CNN reporter Sanjay Gupta said, "It doesn't look like America; it looks like a Third World nation." CBS television's John Roberts compared it to Haiti. Ask students:
For other examples of "it doesn't look like America" statements, try doing a news search using the terms "Third World" and "Katrina." Also check www.cnn.com for an interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour aired on September 4, 2005 titled "Is this America?"
- What is the "it" in these statements? Can they give a detailed description?
- When people say that what they are seeing seems like another country, what kinds of assumptions are they making about what life is like in the United States? Are those assumptions justified? Are they true for everyone, or just some people? Are people who live in violent neighborhoods or in poverty as likely to say that this doesn't seem like America as people who are economically and physically secure?
- When people say that what they are seeing seems like another country, what kinds of assumptions are they making about what life is like in other countries? Are they reinforcing stereotypes or "telling it like it is"?
"Refugees"
Many reports about Hurricane Katrina described victims as "refugees." For example, a September 3, 2005 Washington Post headline read: "Carnival Sending Three Ships for Refugees." For thousands more examples, do a news search using Google or Yahoo and type in "Katrina" and "refugee."
Some have objected to the use of the term "refugee" because they believe it obscures the fact that these people are U.S. citizens who are being ignored by their government, not stateless people who have no government responsible to protect them.
Ask students:
- What kinds of images does the term "refugee" evoke for you?
- Is "refugee" an appropriate descriptor for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina? Why or why not?
"We" and "They"
As students listen to or read statements from press conferences, official announcements, or press releases, ask them to note the use of the words "we" or "us" and "they" or "them," e.g., "We are all praying for you." Ask:
One source for government statements is www.c-span.org. You might also look at official press releases from government agencies, available on the websites of those agencies (usually the initials of the agency.gov).
- Is it clear who is included in the term "we"?
- Is the term being used accurately, or is it an overgeneralization?
- Are the terms used to divide groups of people from one another, i.e., to set up and "us" and "them" when one could reasonably see everyone involved as "us"?
Passive Voice
Ask students to look and listen for statements phrased in passive voice, e.g., "People at the Superdome have received water and food." Ask:
- Can you tell who is doing the action, or does the use of passive voice obscure who is involved or responsible?
- Does passive voice imply that things "just happen" or does the story explain how things happened?