Black Americans Voice Concerns Over Negative Portrayals in Media and Insufficient Community Coverage

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A recent study has revealed widespread apprehension among Black Americans regarding their representation in the news media. According to research from the Pew Research Center, the majority report experiencing racially insensitive or outright racist portrayals in news coverage, along with an inadequate representation of the diverse facets of their community.

The Pew Research Center’s findings indicate that 80% of Black adults frequently or occasionally encounter racially prejudiced depictions of their community in the news. This study, conducted almost three years after the death of George Floyd initiated a reassessment of racial perspectives in media, incorporates the views of nearly 5,000 Black adults through a comprehensive survey conducted last winter, supplemented by follow-up focus groups.

The survey highlighted that 63% of respondents believe that news coverage concerning Black Americans is predominantly more negative than that concerning other racial or ethnic groups. Additionally, 28% of respondents contend that such coverage is comparable to that of other communities.

Charles Whitaker, Dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, considers these findings unsurprising. “Through both anecdotal evidence and my direct involvement with Black press, it is well-known that there is long-standing dissatisfaction among Black Americans with the way they are covered in the media,” Whitaker stated.

This sentiment is corroborated by the survey, which reported that 57% of participants feel that media coverage is selective, highlighting only specific segments of the Black community. In contrast, only 9% believe that the media portrays a broad spectrum of the community.

Richard Prince, a columnist specializing in diversity issues for the Journal-isms newsletter, argues that media outlets must invest greater effort into contextualizing news about Black Americans. “News organizations should understand that, like anyone else, Black individuals and communities have universal concerns, beyond those specifically tied to racial identity,” Prince noted.

He further commented that commercial advertising often does a more effective job in presenting Black individuals in universally relatable scenarios, such as family gatherings or choosing dining venues. Prince also raised the issue of media often treating Black crime victims as suspects, specifically mentioning the controversial case of five Black men wrongfully accused in the 1980s in New York’s Central Park.

The Pew study also highlighted that political affiliation did not markedly affect Black Americans’ views on media representation, with Pew’s Director of News and Information Research, Katerina Eva Matsa, noting negligible differences between Black Democrats and Republicans.

The survey also revealed that negative attitudes towards media representation correlated with higher income and educational levels. Whereas 57% of respondents in lower income brackets found news coverage about Black people to be more negative compared to other groups, that figure rose to 75% among higher-income participants.

Despite these findings, a significant majority of respondents, spanning various age groups, have low expectations for substantial improvements in media representation within their lifetimes.

The study indicated that while 40% of Black Americans find it crucial for Black journalists to cover racial and inequality issues, the race of a journalist is generally considered less significant for broader news topics.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, there has been a noticeable increase in the hiring of Black journalists in leadership positions within media organizations. However, Prince cautioned that this progress is taking place within an industry undergoing contraction, even as the role of social media continues to expand. “We’re integrating an industry that’s in decline,” he concluded.

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More about Black Americans Media Representation

• Pew Research Center
• George Floyd
• Medill School of Journalism
• Journal-isms newsletter