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?
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About the Author: Yasmina Tawil

Content: It offers them role models to look up to and people and characters to be inspired by and reinforces that they are not lesser than. They can be the superhero, the doctor, the actor or whoever they want to be. The benefits of better representation are also not limited to the people represented. We all benefit from learning about different experiences and expanding our notion of what is “normal”, isn’t this one of the fundamental purposes of art? More diverse representation also opens up new and better opportunities. For example, there is a specific lack of acting opportunities available to non-white actors, simply because scripts insist on white characters. More diverse scripts, create more diverse roles which create more opportunities for non-white actors. And when this diversity goes a step further, beyond tokenism, it also opens the door for more interesting and complex roles for these actors. All of this ultimately leads to richer stories, new voices and new perspectives in our media. Film still from Hidden Figures (2017)
Well, media companies are just doing what makes them the most money…right?