The Barack Benefit? A Content Analysis of How News Coverage of America’s First African American Presidential Family Alters the Overall Presentation of Blacks in News

Christopher S. Josey; Travis L. Dixon

doi:10.1177/10776990221142880

The Barack Benefit? A Content Analysis of How News Coverage of America’s First African American Presidential Family Alters the Overall Presentation of Blacks in News

Christopher S. Josey, Travis L. Dixon

Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A content analysis of over 1-year worth of online news coverage was undertaken to assess the impact of the election of Barack Obama, America’s first Black President, on the overall portrayal of Blacks in the news. Specifically, we investigated whether the potential positive coverage of President Obama and his family displaced more stereotypic coverage of Blacks in the news than simply adding to existing stereotypical portrayals. Results indicate that Blacks achieved greater frequency in coverage compared with prior analyses. However, pervasive stereotyping and negative characterizations of Blacks persisted. Explanations for the minimal impact of the Obama family on the overall presentation of Blacks are discussed within the context of trait attribution and media stacking.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990221142880
State	Accepted/In press - 2022

Keywords

African Americans
Blacks
media
news
Obama
presidency
race
stereotyping

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Communication

Online availability

10.1177/10776990221142880

Cite this

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title = "The Barack Benefit? A Content Analysis of How News Coverage of America{\textquoteright}s First African American Presidential Family Alters the Overall Presentation of Blacks in News",

abstract = "A content analysis of over 1-year worth of online news coverage was undertaken to assess the impact of the election of Barack Obama, America{\textquoteright}s first Black President, on the overall portrayal of Blacks in the news. Specifically, we investigated whether the potential positive coverage of President Obama and his family displaced more stereotypic coverage of Blacks in the news than simply adding to existing stereotypical portrayals. Results indicate that Blacks achieved greater frequency in coverage compared with prior analyses. However, pervasive stereotyping and negative characterizations of Blacks persisted. Explanations for the minimal impact of the Obama family on the overall presentation of Blacks are discussed within the context of trait attribution and media stacking.",

keywords = "African Americans, Blacks, media, news, Obama, presidency, race, stereotyping",

author = "Josey, {Christopher S.} and Dixon, {Travis L.}",

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year = "2022",

doi = "10.1177/10776990221142880",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly",

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T1 - The Barack Benefit? A Content Analysis of How News Coverage of America’s First African American Presidential Family Alters the Overall Presentation of Blacks in News

AU - Josey, Christopher S.

AU - Dixon, Travis L.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - A content analysis of over 1-year worth of online news coverage was undertaken to assess the impact of the election of Barack Obama, America’s first Black President, on the overall portrayal of Blacks in the news. Specifically, we investigated whether the potential positive coverage of President Obama and his family displaced more stereotypic coverage of Blacks in the news than simply adding to existing stereotypical portrayals. Results indicate that Blacks achieved greater frequency in coverage compared with prior analyses. However, pervasive stereotyping and negative characterizations of Blacks persisted. Explanations for the minimal impact of the Obama family on the overall presentation of Blacks are discussed within the context of trait attribution and media stacking.

AB - A content analysis of over 1-year worth of online news coverage was undertaken to assess the impact of the election of Barack Obama, America’s first Black President, on the overall portrayal of Blacks in the news. Specifically, we investigated whether the potential positive coverage of President Obama and his family displaced more stereotypic coverage of Blacks in the news than simply adding to existing stereotypical portrayals. Results indicate that Blacks achieved greater frequency in coverage compared with prior analyses. However, pervasive stereotyping and negative characterizations of Blacks persisted. Explanations for the minimal impact of the Obama family on the overall presentation of Blacks are discussed within the context of trait attribution and media stacking.

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KW - presidency

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The Barack Benefit? A Content Analysis of How News Coverage of America’s First African American Presidential Family Alters the Overall Presentation of Blacks in News

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Online availability

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