Running Head: Racial Media Perception

Introduction & Literature Review

Shanyah McCluney JaCoya High, Loil Covington

JOMC 303-01

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

Introduction & Literature Review

Introduction

In the United States, the best way to stay up to date with what's happening in your

community, state or nationwide is by observing the news. Since the 19th century, the newspaper

has held the responsibility of informing citizens about events taking place whether it is good or

bad. They also manage the overall appearance and production of its written content. Present day,

the delivery is still the same including the depiction of certain groups of individuals.

With news being broadcasted on television and posted to social media platforms, there

are various companies constantly sharing news about crime. Two of the most trending forms of

crime in America within the last few decades have been police brutality and domestic terrorism.

Although these crimes are quite different from another, the victims often involved in these

incidents are depicted in a way that could be seen as biased. Most African-American men who

are victims of police brutality are often characterized as criminals by the media. However, a

caucasian male involved in a domestic terrorist incident may be portrayed in a more positive

light. It is important that African Americans who are victims of police brutality are depicted

fairly in the media against white domestic terrorists because the media should stray from being

biased and practicing the inaccurate profiling of individuals . This can be viewed as a direct

reflection of what side the media takes on these political stances. This problem relates to media

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

effect, information processing, political climate, public opinions. The media can allude viewers

by depicting individuals negatively or positively. An example of this would be displaying

mugshots of an African American man who was killed due to police brutality. Meanwhile a

yearbook picture may be shown of a Caucasian man who murdered numerous bystanders.

As media outlets take the initiative to tell the breaking news of the story, the way they

depict these individuals can be seen as biased which shows their stance of the situation. This

correlates with the political climate as it divides audience members to decide if justice was

rightfully served or not. If media outlets continue to report crimes from an unfair standpoint,

information can be processed differently and manipulate the public’s opinion of African

American men.

What communication phenomenon do you want to examine?

We will be taking a look at how media depiction affects how viewers perceive African

Americans victims of police brutality vs. white domestic terrorists. This imbalance within the

media affects the way audience members view these groups of individuals.

What is the background of that phenomenon?

The background of this phenomenon has been around for years. But around 2012, after

the death of Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter movement was born. Since the BLM

movement, there has been more coverage of police brutality on the media; which has led to more

uproar from both sides (those who support and don’t support the movement). Now that George

Floyd & Breonna Taylor have passed, once again we’re at a point where the media calls for

action. White terrorists that have appeared in the media do not receive half as much scrutiny

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

ever. They’re more so viewed as good kids who have a mental issue, when in reality they’re

murders and extremists.

Why do you think studying this phenomenon is important?

This phenomenon is important for several reasons. Social media has a lot of impact on

our daily lives. In the last few years, there have numerous cases associated with police brutality

and terrorism threats; though it seems that victims of police brutality have recieved more

scrunity. It is important to highlight the clear differences between both groups. White terrorists in

America aren’t normally treated like terrorists, most are perceived as nativists who are extremely

patriotic. Police brutality victims such as Botham Jean, George Floyd, and Philando Castile still

receive backlash in the media because some people deem their incomplete compliance justifiable

for death by police.

What theories do you want to use to explain this phenomenon?

When dealing with how individuals are portrayed in the media, audience members are

often manipulated by the cultivation analysis theory and framing theory. Once we conduct our

study, we will analyze how these theories play a role in the perception of these two groups by the

media. The Cultivation Analysis theory takes a look at how the media influences a person's sense

of reality. As stated previously, most of the information regarding updates or the news is learned

through various media outlets. Eventually, these sources act as a confidant and becomes a

reliable display of what the world is. On the other hand. The Framing Theory focuses on how

audience members interpret the depiction of media that is shown to them. Media outlets control

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

what the audience reads and how they view the content provided to them. Once this information

is digested, they have aided the audience by manipulating their interpretation of the material.

Thus “Framing” the viewpoint of the medium.

An example of how the Framing theory coincides with our study is when Calvin John

Smiley and David Fuknule, researchers of a similar study, explore how myths, stereotypes, and

racist ideologies have led to discriminatory policies and court rulings that fueled racial violence.

