Media Imagery: The Role Of Criminal Images In The Media

Criminal Images In American society, the media plays an overwhelming role in shaping how people think and what people believe. The images and spins that come from every form of media eventually become the immediate thought in one’s mind when certain topics are brought up. How can this not be the case when stereotypes are being thrown at people in rapid fire from every direction? The media is everywhere and is not an easy force to be reckoned with. One particular area in which the media have formed images in the minds of the people is the idea of criminals. From pictures on television to descriptions in books, the criminal is commonly portrayed as a black male. The consequences of this stereotype may not been seen or felt by all, but they affect the lives of many in serious ways. In a
“Law enforcement officials, no less than the rest of us, have been exposed to the racially charged… media imagery associated with the drug war (106).” If the police believe that African Americans are more likely to commit crimes, they will, as one would expect, subconsciously or consciously watch out for African American crime more than white crime. However, this is not a phenomenon that can be blamed on law enforcement. These men and women likely do not go to work each day prepared to arrest a large amount of African Americans simply because of skin color. However, since they are bombarded with just as many negative African American media images as everyone else, they too have the preconceived and subconscious notion of criminals being African American. This is problematic for African Americans all over the country for obvious reasons. If the police have a subconscious belief that blacks are more likely to commit crimes than other people, they (the police) will be more closely watching those communities that are typically African