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Marissa Hernandez
Professor Zawilski
RC 2001
As the Hispanic population grows in the United States, social injustices plague the
community. Institutional racism within the American criminal justice system fuels racial
profiling and police brutality directed towards individuals of color. However, the issues that the
community faces are rarely publicized by broadcasting media. This research is important because
a mass group of individuals concerns are not being acknowledged in society, therefore there
cannot be any societal or political actions implemented that can be beneficial to the Hispanic
community. The public is constantly exposed to issues concerning the black and white majorities
of America. Therefore, a question arises: What are the injustices that Hispanics and African
Americans commonly share, how does the media depict minorities, and are the roles of
As a result of lasting prejudice and systematic discrimination, racism is still present in the
United States. Those that do not fit into the normative race, the white race in the United States,
are othered and are negatively compared. African Americans historically have been the
othered group. However, in 2016 the Hispanic population represent[ed] nearly 17% of the
total U.S. population, becoming the largest minority, and another othered group; due to the
jobs that Hispanic individuals typically obtain, such as fruit pickers, gardeners and cleaners,
The news media promotes the idea that crime and violence derive from minorities such as
Hispanics and African Americans. Hispanics are depicted by the media as deviant subgroups
such as illegal aliens and drug users. (Arias) A 2014 study published by Columbia
University found that less than 1 percent of national news stories focused on Latinos. A majority
of those stories covered a Hispanic who was breaking the law. (Planas) Similarly, African
American are portrayed in a negative light by the news media. For example, African American
were twice as likely as whites to be portrayed as perpetrators of crime on local television news.
(Dixon)
American population, prejudice and discrimination are implemented against the people of color
by citizens and law enforcement, known as racial profiling. In the United States it results in
racism existing within the structures of institutions in society such as government and law
victims of police brutality that resulted in death. All victims were said to be unarmed by
bystanders, but they were still shot and killed by police officers in 2015. None of the killings
were broadcasted on mainstream media. However, the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an
African American teenager, in August 2014 by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and
the death of Eric Gamer, an African American man who died after being put into a chokehold by
a New York City police officer in July 2014, led to a firestorm of protests under the moniker of
The performances of activism executed by the Black Lives Matter movement is the
leading force to what prompted mainstream media attention. Additionally, with the aid of social
media outlets, such as Twitter, it enabled the movement to gain even more publication. In 2014,
events in Ferguson, Missouri were discussed so frequently on social media that #Ferguson
became the most-tweeted hashtag in what was then Twitters ten-year history. (Bennett-
Swanson) Black activists are mobilized in a way that Hispanic activists are not. Hispanics
encounter obstacles, when attempting to mobilize such as language barrier and if illegal, fear of
deportation. The Black Lives Matter movement is source of empowerment for all minority
groups to stand up and seek resolution for the injustices they face.
Mass Media can range from a variety of communication mediums such as written,
broadcasted or spoke. This includes television, radio, advertising, newspapers, magazines and so
forth. The media employs several tactics in order to shape perception about a groups status and
(Tukachinsky). Some examples of persuasion methods that the broadcast media employs are the
The agenda-setting effect is, the media cueing people to think about some issues rather
than others; they make some considerations more salient than others. For example, the coverage
of crime, may include a report on every murder that happens in a large city. The priming tactic is
the use of media coverage to make the public take a particular view of an event or public
figure. News coverage of murders would likely make it seem that murder occurs much more
often than it actually does. Subsequently, framing the influence of the media over how events
and issues are interpreted occurs and a misperception might in turn give viewers an exaggerated
In addition, news media content may frame positively or negatively a specific ethnic
group. In turn, those narratives also shape individuals attitudes toward minorities. (Arais). For
example, the consistent promotion in conservative news outlets, that crime derives from
undocumented immigrants and the costs of illegal immigration in social services and taxes
directly result from the increase of Hispanics in the United States. Framing in this example,
depicts the Hispanic population as deviant and harmful group to society and shapes individuals
attitudes towards minorities in a negative manner. There is no definitive solution to cease the
incredibly effective in persuading the viewers due to the audience being highly exposed to a
However, as time progresses, there is a possibility that (at least in particular years and
certain TV content) many of the more unflattering roles that dominated in previous years have
diminished, if not disappeared entirely when representing Black individuals in prime time
television (Tukachinsky). Prime time is the peak time is the block of broadcast time with the
most viewers. Since the 1980s, an improved image of Blacks has been displayed in prime time
television. Roles represented range from successful professionals to respected authority figures.
