What do you think?
Rate this book
Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation
Gone is the era of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, when news programs fought to gain the trust and respect of a wide spectrum of American viewers. Today, the fastest-growing news programs and media platforms are fighting hard for increasingly narrow segments of the public and playing on old prejudices and deep-rooted fears, coloring the conversation in the blogosphere and the cable news chatter to distract from the true issues at stake. Using the same tactics once used to mobilize political parties and committed voters, they send their fans coded messages and demonize opposing groups, in the process securing valuable audience share and website traffic. Race-baiter is a term born out of this tumultuous climate, coined by the conservative media to describe a person who uses racial tensions to arouse the passion and ire of a particular demographic. Even as the election of the first black president forces us all to reevaluate how we think about race, gender, culture, and class lines, some areas of modern media are working hard to push the same old buttons of conflict and division for new purposes. In Race-Baiter, veteran journalist and media critic Eric Deggans dissects the powerful ways modern media feeds fears, prejudices, and hate, while also tracing the history of the word and its consequences, intended or otherwise.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2012
17 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 27, 2013
3.5/5 stars.
For those who haven't read any other books on the media's influence on politics, race, poverty, and gender, this is a fairly good primer. For those who have, this book is not one that adds much to the discussion, aiming for breadth rather than depth in its discussion and analysis.
Really, the title is a bit misleading, and the subtitle, while more accurate, is still pretty vague. This is an indication of the organization and content of the book. Although the book is not a series of essays, its content makes it seem that way as the book meanders - with none of the chapters flowing logically into each other and topics jumping back and forth, repeats itself (multiple specific quotes and stories repeated in different chapters), and never gives itself enough space to get deep into any of the issues it discusses.
The main focus of the book is on race and politics and how these issues are treated in the media. The author briefly touches on gender issues and spends a chapter on a cursory discussion of poverty coverage in the media. He also spends two chapters (spaced not consecutively, but two chapters apart) on treatment of race on television, both scripted and unscripted, which is the main area where he addresses gender issues. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, the final chapter, which purports to talk about what can be done, has very little concrete solutions and relies more on vagaries that are understandable, but hard to enact.
Overall, this book needed to be either longer or more focused, but as it stands now, it seems like it needed a few more rounds of editing and research before it went to print. Unlike authors such as Noam Chomsky, Deborah Tannen, or George Lakoff, there is very little of Deggans's own voice in this book, as he focuses a lot on describing current events and relies more on statistics and interviews. For those interested in the topics covered, one of the positives is that Deggans does discuss very contemporary events, whereas more fully-researched books are less able to include these examples by virtue of the time it takes to research, write, fact-check, and edit, so that events discussed are usually old hat by the time they get to print.
For those who haven't read any other books on the media's influence on politics, race, poverty, and gender, this is a fairly good primer. For those who have, this book is not one that adds much to the discussion, aiming for breadth rather than depth in its discussion and analysis.
Really, the title is a bit misleading, and the subtitle, while more accurate, is still pretty vague. This is an indication of the organization and content of the book. Although the book is not a series of essays, its content makes it seem that way as the book meanders - with none of the chapters flowing logically into each other and topics jumping back and forth, repeats itself (multiple specific quotes and stories repeated in different chapters), and never gives itself enough space to get deep into any of the issues it discusses.
The main focus of the book is on race and politics and how these issues are treated in the media. The author briefly touches on gender issues and spends a chapter on a cursory discussion of poverty coverage in the media. He also spends two chapters (spaced not consecutively, but two chapters apart) on treatment of race on television, both scripted and unscripted, which is the main area where he addresses gender issues. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, the final chapter, which purports to talk about what can be done, has very little concrete solutions and relies more on vagaries that are understandable, but hard to enact.
Overall, this book needed to be either longer or more focused, but as it stands now, it seems like it needed a few more rounds of editing and research before it went to print. Unlike authors such as Noam Chomsky, Deborah Tannen, or George Lakoff, there is very little of Deggans's own voice in this book, as he focuses a lot on describing current events and relies more on statistics and interviews. For those interested in the topics covered, one of the positives is that Deggans does discuss very contemporary events, whereas more fully-researched books are less able to include these examples by virtue of the time it takes to research, write, fact-check, and edit, so that events discussed are usually old hat by the time they get to print.
January 27, 2013
Eric Deggans' social commentary is a worthy and important book for all. As an educator in the field of media literacy, it is a valuable book with current analysis of what the author calls "media ecology". He defines media ecology as "the constellation of websites, social media spaces, radio and TV outlets, print publication, and even music platform that each person regularly consults each day. What I found interesting is how he points out that if as a media entity, your news, your delivery happens outside of any person's media ecology, it doesn't exist to them.
