Representation in Media

Do media images and messages only reflect our world, or do they also help create it? Clearly,they do both. But many studies demonstrate that media messages do NOT reflect the world as it really is: There are far more people of color, disabled people, non-heterosexuals, seniors and poor people in the REAL world than we see on TV or in the movies. Media portrayals of women often leave much to be desired, especially women in advertising.

The resources below explore these issues and link to organizations supporting a more diverse community of media producers. For individual authors and speakers on representation and media, visit the Media Literacy Speakers Bureau and search in the Topics box for a speaker on Representation.

Also, be sure to check the best comprehensive resource we've seen so far on this issue, the outstanding University of Iowa, Department of Communication Studies website on Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Media, with separate pages of comprehensive links on topics including Advertising, African-American, Asian-American, Feminist Media, Latin American, LesBiGay, Native American and other Indigenous Peoples, and others categories related to media representation.

Organizations addressing Media Representation issues (see also Online Resources)

About-Face “combats negative and distorted images of women in the media , and promoted positive self-esteem in girls and women of all ages, sizes, races and backgrounds through a spirited approach to media education, outreach and activism.”

African American Women in Cinema   AAWiC's mission is to support minority women filmmakers by providing resources in the film industry. Their objective is to improve cultural understanding and overall social welfare through the promotion of diversity in all filmed content in both dramatic and documentary formats.

The Asian-American Justice Center's website has a section on TV Diversity, plus reports and publications.

The Center for Media, Culture and History at New York Univeristy is a collaborative project, drawing on faculty from the Africana Studies Program and the Departments of Anthropology, Cinema Studies, Comparative Literature, History, and Religious Studies. It addresses "issues of representation, social change, and identity construction embedded in the development of film, television, video and new media worldwide."

Center for Media Literacy CML’s Reading Room has many excellent articles on issues related to stereotyping and representation . Also, utilizing its MediaLit Kit framework, the Center for Media Literacy "provides curricula, professional development, implementation and research to prepare educators, parents and children with the media literacy skills necessary to be enlightened, engaged citizens of a global media culture."

The Center for New Words programs "support diverse women‘s engagement with the entire 'word cycle,' from literacy to blogging to literary writing to opinion-making in the media and other domains of influence." Located in Cambridge, Mass.

Children Now  Outstanding materials in the Publications section, many in easy-to-print PDF format, including:

• Fall Colors 2003-04: Prime Time Diversity Report. The latest of an annual study of television diversity, this one showing that the broadcast networks have made minimal progress in presenting a more diverse prime time picture, and in fact have lost ground in some key programming segments.
• Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games shows that most of the top-selling video games offer very little racial and gender diversity.
• Local Television News Media’s Picture of Children showed that local television news broadcasts under-represent the presence of children in society, distort the level of crime committed by and against children and rarely focus on public policy issues that affect American families.
• A Different World: Native American Children's Perceptions of Race and Class in the Media. A groundbreaking inquiry into Native American children's perceptions of race and class in the media, focusing on the images presented by news and entertainment.
• Boys to Men: Messages About Masculinity. Outstanding series examinining media portrayals of masculinity in sports and in entertainment, showing that media essages reinforce a kind of "gender straight jacket" for boys growing up in today's world, and that boys need fuller range of options to grow up healthy in America.
  

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media "works with entertainment creators and companies, educates the next generation of content-creators, and informs the public about the need to increase the number of girls and women in media aimed at kids and to reduce stereotyping of both males and females."

GLAAD: Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representation The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

International Women's Media Foundation The IWMF's mission is to strengthen the role of women in the news media around the world, based on the belief that no press is truly free unless women share an equal voice.

Media Education Foundation Outstanding, leading-edge resources, primarily for older teens, college-age and adults, including titles on gender roles and sexism in the media, media portrayals of race and sexual orientation, and much more.See their Links & Resources section for additional links related to media representation.

Mind on the Media works to raise public awareness about the negative effects of images in the media.  Their project “Turn Beauty Inside Out” Campaign works to foster participation, discussion and awareness of images of girls and women in the media. 

National Hispanic Media Coalition A "coalition of Hispanic-American organizations that have joined together to address a variety of media related issues that affect the Hispanic-American community across the nation."

Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) An association which aims to provide a forum for women in media professions to share information and resources, exchange ideas, promote media awareness and ethics, and work for gender equality and justice within the Indian media and society.

