TPPM Watts: (8) Black and white TV screens

[Paul Nightingale]

"... white values are displayed without let-up on black people's TV
screens ..."

Again the ideological state in action. Of course, a monopoly of TV
content doesn't mean that hegemonic control is secure (ie the fact that
black people watch white TV doesn't necessarily mean they buy into, eg,
the American Dream or whatever).

For a summary of (one kind of) research into media representations, and
the under-representation of minority groups, see: Greenberg & Brand,
"Minorities and Mass Media, 1970s to 1990s" in Bryant & Zillman eds,
Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research (1994)

Referring to a range of content analysis studies:

"By 1980, 8 of every 100 prime-time television characters were likely to
be Black, with 3 to 4 characters of other races observed. Black females
were infrequent, and other non-White females were essentially absent.
These findings reappear in two studies organized by the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights (1977, 1979). It is unlikely that these levels have
changed greatly." (Greenberg & Brand, 277)

Extrapolating from these figures we might speculate about the situation
in the mid-60s being 'worse' (ie non-whites are less visible). However,
repeating the point made at the outset, such 'number-crunching
exercises' say nothing about the way people use television, of course.

More on television later.