Diversity in U.S. Mass Media

CATHERINE A. LUTHER is Director of the Information Integrity Institute and Minnie Doty Goddard Distinguished Professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee. She has published in numerous journals, such as the Journal of International Communication and Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.
 
NAEEMAH CLARK is a Professor of Cinema & TV Arts at Elon University, currently serving as Associate Provost focusing on equity, inclusion, and belonging in teaching, pedagogy, recruitment, and retention. She has published in the Huffington Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has presented two TedTalks related to media representations.
 
CAROLYN RINGER LEPRE is President of Salisbury University. She previously served as Dean of the School of Communication Arts at Marist College and as interim President, Provost, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Radford University. She has written numerous book chapters, encyclopedia entries, and journal articles on media and representation.

Provides students with clear and up-to-date coverage of the various areas associated with representations of diversity within the mass media
 
Diversity in U.S. Mass Media is designed to help undergraduate and graduate students deepen the conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the media industries. Identifying consistencies and differences in representations of social identity groups in the United States, this comprehensive textbook critically examines a wide range of issues surrounding media portrayals of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, class, and religion. Throughout the text, students are encouraged to contextualize various issues, place one social group within the framework of others, and consider how diverse communities inform and intersect with each other.
 
Now in its third edition, Diversity in U.S. Mass Media addresses ongoing problematic portrayals, highlights recent progress, presents new research studies and observations, and offers innovative approaches for promoting positive change across the media landscape. Two entirely new chapters explore the ways identity-based social movements, Artificial Intelligence (AI), gaming, social media, and social activism construct, challenge, and defend representations of different groups. Updated references and new examples of social group depictions in streaming services and digital media are accompanied by expanded discussion of intersectionality, social activism, creating inclusive learning and working environments, media depictions of mixed-race individuals and couples, and more.
 
Offering fresh insights into the contemporary issues surrounding depictions of social groups in films, television, and the press, Diversity in U.S. Mass Media:
* Examines the historical evolution and current media depictions of American Indians, African Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Arab Americans, and Asian Americans
* Helps prepare students in Journalism and Mass Communication programs to work in diverse teams
* Covers the theoretical foundations of research in mass media representations, including social comparison theory and feminist theory
* Contains a wealth of real-world examples illustrating the concepts and perspectives discussed in each chapter
* Includes access to an instructor's website with a test bank, viewing list, exercises, sample syllabi, and other useful pedagogical tools
 
Diversity in U.S. Mass Media, Third Edition, remains an ideal textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in Media Communication, Film and Television Studies, Journalism, American Studies, Entertainment and Media Research, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

List of Figures
 
List of Tables
 
List of Boxes
 
Preface
 
1 Introduction
 
Social Identity
 
Racial/Ethnic Identity
 
Gender Identity
 
Sexual Identity
 
Age Identity
 
Disability Identity
 
Class Identity
 
Organization of the Book
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
2 Theoretical Foundations of Research in Mass Media Representations
 
Mass Media Representations: Social Psychological Perspectives
 
Framing
 
Social Comparison Theory
 
Socialization
 
Cultivation Theory
 
Media Representations: Critical Perspectives
 
Hegemony
 
The Concept of Representation
 
Feminist Theory
 
Three Waves of Feminism
 
Queer Theory
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
PART I
 
3 Representations of American Indians
 
Historical Background to American Indian Representations
 
American Indians in Film
 
American Indians in Entertainment Television
 
Representations of American Indians in the News
 
American Indians and New Media
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
4 Representations of African Americans
 
Historical Background to African American Representations
 
African Americans in Film
 
Who is Telling the Story?
 
Historical Contextualization of Films
 
African Americans in Entertainment Television
 
African American Music
 
Representations of African Americans in the News
 
African Americans in Newsrooms
 
African Americans and Advertisements
 
African Americans in the Media Business
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
5 Representations of Latino/Hispanic Americans
 
Historical Background to Latino/Hispanic Representations
 
Latinos/Hispanics in Film
 
Latinos/Hispanics in Entertainment Television
 
Latinos/Hispanics and the Music Industry
 
Representations of Latinos/Hispanics in the News
 
Spanish-Language Newspapers in the United States
 
Spanish-Language Magazines in the United States
 
Latinos/Hispanics and Advertisements
 
Patterns of Assimilation and Colorism
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
6 Representations of Arabs/Arab Americans
 
Historical Background to Arab/Arab American Representations
 
Arabs/Arab Americans in Film
 
Arabs/Arab Americans in Entertainment Television
 
Representations of Arabs/Arab Americans in the News
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
7 Representations of Asians/Asian Americans
 
Historical Background to Asian/Asian American Representations
 
Asians/Asian Americans in Film
 
Asians/Asian Americans in Entertainment Television
 
Representations of Asians/Asian Americans in the News
 
Asian/Asian American Activism and New Media
 
Concluding Remarks
 
Reflection Questions and Thoughts to Consider
 
References
 
8 Representations of Mixed Race Individuals and Relationships
 
Historical Background to Representations of Race Mixing
 
Race Mixing in Film
 
Race Mixing in Entertainment Television