Minority Presence and Portrayal in Mainstream Magazine Advertising: An Update

Abstract

This research analyzes inclusion, portrayal, and integration of minorities in mainstream magazine advertising. Nine mass-circulation magazines for 1987 and 1992 constituted the sample frame: four issues of each magazine for each year for a total of seventy-two issues, yielding 1, 969 “populated” advertisements. Each ad was examined for minority presence, gender, age, occupation, and product category. When minorities and Whites appeared together in the same ad, the relationship depicted was also coded. Overall, when compared with earlier studies, the number of Black models used in magazine advertisements has increased. The use of Hispanic and Asian models was extremely small. There were few differences in portrayal by gender or age. Blacks were more likely to appear as athletes or musicians and to be featured in public-service or government-sponsored ads. In mixed-ethnic ads, Whites typically outnumbered minorities, and the relationships depicted were set in formal or work settings with very little face-to-face interaction.