Entman, C. C. R. M. (2006). Blacks in the news: Television, modern racism, and cultural change. In Communication and Law (pp. 231-254). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781410617231-21/blacks-news-television-modern-racism-cultural-change-cultural-change-robert-entman
Introduction
The article addresses the representation of blacks in local television news to explore whether it might influence people’s attitudes favorably and reinforce modernized racism. With media as an essential factor in informing perceptions, this research aims to figure out how news stories contribute to the cultural terrain of race.
Purpose of the Study
The main goal is to study how blacks and whites in local, new television frame their stories, including crime news and political themes. The study’s objective is to detect common patterns and differences in the portrayal of these racial groups and analyze how such representations may affect audience perceptions.
Background Study
The background recognizes the change from blatant, conventional racism to a less apparent form called modern-day racism. Although outright racism has become socially unacceptable, contemporary racism is evident in subtle prejudices and the rejection of policies deemed to benefit blacks. This serves as a contextual background on which the possible effects of media influence racial attitudes.
Limitation of Study
The research provides a limited segment of local news from its time frame, understanding that media content may differ in different eras. It does not generalize broadly beyond the data it analyzes but provides a more subtle understanding of racial relations during this timeframe.
Keywords and Literature Review
Significant terms are “blacks,” “television news,” modern racism and cultural change.” The literature review builds on investigations that analyze media influences on racial views using agenda-setting theory as an application to different programs. Previous research serves as a basis for analyzing the possible influence of media on stereotypes.
Research Design
The research design utilizes a content analysis approach to analyze local news stories in terms of their visual and verbal descriptions. It studies racial differences in the depiction of accused persons and political figures in crime stories. The design allows for a quantitative evaluation of patterns within the news information.
Hypothesis
The implicit assumptions can be traced back to the fact that news content is associated with reinforcing modern racist attitudes. This study may address the assumption of adverse emotional reactions stimulated by racial disparities in news coverage, especially among white audiences, contributing to sustaining stereotypes.
Research Questions
The research questions seek to discover how black people and whites are presented in local news concerning crime and political storylines. The study wants to know how much these depictions feed modern racism and if there are variations when dealing with racial groups differently.
Methodology
The methodology is based on content analysis, which implies the systemic identification of visual and aural components in local news stories. Brief observations and motion clips are considered in the investigation, which evaluates facets like naming, clothing style, and physical interaction with law enforcers. This approach enables a quantitative analysis of racial disparities in media coverage.
Results
The findings show a steady trend in the portrayal of blacks, especially when discussing violent crimes. Blacks are portrayed less often in bright clothing; they appear to move rarely on the TV screen, and cops hold them more. These results help to define the overall narrative that guarantees a stereotype effect for viewers, creating stereotypes over time.
Discussion
The content of the discussion is related to the consequences of research results. It examines what visual and aural elements in news coverage may reproduce negative racial stereotypes. Thus, the patterns apparent in such comments could shape perceptions of white audiences about black individuals and, therefore, maintain modern racism.
Conclusion
The conclusion reiterates the need for more research and points out that local news can change people’s racial beliefs. Suggestions include increased consciousness within newsrooms of the unintentional perpetuation of racial stereotypes. Finally, the study ends by highlighting the dual role of media – as both reflectors and potential propagators of racial cultures.
References
Entman, C. C. R. M. (2006). Blacks in the news: Television, modern racism, and cultural change. In Communication and Law (pp. 231-254). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781410617231-21/blacks-news-television-modern-racism-cultural-change-cultural-change-robert-entman
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