Race and Feminism in Media

For decades, race and feminism related movements have been prominent in society, allowing minorities to advocate for their rights and equality. However, the media coverage regarding these two topics has been limited due to societal views that encourage stereotyping; given this, the media tends to portray a biased representation of events related to minoritized groups and women. There are multiple examples over the years where even women in power and celebrities have faced instances of media bias, portraying them and their issues as inferior to men. This in turn leads to increased prejudice towards these groups on top of the injustice they encounter. Without the necessary steps taken to prevent this spread of biased news there are dire consequences that could result such as civil unrest. Throughout time, we have seen these situations escalate into powerful movements that garner the attention of the world. This can be prevented through the improvement of representation that minoritized groups and women receive from the media as well as the information that is presented by news outlets. To better this biased representation, there needs to be greater oversight from the government and/or media channels to prevent false and exaggerated information from seeping into news that reaches the mass audiences as well as ensuring that no facts are omitted to benefit other parties.

Media stories relating to race and feminism have advertently been displayed in a one-dimensional view that doesn’t always depict the full truth. In a womens kidnapping that occurred in 2014, the different media outlets of the world had differing interpretations and conclusions on what occurred. In the excerpt “The Numbers Don’t Speak for Themselves. Chapter Six in Data Feminism,” it mentions how news outlets like CNN, Japan Times, and more reported different parts of the kidnapping, failing to provide viewers with a full understanding. The Japan Times reported the conclusion that the kidnappings were related to the unrest in Nigeria’s northern states, while SaharaReporters.com challenged how safe the Nigerian government can keep its kids (D’Ignazio, C., & Klein, L.F, 149). Meanwhile, the popular blog FiveThirtyEight, misreported data on kidnappings in Nigeria due to the fact that the outlet had used the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) whose primary source is media reports (D’Ignazio, C., & Klein, L.F, 149). Though this kidnapping was a single event, it led to a multitude of stories that depicted different perspectives without the proper information to understand the situation. The misinformation spread by FiveThirtyEight provides viewers with biased information that aims to ignite outrage towards the Nigerian government for allowing kidnappings of young women to skyrocket in their country. Oppressive ideas and depictions are exasperated in situations like these as it encourages the public to make assumptions based on their preconceived notions. It is key to have objective reporting that states the facts in order to allow the public to make their own opinions regarding events. Another example of this includes the reporting around the Democratic primary debate. In a USA Today article it reported that coverage regarding the debate was skewed towards focusing on the “battle of the bros” which included Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President at the time Joe Biden (Lipman 2020). The news reports during this time failed to mention Amy Klobuchar who was the hands down winner of the debate. The article also mentions how the Times treated her as a footnote; however, when she finished third-place, news outlets reported this triumph as a “big surprise” (Lipman 2020). This incident illustrated the failure of basic news reporting given that Klobuchar’s top three finish was no surprise and displayed that news outlets have a problem with women. In a study conducted by the Wilson Center, it was found that news coverage regarding women in politics is heavily biased in both quantity and quality (Lipman 2020). The coverage women receive when running for president is generally negative compared to their male counterparts and this can be associated with the fact that the majority of news coverage decisions are made by men. According to the Women’s Media Center, women make up two thirds of journalism and communication grads, yet men write or produce 63% of all news coverage (Lipman 2020). This disparity is alarming given there is only a male perspective that is displayed, leaving women ignored. Klobuchar is not the only example that has experienced annihilation by the media during the presidential race. The news coverage surrounding Sen. Elizabeth Warren was virtually nonexistent despite the success she experienced. This lack of coverage surrounding women can have a detrimental impact on young girls who aspire to join politics, or any male dominated field when older, while also painting women as villains to the public.

Race and feminism have been issues prevalent in society for decades, and when coupled together, the brunt of these issues falls on women of color. These women experience a plethora of issues based on both their gender and race creating a greater divide between them and other women and races. The difficulties these women face is severely underrepresented in the media. In the excerpt “The Power Chapter. Chapter One in Data Feminism”, it reveals how Serena Williams received medical care and media attention simply due to the privilege she experienced being a tennis star (D’Ignazio, C., & Klein, L.F, 23). In Williams’ case, her privilege intersected with the oppression she faced as a black woman, and it was only after her near-death experience that forced the media to bring awareness to an issue that has been impacting black women for decades. The outpour of Instagram followers who shared their complications with childbirth and Serena Williams reply on Facebook sparked a discussion on an issue that otherwise would have been left unattended (D’Ignazio, C., & Klein, L.F, 22). The transparency on this issue to the public is absent largely due to the lack of data corresponding to birth complications. With limited data on such issues pertaining to women, especially that of color, the media considers the topic miniscule in comparison to other issues. However, this lack of representation on a large issue such as this appears to be unjust to women who experience difficulties during their pregnancies. With little attention where deserved, women take it into their own hands to assemble and bring awareness and resources towards issues impacting them. This is often times difficult given these women are not famous nor have the following like Serena Williams to attract attention from all over the world, however some positive examples where women’s voices were heard include the Me Too movement.

