BLACK ACTIVISTS AND RACISM IN SALVADOR’S LOCAL MEDIA

Abstract

In the history of society it is remarkable the constant search for  communication technologicaladvancements , however questions are raised as to the equivalent commitment when it comes to limiting the production and dissemination of prejudices and stereotypes. Thus, the objective of this research was to assess the opinion of (the) black civil rights activists  on the portrayal of  the black  population by the media of Salvador-Ba. The specific objectives were to know their impressions and expectations about their own representation in the media, their role as  black activists and finally to investigate the coping strategies of these activists in the fight against racism in the local media . It is a qualitative research from the socio-historical perspective. The participants were six people, aged 42-61 years, self defined as black activists and who have visibility in the context of the black civil rights movement in Salvador. Interviews were conducted with semi-structured scripts, audio-recorded, transcribed and checked in accordance with the procedures adopted by the Oral History. The study of the collected reports was based on  content and speech analysis. It was possible to  assess part of the history of the Black Movement in Salvador,  aspects from the interviewed subjects’ biographies and how the visibility of the black movement was built through their efforts in the local media. However it was found that the local media remains perpetuating stereotypes and negative representations related to black community. Counter strategies were observed in the subjects’ reponses to the media inputs, although they themselves do not admit the influence of media in their lives. This contradiction requires futher investigation.