MLK Jr Day

Dave Traube

MLK Jr Day

For my Martin Luther King Jr. Day assignment I chose to study the Washington Post and its coverage. The Post had several articles devoted to the life and legacy of King on its website.

The content varied, from articles with such titles as “Maine gov. who blasted critics changes MLK plans,” and “Taking to roads to find Martin Luther King’s Legacy,” to blogs from various Post writers. There were also many photos on the site to honor Dr. King, including a photo gallery titled, “Life on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.” The coverage seemed respectful and positive when talking about the past accomplishments of Dr. King, and the blogs focused on the county’s progress in education reform, church life, and racial interaction. The article about the Maine governor was even positive in the way it presented the governor’s reaction to backing off of comments he made about skipping on the festivities of the day.

The coverage of Martin Luther King Jr. today differs greatly from the coverage he received during his lifetime. Today, King is a rock star. His quotes are used in positive ways, and nearly every story written about him seems to make the author into someone who likes or even admires King. While I am in no way saying this is a bad thing, it is at times a polar opposite to the media coverage King received during his life. King was an idealist. His purpose was not to make everyone feel good about themselves, as he can be often presented today, but to challenge and change limitations of the status quo of the times.

While today’s media coverage seems much more tolerable and fair minded then the coverage of King’s time, it was because of King’s life and his untimely death that this is so.