...“Media portrayals have the potential to both shape and reflect societal attitudes and their examination therefore has broader implications.” (Sommers et al. 2006). What we consume on television, internet, and entertainment influences our perception of society. Such imagery develops a cultural lens that can reinforce the perception of an idea or group. Be that as it may, this can cause problems that skew and distort the information presented. The gatekeepers of the media are among the small, but dominant group who control it, and presents a narrative that rakes in profits. Given these points, one should take note of the media portrayals between different races on the news. Mass media has used sensationalism that depicts people of color in a negative light compared to whites, and due to these discrepancies, these harmful portrayals contribute to widespread racism. Such portrayals blur the cultural image of certain groups of people. For instance, in the article, Racial Bias and Media Coverage of Violent Crime, reported a study that found out that 51% of blacks are arrested for violent crime in New York City, however, “75% of...
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...in Movies Media Research Methods CO 455 November 20, 2012 African American Stereotypes in Movies Introduction There once was a time when everyone expected the black man to be the first actor to die in every movie that possessed a black man in its cast. However, over time the assumption of the black man being the first to die has changed. Currently in the year 2012, there are progressively more movies in which black men portray leading roles. This change in black men as leading characters in movies is a welcome change. In the past, supporting or backup roles were considered the best role a black man could achieve. In this paper, the researcher will conduct information by means of content analysis. Content analysis is the most commonly used methodology because of its ability to measure human behavior, assuming that the verbal behavior is a form of behavior. This study will examine specific media products and define these products by determining smaller elements that complement these products. This document will address a wide view of concerns regarding the African American culture, and will provide assumptions on how this issue can be addressed in the future. The stereotype of African Americans in movies today, is the topic of this research paper. Why do African Americans face stereotypes in the media? Why do black actors and actresses have difficulty obtaining roles that are not stereotypical black roles? Why do...
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...“Negative perceptions of black men are seen through the eyes of anyone. It could be teachers, police officers, lawmakers, or people in the media. The problem of racism is far broader than just police violence. Stereotypes of black male criminality are universal and has serious consequences. The perception of black men and boys is a structural barrier, it can be a matter of life and death. Perceptions are complicated, and based on a variety of learned behaviors and stereotypes. Trying to understand these perceptions and what influences them is decisive to our ability to connect our involvement to the messaging and relationship-building that will substitute increased understanding, and change behaviors at the individual and institutional levels....
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...disappeared. Moments later Wilson drove past two young black males and ordered them to move off the street. After a second look, Wilson realized one of the young men matched the description of the stealing progress. Wilson radioed for backup and in little over minute and young man lay dead at the scene. He was unarmed. That young man was Michael Brown; the 18-year-old black boy who’s shooting this past summer sparked a major controversy and raised a lot of questions about Police Shootings in the U.S. and their undeniably pattern of racial issues. Currently young black males risk of being shot by police officers is 21 times more likely greater than young white males (Staples). Due to police tactics motivated by racial profiling, racially bias news and media that enhance minority stereotypes, United States law enforcement is targeting minorities that results in Police Shootings caused by racism. After Michael Brown’s tragic death, many realized that our country had seen similar circumstances like this before. A young, unarmed, black male shot dead, taking with him, the alternative perceptive of the incident in question. We are only left with shooters’ recollection of incident and possibly a few witnesses. It’s a story that we know all too well. Police shootings happen every day, but recent events begin to raise many questions; Of all these police shootings how many are black men? Who kills these young black men? Are all of the officers white? What is the cause...
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...Media Influence on African American Males Keana Noyd California State University, Northridge PAS 325- The Black Male in Contemporary Times May 12, 2014 Abstract If a black man is mentioned in the news, newspaper, magazine ads, television shows, or internet blogs, it is usually related to a negative, stereotypical thought of black men as a whole. The media constantly produces images of black men as sexually-instable, violent, and unintelligent. Such portrayals ultimately influence the nation when it comes to what black men are thought to be like. If the media gave honest and positive portrayals of black men, less racism would exist because people would be able to see the black men of this world for who they really are. In this paper, I give examples of how black men are negatively portrayed in the media and suggest how such misrepresentation can be stopped; by positive portrayals of black men in the media. Over the decades, the media has become an extremely influential power tool when it comes to making assertions about certain groups of people. African-Americans are one of the media’s many victims of false generalizations that influence the world beyond the television screens. Black men are constantly depicted as sexually-instable, angry, uneducated criminals throughout the media, in which, has an ultimate effect on how these men are represented throughout this society. Such depictions are one of the reasons why racism and stereotypical beliefs continue to exist throughout...
