From Dominique Alexander’s Facebook page
Photo Credit: Dallas Observer screenshot from Dominique’s Facebook page
The double standard is not always in the headline. Sometimes, it is in the photograph. Over the last few hours, I have noticed coverage of Amber Guyger’s parole showing her walking through courthouse hallways or sitting on the witness stand. What I keep noticing is the absence of her mugshot.
Yet, in the coverage I have seen of Karmelo Anthony, his mugshot has been front and center. Guyger was convicted of murdering Botham Jean in his own home. Why does coverage of her so often show a person moving through the legal process, while coverage of a young Black man emphasizes an image that can make the public see guilt before reading a single word? The photographs newsrooms choose matter.
They influence who receives sympathy, who receives suspicion, and whose humanity the public is encouraged to recognize. Editors should be willing to explain those choices and apply the same standards across their coverage. When we speak about racial double standards, people ask why we keep bringing up race. This is why.
These seemingly small choices speak loudly to Black communities that have watched this pattern for generations. Search Amber Guyger’s name, click the News tab, and look at the images yourself. Ask who gets presented as a person and who gets presented as a criminal. This is the America we know. These are my two cents, and the double standard deserves a serious conversation.
