Topic > Mainstream News Coverage of Rodney King and The La Riots

IntroIn 1991 Rodney King was engaged in a high speed chase with police and when stopped he was brutally beaten by four white officers, the four officers were acquitted of all charges accusations. The officers' acquittal led to the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. Mainstream media coverage has played a key role in how the general public has received information, and how they have presented it has shaped how people view the situation. Different news outlets described different situations than others, such as riots, King being victimized, or being seen as bad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Portrayal of the Los Angeles Riots During the time of the Los Angeles Riots there were many different angles and perspectives on how the Los Angeles Riots were portrayed. Various media outlets made an impact on the general public by portraying the riots as good or bad. "It's been filmed and seen around the world – particularly in the same parts of Southern California that didn't need a translator to rally behind N.W.A.'s 'F**k Tha Police' – and yet once again, the authority white was given a pass for racially motivated violence. People took to the streets and began destroying everything within reach.” Unlike other articles, this Rolling Stone article seemed to justify the Los riots Angeles. They implied in the article that white cops were let loose in situations like this. The article even says that the Rodney King incident basically gave the green light to the riots. Some people interviewed by USC News at the time of riots, they said it wasn't an ongoing riot but a rebellion. Many people felt that way. One lady said it wasn't the first time something like this had happened, she said been going on for 200 years and that people are tired. The Rolling Stone article seemed to remind America that the La Riots were not the first riots, and there have been race riots of this scale in America for a long time. The article also delves into how American Americans are tired of being killed, beaten and how black people have developed zero tolerance in watching all the things happen to them. This article seems to be aimed at people who don't understand why people protest or consider the riots senseless. But I wanted to make those people understand that the riots are not senseless, but how and can shape America. Some media outlets considered the riots senseless and that people had no legitimate reason to riot. And I wanted to remind the general public of the untold story of Rodney King, which was distorted from the truth. US News said America's "worst riot in a century" has "now been transformed into a series of half-truths and misconceptions." US News wanted to remind the people rioting, and the people watching in their living rooms across the country, that the story they heard was an exaggerated fabrication of the truth. Saying things like the worst American riot of the century fascinates the general public and makes them reconsider the situation. "Rodney King's revenge was only superficially present in the minds of those who started the riot at the now infamous intersection of Viale Firenze and Viale Normandia." Revenge was the only reason for the worst revolt of the century, the United States said, implying that for 50 dead, 2,300 injured and 1 billion in damage there is no other valid reason thanvendetta. Many described the rioters as mindless people who rioted not for change but for chaos. Koreans did not see the rioters as people who wanted change, but as people who wanted to destroy their businesses. Live news programs, like those on NBC, interview angry and sad Koreans who say things like “Because we are the victims.” This showed that the riot was doing nothing but hurt, anger people and inconvenience people. The negative and positive portrayal of Rodney King's riots and popular media have exploited their popularity and qualification to criminalize King or paint him as a victim and a hero. US News revealed the truth about King's arrest that led to the riots. “He blew a kiss and shook his butt at an officer who had ordered him, at gunpoint, to lie down. King's behavior so alarmed the arresting officers that they mistakenly thought he was on PCP." The news article used eyewitnesses to the event to demonstrate that King was not the victim as the general public saw him. “A second Taser dart fired by Sgt. Stacey Koon failed to incapacitate the 6-foot, 3-inch, 225-pound King", this article described King as a hulking giant who could not be brought down with basic measures. This implies that the four officers who beat him were justified in doing what they did. One of the members of the jury said that King controlled how long he was beaten and said that if he complied, it would be over quickly ". He also said that "Rodney King was not even seriously injured." "Can we all get along?" famous words spoken by Rodney King. A man who triggered change in the eyes of some, who was tired of the injustices in towards the black community and wanted the violence to end." King, who during the height of the riots implored people to stop fighting and 'get along,' said he feels like he played a small role in the movement for civil rights and change within the LAPD." It's time to try to drive change in Los Angeles and the nation. He was also recognized as part of the civil rights movement, Reverend Al Sharpton calling King "a symbol of civil rights". Many people at that time saw King the same way. Not all people saw King as a hero, but they didn't see him as a bad thing. One lady said that "Rodney's situation has given the world a glimpse into police brutality and cover-ups." Korean Perspective The Los Angeles riots were not just black and white, there were many different groups involved, such as Koreans. Koreans felt like no one was focusing on the issues at hand. Koreans know Sa-i-gu as the day the riots broke out near Koreatown. Koreans had many stores in Koreatown and saw their stores as their “American Dream.” They felt angry, their shops were looted and burned, and nothing was done to solve the problem. There was already tension between Korean-Americans and African-Americans. African Americans viewed Korean Americans as "exploitative and would not hire blacks, as well as considering them hostile and rude." And Korean Americans considered them “poor, violent and lazy.” So with beliefs like that things were bound to take a wrong turn. When the Koreans decided to take matters into their own hands, things got really violent. There were many shootings between Koreans, blacks and Latinos. Everyone had a gun at the time.