Racism Between Whites And Blacks In Mass Media

Racism between Whites and Blacks is still an issue and the media is the forefront of the problem. Media is the reason to blame for the issues among different races. “The American people are being force-fed a media diet of stereotypes and misperceptions, overcriminalization and marginalizing African Americans through language, images, and omissions” (Savali). Many people have a distorted and unrealistic view on how they publically perceive Blacks (Balkaran). “The mass media has an inadequate handling of day-to-day coverage of racial events. Media have divided the working class and stereotyped young African-American males as gangsters or drug dealers. The media have focused on the negative aspects of the Black community, such as engaging in drug use, criminal activity, and welfare abuse.
There are a few news stories that grabbed the attention of the citizens throughout the United States. A controversial story was in February 2012 regarding the Trayvon Martin case. According to the news, George Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch captain and reported a “suspicious person.” That “suspicious person” was innocent seventeen year old Trayvon Martin who happened to be African American. Zimmerman called 911 to report him, and was told not to exit his vehicle. However, he chose to put matters into his own hands and approach the teen. “Moments later, neighbors report hearing