The marijuana user in US news media: an examination of visual stereotypes of race, culture, criminality and normification

Abstract

In the wake of growing legalization efforts, both medicinal and recreational marijuana use in the US is becoming more prevalent and societally acceptable. However, racial, criminal and cultural stereotypes linger in mediated visual portrayals. This study examines the extent to which mediated visual portrayals in mainstream news have been impacted by these recent legalization efforts. Employing a quantitative as well as a qualitative analysis of visual images used to represent marijuana use in mainstream news, this study draws upon the power of visual framing and the construction of social reality to examine how visual symbols and iconic signifiers are used to construct both stereotypical and ‘mainstreamed’ or ‘normative’ depictions of marijuana use. Analyzing 458 visuals across 10 different media outlets across the political spectrum, both before and after legalization of marijuana in Colorado, this study shows how news portrayals perpetuated stereotypes about marijuana users, particularly around criminality and pot-culture iconography. Relatively few depictions of marijuana users in the US are visuals of ordinary, ‘normal’ people or families. This study thus interrogates the relationship between representations of race, criminality and ‘pothead’ stereotypes associated with marijuana use, and how these visual representations differ amongst liberal and conservative news sites, finding that the political ideology of the news outlet largely influences the visual stereotyping of marijuana users. The study concludes by considering both the legal and cultural implications of how mainstream news visually represents marijuana use, considering how persistent decades-old representations were largely perpetuated rather than challenged in light of legalization efforts.

A qualitative review of cannabis stigmas at the twilight of prohibition

“…Unfortunately, this sentiment survives today though perhaps in a much subtler context. While research has found a trend in positive marijuana reporting starting in the early 1990s (Stringer and Maggard 2016), the common inclusion of law enforcement personnel as experts in marijuana articles still imparts the feeling that something is criminogenic about the substance (Mortensen et al 2019;Kim and Kim 2018; Haines-Saah et al 2014; Boyd and Carter 2012) 2 . Seemingly playful stoner stereotypes are also detrimental to the public's perception of cannabis since they make users appear incompetent and immature:…”

“…One of the most powerful purveyors of cannabis social stigmas is the media (Mortensen et al 2019 ). Leading up to the federal prohibition of marijuana in 1937, Harry Anslinger and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics influenced the publication of numerous propaganda articles whereas anti-marijuana articles before this time were largely nonexistent (Griffin et al 2013 ; Becker 1973/1963 ; Bonnie and Whitebread 1974 ) 1 .…”

“…Unfortunately, this sentiment survives today though perhaps in a much subtler context. While research has found a trend in positive marijuana reporting starting in the early 1990s (Stringer and Maggard 2016 ), the common inclusion of law enforcement personnel as experts in marijuana articles still imparts the feeling that something is criminogenic about the substance (Mortensen et al 2019 ; Kim and Kim 2018 ; Haines-Saah et al 2014 ; Boyd and Carter 2012 ) 2 . Seemingly playful stoner stereotypes are also detrimental to the public’s perception of cannabis since they make users appear incompetent and immature: [B]ecause cannabis use is also associated with the young adult phase of the life course, stereotypes of cannabis users exaggerate qualities associated with young adults, such as lock of experience and irresponsibility, while also implying that cannabis users who have aged out of this phase of the life course are immature or “burnouts” because they have maintained inappropriate behaviors relative to their age (Newhart and Dolphin 2019 :189).…”

“…Many black athletes whose cannabis use was leaked by the media are subsequently described as thugs or lacking discipline, even in non-cannabis-related stories about their behavior. A recent content analysis of Colorado news reporting adds evidence to this racist phenomenon, finding that legalization did not result in a normalized depiction of minority cannabis users (Mortensen et al 2019 ). When criminal or stoner stereotypes were used by the media, they were more likely to feature racial minorities than white people 3 .…”

“…Analyzing 458 images from Colorado newspapers,Mortensen et al (2019) and found racial minorities were depicted as criminals more than whites (23.5% to 13.4%), and that racial minorities were depicted as displaying more pot-culture stereotypes than whites (34.6% to 16.5%).…”