1 Power and the News Media

HIRING, ACCES AND PRODUCTION  
The facts, as research continues to show, are inconsistent with this moral 
arrogance of white elite power. Few newspapers in Western Europe 
have ethnic minority journalists, let alone minorities in higher editorial 
positions. In this respect, the media (both on the left and on the right) 
are hardly different from other elite institutions and corporate businesses, 
which block access and promotion of foreigners
with transparent 
arguments about lacking qualifications
or cultural problems
that 
essentially blame the victim. As a result, the newsroom, editorial meet-
ings, and the routines of news gathering are predominantly white cen-
tered. The predictable consequence is that minority organizations or 
spokespersons are seldom approached as credible sources, although, for 
all practical purposes, they might be considered the leading experts on 
ethnic affairs. 
Analysis of news reports confirms these sociological facts of 
news production. Even on ethnic affairs, minority spokespersons are 
much less quoted than white officials and other elites (politicians, the 

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Political Communication in Action 
19
police, scholars). If they are quoted at all, they are seldom allowed to 
define the ethnic situation alone, but are accompanied by white speakers 
who are invited to give their view of the events. This is particularly true 
for sensitive
topics, such as discrimination, prejudice, or racism, or in 
times of social crises such as riots.
Critical minority voices that do not 
confirm the prevailing white elite consensus are deemed to be less credi-
ble and are marginalized as being too radical.
On the other hand, 
those minority spokespersons who do happen to agree with the white 
elite perspective will be given special access to the media and be promi-
nently displayed as representing minority points of view. For white peo-
ple, nobody is as persuasive on ethnic affairs as an Uncle Tom.