Despite being the largest minority group in the United States Hispanics are infrequently
seen on television a pattern that has persisted for decades. (Tukachinsky) When displayed they
are restricted [to a ] set of roles including criminals, exotic lovers/sex objects, servants/blue-
collar workers, and unintelligent objects of ridicule. (Tukachinsky) With the small amount of
studies conducted that examine Hispanics on television, the positive depiction of Hispanics is
minimal. However, Tukachinsky states that with the little research conducted, it is seen that
Hernandez 5
more egregious portrayals are fading from television, including derisive roles and those
Hispanics and African Americans face similar issues: social injustice, by institutional
racism, racial profiling, and police brutality. Research conducted by experts exposes the very real
issues that both the Hispanic and African American community are facing and the amount of
attention outlets provide, that allow the concerns of the communities to be heard. The
weaknesses of existing research is the dichotomy of black and white conflict, which results in the
lack of acknowledgement of issues that other minority groups encounter. Although the Hispanic
community has difficulty acquiring the media attention, they can use similar methods that
African Americans exercise such as mobilizing the community and generating movements.
There is a need for the reformation of persuasive methods used in broadcasting media.
Negative framing, priming, and agenda setting are fueling undesirable attitudes towards
minorities. If framing, priming, and agenda setting are altered to not disproportionately display
eliminated. Additionally, the media needs to take the initiative to cease the prescription of
stereotypically negative role upon minorities. Mass media outlets need to display minorities in
high status roles that the group has acquired today such as doctors, lawyers and teacher.
There is not one correct resolution to the issue of underrepresentation of minorities in the
media. However, there are actions that could be taken to gain access to outlets such as
mobilization, the use of social media as a platform of speech, and political activism.
Additionally, media outlets must cease the use of negative framing, priming, and agenda setting.
This research paper, displays the underrepresentation of the largest minority group in the United
States in broadcasting media. As the Hispanic population flourishes and becomes an arising
Hernandez 6
majority, media outlets must initiate the publication of Hispanic plight so they are heard and later
rectified.
Hernandez 7
Works Cited
Arias, Santiago, and Lea Hellmueller. "Hispanics-And-Latinos and The U.S. Media: New Issues For
Future Research." Communication Research Trends 35.2 (2016): 4-21. Communication & Mass
Media Complete.
Bennett-Swanson, Meredith. "Media Coverage of Black Lives Matter." Critique: A Worldwide Student
login.proxy006.nclive.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=poh
&AN=123533324&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Dixon, Travis L., et al. "The Portrayal of Race and Crime on Television Network News." Journal of
Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 47, no. 4, Dec. 2003, pp. 498-523. EBSCOhost,
login.proxy006.nclive.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h
&AN=13713286&site=eds-live&scope=site.
LEE, CYNTHIA. "Making Black And Brown Lives Matter: Incorporating Race Into The Criminal
Procedure Curriculum." St. Louis University Law Journal 60.3 (2016): 481-496. Academic
Search Complete.
Planas, Roque. The Fatal Police Shootings You Arent Hearing About. The Huffington Post, 28 Aug.
2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/latinos-hispanic-killed-
police_us_57878af8e4b03fc3ee4f62ae.
Tukachinsky, Riva, et al. "The Effect of Prime Time Television Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes on Latino
and Black Americans: A Longitudinal National Level Study." Journal of Broadcasting &
Electronic Media, vol. 61, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 538-556. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1080/08838151.2017.1344669.