Not to expose exactly how old I am, but I can remember the days when very few ethnic groups were represented in the media. But I believe with the civil rights movement and the evolution of our society, this representation has changed drastically. From ethnic individuals holding positions throughout the media companies, to advertisers changing who their target demographics are, ethnicity is alive and well in our current communications.
In the 1970's, situation comedies had introduced shows that focused solely on ethnic families and their struggles - from The Jefferson's and Good times, to eventually the affluent and educated matriarch, Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show, African Americans were represented. At the same time, African American individuals were becoming key contributors as radio and television personalities.
In the 1980's, more importance was placed in representing the Latino and Asian populations. Remember Connie Chung and now Lisa Ling. The African American segment in present media seems to have surpassed the representation of whites and other ethnic groups with what is being shown and distributed today. With the widely known talk show host OPRAH WINFREY appealing to the masses, the African American representation had grown by leaps and bounds.
For the Latino populations, either than their explosion on the music scene, it seems that they are represented, but not in a significant manner. They are still written into sitcoms and have a few of their faces in media, but their representation has not reached the peak of the African American populations.
I believe in 2012 that all ethnic groups are represented fairly throughout media.
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