The portrayal of Latinos in general market media has been historically stereotypical and at times nonexistent, but groups and individuals have made important strides in promoting diversity and equality at a time that is possibly more important than ever. Latino representation in media has improved over the years but the statistics are still dismal when compared to Anglos in the areas of film, television, news, and advertising.
The Latino image that America first became familiar with was done so by Hollywood films that portrayed the characters in stereotypical ways that were far from the truth. Charles Berg in his book Latino Images in Film goes over the six commonly seen Latino stereotypes from the first century of American film. The stereotypes include: el bandido, the harlot, the male buffoon, the female clown, the Latin lover, and the dark lady (Berg, 2002).
[...] The Brownout data is particularly disturbing when taking into account the large population increase of Latinos during the past 10 years and how our country's media are handling the change. Media Matters for America conducted a study in 2007 called “Locked Out: The Lack of Gender and Ethnic Diversity on Cable News Continues”. The study was over the lack of gender and ethnic representation on cable news the week before, during, and after the Don Imus controversy. The group found that on MSNBC percent of the guests on cable news were white the week before percent the week of, and 82 percent the week after (Media Matters for America, 2007). [...]
[...] Austin, University of Texas Press Hispanicad.com. (2007). Toward and Understanding of Latino Imagery in the United States. Retrieved April from https://tracs.txstate.edu/access/content/group/1326cae4-e260-48c7-00c9- 41a48ca86e7e/Latino%20Ad%20Images.doc Inglessis, M., McGavock, H., & Korzenny, F. (2007). Advertising to Hispanics: What the Ads Say: a content analysis of portrayals, communication devices and execution. Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, Florida State University, January 2007. Media Matters for America. (2007). Locked Out: The Lack of Gender & Ethnic Diversity on Cable News Continues. Washington, D.C. National Association for Hispanic Journalists. (2004). [...]
[...] In conclusion, I have learned through the numerous readings on Latinos and media that the Latino image has changed over time but under-representation and stereotypes are still prevalent. Although stereotypes have lessened in their blatant severity, they still exist in media and especially in film. Latinos are becoming a larger percentage of the American population every year and yet media continue to limit their image and participation in such areas as film, television and news. The area of advertising has made significant improvements in Latino representation but that is due in part to the increasing number of Latino centered advertising and marketing agencies. [...]
[...] treacherous, shifty, and dishonest; psychologically, he is irrational, overly emotional, and quick to resort to violence” (Berg, 2002). The popularity of western style movies has passed but modern stereotypes of el bandido have evolved to further promote stereotypes of Latinos. The two incarnations are the gangster/drug runner and the inner- city gang member. Both incarnations may be different on the outside but they are portrayed as same inarticulate, violent, and pathologically dangerous bandidos” (Berg, 2002). The second stereotyped commonly used is that of the harlot. [...]
[...] The outdated and offensive Latino film stereotypes are being battled today by those who depart from the dominant filmmaking practices and wish to progress the image of Latinos to one that is equal with Anglos. Latino representation on television news has continued to provide dismal statistics that are not parallel with the growing population. When looking at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists report “Network Brownout Report 2004: The Portrayal of Latinos and Latino Issues in Network Television News, 2003” by Dr. [...]
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