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Effects Of Mass Media In The Media

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Rapist. Murderer. Robber. Sex Offender. Burglar. Gang Leader. All names that are given to African-Americans. But, rarely do we see them described by their positive attributes. The documentary, 13th, talks about mass incarceration and racial bias against African-Americans. The racial bias is growing more and more; it has transitioned from slavery to the police brutality and clear hierarchy known today. The media plays a big part in this because they portray blacks a certain way, giving negative and incorrect impressions to their viewers. The over-publicity and exaggerated exposition of African-American crimes by the media have contributed to the mass aggression and discriminatory beliefs towards them.
Even though crimes in the United States have been decreasing, the media has been covering more crime stories involving African-Americans. The media is striking fear into Americans because they are airing more crime stories targeting black criminals. This increase in news coverage is disproportional to the actual amount of crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports a drop in crime over the past few years, the biggest since the 1960s. Within this increase in crime coverage, a certain group has been presented as the typical offender. According to Malkia Cyril, the news covers more stories about black criminals than is accurate. This representation is creating a social stereotype that leads to the mass belief that all blacks are criminals. All of these

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