Privilege in Media-GLAAD SRI 2015

      So what is the GLAAD SRI 2015? I believe their website answers it best.

      http://www.glaad.org/sri/2015

       "The GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) maps the quantity, quality and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in films released by seven major motion picture studios during the 2014 calendar year." (Sarah Kate Ellis)

       The results of this index, are a perfect example of privilege within the media, because the raw data indicates an enormous imbalance in representation of LGBT groups in major motion-picture releases last year. According to the index, of 114 major films in 2014, only 20 of them represent LGBT groups--that's less than one in five. In addition, ten of those 20 films gave LGBT characters less than five minutes of screen time. While the author of the results notes that this is an improvement from 2013, major movie studios are still way behind the times in terms of LGBT representation.

       Being a visual communication major, I've been studying and analyzing a fair amount of communication theory. A theorist by the name of George Gerbner heavily researched the systematic cultivation of perceived social norms by major corporations in the media, culminating in what he calls Cultivation Theory. He states that television has become modern society's storyteller. Now, to understand the significance of this statement, we must first understand the significance of storytellers throughout history.
       
       In an anthropological context, before any given culture develops a writing system, oral tradition and storytelling are often the primary means of preserving history and cultural ideas. These orally transmitted stories would shape the commonly accepted conventions within a specific culture, influencing the world-views of the individuals included within the population. As writing systems emerge and literacy increases, this storytelling responsibility shifts to the scribes and and authors within the culture. Today, according to Gerbner, mainstream media controls peoples' perception of social norms, particularly those individuals that spend a lot of time watching TV.

      As the primary storyteller within our culture, I believe it is the media's responsibility to promote diversity, avioid stereotypes, and portray realistic ideas about minority groups, particularly ideas surrounding LGBT groups. As we see from the 2015 GLAAD report, they have a long way to go.