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... * * * Representation Of Race In Media * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Much of our perceptions of the world are based on narratives and the images that we see in film, television, radio, music, and other media. These are some of the outlets that construct how individuals see their social identities, as well as learn and understand about what it is to be black, white, Native American, Asian, South American, etc. (Dow, Wood, 2006, p. 297). You will get a better understanding of this once you understand the concept of ideologies. Ideologies are what create our perception of the world around us, whether it is political, social, economic, etc. Ideologies are not the product of individual intention or conscious, rather we create our intentions within ideology (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 267). These ideologies exist before we are even born; they form the social constructions and conditions that we are born into. But, ideologies are just a practice, and it is produced and reproduced in apparatus of ideological production. The media is a great example of an apparatus of ideological production (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 273). It produces social meanings and distributes them throughout society. However, as long as ideologies continue so will social struggles such as racism, which we will discuss in this essay. Media elites represent different races through media based on their ideologies. This has a predominant...
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...Alexandra Vilents May 22, 2012 Final Paper Homophobia in the Black Communities. Homophobia, just like racism and sexism, is a sign of ignorance. Most people who hate or fear gays have either never met a gay person or simply do not understand what homosexuality is. In the black community, masculinity is considered to be the most important feature of a man and if a man is a homosexual, this is not just a matter of his sexual preference, being gay automatically labels you as a “fagget”, a “sissy”, or basically less of a man. Many black families traditionally attend church and thus tend to be very religious. To them homosexuality is a sin. Procreation is highly valued in African American families. Since gay men cannot produce children that makes them an “unwanted” part of this community Metrosexual is a term that can be used to describe a heterosexual urban male who tends to be very considerate of his appearance and has a defined taste in fashion. Metrosexual guys are often called “Fags” because their style and interests may be somewhat different from those of a “manly man”, but this in no way makes them a homosexual. When most men in the black communities think of a gay man this image of a very feminine, metrosexual guy comes to mind. What they do not take into consideration is that one's sexual preference is what makes them gay, not what they are wearing or how they are acting. Black men see homosexuals as a threat to their masculinity. They often think that just because...
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...Impact of Media Messages on Children’s Perception of Race and Gender Student’s Name Institution Impact of Media Messages on Children’s Perception of Race and Gender Introduction Children are sensitive to what they see and hear. The contemporary world exposes children to all sorts of audio and visual media. These media contain various messages concerning race and gender. Out of such media messages, children are in a position to create perceptions on various races and gender. Disney movies are an example of the media that are consumed by children. The movies impact a lot on how children understand the meaning of race, class and gender. The continued consumption of such media by children would only serve to further shape their various perceptions. This paper sets out to show that there are numerous media messages that can impact on the understanding of race and gender by children. The media is powerful in terms of the messages it relays to the audiences. The social judgments of viewers can be greatly influenced by what they see on television news (Mastro, Lapinski, Kopacz & Behm-Morawitz, 2009). According to Mastro, Lapinski, Kopacz & Behm-Morawitz (2009), the Whites in the United States of America perfect in racial prejudice against their fellow black countrymen and women. The Whites perceive the Black as being aggressive and overly violent. This negative depiction of the Black Americans by the White Americans is hugely contributed to by media exposure. The ethnic...
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...the last 40 years according to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice reports, I believe that there are many factors that would determine the outcome of the fate of perpetrator. Most crimes are still committed nowadays because of one or two causes, which could be class, race, age, or gender related. This paper will summarize a crime story, and tell how the race affects the media, and the public perception of the crime. A 20 year-old active duty solider named, Tevin Geike, was stabbed to death last Sunday morning, October 6, by his fellow Army men, who are African-American, while walking at a block in Lakewood. The victim, who at the time was with some companions, an all-white male, were on their way back from the club at 2 a.m., to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, after celebrating his upcoming discharge from the military. A vehicle carrying the accused suddenly stopped by, and the men in the car yelled at the victim and his friends, and began name calling and hurling racial slurs such as “cracker”. When Geike retaliated by shouting back at the group in the car, that’s when trouble started. The men in the car turned around their vehicle towards where the victim and his friends were walking, got out of the car, and after a verbal confrontation, one of them stabbed the 20-year old Army soldier. Geike’s fellow soldiers saw him fall to the ground as the suspects sped away. The victim was bleeding from a stab wound and died at the scene. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/07/justice/washington-soldier-killed/index...
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...Media Literacy I have advocated for 30 years that, in order to preserve our democracy and protect ourselves against demagogues, we should have courses in schools on how to watch TV, how to read newspapers, how to analyze a speech – how to understand the limitations of each medium and make a judgment as to the accuracy or the motives involved. (Cronkite) Media’s influence on society is powerful and far-reaching because they introduce us to new and different images that affect our personalities and perceptions of the world we live in. A report by the Free Expression Policy Project has shown that media glamorize violence, sex, drugs, and alcohol; reinforce stereotypes about race, gender, and class; and prescribe the lifestyle to which one should aspire, and the products one must buy to attain it (Hines and Cho 2). If society wants to correct these negative influences of media, Walter Cronkite’s message on the need for media literacy is therefore imperative. Media literacy, defined by AMLA as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of forms, will empower us to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of a wide range of messages using image, language, and sound (Center for Media Literacy). By becoming media literate, it is hope that we will have a better understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our diverse culture. To showcase the importance of media literacy, analyses of news and commercial media are...
