The Entman-Rojecki Index of Race and the Media

“To introduce their new book

The Black Image in the

White Mind: Media and

Race in America, Robert

M. Entman and Andrew

Rojecki present some of

the statistical evidence of

how the mass media treat

racial differences.” For example:

1. While Black actors are now more numerous in

film, it’s an open question as to how well they’re

being represented. In the top movies of 1996:

Black female movie characters shown using vulgar

profanity: 89%.

White female movie characters shown using vulgar

profanity: 17%.

Black female movie characters shown being physically

violent: 56%.

White female movie characters shown being physically

violent: 11%.

Black female movie characters shown being restrained:

55%.

White female movie characters shown being restrained:

6%.