I would like to share with you a research study that I presented at Yale University’s Bouchet Conference on Diversity in Graduate Education last year.
Students and faculty from Yale University and schools across the country came to this renowned conference. I was very thankful and honored to have the opportunity to present my research study: Connecting Television Network News to the College Aspirations of Minority High School Students.
Television news impacts individuals’ perceptions of themselves. Compared to local news, network news has a greater impact on its audiences due to its national presentation of issues and current events. Previous studies demonstrate that network news’ portrayals of minorities increase the endorsement of minority stereotypes and racial attitudes within society. Since minorities–especially African American– adolescents watch more television than any other demographic, increased exposure to television network news programming may affect their college aspirations and self-concepts.
A year ago, I conducted an experiment to investigate whether news viewing, specifically television network news viewing affected the college aspirations of minority high school students.
An online survey was administered to more than 100 students, predominantly African American and Hispanic/Latino students, recruited from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, California. Students were provided with questions based on their education background, television viewing, and college aspirations. Students were also given questions based on a few scales, including a self-esteem scale; self-identity scale; and a television stereotyping scale that I developed.
Results demonstrated subjects believed news programming, particularly network news programming, often encouraged negative stereotypes towards minorities. Additionally, results also showed network news programming that included minority journalists reporting on societal issues or successful, educated minorities providing solutions to societal issues increased students’ college aspirations and self-concepts.
As a result of conducting this study, I feel that it is imperative that there needs to be more discussions on stopping the endorsement of minority stereotype portrayals in the news. Additionally, from the study, I feel that media literacy should be taught in classrooms. Indeed, schools and parents should make more initiatives to encourage adolescents to be more analytical and critical of what they view on television. For example, teachers employed within schools with a student body that consists of a majority minority population should begin to teach their students more about their ancestry, culture, and philosophy of education. If students receive more encouragement to receive an education, then maybe they will change their views on engaging in mainstream society.
Positive changes can happen in news, but we must take the initiative. We, as a society, should continue and do more to strongly encourage minorities to develop academic aspirations to better themselves and society.
Indeed, it must be made clear that there is definitely a connection between how news impacts the college aspirations of minorities as well as their self-esteem and self-concepts. Although news may not be entirely persuading minority adolescents to not fulfill their dreams, it still impacts their own self-images and the perceptions that society has of them. Therefore, new approaches should be followed in the development of all news programming due to the quantity of inaccuracy and stereotypical portrayals of minorities and their impact on society.
To read more of this study, please click here.
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