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Though these representations are factually inaccurate, they are often left unquestioned because they fall in line with prevailing cultural stereotypes. Despite the reality that most crime happens between members of the same racial group, the media exaggerates the prevalence of black-on-white crime. One study of local news coverage found that black people are disproportionately portrayed as criminals, while white people are more often shown as the victims of crime. Many media images of black men are linked to criminality or poverty, and positive depictions are often limited to sports and music. The consistency of these representations reinforces stereotypes and makes them more readily available in our minds.įor example, black men and boys are systematically portrayed negatively in both news and entertainment programming. In television and film, characters from nondominant racial and ethnic groups often fall into formulaic tropes, and their storylines easily follow cliche narratives. Through these representations, we see a limited, and distorted, view of others.īoth entertainment and news media are powerful forces in creating and perpetuating negative cultural stereotypes, especially about racial and ethnic groups. The problem, though, is that many representations are based on cultural stereotypes, which tend to marginalize and caricature members of nondominant groups. For many of us, popular culture is the primary way we learn about people who are different from us. Media, entertainment, and other forms of popular culture play a significant role in shaping our perceptions of others.