An Automated Framework to Identify and Eliminate Systemic Racial Bias in the Media

Abstract

Impact of the media (e.g., CNN, BBC) on the world is phenomenal and has the power to influence people's opinions, emotions, and actions. This power makes it crucial that we continue to tackle systemic racism in information from the media. For example, in recent times, we continue to witness more commercials showcasing the abject poverty and sufferings of people in Africa and other black communities worldwide, as opposed to the number of times we see in the news the representation of affluent areas and inspiring stories of those same communities and their world leading successes. We recognise that the sufferings are real, and the commercials run by media outlets to solicit for funding to help those suffering might be well intended. However, we believe there is some level of poverty, suffering, and goodness across all countries and nations worldwide. We therefore propose and discuss an automated technical analysis framework that could be designed to assist media workers in representing a balanced view of non-Caucasians in these Caucasian communities around the world.