Racial Identity and Media Orientation

Abstract

Our relationships with the mass media are at least partly determined by the perceived utility of the information we gather from them. We look to the media to fulfill certain functions-surveillance, correlation, socialization, and entertainment (Wright, 1986). We develop mechanisms through which we understand our environment and the forces at play therein. These are often enacted through cognitive shortcuts, or heuristics. These cognitive schema are influenced by who we are (our background), what we do (our direct, personal experiences), and what we see, hear, and learn through our exposure to mass media. Media representations play an important role in informing the ways in which we understand social, cultural, ethnic, and racial differences. Racial identity may play an especially powerful role in shaping our responses to mass media. Racial identity and racial group orientation are at the heart of research programs that are exploring the unique character of African American belief systems and their influence on the behavioral choices made by African Americans. This article examines the nature of racial group identity in an effort to determine its role in the formation of African American media orientations. The framework governing our analysis treats racial identity as one of many forms of individual identity that, in combination, help to shape our relations with others. Racial identity, as an organizing mechanism, is