Synthesizes the results of empirical research on the role and impact of television in the lives of Black Americans, focusing on the portrayal of Blacks, television as a source of information, the behavior of Black viewers, and television's effects on Black children. Forty-nine sources are cited. (FM)

In light of the Kerner Commission's (1968) recommendations that Blacks be included more frequently on television and in a diversity of roles, a study examined how the portrayal of Blacks on television has changed since 1968 and how Blacks are currently portrayed in commercial television series. Samples of all national network commercial television…

Content analyses of four Black newspapers during 1977 indicate that only one newspaper gave the Regents of the University of California v Bakke case substantial front-page coverage and suggest that most items provided only superficial facts about the case rather than interpretative information. (GT)

Examines television's role in the social development of Black children, including television's use, socialization content, potential antisocial and prosocial effects, and television as an educator. concludes that television is a significant player in the socialization (cognitive and social learning) of Black children with positive and negative…

Black Americans' use of and belief in the credibility of the mass media is no less extensive than that of the general population. In fact, television and radio use by blacks exceeds that of whites and research shows the broadcast media to be particularly important sources of information for blacks on consumer and political affairs. But many…

A content analysis was made of all issues of "Newsweek,""Time," and "U. S. News and World Report" published during 1978 to identify the picture of race relations that was presented to the public. Among the findings were the following: (1) "Newsweek" gave the most well-rounded coverage, "U. S. News"…

Interviews with 1,575 persons of voting age, conducted during the three-month period following the 1974 congressional elections, suggest that Blacks are less committed to newspapers than Whites and are more dependent on television. (GT)

A review of 67 studies examined minorities' media selection/usage, the psychological variables that account for minority exposure to the media, minorities' information sources, and the effects media have on minority audiences. Among the major conclusions are the following: blacks spend less time reading newspapers but more time viewing television…

This study examined the association between amount of time spent watching television and perceptions of self concept among 102 Black children ranging in age from 7 to 13. A major finding was that television viewing was related positively to the self concepts of girls and unrelated to boys' self concepts. (Author/MBR)