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ABSTRACT
The U.S. population is becoming more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. In some ways, television, film, video game, and news content reflect that reality. Yet, in other ways, such content falls short, in terms of underrepresenting particular social groups and/or depicting those groups in a limited manner. The current review essay details the ways in which a number of minoritized social groups are portrayed in major media forms in the U.S. and connects to the research on implications of such depictions for minoritized as well as non-minoritized groups. A call for future research that centers the ways in which identities are intersectional, balances agency and vulnerability, and unpacks the complex and contextual nature of media content and influence is made, in addition to identifying new topical areas for research.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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Notes on contributors
Erica Scharrer
Erica Scharrer (Ph.D., Syracuse University) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research examines media content, opinions of media, (critical) media effects, and media literacy, especially pertaining to violence and/or gender.
Srividya Ramasubramanian
Srividya Ramasubramanian (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University) is Newhouse Professor and Endowed Chair at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Her research interests include media for antiracism, social justice, decolonization, and data justice.
Omotayo Banjo
Omotayo Banjo (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University) is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Cincinnati. Her research centers on racial identity with a specialized focus on ethnic and transnational creative content and its impact on audiences’ self-concept and value.