Running head: STEREOTYPES AND MEDIA CULTURE

Breaking Down Stereotypes:

Media Culture at the University of Kentucky
Sydney Michaela Dooley
University of Kentucky

STEREOTYPES AND MEDIA CULTURE

Abstract
Stereotypes are preconceived and oversimplified characteristics typically assigned to a

person or group of people. generalizations, positive or negative, towards a certain group in which
we attribute certain characteristics, right or wrong, and in todays society people are all too likely
to stereotype. It comes so easy, natural even, to jump to stereotyping. It is easy to stereotype
when stereotyping occurs in all regions of the world. It is easier to create a stereotype than try to
truly evaluate and understand the group being stereotyped. But theses stereotypes towards
groups cannot be justified. It is unfair to stereotype a group or person without truly getting to
know them through first hand experience, because when we do so, we may discover that they are
not anything like their stereotype. This evidence then allows us to reevaluate our position or
beliefs about the group, allowing us to improve our understanding and thought of them.
Aloofness, laziness and feelings of superiority are common stereotypes held toward
media culture and those that work within, but these are stereotypes held by those who have never
been involved or experienced it. When one delves into the culture and surrounds themselves
with the people who work I the Media Department at UK you will find the very opposite to hold
true. You will discover a culture of close nit individuals who work above and beyond what is
required of them to create and brand the best face of Kentucky Athletics and put its athletes,
teams, and coaches in the best light possible. They are anything but there stereotypes and the
following paper will help to work through these stereotypes, breaking them down and giving a
clear vision of the media culture within the University of Kentucky Media Department.

Key words: Breaking down stereotypes, first-hand experience, media culture

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Breaking Down Stereotypes: Media Culture at the University of Kentucky

Todays society has become extremely consumer-based. What is it that we consume
most? Media. American society holds a culture that revolves around media; television,
Facebook, Twitter, newspapers and magazines. According to the Statistics Portal, 116.3 million
American homes have at least one television. Pew Research Center also found 84% of
Americans own computers (Rainie, 2014). At some point in our lives we have all sat down to
watch TV or use the Internet. Some people love the drama of reality TV while others prefer
news broadcasts, documentaries or programs on channels like USA, the history channel or
animal planet.
Americans love sports and many of us will sit down in front of a TV to watch our favorite
team or player compete. We follow our favorite teams and players on Twitter, we read about
them in the newspaper and we buy magazines highlighting them. We even throw parties
centered around big sports events such as the Super Bowl and gather our friends and family
together to watch the big game every week. Watching sports is as simple and easy as picking up
the remote, clicking on the TV and changing the channel to ESPN. What we dont realize is the
hours, days, weeks, and even years of preparation it takes to produce and air a 2 hour sports
event on television.
For those that work in media production and management, specifically sports media, it is
not as simple as clicking a button. The people who work in media have a culture not perceived
or understood by the population outside of those involved. Many people hold stereotypes
towards those who work in media or towards the media culture in general, but this is simply
because they do not have enough insight into the work put in to producing the shows they watch
on television every day. The work that happens outside the comfort of our own homes and

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couches goes unnoticed by the majority of people in America. All we see is the final product; a
game on our TV. What we dont see is the culture behind the game; the culture of the group who
produced and aired the game. We dont see the culture of those that put in all the hard work for
us to be able to watch sports on TV. So if we cant see this culture, how are we going to
understand it? We cannot understand the media culture without experiencing it for ourselves.
We dont understand the culture because we are not a part of it, and because we are not a part of
it we build up stereotypes to help us understand the media culture. The following pages work
to break down the negative stereotypes of aloofness, laziness and superiority complex held
toward the media and media culture by granting insight into the University of Kentucky Media
Relations Department; their culture, community, and the product they work to brand, helping to
form a better and more complete understanding of media culture.
To begin breaking down the stereotypes held toward media culture one must first define
the term stereotype. By reassessing and clarifying the definition of the word we can improve and
better understand the ways in which we apply it. There are many assumptions commonly
associated with stereotypes that people hold to be true. However, these generalizations usually
prove to be incorrect. It is commonly believed that stereotypes are universal and used by
everyone across America and the world. While there may be a few universal stereotypes most
are only associated with a certain culture, social group religion or job type along with many other
possibilities. Psychologists Hamilton and Trolier defined a stereotype as a cognitive structure
that contains the perceivers knowledge, beliefs, and expectancies about some human group
(Gorham, 2010, 5). Stereotypes are generalizations of certain characteristics or attributes held by
all the members of a certain group (Seiter, 1986). These assumptions influence the way we
view or think about a certain culture. But stereotypes are not always based on peoples first-hand
encounters with the stereotyped group and, therefore, can be distorted much like in a game of

