Freedom Riders: What Role Media Play in Freedom Rides?

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Role of media in freedom rides
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Role of media in freedom rides
Freedom rides marked a critical chapter in America's civil right movements. The freedom ride was started in 1961 following a court ruling which declared a ban on interstate passengers segregation. The congress of racial equality(CORE) group was responsible for the rides, and their main aim was to get national attention and use it to force change. The rider’s primary objective was to use the press to mobilize and entice the nation into joining their cause. The media played a fundamental role spotlighting the segregation issues at national level. The following paragraphs look into the role of media during the freedom rides and how the media shapes understanding of the issues of our time.
During freedom rides, CORE founder James Farmer signed predominantly students into the group. The students volunteered, and they would use student magazines to appeal to other students who would support the cause. To gain favorable media attention and public sympathy, the riders decided image was significant, and they would appear for photographs in elegant attires that would distinguish them. The students gained favorable portrayal of themselves with various newspapers reporting on their attire, resoluteness, and articulate nature. The riders image helped change the nation view from trouble seekers to model citizens who wanted to use the transport system without difficulty. The media played a huge role in creating public sympathy for the riders, and through the photographs that were shown by various media houses, many students volunteered to join the movements. As a result of the pictures and positive coverage by the press rides sprung up in different states within the United States and the citizens began...