The author's purpose “is an attempt to decode the ways media outlets profit by segmenting Americans.” He shows how the reporting of journalists can influence, persuade its audience to the left or right. His focus through most of the book is on racial bias and the consistency of managing the news with untruths and misleading reporting. Is there anyone who really believes that television and all media in our purview is not biased? Deggan outlines his argument with countless examples of the ways media alters dialog, images and general news gathering to suit a specific audience or slant the news left or right. in reporting. He shows the irony of the term "Reality Shows" and how they are chiseled to each a specific audience.
He offers solutions to breaking down the race-baiting of our modern media and how we must work to break down segregation that still exists. A phrase that tells so much...Deggan says, "we have to learn to sit together." This may sound preachy...but he is not.
In his view, racial equality is looked at differently by whites and African Americans. Here is an example, in Eric Deggans' words:
“Whenever someone tells me in a well meaning voice, that they don't see color, I always respond, What's wrong with seeing my color?" The key is that when you see my skin color, you don't think it's a bad thing."
As I witnessed this personally in an interracial marriage, his observation is accurate. There is "the look", an experience that is repeated often when you are in public. Anyone who has been given "the look" understands what I mean. It's better to talk about racial difference than to pretend it doesn't exist.
Race Baiter is a candid and necessary book that should provoke a deeper awareness of the powerful messages that try to perpetuate fear or confirmation of your beliefs through any media possible.
Disclosure: Library Thing sent me a copy of Race-Baiter to review for the Early Reviewer program.
© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013].
January 26, 2013
The author's purpose “is an attempt to decode the ways media outlets profit by segmenting Americans.” He shows how the reporting of journalists can influence, persuade its audience to the left or right. His focus through most of the book is on racial bias and the consistency of managing the news with untruths and misleading reporting. Is there anyone who really believes that television and all media in our purview is not biased? Deggan outlines his argument with countless examples of the ways media alters dialog, images and general news gathering to suit a specific audience or slant the news left or right. in reporting. He shows the irony of the term "Reality Shows" and how they are chiseled to each a specific audience.
He offers solutions to breaking down the race-baiting of our modern media and how we must work to break down segregation that still exists. A phrase that tells so much...Deggan says, "we have to learn to sit together." This may sound preachy...but he is not.
In his view, racial equality is looked at differently by whites and African Americans. Here is an example, in Eric Deggans' words:
“Whenever someone tells me in a well meaning voice, that they don't see color, I always respond, What's wrong with seeing my color?" The key is that when you see my skin color, you don't think it's a bad thing."
As I witnessed this personally in an interracial marriage, his observation is accurate. There is "the look", an experience that is repeated often when you are in public. Anyone who has been given "the look" understands what I mean. It's better to talk about racial difference than to pretend it doesn't exist.
Race Baiter is a candid and necessary book that should provoke a deeper awareness of the powerful messages that try to perpetuate fear or confirmation of your beliefs through any media possible.
Disclosure: Library Thing sent me a copy of Race-Baiter to review for the Early Reviewer program.
© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013].
January 26, 2013
August 9, 2016
This book is very well written and easy to understand. If you want a behind the scenes look at how the news presents the race issue, how they lie to get ratings, then this is the book to read.
The good news is that some sponsors of these TV programs pull out, and then those race baiters often get fired. So instead of the government making a hate speech law, people just take action against these speakers, think of how Limbaugh, Glen Beck, and Lou Dobbs lost their jobs.
The good news is that some sponsors of these TV programs pull out, and then those race baiters often get fired. So instead of the government making a hate speech law, people just take action against these speakers, think of how Limbaugh, Glen Beck, and Lou Dobbs lost their jobs.
September 1, 2016
Deggans, a media critic and veteran journalist, raises excellent points about how racial divisiveness in media is not only a problem for people of color, but also white people. He covers the span of television media, from nightly news to 60 minutes to reality TV, and comes to the same conclusion about other mediums like radio and print as he does with television. Producers and executives have often made money portraying people of color in stereotypes -- at least, they did before Twitter and Facebook gave media audiences a voice with which to chastise them for problematic coverage. Deggans also points to sites like Colorlines that produce daily cultural coverage and organizations like Media Matters and Color of Change that create a response mechanism to hold organizations accountable by taking audience complaints straight to advertisers, who are the true agenda-setters for mass media.