Now looking at the perception of race in the media, the news coverage surrounding crime and minoritized families is consistently portrayed in a biased, one-dimensional view. A report released by Color of Change, a racial organization, reported that major media outlets consistently portray black families as dysfunctional, dependent, and lacking social stability compared to white families (Jan, 2017). This image broadcasted by the media fuels the idea that black people are plagued with problems that seep into society. With this view perpetuated throughout the news, there is an increased chance of racism towards black and minoritized individuals. The media outlets also overrepresent black individuals as perpetrators in U.S crime and vilify them by displaying them as more dangerous vs. white perpetrators (Sun, 2018). This tends to promote fear of black individuals and paints a picture of white victimization, furthering the racial tensions between these groups. This issue is prevalent for other minoritized groups such as Latinos as well. Latinos generally don’t get much media coverage, yet the coverage they do receive is largely regarding criminal activity or portraying them as outsiders. When news is skewed to show groups like Latinos as a burden, it shifts the perspective of those watching or hearing this news that they in fact are a problem and must be dealt with, so they do not ruin American culture or society.

On top of this, poverty and welfare are two other topics that the media heavily associates with minority families. A Washington Post article cited a study stating that while black families represent 59% of the poor portrayed in the media, they only account for 27% of Americans in poverty (Jan, 2017). Meanwhile, white families account for 17% of the poor shown in the news while accounting for 66% of poor Americans (Jan, 2017). This distortion projected by the media aims to create a false narrative and perspective of minoritized groups like black families, resulting in increased unrest among society. If the audience starts to believe that these minoritized groups are taking away their resources, despite them being citizens of this country as well, social unrest erupts where racism and prejudice triumphs, leading to violence.

The news outlet’s portrayal of the Black Lives Matter Movement was a stark contrast to the reality of the protests, providing a biased representation of the movement. How protests are covered is crucial given that the more delegitimizing the coverage, the less support there will be from the public. By calling the peaceful protests riots, the news outlets focused on creating a narrative that pitted authorities against the protesters, portraying a spectacle for the viewers and readers. Along with this, the Me Too movement received mixed media coverage as it portrayed a sympathetic message, however not in a manner that was empowering to women. A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that news articles consistently presented men as powerful beings, even after their sexual assault allegations (Young, 2019). With this unconscious bias hidden beneath subtle language in articles, it tends to undermine the Me Too movement and what it aimed to accomplish. The media coverage related to these two movements serves to emphasize the impact that journalists and news outlets have on the perception of race and gender in society. On topics related to these, societal views and oppression seep their way into stories that are reported, often times exaggerating the negative aspects and overlooking the truth.

Though there is a deep-rooted issue surrounding the bias in media regarding race and minoritized groups like women, there are strides that are being made to better this. One crucial fact is that media outlets need to be held accountable for the information they are reporting and ensuring its factuality and bias-free perspective. Many have taken it into their own hands to diminish the gender bias by increasing the number of women in front of the cameras. As of 2019, 500 BBC shows have joined the 50:50 Project, which aims to have equal representation of female and male reporters on screen, with 74% of English-language programs reaching over 50% female contributors on their shows (Bohnet, I., Chilazi, S., Georgeac, O., Rattan, A., 2019). By creating this goal and obtaining it, there is an additional perspective that is given to news reporting: a woman’s perspective. This can filter out many of the biases that generally find their way into news coverage surrounding female matters and depiction of women overall. In addition to more women in reporting positions, there also needs to be greater diversity in terms of minority reporters. This would allow minority groups to have their voices heard and more importantly allow the audience to view them in a positive light rather than labeling stereotypes for them. As we move forward, there is hope for a unified society, but that must begin with proper representation of minoritized groups in the media. People are susceptible to believing what they hear and when it comes from media outlets that are touted as “trustworthy” it makes it difficult to convince them otherwise. Hence, it is also important to educate ourselves on matters of race and feminism. So, the next time you’re reading or watching the news, take what you learn with a grain of salt.

References

Bohnet, Iris, et al. “Tackling the Underrepresentation of Women in Media.” Harvard Business Review, 8 July 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/06/tackling-the-underrepresentation-of-women-in-media.

D’Ignazio, Catherine, and Lauren Klein. “The Power Chapter.” Data Feminism, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2020, pp. 21–47.

D’Ignazio, Catherine, and Lauren Klein. “The Numbers Don’t Speak for Themselves.” Data Feminism, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2020, pp. 149–172.

Jan, Tracy. “News Media Offers Consistently Warped Portrayals of Black Families, Study Finds.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 24 Nov. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/13/news-media-offers-consistently-warped-portrayals-of-black-families-study-finds/.

Lipman, Joanne. “Amy Klobuchar’s ‘Surge’ Proves Media Still Has a ‘Woman’ Problem.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 17 Feb. 2020, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/14/amy-klobuchars-surge-shows-gender-inequality-sexism-media-men-majority-column/4754230002/.

Sun, Elizabeth. “The Dangerous Racialization of Crime in U.S. News Media.” Center for American Progress, 6 Feb. 2017, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/dangerous-racialization-crime-u-s-news-media/.

Tubbs, Sara. “Examining Media Coverage of Protests Worldwide.” University of Houston, 24 June 2020, https://uh.edu/news-events/stories/2020/june-2020/06242020-examining-media-coverage-of-protests.php.

Young, Virginia Alvino. “#MeToo Media Coverage Sympathetic to but Not Necessarily Empowering for Women — News — Carnegie Mellon University.” #MeToo Media Coverage Sympathetic to but Not Necessarily Empowering for Women — News — Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Mellon University, https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2019/august/me-too-media-coverage.html.