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alysharichardss · 5 years

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The Impact of Media Representation and Portrayal on Minorities

In the era we live in today, much of an individual’s knowledge comes from how they perceive what they view, and media plays a huge role in what is presented to individuals. The representation and portrayal of racial minorities in mass media has been and still is a pressing issue. These representations and portrayals are problematic as they promote stereotypes, stigmas, and ideas surrounding superiority and inferiority. All of which reinforce a divide between racial minorities and the majority.

Axel Aubrun et al.’s “Six Harmful Patterns in Newspaper Presentations of Race” is centered on the analysis of news media's influence on the lives of minority individuals. According to Aubrun et al. in media “minorities are portrayed as distinct from and unconnected to Whites, as the ‘Other...” (5). This can be done through various forms of media, from film to internet, television, as well as magazines. However, news media coverage in particular commonly associates minorities with dysfunction, delinquency, unemployment, poverty, and crime (Aubrun et al. 15). Although the depiction of problems and differences between races can be significant, the overarching effects of portraying one race as negative or inferior to another can be divisive. Aubrun et al. use the term “distancing effect” to describe the separation between the minority and the majority caused by media (14). Aubrun et al. state it can be challenging for white individuals to connect to minorities who are consistently depicted as inferior, or an “other” in comparison to them (ibid.). News media’s portrayal of minorities can make those individuals out to be “less than” their white counterparts. This divide can be especially harmful when negative depictions are common. However, the effects of media portrayal do not end with divide.

In addition, Aubrun et al. suggest that by characterizing minorities and their communities as problematic and needy, those who consume these portrayals can begin to view situations regarding minorities as “permanent and unchanging” (14). As a result, problems persist in minority communities and nothing is done to combat them (ibid.). When what is being viewed on a large scale influences the way individuals view other races in reality, it can lead to an abundance of problems that go unsolved. A cycle between portrayal and problems presents itself in real life. Moreover, news media is not the only form of mass media that has the capability to do so.

In a survey conducted in November 2019, 86% of respondents said media (TV/Film or News Media) has an influence on their own views pertaining to their race or other races (See Appendix A). All respondents answered that there is somewhat, or a definite correlation between media portrayals and stereotypes associated with race. Moreover, 93% of respondents believe minority groups in race are portrayed more negatively than non-people of color in media (Appendix A). The survey conveyed that the views of most individuals are influenced by what is presented in mass media. All respondents were between the ages of 17 and 50. However, media consumption and its influence on the lives and beliefs of minorities begins far before adolescent and adulthood.

Lack of representation in media of minorities can be impact children negatively. Neal Lester’s “Disney's the princess and the frog: The pride, the pressure, and the politics of being a first," explores Disney’s first inclusion of an animated black princess. Disney is a “globally dominant producer of cultural constructs related to gender, race, ethnicity, class and sexuality” (Lester 294). Because the franchise is largely viewed by children (of all races), author Dorothy L. Hurley speaks of how depictions of different individuals are, “translated into beliefs children hold about status in particular group membership, in relation to notions of good, bad, pretty, and ugly as reflected in the films” (qtd. in Lester 295). This conveys the power media has on one’s mind. For children, portrayals of individuals in media are often internalized and held as true.

Before the arrival of Princess Tiana a black royalty in Disney’s Princess and The Frog, the representation for African American princesses was at a low. Lester refers to the overwhelming presence of Disney’s white princesses, and the questionable historical portrayal of animated characters of color (Lester 295). Disney’s lack of representation of black individuals, and positive portrayal of white royalty sent a message to minority children through Disney’s association of “beauty, fame, fortune, and desire with whiteness” (Lester 295). Donna Brown Guillame, television producer, shares the message Disney films sent her when she states, “when I was young, all the fairytale princesses had long blond hair. When you are black, you just don't feel like it could be you”(qtd. In Lester 294). Lack of representation of minorities in media networks such as Disney, can have a harmful influence on youth of color. Particularly when those who are frequently represented are associated with positive characteristics and are of the majority race. They may feel inferior to the majority. It can make minorities believe things such as “beauty, fame, fortune, and desire” are unattainable if they are not white (Lester 295). Princess Tiana in the Princess and The Frog was a step towards inclusion. However, many children did not grow up with that representation in media. Portrayals and representation of African American females on TV specifically are problematic as they are often negative and have influenced young girls and women alike.

