Media provides, for many people, the only source of information about the outer world. Hence, in many rural areas, the only source of information about African Americans, Latinos, etc. is through the media. Therefore, the degree to which a minority is ridiculed in the media directly affects the image that a rural population has of that minority. Although, more urban areas may have more interaction amongst ethnic minorities and the majority, the minority image portrayed in the media still carries some weight in the minds of the majority. Also, the portrayal of a minority in the media has strong effects on the self- image of that minority, especially the young minority. For example, an African American child who watches a television program in which another African American plays an inferior, degrading or subservient role, for example, Amos and Andy that child may come to the conclusion that he, himself, because he is African American, must be inferior as well. The image of a minority held by a member of the majority does not remain a passive thought; it is reflected in that person's behavior towards the minority. Because of this, the media- image of a minority affects the integration of that minority into the real world. Therefore, if one minority A experiences a more harsh ridicule stage than minority B, minority A will have a more difficult time being integrated into actual society. The apparent flaw in Clark's model, therefore, is far more operational than simply media- related; it affects the society and the life of the minorities within it. .
There, apparently, are two primary explanations for the flaw in Clark's model. The first explanation is simply that the minds of both the media producers and audience have been opened by African American presence in the media; the second possible explanation is that, with the acceptance of African Americans into the media, certain regulations and laws were established; laws which did not apply only to African Americans, but encompassed all minorities.
