Race, Myth and the News / Edition 1

by Christopher P. Campbell

Overview

How are the perceptions of the majority culture, the ‘preferred readings', reflected in television news? How do they reinforce stereotyped attitudes on race? This interpretive analysis presents evidence of racism, including under-representation, within news texts. The author examines the values, traditions and practices of news production that, often unconsciously, serve to maintain the alienation of racial groups in society. While the focus is on local television news in the United States, Race, Myth and the News has a broad relevance to studies of culture and race.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803958722
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/28/1995
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.39(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Common Sense, Myth, News and Racism
A Myth of Marginality
Traditional Racism and the News
A Myth of Difference
Racial Stereotypes and the News
A Myth of Assimilation
‘Enlightened' Racism and the News
Race, Myth and the Newspaper
How the Daily Press Covered King Day
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

Based on 39 hours of local television news from a geographical cross-section of the US during January 1993, Campbell (communications, Xavier U., New Orleans) constructs an interpretive framework for analyzing the racial element in the content, then points out the lingering vestiges of traditional overt racism and the persistence of racial stereotyping, and compares those findings with studies of prime-time fictional television. He also compares the television and newspaper coverage of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. His conclusion is that popular non-news media provide a more accurate portrait of race in America. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews