Most of the decision-makers in North American news and entertainment media are white. Media ownership is mainly concentrated in the hands of white males; white journalists dominate the mainstream media; and white people hold most creative positions in the entertainment media as actors, writers and directors. All these factors contribute to the prevalence of whiteness in media, and help to reinforce white privilege as the norm.

Most mainstream media content also reinforces white privilege by featuring white characters and addressing white interests and experiences. When programming does feature non-white characters, they usually appear in supporting roles.

News and information media also demonstrate the preponderance of white privilege:

• In the early 1990s, the media watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) surveyed the makeup of the guests on ABC's Nightline. It found that 80 per cent were professionals, 89 per cent were male, and 92 per cent were white.
  
  
• FAIR also found that on PBS's MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, 90 per cent of the guests were white, 87 per cent were male, and 67 per cent were current or former government officials.
  
  
• A 1996 survey conducted by Women, Men and Media found that subjects interviewed for the evening news were predominantly (75 per cent) professional white men. As well, 86 per cent of American network news was also reported by white men.