What determines a headline in The Boston Globe? These days it is not facts and evidence. It’s the narrative of white supremacy.
The Boston Globe claims its mission is the truth. But since the murder of George Floyd, the Globe has abandoned the truth in favor of a narrative that pits white people against other racial groups.
This has undermined the paper’s credibility. It will almost certainly drive readers away. And the consequence will not be healing between racial groups but the radicalization of otherwise normal white people who feel the media is attacking them for sins they never committed and for which they can never atone.
This article will examine four cases of mass killings reported by the Globe where the killer and victims’ races were different. It begins with the recent Buffalo massacre, where the killer’s motive was certainly racism. It then dives into the Waukesha parade massacre, Atlanta spa shootings, and last week’s California church shooting.
The Buffalo Massacre
The Boston Globe published the following headlines last week about the shooting in Buffalo by a white teenager who killed ten black people.
Of the 29 headlines the Globe printed 16 mentioned race or hate. To view a complete list, click here.
Let’s turn to Boston Public Radio hosted by Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. Following the Buffalo massacre, they spent the better part of two days discussing white supremacy, as indicated by the show notes:
The episode on May 16 was especially indulgent in moralizing white people and their duty to anti-racism.
Comparison A: Massacre in Wisconsin
Let’s consider the massacre in Wisconsin back in November 22 when a black man drove an SUV through a parade injuring 48 and killing 6, including three elderly women and an eight year-old boy. This is the initial headline The Boston Globe reprinted from the Associated Press:
The article neither makes mention of the killer’s race nor the victims’ though both were known at the time.
The Globe’s first report from its staff had the following headline:
Just like the AP article, the Globe’s does not share the race of the killer or the victims.
Two weeks after the killings, the Globe reprinted an article from The Washington Post, focusing on the killer’s history of mental illness by referencing a letter from his mother:
In the roughly 670-word letter, Woods said she wasn't making excuses but noted that her son has suffered from mental illness since he was young. As a child, he was treated with counseling and medication. But when he became an adult, she said Brooks lost the insurance he needed to pay for treatment. Since then, he'd cycled in and out of jail, she wrote.
"Mental illness is real and the system is broken it can and must be fixed NOW, not next year or with a new legislation NOW. So many like Darrell that have fallen through the cracks because of a broken system that no one cared to address, can get the help they so desperately need."
When the reporters told Brooks of his mother's letter, he put down the phone and got up from his chair, two jail guards shielding him from view. Even though the interview was over and the reporters couldn't see Brooks, they could still hear what was happening on the other end.
It sounded like sobbing.
Here is a complete list of headlines printed in the Globe following the massacre. Of the fourteen headlines not one mentions the killer’s race, the victims’ race, or hate as a motive.
Meanwhile, Boston Public Radio did not mention it once, as indicated by the November 23 and November 24 show notes.
Comparison B: Mass Shooting at Atlanta Spas
On March 16, a white man went on a shooting spree across three massage parlors in Atlanta. He killed eight people — six Asian women and two white men. Investigators found no evidence of a hate crime. The shooter stated he was a sex addict, who wanted to eliminate sources of temptation.
This did not stop The Boston Globe from immediately declaring it a hate crime against Asians. It printed the following headlines within three days of the shooting:
Comparison C: Hate Crime in California
Earlier this week there was a mass shooting by a Chinese immigrant targeting Taiwanese. Authorities have called this a hate crime. The Globe reprinted the following:
Only one headline mentioned the motive. None mentioned the race of the killer though it was known at the time of reporting. The Globe did no original reporting.
Summary
Evidence should determine the motive of a crime. The evidence in the Buffalo shooting indicates the killer was racist and motivated by hate. The evidence in the California shooting indicates the killer was motivated by hate. The evidence in the Atlanta Spa shooting suggests the killer was motivated by sex addiction. And the evidence in the Waukesha parade massacre has yet to indicate a motive.
However, the Globe’s staff and editorial board abandon evidence-based reporting when the characters’ identities meet a certain profile. What was the race of the killer? And what were the races of the victims? If the former is white, then the motive is hate. If not, then the paper is willing to consider facts and nuance.
The problem with this approach is it undermines the legitimacy of the paper. As a reader, why should I believe the Globe’s reporting when it’s driven by narrative versus facts?
Also troubling is how the paper’s reporting increases dramatically when the killer’s race is white and the victims’ is non-white. This may engender an unfound sense of danger amongst minorities. Article after article reporting on the dangers of white supremacy could lead them to believe they are constantly under threat. This is already showing in polls. 34% of liberals believe police kill 10,000 or more black people each year. According to the Washington Post the number in 2019 was actually 13. Aside from the mental anguish, this could similarly lead to radicalization.
Moreover, the challenge to white readers to adopt an anti-racist ideology drives division. White people who are eager to atone for their original sin of “whiteness” did not need the Globe to convince them. They were already on their knees begging for forgiveness. They just may flagellate themselves a little harder. Meanwhile, the average person is living on the brink — barely able to afford rent and groceries — and told to recognize their privilege and place in upholding white supremacy. This messaging will push them away from the Globe and into the darker recesses of the internet, where they could be radicalized.
The Globe must get report on facts not race. Otherwise, they will lost credibility as a reliable news source and sow division amongst its readers.