ANALYSIS: Fabricated media narrative fuels affirmative action outrage

Moments after the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions, a wave of discontent spread across Twitter.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights expressed its concerns about the decision supposedly deepening racial inequality in education, while the Black Voters Matter Fund tweeted that it represents a major setback for equal opportunity in higher education.

“We are deeply disappointed that #SCOTUS has once again upended decades of precedent in a decision that will deepen racial inequality in education and cause lasting harm not only to many students of color but to everyone in this country.” - @ImaniRG
More: https://t.co/fiR2ZKKsJT pic.twitter.com/wEhPWrsnYT

— NCLR – National Center for Lesbian Rights (@NCLRights) June 29, 2023

The Supreme Court’s recent decision on #affirmativeaction is a major setback for equal opportunity in higher education. Let’s delve into the history, benefits, and the impact it will have on Black folks. ⬇️ #EqualOpportunity https://t.co/ICdVD43KLf

— Black Voters Matter Fund (@BlackVotersMtr) June 29, 2023

MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart shared an interview with a Harvard student who voiced fears about minority groups facing barriers to college admission.

”Affirmative action provided access to students from all backgrounds to apply.”@Harvard student Agustín León-Sáenz reacts to the SCOTUS ruling against #AffirmativeAction in college admissions.

”I hope that Harvard... can ramp up recruitment of underrepresented minorities.” pic.twitter.com/NbeZudtHGx

— José Díaz-Balart Reports (@JDBalartMSNBC) June 29, 2023

Campus Reform captured reactions at the Supreme Court as well.  

People are outraged. But that reaction is not surprising. 

This outrage is a sentiment that has been cultivated by legacy media and ‘trusted academic leaders’ who have fueled the narrative that abandoning affirmative action would have catastrophic consequences for minority students.

Take NBC News’ coverage, for instance. 

Danielle Ren Holley, the incoming President of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, expressed deep concern about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in an interview with NBC News on June 26.

Holley painted a worrisome picture, suggesting that eliminating affirmative action would send a strong message to minority students that they are not welcome in higher education. 

[RELATED: Majority of Americans oppose race-based admissions, according to poll]

To its credit, the segment did present the opposing viewpoint put forth by lawyers from Students For Fair Admissions (SFFA), the group that sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) over their use of race in admissions, arguing that Asian students faced discrimination at the two universities. 

NBC showcased SFFA Attorney Cameron Norries, who is recorded saying, “Asians should be getting into Harvard more than Whites, but they don’t because Harvard gives them significantly lower personal ratings.”

However, exposure to the anti-affirmative action argument ends there, with the segment ultimately concluding with Holley’s argument that ignoring race would have devastating consequences for minority enrollment, pointing to California– which has banned affirmative action for more than two decades– as an example of how banning race-based admissions has resulted in ‘catastrophic’ consequences for minority students. 

NBC News ran with Holley’s example, concluding that California’s ban on race-based admission led to a 50% drop in “minority enrollment.” 

But, there are significant issues with the narrative presented.

The deliberate editorial decision to heavily feature pro-affirmative action content at the beginning and end of the segment skews the audience’s perception, leading them to favor the pro-affirmative action stance without considering the argument’s merits. 

This editorial choice also creates the impression among viewers that opponents of affirmative action hold their opinion for racist reasons, even though opponents cite concerns about racial discrimination as their rationale for opposing the practice.

[RELATED: Majority of Americans oppose Affirmative Action policies]

Secondly, NBC News relies on Holley’s assertion that California’s data supports her concerns. But it fails to substantiate that claim adequately. 

Presenting viewers with the graph above, NBC News claims that California saw a 50% drop in “minority enrollment” after banning affirmative action. 

Not only is this data highly selective, representing only the University of California Berkeley’s enrollment numbers, it does not even substantiate the claim completely, since Latino admissions actually increased during the 27-year period. 

A more accurate statement would be that Black enrollment declined at UC Berkley after California banned affirmative action, but even that statement would be intellectually dishonest, as data from the state of California shows an upward trend in minority enrollment altogether. 

A recent Campus Reform analysis shows a near parallel trajectory between the college-aged population and the enrollment of minority students after affirmative action was prohibited in California.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that in most states where affirmative action was banned prior to the Court’s latest ruling, minority enrollment, including Black enrollment, experienced growth.

Following the Court’s decisions, NBC’s nightly newscast, though this time more balanced than its previous coverage, still left its audience with a sentiment that minority enrollment will plummet. 

The segment fails to inform viewers that Harvard’s response to the Court’s ruling appeared to argue that it will subvert the Court’s decisions and still consider race. 

“We write today to reaffirm the fundamental principle that deep and transformative teaching, learning, and research depend upon a community comprising people of many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences,” the Harvard statement reads. 

The broadcast also does not mention that many more college administrators have specifically pledged that they will continue to count race as a factor in admissions nor does NBC News mention that some suggest colleges are already circumventing state laws that ban diversity, equity, and inclusion offices. 

By choosing not to cover this relevant information about affirmative action, NBC News is sowing a seed of anger in America - and it is a wave of anger fueled by misinformation purported to the public by allegedly ‘trustworthy’ news organizations. 

The key takeaway is this: in most cases where affirmative action has been banned, there has been a virtually parallel relationship between the racial demographics of colleges and the racial makeup of the state in question. 

Unfortunately, legacy media groups, and the academics to whom they offer a platform, have chosen not to acknowledge this aspect, thus contributing to a prevailing sense of anger in the country. It would be beneficial for everyone to examine the data firsthand, as doing so may help alleviate anger and foster a more informed perspective.

Follow Jared Gould on Twitter for more stories like this.