Preview

Racial Bias in the Media

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
369 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Racial Bias in the Media
Racial bias in the Media: Does news coverage favor Whites? Sharoniarina White COMM 215 September 27, 2012

News, movie, and crime often contain racial stereotypes. The news media has often criticized
For the way it chooses to portray African-Americans. Racial stereotypes are still alive in this country. White- Americans often see these stereotypes images assume he, or she is dumb, dishonest, lazy. The black male is constantly portrayed as violet, and hostile, criminal minded.
If convicted of a crime or suspected in a crime , the news media will often show a mug shot
Photo of a black male will show less offensive picture of a white male. Movies and crime often show a black male running from the police or involved in a hostile situations. Showing these images over and over again creates racial stereotypes in the mind of those watching. The media has played and continue to play a critical role in the way White-
Americans perceive African-Americans. The media focus on crime, drugs gang violence, and
Other forms of ant-social behavior among African-Americans. Example, in October 25, 1994 in
Union South Carolina Susan Smith drowned her two children. Susan Smith claimed that a black male kidnapped her two children. The media stereotype anything that is black is bad and evil. The media have invaded Holly-
Wood. The portrayal of young African –American males involved in gangs, and other acts of
Violence has become multi- million dollars industrial. Films like Boyz in the hood, and menace 2
Society, American Gangster have become multi-million dollars success stories with criminal por- trals of young black men. This kind of portrayal, overtime, has put false beliefs in White- Ameri- cans of the way we perceive

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In today’s society media often makes negative stereotypes about blacks and whites. We see these stereotypes in movies, television, and other networks in the world. Media in general shapes the way we view different race groups and cultural differences. For one thing, media is powerful and it is something that many people use for researching information and just to be apart of. We need to be consciously aware of what we believe in the world and make our own perspective of someone not based on anyone else’s perception. From my viewpoint, media is unbiased and bias in many ways. There is never a concrete story that people will truly believe because in the back of our minds are preconceived ideas that are instilled in us. Adichie mentions that she was once brought into a single story. For example, she believed that Mexicans had one thing to bring to the table which was being an abject immigrant. Once a particular story is created in the world, then people stick with it. One word or phrase in the media can change an entire meaning. These stereotypes can influence the way that we interact with each other as…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In society we see media presenting African American Males as animals, want-to-be gangsters, rappers, living in low social economical environments, and vice seeking. It is not totally the media fault for the poor representation of blacks in America but, it is a start towards where the vain message is occurring. Some black males even uphold or even take pride of stereotypes as if they have accomplished something significant. While on the topic of black males being portrayed by the media, I’m not too sure on why the media focuses their attention on the negative inducing news but, generally bad news makes good news for a newscast.…

    • 940 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Today we see African Americans depicted in music videos, film, tv shows, news, and many other platforms of entertainment and media, but how many of those representations are correct? Realistically, it is impossible to represent whole racial groups and ethnicities, which is why generalizations and stereotypes are created. But the misrepresentation of African Americans in media and entertainment only further stimulates stigma, racism, mistreatment, and discrimination in and towards the black community.…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    African-Americans in Media

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages

    There are many shows on T.V. today that shows African-Americans in a negative light. There is more representation of people color in the media than in past times, the quality of the product is more important than quantity. Fun has been poked fun at the African-American throughout the years, by presenting a character of buffoon or childlike quality. The reproduction of stereotypes of African- Americans in film has existed since the day of slavery. Early in the 20th century the coon character was developed. The representation of the coon was of lazy, non- accountable, watermelon eating, and using improper English type person. This was a popular from of entertainment for many people, and even in today’s society this is still a form of popular entertainment.…

