110C.UnENT RESUME E.1:0 166 336 OD 019 135 _ ,.. .. --. e .TITLE Window Dressing on'-the Set: An Update. INSTITIliTON Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE ,... ...Tan 79 , _ . NOTE', ;,. 104p.; For a related document 'see ED 144,115 ;Not available in hard copy due to small print -' r . : a.' EDRS: PRICE MF;!$0.8_3 Plus Postage: HC NOt Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS '',Affirmative Action; Characterization; ChildhOod Atq.tudes;'Dischtiminatory Attitudes (Social) ;Drada; *Equal ,ORportunities (Jobs) ;. *Ethnic. Stereotypes; *Females;' *Minority, Groups; News Reporting; icteleirision; Television-Commercials ABSTRACT Analyzed \in 'this report are the portrayals of minorities and women in televiSion drama from '1975-1977 and the representation of minorities and women "in \the network news of 1977... Also: analyzed are 1977- emplbymeni' patternS\ at local, and network television ''stations art& tele'v\isionls effects on viewers and the first amendment. Data presented show that `race, and sex stereotyping in television drama continues. Zaken into consideration are the age. and occupational status of :characters and their diffbrehtiation by race and, sex.,,Representation, Of minorities and women in the network hews is 'described as being more; encouraging. Findingt regarding the employment status of minorities and women at television stations Indicate, that, despite increases in-,: the numbers of minority and ., female employees at televiSion stations, they are almost, completely absent from decision-imaking positions. Suggestions' are made for an effective affirmative-action, plan in televihion m pica men t The investigation.of the effects of tele'visibn on ch'ildren center around their, perceptions of and knowledge about' minorities and about sex and occupational roles as they Are -inflii'eaced4by televisiOn portrayals of minorities and women, the influence of -advertisinge and the effects of television violence on their behOtiOr.- Recoinmendatigns for dealing awith the findings of these analyses' race: `made acid statistical data collected for the study are appended. , . \ 1 ***************************\******************,4*************;x***4445*?:,* * Reproductions supplied \by EDRS are the> best that can'°be' made-.4..11$3:,,:. * , from the original document. ', *' ****************************'*********ic-*********"0****40:,**********ic**4! ' ! i U.S. Of PARIMSNT OF HEALTH; - EOUCATIONS:WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENTo HAS BEEN REPRO.- DUGED EXACTLY AS .RECEIVED`FROM. THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- ATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS 111 STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENTOFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITU-TE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. 1A.R.eport of the,United StaWsCommission on Civil RightsJanuazy 1979. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights - Washington,..D.C., January 1979. The President , The PreSident or the Senate The Speaker of the Ilotise of Representatives , t . Sirs: to Public The U.S. COmmission on Civil.Right preients to you this report pursuan Law 85-315 as amended. DreSs ng on' the It has been just OVer a-year sincethe Commission released I'indow the endings of . Set: Women and MinOritiesin Television. WindOw. Dressing reported broadcast, from 1969 through1974 and network studies cif network television drama contained a study of the news programs broadcastin 1974 and 1975.1 It also employinent status of women andminorities at 401OCal televisionstations, including all of those owned by the networks. \ whether the status of\women and ini' norities ..has: The current report investigates updates the improved since the,speriodS covered inWindow Dressing. This feport network entertainment and newsstudies with the mostrecent information available:.. television drama from1975 to an analysis ;of portrayalsof minorities and women on in the network news of 1977.It also 1977 and an analysis of minorities -and women headquarters and at contains an awilysis.of 1977employment patterns at network network-ownld stations. report:and request ,your .,We urge your consideration'of the facts contained in this good offices in implementing itsrecommendations. Respectfully, Arthur S. Flemming, Chairman 'Stephen Horn, ..Vice Chairman Frankie M. Freeman Manuel uRuiZ, Jr. Murray Saltzman Director . Louis Nufiez, 4cting. Staff - .PREFACE Television is a dominant factor inAmerican life. It transcends space,catapulting viewers :across the Nation andaround the world, introducing themto diverse peoples in various settings along the way. form: .:Television is preeminent as a communicatorof ideas and as an entertainment Just as in a momentOf triuniph- it showed the ' thrust into spacefairly and objectively, it can achieve equivalentstandardsof'presentation when