Ethnicity And Media Flashcards
What do many sociologists believe about media representations of ethnic minority groups?
They contribute to the reinforcement of negative racist stereotypes
This undermines the concept of a tolerant multicultural society and perpetuates social divisions.
What is a significant issue with media representations of ethnic minorities?
They are generally underrepresented or are represented in stereotyped and negative ways
Ignores inequalities
Particularly in newspapers and TV news.
What does Akinti (2003) argue about TV coverage on the black community?
It over focuses on crime, AIDS in Africa, and Black children’s under-achievement
News about black communities always seem to be ‘bad news’
Ignoring the culture and interests of the Black audience
What type of news coverage does Van Dijk’s findings categorize Black people into?
Stereotypically negative types of news
Particularly portraying them as criminals especially in tabloid press.
What percentage of wrongful actions were committed by Black CJPs in the series ‘Luke Cage’?
100%
This reflects the negative stereotyping in media.
In the context of crime, what percentage of suspects arrested were African Americans from 2010-2013 for murder?
54%
This indicates a significant overrepresentation in crime reports.
True or False: Nearly 50% of news stories concerning young Black people dealt with them committing crime.
True
Supported by Wayne et al (2007).
What were the findings of cushion et al?
Their analysis on different types of news found that black young men/boys are regularly associated with negative news values
Nearly 70% of stories related to crime esp violent gang crime
Who looked at inner city race disturbances and what did they find?
Back
Media labelled them as irrational riots/mobs that justify the harsh clampdown by the police
- little to no consideration to reason behind the disturbances like institutional/societal racism
What is often the media’s portrayal of moral panics surrounding ethnic minorities?
According to Watson: they stereotype Black people as potentially criminal
This includes the concept of the 1970s ‘black mugger’ from Hall’s classic study
How are ethnic minorities portayed as a threat?
As a threat to majority of white culture
Immigrants and aslyum seekers accused of taking advantage of britains ‘generous’ welfare state through fraud
List some examples of how ethnic minorities are portrayed as a threat in the media.
- Immigrants as a threat to jobs and welfare
- Refugees and asylum seekers blamed for social unrest
- Muslims portrayed as the ‘enemy within’
This reflects societal fears exacerbated by media narratives.
What did Poole (2000) argue about the portrayal of Islam in the media?
It has traditionally been demonized and distorted
Islam portrayed as a threat to western media
Muslims have been stereotyped negatively like extremist.
Who looked at stories in relation to islam and what were the findings
Moor et al
Between 2000 and 2008 over a 3rd of stories focused on terrorism
- another 3rd focused on differences between muslim communities and british society
- stories rarely had muslims as victims
What is the ‘coup-war-famine-starvation syndrome’ in relation to ethnic minorities?
Focus on negative aspects of less developed countries
Implies that problems are self-inflicted, rarely discussing external causes such as colonialism.
True or False: The media often portrays cultural practices of ethnic minorities as normal.
False
They are often questioned and labeled as deviant.
How are ethnic minorities displayed as abnormal?
Cultural practices seen as deviant
Ameile et al suggested that media discussion about the hijab and veil portrayed it as inferior, patriarchal and oppressive
- reinforced misogynistic view of islam
What did Van Dijk note about the portrayal of white lives in comparison to non-white lives?
Some media imply that white lives are more important
Leads to minimum coverage of disasters involving non-white victims
- Black and asian victims of violent death didnt get the same attention
How are Black and Asian people often represented in news roles according to a 2005 BBC survey?
As newscasters and TV journalists but in limited roles
Reflects low status and (Shah) tokenism (programmes contain characters from ethnic minority groups purely because they ‘should’)
What response have media professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds recieved?
Agencies targeting ethnic minority audiences
Some ownbed by ethnic minorities
Includes newspapers and radio stations like Eastern Eye and Sunrise Radio.
Fill in the blank: Minority groups are represented negatively because of their different _______.
[values/beliefs and practices]
This perception affects their integration into British society.
Newspapers sell more and make more profit by focusing on negative minority representations
What do Marxists argue about the negative representation of ethnic minority groups?
They are underrepresented in positions of power
This division prevents social revolution.
- Reference to Milliband with this being one of the forms of ideological conditioning
What percentage of online news users were using at least one source with a non-white top editor in the UK in 2020?
0%
This highlights the lack of representation in media leadership.
