Racism in the news media

From the LA Times:

Katrina Takes a Toll on Truth, News Accuracy

Rumors supplanted accurate information and media magnified the problem. Rapes, violence and estimates of the dead were wrong.

By Susannah Rosenblatt and James Rainey, Times Staff Writers

First, I am not African American. My grandfather was "passing", but everybody else in my family is white except for a little Native American on my father's side several generations ago. But when I learned, as an adult, what my grandfather went through to become a teacher and then a school principal during the segregated '30's, I was shocked by the stupidity and racist mindset of people who lived "back then". Now, once again, I am shocked at the racism in the news media. You would never hear breathless reporting about baby rape in the aftermath of an earthquake in Japan, or landslides in La Conchita, California, so why did they spread such horrible lies about African Americans?

I'm sick of it all.