Media Images of Race and Class - Research Paper Example

Basically, this report is prepared to lay stress on the significance and depth of the negative stereotypes which are spread in the society as a result of which White, Black, Latino, and Asian children are heavily discriminated against each other. One of the participants of the study who also happens to be a writer/producer claimed that “I constantly face this attitude that Black people must behave differently than White people, that all cultures have to behave like ‘themselves’ and that people can’t just behave like people” (Williams, cited in Lapp 6). The report strives to scrutinize the depth of impact on children from all ethnic and racial backgrounds through media portrayal of race and class as diversity strengthens in the American culture.

True stories based on the beliefs of children who participated in this study form an important part of this report according to which almost half per cent of the American children felt sad, discouraged, and depressed after watching the television news or other entertainment programs. The tendency of overlooking the crimes involving white people and focusing on those committed by the black community highly signifies the dual role played by media. Laying emphasis on the hypocritical role played by media, one of the directors participating in the study claimed that “one of the problems is that TV reporting doesn’t talk about white-collar crime, but primarily focuses on street crime” (Poussaint, cited in Lapp 8).

Now, the street crimes majorly involve the Black and Latino people and that indicates the role played by segregation in the society throbbing with cultural and racial diversity. Summing up, the report lays special emphasis on the solid and incredibly sad reality of life that even the sitcoms presented on television are thickly layered with the essence of segregation. Through such negative and discouraging attitudes and notions which are presently a dominant feature of the societal structure, the white people begin to think that working or acting in the field of media is a kind of their natural right which no other person from the different racial or ethnic background is allowed to exercise.

The report ends with the message that it is phenomenally important to stimulate the movers and shakers, who are influential and can take action on behalf of the Black or Latino children, to develop action plans so that children from all races feel included.