African American media is more important than ever to address not only the many stereotypes about African Americans, but also to highlight many of the issues that impact the African American community and other communities of color.

With the decreasing numbers in media diversity, the voices disseminating the messages to the viewing and listening public are sadly causing a rise in many misperceptions that exist in society as it pertains to people of color.

From Assistant Professor Angie Chuang discussing how the media emasculates Asian and Black men in The Root to commentator John Ridley on National Public Radio (NPR) addressing the media’s negative portrayal of Blacks primarily as “thugs” despite so many positive role models, Black or African American men deserve better imaging.

---

In the report, Young Men of Color in the Media: Images and Impacts by Robert M. Entman for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the negative stereotypes of African American and Hispanic men are “varied and subtle.” The report further states that, “Media stereotypes are recurring messages that associate persons of color with traits, behaviors, and values generally considered undesirable, inferior, or dangerous…. Both print and electronic journalism frequently connect the following concepts with YMC (Young Men of Color): crime, violence, hyper-sexuality, poverty (especially undeserving poverty-that is, poverty due to character flaws of the individual)-and welfare.”

Read the full story at svccwa.org.