Mediaxploitation: A Call for Unbiased Reporting on Boys and Men of Color

Event Description:

Media reporting on the Grand Jury decision regarding the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, tended to focus on isolated instances of violence that erupted following the announcement of the jury’s decision.  Yet peaceful protests were staged across the country that were largely ignored by news media, continuing a trend that researchers have extensively documented:  news reporting on boys and men of color tends to reinforce negative stereotypes that feed most Americans’ unconscious racial biases.  The result is a vicious cycle of stereotyping that powerfully shapes how the public – and police – interact with boys and men of color.

The National Collaborative for Health Equity and the Dellums Commission hosted a presentation and panel discussion about the news media’s depictions of boys and men of color. Panelists will identified ways in which news media reporting fosters bias, and suggested strategies in support of positive media images for boys and men of color.

Relative to their white peers, boys and men of color face a host of historic and contemporary factors that contribute to pervasive negative stereotypes, shortened life expectancy and inequitable life opportunities. To address these inequities, the National Collaborative has re-convened the Dellums Commission (first convened by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in 2005) with the goal of bringing attention to pervasive negative stereotypes of boys and men of color, and providing new tools, leadership, support, and vision to communities struggling to address the needs of this population.

Agenda:

8:00–8:30 a.m.     Coffee and Light Breakfast

8:30–8:40 a.m.     Welcome

8:40–9:30 a.m.    Keynote & Panel Discussion (View slides here)

9:30–10:00 a.m.    Audience Q&A

Host:     National Collaborative for Health Equity (National Collaborative)

Congressional Sponsor:     Congressional Caucus on African American Men & Boys

Moderator:    Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D., Author & Fellow, Interactivity Foundation

Panelists:

• Robert Entman, Ph.D., J.B. & Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Media & Public Affairs & International Affairs, George Washington University
• Allen Herman, M.D., Ph.D., Epidemiologist & Vice Chairman, Dellums Commission
• Senator John McCoy, 38th Legislative District, Olympia, WA.
• Lori Dorfman, Dr.P.H., Director, Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute

This event was generously supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.