Similarly, Bonner and Faludi accuse our country's media of being corrupt after the attack on September 11th. Both writers state in the beginnings of their works the weakness of the media and United States citizens. This weakness is not described as a weakness that contributed to the attack, but instead a weakness of how we interpreted life in the aftermath. Bonner and Faludi both argue people are too quick to believe anything and everything the media shares publicly. “After the attacks, journalists were swept up in the national feelings of fear and outrage -- and failed to do their job”, this quote is the very first statement made by Bonner in his article (2011 para. 1). He wrote about the journalists’ exaggeration of the event and how it turned
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As the result of both Bonner and Faludi being from a journalism background, they can testify to the pressure from peers and bosses of not wanting to sound “anti-American”. It can be compared to “fitting in” when working in the media industry. As stated in Bonner’s article, “hysteria is fueled by journalists who didn’t want to risk being branded anti-American”. This brand can ruin a journalist's career. Faludi provides many examples of this in her book. One of which, a Women’s Rights Conference panelist, Sunera Thobani shares an unpopular opinion of the hypocrisy in the United States. She speaks to America’s involvement with women from third world countries. This landed her with brands such as, “‘communist-linked,’ and ‘publicly inciting hatred against Americans’” (Faludi, 2007, pg.32). Bonner and Faludi both recognize this unfair and biased opinion in the American media. Faludi illustrates another event of anti-Americanism, “columnist Naomi Klien was deemed traitorous- for suggesting that an international response to terrorism might be more effective than a unilateral one” (2007 pg.31). Bonner describes this outlook, “formed by 9/11 and shared throughout the industry” (2011 para.10). Which in turn, they state this anti-American fear journalists carry have cause the citizens to also adopt these bais American …show more content…
“Our post 9/11 ‘sleeper cell’ fears also seemed to find their likeness in the Cold War anxieties about ‘the enemy among us’: the suspicion that the nation and its men had gone ‘soft’” (2007 pg.8), said Faludi in the introduction of her book. It is apparent in Bonner’s piece, as he adds an additional connection to the media that Faludi would vastly agree with. “During the Cold War, a communist-under-every-bed hysteria was fueled by demagogic politicians and aided by journalists”, Bonner likewise states. Along with a mostly feminist angle, Faludi also addresses domestic issues and how the media articulated the event to “hit home” for most all nuclear families. “‘Security moms’ were said to be salving their fears of terrorists by sticking close to the hearth and stocking their pantries with canned goods and anthrax antidotes, while suburban dads were stockpiling guns in their family’s linen closets” (Faludi, 2007, p.40). Faludi disputes unfair gender roles and the fall back into 1950’s stereotypes. Along with these old domestic roles coming to surface again is the media's effect of the backlash on feminism. “In fact, a feminist perspective on any topic was increasingly AWOL”. This old world thinking, Faludi argues, are ”myths ingrained into our psyches” since every fearful event in history. For example,
As the result of both Bonner and Faludi being from a journalism background, they can testify to the pressure from peers and bosses of not wanting to sound “anti-American”. It can be compared to “fitting in” when working in the media industry. As stated in Bonner’s article, “hysteria is fueled by journalists who didn’t want to risk being branded anti-American”. This brand can ruin a journalist's career. Faludi provides many examples of this in her book. One of which, a Women’s Rights Conference panelist, Sunera Thobani shares an unpopular opinion of the hypocrisy in the United States. She speaks to America’s involvement with women from third world countries. This landed her with brands such as, “‘communist-linked,’ and ‘publicly inciting hatred against Americans’” (Faludi, 2007, pg.32). Bonner and Faludi both recognize this unfair and biased opinion in the American media. Faludi illustrates another event of anti-Americanism, “columnist Naomi Klien was deemed traitorous- for suggesting that an international response to terrorism might be more effective than a unilateral one” (2007 pg.31). Bonner describes this outlook, “formed by 9/11 and shared throughout the industry” (2011 para.10). Which in turn, they state this anti-American fear journalists carry have cause the citizens to also adopt these bais American …show more content…
“Our post 9/11 ‘sleeper cell’ fears also seemed to find their likeness in the Cold War anxieties about ‘the enemy among us’: the suspicion that the nation and its men had gone ‘soft’” (2007 pg.8), said Faludi in the introduction of her book. It is apparent in Bonner’s piece, as he adds an additional connection to the media that Faludi would vastly agree with. “During the Cold War, a communist-under-every-bed hysteria was fueled by demagogic politicians and aided by journalists”, Bonner likewise states. Along with a mostly feminist angle, Faludi also addresses domestic issues and how the media articulated the event to “hit home” for most all nuclear families. “‘Security moms’ were said to be salving their fears of terrorists by sticking close to the hearth and stocking their pantries with canned goods and anthrax antidotes, while suburban dads were stockpiling guns in their family’s linen closets” (Faludi, 2007, p.40). Faludi disputes unfair gender roles and the fall back into 1950’s stereotypes. Along with these old domestic roles coming to surface again is the media's effect of the backlash on feminism. “In fact, a feminist perspective on any topic was increasingly AWOL”. This old world thinking, Faludi argues, are ”myths ingrained into our psyches” since every fearful event in history. For example,