In American society, the media plays an overwhelming role in shaping how people think and what people believe. The images and spins that come from every form of media eventually become the immediate thought in one’s mind when certain topics are brought up. How can this not be the case when stereotypes are being thrown at people in rapid fire from every direction? The media is everywhere and is not an easy force to be reckoned with. One particular area in which the media have formed images in the minds of the people is the idea of criminals.
From pictures on television to descriptions in books, the criminal is commonly portrayed as a black male. The consequences of this stereotype may not been seen or felt by all, but they affect the lives of many in serious ways. In a study published in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education in 1995, people were asked to picture a drug user and describe that person to the questioner. The results showed 95% of respondents pictured the user as African American (106).
There are likely many reasons behind this phenomenon.
However, none of these reasons is that African Americans use drugs more often than whites do. In fact, most drug dealers and users are white (99).
If this is the case, then why when asked to describe a drug user do most people picture a black man? In short, the answer is because of the media. Television, newspapers, books, magazines, the Internet, and most any other media source typically show African American criminals more often than white criminals. “For nearly three decades, news stories regarding virtually all street crime have disproportionately featured African American offenders (106).
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Because the media so heavily reports on African American crimes, this is the image beaten into the minds of those watching. People now have a stereotype in mind of the black man as a dangerous drug user. This unfortunate stereotype has many consequences, seen and unseen. First of all, it creates an unnecessary and invalid fear in peoples’ minds. When a most people see an African American person, male or female, the initial reaction is typically to be frightened. The proof of this is in our own reaction to this situation. Why is fear the first reaction even of people who claim to not or do not want to be stereotypical?
This is, again, because of the images of African Americans portrayed in the media. After seeing countless pictures of African Americans as criminals, it is not surprising that this unwanted reaction is at the forefront of most peoples’ minds. The media trains its viewers to be afraid of the criminals it showcases. Using frightening phrases, pictures, and more, the media provokes fear whenever stories of criminals are told. With so great a volume of media constantly around, it is natural that the fear surrounding these stories would follow into everyday lives.
Because the criminals in the media are typically African American, this fear is placed onto blacks everywhere. When one sees an African American person, one’s thoughts immediately return to the common image of a black person as a criminal. This thought process may not be, and probably is not, voluntary for most people. However, just because one is not consciously racist does not mean they will not turn out to be racist subconsciously when prompted by images or verbal cues – even such as seeing an African American person on the street (107).
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Because there are so many media outlets and so many images and such portraying blacks as criminals and therefore a people to be feared, the natural subconscious pathway is to feel afraid. Another consequence of the stereotype of blacks as criminals is the degree to which it downplays the amount of crime committed by whites. Based on the media and the distribution of races in American prisons, it can seem as though most drug crimes are committed by non-whites, especially African Americans and Hispanic Americans (99).
The truth is, however, that “the majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white (98).
” Because the main image of crime portrayed by the media is black, people often forget that whites commit just as much, if not more, crime as African Americans do. The amount of crime committed by whites seems to be much less because it is very rarely seen in any form of media outlet. Whether in the ghetto or a suburban neighborhood, whites never seem to be convicted of crimes, or even arrested.
One of the biggest problems with this stereotype of the African American drug man is that law enforcement is not immune to the media images. “Law enforcement officials, no less than the rest of us, have been exposed to the racially charged… media imagery associated with the drug war (106).
” If the police believe that African Americans are more likely to commit crimes, they will, as one would expect, subconsciously or consciously watch out for African American crime more than white crime.
However, this is not a phenomenon that can be blamed on law enforcement. These men and women likely do not go to work each day prepared to arrest a large amount of African Americans simply because of skin color. However, since they are bombarded with just as many negative African American media images as everyone else, they too have the preconceived and subconscious notion of criminals being African American. This is problematic for African Americans all over the country for obvious reasons.
If the police have a subconscious belief that blacks are more likely to commit crimes than other people, they (the police) will be more closely watching those communities that are typically African American. None of this, however, is to say that the media is the only component to be blamed for the current situation. The image of blacks as criminals probably dates much farther back to slave times. The media’s role in portraying African Americans as criminals has certainly spread the image and worsened the situation, but it is not something to set completely on the shoulders of the media.
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Unfortunately, and by whoever’s fault, African Americans have been placed with the stereotype of being dangerous and more inclined towards criminal acts than other races, particularly whites. This stereotype has many consequences for those it affects, and must be dealt with in some way. The first step towards repairing this false image is awareness. If more people are conscious of the stereotypes shown by the media, these people can fight against using the stereotypes in their own lives. This may not fix the problem entirely or quickly, but it is a start and one that is easily done.
