Al Sharpton has managed to do something unprecedented for a civil rights leader who still considers himself a key player in the quest for social justice: He commands a nightly presence on a national television news show that draws more viewers than muster for even the largest protests in Washington. Add to that a six-day-a-week syndicated talk radio show and a weekly broadcast of his National Action Network’s rallies. Sharpton regularly reaches more people through mass media than could be imagined by two men whose footsteps he claims to follow: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Martin Luther King Jr.
What he is doing is undeniably good for the promotion of his civil rights agenda, as well as for his bank account. Unclear, however, is whether what he is doing undermines traditional journalism, which privileges fairness, objectivity and transparency but too often falls
“Who else could've made Trayvon Martin a household name?”
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Al Sharpton – Child of the Movement Charts New Route for Civil Rights Advocacy
g By E.R. Shipp
Al Sharpton was once better known for his permed hair and track suits than his politics
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.
Al Sharpton, who hosts both a radio and TV show, uses the media to great advantage in furthering the cause of civil rights.
Photo courtesy of MSNBC.