Stereotype in Media Should Reflect the Facts

The use of stereotypes in the media cannot be wholly eliminated in society; in fact, many people use stereotypes to classify other people and things. Since the first interactions between human beings, there have been differences between people, including weak compared to strong and poor versus wealthy, and all these ratings are real in fact and our imagination in time with the experiences. The media has contributed and reinforced the spread of using stereotypes. Visual content producers must rely on their skills to convey realism and avoid using stereotypes to judge people without any proof of the fact, and to be as objective as possible.

As a psychological condition, one is challenged to give up using a classification or assumption to draw a preliminary assumption regarding other people – hence a stereotype. I would say is, the main factor in using stereotypes is shaping the reputation and what can be said among the people or shown by the media about them. Changing a stereotype is not easy and is biased towards attitudes and beliefs regarding an external group, which can be reflected through language and daily conversations. For instance, opinions and beliefs can be expressed through the use of advertisement of that feature the group, use of metaphors, or the dissemination of prior humor. The empirical work shows that these stereotypes can be spread within communities through an individual conversation, as well as more broadly through means such as the news, entertainment industry, and social media. Therefore, the stereotypical portrayal of people, such as poverty or wealth, should be confronted with real data and individual transactions among people and not as they are consumed socially. Awareness in the media industry should also be increased and media content carefully selected.

Does the stereotype reflect the actual state of communities or people? Historically, relying on habits and traditions in judging people and knowing their condition is the primary criterion before initiating communication with new cultures or societies. That is true, whatever that idea or stereotype, customs, and traditions are the fundamental engine. I think these stereotypes may be true to varying degrees but are not 100% correct. The fact that people categorize others by different characteristics and that those characteristics are either good or bad, can be reinforced by and through visual communication. The use of stereotypes can sometimes help in clarifying ideas and bringing the facts closer, but visual content producers must do their research and investigate the validity of a stereotype. To be used in a presentation, producers must examine the accuracy and reliability of available research when using stereotypes in their media work and clarify the truth to people.

In general, people cannot dispense with the use of stereotypes or descriptions in the judgment of things, other people, or an external environment. There are some public relations companies and media organizations paid millions of dollars to build a stereotype for their clients whether they are people or things, and used in favor of those companies according to their goals. Psychological and social conditions, as well as personal facts and experiences, are all elements that affect a stereotype. Relying on facts, formal research, and scientific proposition should be the approach used by media producers in presenting their ideas and products. In that way, they can reflect the fact on their work and reduce the use of stereotypes