Jour5040-feminism And Race

Feminist theory and studies in race and sexuality JOUR 5040, Mass Media Studies and Theories

Stereotyping:

“An ordered, more or less consistent picture of the world, to which our habits, our tastes, our comforts and our hopes have adjusted themselves. They may not be a complete picture of the world, but they are a picture of a possible world to which we are adapted.” (Walter Lippmann, 1922) Schemas are “organized knowledge … abstracted from prior experiences” used to process new information and to retrieve stored information.” (Doris Graber, 1988) 

Stereotypes and schemas

Absence

in the media of certain groups, which leads to their marginalization in society. Lack of coverage and representation in media symbolically dismisses these groups as important. Usually refers to minorities, women, disabled people, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, people of different religions and cultural groups. (Gaye Tuchman, 1978)



Symbolic annihilation



Liberal feminism: Strives to gain equal rights for women in a patriarchal society.

 

Radical feminism: States women are subjugated by men and calls on them to bond with other women and create their own community.

 

Socialist feminism: Derived from Marxism, states that women are an oppressed class in a capitalist, patriarchal society that benefits men.

 

Cultural feminism: Women have a special humanism, a different value system than men; however, this is not necessarily a biological difference, it is cultural. (Josephine Donovan, “Feminist Theory: The intellectual traditions of American feminism,” 1993)



Feminist theory

 Studies

have shown women are quoted as sources only 25 % of the time in front-page newspaper stories.  Women tend to fall into stereotypical categories when quoted in news media: wife, mother, victim and less often as authoritative and powerful.  Women rarely are quoted as experts on television news shows.  Only 15 female CEOs in the Fortune 500.  How are women portrayed in news media? How do these portrayals affect public perception? 

Women’s representation in media

 U.S. population  304 million  White (not Hispanic)

66.4%  Latino/Hispanic 15 %  Black 12 %  Asian 4.4 %  Two or more races 1.6%  Native American/Pacific islander 0.2 %  BOTTOM LINE: U.S. is 1/3 people of color 

 Texas population  24.3 million  White (not Hispanic)

49.9%

 Latino/Hispanic 36  Black 12.8 %  Asian 3.4 %  Two or more races

%

1.2%  Native American/Pacific islander 0.1 %  BOTTOM LINE: Texas is now minoritymajority 

U.S. Census shows diversity

How

many stories in the mainstream news media are about people of color? What are those stories about? How are blacks, Hispanics, Asians and people of other races portrayed in newspapers, television, Web sites, magazines and other media? What sorts of stereotypes are perpetuated? Should diverse communities be covered in news media? Whose job is it to make sure these communities are covered in news media? 

Diversity in media

 U.S.

newspapers: Only 13.4 % of newspaper staffs are composed of minorities—any minorities. (ASNE, 2009)

  About 37 % of newspaper staffs are composed of women, a number that has held steady for many years (ASNE).   Local television news: Minorities compose 21.8 % of staffs and the percentage is falling (RTNDA, 2009).   Women in TV compose 41.4 % of news staffs, an alltime high (RTNDA). 

Diversity in newsrooms

Symbolic

annihilation: groups are trivialized or not acknowledged when they do not appear in media. Can apply to women, minorities, non-mainstream religions, the poor, GLBT people. When the same news is covered because it is considered important, what becomes of groups that are not covered in news media? Are middle-aged, white males the focus of too much coverage? How can coverage change and who should change it if it should be changed? 

Absence from media