Example Of Media Bias Against African Americans example essay topic

Introduction One problem that plagues us everyday without us even realizing it is media bias. We see it in the news. We see it on our favorite sitcoms. We read it everyday in the paper.

Yet, we really don't recognize it when we hear it or see it. Media bias is evident in every aspect of the media, yet the problem is that we don't even recognize it when it is right in front of our faces. Are the impressions that we form about individuals a product of the media? Do we form certain opinions about particular types of people based solely on the things we see and hear in the media everyday without even realizing it? The problem is not only that there is media bias present, but also that we can't recognize it when we see it. What is media bias?

Media bias is the tendency for the media to represent different people in a particular way based on their own views, the views of their sponsors, and possibly the views of society. Media bias could be blatant, but usually it is subtle. It can be expressed in the content of television shows. It can be expressed in the choices of types of stories that they show on the news.

It can be expressed in the language used on shows, and that is written in the newspaper and magazines. Media bias is any stereotype set forth by the media that portrays individuals to society in a certain way. Media bias doesn't even have to be a negative portrayal, but more of an inaccurate portrayal of people that helps aid to the ignorance of individuals in society. In the following paper, I will give specific instances where media biases have occurred as well as show that it is a common occurrence that we may not realize. I will also show you why individuals believe that media bias is not a problem because if you can't blatantly recognize it, how can it be there.

I will also show how stereotypes set forth by the media sometimes mirror stereotypes that are set forth by society, and they only exist to help form the belief and value system of society. I will also offer possible solutions to such problems. Media bias is a large problem, in that its' existence is not blatant nor is it one that many people feel threatened by. Examples of Media Bias First we need to examine the cases where this is present. Less obvious stereotypes are those of women. Women's roles in society have changed throughout the times.

Are these changes due to societal changes as a whole, or were they because individuals in the media felt that this was a change that needed to happen, and once we saw it on television we believed it was so? When women first aired on television, they were seen as housewives and mothers. Few had jobs. Most of the women had husbands that worked hard everyday, and they had submissive roles. Women were not the decision makers, nor did they have too much intelligence. This was seen in shows such as All in the Family, The Beavers, The Donna Reed Show, The Brady Bunch, and many more.

There were not any female news anchors, and when they were on television they did cooking shows, and perhaps the weather. As time moved on and the Women Movement began, women became working mothers; still they had lower roles, such as secretarial ones, and factory jobs. Presently women have been portrayed as more career oriented. They are doctors and lawyers, managers, and television anchors. There are also many shows where women are more independent. Many are not married, some are single mothers, and some are even divorced.

This was a positive change, but yet it does hold some media bias. The problem is whether these changes occurred because of a societal shift, or was this because people who invested in the media saw this happening, wanted ratings, and felt that this must be done and in turn society began to shift their way of thinking about women; or was it a combination of both? The problem is why does the media feel that they can shape societal views. Another stereotype that is present in the media is that of the ditsy blonde. Findings have shown that more than half of the sitcoms on television embody women with this characteristic.

Of course, the media will argue that this is for comical purposes only, but what if someone who has never met a blonde actually believes that they act this way. Their portrayal can in turn effect how a person stereotypes them upon their first meeting. It also shows that individuals in the media may feel that this is a characteristic of blondes that they in turn push off on society. These types of subtle biases may not appear to be actual biases, yet they are, because they in fact have some bearings on people forming opinions of others that are wrong and degrading.

One other media bias that I will focus on is that of African Americans in the media. This is also a less obvious one because individuals will argue that the media as well as society as a whole has made progress in incorporating African Americans into the media. This is just like the case with women in the media, but on a larger scale. Just because African Americans are a part of the media does not mean that how they are portrayed in the media is accurate.

Think about the news. Very seldom do you see an intelligent black person portrayed on the news. There are always a supposed shooting in the "ghetto" yet instead of asking a commentator that uses proper English, they choose the ones that are hysterical and probably don't even have a high school diploma. African American youth is shown by the media to be one of the nation's most serious problems. The drug and welfare problems are shown to be a problem that is embedded in African Americans, yet statistics show that most drug users and people on welfare are white. Reporters misconstrue facts, yet they supposedly only report what we want to hear.

If this is true then does it mean that this is how we really feel about African Americans, or is it what investors in the media feel about them and it only aids in society forming these negative stereotypes about them. The media bias here is in the fact that they only report certain situations. They are more likely to report negative situations than positive ones, yet the media is supposed to be unbiased and fair. Another example of media bias against African Americans is shown in the types of television shows and movies that they are aired in.

When African Americans first stepped on the media scene, it was in shows where they were portrayed as maids, and in other subservient roles. Many times African Americans were aired giving very negative racial marks against white people leading to the belief that African Americans were ignorant, less skilled, and held as many racist views as the white world that was supposed to be changing for the better. The media not only created biases among blacks and whites, but between black and blacks. Most black women in media were those of lighter complexion and white features. They were shown as objects of beauty, while darker skinned women were still the maids, and bitter women. The media either forced a stereotype on an unknowing public on its' definition of black beauty or they advocated society's definition.

