SOCIAL DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA 1

A Deconstruction of Social Diversity in the Media

Ja’Nyla S. Thompson

North Carolina Agricultural and Techincal State University

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A Deconstruction of Social Diversity in the Media

Diversity is important for the entertainment industry because it allows viewers to see

different perspectives on certain issues. Daily, we are swarmed with mass media; it is a

never-ending cycle of constant influence. People need to find themselves depicted in the media that

they consume. However, this is not occurring enough for the world’s minorities. In the media, there

is an underrepresentation and misrepresentation of minorities worldwide. Ethnic minorities have

made it a habit of establishing their own ethnic media. The production of ethnic media should be a

widely consumed source of information, representation, social engagement. Despite the still

ongoing digital divide, the Internet has become, for most, a channel for representation.

Gender in the media

Media is the most common and the most powerful influence on the way that we view

men and women. As a part of our daily lives, media inserts themes into our minds and behavioral

processes. All media, as a collective, gives us stereotypical, theoretical, and impractical

perceptions of different sexes. In the media, women are marginalized in ways that make men

seen culturally seen as the standard in society. Men and women are both depicted in views that

show what is expected for gender norms. Violence and negligence against women are depicted

so often that they have become normalized. Wood (1994) found that:

…[in prime-time telvision] there are three times as many white men as women (Basow,
1992 p. 159), or children’s programming, in which males outnumber females by two to
one, or newscasts, in which women make up 16% of newscasters and in which stories
about men are included 10 times more often than ones about women (“Study Reports Sex
Bias,” 1989), media misrepresent actual proportions of men and women in the
population. This constant distortion tempts us to believe that there really are more men
than women and, further, that men are the cultural standard. ​(33)
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Media is a medium that fosters stereotypes for both men and women that hinder our perceptions

of society. The portrayals that are conveyed elevate men as powerful, sexually dominant, and

active beings. Routinely women are depicted as incompetent, dependent, youthful, and symbols

for sex. Most women constantly feel the need to be caretakers and visually appealing. All the

while men are typically needing to feel more sexually aggressive, audacious, and not as

concerned with their relationships. Given that the media is everywhere, the misrepresentation of

genders influences how we determine what is desirable between the genders and also the

perceptions of ourselves as individuals.

Race in the media

Media contributes to the perceptions we make for our own (and others) racial/ethnic

groups. This contribution also hurts or benefits different racial/ethnic groups depending on how

they are characterized, in addition to pre-existing socialization. “When there is a lack of contact

between racial groups, people tend to rely on media stereotypes to formulate ideas about people

outside of their own race” (Yuen, 2019, para. 4). Therefore, it would be morally necessary to be

concerned with both how and how frequently different racial/ethnic groups are imaged on media

platforms. Then create more accessibility for these appropriate platforms that present healthy

exposure for the different groups as well. Wood (1994) stated that:

Minorities are even less visible than women, with African-Americans appearing only
rarely (Gray, 1986; Stroman, 1989) and other ethnic minorities being virtually
nonexistent. In children's programming when African-Americans do appear, almost
invariably they appear in supporting roles rather than as main characters (O'Connor,
1989). While more African-Americans are appearing on prime-time television, they are
too often cast in stereotypical roles. Hispanics and Asians are nearly absent, and when
they are presented it is usually as villains or criminals. ​(32)
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Unhealthy exposure for different races and ethnicities has its consequences. The consumption of

negative messages in the media, that are attached to racial/ethnic groups, influences the behavior

towards the social diversity between different groups. This is primarily problematic for whites

(the majority) who often eternalize harmful stereotypes from demeaning portrayals of minorities

in the media. Further leading to hindrance in the progression of minority communities as a

whole. ​​Favorable media characterizations create “more auspicious outcomes” (Mastro, 2017,

p.1). Self-esteem then becomes an issue among individuals who succumb to these negative

characterizations; on the contrary, positive characterizations can aid in raising cultural pride.

Sexual orientation in the media

Since the 1950’s the presence of sexual orientation in the media was considered too

sensitive. That sensitivity was also aimed towards certain methods of contraception, pregnancy,

and abortion. Information and the involvement of homosexuality in the media were not portrayed

nearly at all before the 1970s. The first major public media release about homosexuality came

out in 1972 during a movie called ​That Certain Summer​. Major media networks have presented

more lesbian, gay, and bisexual based entertainment since then. Shows such as ​Pretty Little Liars

and Modern Family are prime examples. “Sexual orientation represented ” (2016) noted that:

Representation of the LGBTQ community on television has increased according to

GLAAD’s (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) most recent report “Where
We Are on TV” which analyzes the overall diversity of primetime scripted series regulars
on broadcast networks and LGBTQ characters on cable networks for the 2015-2016
television season. About 4% of regular characters on broadcast television were identified
as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The highest rates ever were during the 2012-2013 television
season with 4.4% of characters. Inexact numbers, this year there were 35 out of 881
primetime broadcast regular characters that were gay, lesbian, or bisexual and an
additional 35 recurring LGB characters. In cable television, there was an increase from 64
to 84 LGB characters and also an increase in recurring characters from 41 to 58. ​(1)
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Healthy representations of sexual orientations are practical because outsiders of sexual

orientations use media as a means to understand the dynamics of groups that are dissimilar to

their own. It can be challenging for those outside of their orientation to tolerate or understand

individual experiences being a part of the LGBT community. Most of the country identifies as

heterosexual; consequently, making it reasonable to depict as many characteristics of the

LGBTQ community in the media after being negatively misrepresented for years.

Considering how we are in an increasingly digital age, there should be active journalism

that provides equal, inclusive, and informational coverage. This could potentially be an

opportunity to make gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation identities more inclusive. “When a

given minority or disadvantaged group is portrayed in the media in a positive light, stereotypes

can be dismantled, and this is especially important for younger generations who are more

directly exposed to this” (Kaltzada, 2018, para.7). With how fast technology is advancing the

world has become a global village. The presence of mass media coverage now attracts the

attention of the whole world with viral news.​​Mass media exposure has the potential to teach,

influence long-term social behavior, and harvest stronger values in humanity.

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References

Kaltzada, P. (2018). ​Why diversity in media matters.​ Coppieters Foundation.

https://ideasforeurope.eu/news/diversity-and-media/

Mastro, D. (2017). ​Race and ethnicity in US media content and effects.​ Oxford University Press

USA. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.122

“Sexual orientation represented in television”. (2016). Sites at Penn State.

https://sites.psu.edu/eswhydee/2016/03/01/sexual-orientation-represented-in-television/

Wood, J. T. (1994). Gendered media: The influence of media on views of gender. In ​Gendered

Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture​ (pp. 32–33). Cengage Learning.

Yuen, N. W. (2019). ​How racial stereotypes in popular media affect people — And what

hollywood can do to become more inclusive​. Scholars Strategy Network.

https://scholars.org/contribution/how-racial-stereotypes-popular-media-affect-people-and

-what-hollywood-can-do-become