Media Misrepresentations of a Mascot Controversy: Contested Constructions of Race and Gender

This article examines media coverage of a high school Native American mascot controversy. Discourse analysis of media documents and artifacts was utilized to explore how the issue was socially constructed for public consumption. Critical race feminism was used as a framework to examine how media discourses can oversimplify the complex interaction of racism and sexism. We found that the rich historical and cultural legacies of Cherokee women were rendered invisible. This case provides insight for educators faced with media portrayals of racism and sexism in schools; it unearths some of the processes through which oppressive discourses can be perpetuated in news media coverage; and it suggests that understanding this is critical for school leaders who seek to be media literate and multiculturally competent.