Media Perceptions

Concord and specifically Mount Diablo High School are portrayed in the media in various lights. The bulk of mainstream media shows negative news about Concord including crime and poverty stories. Most recently last year there were major news stories concerning Mount Diablo High School's lack of control over students and parents during a bomb threat in which parents were called to pick students up early from school. The event resulted in a riot by parents and students who had to wait hours to be released to go home. The police were able to maintain some control, however Mount Diablo High School faced much ridicule for being unprepared in emergency situations.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=9096947&pid=9096610

There has also been a string of news reports concerning various robberies in Concord.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12205032

According to city-data.com, Concord is more dangerous (has more crime activity) than many of the cities surrounding it including Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Walnut Creek, Martinez, and Pittsburg. There are 110 registered sex-offenders and murders and burglaries have increased in the last ten years. Much of these crimes are covered in the mainstream media. However, media outlets produced by citizens of Concord such as the Concord Patch and other community websites and publications tend to try to focus more on the positive improvements made in Concord.

For example the Concord Patch runs weekly stories about which businesses are hiring and what housing is for sale in Concord, often times providing data that shows unemployment decreasing and housing sales increasing. These local media outlets also focus highly on the benefits of entertainment venues such as the Sleeptrain Concord Pavilion that allows musicians and various performers to bring revenue and media attention to the city.

Concord has also been the subject and inspiration for various films and TV shows such as Love, Concord which is a film about two high schoolers falling in love. The film was set in Concord and the film's creator has said he hoped the film would show Latinos in a positive light rather than partaking in crimes or gangs. The TV show Workaholics is a comedy which was created by two men from Concord. One is now the director and the other acts in the show. They have been quoted many times saying much of the inspiration from the show came from growing up in Concord.