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Visual Representation and Stereotypes in News Media

Author

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  • Ash, Elliott
  • Durante, Ruben
  • Grebenshchikova, Mariia
  • Schwarz, Carlo

Abstract

We propose and validate a new method to measure gender and ethnic stereotypes in news reports, using computer vision tools to assess the gender, race and ethnicity of individuals depicted in article images. Applying this approach to 700,000 web articles published in the New York Times and Fox News between 2000 and 2020, we find that males and whites are overrepresented relative to their population share, while women and Hispanics are underrepresented. Relating images to text, we find that news content perpetuates common stereotypes such as associating Blacks and Hispanics with low-skill jobs, crime, and poverty, and Asians with high-skill jobs and science. Analyzing news coverage of specific jobs, we show that racial stereotypes hold even after controlling for the actual share of a group in a given occupation. Finally, we document that group representation in the news is influenced by the gender and ethnic identity of authors and editors.

Suggested Citation

  • Ash, Elliott & Durante, Ruben & Grebenshchikova, Mariia & Schwarz, Carlo, 2022. "Visual Representation and Stereotypes in News Media," CEPR Discussion Papers 16624, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16624
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Kuhn, Andreas, 2022. "The Times Have Changed: Tracking the Evolution of Gender Norms over Time," IZA Discussion Papers 15621, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Elisa Baldazzi & Pietro Biroli & Marina Della Giusta & Florent Dubois, 2025. "Seeing stereotypes," IFS Working Papers W25/46, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    4. Farukh, Razi & Heinz, Matthias & Kerkhof, Anna & Schumacher, Heiner, 2025. "Attitudes to migration and the market for news," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Kai Gehring & Joop Age Harm Adema & Panu Poutvaara, 2022. "Immigrant Narratives," CESifo Working Paper Series 10026, CESifo.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics
    • C45 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Neural Networks and Related Topics

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