Revolutionary Leader or Deviant Thug? A Comparative Analysis of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Daily Defender's Reporting on the Death of Fred Hampton

Abstract

Two main theoretical concepts to interrogate news content were adopted in this study. The Frankfurt School concepts of ideology (and in particular Althusser's concept ideological state apparatus) and the British Cultural Studies concept, moral panic, help document how 2 examples of print media covered a local encounter between young Black men and the police in one community. By reconceptualizing the press as an ideological state apparatus and using the concept moral panic, the authors include dimensions that may more forcefully illustrate links between media content and lived experience. The news concerning the death of Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton, challenged the existing status quo by bringing race and class issues to the forefront. The Black press (Chicago Daily Defender) provided an alternative understanding to the one offered by the general press (Chicago Tribune). Evidence is offered for how and under what circumstances the discourse of journalism professional values and norms suppress or obscure minority voices. Incorporating the concept moral panic provides a tool for explaining the distinctive narratives offered by the 2 Chicago newspapers.

Keywords:

• moral panic
• Black press
• general press
• ideological state apparatus
• Black Panthers
• Fred Hampton

Notes

¹In Keywords, Williams (1983) argued that vocabulary often causes problems because of conflicting meanings, uses, and contentious contexts. The term Black press exemplifies this contention as many different terms (i.e. Negro, Colored, African American, Black) have been used to discuss this concept. For some, questions regarding the reality of such a press as well as its necessity remain central, but we agree with Wolseley (1990) that no matter what term is used, this form of press does exist and demands academic interest. For a detailed account of the development of the Black press, arguments for why it emerged, and a discussion of essential qualifications, see Wolseley (1990) and Hutton (1993). For more specific accounts detailing differences in press outlets, Kreiling (1993) provides valuable insight regarding operations and historical development of the Chicago Defender specifically, whereas Martindale (1989, 1990a, 1990b) and Campbell (1995) offer informative accounts of news coverage and racial issues.

²Clark was killed during the raid and Satchel was injured.