Why Artists Get Canceled but News Outlets Don’t

In today’s world, an artist can say or do the wrong thing and instantly face backlash. Social media, fans, and corporate sponsors are quick to “cancel” them, often cutting off opportunities overnight. But when it comes to local news outlets—institutions that shape how communities see themselves and each other—the same level of accountability doesn’t apply.

For decades, many local news stations have thrived on a harmful formula: crime leads. When viewers tune in, they are more likely to see mugshots of young Black men than balanced coverage of the community. Crime is not a cultural event, yet outlets repeatedly frame it as if it were tied to race. This creates and reinforces damaging stereotypes, casting entire communities as dangerous while ignoring broader systemic issues.

Now, with gentrification changing the face of many urban neighborhoods, those same areas once portrayed as “crime-ridden” are suddenly painted in a different light. Coffee shops, breweries, and yoga studios replace decades of headlines about violence. The question is: where did all that crime coverage go? Did the crime disappear—or did the story just stop fitting the narrative once new, wealthier residents moved in?

News outlets have a responsibility to report accurately and fairly. Public safety matters, but so do stories of resilience, creativity, and progress that exist in every community. Continuing to operate under the outdated assumption that news is for white men aged 35 to 65—an audience that supposedly doesn’t want to see white crime or uplifting stories from Black neighborhoods—is both lazy and harmful.

If we’re quick to cancel artists for their words, then news outlets should be held to the same standard for the images and narratives they push daily. If they continue to fall short, maybe it’s time for them to cancel themselves.