Title: What Exactly is Media Representation Anyway? - Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI)
Headings: What Exactly is Media Representation Anyway?
What Exactly is Media Representation Anyway?
What does representation in the media really mean?
But I see diversity in media all the time…
What’s the importance of representation?
Well, media companies are just doing what makes them the most money…right?
Stay in Touch
About the Author: Yasmina Tawil

Content: Tokenism is when the inclusion of a minority or other underrepresented group is no more than a symbolic effort to make a story or environment seem equal or diverse. This can be seen in many different aspects of life, from the “diversity hires” at work, to the gay best friend in a television show. Another way to misrepresent people is through stereotyping and typecasting, which are two concepts that are very closely related. Stereotyping can be seen in media through the assumptions of how a certain type of person is supposed to be due to their racial, ethnic, gender, sexual or religious identity. Stereotypes, even those that seem harmless or even positive, can have a profound effect on society as they create unrealistic, and often negative, expectations and assumptions. Common stereotypes of Arabs in Western media include the Arab man as a terrorist or an oil-hungry sheikh. Typecasting, which generally refers specifically to actors, is when a person is repeatedly assigned the same type of role due to success with that role in the past or because they “look like” a specific stereotype. This can happen to all types of people, but underrepresented people tend to find themselves pigeonholed into the same roles again and again. Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari wrote a piece in the New York Times about the struggles he’s experienced as an Indian actor, and he touched specifically on typecasting. He wrote, “Even though I’ve sold out Madison Square Garden as a standup comedian and have appeared in several films and TV series, when my phone rings, the roles I’m offered are often defined by ethnicity and often require accents.”