CALIFORNIA

From the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo to the executions staged by ISIS, we are inundated with headlines and images intended to provoke. Films like American Sniper tap into deep-seated feelings regarding Iraq and the Middle East. What is the media’s responsibility when it comes to the representation of villains, of foreign cultures, of “the Other”?

Dr. Jack G. Shaheen has dedicated his career to identifying and contesting damaging stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in American media. He has connected their development to the portrayals of other marginalized groups including Jews, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans. His research analyzes the origins of these visual caricatures, reveals their very real ramifications for innocent people, and presents solutions to counter them effectively.

Media: Representation and Responsibility is a conversation that will transform the ways in which we produce and consume media that will run from March 23-27 led by industry leaders who care deeply about the role the media plays in our lives and its effect on society. The taping of “Open Mind” with Alexander Hefner will be held in the CCB Studios with students and faculty on Wednesday, March 25.

Hosted by Pepperdine Graphic Media and the Center for Entertainment, Media and Culture, all events will be in the Center for Communication and Business, “the CCB”, on Pepperdine’s Malibu campus.