Women outnumber men in newscasts as victims. Blacks and Latinos do appear frequently around crime events both as perpetrators and victims. Predominently, viewers see people of color in the news mostly when they've done something wrong, sending a negative message. We have come a long way since the vicious stereotyping days of black-face in the broadcast media but there is still plenty of room for improvement. We conclude that many of the news choices encounted in this sample are totally arbitrary.
Choices are often skewed towards items with dramatic video, sensation and triviality.
Almost any single newscast will contain examples of the fear of death, violence and catastrophe, a cuddly animal, the sports play of the day, some strong human interest, the vicarious excitement of celebrity, scores of joyful young faces in the ads and a vulgar screaming car salesman. Elements of successful entertainment that have invaded the news, like escape from reality, fantasy, illusion, exaggeration, pandering to emotion, exploitative sex, hype, celebrity, music and humor, are irrelevant, even antithetical, to the idea of news and an informed citizenry. The soul of news is truth, reason, balance and accuracy. Local TV news content across the country is seriously and chronically skewed. Like other unbalanced diets, over time, it can be unhealthy.