New York Women in Film and Television "NYWIFT is dedicated to helping women reach the highest level of achievement in television, film, and other moving-image media and promoting equity for women in these industries." NYWIFT brings together more than 1,500 professionals including EMMY and Academy Award® winners, who work in all areas of the entertainment industry. Part of a network of 40 international Women in Film chapters (see below).

Reel Grrls is an award-winning after-school media and technology training program that empowers teenage girls (ages 13-19) in the Puget Sound (Washington state, U.S.) to critique media images (particularly of women and girls) and to gain video technology skills in a safe, open environment, mentored by a network of multi-cultural women media professionals. The program is premised on findings in a National Organization for Women report that concluded that the "media's influence on female self-esteem and body image promotes stereotypes that limit career and lifestyle choices for girls and women." Girls learn to stop comparing themselves to media representations and to instead look critically at the media they consume.

UCLA's Center for Communications & Community has numerous reports and publications dealing with media and community issues, some of which address issues of representation. In particular, Context is a "journal that includes reports, commentaries, and analysis on the media and communities." You can request a free copy of the latest issue. The overall approach is very board and academic.

Women in Film WIF's purpose is to empower, promote, nurture, and mentor women in the industry through a network of contacts, events, and programs including the Women In Film Mentor Program, the award- winning Public Service Announcement Production Program, and the Internship Program in association with the Fulfillment Fund.

Women in the Director's Chair A Chicago-based, international media arts /activist center which exhibits, promotes, and educates about media made by women, girls and transgendered people that express a diversity of cultures, experiences, and issues.

Women Make Movies is a "multicultural, multiracial, non-profit media arts organization which facilitates the production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of independent films and videotapes by and about women. The organization provides services to both users and makers of film and video programs, with a special emphasis on supporting work by women of color."

Women’s Media Center, an outstanding site, is "part of a strong feminist tradition that seeks to hold the media accountable for presenting the world as we know it. Our mission is to assure that women and women’s experiences are reflected in the media just as women are present everywhere in the real world; that women are represented as local, national, and global sources for and subjects of the media," and more.

Online resources addressing Media Representation issues

Adios Barbie! A Body Image Site for Every Body  Witty and sometimes biting commentary provide support for feeling OK about yourself just the way you are. Virtual bumper stickers for your website, games and other clever ways to learn about and speak out against impossible beauty stereotypes.

ERaM: Ethnicity, Racism and Media Discussion Forum
A "global research network open to those academics, media professionals and others engaged in systematic research or professional practice in the area of ethnicity, racism and media," ERAM offers an impressive online discussion forum to identify, examine and separate the myths about the role and portrayal of ethnicity and race in the media.

Greg Apodaca's Digital Archive is an online portfolio by a photographer showcasing his Photoshop retouching skills. If you're looking for fantastic examples of how a photo (of women, signs, scenes and more) can be manipulated to portray something other than reality, this is the place to go.

Media Literacy Clearinghouse has links to teaching materials and activities related to stereotypes, gender issues and representations in the media. Click on Gender/Representation on the home page (yellow bar on left)

New Moon Magazine publishes a print magazine edited by and for girls ages 8-14, "who want their voices heard and their dreams taken seriously, and for adults who care about girls," and a newsletter for adults. The website has interesting articles and other features worth exploring.

Racialicious, (formerly known as Mixed Media Watch) is a " blog about the intersection of race and pop culture. Check out our daily updates on the latest celebrity gaffes, our no-holds-barred critique of questionable media representations, and of course, the inevitable Keanu Reeves newsflashes." Founded by Carmen Van Kerckhove, whose perspectives on race and racism have been featured in Newsweek, the New York Times, USA Today and other mainstream publications.

SheSource.org An online database of women experts on diverse topics for journalists, SheSource.org "closes the gender gap in news coverage by making it easy for journalists to connect with women experts to quote and voice their opinions on topics of interest. With a few quick clicks, journalists can find women experts in a variety of fields all across the country."

Sisters in Cinema is a resource guide for and about African-American women feature filmmakers.

Women in Media & News (WIMN) "works to increase women's presence in the public debate, emphasizing those who are least often heard, including women of color, low-income women, lesbians, youth and older women. WIMN analyzes representations of women in media; trains women's and social justice groups to hold media outlets accountable to the public interest; advocates for policy reform and structural change; and works with journalists to broaden the quantity and diversity of women's voices appearing in the media."

Women's eNews covers "issues of particular concern to women and provides women's perspectives on public policy."