Conclusion

Jackie Robinson at his Stamford, Conn., home, in June 30, 1971; picture provided by the Associated Press

The black press, i.e. The Pittsburgh Courier, and the white press, i.e. the Daily Worker and the New York Times, demonstrate their attitude toward Robinson's debut in Major League Baseball through the use of language, tone of voice, and the focus of the topics in their reports.

The Pittsburgh Courier expressed much joy to see a black representative in a major American sport. Robinson is not the best player of the Negro Leagues, but his style of playing and his willingness to fight for the position differentiate himself from other black players as well as his white counterparts. He has shown that he is a private and relative quiet person in front of the media. Not only he is the pioneer for the black community to play in the big league, but also he is lonely due to his background and skin color. The newspaper has tried to make Robinson as visible as possible to show the pride of the black community. They follow Robinson's debut closely by publishing articles and pictures of him playing on the field. The newspaper, however, does not call him Negro like the white press. Instead, it refers him by his name. It is a collective effort from the whole black community to embrace a significant individual and support Robinson's success in professional sports.

For the traditional white press, this is a historic occasion in American history. However, they don't have any tie with Robinson like the Pittsburgh Courier does. In a society where segregation and discrimination are practice, they of course call Robinson Negro in all published articles. But the attitudes toward Robinson are quite different in the New York Times and the Daily Worker. The New York Times remains its hard news reporting style by publishing lots of facts without much praise or criticism on Robinson's performance. As Gabriel said in the interview, the white press tend to reserve its opinions. The New York Times does exactly that. In addition, the publication also points out the reality that Robinson and the Dodger organization may face during the season. It gives a reality check which is confirmed by Gabriel as he tells the story in Philadelphia where team manager instructs players to verbally abuse Robinson as he steps onto the field.

On the other hand, the Daily Worker focuses on the scenes at the ballpark and reactions of fans. The style of reporting may be affected by the fact that the newspaper is a more local publication rather than a national publication. It also emphasizes on the body language of Robinson on the field and in the dugout that people may not notice. The Daily Worker provides a fairly welcome attitude toward Robinson's debut in Major League Baseball.

Through this research, I am able to illustrate the overall picture of Robinson's debut and gain the knowledge of media treatment toward Robinson. As Henry Aaron points out, Robinson plays for himself and the black community. He is a pioneer; therefore, everyone looks up to him. The media treat Robinson different due to the color differences. But everyone agrees the fact that he is a solid contributor on the field and an extraordinary person off the field.