News

Mediaxploitation: A call for unbiased reporting on boys and men of color

December 04, 2014

Media reporting on the Grand Jury decision regarding the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, tended to focus on isolated instances of violence that erupted following the announcement of the jury’s decision. Yet peaceful protests were staged across the country that were largely ignored by news media, continuing a trend that researchers have extensively documented: news reporting on boys and men of color tends to reinforce negative stereotypes that feed most Americans’ unconscious racial biases. The result is a vicious cycle of stereotyping that powerfully shapes how the public – and police – interact with boys and men of color.

Please join the National Collaborative for Health Equity and the Dellums Commission for a presentation and panel discussion about the news media’s depictions of boys and men of color. Panelists will identify ways in which news media reporting fosters bias, and suggest strategies in support of positive media images for boys and men of color. 

Relative to their white peers, boys and men of color face a host of historic and contemporary factors that contribute to pervasive negative stereotypes, shortened life expectancy and inequitable life opportunities. To address these inequities, the National Collaborative has re-convened the Dellums Commission (first convened by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in 2005) with the goal of bringing attention to pervasive negative stereotypes of boys and men of color, and providing new tools, leadership, support, and vision to communities struggling to address the needs of this population. 

  • Wednesday, December 10, 2014
  • Rayburn Office House Building
    Gold Room 2168
    45 Independence Avenue, SW 
    Washington, DC 20515
Agenda

8:00–8:30 a.m.                     Coffee and Light Breakfast
8:30–8:40 a.m.                     Welcome
8:40–9:30 a.m.                     Keynote & Panel Discussion
9:30–10:00 a.m.                   Audience Q&A

Event Information

  • Host: National Collaborative for Health Equity (National Collaborative)
  • Congressional Sponsor: Congressional Caucus on African American Men & Boys
  • Moderator: Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D., Author & Fellow, Interactivity Foundation
  • Panelists
    Robert Entman, Ph.D., J.B. & Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Media & Public Affairs & International Affairs, George Washington University
    Allen Herman, M.D., Ph.D., Epidemiologist & Vice Chairman, Dellums Commission
    Senator John McCoy, 38th Legislative District, Olympia, WA.
    Lori Dorfman, Dr.P.H., Director, Berkeley Media Studies Group
  • Please click here to RSVP for this event – seating is limited.

This event is generously supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

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