Media Representations of Race and Ethnicity: Implications for Identity, Intergroup Relations, and Public Policy

In everything from the policies that regulate media industries to the practices of the organizations that produce the messages to the usage patterns of the consumers that choose them, mass media are implicated in real-world interracial/ethnic dynamics. Yet, despite the obvious associations between media and issues of race and ethnicity, a comprehensive effort aimed at documenting and addressing these links has not been undertaken. The current issue, Media Representations of Race and Ethnicity: Implications for Identity, Intergroup Relations, and Public Policy, does just that. Media portrayals, media usage patterns, favorable and unfavorable effects of exposure (on diverse audiences), and policy implications, all are examined.

Dana Mastro (Ph.D., Michigan State University), is a Professor of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research documents depictions of Latinos in English and Spanish-language media and assesses the extent to which exposure to this content influences racial/ethnic cognitions as well as a variety of intergroup and identity-based outcomes.

Riva Tukachinsky (Ph.D., University of Arizona), is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and M.S. Program in Health and Strategic Communication at Chapman University. Her research investigates the psychological mechanisms underlying media effects in the context of social stereotypes, health and psychological well-being.