Are whites the majority constituency where the ad is run? The demographics of a targeted audience can automatically color code 鈥渦s鈥� and 鈥渢hem鈥� as white versus black, respectively. Having an intended majority audience that is white helps an ad define 鈥渦s鈥� (whites) and distinguish 鈥渦s鈥� from 鈥渢hem鈥� (those, including the candidate of color, who embody negative, stereotypical character traits).
Determining the audience for an ad run in presidential contests can be complicated (we rarely know where an ad is being run). But were the ad mentioned earlier (鈥渨e good and decent Americas鈥�) aired in a place like Iowa, 鈥渦s鈥� in the ad could likely be interpreted by viewers 鈥� consciously or not 鈥� as 鈥渨hites鈥� in a racial context, given that the vast majority of the population there is white.
Data collected over many years by the Harvard Implicit project demonstrates convincingly that most people automatically associate being 鈥渓ike us鈥� with those who share the same visible physical traits. demonstrated: 鈥淲hites living in communities with few or no African Americans are more apt to express uneasiness [about African Americans] than those in more diverse communities.鈥�
Thus, while airing an ad for a majority white audience does not guarantee voters will be seduced by a potentially racist message, their being white makes that more likely.
Charlton McIlwain is associate professor of media, culture, and communication at New York University. Stephen M. Caliendo is professor of political science at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. They are the authors of
