![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
RadioLab and "Yellow Rain"
Oct. 24th, 2012 10:52 amSome friends on FB have been spreading a link to this article: The Science of Racism: Radiolab's Treatment of Hmong Experience
I need to be clear that I haven’t heard the RadioLab segment in question, but to me, it’s not really about that. If I give this woman the same benefit of the doubt that I want to give the RL team, namely that she’s telling the truth of her experience, I don’t need to have heard the piece to believe that there are important cautionary tales here for any journalist, ones that can be expanded to apply to any human in a position of power; social, political, editorial or otherwise. It speaks to all kinds of important things, from (to give the RL crew that same benefit of the doubt) the dangers of making careless statements about one’s intentions in engaging with someone, to the subtle and insidious nature of “modern racism”, which doesn’t require people to wear pointy hoods or have malice in their hearts, but just to be unaware of how casually some voices can be dismissed and disrespected, even by those who are trying to hear them out.
I’m not spreading this to condemn RadioLab; again, I haven’t head their side, and from what I know of their reputation I believe they acted in good faith. But the fact that this other side of the story exists, that the account linked here could be written in good faith, illustrates layers and layers of important stuff.
I need to be clear that I haven’t heard the RadioLab segment in question, but to me, it’s not really about that. If I give this woman the same benefit of the doubt that I want to give the RL team, namely that she’s telling the truth of her experience, I don’t need to have heard the piece to believe that there are important cautionary tales here for any journalist, ones that can be expanded to apply to any human in a position of power; social, political, editorial or otherwise. It speaks to all kinds of important things, from (to give the RL crew that same benefit of the doubt) the dangers of making careless statements about one’s intentions in engaging with someone, to the subtle and insidious nature of “modern racism”, which doesn’t require people to wear pointy hoods or have malice in their hearts, but just to be unaware of how casually some voices can be dismissed and disrespected, even by those who are trying to hear them out.
I’m not spreading this to condemn RadioLab; again, I haven’t head their side, and from what I know of their reputation I believe they acted in good faith. But the fact that this other side of the story exists, that the account linked here could be written in good faith, illustrates layers and layers of important stuff.
