Turn on the evening news and a troubling pattern emerges: Black suspects dominate crime coverage, while White suspects are often minimized or framed more sympathetically. When a Black person is arrested, their mugshot is broadcast instantly. When the suspect is White, the media leans toward softer portrayals — a smiling yearbook photo, a note about mental health struggles, or a sympathetic quote from family.

This isn’t just perception; it’s proven. A 2015 study cit- ed by The Washington Post found that African Americans made up 37% of criminals shown in media reports, though they accounted for just 26% of arrests. White suspects, meanwhile, were depicted as criminals 28% of the time on television, de- spite being 77% of arrestees. In other words, viewers are shown far more Black crime tha

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