Media Stereotypes

Many groups of people have expressed dissatisfaction with how they are portrayed by the various media.

Seniors, for example, are frequently portrayed as infirm, fragile, kindly, or cranky. Seniors, teenagers, women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, religious groups and minorities have pointed out that the mass media sometimes present them in a negative, unrealistic or stereotypical manner. reflect upon the following:

• Whose culture appears to be reflected in the mass media?
• Which ones are not? Why?
• How are minorities portrayed in the various media?
• What examples of negative, unrealistic, stereotyped, or prejudiced portrayals of a group have you found in the media?

A CLOSER LOOK:

1. We live in a diverse society. What sorts of diversities are there? How have

these diversity been reflected in our media? Do we value and celebrated the diversities of others? Do the various media? How?

1. What TV programs reflect the racial and cultural diversity of our society? The age and gender diversity?  The spiritual and geographical diversity ? Are these programs realistic and accurate representations of this diversity? What types of negative portrayals are presented? What are the dangers of using stereotypes in TV programs?