Pop media doing a poor job reflecting America's diversity

Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best, two popular TV shows from the 1950s never presented an accurate picture of America, but for decades, that was the image Americans had of each other. The power of popular media is so great that Donald Trump and his followers wanted to return to that make-believe world when they chanted "Make America Great Again."

The United States is in the midst of a demographic transition.  Today, 41% of the U.S. population is racially and ethnically diverse, and people are increasingly exploring and defining their personal identities. But, you wouldn't know that if you watched network and cable TV.

One would have to go to the streaming platforms to find the numbers close to the diversity that exists in America, according to a new survey by Nielsen. But even there, representation falls short for Asian Americans and other people of color.

White males dominate the small screen across all devices: broadcast, cable and streaming. The next best representation are white women, but even the number of white women onscreen is far short of their presence in real life; 38% vs. 52%

Admittedly, diversity on today's television offerings is greater today than it was a mere three to five years ago. However, as Nielsen points out, "presence is not the same as representation."

READ the complete Nielsen report

This report looks at aggregate data for broadcast, cable, and SVOD (subscription video on demand) programs and measures the representation of on-screen talent by gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The full report also highlights the degree to which diverse and intersectional identity groups are represented on-screen and, using Nielsen audience estimates, who is viewing that content.

The stories told, the characters portrayed and the experiences shared on-screen help people feel empowered and learn about those who are different, said the report. The insights in this report underscore the power of the media industry in supporting a more inclusive narrative for all.

As a result of the imbalance of onscreen vs. real life, more people of color are seeking out entertainment and news on streaming networks rather than the traditional platforms. One can easily surmise, prefer offerings that have talent - actors, journalists, talk show hosts -- who look like them.

For example, "82% of Asian Americans subscribe to a streaming service (compared with 72% of the total U.S. population) and are also 28% more likely to watch alternative content* (from other media publishers such as Asian language shows), via internet-connected devices. "

The report also found that while Asians are well-represented on broadcast, they have low visibility on other platforms.

The share of screen time for South/Southeast Asians is 5% and for East Asians just 2% relative to their representation in the U.S. population. While there is good representation in Science Fiction and Drama, there is a bigger gap when it comes to Comedy and Reality TV.

Highlights of the Nielsen report include:

• Overall, representation in on-screen programming is low for multiple identity groups across all media platforms. Streaming fares better for inclusion followed by broadcast and cable.

• Viewing audiences are increasingly seeking content that tells their stories. As a result, people are migrating to platforms that have broad and more diverse content offerings. In 2019, Black and Hispanic TV households had among the highest cord-cutting rates in the U.S. SVOD shows strong representation for Hispanic, East Asian and Black people, corresponding to their increase in adoption of streaming platforms at higher rates than the general market.

• All audiences, regardless of how they identify, like to see diversity inthe content they view on TV. Programs with more diverse casts yield higher audience ratings for all viewers when compared to shows that have low diverse representation. 

• Quality of representation matters too. The themes and narratives depicted on- screen can contribute to identity formation and social perceptions. As the industry seeks to improve diversity on-screen, content creators and publishers should consider the context in which women, people of color, and LGBTQ talent is presented. Equally important is investing in marketing those diverse programs so that they are watched.

This first-ever report shows progress and opportunities to improve representation and inclusion on TV. 

The first step to creating an inclusive society is for people to feel seen and be seen. That's the power of television and streaming devices, where more and more people get their news, education and entertainment that help shape our image of America and its peoples. When media tells the stories about the America's diverse peoples, we learn more about each other, understanding replaces fear and strangers become neighbors.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.