AndrewBoselli

AshleyRea
ENC2135
20July2016

BlackAthletesandRacistMedia
Racialprejudiceisseenallthroughoutsociety.Thispaperfocusesontheracial
prejudiceagainstblackathletes,thewayitrelatestolargerissuesinsociety,andhowthemedia
playsaroleinthisprejudice.Thisprejudiceisperpetratedbythemediasstereotypingofblack
athletesaswellasotherblackmembersofsociety.Themediaperpetuatesstereotypesbyholding
AfricanAmericanstodifferentstandardsthanwhitecounterpartsandbytheuseofskewed
images.Oliverstatesthatnewsandotherrealistictelevisionprograms,likepoliceshows,are
themostproblematictypesofprogrammingintermsofraciallybiasedportrayals,and
particularlysointermsofbiastowardAfricanAmericanmen(4).Theissueofracismisstill
rampantinAmerica,butitismostobviousinregardtoblackathletesbecauseofthepedestal
sportsputsthemonandtheconstantmediaattentionthattheyreceive.
CameronJerrellNewton,knowtothepublicasCamNewton,iscurrentlythestarting
quarterbackfortheCarolinaPanthers.Inthe2011draft,Newtonwasdraftedfirstoveralloutof
Auburn,wherehehadwontheCollegeFootballNationalChampionshipthepreviousyear.
NewtonisthefirstandonlyplayerinfootballtoearnthehonorofwinningtheHeismanTrophy,
winanationalchampionship,andthenbecomethefirstoverallpickinanNFLdraftwithina
oneyearspan.Newtonwasselectedasthe2011NFLRookieoftheYear,isathreetime

ProBowler,andwasnamedtotheNFLAllProFirstTeamin2015.SoNewtonwasawinner
fromthebeginning.Stillwithalltheseaccomplishments,Newtonfacesheavycriticismfrom
fans,NFLveterans,andsportscritics.Thiscriticismisduetoracialprejudiceandpoormedia
portrayal.TheracialprejudiceandpoormediaportrayalofCamNewtonrepresentgreaterracial
issuesinAmericansociety.Thiscriticismstartedin2011whenCamNewtonwasfirstdrafted.
Hewascomingoutofaspreadoffenseincollegeandmanypeoplewonderedifhecouldrunthe
prostyleoffense.ThesequestionswereneveraskedaboutwhitequarterbacksColtMcCoyand
SamBradfordwhoalsocamefromspreadoffensesincollege.Newtonalsowascriticizedfor
thingslikehissmile.WarrenMoon,NFLveteran,addressesthiscriticisminaninterviewwith
USAToday:Ithoughtwewereallpastthis.Idon'tseeotherquarterbacksinthedraftbeing
criticizedbythemediaorfansabouttheirsmileorcalledaphony(Leahy).Newton,according
toUSAToday,washeldtodifferentstandardsbecauseofhisrace(Leahy).Allthree
quarterbackshadsimilarstyles,closetothesamearmstrength,andranthesametypeofoffense
incollege,yetMcCoyandBradfordwereprojectedtobeNFLstars,whilequestionssurrounded
Newton.Onewouldbeleadtothinkthemainreasonforthisdisparityisrace,andthesourceof
theracialprejudiceisthemediaandthewaytheyportrayAfricanAmericanAthletes.
JustasCamNewtonisportrayedpoorlyintheworldofsportscomparedtohiswhite
counterparts,sotooareAfricanAmericansingeneralbythemedia.AccordingtotheNAACP,
5timesasmanyWhitesareusingdrugsasAfricanAmericans,yetAfricanAmericansaresent
toprisonfordrugoffensesat10timestherateofWhites.Bothwhiteandblackpeopleare
usingdrugs,infactmorewhitepeopleareusingdrugs,butAfricanAmericansareprosecuted
muchmorethanwhiteAmericans.Oneclearreasonforthislopsidedtreatmentisrace,but

