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Television News Viewership and Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites: The Role of Perception of Crime

Baumann, Amy Elizabeth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1243004915

Abstract Details

2009, MA, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences : Sociology.
Television news media is a pervasive influence and has the ability to shape and otherwise define perceptions of the social world. This project examines the influence of television news media viewership on prejudicial attitudes towards four target groups of blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whites through the mediating variable of perception of the occurrence of crime. Data are from the 2000 American National Election Survey (ANES); 887 respondents answered questions on television news media viewership, perceptions of the occurrence of crime, and prejudicial attitudes towards blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whites. Support was found for perception of the occurrence of crime having a positive effect on prejudicial attitudes towards blacks and Hispanics, although the hypothesis did not hold true for prejudicial attitudes towards Asians and whites. Other hypotheses about the effects of television news media viewership and the perception of the occurrence of crime having a mediating variable were not supported. Perception of the occurrence of crime does have significant effects on prejudicial attitudes towards the target groups of blacks and Hispanics, although television news media viewership did not have any positive, significant effects on perception of the occurrence of crime or prejudicial attitudes towards the four target groups. Given the negative portrayals of and attitudes about both minority groups in the larger society, it is not surprising that as one perceives the crime rate to have gotten worse more negative attitudes about blacks and Hispanics are found. While more overt displays of racism may be on the decline, prejudicial attitudes associated with overt racism do still exist. Recent research has turned to an understanding of modern racism; however, this study's finding underscore that ideas of overt racism should not be ignored.
P. Neal Ritchey, PhD (Committee Chair)
Jeffrey Timberlake, PhD (Committee Member)
Jennifer Malat, PhD (Committee Member)
46 p.
Sociology
prejudicial attitudes; crime, race; media

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Baumann, A. E. (2009). Television News Viewership and Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites: The Role of Perception of Crime [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1243004915

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Baumann, Amy. Television News Viewership and Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites: The Role of Perception of Crime. 2009. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1243004915.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Baumann, Amy. "Television News Viewership and Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites: The Role of Perception of Crime." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1243004915

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1243004915
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© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.