Stereotypes In Mass Media

Popular culture is defined as “a composite of all the values, ideas, symbols, material goods, processes, and understandings that arise from mass media” (Atkins 131). It is well-known to the public and reinforces the way people see they world, including aspects such as race, ethnicity, and gender. According to Omi, popular culture “deals with the symbolic realm of social life, the images which it creates, represents, and disseminates contribute to the overall racial climate” (540). The individuals or groups belong to a specific race can be perceived based on their behavior portrayed by the mass media, instead of being recognized for who they truly are. Such effect created by the popular culture contributes to what is known as “racial stereotype”, which is “beliefs about differences in behavior associated with racial differences” (Jones 982).

Harmeen Jones, a former Fox Technician, was fired after filing a complaint to Human Resources of the unfair treatment he was receiving by his colleagues at Fox for being African-American. Jones claims ‘he was subjected to a steady stream of "racist, sexist, and extremely offensive comments,’ against blacks, Muslims, Jews, women and Hispanics” (Shifrel). Unfortunately, not only does the network available to 87 million households make flippant remarks in it’s work environment, but it also promotes racist stereotypes on air. During an episode of The O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly made an insulting remark when telling an African-American guest, “Say you 're a cocaine dealer—and you kind of look like one a little bit” (Hall). Stereotyping minority races has existed since the creation of the United States, and continues to be a problem. The privileged social group in society often oppresses minorities, and advertises false statements of the other races. Media, a big contributor to the spread of racial stereotyping that occurs in the United States, often provides viewers with stereotypes that continue to promote racism, and the discouragement of success in a minority group. The media portrays the dominant race in a positive way, while minority groups are depicted in ways that provide people with an invalid reason to feel hatred toward minority groups.

The media plays a big role in how one gets and stays informed about all the local, national, and international events. Media can be local and national news channels, newspapers, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Even though all media reports on the same event that does not mean that all the information is the same, the way it is reported, the same or the way people perceived the information. Most often the way media may report an event affects the way one looks at the event, how one remembers it and the way one creates, and justify any racial bias or stereotypes that one may have. Some prime example of this is the how media portrays Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin compared to White male shooters.

Throughout this class I did not know what to expect or what I could gain from it, after the groups we have had I walked out of class each day more informed than when I came in. I absolutely feel that I have changed my entire outlook on the media bias and stereotypes. I felt that before this class I was unaware of how negative these stereotypes and portrayals really were. Almost if I was being selfish for being unaware, because I felt some of these stereotypes or media bias did not affect me. Now that I reflect on what I was thinking at the time, I know better, I especially know that as a woman and person of color, the media and stereotypes equally target us, maybe women more. In this paper, I will reflect on three past groups such as

Turn on CNN or Fox and Bias pounds you over the head. They each have their own talking heads or political correspondents to decry their “ expert opinions”. Since the advent of the 24 hour news cycle back during the Gulf War, when CNN was launched, the”news- junkie “ was born. News became less of a journalistic report of the facts about what was happening in the world and more about infotainment, it became more biased when Fox news came along and all of the other stations. Media has always been slightly biased according to the owner or publisher of the journal or the media source. The target audience of Fox news is a very conservative group, the aim is to entice them to be infuriated by the opinion of the host and guest. Occasionally a bit of truth is broadcast.. The exact same can be said for the audience of Mother Jones, MSNBC, and other forms of media. The headline grabbing story I have chosen is very important as it is a matter of National Security.

Multiple authors such as Noah C. Rothman, James Fallows, and Glenn Greenwald demonstrate that a reoccurring problem in news media coverage is the failure to relay all of the information about an event to audience members who did not witness it themselves. However, The ultimate fighting championship’s (UFC) 193rd event did not seem to face these difficulties. While every aspect of life has its downsides, many major news corporations covering this event presented a very fair story showing both fighter’s sides of the event. Although some might think this fight was a very minuscule event, it was far from this bringing a record breaking night that drew more viewers than any other mixed martial arts fight in history. This iconic event clearly calls

There have been many studies done on minority stereotypes, however, there has not been enough focusing on the portrayal of minorities in the news. With the majority of Americans using local TV or newspapers as their source of information (Journalism.org, 2011) we must look at how citizen’s perceptions of themselves and others are influenced by the news. To define news framing, we will take Lecheler, Keer, Shuck, and Hänggli’s definition; “a process by which certain facets of social reality are emphasized by the news media, while others are pushed into the background” (2015, p. 341). Language as well as imagery can be a powerful tool in framing a story to guide an audience to believe it the way the journalist wants them to.

