ethnicity

The word 'race' in the cultural and political terrain has almost universally been aligned with black and asian people, as though they are the only racial groups that 'own' an ethnicity. whiteness has been naturalised, as though it is an invisible 'norm' when it is of course an ethnic group like any other.

1) Examination

• relationship between audiences of the media and the messages they transmit
• theorist focus on issues around textuality and context by analysing how various media forms choose to select and present information on different racial groups

2) Investigation

• possible connections between the consumers of media images and those in control of its output
• Dynamics between ownership, control, and content
• focuses on the 'process' of media production and considers wider social, political and economic implications of the media
• it is connected with issues of authorship and examines whether those in control of output (largely white middle class men) affects the type of images the media produces.

Functionalist view vs the marxist view

• The functionalist view argues that program makers 'cater for what the public wants' and simply reflects attitudes, tastes and opinions on ethnicity
• The marxist view is that those in control of media output shape how audiences view race.

Equal opportunities 

• 'Good broadcastings would reflect the competing demands of a society which was increasingly multiracial and pluralist' (BBC Charter 1977)
• Liberal pluralism - A philosophy and political principle that argues for the university ("sameness")

equal opportunities 

THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY VIEW

Few academics have disputed the fact that the media, have been very selective in their portrayal of Black and Asian people. Many have attributed this to a lack of Black and Asian people in key, decision-making positions. 

Following viewer complaints and general criticism, this concept was taken seriously by the BBC in 1977 when the committee ruled that; ‘liberal pluralism’ must be the ethos behind programming in order to ensure ‘Good broadcasting would refect the competing demands of a society which was increasingly multi-racial and pluralist.’ (BBC Charter 1977). While Channel 4 established multicultural programming departments in 1984. Both stations also operate an equal opportunity employment policy.