In New Media 10, we have discussed racism and sexism in advertising, and how they can be eliminated for the future. These methods include the following:

• Research: while an advertisement is being conceptualized, any ideas incorporated into it should be researched, especially concrete symbols like an illustrated logo. It is not necessarily possible to research some more abstract symbolism such as the roles of people in the advertisement, which is where the next methods come into play.
• Increased diversity in review processes: this covers methods like focus groups (surveying distinct populations) and diversity in staff hiring where possible. This allows for companies to get a wider range of views and opinions on their advertising, such to identify any unintentional offensive symbolism from different cultural perspectives.
• Changes to the advertising: this includes depicting a range of people of different races and genders making use of a product, and thought put into the implications of the imagery in the advertising. For instance, an image of a woman cleaning the home while her husband relaxes is a sexist stereotype, and could be replaced with imagery such as both parties doing the cleaning.

  

As a society, we can contribute to eliminating racism and sexism in advertising by providing our own feedback regarding advertising we see, based on our own experiences and values. It is impossible for a single person to identify every potential offensive image in an advertisement, so encouraging others to do the same would be an option to help improve.