Final answer:
One of the author's claims about the effects of media representations of Africa is that they often overrepresent African Americans as poor, which can shape people's perceptions and contribute to stereotypes and biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the author's claims about the effects of media representations of Africa is that they often overrepresent African Americans as poor. This claim is supported by research that shows how news coverage and national magazines tend to show images of young African Americans when discussing poverty, while excluding other racial groups.
Furthermore, the media's portrayal of race is flawed, with local news shows more likely to show pictures of criminals as African American, reinforcing the stereotype that most criminals are Black. This misrepresentation of race can shape people's perceptions and contribute to stereotypes and biases.
This misrepresentation also extends to the portrayal of poverty, with the media often overrepresenting African Americans as poor and excluding other groups from the narrative of poverty.