AfricanAmericansarenotjustoverprosecutedintheareaofdruguse.Infact,theNAACP
statesthat,AfricanAmericansareincarceratedatnearlysixtimestherateofwhites.Looking
atthedata,astrongargumentcanbemadethatinpoliceinteractions,blackpeoplearetreated
withfarmorehostilitythanwhitepeople.Studiesshowthatinmedia,andparticularlyonthe
news,thatnotonlyareAfricanAmericanmenmorelikelytobeshownascriminalsuspects
thanactualcrimestatisticssuggest,butalsothewaysinwhichAfricanAmericancriminal
suspectsaredepictedimplythattheyare[more]likelytobeparticularlyviolentorthreatening
(Oliver5).Ifthatisthecaseandthepublicindeedwatchesthenews,theyaremorelikelyto
believeAfricanAmericansaremoreviolentandthatnotonlyaffectsthewaycitizensview
AfricanAmericans,butitalsoaffectsthewayPoliceviewAfricanAmericans.
SoclearlytherearetiesbetweenpolicebrutalityandmediaportrayalofAfricanAmericans.
Themediahasalargeamountofcontroloverwhatimagesarereleasedtothemasses,
whichisaverypowerabilitythatinfluencespublicperception.InthecaseofCamNewton,the
mediareleasedskewedandstereotypicalimagesoftheCarolinaPantherquarterbackafterthe
team'ssuperbowlloss.First,popularnewssources,suchasESPNandTheNewYorkTimes,
releasedanimageofCamNewtonwithasourfacewhilehewastalkingtothewinning
quarterback,PeytonManning,afterthegame.Withthisimage,membersofthemediaaccused
Newtonofbeingasoreloserandnothavingenoughpoisetohandlehimselfonthebiggeststage
infootball.Twodayslater,otherphotosleakedonsocialmediaofCamNewtonandManning
togetherafterthegameinthesameareaonthefieldlaughingandsmilingwitheachother.This
showsthatthemediachosetoshareonlythenegativephotosofNewtonwiththepublic.Also,in
Newtonspostgameinterview,heworeahoodiewiththehoodup.Themediausedaphotoof

himinhishood,upsetaftertheloss,andusedtheimagetosupporttheideaofNewtonbeinga
thugandsoreloser.ThiswasunfairbecausemostviewNewtonasaveryclassyindividualwho
isusuallywelldressedandwellmannered,buthewasobviouslynotinthemoodtogetall
dressedupafteratoughlossonthebiggeststage.Thisuseofskewedandstereotypicalimagesas
anattackonNewtonwasseenbymanyasaformofracialprejudiceatthehandsofthemedia.
Themediasuseofskewedimagesisnotlimitedtoattackingprofessionalathleteslike
CamNewton.Lastsummer,thisissueofmediausingnegativepicturesinsteadofpositive
picturestonegativelyportrayAfricanAmericanswasbroughttoattentionbythemurdersof
TrayvonMartinandMikeBrown.Inbothcases,themediareleasedimagesofMartinandBrown
appearingasjuveniledelinquentsorthugs.ThepictureofBrownthatwasusedbyNBCwas,
thefingersofhisrighthandextendedinwhatsomeconsideredapeacesign,butwhichothers
calledagangsign(Vega).Inthisimage,Browniswearingabeatuptanktop,looksveryrough
andtough,andisholdingupwhatsomeconsideragangsign.Inothernewsarticles,animageof
Brown,wearingheadphonesandgazingatthecamerawasused(Vega).Inthisimage,Brown
appearsmuchmoresoft,friendly,andnothinglikesomeoneyoushouldbeafraidof.Trayvon
Martinfacedthesamesortofdistortionofhisimageduetowhitemediausingaphotothat
depictshimasthreateninginsteadoffriendly.Inbothcases,theuseofskewedimageswas
noticedbytheblackcommunity,thusthehashtagIfTheyGunnedMeDownwasborn.On
twitterusers[were]posting"dueling"photosofthemselvesonewherethesubjectlooks
wholesome,andanotherwherethesamepersonmightlooklikeatroublemaker(Chappell).The
purposeofthiswastosuggestthatbecauseofrace,thewhitemediawouldusethenegativeand
threateningphotoinordertoperpetuatestereotypes.ThisactbyBlackTwitterbroughtlightto

averydarkissueinmediathataffectsAfricanAmericansasawholeandismostobviousinlarge
scalemediasuchassportsandmurdercases.
MuchlikeCamNewton,CincinnatiBengalsdefensivelinemenMatthiasAskewalso
facedheavyracialprejudice.Hehadbeentoldhewasparkedillegallybythepoliceandwhenhe
attemptedtomovehiscar,Askewwasstoppedbythepolicebecausetheythoughthewas
attemptingtoavoidaparkingticket.AscufflebrokeoutbetweenAskewandseveralofficers.
Eventually,Askewwasarrestedafterbeingtaseredfourtimes(Schrotenboer).Incourt,Matthias
Askewslawyerargued,Theytasedhimsimplybecausehewasabigblackman,notbecausehe
didanythingtomakethemfearfortheirsafety(Schrotenboer).ThejudgesidedwithAskewand
hewasclearedofallcharges.Thisisjustoneofthemanyexamplesofaroutinetrafficviolation
thatescalatedintoaveryviolentsituationduetopoliceprejudiceagainstlargeblackmen.Even
ifthepolicefearbeingoverpowered,thereisnogoodreasontojustifyunfairtreatmentofan
entirerace.AlotofthisfearfromthepolicebeginswiththemisrepresentationofAfrican
Americanbymedia.
IntheNFL,thereisanissueofblackathletesgettingchargedbythepolicemuchmore
frequentlythanwhiteathletes,MatthiasAskewisanexample.AccordingtoUSAToday,of687
NFLplayerarrestssinceJanuary2000,Askew'swasoneof294thatcameinatrafficstop,and
furthermore,inaleagueinwhich66%oftheplayersareblackand31%arewhite,blackplayers
werearrestednearly10timesasoftenaswhiteplayers(260to28),accountingfor88%ofthose
NFLtrafficstoparrests(Schrotenboer).SothepolicebrutalitythatmostAfricanAmerican
todayfaceisnotlimitedtothoseinghettosorpoorneighborhoods.Millionaireblackathletes
receivethesameunfairtreatmentastherestoftherace.Thisshowsthatpolicearenotjust