They briefly discuss the case of Sam Hose, a African American man who was hanged for crimes

falsely reported by the media.“Hose killed his employer in self-defense after being threatened

with a pistol. However, newspapers wrote that “a monster in human form” emerged, which

detailed Hose as cold-blooded, killing his employer, and savagely raping his employer’s wife”

(Smiley, Fuknule 2015). Due to the media’s lack of accuracy, Hose was targeted and framed

with a negative connotation that convinced others he was malicious.

As we take a look at the Cultivation Analysis Theory, another study by Caleb. J Peart

demonstrates how audience members begin to believe certain depictions in the media are true. In

his study, he talks about the use of “Mental Illness'' being the reason behind mass shootings that

occur in America. While he acknowledges the presence of mental illness in the world, he denies

this being a validation for certain racial groups. Peart states “While the label of mental illness is

on the rise for describing white male mass shooters in America, the same cannot be said for

Black men who commit gun violence” (Peart 2020). With this connotation being attached to

“white males' ' it is easier for audience members to settle for this label and accept the henious

crime that occured.

Find 5 previous studies that have examined the related topic. What have already been
found? What needs to be studied further?

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

What was found in the studies was confirmation that minorities, especially black men

and women, are portrayed negatively in the news and other forms of media compared to white

men and women. Evidenced by in Pittsburg where experimenters watched the local news for

three weeks and found that nearly 80 percent of the references to black people were negative

compared to less than two thirds the amount of white stories were negative. In fact, there was a

near 1 to 4 ratio of positive to negative stories about black people on the news in the time period

they observed.

Furthermore, it has been found that the media tends to focus on painting white domestic

terrorists as people with mental issues or someone who was fed up with something. In 2002

Lucas John Helder was arrested for rigging pipe bombs and sending them out to 18 mailboxes in

order to make out a smiley face. Six of those bombs detonated. Though the FBI ruled his antics

as those of a terrorist the media brought up how he was a musician and was a clean cut college

student.

The media also passes over many terrorist attacks. From 1991 to 2006 most Americans

could only likely list four terrorist events that happened.The 1993 World Trade Center bombing,

the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade

Center. However, the FBI’s has listed over 450 such events in their “Annual Terrorism in the

United States” report. In addition, according to the FBI, there have been 277 active shooter

incidents between 2000 and 2018. Through this time the media however there have been only a

handful amount of coverage on certain shootings.

While it is a form of assurance to have these pieces of evidence along with the various

other sources that have been found, they only confirm what has already been common

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

knowledge. The geographical location and publications in which these happen the most

frequently needs to be studied. For instance, knowing where the demonization of black victims

of police brutality and where domestic terrorists are humanized by the media would greatly help

in understanding why this phenomenon occurs. The reaction of the audience is also necessary.

The topic of research was fairly difficult to find numerous academic articles for due to the fact

that it's a subtle form of racism that many do not see.

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

References

From “brute” to “thug:” The demonization and criminalization of unarmed Black male
victims in America

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10911359.2015.1129256?needAccess=true
Smiley, C., & Fakunle, D. (2016). From “brute” to “thug:” The demonization and criminalization
of unarmed Black male victims in America. Journal of human behavior in the social
environment, 26(3-4), 350-366.

The Stories They Tell: Mainstream Media, Pedagogies of Healing, and Critical Media
Literacy
(https://bagwell.kennesaw.edu/degrees-
programs/specialist/docs/7_ENED_2_The_Stories_They_Tell.pdf
Baker-Bell, A., Stanbrough, R. J., & Everett, S. (2017). The stories they tell: Mainstream media,
pedagogies of healing, and critical media literacy. English Education, 49(2), 130.

African American Men as "Criminal and Dangerous": Implications of Media Portrayals of

Crime on the "Criminalization" of African American Men
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12111-003-1006-5.pdf
Oliver, M. B. (2003). African American men as “criminal and dangerous”: Implications of media
portrayals of crime on the “criminalization” of African American men. Journal of African
American Studies, 7(2), 3-18.

