ANN ARBOR—Scholars from around the country will examine the media’s roles in shaping race relations in American society in a free, public conference March 16-18 at the University of Michigan.

Hosted by the U-M Department of Communication Studies, “Race and the Media: The Persistence of Stereotypes, The Prospects for Change” will address the media’s role in reinforcing racial stereotypes and assess the extent of positive changes in media representations of people of color.

The conference will feature nearly two dozen scholars presenting research on such topics as minorities on television; political advertising and group attitudes; media representations of Hispanics; African Americans and crime on television news; violent rap music and the stereotyping of Black males; race and ethnicity in the 2000 Census; and cultural politics and network television.

Held in the Erlicher Room, 411 West Hall, conference sessions will take place 3:30-6 p.m. March 16; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 17, with an 8 p.m. film screening and discussion that evening; and 10 a.m.-noon March 18.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies’ Howard R. Marsh Center for the Study of Journalistic Performance, Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, Program in Film and Video Studies, and the Office of the Provost. For more information, contact Theresa Pool at mtmpool@umich.edu or call Communication Studies at (734) 764-0420.

Department of Communication StudiesHoward R. Marsh Center for the Study of Journalistic Performance