Later during the eighties and early nineties, African American men were portrayed as thuggish gang-bankers. This only went along with the news media's stories of the idea that blacks shot and killed everyone. There were multiple movies about the gang hood and ghetto ness of black men and women. There were really no black dramas. The next era of black sitcoms were comical only advocating the idea that African Americans were a form of entertainment.

On every show African Americans were singers, dancers, athletes, comedians, or they acted ignorant the majority of the show. There were no serious issues, and it stereotyped African Americans as individuals that were not serious and ones only there to entertain. Of course, there were a couple of family shows like The Cosby Show and Family Matters that showed more family oriented individuals as well as the success of African Americans, but there were only a few out of the many show that portrayed blacks in a totally different light. Individuals may argue that progress has been made because blacks are shown on television. They may even argue that because African Americans allow this that it is okay. Another argument may be how can it be biased when this is the way things are.

The problem is that what happens when individuals that have never been exposed to African Americans except when they watched television meet a Black person? What if they actually believe that this is the way Blacks behave because this is all they see. The media has no right to only show one side and not the other. There should never be an overabundance of a type of person because all people are different. Why do people believe that many African Americans are violent, and most homosexual men act like women and vice versa. Why aren't people portrayed as people and not as a stereotype?

This is a problem that we may never be able to solve because it is one that many people feel is not serious enough to deal with. Opposition One criticism that people have about the existence of media bias is that it is not a problem. They feel like people should be intelligent enough to formulate their own opinions about people, one that is absent of stereotypes and bias. Critics have said that an individual must read and listen with a critical eye and ear, and also be able to weed out the things that are biased. One quote that a critic said for people who believe everything they hear is, "I'm sorry you " re so stupid". This is true.

People should be aware of biases and be able to say that it's wrong and do something about it. But, how is that a probable answer when bias is not blatant. If we can't even recognize what bias is how can people fight it. Also how can we say that people shouldn't form their opinions about people based on the media when they may not even realize that they are doing it. An unconscious mind is a powerful force. If you are fed the same stereotypes over and over again without even realizing that it is a stereotype, what is to say that you won't start to believe it?

Another criticism of media bias is that how can it be bias if that is the way things are? Everyone doesn't act the same way, so how can it be that it the way it is. Majority of the blonde haired women I've met aren't dumb. Most African Americans I've met aren't gang-bankers or comedians, nor can all Black men good at sports. Women are diverse in their interests and endeavors. Many gay men don't act feminine nor do many lesbians act masculine.

Although, in all these cases there are individuals that do behave in these ways, should this be the way that an entire type of person is shown? The media needs to diversify. By that, I mean it needs to represent many ideas and types of people. How can you accurately portray a type of person in one way? Of course, everyone is different, and there will never be a "right type" but at least there should be a variety of "types" portrayed. One last criticism about the existence of media bias is that in the news reporters only report what the nation needs to hear, but who are they to only show certain things but not others.

How can they determine the importance of a story? Of course, obvious things like shootings, deaths, political issues, and other policy issues must be shown. Why do they feel that we don't want to know about the positive things going on in our communities? Why do they feel that those stories are not important enough? My stance is that media bias is present and it is a serious problem even though many times we don't recognize what it is. The opposing argument is that if we can't recognize what it is, it must not be present, and even less of a problem.

Because it is not evident though, it poses a big problem as to the influence of the media on society and also to the formation of unconscious stereotypes in individuals. Conclusion There is no easy remedy to this problem. We could make panels of people to evaluate shows and rate it on content and diversity. But, if the bias were not obvious, many people would see most shows as credible. On the other hand with a panel of people all of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and interests, there would be more of a chance that they would be able to spot the bias. There could also be more programming on cultural diversity, and other shows that advocate awareness and not stereotyping people.

It could advocate ideas of being aware and not forming rash judgments on people without knowing them. We could also target the news media and print media by making it a requirement that so many community based programs or positive things are shown on the news each segment. The elimination of media bias is pretty much impossible due to the fact that large corporations head the media, and the heads of most large corporations are white men, but by the implementation of certain strategies it would be a move in the right direction. Media bias is a problem, though it may not be blatant, it is serious because it could be helping to form people's beliefs about others.

People are scared of the unknown, and by giving them a certain portrayal of someone they have had no interaction with; it can have detrimental effects. Who knows actually what impact media bias has had on the nation as a whole. How do we know whether or not media bias has made an individual not get or even lose a job? How do we know how many friendships media bias has stopped from even being initiated? Hopefully one day we will be able to recognize what media bias is, only then will we be able to begin the process of fighting to put an end to it. Only then will we be able to create a fair, unbiased media that is diverse and one that encompasses the ideas of an ideal media.