Media Representations of Ethnicity

The media's representation of ethnicity and race has been one of the most contested areas in the sociology of the media. Research has consistently demonstrated that ethnic minorities are subject to systematic patterns of under-representation, stereotyping, and negative framing in media content. These patterns have significant consequences for social attitudes, inter-ethnic relations, and the lived experiences of minority ethnic groups. This lesson examines the key theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on media representations of ethnicity.

Key Definition: Ethnic representation in the media refers to the ways in which people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are portrayed, including the frequency, context, roles, and framing of their appearance in media content.

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Stuart Hall: Encoding/Decoding and the Politics of Representation

Stuart Hall made several foundational contributions to the study of media representations of ethnicity. His theoretical work on encoding and decoding (1973/1980) and his analyses of racial representation have shaped the entire field.

The Encoding/Decoding Model