Over the years, there has been a controversy of racial status, and racial criminal involvement. Racism has been a huge factor that related to inequality, and victimization. The country has continued to be unbiased when crimes occur, and as to what race was involved in the crimes. The stereotyping of the racial class has been an issue for many decades. The intensity of race issues in the country has been on the rise due to media coverage of racial crimes. The judgment of society is solely based on the media and how it portrays the new coverage.
The racial stigma in our country has fluctuated from focusing on one racial class to another racial class. The media has made a huge impact as to which race is focused towards, and for what reasons. News coverage is an everyday occurrence in society. We rely heavily on the media to inform us of what is happening around the world, and in our own communities. When the media reports news stories they emphasize on racial or other stereotypical information. When the news coverage discusses a tragedy that occurred based on differences of race, people will often have that same opinion. The power of words is crucial when keeping the communities interested in the media. Stories are viewed differently based on race. It is a way to keep people tuned into what is occurring around them.
The media covers many different aspects of our lives each day. “Mass media includes advertisements, commercials, news, magazines, websites, emails, updates, and any form of information that is distributed widely”. The stories that are told or reported have a major impact on how society relates to its surroundings. The media coverage can often be portrayed as one-sided due to the topics were chosen.
An analyzation of data was conducted from 2003 to 2004 regarding race in the media. The study had reviewed two different magazines that focused on the black communities. There were still negative ads based on African American race. Racial ads like the KKK and other negativity were submitted into the magazine material. This type of media coverage has continued the racial problems in the country.
The media has significant control of the information society is able to know about what is happening in the world. If the stories are not interesting enough, then they will not be talked about. Most of the media coverage are negative, and about the bad happening in the world. If an officer shoots a black man, then it is on the news. A person who rescues a dog from getting hit on the road is not heard of. The people across the country will believe the racial stories that are portrayed by the media because that is all that is discussed.
The media would need to publish articles that showed positivity instead of reporting only negative information. The positivity may help increase the racial equality and focus towards acceptance. “The negativity that is reported in the media about the racial crime is focused mainly on black criminals and white victims” . The numerous stories the media had been viewing was black criminals being shot by white officers. This fueled the communities with racial hate and blame. Hate crimes were believed to be the basis of the shootings. Black people were afraid the police was starting a racial war and were angry at white individuals.
The articles that portray violence is what people are learning about. The stories that are peaceful, compassionate and wholesome are not reported on. Public knowledge of the media is only chosen by what will keep the ratings up, and stories that will keep individuals interested. The media coverage has changed over the years which has changed how the world is viewed on our news.
In the late 1990’s the media had begun to reach a new level of exposure with the increase in news channels that were being born on television. The radio stations were widening their range of coverage, and expanding the different types of music that were aired. The news people heard in this era came from the radio on their way to work, or the television when they sat down in the evenings with their families. The news had begun to take a new twist as Desert Storm was occurring overseas. Stories that were being reported in this time frame revolved solely on the war and any updated information that was being passed along. This is how the media controls what we see and hear around the world. The coverage of that war only displayed parts of facts that were occurring over there. The media may have done this to protect society from the evils that were occurring, or from a national security threat from fear. The racial portrayal that began to occur across the news coverage were focused on the hate that specific racial people were committing. The views of these men who were killing innocent people had been etched in the minds of society. This coverage focused racial hate against the people of the Middle East. Those people who were in those countries may not have been evil, but society stereotyped them as so.
The media’s portrayal of political views towards African American people has impacted society. “The coverage towards racial class such as black people can either increase or decrease self-efficiency” . The political views rely on the impact of media to increase the campaign strength of the competitors. Politicians will feed off the media and use that information to enhance their chances of winning by finding solutions to the problems we see on the news. The racial problems portrayed to society is what our politicians are based on when running for election. These issues would not be factors in our country if the media had not brought the stories to our attention.
Over the last five years, open racial remarks in the media have declined, but the racial indirect articles have expanded. This is an issue that concerns the racism in our country. Programs on television have a high aspect of the views of racism in the media. If the media discusses a geographical location where a certain racial group is committing a crime, then that class will be judged as criminals. “Stereotypes occur from racial profiling in the news and media coverage” . An example of racial profiling in the media would be discussing the rise in Latino burglaries in Los Angeles California. When the people in this demographical location hear this story they may look at every Latino as a criminal.
Individuals who view the media coverage of racial problems are exposed to racial stereotype based on news stories. There are many circumstances that have heightened racial exposure based on storylines that would reflect interesting situations. The media will report a story focused on violence, then a story focused on positivity. People are more interested in what is wrong that what is right.
The media dares to shine the light on cultural, and racial imperfections. The groups that have a conflict based on racial class or racial stereotypes is portrayed for the public to see. The ethnic and racism in American are strictly viewed in the media. This will put the focus on the problems that other classes of race is experiencing, and the public will view this as a problem in other communities.
An example of racial exposure can be related to a couple of black men who were targeting white victims. The men were traveling along the East Coast shooting people along the interstate. The media coverage had reported the story and it became a national headline. This put people in a panic who were driving down the interstate on the East Coast. People did not know if they would be shot driving to work. This put a panic amongst people, and African Americans were being targeted as shooters. “The media had reported the story and caused people to fear for their life until the shooters were apprehended”. Until the suspects were caught, black people were targeted and stereotyped as criminals. If the media had not reported the story then society would not have been in a panic, and been quick to racial judge individuals.
