Visual Essay

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Research Summary:

My project dives into the racial injustice present in media narratives, emphasizing the spread of harmful stereotypes and the reinforcement of systemic racism. Through visual storytelling, I aim to clarify this issue by showcasing the prevalence of biased portrayals and advocating for diverse representation. By highlighting the detrimental impact of these narratives, my goal is to challenge existing stereotypes and promote social justice. This research emphasises the urgency of addressing this issue and advocating for change. Before the civil rights movements and ongoing activism, media representation of marginalized communities was limited and twisted, spreading negative stereotypes and removing diverse voices. With the arrival of social media and digital platforms, there has been a spread of biased portrayals and misinformation, worsening the problem. This has left people of colour struggling to find authentic representation and fight the pervasive influence of biased narratives.

In shaping my research on racial injustice in the media, I began by combining social justice principles with a critical examination of cultural influences on digital content. Just as Fletcher explores how cultural perspectives shape online representations, I aimed to understand how these perspectives contribute to biased narratives and harmful stereotypes. Additionally, Ravochkin’s study on the combination of media, technology, and society provided valuable perceptions into how modern media images are influenced and their impact on social justice. By incorporating these academic sources, I aimed to explore the complex nature of biased narratives and their impact on marginalized communities.

Secondly, I looked into articles and personal accounts detailing the experiences of individuals affected by racial injustice in the media. These narratives shed light on the struggles faced by communities of color in navigating biased portrayals and systemic discrimination within media narratives. Through firsthand statements and deep analyses, I gained perspective into the intense impact of media misrepresentation on individuals’ lives and the broader societal implications of spreading harmful stereotypes. These accounts emphasized the urgent need to address racial injustice in media narratives and advocate for equitable representation and social justice.

Finally, numerous statistics highlight the dangers of racial injustice spread by the media. For example:

–Studies reveal disparities in employment, healthcare, and education among marginalized groups.

-Crime data consistently shows disproportionate policing and incarceration rates for people of color, highlighting systemic biases.

–Studies have found that people of color are often portrayed in a negative light in media narratives, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and reinforcing systemic racism.

These statistics emphasize the urgent need for systemic change to ensure equitable treatment for all.

I conducted extensive research on the history and current state of racial misrepresentation in media, drawing from scholarly articles, reports, and news sources. This helped me gain a comprehensive understanding of the various ways in which biased portrayals affect societal perceptions and contribute to the perpetuation of racial inequalities.

In sourcing images for my visual essay, I prioritized those that captured the essence of racial injustice in media narratives. I used a combination of images I created and 5 images sourced from a reputable source such as Creative Commons. Each image was carefully selected to convey a different aspect of the issue, from the silencing of marginalized voices to the call for real diversity and representation.

References:

(No date) Lived experiences key to achieve racial justice and Equality | OHCHR. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/get-involved/stories/lived-experiences-key-achieve-racial-justice-and-equality (Accessed: 24 March 2024).

5. personal experiences with discrimination (2016) Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2016/06/27/5-personal-experiences-with-discrimination/ (Accessed: 24 March 2024).

Bauder, D. (2023) 4 in 5 black adults see racist depictions in the news either often or sometimes, says New Study, AP News. Available at: https://apnews.com/article/pew-black-americans-attitudes-news-coverage-media-8d09b5fc085c82a1c4835348333cf396 (Accessed: 24 March 2024).

Celebrating some of the most influential African American leaders (no date) NSLS. Available at: https://www.nsls.org/blog/african-american-leaders-in-history (Accessed: 23 March 2024).

Fletcher, R. (2006). “The impact of culture on website content, design, and structure: An international and multicultural perspective.” Journal of Communication Management, 10, 259-273.

Florida teen Trayvon Martin is shot and killed | February 26, 2012 (no date) History.com. Available at: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/florida-teen-trayvon-martin-is-shot-and-killed (Accessed: 23 March 2024).

John Lewis risked his life for Justice (2020) The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/opinion/john-lewis.html (Accessed: 23 March 2024).

Mouallem, O. (2019) ‘billionaires, Bombers, and bellydancers’: How the first arab american movie star foretold a century of Muslim misrepresentation, The Ringer. Available at: https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/5/22/18634743/aladdin-middle-eastern-muslim-representation-hollywood (Accessed: 02 February 2024).

Norwood, B. (2017) Power words: Stout talk from leaders on growing and using their voice, Stout Magazine. Available at: http://www.stoutmagazine.com/grow/stout-talk-leaders-power-word/ (Accessed: 02 February 2024).

Page, S.E. (no date) The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams pay off in the knowledge economy … Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc77c0h (Accessed: 02 February 2024).

Racial disparities persist in many U.S. jails (2023) The Pew Charitable Trusts. Available at: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2023/05/racial-disparities-persist-in-many-us-jails (Accessed: 24 March 2024).

Ravochkin, N. (2022). “Media representations of social ideas in the digital age.” Artificial Societies.

Schwarz, C.R. (2023) Does the media propagate stereotypes?, Phys.org. Available at: https://phys.org/news/2023-03-media-propagate-stereotypes.html#google_vignette (Accessed: 02 February 2024).

Seven works of art that explore race in America (2024) Atlanta Magazine. Available at: https://www.atlantamagazine.com/list/race-atlanta/seven-works-art-explore-race-america/ (Accessed: 23 March 2024).

Sperling, N. (2021) Hollywood loses $10 billion a year due to lack of diversity, study finds, The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/movies/hollywood-black-representation.html (Accessed: 02 February 2024).

Staples, B. (2021) How the White Press wrote off Black America, The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/10/opinion/sunday/white-newspapers-african-americans.html (Accessed: 23 March 2024).

Williams, D.R. and Rucker, T.D. (2000) Understanding and addressing racial disparities in health care, Health care financing review. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4194634/ (Accessed: 24 March 2024).

Yuen, N.W. (no date) How racial stereotypes in popular media affect people – and what Hollywood can do to become more inclusive, Scholars Strategy Network. Available at: https://scholars.org/contribution/how-racial-stereotypes-popular-media-affect-people-and-what-hollywood-can-do-become (Accessed: 02 February 2024).