Colorblind Ideology in Traditional and Online Media: Towards a Future Research Agenda

Abstract While much research has looked at colorblind ideology in mainstream traditional media content and production, few studies have investigated the expression and status of colorblind ideology in social media. The present chapter addresses this discrepancy by reviewing academic literature on colorblind discourse in both traditional and social media. In the light of the literature reviewed, this chapter (i) underlines the complexities of both on- and offline expressions of race and racism, and the extent to which they are co-constructive. Furthermore, this chapter highlights the need to (ii) sensitize media practitioners and researchers on colorblind ideology to ensure that (iii) racism is treated, in research as well as in the media, as a structural phenomenon rather than as punctuated events.