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...to write about is the Trayvon Martin murder. I asked myself now what role did society play in this case? Society has labeled young black men who dress a certain way that is a fashion first and foremost for many of the youths today as being a criminal, or they look suspicious because of the clothing that they wear. Benz (2012) website, the journalist has not done a good job covering this heated, sensitive set of events. We have rushed to paint the story as too simply explained by racism, we have rushed to judgment on whether an arrest should be made, we have given enormous time to the loudest voices and spent precious little time digging for new perspectives or analyzing the laws and community standards in question. Besides editing the 911 tapes, we have been shown year old photographs, the photo of Trayvon Martin smiling; the very young teenager in the Hollister T-shirt is four years old. Trayvon did not look like the same child on the picture within the months before he was murdered. The photo of Geroge Zimmerman, the one of him in an orange jump suit is a mug shot that was taken 7 years ago based on an arrest that was later dropped. What subliminal messages are sent by showing a smiling 15 year old boy who was killed by a menacing man who was once in jail? Is this a truthful representation of the both of these individuals? According to "New Media Ethics" (2012), Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old African American who was shot on February 28th 2012, by self-appointed Neighborhood...
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...affect her stability or self-confidence. She supports herself on her own entirely and is proud to be able to do so." Another depiction of independence is found in Tina Portis' video clip titled the "Deception of the Independent Woman" posted to YouTube in 2010. Portis, an entrepreneur and former single mother, offers her opinion on statistics showing 42% of U.S. black women have never been married and are "independent" because they focus on achievement, often waiting too long to compete for the small number of black men who are equal in status (Johnson, 2010). In the video, she asserts that independent women do not need a pat on the back for doing what grownups are supposed to do: pay their bills, buy houses and cars, etc. She adds that independence discourages relationships as people begin to believe they can do everything alone, so they do not need a mate. Mia Moody, PhD, is a professor of journalism at Baylor University. She is the author of Btack and Mainstream Press' Framing of Raciat Profiling: A Historical Perspective. She teaches courses in public relations, minorities and women in the media and reporting. Acknowledgements: I would like to thank students, Courtney Webb, Jessica Foumena, and Chelsea Quackenbush, for helping me research this important topic. 187 188 ETC • A PRIL 2011 Portis' depiction of...
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...message that is being sent through songs we listen to. We as society need to become more conscious of the music we listen to. Over the years, rap and rap music videos have repetitively become more and more sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized various times for this reason. The excuses used to justify the misogyny in rap are inadequate and lack accurate support. The most effective way for this continuous cycle to end is if the fight and protest comes from the women themselves. Men are the problem in the objectification of women but in order for it to stop, women need to step up and take control of the situation. Misogyny and degradation of women does exist in almost every genre of music, yet the Elmhorst 2 one genre that completely revolves around belittling women is rap. The topic of women being negatively portrayed in rap music is a topic that has been research and examined in several research studies. The first scholarly article is called, “Effects of Black Sexual Stereotypes on Sexual Decision Making Among African American Women” by Sarita Davis and Aisha Tucker-Brown is a study...
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...Brent Staples essay, “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space”, is a tremendous example of the systemic wariness that people of African-American descent must possess in their everyday lives. There are a plethora of stereotypes regarding African-American males that are detrimental to their societal image. Typically when one hears the word “stereotype” it is merely in reference to a harmless anecdote that is used as a source of comedic expression. However, for black males, these attributions of humor could be the subconscious beliefs that fuel their demise. A very large question is left to ponder; why do these stereotypes exist? Delving deep into research and statistical analysis there is one prominent factor: the false identity of African-Americans...
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...Transcript of Positive and negative images of the public services Positive and negative images of the public services FONTS Brutality Corruption Racism Racism has long been a charge leveled at the Public services by the media, for example the Brixton riots in the 80's, stopping and searching black youths in the 1990's or the lack of recruitment of ethnic minority officers. How ever it took the murder of Stephen Lawrence to put the subject on the political and media agenda. Brutality The media shows incidents of the Public services portraying them as if they are using excessive force. Sometimes their claims are unfunded and damage the public perception of the Police. Image of the Public services The public services are portrayed in a variety of different ways by the media. The coverage can be both real, such as Police interceptors or through fictional programs such as Casualty or The Bill. ( And we all know Bradshaw loves The Bill :) A UK study shows that The Sun newspaper dedicates around 30 per cent to crime news. This highlights the time and energy spent on the portrayal of the Public services. Blind obedience The media sometimes choose to portray the public services as lacking discipline and judgement if they blindly obedient when following orders. Blind obedience An example of this was the Hillsborough disaster when West Midlands Police ran their own inquiry into the handling of the disaster by South Yorkshire Police, who orchestrated a cover-up, falsified...
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