I had forgotten about a number of the episodes he mentions in this book - I always, without fail, have ignored Rush Limbaugh and Laura Schlesinger and Bill O'Reilly, because, frankly, life is hard enough. But they prove the point that media has always had difficulty with racial pluralism and the job of diversity, at least. There is also a good range of voices here. And I love that Flavor Flav and his shows on VH1, which I am a little ashamed to admit I watched with glee, are also included in the book. As a couple of my mentors told me, it's a must-read for anyone interested in our current media ecology and where it stands regarding diversity and racial discourse.
I had forgotten about a number of the episodes he mentions in this book - I always, without fail, have ignored Rush Limbaugh and Laura Schlesinger and Bill O'Reilly, because, frankly, life is hard enough. But they prove the point that media has always had difficulty with racial pluralism and the job of diversity, at least. There is also a good range of voices here. And I love that Flavor Flav and his shows on VH1, which I am a little ashamed to admit I watched with glee, are also included in the book. As a couple of my mentors told me, it's a must-read for anyone interested in our current media ecology and where it stands regarding diversity and racial discourse.
July 19, 2015
Written by one of my favorite journos out there, this book helps make some sense of all the noise going on in the media these days. Solid history lesson. Brilliant take on media literacy.
September 2, 2022
As a person who both studies communications and has worked in the field for nearly four decades, I was surprised to learn a few new things from this book.
The main theme is about how media uses keywords and imagery to boost ratings and make money, with the consequence that people feel it is now OK to be racist. As expected, the book starts with low-hanging fruit - FOX News - but then it quickly moves beyond that network and shows how MSNBC and other so-called "liberal" news sources also play the same game, using specific images and distorted information to invoke emotions in its viewers, which results in higher ratings and more profit.
None of this was new to me, but to my pleasant surprise, the book moved beyond the talking heads of cable news and delved into prime-time sitcoms and dramas, and also looked at how reality TV shows specifically edit episodes to reinforce common stereotypes. The book also delved into the impact of social media.
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is that it was written more than a decade ago, and many of the examples are outdated. In addition, the chapter on social media did not foresee how divisive the new medium would become. Instead, the book predicts social media would become a savior of the debate. Of course, we now know the opposite is true. Despite those minor flaws, anyone interested in DEI work or in media literacy should have a copy of this book on their shelves.
The main theme is about how media uses keywords and imagery to boost ratings and make money, with the consequence that people feel it is now OK to be racist. As expected, the book starts with low-hanging fruit - FOX News - but then it quickly moves beyond that network and shows how MSNBC and other so-called "liberal" news sources also play the same game, using specific images and distorted information to invoke emotions in its viewers, which results in higher ratings and more profit.
None of this was new to me, but to my pleasant surprise, the book moved beyond the talking heads of cable news and delved into prime-time sitcoms and dramas, and also looked at how reality TV shows specifically edit episodes to reinforce common stereotypes. The book also delved into the impact of social media.
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is that it was written more than a decade ago, and many of the examples are outdated. In addition, the chapter on social media did not foresee how divisive the new medium would become. Instead, the book predicts social media would become a savior of the debate. Of course, we now know the opposite is true. Despite those minor flaws, anyone interested in DEI work or in media literacy should have a copy of this book on their shelves.
October 25, 2017
Very well-written, but too academic for my taste. The language is inaccessible for most people.
November 23, 2019
The power of language, and hidden, unrealized biases come to light in this provocative book.
October 18, 2020
Bought this to shed light on race baiting. It didn't do that very much. More a journalists view of US TV and Radio.
March 24, 2013
This book is an excellent examination of how polarized media in America has become and the impact that it has upon media consumers. It considers the infrastructure factors that have allowed for a significant delimiting of the need to provide coverage of both sides of any story. It also looks at how the natural psychological tendency towards a confirmation bias has led the media audiences to align themselves to these ever more polarized outlooks in order to confirm that their own beliefs are right. Another prominent theme is that we as a nation have a dearth of civil, in depth, discussions about race and so have not built the necessary vocabulary to really hold these discussions. While it is clear which side of the argument that Deggans falls on, he also provides a balanced view and makes a significant attempt at full disclosure that lends credibility for all readers. I recommend this book for everyone in the interest of becoming more media literate and discerning consumers in our society.
November 4, 2013
Great view into journalism, media, race relations. I haven't read any other books on the subject but this seemed to be a fair assessment of what goes on "behind the scenes" and often right in front of our faces.
Mr. Deggans gives away the magician's secrets, whether those magicians are news anchors, radio talk show hosts, screenplay writers or"reality" shows actors, he tells you what to look for to understand what's really happening and how they make it look or sound like something else.
He talks about the problems people have with discussing race, suggests ways we can get past those problems. He talks about drawing attention to racism masked with key phrases and probably most importantly about talking about race before something racial explodes rather than waiting for things to explode.
