Does racism in the media cause internalised racism?

Internalised racism is an issue that in an intercultural world we will always face. The University of Western Australia describes internalised racism as self-hatred or disapproval of one’s own racial group for the lack of white characteristics (2014). Our ancestor’s have paved the way for our world to see race as a hierarchy system. Media and advertising was a tool used profoundly to ensure people of the world understood where they fit in to the hierarchy system. Because the hierarchy system seemed so important, fitting into the right social group prompted people to answer the question of whether they were black, white or other? In the 21st century people are not limited to deciding what race they are classified under, instead a persons actual ethnicity or culture is acknowledged. However we still see references to a racial hierarchy system put in place for us hundreds of years ago in order for people to have the comfort of belonging to an “in-group”. But did people ever feel comfort from becoming subject to ignorance and racism, how much of this hierarchy system was due to people being confronted with racist advertisements and white superiority prompts from the media industry? This essay will explore the idea that racism in the media and advertising industry does cause individuals to experience internalised racism. Specifically shown in actress Lupita Nyong’o’s award acceptance speech and in 1884 with the Pears Soap advertisement based on the white elephant racial purity controversy.

In 2014 Lupita Nyong’o accepted an Academy Award for best supporting actress in the film 12 years a slave (Pulver, 2014). Lupita also won Best Breakthrough performance at the seventh annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon. In Lupita’s acceptance s...

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...used by racist values held by the advertising and media industry in New Zealand.

Considering all examples shown it is evident that racism shown within the media does cause internalised racism. Media has continued to cause individuals to face this issue throughout centuries of society living under the pretense of race as a hierarchy system in order to feel like they belong to a group. From more recent examples e.g. Lupita Nyong’o’s acceptance speech it is obvious that this system did not provide belonging or comfort but instead confronted people with self-hatred and racist thoughts towards ones own race. The example of the white elephant in London brings forward many intercultural issues but the fact that its controversy caused Europeans to become anxious as to how secure the colour of their skin was shows just how influential the media and advertising industry is.