Racist Ideology

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Many people believe and argue that the content of mass media is ideological in nature, meaning that it teaches us the norms and values of the dominant features of society. For example, the ruling class concerning Marxism and patriarchy according to Feminists. This is because the media will only portray the ideologies of the dominant group that it is owned by. As ideology is a term most commonly linked to Marxism it is a good starting point, alongside Karl Marx’s ideas of ideologies. This will continue onto the power of the media and the monopoly that the ‘big 6’ have over the mass media. Thirdly, Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony will be linked to ideology and mass media, followed by Louis Althusser’s ideas of ideological state apparatuses …show more content…

It is possible to see racist ideologies in mass media when focussing on film. Characters usually played by black actors are either; a slave figure, traditional, usually cunning but therefore untrustworthy; a native, displaying a savage usually working against or in the way of the white male hero character; or the ‘clown’ character, unintelligent, there for a comic relief, expressive and emotional (Reading Guide to …, No Date). This portrayal of black people in mainstream mass media is a clear example of racist ideologies that are prevalent frequently, especially in film. However, it is not just film where we see the racist ideologies be portrayed. Mainstream television programs such as F.R.I.E.N.D.S, which is probably one of the most popular television sitcoms ever made, is a cast of 6 white actors living in New York. There is not a single black character as a lead or main role in the series, which is true of a lot of television sitcoms i.e. Will and Grace (Complex Magazine, 2013). In an even more current perspective you could consider the portrayal of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, United States. All the public know about the event is what they find out through social media or through the mainstream mass media. This leaves scope for racist ideologies to become prevalent and emerge. Depending on where the news is sourced could have an influence on how much of the content it ideological in nature, but in this situation, most media tells the facts of the situation and remains mostly ‘on the fence’, but the Fox News (2014) article could be seen as defending the actions and thereby creating a controversial news story with racially ideological

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