How Psychology and Lack of Diversity in Media Go Hand in Hand

 By KATY SNODGRASS 

ks439219@ohio.edu

"The racialized classification of people is so enmeshed in the fabric of American society that many of us unwittingly help perpetuate it." (Waterson)

The concept described above by MediaPost journalist Adrianna Waterson is implicit bias, a psychological concept all humans naturally possess. According to an article in Scientific American, implicit biases occur because our brains work to notice patterns and make generalizations based on them. 

How To Think About "Implicit Bias"

Pattern recognizing and generalizations unconsciously create stereotypes about groups of people that can affect how we interact with and view others. That can, and usually does, happen without even being aware of it, causing unintentional discrimination while being blissfully unaware of it. Implicit biases are only reinforced by a cultural or community acceptance and shared belief of a stereotype. 

However, biases and stereotypes do not always lead to mass killings, devastating violence, or extreme hatred. According to the Scientific American article, implicit biases can be as small as white people viewing black faces as angrier than white faces. 

We can see these seemingly insignificant stereotypes in all media types, even with today's heavy focus on diversity and inclusion. From advertisements preferring light-skinned black people to dark-skinned black people, a lack of people of color in newsrooms and news stations, and the tokenism of minorities in an agency. 

Petito Case Renews Call to Spotlight Missing People of Color.

Implicit biases can also affect the stories run and become personalized in the media. One recent example of this was the Gabby Petito case over the summer. 

According to the Associated Press, Petito was a young white woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while traveling across the U.S. with her boyfriend.  

"The following image compares the ethnic and racial 
differences between unsolved homicide areas (red) 
and solved homicide areas (blue) in Chicago, 
Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans." 
Examine Racial Inequities in Unsolved Murder Cases.  

In the weeks after Petito's disappearance, a frenzy exploded on both social and traditional media, with Petito's face plastered on the news for weeks and an intense public desire for her case to be solved. The Associated Press says her case has brought new attention to the idea of "missing white woman syndrome."

However, these issues become far less glaring when a newsroom is diverse from the very top down to the very bottom. By having many different perspectives and journalists from all different walks of life, the stories and content produced also become more diverse and inclusive to more people. 

That is beneficial to the news organization as more people are drawn to purchase and support their content. It is also beneficial to society as minorities quickly become the majority in the United States. Thus, earnestly telling their stories becomes increasingly essential to a growing population.