Topics

Media & Culture

Where to start on media & culture: what we’ve written, the numbers and words to know, what to do this month, and the people, organizations and newsrooms worth following.

The Basics

  • Overview What we watch, read and share shapes what we believe about each other. Media and culture decide whose stories get told, who gets credit for them and who gets written out. Following the people who make culture, and the ones who report on it, is one of the easiest ways to see those patterns and push back on them.

By the Numbers

Why this matters, in three numbers.

Key Terminology

Three words that come up again and again on this topic. See all of our key terminology >

  • Cultural Appropriation — Taking parts of a marginalized culture and using them without understanding or respecting where they came from.
  • White Savior Complex — The belief that white people need to rescue people of color, which centers the helper instead of the community.
  • AAVE — African American Vernacular English, a variety of English with its own grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Take Action

Three things you can do this month.

  • Ask Congress to back the AI Civil Rights Act. S. 3308 and H.R. 6356, introduced in December 2025, would stop companies from using algorithms that discriminate in jobs, housing, credit and other big decisions. Call or email and say: "I'm a constituent, and I want you to cosponsor the Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act."
  • Give to Black Public Media. This nonprofit funds and distributes films and series by Black storytellers, many of which air on public TV. A gift helps get more of these stories made.
  • Subscribe to a Black newspaper near you. The National Newspaper Publishers Association lists about 200 Black-owned papers by state. Find one near you and subscribe, donate or share a story this month.

From the Archive

  • The Myth of 'Woke Supremacy'

    A review of the word "woke" and how it's been wielded against the communities it once aimed to protect.

    Team ARD

  • The History and Future of Book Bans

    The record number of banned book attempts is part of a long American tradition of library censorship.

    Andrew Lee

  • How Tone Policing is Used to Silence Marginalized People

    Instead of taking accountability or addressing one's grievances, tone policing attempts to discredit and put the aggrieved back in their place.

    Nicole Cardoza

  • How Power and Privilege Shape Society and Ourselves

    A brief overview of what power and privilege means and its role in systemic oppression to help you understand how privilege shows up in your life—and what you can do to address it.

    Nicole Cardoza

  • Why the “B” in Black is Capitalized

    Terms Capitalizing “Black” when referring to people in a racial, ethnic, or cultural context is to make language more inclusive and accurate.

    Nicole Cardoza

  • Drag 101: What is Drag?

    Hysteria about drag performers “grooming” children is part of a coordinated campaign to eliminate LGBTQ+ people in public life.

    Andrew Lee

Every Media & Culture issue →

Organizations to Follow

These groups are led by people of color and work on media & culture every day. Follow them for updates and ways to help.

  • Color Of Change Pushes Hollywood, news outlets and tech platforms to stop harming Black people. Visit their website, and follow @colorofchange on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
  • MediaJustice Black-led group fighting for fair media, internet access and digital rights. Visit their website, and follow @mediajustice on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
  • IllumiNative Native-led group changing how Native people are shown in media and culture. Visit their website, and follow @illuminative on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.

People to Follow

Organizers, scholars and journalists who know this topic. Follow them to keep learning.

  • Kimberly Drew Curator, writer and co-editor of Black Futures. She spotlights Black artists and makes the art world easier to understand and enter. Follow @museummammy on Instagram.
  • J Wortham New York Times Magazine writer and co-editor of Black Futures. They write about Black culture, technology and the internet with care and curiosity. Follow @jennydeluxe on Instagram.
  • Aisha Harris NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour host and author of Wannabe. She reviews movies and TV with an eye on who gets represented and how. Follow @aha88 on Instagram.

Independent Media

Independent newsrooms and newsletters that cover media & culture often. Read and donate if you can!

Read, Watch, Listen

A book, a film and a podcast by creators of color to go deeper.

  • Read: Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom. Sharp, personal essays on beauty, media and money from a sociologist who was a National Book Award finalist.
  • Watch: Black Barbie: A Documentary by Lagueria Davis. The story of the three Black women at Mattel behind the first Black Barbie, and why seeing yourself in a toy matters (streaming on Netflix).
  • Listen: It's Been a Minute by Brittany Luse, NPR. A culture show that digs into what's trending and what it says about us, three times a week.

Talk About It

Not sure how to bring this up with family or coworkers? Try one of these.

  • When was the last time you saw a show or movie where the Black characters felt like real people?
  • Do you think the news covers our neighborhood fairly, or only when something bad happens?
  • Who do you follow online that makes you think differently about something?

ps – this is a community-created guide that is updated often. Want to make changes/corrections? Complete this form.

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