Elevating Latinos in news narratives about racial justice
Research has found that most U.S. residents do not recognize the contributions that Latinos, the nation’s largest ethnic minority, make to society or understand the barriers they face. Making people more aware of these realities can encourage more U.S. policymakers, leaders, and the public to support expanded access to opportunities for everyone — including Latino communities.
One way to increase awareness and spur action is to elevate coverage of Latinos in the news media. That’s because the way issues are portrayed in the news affects how the public and policymakers understand those issues, what to do about them, and, critically, who is most affected by them.
To learn more about how Latinos appear in the news and to help our partners at Unidos US, the country’s largest Latino nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization, identify opportunities to expand and shape the narrative, BMSG analyzed how Latinos are portrayed in articles about racial justice and racial inequities. To what degree are Latinos present or absent? Are they mentioned directly or only indirectly as “communities of color”? Whose perspectives are quoted? How is coverage framed? Are Latinos discussed in relation to solutions — as agents of change — or is the focus mostly on problems they face?
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