Media consumption has the ability to affect how African American youth views themselves. Gholnescar Muhammad and Sherell McArthur’s “Styled by Their Perceptions’: Black Adolescent Girls Interpret Representations of Black Females in Popular Culture,” is centered on black girls and their internalization of media portrayal. Muhammad and McArthur assert that current representation for black women in media is flawed and current media portrayals make it harder for young black girls to develop their identities (133). The authors conducted interviews with black female adolescents ages 12-17. Nine percent of respondents spoke of positive portrayals in music and on TV (Muhammad & McArthur 136). However, 64% respondents stated they viewed media representation of black girls as negative, with depiction of “exaggerated characters, objectification, and belligerence”(ibid.). The result of these portrayals Muhammad et al. states, is that many African American women may feel the need to act a certain way to not play into negative stereotypes in media, even if it is warranted (138). Being forced to suppress emotions to not play into stereotypes associated with race can have a damaging impact on an individual, especially at a young age. Media’s influence on how individuals are perceived were discussed by numerous black girls who took part in Muhammad and McArthur’s study.

Violet, an interviewee, wrote about being judged based on preconceived notions about black girls surrounding ignorance and confrontation. She speaks of how although she embodies “cleverness, mannerism, gentleness,” people make their minds up about her at first glance and are unwilling to see anything else (qtd. in Muhammad & McArthur). Therefore, media portrayal and representation, can promote negative and racially stereotypical stigmas widely associated with a singular race. In the case of black adolescent girls who took part in this study, media portrayal and representation presented the capability to make forming their identity’s difficult. In addition to the promotion of stigmas, and racial stereotypes, the over sexualization of minority women in media can have dangerous consequences.

Media depiction in media can put women at risk in the reality. Debra Merkin’s “Three Faces of Eva: Perpetuation of The Hot-Latina Stereotype in Desperate Housewives” is centered on common portrayals of Latina women on television. Merskin claims that mass media, more specifically, TV is used today as a means for majority (white male) beliefs about sex, race, and gender to be spread (134). Merskin argues that by conveying stereotypes that depict certain races as the “other,” media enables “racial superiority” to continue (ibid.).The power of stereotypes in media can be have a negative influence on the lives of Latina women in particular, whom in mass media are frequently portrayed as "exotic, sexual, and available, and as more in touch with their bodies and motivated by physical and sexual pleasure than white women” (Merskin 136).The constant exploitative portrayal of minority women in media has the ability to alter their value and worth in a general sense in reality. In the interviews conducted by Muhammad and McArthur a respondent stated that the over sexualization of minority women in media makes them,“ vulnerable to mistreatment by others and susceptible to violent acts such as rape or abuse” (qtd. in Muhammad & McArthur 138). When an individuals value is constantly depicted as less than, and they’re over-sexualized frequently, it can put them in harms-way in reality. Not every individual’s portrayal in media is accurate. When these portrayals are frequent, the impacts are more damaging than anything else.

In essence, mass media’s representation and portrayal of minorities is a fairly significant issue. Media has the tendency to overlook minorities, and when they are represented, the portrayals are commonly misleading. The impacts of media representation on minorities, and all races as a whole are more harmful than anything else. Although the issue of lack of media representation minorities is resolving, stigmas and a divide still result from the presence of racial stereotypes portrayed in media. Will the minority ever be represented equally or portrayed equally to the majority in forms of mass media? Does the inclusion of one African American princess dismiss decades of absence? Overall, one step towards change, is better than no step at all. And informing oneself about issues otherwise overlooked, is the first step towards making a difference.

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