THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE U.S MEDIA 2015

Apparent race/ethnicity of males and females in top-grossing films, 2013
Year White Hispanic Black Asian Other
Males 70.4% 62.7% 66.2% 68% 77%
Females 29.6 37.3 33.8 32 23
Ratio 2.38 to 1 1.68 to 1 1.96 to 1 2.13 to 1 3.35 to 1
Source: USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative
Columbia University: As the U.S. Latino population jumped five-fold,
Latino actors, other industry pros lost ground in TV and film
Between 1950 and 2013—when the Latino population grew roughly five-fold to comprise
17 percent of the U.S. population—the tally of Latinos with leading TV actor roles
dropped from 3.9 percent to 0 percent and those with leading movie-acting roles
dropped from 1.7 percent to 0 percent. That’s according to The Latino Media Gap, a
June 2014 study from Columbia University’s Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race.
In fall 2014, Latina-led TV shows “Cristela,” “Jane the Virgin,” and “Los Cowboys”
debuted.
Disney’s “McFarland, USA,” a movie about Latino high school boys who are field workers
and later double as cross-country runner stars—Kevin Costner as their white track
coach—reportedly is the single, Latino-centric film slated for release in 2015. (Latinos
buy 25 percent of all movie tickets and are 32 percent of all movie-goers in the United
States, according to University of Southern California researchers.)
Prior to that 2015 release, however, these were among the low points for Latinos in
entertainment, according to the report:
From 2012 to 2013, 69 percent of all maids in entertainment media were Latina.
No Latinos were studio or network presidents, CEOs or owners.
Among the top 53 TV, radio and studio executives, including board chairpersons,
only one—or 1.88 percent—was Latina.
Between 2010 and 2013, Latino male actors did not appear in any top 10 movies
or TV shows, though, until the 1990s, there had been more male Latino actors than
female ones.
From 2010 to 2013, Latinos comprised 2.8 percent of TV directors, 0.4 percent of TV
producers and 1.7 percent of TV writers.
From 2010 to 2013, Latinos accounted for 2.3 percent of movie directors, 2.7 percent
of movie producers and 6 percent of movie writers.
From 2012 to 2013, 17.6 percent of Latino TV characters were criminals, up from 6
percent in 1994; 36.6 percent were in law enforcement.
From 2012 to 2013, 45 percent of Latino characters on TV were either uncredited or
unnamed.
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WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER
The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2015 TOC womensmediacenter.com