CHAPTER 1 Each mass medium has its own power and its own unique ability to make us see the world through the eyes of its recorder uniform media race ism Irrespective of the mass medium you examine however the messages about race are fairly So much ground has been gained in recent years people of color are regularly featured on television in sitcoms dramas movies and commercials there has not been as much progress as we might imagine and not in a diverse way as we might think o 2x as likely to be victims of violent crime rape aggravated assault and robbery than Native Americans African Americans o Media Race ism Rarely featured in news stories or seen in the media more generally including movies and situation comedies o Most likely to be victims of interracial crime harmed by someone who is not Native American 2004 Justice Department study report o Primary media talk centers on gambling casinos or the issue of issuing Indian names and symbols for athletic teams and mascots Washington Redskins Atlanta Braves o Redskin from us Refers to the early practice of hunting and killing Indians and offering their scalps as proof for the payment of a bounty o Underlying feature is that they live away from the mainstream that they live away o 1 4th of American Indians in the US live on reservations o Based on the 2000 census Native Americans account for less than 1 of the total U S population o Nike Air Native N7 Asian Americans o Media Race ism A shoe specifically designed for Native Americans Shoe features feathers and arrowheads Infrequently featured in news stories and are sometimes represented as media players e g anchors and pundits o Men are scarcer in the media than women o Represent 4 of the U S population o In order for someone to represent a particular racial group their race has to be known o In the 1960s and 1970s portrayed on television in stereotypical subservient roles o Way they gain visibility is through news stories o Tiger Woods Keanu Reeves Both Asian Both aren t categorized as Asian in the media o The dearth of Asian American representations also does something else It suggests that Asian American has a monolithic meaning one box fits all Reduces Asians to one massive group not separate like Vietnam Cambodia Indonesia etc These countries are not interchangeable o Two common media representations Women are routinely drawn as the exotic objects of sexual desire o Petite physique sexual aggressiveness and docility Men are typically portrayed as smart techno savvy geeks o Often a sidekick who is sexually undesirable a workaholic and decidedly not hip he does not get the girl o Been designated the model minority They are hard working smart and respectful of authority The portrayal of the men is more likely to fit within the myth than the portrayal of women Latinos o Media Race ism African Americans o Media Race ism Regularly discussed as news topics are featured as entertainers and athletes and are frequently shown as having a seat at the media table o Country s largest minority group at 14 of the U S population o More likely to appear as part of an ensemble cast o Public presence comes in different forms typically as entertainers comedians and singers and athletes baseball o Often portrayed as outsiders and foreigners o Omitted from the official record The persistent focus is on the relationships between blacks and whites o National and regional media discussions often revolve around issues of immigration specifically about illegal immigration and border patrol around the southwestern states o Second in line behind AA as the face of the feared American criminal o Bill Richardson New Mexico governor and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Regularly seen as subjects and reporters of the news as entertainers and athletes and are frequently portrayed as media players o Have been a consistent and broad presence in the media o Both the best and worst of times for blacks in the mainstream media Represent a mixed bag of media images both positive and negative Polls show that African Americans often top their lists of people they most admire as well the list of the most reviled celebrities It is not the volume of images but rather the substance of these portrayals o Top of the list for most reviled celebrities O J Simpson o At first when on television relegated to stock stereotypical roles butler mammy chauffer or entertainer cinema o Developed their own organizations to showcase their talent newspapers sports leagues o Today there are more than 75 black newspapers o 1960s saw an increase in the numbers of Blacks that appeared on television primarily as entertainers or professional athletes on shows o 1980s saw an exponential increase in the number of Blacks featured in the media as sitcom stars major recording artists business owners sports legends new members of the middle class authors of best selling books o 1990s rap music became an increasingly popular music choice for American youth Became a political force gangsta rap bold angry in your face Rap music video began featuring barely clad women young men with guns and lots of stimulated sex This new style became what media used as African American representation o Today rap music provide keen insight into how Blackness is shaped presented and consumed it is now a major export o Black working class are largely missing from contemporary media o Face of crime in America It is no surprise that most Americans wrongly believe that blacks are responsible for committing the majority of crime The onslaught of criminal images of black men however cause many of us to incorrectly conclude that most black men are criminals Person most people fear is a young Black man myth of the criminalblackman o Images of black criminals all over the media make it difficult for many people to believe that most crime is intraracial involving an offender and victim who are the same race Trends Issues and Concerns o People of color constitute approximately 1 3 of the U S population o Disappearing People Occurs when a television show is set in an area with a large minority population but doesn t include them o In Absentia The fact that Native Americans and Asian Americans are largely absent from the media does not mean that they are completely invisible When a group is not allowed to shape its own public image it will then be shaped by other groups o Unable to say who they are and are forced to occupy racial boxes good bad or otherwise created by others o