The Media in Black and White

The media's treatment of and interaction with race, like race itself, is one of the most sensitive areas hi American society. Whether hi its coverage and treatment of racial matters or racial connections inside media organizations themselves, mass communication is deeply involved with race. The Media in Black and White brings together twenty journalists and scholars, of various racial backgrounds, to grapple with a controversial issue: the role that media industries, from advertising to newspapers to the information superhighway, play in helping Americans understand race. Contributors include Ellis Cose, a contributing editor for Newsweek; Manning Marable, chairman of Columbia University's African-American Research Center; William Wong, a columnist for the Oakland Tribune; Lisa Penaloza, a University of Illinois professor; and Melita Marie Garza, a Chicago Tribune reporter. Among the topics discussed are: the quality of reporting on immigrant issues; how sensationalism may be deepening the chasm of misunderstanding between the races; how the coverage of America's drug wars has been marked by racism; and whether politically correct language is interfering with coverage of vital issues and problems. The contributors of The Media in Black and White hope to broaden the narrow vision of the United States and the world beyond with their contributions to the debate over race and the media. The commentary found hi this important work will be of interest to sociologists, communication specialists, and black studies scholars.

Everette E. Dennis. a widely known author and media critic. Is executive director of The Freedom Forum International Consortium of Universities, and senior vice president of The Freedom Forum of Arlington. Virginia. Among his books are Media arid the Environment, Understanding Mass Communication, and Media Debates. From 1984 to 1996 he was founding executive director of The Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University. Edward C. Pease Is chairman of the Department of Communication at Utah State University, Logan. and a former editor of the Media Studies Journal. He previously taught at St. Michael's College In Vermont and at the University of Dayton In Ohio. He Is the author of a number of scholarly articles and co. editor with Everette E. Dennis of Roil to-The Forgotten Medium.

Preface Part I Reviewing the American Melting Pot 1. Seething in Silence The News in Black and White 2. Reconciling Race and Reality Part II Covering America 3. Immigration, the Press and the New Racism 4. African Americans According to TV News 5. From Bad to Worse The Media's Framing of Race and Risk 6. Covering the Invisible "Model Minority" 7. In the South Press, Courts and Desegregation Revisited 8. Coloring the Crack Crisis 9. Are the Media Really "White"? 10. Warping the World Media's Mangled Images of Race 11. Pop Culture, "Gangsta Rap" and the "New Vaudeville" 12. Racial Naming 13. On-Ramps to the Information Superhighway 14. Newspapers' Quest for Racial Candor 15. !Ya Viene Atzlan! Latinos in U.S. Advertising 16. (Re)Imagining America