grappling with 'cultural arid racial diveriity or whencovering men and women. Becauseof the rnedium'S capacity far fixing an imagein' the public mind, .its responsibilityfor' avoiding Stereotypic and demeaningdepictions becOmes central to its role. The --encompassing nature .of themedium, necessitates' that divefsity among deCisionniakers, newsmakers, and newscastersbecome an integral aspect of televisiOn.:-BecaUse the ,Commission's 1977 repdrt entitledWindow Dressing on the Set: Womern and Minorities in Televisiondocumented a troubling distance from this and goal, the Commission hasreconsidered television's treatment of women minorities.: 4 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Commission is indebtedto the following staff members who paflidipa.ted inthe preparation' of this, report: Helen FranzwaLoukas, Project, Director; Henry A. Gordon; and Carolyn. Reid-Smith. Gail Gerebenics, Office of GeneralCounsel, provided helpfullegal adviceleading to' the preparation of chapter 5, Rosa 'L Crumlin had the majorresponsibility for typing the manuscript and , preparing the tables. Typing assistancewas provided by Cheryl :Blake, Lucille Boston,, Gloria Ferrer, Mary Moore,Roberta Sanders, and 'Patsy Washington. The report was prepared under theoverall supervision of Caroline DavisGleiter, Acting Assistant Staff Director,Office of Progjam and Policy Review. Lawrence Reidnnan and Bonnie Mathewsserved as editors., Preparation for publication was the respOnsibility ofDeborah A. HarriSon, Vivian, Hauser, and Audree Holton Under the supervisionof Vivian Washington, Publication,Support Center, Office of Management, We appreciate the work of the followingstudents Who served as coders of alenews: Hector Corporan, Kendall Lambert,Catherine Lauwers," Theresa MarronkBrian Mosley, Bassey Obot, Fernando SaridoVal,Alexandra Sharpe, and Carl Dean Lionel Barrow of HowardUniversity's School of Comniunication.s axi 1.Dr. Nancy Signorielli of the Annenberg Schoolof Communications at the Universiiy of Pennsylvania rendered valuable assistanceto this prbject. 07. MINORITIES AND 1. COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN THE MID -SEVENTIES 1 Early Portrayals of Minorities , 1 2 Portr4a1 of Minorities in the Mid-1970s 2. Black Situation Comedies- 5 Portrayal Of Women in'the Mid-1970s 6 Conclusion : 7 i 1 PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIESAND WOMEN- IN TELEVISION DRAMA Proportion of Characters by Race and Sex 8 :1 '''... 10 '. Age of Characters 10 Comic ROles 15 ;Violence 15 OcCupational Portrayals 15 Major Occupational Categories 16 Specific Occupational Titles 16' , Oiscussion 20 ConcluSion , NEWS 23' 3: MINORITIES AND WOMENIN NETWORK TELEVISION \ .. 23 News Content 23 Topics of News Stories 24 Newsmakers .. c 24 Nevvsmaker Roles' 25 News Correspondents 25 Tire Commission's Sample 27 Analysis of All Correspondents Appearingin 1977 , - 29 Discussion . 29 Women andMinorities as Anchors ,.., , 31 Minorities and Women as Correspondents 32. Conclusion r \ AND WOMEN AT LOC TELEVISION 4. EMPLOYMEN'T.OF MINORITIES 33 STATIONS AND THE NETWORKS , Local Stations 33 Equal Employment; Opportunity at 34 Women and Minorities in PolicymakingPositions, 36 Affirmative Action in Television Employment 40 Equul Employment Opportunity atthe Networks VIEWERS AND ME FIRSTAMENDMENT44 5. TELEVISION'S EFFECT/ON 44 Television's Effect ' 46 Children Television's Effect on 46 The Effect of Televised Violence onhildren 48 The Effect of Television Advertisin onChildren 49 The Effect of the PortrayalOf Min rities and Women on Children $0 The Role of the Federal.Communications Commission ( The-First Amertdment-and Chikh en's Tel vi siorr-----------I Violence, the Family Hour, and the First Amendment 53 The Portrayal of Minorities and Womenon Television and, the First Amendment 0 , 55 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 60 .0 Findings \ . 60 Stereotyped Portrayals in Television Drama 60 1 Women, and Minorities in Network News ,, 61 Women and Miniznities as Officials and Managers , , i 62 Recommendationi , . N 62 Portrayal of WOmen and Minorities inTelevision Programming 62 , FCC Enforcement of-Equal Employment Opportunity in theBroadcasting , Industry ,64 APPENDICES , 67 A.1*Characters by Race; Sex; and Year, 1969 thrOugh1977 67, A.2 Age of Characters by Race and Sex, 1969=74 and 1975-77 68 A.3 Characters Who ComMii Violence by Race and Sex, 1969-74 and1975-77 69 A.4 Characters Who Stfer Violence by Race and Sex, 1969-74 and1975-77 70 ,A.5 Characters in. Seled OccuRtional Roles by Race and Sex,, 1969-74 and 1975-77 4i N 71 A.6 Characters Portraya3l in. Specific Occupations by Race, Sex, andTime of Broadca ?Listed in Order of Frequency of Portrayal ofAll Characters, 1975 1977.r ' 72 A.7 Met olodology and Reliability of Data 80 B.1 Newsmaker Roles by Race and Sex, 1974 -75 and 1977 83 B.2 "-Gender' Distributimis of ,Correspondent Appearances by