Get Off Our Lawn, PolicyMic!
January 5, 2014 5:20 AM Subscribe
Last week, journalist Laura Dimon, daughter of JP Morgan CEO, wrote a PoliyMic editorial about Flint, Michigan, offending citizens and reinforcing the "ruin porn" stereotype of the city. As a former journalist, Flint native and resident, it was disheartening to see my city--which is trying to come back despite years of economic challenge--portrayed as "apocalyptic" and "failing and forsaken." Of course, locals took umbrage. The debate continues to rage, with Dimon humbly admitting she has never been here and would like to visit.
Disturbingly, the piece was originally titled "This is America's Most Apocalyptic, Violent City — And You’ve Probably Never Heard Of It." The article was accompanied by "ruin porn" photos that weren't all from Flint; in fact one was from Israel. Dimon has responded to critics graciously and her intentions seem to be good; it is not her fault that her father's actions helped create a recession or that her editors headlined and illustrated her piece simply to inflame. (Inaccuracies have been corrected, but the photos still do not represent Flint as a whole. We have entire neighborhoods of well-kept lawns). However, the article simply reinforces negative, racist stereotypes about Flint. The city is an easy target for journalists looking for publicity and a great source of schadenfreude for the general public. But Flint is tired of being America's loser and scapegoat. As Gordon Young, author of Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City, says, at the very end of the article, "There are people trying very hard to make this city a better place." It's just that optimism doesn't bleed, so it doesn't lead. For example, this story about random acts of kindness in the Flint area garnered no comments and only four shares.
Disturbingly, the piece was originally titled "This is America's Most Apocalyptic, Violent City — And You’ve Probably Never Heard Of It." The article was accompanied by "ruin porn" photos that weren't all from Flint; in fact one was from Israel. Dimon has responded to critics graciously and her intentions seem to be good; it is not her fault that her father's actions helped create a recession or that her editors headlined and illustrated her piece simply to inflame. (Inaccuracies have been corrected, but the photos still do not represent Flint as a whole. We have entire neighborhoods of well-kept lawns). However, the article simply reinforces negative, racist stereotypes about Flint. The city is an easy target for journalists looking for publicity and a great source of schadenfreude for the general public. But Flint is tired of being America's loser and scapegoat. As Gordon Young, author of Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City, says, at the very end of the article, "There are people trying very hard to make this city a better place." It's just that optimism doesn't bleed, so it doesn't lead. For example, this story about random acts of kindness in the Flint area garnered no comments and only four shares.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Hey, this is written basically in a first-person editorial voice about your thoughts on this, which is something better for your own blog. If you'd like to rework it and post again tomorrow, that will be fine. Contact us if you have questions. -- taz
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