A Nov. 2 USA Today article “graded” the most common television stations’ onscreen diversity progress.
The criteria for these grades are unclear; the only indicator of their research is this disclaimer at the bottom of the article: “Grades were determined based on USA TODAY research on the ethnic and racial makeup of scripted primetime fall 2016 series, the percentage of leading roles they represent and the prevalence of diverse themes in the shows.”
Although it seems the publication took it upon themselves to assign letter grades to the major television stations, the results are pretty accurate.
ABC received an A-, the highest grade of the five stations examined. The lowest grade was a C- given to CBS. Fox received a B+, CW a C+ and NBC a C+.
Overall, if you look at the variety of shows on these networks, these grades make sense.
ABC is home to many television shows that people love, and Shonda Rhimes, a black woman, literally owns a day of the week on the network. “Grey’s Anatomy,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” and “Scandal” are Rhimes’ brainchildren.
Rhimes worked hard to build a repertoire of television shows that capture audiences with drama and unexpected plot twists. You can tell she is set on diversifying her characters and other elements of the shows. In all of her creations, there is a major character who is black and female.
Rhimes explores interracial marriages and affairs, isn’t afraid to break stereotypical roles and is definitely not afraid to kill off a popular character for the sake of the storyline.
Other than Rhimes, the content creators at ABC are obviously interested in exploring different kinds of people, but it is interesting that many of their shows focus on families. I haven’t come up with a solid theory as to why this is, but I think there’s a clear message here: Families are the center of human existence, and they come in many forms.
For instance, “Modern Family” features interracial marriage, gay marriage, adoption, parents dealing with smart children and problem children, a couple with a significant age gap and much more.
In 2016, ABC added and renewed shows like “The Real O’Neals,” “Speechless,” “American Housewife,” “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Black-ish.” In addition to these shows that center around minority groups, the network also has a minority lead role in “Quantico,” a show that doesn’t focus on ethnicity.
The reason the other stations received such low grades from USA Today — and myself — is the lack of diversity in their fall 2016 shows. On CBS, all six fall of the shows are lead by white men, and they do not deal with any social issues or diverse, modern lifestyles.
Although the CW is a smaller network known for its superheroes and romantic dramas, “Jane the Virgin” is the lone show with a minority actress in a lead role.
Fox has a better grade because of its smash hit “Empire” and transgender actress Laverne Cox’s recent role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in its production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” However, it doesn’t really have anything else to offer.
Either way, the diversification is disproportionately focused at ABC. The rest of the networks need to catch up.
Creating roles for minority individuals allows us to become more accepting of them. If the media are less likely to portray them as outsiders, the average person who doesn’t know their left hand from a hole in the ground, will follow suit.
The arts are a place for people to belong and they offer a safe haven for people who aren’t made for desk jobs. When large networks create and offer diverse roles and portrayals, they offer a place for minority groups to make a living, to be happy, to be included and to have a place where they can share their thoughts with the world.
Myia Hambrick is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Temple, Georgia.