Give at least two examples of how media portrayals of individuals or groups fosters mistrust within communities.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Example should include two of the following: Media portrayals of women may undermine the ability of women to trust each other. For example, in advertising, films, and television, women and girls often are presented as hypersexualized and as being in competition with each other--often for men. Such depictions may cause women to become suspicious of one another, contributing to an inability to trust each other and leading others to stereotype women as “catty.” Additionally, the media have frequently handled minority groups by either stereotyping or neglecting them. Either depiction affects our judgments of their trustworthiness. For instance, until recently, the portrayal of Native Americans in the U.S. media was consistently inaccurate, depicting them as bloodthirsty, marauding, and untrustworthy savages. Likewise, the media still often portray minorities and people from less developed countries in extremes: African Americans have been portrayed as incapable, shiftless, or inferior; Hispanics as illegal aliens; and Italians as mobsters. The media also portray overweight people as lazy, older people as childlike and helpless, and the disabled as problems. By unfairly labeling or stigmatizing individuals, media portrayals may negate the human value of honesty, perpetuate misinformation, lead to human degradation, and adversely influence person-to-person understanding and a willingness to trust.