The media uses words that attract attention to racial groups. These words are expressed in a tone of racism and focus on negative prejudice. Words such as savage will be etched in the minds of society when thinking of the racial crimes associated with media coverage. “Reporters are trained to use words that focus in-depth of the critical situation they are portraying to the public” . The words can be taken out of context and society can form its own judgment of the media coverage. The articles are worded to attract readers and gain attention.
This type of racism has gotten worse since the attacks on September 11, 2001. The media had begun an intense profiling of racism since the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. People had witnessed the horrid attack, and fear of terrorism was forever in the minds of society. Before the terrorist attacks in 2001 racial profiling was disgraceful. It was considered to be unethical, and unconstitutional on all levels of society. Racial profiling was not acknowledged nor discussed in the media. After 9/11 occurred the racial profiling had become the center of America. People are more judgmental and eager to point fingers at racial classes regarding Arabic individuals.
The profiling of a certain racial group had been the center of attention for security purposes in our country. It was okay with over half of the nation to offer higher security for people who were of Arabic culture. Society did not trust foreign individuals even if they were American citizens. The media portrayal of the 9/11 terrorism had impacted the fear of Arabic, and Muslim individuals’. Stereotypes and racial profiling had been eager to spread in the media after that horrific day. Even though it has been almost 15 years since the attack, people are still profiling racial class because of the terror that had embarked our lives. Racial identities have been misrepresented in the media, and this had affected societies outlook on terrorism. People were blaming other cultures as being terrorists.
Law enforcement has helped in racial stereotyping when it comes to terrorism. The media has viewed terrorists as a certain type of individuals and it is easy to mistake someone of a different origin. People profile racial groups more common than before the Twin Tower attacks. The public is quick to profile a racial group when the media gives us reason to do so. For example, a person hears on the news of a rash of Hispanic auto theft in a community, and that person may view ever Hispanic as a thief. This, of course, is not true, and every Hispanic person is not a thief. It is hard for society not to focus on a specific racial type when news about it is criminal and violent.
The stories that have been reported since the 9/11 attacks have been focused on the evil of terrorism in our country. The immigrants crossing our borders, terrorists coming into our country, and racial groups committing hate crimes have flourished. “The media covers the dark endeavors of society and enhances the fear citizens have against other groups of race” . It is intensifying as the plot for terror attacks have increased.
The coverage of terror in society does not offer awareness but increases anxiety in the communities. People who hear of crimes being committed are more fearful when going outside. They do not want to be a target of a racial crime. Many of the crimes being committed may not even be linked to a racial group, but the media often portrays these crimes as a target for racism. Stories that are reported may be taken out of context just to offer high ratting’s for television or news stations. The news stories that have been shown since the terror attacks are based on
The media has affected the outlook of police brutality against racial stigma. A white officer who is doing his job and takes down a criminal should be considered a hero. When the white officer takes down a criminal who is African American he is considered a racial profiler. Society would not have known about the criminal who happens to be black if the media had not aired it on television and the radio. The same white officer could have apprehended a white criminal, and there would not have been a word from the media about it.
The direction of society’s racial stigma can be controlled by the information obtained from the media. Public thoughts regarding racism have not changed much in many years. The media has helped in keeping the racial problems fresh in the minds of our country. These critical theories that reporters are expressing have a style of prejudice that keeps minds curious, and stories fresh. The aftermath of reporting does not seem to be as problematic as the stories of violence and crime. It is an ongoing occurrence that people expect on to hear in their daily routine. The control should not be based on the media advisors but based on what is best for society. When racial profiling and stereotyping has been an increasing issue then there should be ways to stop or reduce this type of behavior.
Racism is also prevalent in reading material such as magazines and books. “The media has coverage on every level of today’s social database and continues to execute racial problems, and enhance the feelings of the community” . The media can be very persuasive and relate to individual opinions and thoughts. The intensity of media coverage will stay on top of the evil in the world, and continue to blame crimes on certain racial groups. We all play into the media and their points of racism in the country. It is hard to believe the opposite of what you hear going on in the country. People cannot be expected to believe all races are equal when the media portrays it differently.
Racism will continue to be a problem in our nation. Even with the election coverage and media insight of a black man running for President had not changed the stigma. The media continuously covered this story and focused on racism as the Presidency election had finished. People who voted for the African American candidate for Presidency had done so because of the media coverage. The coverage viewed an African American man who wanted to change the country and offer the citizens what it needed. Citizens believed the media and the concept that change could happen with an African American President. “Media coverage captured those moments when the voters were in and the new black President was elected” .
The coverage of the Presidential election of a black man against a white female candidate was intense. The media had to be careful how they reported the Presidential debate. Women were proud of the female candidate, and the African American race was excited to have a black man for President. Media was engulfed in the debates amongst the candidates.
The media has proven influential in the minds of society. The racial problem in our country will continue to exhibit profiling situations. Crime and news have prevailed in the racism category of everyday life. The stories that reporters cover do not conduct a comforting atmosphere but take in a stereotypical outcome. The media does not care about the racial groups and status of the people it is focusing on. Instead, the individuals are likely to be compared as a racial act of violence in communities.
The race outlook in the media has impacted society to extreme levels. The criminal impact the media discusses will continue to offer negativity in the culture of our country. If the media would tell the truth about the stories it covers, and give positive feedback; there would not be as much racism. The racism continues to spark different angles of our country. Hate crimes have grown because of public groups focusing on the whole racial group instead of the criminals themselves. The racial class will continue to be a focal point in the news of society. The media will continue to give insight to different classes of racism, and how it has impacted our daily lives.
Reference
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