Media Consumption, Perceptions of Crime Risk and Fear of Crime: Examining

Race/Ethnic Differences
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/sop.2012.55.1.93
Callanan, V. J. (2012). Media consumption, perceptions of crime risk and fear of crime:
Examining race/ethnic differences. Sociological Perspectives, 55(1), 93-115.

References Continued

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

Frame-changing in the media coverage of a school shooting: The rise of Columbine as a

national concern

Muschert, G. W. (2009). Frame-changing in the media coverage of a school shooting: The rise of
Columbine as a national concern. The Social Science Journal, 46(1), 164-170.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/j.soscij.2008.12.014?needAccess=true

News Frames Terrorism: A Comparative Analysis of Frames Employed in Terrorism

Coverage in U.S. and U.K. Newspapers

Papacharissi, Z., & de Fatima Oliveira, M. (2008). News frames terrorism: A comparative analysis of

frames employed in terrorism coverage in US and UK newspapers. The international journal of

press/politics, 13(1), 52-74.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0022002700044004005

Race in Media Coverage of School Shootings: A Parallel Application of Framing Theory

and Attribute Agenda Setting
Park, S. Y., Holody, K. J., & Zhang, X. (2012). Race in media coverage of school shootings: A

parallel application of framing theory and attribute agenda setting. Journalism & Mass

Communication Quarterly, 89(3), 475-494.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077699012448873

Credibility Perceptions of News Coverage of Ethnic Groups: The Predictive Roles of Race

and News Use

Beaudoin, C. E., & Thorson, E. (2005). Credibility perceptions of news coverage of ethnic groups: The

predictive roles of race and news use. The Howard Journal of Communications, 16(1), 33-48.

https://nca.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10646170590915844?needAccess=true

References Continued

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

Media Representations and Impact on the Lives of Black Men and Boys

Bell, D., & Delimpaltadaki, J. (2011). Media Representations and Impact on Lives of Black Men

and Boys, 1-47. New York: The Opportunity Agenda.

https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/Media-Impact-onLives-of-Black-Men-and-Boys-

OppAgenda.pdf

Narratives of Harm: How Reports of Mass Shootings Privilege White Identities and
Perpetuate Black Pathology”
Peart, C. J. (2020). Narratives of Harm: How Reports of Mass Shootings Privilege White

Identities and Perpetuate Black Pathology” (Doctoral dissertation).

https://ir.vanderbilt.edu/bitstream/handle/1803/10098/PEART-THESIS-2020.pdf?

sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Shooters of color are called ‘terrorists’ and ‘thugs.’ Why are white shooters called

‘mentally ill’?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/18/call-the-charleston-church-

shooting-what-it-is-terrorism/

The Media's Coverage of Domestic Terrorism

Chermak, S. M., & Gruenewald, J. (2006). The media's coverage of domestic terrorism. Justice

Quarterly : JQ, 23(4), 428-461. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ncat.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/07418820600985305

References Continued

Black Racial Stereotypes and Victim Blaming: Implications for Media Coverage and
Criminal Proceedings in Cases of Police Violence against Racial and Ethnic Minorities

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Running Head: Racial Media Perception

Dukes, K. N., & Gaither, S. E. (2017). Black racial stereotypes and victim blaming: Implications for

media coverage and criminal proceedings in cases of police violence against racial and ethnic

minorities. The Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 789-807.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ncat.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/josi.12248

Broadcast news portrayal of minorities: Accuracy in reporting

Klein, R. D., & Naccarato, S. (2003). Broadcast news portrayal of minorities: Accuracy in reporting:
PROD. The American Behavioral Scientist, 46(12), 1611.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ncat.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0002764203254617

TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM COURT CASES: CLASS AND MENTAL

HEALTH IN THE CRIMINAL SYSTEM
Rondon, Y., E.S.Q. (2018). TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM COURT CASES: CLASS AND
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CRIMINAL SYSTEM. The American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy
& the Law, 26(2), 741-792. Retrieved from http://ncat.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-
com.ncat.idm.oclc.org/docview/2133762542?accountid=12711

Active Shooter Incidents: Topical One-Pagers, 2000 - 2018

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