National Football League player for the Forty-Niners, Colin Kaepernick, reclined against the bench as the National Anthem was played before a game, refusing to participate. When Eric Reid joined Kaepernick on his knees during a seasonal game, it created a riot of controversy, gaining much attention. Today, we'll look at three different news sources who covered the stories, and see how their approach and perspectives differed.
On September 27, 2017, the New York Times allowed Eric Reid to respond to criticisms, and he cited James 2:17, a verse he took out of complete context, insisting, “My faith moved me,” believing he stood up for what is right. Openly stating his devout love for America and flag, he asseverates his right to kneel, claiming he used the freedom for which our veterans fought. Reid wrote honestly, and although adamant in his respect for the country, overall, Reid demonstrated frustration at the overreaction from the general public at his and Kaepernick’s refusal to stand.
The NFL mostly held a neutral stance while expressing a clear disapproval of such behavior as exhibited by Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid. However, the organization refrains from requiring their football players to stand during the National Anthem, respecting the personal rights of a citizen to act in accordance with their desires. They reported Kaepernick claiming, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag that oppresses black people and people of color.” In conclusion, the NFL clearly disapproved of Kaepernick’s decision, they also released no plans to fire him from the NFL.
Finally, Jason Veley, writer for Trump News, decried Kaepernick and others' actions, treating it as hard news and viciously declaring, “The real act of courageous defiance is STANDING for the National Anthem,” as the article is entitled, and used Fox News and Town Hall as sources. Veley voiced disbelief at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach, Mike Tomlin, who insisted on opting out from participating in the National Anthem in order “not to play politics,” but Veley passionately wrote that the Steelers are playing politics by refusing to participate, and he adamantly affirms the ridiculousness of football players to kneel in dishonor during the anthem.
At the end of the day, all three news articles voiced different opinions. The NFL seemed the most neutral out of the three. Eric Reid wrote honestly and respectfully from first-person perspective, insisting on his position. Some might consider the event soft news, since it might not be considered a disruptive event in our country. However, to many patriotic souls, it is an unbelievable event in history because no one in the past would dare to act in such seeming dishonor towards our flag and country. Jason Veley, for an example, wrote in a livid manner, using words such as “infuriating” to show outright disapproval, while the NFL took a very calm, unbiased approach. Perhaps the media used this piece of “news” in order to purely stir up commotion, but whatever the intentions of the news media, it accomplished Reid and Kaepernick’s goal--to gain attention.
