African Americans And Reality Shows Essay

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For my final paper, I would like to discuss race and the media. I am specifically interested in African-Americans and how they are portrayed on reality televisions shows and news channels. This is an interesting topic for me because every news channel or reality show I’ve seen has portrayed African-Americans in a negative manner. It’s absolutely amazing to see an entire race of people be portrayed as ignorant, violent, lazy, and ill-mannered while only a portion of people act in this manner. Furthermore, on the news channels, reporters may say that an African-American was a gang member and had a prior criminal record or “rap sheet.” The reporters hardly ever say that a person is hard-working and is a loving person. I also notice that the media always picks a picture that shows someone holding a gun or displaying gang signs …show more content…

In majority of the reality shows on television, black people are the stars and they continuously fight one another and cannot be cordial with each other. Moreover, if someone tries to be the peacemaker they become the next target for violence. I believe that some African-Americans bring this type of attention to themselves but, they want to be treated respectfully and taken seriously when it is time for a business venture. I honestly believe that this is the reason why reporters at news stations (white or black) can get away with degrading people. I chose this topic because the negative aspects that are shown on the news and reality shows are baffling and are not fair. I want to know why African-Americans portray themselves in a negative way and why they are always seen as thugs or criminals on television. Finally, not all African-Americans act this way and why can’t anyone show the positive images of people obtaining great jobs, graduating from good schools, and making major changes in their

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