Media Images of Blacks

Have you ever actually sat and thought about the different tactics and techniques the media uses? Negative representations of black males are noticeable to the public through the news, film, music videos, reality television, and other forms of media. The stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans show a limited version of black life. Through these representations, some people see a limited, and distorted view of African-Americans. Therefore, the media can be extremely biased and unfair. The mass media portrays blacks as being aggressive, worthless, and unlawful people. These portrayals on television, the internet, fiction shows, print advertising, and video games, shape public views of attitudes toward men of color.

To begin with, black men, young and old, are over represented in America’s crime statistics. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, black offenders committed fifty-two percent of homicides recorded in the data between 1980 and 2008. African-American men were stated to be most likely to commit a homicide and be a victim of a homicide. This is completely biased being that homicide is a broader category than murder. Only forty-five percent were white offenders. These negative statistics influence personal opinions, ideas, and racial attitudes upon many people. Despite the reality that most crime happens between members of the same racial group, the media exaggerates black-on-white crime.

Secondly, several television networks and newspapers have been criticized for theirs misleading and sometimes inaccurate reports. For many of us, popular culture is the primary way in which we learn about people who are outside of our own race. There are notable examples of bias and misrepresentation of facts and poorly sustained claims about particulars of acts of violence. One study of local news coverage found that black people are disproportionately portrayed as criminals, while white people are more often shown as the victims of crime.

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Many media images of black men are linked to criminality or poverty, and positive images are almost always limited only to sports or music. We harness social science research on the power of narratives to shift perceptions and use this evidence base to upend and expand current representations. A great example can be shown through the death of Trayvon Martin. The surveillance video from security showed a policeman on neighborhood watch, by the last name of Zimmerman, while he was being questioned.

In the surveillance video Zimmerman did not appear to have and signs of struggle. This means that there was no blood or bruises. He was questioned in his claim that he shot and killed Trayvon Martin only after the unarmed teenager punched and attacked him. NBC’s “Today” player an edited snipped from the call from Zimmerman before the attack.

African-American people are shown as unlawful citizens. African-Americans are more likely to be wrongfully convicted . Hundreds of black men and women are convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. Representing thirteen percent of the U.S. population, black me make up forty-seven percent of the nineteen hundred exonerations that were shown in studies. Marvin Anderson, who was only eighteen years old. Was wrongfully convicted of rape, sodomy, abductio, and robbery.

Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed the unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, described their “alleged” tussle by testifying, “When I grabbed him, the only way I can describe it is I felt like a five year old holding onto Hulk Hogan.” Even though the two men had the same height.

The biased images of African-American create impressions that people may mark as permanent. The provided research accurately proves how wrongfully blacks are treated and shown in the media. Though many of the representations are factually inaccurate, they are left unquestioned because they fall in line with prevailing cultural stereotypes. In order to change these perceptions of people of color, we must first see a change in the media. The media needs to be a landscape that puts people of color in all categories, rather than being limited. We should not rely on biased stereotypes. I believe that we need to work hard and make justice systems black-populated and stand up for our opinions. All of the African-Americans’ tribulations will eventually come to an end.

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