Another interesting point is that "color blindness" isn't the answer because it ignores differences in culture that really do exist.
A lot of this should be in schoolbooks somewhere. Learning it when your 9 would probably be a lot more helpful than learning it when you're 39.
Mr. Deggans gives away the magician's secrets, whether those magicians are news anchors, radio talk show hosts, screenplay writers or"reality" shows actors, he tells you what to look for to understand what's really happening and how they make it look or sound like something else.
He talks about the problems people have with discussing race, suggests ways we can get past those problems. He talks about drawing attention to racism masked with key phrases and probably most importantly about talking about race before something racial explodes rather than waiting for things to explode.
Another interesting point is that "color blindness" isn't the answer because it ignores differences in culture that really do exist.
A lot of this should be in schoolbooks somewhere. Learning it when your 9 would probably be a lot more helpful than learning it when you're 39.
September 22, 2013
Eric Deggans offers both a fascinating history lesson and a critique of broadcast media (including cable TV and talk radio) for its failings in the portrayal and treatment of minorities and women. Although race is the central focus, the book is broader than that.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop critical thinking skills. Deggans details the way commentators and the politicians they cover ignore facts and manipulate the truth to build a following and boost ratings or win votes.
While most of what Deggans has to say is pretty discouraging--there seems to be no end to the polarization that's exacerbated by the media--he encourages advocacy, "teaching a lesson" to the media: "Let's fill Facebok pages, comments sections, and Twitter feeds with praise for outlets doing the right thing and scorn for those who choose another direction."
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop critical thinking skills. Deggans details the way commentators and the politicians they cover ignore facts and manipulate the truth to build a following and boost ratings or win votes.
While most of what Deggans has to say is pretty discouraging--there seems to be no end to the polarization that's exacerbated by the media--he encourages advocacy, "teaching a lesson" to the media: "Let's fill Facebok pages, comments sections, and Twitter feeds with praise for outlets doing the right thing and scorn for those who choose another direction."
August 26, 2013
Depending on your leanings, this isn't any kind of expose. But it's a calm examination of how media outlets are used to tear us apart, based on perceived differences. Best take away? It is suggested that if people (especially WHITE people) could spare a single generation of children from exposure to OVERT racism, we might limit the indulgence of CASUAL racism in public spaces. Not too lofty a goal to actually attain; it made me hopeful.
January 20, 2013
Eric Deggans, an African-American journalist, has written an important book about how today's media fans the flames of racial discord. Using examples from news organizations, talk radio, and reality TV, the author presents a detailed and behind-the-scenes picture of how America's perceptions of race continue to be manipulated by messages received through media. A great book to read and discuss.
December 5, 2013
Eric Deggans has written not only a highly critical analysis of cable news, but of the modern media environment in general. I find the most refreshing thing about this book to be that Mr. Deggans not only discusses the problem, but proposes ideas of how to fix it. This is a very important read for all who are interested in politics, media, and culture.
October 19, 2013
This book was incredibly enlightening. Deggans provides an informative and balanced insight into commentators use of racial issues to create controversy to expand their product. The book is a great start for anyone interesting in learning more about the media's influence on politics, race, poverty, and gender.
I am looking forward to following Eric Deggans as he joins the NPR crew.
I am looking forward to following Eric Deggans as he joins the NPR crew.
February 17, 2016
Good topic. Good information. Bad writing. The book was not cohesive, it rambled and was difficult to follow. I would recommend it for a skim if you are already acquainted with racial issues in news and mass media, but if you are just diving into the topic don't pick up this book and expect to get far.
March 25, 2013
An interesting premise. A little too heavy on stats but it did make me think about what I watch and where I get my news. The author made his point that in order to understand our world we have to see it from different perspectives. By self-selecting my news I am limiting myself!
March 4, 2013
Race is one of the most difficult but most necessary topics and we are not truly discussing this in the media. This book is an enlightening look at how we even made the topic. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in the media and contemporary society.
February 10, 2014
All valid points, but didn't feel like there was anything new in here regarding race relations/the media's role in them.
Want to read
April 26, 2013Borrowed from Dallas Public Library.
March 27, 2013
A necessary corrective to the current media narrative that equates mentioning race and racism with being a racist.
July 11, 2013
Okay book, really nice guy.
May 11, 2013
This was interesting, but I had trouble staying focused. My fault, not the writing. Maybe I've read too many like this too close together.
May 4, 2013
A different take on media/society and how we are divided by underhanded journalism.
August 10, 2015
An excellent resource for those interested in learning about the role the media plays in shaping the national conversation (of lack thereof) on race.
Want to read
March 31, 2013Reliable Sources 3-31-13
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews