The International Encyclopedia of Media Studies, 7 Volume Set

7

Changes in the News Representation of Minorities Over the Course of 40 Years of Research

Eli Avraham

ABSTRACT

Much attention has been given by media researchers to the news representation of minorities over the last four decades. Numerous studies over the years have shown that the coverage of minorities in the news is rife with negative stereotypes and generalizations. This chapter aims to discuss major issues and questions raised by analyzing trends in 40 years of studies of news representation of minorities. These include: What is the image of minorities in the news? Why is the news coverage of marginal groups so biased and which factors explain their coverage patterns? How and why has the image of minorities changed over the years? Which theories and research methods were used in order to analyze the news representation of minorities? And how do the leaders of minority groups and regulators work to change the negative stereotypes and the problematic images of minority groups in the news?

Much scholarly and public attention has been devoted to the news representation of minorities and socially marginal groups over the last four decades. Numerous studies over the years have shown that the coverage of minority and marginal groups in the news is rife with negative stereotypes and generalizations. Just as directors, producers, casting people, and advertisers have “reserved” certain problematic roles for minorities in movies, TV series, and advertisements, journalists and news ...