targetingpoorblackpeoplewhohavereputationsofcriminalbehaviororgangaffiliation,but
insteadanyAfricanAmericannomatterwhattheirbackgroundmaybe.Apossibleexplanation
tothispolicebrutalityis,themainstreammediastendencytoportraypeopleofcolorasbeing
morepronetocriminalbehaviorthanWhiteswhichleadstofalsepresumptionsaboutthe
racialdisparitiesinincarcerationratesintheUnitedStates(Madison280).Thismedia
misrepresentationisunfairbecausepeopleofcolorarenomorelikelytouseorselldrugsthan
whitepeopleandtheracialdisparitiesinviolentcrimedisappearwhenyoucontrolfor
joblessness(Madison280).Soaccordingtothisdata:theissuewhenitcomestoviolentcrime
isnotrace,theissueisunemployment.ButbecauseofthemediaspoorportrayalofAfrican
Americans,anentireracehastosuffer.
AlloverAmerica,AfricanAmericansfacemanyformsofracialprejudice.Thisincludes
unfairtreatmentbypolice,beingheldtodifferentstandardsthanwhitecounterparts,andthe
mainreasonisbecauseofthedistortedimageofAfricanAmericansbroughtaboutbythemedia.
Allthreeoftheseformofracialprejudicecanbeexplainedbythemediasportrayalofpeopleof
color.ObviouslythisisamajorissueinAmericaandsomethingmustbedone.Apositivestart
wouldbeformediatoshiftitsportrayalofAfricanAmericanfromnegativetopositive.The
mediacouldexhibitactsofcharitydonebyblackcelebrities,highlightacademicachievementby
blackstudents,andreportcrimesinunbiasedways.Thesechangescouldimprovetheimageof
AfricanAmericansinAmericanandreduceracialprejudiceinasocietythatwassupposedto
havesurpassedthisera.

WorkCited
Berger,Guy."ProblematizingRaceforJournalists:CriticalReflectionsontheSouthAfrican
HumanRightsCommissionInquiryintoMediaRacism."Race,Gender&Class11.2
(2004):1135.Print.

Chappell,Bill."PeopleWonder:'IfTheyGunnedMeDown,'WhatPhotoWouldMediaUse?"
.NPR.NPR,11Aug.2014.Web.31Mar.2016.
Farrington,Neil,etal.Sport,RacismandSocialMedia.1stedition.ed.NewYork:Routledge,2014.

Print

Gardiner,Greg."RunningforCountry:AustralianPrintMediaRepresentationofIndigenous
Athletesinthe27thOlympiad."JournalofSport&SocialIssues27.3(2003):23360.
Web.
King,Shaun.CamNewtoninHoodie.Digitalimage.NewYorkDailyNews.NewYorkDailey
News,8Feb.2016.Web.31Mar.2016.
King,Shaun.CamNewtonSmilingwithManning.Digitalimage.NewYorkDailyNews.New
YorkDailyNews,8Feb.2016.Web.31Mar.2016.
Kramer,Daniel.CamNewtonSulkingAfterSuperBowl.Digitalimage.BleacherReport.
BleacherReport,8Feb.2016.Web.31Mar.2016.
Leahy,Sean."WarrenMoon:CriticismofCamNewtonIs'blatantRacism'"USAToday.
Gannett,
31Mar.2011.Web.31Mar.2016.
Madison,E."MediaPortrayalsoftheTrayvonMartinTragedy."CulturalStudiesCritical
Methodologies(2015)Web.
NAACP."CriminalJusticeFactSheet."CriminalJusticeFactSheet.NAACP,2016.Web.31

Mar.2016.
Oliver,MaryBeth."AfricanAmericanMenas"CriminalandDangerous":ImplicationsofMedia
PortrayalsofCrimeonthe"Criminalization"ofAfricanAmericanMen."Journalof
AfricanAmericanStudies7.2(2003):318.Web.
Schrotenboer,Brent."BlackNFLPlayersArrestedNearly10timesasOftenasWhites."USA
Today.N.p.,29Nov.2013.Web.31Mar.2016.
Vega,Tanzina."ShootingSpursHashtagEffortonStereotypes."NewYorkTimes.N.p.,12Aug.
2014.Web.31Mar.2016.