ABSTRACT
A profound and extended sense of dissatisfaction exists with the way journalism covers social problems in urban settings, and its limited and fleeting attention to urban social problems. The problem is not just the lack of attention to specific social themes and problems affecting poor and minority citizens—chronic problems of public safety, etc. This chapter explains how journalism covered structural patterns and forces that shape life in West Baltimore. The sociological stories provide insights into the social fabric and the realities of the neighborhood at the center of news events. The stories suggest that Gray's troubled life was not unique in his community, and that his fate should not be attributed to individual characteristics. The Sun's coverage of Sandtown and West Baltimore suggests that, under specific circumstances, journalism occasionally delivers news with a sociological eye. A journalism consistently committed to sociological reporting demands reconceptualizing the epistemology and the nature of reporting away from event-centered, short time-bounded news.
