The dominance of white males in the creative side of the industry also produces discrimination against women. The study found that women receive 86 cents for every dollar earned by white male feature film writers. In the excessive suites where projects are green-lighted for production, writers, directors, casts and crews are determined for employment, there are only a handful of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Pacific Americans and Native Americans. At the ownership level, there are only 300 minority-controlled broadcast radio and television stations out of 10,000 stations in the United States. With the concentration of ownership in the media industries through mergers and acquisitions, there is growing concern about diminishing opportunities for minority firms to attain a share of the market.
Cultural distortion is a form of violence.
We bear this burden everyday as images are translated to action and reaction. Because we continue to live in a racially stratified society, our art, film, and television reflect and shape this reality. Let me give you some specific examples. Although only a small number of African Americans commit crimes, the image of African Americans projected on television and in films is dominated by gangbangers and thugs. This leads to the impression that all Black males are involved in crime.