A Mighty Long Way Analysis

The press plays an important role in society and it always has. Although the media can shed light on the situation, they didn’t always give the entire story. The role of the press in the story of the civil rights movement is a crucial one. The integration of Central High in Little Rock is a major part of said movement. The book ‘A Mighty Long Way’ recounts the story of one of the Little Rock Nine, Carlotta Walls. The role of the media in her story and others is vital. The news coverage of the the integration of Central High helped to illuminate the event to a national stage, but the reporters of the time did not always give the full story.
The many mediums used in the media at the time truly brought light to the situation of the Little Rock Nine. For example, as stated in ‘A Mighty Long Way’ concerning Emmett Till’s murder, “How the teenager, unfamiliar with the deadly …show more content…
For example, on page 90 of ‘A Mighty Long Way’ by Carlotta Walls LaNier, she states, “News of the mob had been on the radio. Wild and erroneous reports about students being beaten and bloodied.” This coverage was inaccurate because the reporter had exaggerated the story greatly and the listeners had an inaccurate picture of the story. On another note, the picture at the top of page 182 in ‘A Mighty Long Way’ taken by Will Counts shows two of the Little Rock Nine arriving or leaving central. However, the mob the blocks their entrance to Central High wasn’t shown, making the scene look orderly and calm. Finally, in the iconic photo of Rosa Parks sitting in front of the white man on the bus (Iconic Photos) did not tell the entire story. In fact, this photograph was staged to show that an African-American sitting in front of a white person didn’t have to be a big deal. The media can sway an entire nation, but that power isn’t always taken responsibly ; this is one of the reasons the full story isn’t always