I have been involved for quite some time in trying to understand the media's role in human trafficking. As strange as it may seem, thanks to the internet, globally the numbers of individuals bought and sold in this underground society is on the rise. Some individuals take out loans to repay debts to rid their families of poverty, however the price they pay is in their own flesh. Young girls and women on a promise of a better life via better job are stolen from their families with little if any possibility of escape. As statistics show in this website http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-human-trafficking, the number of slaves around the world is approximately 27 million and the cost per slave averages ninety dollars.
Where does the media come into play on this subject? Many US sites (Craig's list and back-page) support or allow advertisers to have “adult” sections on their sites with little if any regulation. The problem with the media is that so many deny the problem exists or that the facts about human trafficking are correct. Really I find this to be a complete disgrace and only seems to exemplify the problem. While some media outlets are trying to alert the public of the issue, others are either turning a blind eye or trying to discredit the news agencies. It takes great leadership and courage to commit yourself to a cause that so many others see as meaningless and unworthy of reporting on.
In films several movies have been made about human trafficking to help bring about awareness. The plot line of some were based on human trafficking while others had it hidden away in the context but it was still present. Movies such as Slum dog Millionaire, Born into Brothels, Memoirs of a Geisha and Trace are but a few and each very worthy of watching. If you little or nothing about human trafficking ask yourself why that is. Does the media think it is one of those “taboo” subjects we should stay away from? Is it because it is so controversial? Maybe it is because human trafficking is big business and perhaps politicians are getting some form of kickbacks from letting it slide. Either way, the dismissal or denial of it as an epidemic is heart wrenching.
There are times when the media is a great outlet for covering controversial subjects and there are times that the silence of coverage says more than an editorial ever could. The truth, in my opinion, is that because most of the victims are women and live in poverty makes their lives less valuable. Without value there is no care nor concern.
Kaylee Anthony was abducted or drowned or tied up and disposed of. The media frenzy that buzzed around this story was relentless and why? In 2009 a mother sold her five year old daughter for sex to obtain money for drugs. Why was this case not more highly publicized? What is it that dictates the stories the media is willing to cover from beginning to end and those it simply writes an article about and moves on?
Ethically speaking the media should do more to uncover the dirty truth of social injustice. This was after all the premise of the media. This is why we wanted the newspaper and printing press, to contribute to society our knowledge of the indecency plaguing mankind. Why know are we turning a blind eye and pretending it does not exist?
A worthy read:http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5935051,00.html
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