STEREOTYPES AND MEDIA CULTURE

telephone, where the first person tells the second person a phrase and so on but by the end of the
game the phrase has been severely altered. Stereotypes that are currently held to be true may not
be an actual representation of the group as they could have been distorted over time and now
hold no actual significance for the group in question.
To truly understand a culture and break down the stereotypes surrounding it we cannot
look from the outside in, we must submerge ourselves within. Chris Shoals (picture below (C.
Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015)), who graduated from the University
of Kentucky in May of last year with a major in broadcast journalism and minor in
communication and is now a Media Relations Assistant and Sports Information Director here at
UK (C. Shoals, personal communication, February 17, 2015) allowed me a brief insight into the
culture of the Kentucky Media Department. In a recent interview, Shoals described the job he
loves here at UK, saying he was unsure what exactly the job would entail when he accepted it
but there is nothing in the world I would rather be doing and there is no place I would rather be
doing it at (C. Shoals, personal communication, February 17, 2015). Contrary to the stereotype
that the media culture is hard for those outside to penetrate, Shoals found the transition into the
culture of UK to be extremely easy because the people were very welcoming and respected the
hard work it took to get there.
Those involved in the media culture work extremely hard, yet they are commonly
stereotyped as lazy. This is because stereotypes gather their strength based on their level of
validity and distortion. When asked what stereotypes are held toward the media culture Shoals
responded
I think common stereotypes would be that we feel privileged, we feel like we are above
some things. Cocky might be a word
that some people use because sports

Figure 1: Chris Shoals (C. Shoals,

personal communication, February 17, 2015)

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often times get more notoriety than academics at the university level. I think there might
be some jealousy involved as well which leads to a little bit of hostility as well (C.
Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015).
When looking at the media culture from the outside, we assume we see an aloof cocky group of
people who are above everyone because they are the face in the screen of your TV. They are
special because they are well know and famous. They dont work as hard, that they dont work
as long, they have a fun job, theyre always at games, they get the best seats, things like that (C.
Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015). But in reality, none of that holds true
and in fact it is the exact opposite.
Shoals described a job full of uncertainty with twists and turns, ups and downs and high
emotions. Most people with normal jobs go to work at nine in the morning and go home in the
evenings Monday through Friday. Working within the Media Department at UK is not a nine to
five job. Walking through the doors every morning with a plan for the day does not mean that is
how the day is going to proceed. Shoals says that nine times out of ten he does something
completely different than what he believed was going to happen because the world of media is
constantly changing (C. Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015). The
stereotype that those who work in media have an easier job than people who work nine to five
Monday through Friday has no validity. Not only do they spend their weekdays working, but
those who work in media also work late nights, weekends and most holidays. They travel with
teams to games on the weekends and spend late nights preparing for the filming and broadcasting
of these games. They spend holidays on the road with teams, away from friends and family.
Schoals recalls that this year he spent Thanksgiving in the Virgin Islands with the mens
basketball team, the first time in twenty-two years he was away from his family for the holiday.
If a job in media is something you do to simply earn a paycheck then its not going to be

