White country music singer

Lynn Alvarez – Hispanic playwright

Elena Hurst – Actress, not sure by maybe Hispanic 

High School Game Time 

Cousins Tim and Garry Jefferson – Black South Oak Cliff Football Players

Shannon Hawari, White Plano VBall

FRIDAY

Front Page

Terrell Owens getting his popcorn ready (Black, Cowboys)

Ben Bernanke – Federal Reserve Chairman, Jewish

Metro

Jacquelyn Floyd, White Columnist

Amber Terrace, White elementary teacher in DeSoto

Laura Burks, White Stepmother of soldier slain in Iraq 

Sports

Tony Romo

Curtis Lofton, Black Oklahoma Football Player

LaDonna Fuston, Loftin's mom in prison from 1992-2004

Delora Terrell, Loftin's grandmother who raised him

Vincent McNeil, Jarvis Phillips, Troy Soudermire, Garry Jefferson – Black DISD QB's 

Jerry Stackhouse, Black Dallas Mav 

SportsDay II

Tony Romo and Anthony Fassano, White Cowboys Tight End

Jean-Jacques Taylor, Black Columnist

Tim Cowlishaw, White Columnist

Rick Gosselin, NFL Beat Reporter (understatement) 

Brett Farve

Guide Live

John Gorka, White Director/Producer

Carson Daly, White Television Host 

Business 

Caricature of Larry King, Jewish TV Broadcaster

Steve Brown, White Columnist (Real Estate)