How To Hold Media Accountable
To see changes in environmental media, we must demand it. Here are a few things that media can do to lead the world towards environmental and social justice.
1
Acknowledge Their Racist History
For many international environmental media companies, it is very likely that their work began when there was a lot more social injustice than today. What they've published will always be out there but acknowledgement and apologizing is a good first step. Then they must apply their words to their work.
2
Stop Changing the Narrative
Throughout centuries of colonialism, white people manipulated stories for their own benefit. They lied to other white people and BIPOC. Many media companies are still doing this because of society's engrained history of racism. White people are still telling stories of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) the way that they see us, instead of showing the world who we really are. Let BIPOC tell their own stories so that the truth is told instead of an interpretation.
3
Stop Relying on Stereotypes
The amount of stereotypes and clichés published in media today is appalling. You would think that we've moved past this. Stereotypes are a form of racial microaggression. By using them, racism is normalized in society and leaves a terrible impact on the BIPOC community. They misrepresent most people in the world.