Abstract

Media and Stigma

Martin Fishbein

Annenberg Public Policy Center

Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania

In order to understand the role of the media in promoting or preventing stigma, one must first understand the factors that influence whether one will, or will not, engage in discriminatory or protective behaviors that have been assumed to be related to stigma. A model of behavioral prediction will be presented that suggests that stigma has primarily an indirect influence on behavior. Given this perspective, the role of the media in influencing both stigma and behavior is considered.