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: 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? Not so true. The 2016 Hollywood Diversity Report from the Ralph J.Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, found that in the United States “increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content”. More specifically, the report found that films with more diverse cast had the highest median global box office receipts and the highest median return on investment. It also showed that social media engagement peaked for scripted broadcast and cable television shows that also had more diverse casts. So…that theory’s pretty much dead.