TV Portrayals of Minorities Criticized

A study of children’s perceptions of the world according to their television sets has found that minority children want more accurate portrayals of their own race and family finances.

Children are sensitive to what they watch in entertainment and news programs and would like to see more people whose lives reflect their own, according to the study released Wednesday.

“People are inspired by what they see on television,” one black child said. “If they do not see themselves on TV, they want to be someone else.”

Asked how often they see people of their own color, 71% of white children surveyed said that it was very often, compared with 42% of blacks, 22% of Latinos and 16% of Asians.

The youngsters also perceived more negative depictions of blacks and Latinos than of whites and Asians.

“A Different World: Children’s Perceptions of Race and Class in the Media,” was based on a March survey of 1,200 children, ages 10 to 17, and nine focus groups in January and February. Results were released at a conference sponsored by Children Now, a national children’s advocacy organization based in Oakland, Calif.

“The findings show that kids of all races are aware of media stereotypes starting at a young age and understand the power of television to shape opinions,” Children Now President Lois Salisbury said.

Pollsters interviewed 300 children each from white, Latino, Asian and black backgrounds. Results for “all children” were weighted to reflect demographic representation in the population of children: 69% white, 14% black, 13% Latino, 3% Asian.

The poll, conducted by Lake Sosin Snell Perry & Associates, had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.

Among the findings:

* Children more often associate positive qualities--financial and academic success, leadership, intelligence--with white characters, and associate negative qualities--lawbreaking, financial hardship, laziness, “goofy” behavior--with minority characters.

* Children of all races say the news media tend to portray blacks and Latinos more negatively than whites and Asians, particularly in reports about young people. “You always see black people doing drugs and carrying around drugs, shooting people and stealing things,” one white girl said.

* 71% of all children said the role of boss is usually played by someone who is white, while 59% said the role of criminal is typically played a black.

* White characters are seen as having more money; minority characters are seen as struggling.

* Minority children primarily admire black television figures such as Michael Jordan, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey, while white children admire white and “crossover” figures: Jerry Seinfeld, Bart Simpson, Tim Allen and George Clooney, as well as Jordan and Smith.

* Most minority children--71% of blacks, 63% of Latinos and 51% of Asians--say there should be more news presenters of their race. But at least two-thirds of all children said a reporter’s race did not affect their trust in the news.

“The kids are onto something,” said Amy Jordan, who directs children’s television research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center.

She said the survey results are consistent with other research that found minorities regularly underrepresented, more likely to be stereotyped and more apt to be portrayed in low-class jobs, as criminals or as buffoons.

Television holds onto successful formulas, which often are “rooted in stereotypes,” Jordan said. Giving more dimension to minority characters “would be doing everybody--particularly minority children--a service.”

Stephanie Coontz, a family historian at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., said the study showed that children are looking past the token successful minority characters.

“One reason minorities say they’re not seeing enough of their own race is that when they see this token, it’s not real to them,” she said.

“When you look at TV, you would think the minority population in America was one-third high-powered black executives and professionals and two-thirds underclass criminals or poor people,” Coontz said. “What gets missed is the overwhelming bulk of working-class families struggling to make it.”

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As seen on TV

Children Now asked 1,200 youngsters in four cities for their opinions of how whites and minorities are portrayed on television. Here are some findings from the survey, released Wednesday.

*

How often do you see your race?

White

Very often: 71%

Often: 19

Every now and then: 9

Never: -

*

African American

Very often: 42%

Often: 36

Every now and then: 18

Never: 3

*

Latino

Very often: 22%

Often: 27

Every now and then: 44

Never: 7

*

Asian

Very often: 16%

Often: 20

Every now and then: 51

Never: 13

*

Whom children associated with positive qualities

White characters Having lots of money: 58%

Being well educated: 46

Being a leader: 44

Doing well in school: 37

Being intelligent: 32

*

Minority characters

Having lots of money: 8%

Being well educated: 10

Being a leader: 12

Doing well in school: 8

Being intelligent: 9

*

About the same

Having lots of money: 30%

Being well educated: 40

Being a leader: 37

Doing well in school: 50

Being intelligent: 54

*

Whom children associated with negative qualities

White characters Breaking the law or the rules: 6%

Having a hard time financially: 8

Being lazy: 14

Acting goofy: 19

*

Minorityi characters

Breaking the law or the rules: 47%

Having a hard time financially: 46

Being lazy: 31

Acting goofy: 27

*

About the same

Breaking the law or the rules: 42%

Having a hard time financially: 41

Being lazy: 43

Acting goofy: 47

Source: Children Now