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something you enjoy because youre probably working 330, 340 days out of the 365 in a year
(C. Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015). The job and hours that go along
with it that Shoals describes contradicts the commonly held stereotype that people in the media
department do not work as hard as those in other jobs. It requires long hours, times spent away
from family, commitment and dedication.
When I came here I wanted to be on TV and I wanted to be a sports broadcaster Shoals
said, and my inclination of them before I really got into the industry was that they were rich and
they made a lot of money and felt a false sense of entitlement because they are on TV a lot (C.
Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015). Until becoming a part of the media
culture, even Shoals, who grew up involved in media, had some predetermined idea towards
those who work in media. It was not until being enveloped within the media culture that Shoals
realized that they are people just like you and learned that a lot of them dont have a sense of
entitlement but are really really cool people. I think theres a preconceived notion that they
(people on TV) are above everything. But theyre not, they are really grounded people (C.
Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17, 2015).
When you become a part of the UK Media Department culture you will find yourself
surrounded by a group of people who are dedicated to the university, its sports teams, and to each
other. There is a deep sense of community within the department. It is a community that not
only spends a lot of time working together but also spends a lot of time together outside of their
work environment. Shaols said I spend so much time with people here (in the UK Media
Department). It is a tight nit culture that spends a lot of time together. He uses his plan for the
following day as an example of just how close the community he works with is.
Tomorrow I will get up and come to work, I will be in this office with these people, I
will go down and shoot around with my womens basketball people, we will have a game

STEREOTYPES AND MEDIA CULTURE

tomorrow night where I will be working with these people, we will do a post-game and

then we will all probably go out with the same group of people (C. Shoals, interpersonal
communication, February 17, 2015).
This shows just how the UK Media Department houses a culture that is one cohesive community
that spends a lot of time together, not only as coworkers but also as friends. Shoals said the
community and culture within the department is better than he ever could have hoped for. He
has many friends within the department and said, there are a lot of people here who would say
they have a lot of friends in this department because we spend so much time together. Its not
just a 9-5 job; we work events together and go out together (C. Shoals, interpersonal
communication, February 17, 2015).

Stereotyping comes so easily buy stereotyping is not natural as

commonly believed. It is not merely a way of substituting order for the
great blooming, buzzing confusion of reality (Seiter, 1986, 16). Many
times when we do not understand something we create our own image
in our head, however accurate or inaccurate that image may be, that we
are able understand, something that helps us grasp and work through

Figure 2: UK
Media Department
(C. Shoals,
interpersonal
communication,
February 17, 2015)
Above, Chris
Shoals, forth from
left in the front
row, poses for a
picture with his coworkers. The
group pretends to
check their teams
social media.

that which is unknown to us. We want to understand, we need to

understand, therefore, we use stereotyping as a short cut to understanding, however misconstrued
that understanding may be.
Stereotypes are the guarantee of our self-respect; it is the projection upon the world of
our own sense of our own value, our own position and our own rights. The stereotypes
are, therefore, highly charged with the feelings that are attached to them. They are the

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fortress of our tradition, and behind its defenses we can continue to feel ourselves safe in
the position we occupy (Seiter, 1986, 16).
Stereotypes allow us to grasp certain aspects of groups that are not well understood. They allow
us a sense of understanding toward something we are not involved in or have not directly
experienced. The only way to break down the stereotypes toward a group is to learn about the
culture in question. We must take time to analyze their culture by moving from behind the safety
of the wall of stereotypes surrounding the culture. We must set aside the feelings that make these
stereotypes so forceful in our minds because behind each stereotype lies a history that relates a
history and understanding of the culture (Seiter, 1986, 24). If we do not truly know much about
the media culture, or any culture, we must learn. When we start studying the content of the
culture and their relationship to one another (Seiter, 1986, 24), we can begin breaking down the
stereotypes and formulating a true picture of the culture. We must distinguish between what is
commonly believed to be true about a culture and what is actually true.
Stereotypes are just made up structures in our mind that function to put relevance to
characteristics we do not understand. They allow us to judge these characteristics without
putting forth much mental effort to delve into the true meaning behind them. Stereotypes allow
us to perceive people as belonging to a certain group by generalizing characteristics that allow us
to easily make comparisons. Stereotypes serve as a shield, a shield that protects us from the
reality of a certain culture. A reality that we may not want to take the time to understand or dont
want to understand. But what if these characteristics and beliefs are wrong to begin with? Then
our stereotyping will be wrong as well. We cannot, therefore, hold stereotypes towards the
media culture if we have never experienced it for ourselves first hand. We cannot label those
who work in media as aloof and lazy because these terms hold untrue for the media culture and
the long hours and late nights serve as testament otherwise.