In many aspects of society, there are often unfair and inaccurate stereotypes on full display of certain people who belong to various demographics. Media, or more specifically TV shows, are no different in this regard. For example, men are painted out to be leaders, unemotional, and sometimes aggressive individuals who should be admired. Women tend to be shown as secretive and manipulative in order to get their way in a men driven society. It is also noteworthy that several homosexual characters are depicted as attempting to hide the fact that they are homosexual, and as feeble minded, even if the person in question is a male. While many times these stereotypes are untrue of the entire demographic being portrayed, people who attract to popular

The mainstream media focuses on the viewers and what the viewers would like to know. Most people watch the news to obtain information about what is going on in the world. If the topic that is brought up on the news sounds interesting or sounds like it will affect the viewer will watch to see what is happening. Appealing to the emotions of the viewer will make the person want to know more and see what will happen. The consumers of the information tend to believe what they see or hear. Viewers tend to believes these sources because a news network may be based on the same political views as the viewer. Some people will not watch certain news networks because of what is put out there about the political aspect of the world. Although that is one of the reasons viewers watch the news, the views may just be watching this one news network because it may be the only network available to the person. Viewers care about can be seen with the eyes, since not everything a person

The world of higher education is often the next step towards achieving the goals and dreams that we have set for ourselves. This world is, for a majority of individuals, the first time in their lives where they have near complete control of the choices they make. However, “the stereotypes written about’ and viewed ‘concerning college students tend to delineate between academic mission, student activities and abilities, and the tension between an institutions’ academic mission and students’ projected participation.” (n.a, 2014) Those stereotypes, and the perception of college life, as portrayed by movies and other popular media, can inadequately prepare students for challenging life choices which could lead to the use and potential abuse of mind-altering substances.

SOURCE OF STEREOTYPES Stereotypes on the Media The media create and transmit stereotypes. Stereotypes are often used in advertising, for example, there are many products that lend themselves to domestic work easier for women; in this case, she is presented under the stereotype of the ideal woman or mother, who is between 25 and 35 years old, with a sterile figure, who takes care of the care of her family and her house, has an impeccable image and even achieves a significant and active working life. This stereotype can lead many women to extreme demands like ending up suffering from stress or depression and many men, a value to women according to the stereotype presented by the media. For the audience it is much more comfortable to decode

With a click of a button, one can gain access to a world of material. The media consumes society thanks to its extreme accessibility. “On average, 45 percent of our waking hours are spent with media (an average of 7 hours and 5 minutes), and by using more than one kind of media at the same time, we cram in an average of 8 hours and 48 minutes media time every day” (Meikle and Young). Applications such as Instagram and Facebook allow a flow of information between continents, cultures, generation, and genders. Parents will have their children sit in front of the television or on smartphones for hours to keep them occupied. These children grow up watching the fake reality of television shows and mainstream

One of the most prevalent forms of invisible social control is the creation and perpetuation of stereotypes. Today’s society is filled with stereotypes and the media has proven to be an excellent breeding ground. Research in the stereotype domain indicates that the media can prime stereotypes, and these primed stereotypes do influence how people are later perceived. Also the research on media priming of stereotypes generally increases confidence in the generality of the media as a prime. Television, movies, newspapers and magazines contain millions of images that feature individuals portrayed in stereotypical ways. This paper will examine the February issue of Marie Claire and the gender and racial stereotypes that are evident within the

Take a moment to imagine a world where we all looked and functioned exactly alike. There was no such thing as gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion. Everybody was as physically and mentally identical as the next person. Diversity is close to non-existent. That is how most would say the media represents the human race. Film, literature, theater, music, and television are all genres of media that have done exactly that for centuries. Even now in the 21st century, little girls and boys grow up thinking they are not adequate enough for roles in the media, some developing insecurities about who they are over time. Some could argue there is plenty of representation in the media, considering we have very popular icons such as Morgan Freeman and Selena Gomez. Morgan Freeman’s African-American background and Selena Gomez being a woman and a Latin-American are not enough to represent the 7 billion people living on this planet. Even so, many of these

The mass media has developed into a highly influential platform that relays information to audiences all around the world, but are the images seen in advertisements and television, devaluing individuals by labeling them under stereotypes? In order to truly understand the core of such a question, it is important to first define and solidify some key terms. To begin with, what mediums of mass media will be considered in the analysis of this issue? Specifically, I will attempt to highlight the use of gender stereotypes in the form of visual advertisements, such as magazines and television commercials. I will also be considering the use of gender stereotypes in the entertainment industry, particularly in the making of TV shows and movies.