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nonetheless, some people do not feel as if the media defines blackness negatively. Some may say that since America has a Black president, which is the most prestigious position one can obtain in America then there is no way that the media is misrepresenting Blacks. It has been stated that the black community doubted Obama’s blackness more than the media did because he is mixed and was not raised around Black people (Walters 10). One can argue that the black community is defining what blackness is. Some Blacks are showing the world that they speak improperly and dress flashy. Although these are valid points, they are incorrect because television and radio that depict Blacks in a negative aspect.…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever wonder why African-American males are usually drug dealers, pimps, convicts, or even a father with multiple children and is a deadbeat father? Or why does an African-American female have to be man-less, on well-fare with multiple children with different baby daddies, or even sometimes on the screen shaking her ass? Well to me this is exactly how most movies, television shows, music, and magazines portray African-Americans. The media portrays African-Americans in a stereotypical manner. Even though there may be some truth in these portrayals, they are sometimes unrealistic and unfair.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The most stunning indictment of the media’s portrayal of black America came when someone pointed out the bias in reporting during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Associated Press published two photos. One showed a group of white people, wading through the water and pushing some items that they’d taken from a store. The other photo showed a group of black people, wading through the water and pushing some items that they’d from a store. The white people were described as “finding food”. The black people were described as “looting”.…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Different Medias have played and will continue to play a compelling role in the way African American men and women are portrayed. A result to this is how , the media manly focuses their attention on violence, drug use, crime and other types of anti-social behaviors that are believed to be done by African Americans. With that being said, the media have cultivated a crooked and damaging public perception of African Americans. The portrayal of African Americans is stereotypically racist. Reality TV has caused other groups of people to look at black people in a very bad way; causing the society that we live in to be full of hatred, racism and many other things that can ruin an individual’s status or reputation.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Stereotypes of African Americans have been around since slavery. Once media got involved it was able to give society a visual as to how other races portrayed them. With television, it’s becoming more and more vivid of how bad the stereotyping is getting. Now a day’s some writers of these shows and try to hide the racial remarks, while others are blunt with it and receive no type of punishment for their actions. You do have some sitcoms that will shine a positive light on the African American community, but these shows never last long. The gatekeepers do not want to put a positive image in your head they want you feel a certain way so therefore they come up with shows like Family Guy and South Park that…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Why as white people have we been lulled into thinking its safe to be around other white people. Why have we been taught since birth that it's the people of that other color we need to fear? They're the ones that will slit your throat (Moore 57). The mass media has played and will continue to play a crucial role in the way white Americans perceive African-Americans. As a result of the overwhelming media focus on crime, drug use, gang violence, and other forms of anti-social behavior among African-Americans, the media is fostering a distorted public perception of African-Americans. Looking at past examples of African Americans treatment in the media, one can see that the media has become the main perpetrator through which oppression, discrimination and the treatment of African Americans as second class citizens is carried out.…

    • 1751 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism in the Media

    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Movies and magazines have come under attack. Movies such as Star Wars have been accused of using characters that are racist symbols. Magazines, specifically fashion magazines, have been accused of racism for not displaying many African American women on the covers. I will prove that these accusations are seemingly far fetched. This is not racism; it is the use of demographics and marketing towards their target audiences. I will also argue that stereotypes, if used in the correct context, can add understanding and humor to racial barriers.…

    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Race is a large part of American Society today, and the United States media plays a large factor in how people perceive African-American males and females both. There have been many surveys taken to see how people perceive the portrayals of African-Americans in the media, and these surveys do not always match up with the true statistics. These portrayals in media can directly affect the stereotypes people have on African-Americans, and these stereotypes can create racial differences that results in violence. African Americans are portrayed poorly in the mass media, and with early education on race and better representation in the media, these portrayals will no longer affect the stereotypes people have on African-Americans.…

    • 967 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    as rapists, kidnappers, serial killers, and much more. This has left an impact on the society, black…

    • 115 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    their color, are wrong. These racial stereotypes affect people's perception of who we are in a…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Media on Children

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The media often stereotypes people and races. Most children's programming deals in absolutes reinforcing the idea that people are good or bad, stupid or smart and because of their inexperience children will latch onto stereotypes that they see.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays