The Media as an institution has the ability to influence the public's perspective on life. In my encounters with the media there have been both positive and negative outcomes. These have shaped my views about the society I live in as well as the world as a whole.
One important encounter I had with the media was related to the release of my first novel, Tales of the Hood. I began writing it at the age of fifteen when I was still in secondary school.
The media was interested in Tales of the Hood until I made it clear that I wasn't involved in a gang myself, but that the truths about what happens on the roads with young people is woven into this fictional novel. It became evident that the media was interested in Tales of the Hood only because they assumed that I was involved in the criminal activities and processes described in my novel. More people would have taken notice of Tales of the Hood if I had been a gang member myself or a female associated with a gang who penned a book after changing for the better. They failed to see that a young, black female can see what is going on in society for herself and write her story. It was an odd ordeal, being so young and unable to understand why it would have been better if I had been bad.
As I grew older, became more educated, and studied the media, I realised that two dynamics were at play concerning the media's reaction to my first book. The first was novelty. The novelty of a story is what makes it more newsworthy. A young female who has written a book isn't considered particularly newsworthy, but a young female who has been involved in gang activity and the negative aspects of youth culture writing a book on the horrors she has seen and experienced during this time would have made a better news story.
The second dynamic at work was race. Gang violence in London is predominantly associated with black males and with a police force called Trident that is dedicated to combatting gang violence within the black community. The media assumed that I, being a young, black female, would have had some active involvement in the activities described in my novel. If a young Caucasian female had written a book based on gang violence and youth culture in London, the media would have exhibited a much different reaction. They wouldn't be asking her if she was associated with gangs and gang violence. They would praise her for raising awareness about a social issue that is plaguing the city and is commonly associated with the black community.
T K Williams-Nelson X Time is Money
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Time is Money
Não FicçãoTime is Money is my third published book based around the self-development of young people, creatives and individuals in business. It touches upon my experiences as an author, poet and entrepreneur at the age of 22 and the highs and lows that you ca...
