Kidnapped, Tortured, Released Media SILENCE - Jackson, Mississippi

I've seen it with my own eyes, the stark contrast in how news gets reported around here. In Rankin County, even in the most impoverished neighborhoods, kids can walk to the gas station without fear. But in Jackson, Mississippi, where I'm from, things are different. I posted a video just the other day about a 15-year-old who was kidnapped, tortured, and pistol-whipped right here in our city. I tagged every news outlet, the police, the mayor—everyone you'd think would care. But the response? Silence. Just a brief mention that the kid was safely back home, no details about the torture or the video.

Now, imagine if the roles were reversed—if the kidnappers were white or the victim was transgender. The media would've jumped on that story like it was the last piece of news on earth. I remember last year, or maybe it was over the summer, there was this brawl in Brandon with some white kids, and it was all over the news. The parents were interviewed, it was treated like some major event. But here, where real thugs, calling themselves the "Taliban," do something heinous, there's nothing but crickets.

They tell me, "Clay, you're not a journalist," when I try to shine a light on these stories. But if that's true, where are the real journalists when you need them? It's like I'm poking a dead body with a stick, trying to see if there's any life left in our local media. This isn't just disappointing; it's a wake-up call. We need real journalism, not just when it's convenient or fits a certain narrative. That's why I keep pushing, keep talking, because someone has to.