The Representation Of Media In A Mighty Long Way

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The integration of Central High was a long and arduous process. Being a major part of civil rights history, it revealed how racist people can be. But how did society learn about this? The answer to that is quite simple: Media. The books, A Mighty Long Way, by Carlotta Walls LaNier and Little Rock Girl 1957, by Shelly Tougas both show ways media was used. The press illuminated the Little Rock desegregation events using photographs, news articles, and television to spread the word, but a single news article or picture doesn't quite tell the whole story. Photographs were one of the many ways the press spread the word to the public. In the book Little Rock Girl 1957 the author states that, “Counts’ Photo of L. Alex Wilson being brutally attacked is said to have prompted President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send troops to Little Rock.” Taken by Photographer Will Counts, the photograph of L. Alex …show more content…

On Page 78 of A Mighty Long Way, Carlotta writes, “But the local newspapers and the black press helped me keep up with what was going on.” The fact that the newspapers helped Carlotta keep up with the situation, shows how it could have been a great source for the situation. But as much as the newspapers can help spread the story, it can also be somewhat inaccurate, as conveyed on page 108 of A Mighty Long Way, where Carlotta writes, “The Gazette story summarized the first three months of integration at central this way: “not entirely calm, by any means, but not in turmoil either.” Perhaps that was the view from the outside peeking in, but from the center of the drama, it sure felt like turmoil to me.” What Carlotta writes about, is a perfect example of how the press can not only spread information, but can also give an inaccurate view of events. To summarize these points, Newspapers were a way people could have learned about the integration process in Little