Member-only story
What the Media Taught Me About Who Uses Drugs, Who Commits Crime, and Who Stays Poor
When I hear the phrase “drug user,” an image used to pop into my head.
Unkempt, on the street, maybe Black or White, and always poor is the common image. I know now that this image wasn’t random. It was built. Brick by brick, through news coverage, television, and the way people talk about addiction.
That’s how moral panic works. It doesn’t just scare us. It teaches us who to fear.
I’ve seen this panic firsthand. When a student in a wealthy White school is caught with drugs, it’s a crisis. Parents demand answers. There are assemblies, investigations, new security plans. But when the same thing happens in a poor neighborhood of color, the reaction is quieter.
People just assume it’s normal. Like it’s expected. Like those kids are already written off.
It’s not just about drugs either. Think about how we talk about crime. The news floods us with stories of poor Black or Latino men committing violent crimes. But when wealthy people commit fraud or embezzlement (e.g., white-collar crimes that destroy lives) the coverage is calmer. Softer. Almost clinical.
And poverty? The stories we hear often blame people for their own struggles. Like being poor is a choice. Like they just don’t…
