TASK
The Media and the Promulgation of Stereotypes
News reports, television, movies, and commercials communicate stereotypes about
perpetrators and victims of crime, gender roles, age groups, and numerous other
diversity issues. People tend to believe what they see on television and read on
news sites, implicitly trusting writers and reporters to be objective conveyors of what
is actually occurring. Yet those who write and choose stories are not unbiased.
Instead, they are products of a society in which racial, ethnic, gender, and other
stereotypes exist; and can contribute to perpetuation of stereotypes. For example,
minorities are disproportionately portrayed as perpetrators of crime in the news.
One study found that over fourteen weeks, minorities were shown to be crime
perpetrators in 20% more cases than would be predicted based on FBI statistics.
Although Whites comprise a greater proportion of arrests for drug-related crimes
(67%), Blacks (31%) are more likely to be shown on television being arrested for
such crimes. News reports are also more likely to portray Black on White crime,
although most crime is intra-racial (e.g., Black on Black or White on White). The
term “Black on Black” crime is well known, but “White on White” crime is not.
Misperception: Blacks and Latinos commit more crimes than Whites.
Reality: Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be (profiled and) arrested and convicted
than Whites.
Chapter 4 describes research in which college-educated Black applicants without a
criminal record received fewer positive responses from employers than college-
educated White applicants with a record. In some cases, the Black applicant was
asked in advance whether he had a record, reflecting beliefs likely in some part
fueled by media representations. Divisive and erroneous stereotypes about Black
men contribute to their higher unemployment when compared with comparably
educated White men, lower participation rates (see Chapter 4), and a host of other
individual, organizational, and societal problems. Researchers have documented
relationships between television viewing and stereotyping of women and racial and
ethnic minorities. For minorities, less actual contact with a group exacerbates the
relationships between media viewing and stereotyping.
Questions to Consider
1. In addition to racial, ethnic, and gender stereotyping, what other kinds of
stereotypes have you seen in the media? How do frequent portrayals of such
stereotypes affect people’s perceptions of their veracity?
2. Choose one weeknight and one weekend night to watch television news during prime time. Describe the race, sex, approximate age, and other notable factors of people featured in the news. What diversity-related factors do you observe?
3. One commercial that has attempted to change what was a stereotypical statement is the revised Jif ® peanut butter commercial. Previous commercials said, “Choosy Moms choose Jif ®”; the newer one says, “Choosy Moms … and Dads choose Jif ® .” What other stereotype-resistant commercials have you observed? What stereotype-supportive commercials have you observed? What messages are being conveyed?
4. Investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2010 Shirley Sherrod/USDA media-driven disaster. What could have prevented the disaster from spreading with such fervor?