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10

Before becoming an athlete here at Kentucky and really becoming acquainted and
involved with media and those who work within it I held a few of my own stereotypes towards
the media. I thought that people in media were manipulative, that they directed interviews in the
direction they wanted to take for a story and not in a direction of finding the truth and that they
were standoffish and aloof (Figure 3). But my opinion of the media all changed when I came
here to the University of Kentucky and met Chris Shoals and had first hand experience with
media and began being involved in the work the UK Media Department does with athletics.
When I met Chris, I was shocked to find that he was just like me and had recently
graduated from Kentucky himself. There was nothing standoffish or aloof about him or
anyone else in the media department that I have met. They are just another part of the team and
supported the team and I just like any teammate would. Chris and the work he does is a huge
part of our teams success and we look up to him not only as someone working to make us better
players and people but as a friend too. He is not just interested in what we do on the field, how
we perform or in simply making sure we dont step out of line when it comes to social media but
he is interested in our lives outside our sport. That came as such a shock to me and forced me to
reevaluate the stereotypes I had towards the media culture. After being involved in just a small
aspect of the media culture I realized that it was something special and that the people who work
in it are amazing people eager to teach us about what they know best and help us grow as
Figure 3: Andrew Harrison Interview (C. Shoals, interpersonal communication, February 17,
2015)
Above, Andrew Harrison, a key member of the Kentucky Mens Basketball team, answers a
few questions for a group of reporters.
athletes and people. I am extremely thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with Chris
Shoals and have a small glimpse into the media culture here at the University of Kentucky.

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STEREOTYPES AND MEDIA CULTURE

Contradictory to stereotypes held towards it, the media culture is one of commitment,
extreme devotion and relentless perseverance. Those who work within the University of
Kentucky Media Department spend may hours preparing for games, managing coaches and
players social media and writing sports publications. Though they may not be the face of a

sports team they are the ones behind that face, the ones that ensure the integrity and reputation of
the teams here at Kentucky. It is safe to say that without them, the Kentucky Athletic
Department would not be what it is today. They are an integral part of the athletic program and
university here at Kentucky and are the force behind much of the school spirit. They truly bleed
blue.

Reference

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12

Chris Shoals bio (n.d.). In Kentucky wildcats official athletic site. Retrieved from http://www.uk
athletics.com/genrel/shoals_chris00.html
Gorham, B. W. (2010). Considerations of media effects: The social psychology of stereotypes:
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Files /Kendall_Hunt/Content/Higher_Education/Uploads/Ch_6_Houston_3e.pdf: Kendall
Hunt Publishing.
Rainie, L. & Cohn, D. (2014, September 19). Census: Computer ownership, internet connection
varies widely across U.S. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from
http://www.pewresearch .org/fact-tank/2014/09/19/census-computer-ownership-internetconnection-varies-widely-across-u-s/
Seiter, E. (1986). Stereotypes and the media: A re-evaluation. Journal of communication, 36, 1426. doi: /10.1111/j.1460-2466.1986.tb01420.x/abstract
The Statistics Portal. (2015). Number of TV households in the United States from season 20002001 to season 2014-2015 (in millions) [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.statista
.com/statistics/243789/number-of-tv-households-in-the-us/
University of Kentucky media relations (n.d.). In Kentucky wildcats official athletic site.
Retrieved from http://www.ukathletics.com/athletic-dept/media-relations.html