Study: News Media Coverage Can Affect Attitudes Toward Black Women With Political Appointments

A new study has found that intersectional media narratives can humanize Black women and dismantle media stereotypes by breaking down monolithic identities.

The findings by Rachel Grant, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Journalism assistant professor, and Benjamin Johnson, UFCJC Advertising associate professor and interim director of the STEM Translational Communication Center, are featured in “It All Begins with a Name: Examining News During the Ketanji Brown Jackson Judicial Nomination” published in Journalism Practice on April 17.

The authors explored media coverage of the historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court and how race and gender affected political news coverage and attitudes. They examined how Black women in politics are perceived globally and the shift in attitudes toward ideas of Black empowerment/advancement. They also found that news frames had minimal effects on Americans’ attitudes toward the nomination.

According to the authors, “The race or gender of legal sources had minimal influence on audiences’ perception of Jackson. Therefore, we can conclude that article bias might not sway audience attitudes except in the mention of the issue of Black empowerment and racial advancement. This exception speaks to the legacy and entrenchment of racialized beliefs in the United States. The resistance to Black political shifts emphasizes the progress that must be made in order for social change and justice to continue to have an impact.”

Posted: April 24, 2024
Category: College News
Tagged as: Benjamin Johnson, Journalilsm Practice, Kentanji Brown Jackson, Rachel Grant, Supreme Court