Synopses & Reviews
Using the cultural prism of race, this book critically examines the images of African Americans that exist in media of the twenty-first century. Further, the authors assess the ways in which media focused on gender, religion, and politics in framing perceptions of the President and First Lady of the United States during the Obama administration. The text draws on a wide range of textual and critical strategies to interpret, criticize, and deconstruct media artifacts.
Review
"The Obamas and Mass Media offers a potent argument that the media we create and consume reflect social mores and taboos. This will be an important book, because it matches cogent discussions of theories concerning race and identity, with powerfully representative case studies drawn from highly mediated and contested moments during the Obama administration." - Meta G. Carstarphen, Associate Professor, Graduate Director, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma, USA
"This book is a great contribution to the field. Of particular notice and value are the literature reviews and discussions from a general perspective followed by the case studies. I believe this it should be used in any class that teaches about diversity issues in news and social media. It should also be a 'must read' for news editors across the country." - Federico Subveri, Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent State University, USA
About the Author
Mia Moody-Ramirez is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media at Baylor University, USA.
Jannette Dates is Dean Emerita of the School of Communications and Professor in the Department of Radio, Television, and Film at Howard University, USA.
Table of Contents
1. Film, Print, and Broadcast Representations of African Americans
2. Historical Stereotypes of Black Men
3. A Feminist Reading of Mass Media
4. Images of African Americans in Advertising, PR, and Social Media
5. Network News
6. New Media Systems
7. Conclusions