Media, Representation, and the Power of Listening
Photo by Changbok Ko on Unsplash
As someone who grew up loving stories but not always seeing myself in them, I’ve often thought about what it means to truly feel seen in media. I have been confronted with this idea more often as pieces of media are adapted for the screen. While examining how issues of race and representation show up in Hollywood and popular media, I had the chance to speak with Dr. Alexander Jenkins, a scholar who critically analyzes the intersections of race, media, and fandom. As an Associate Teaching Professor at Drexel University with a PhD in Communication, Culture, and Media and a BA in Anthropology, Dr. Jenkins brings expertise to topics like digital games, emerging media, morality, and online fan communities. More importantly, he speaks from a place of humility and curiosity, two traits that are essential when engaging in conversations about equity and inclusion.
We began our conversation on lighter ground, discussing video games as an avid player myself. “I really like the From Software games,” he said. “Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Those are like some of my [favorites].” From Software games are known for their challenging mechanics, world-building, and morally complex narratives.
Dr. Jenkins’s passion for immersive gameplay and emotional stories clearly influences his academic lens. When he’s struggling with a game, for example, he will seek out the answers online. This desire for community is attributed to Neil Postman, Jenkins says. “I think people are looking for meaning in things, and I think fandoms are one area where we can still come together and find meanings in like in these different spaces that maybe we don't have access to in person, right? And so people use these online technologies to connect us and help us to understand things better through these technologies and the connections that we can make with people.”
As a white academic who teaches media studies, Dr. Jenkins is acutely aware of his position in society.
“I’m a college professor, and I teach these things. I’m also a straight white guy. And so, I know about these things academically. And I talk to a lot of students, and I research things, and I am interested in these conversations about … diversity … But I also … just have a different perspective because of my race and my profession and my age and my gender and sexuality … So I try to do a lot of listening to people to understand [peoples’] perspectives and why these stories, these characters, these communities, are important to [people].”
Representation isn’t just a concept in Dr. Jenkins’ classroom, it’s something he researches in his free time, namely in the way people discuss films. “We did a paper where we were looking at online reviews … And we looked at how people online were reviewing them. And the kind of misogynist and sexist language that people were using in their reviews, and also the way that they discussed, like feminism, like what feminism meant to people.”
That focus on self-reflection and education is central to what Dr. Jenkins shares in his classes. It’s a reminder that supporting marginalized communities means using your position to uplift others, not to center yourself. This is especially important when it comes to women of color, who are often excluded from dominant feminist narratives. In a 2016 study from scholars Jean-Anne Sutherland and Kathryn Feltey, it was examined how mainstream media frequently sidelines the voices and experiences of women of color, portraying them through narrow lenses rather than as fully developed characters. Addressing this imbalance starts with listening, learning, and challenging the assumptions baked into both media production and the conversations surrounding it.
In an industry and society where surface-level inclusion often overshadows systemic change, voices like Dr. Jenkins’ are valuable. This is not because they speak over others, but because they know when to step back and let others lead. In a media landscape increasingly shaped by audience voices, this kind of academic humility is not only refreshing, it’s necessary. Listening is a powerful form of advocacy, and educators like Dr. Jenkins prove that meaningful allyship starts with making space. This raises an important question about the role each of us plays in fostering inclusive spaces and the impact it can have on Hollywood. How do you see the role of listening and allyship in creating real change? Is there an instance where you prioritized others’ opinions in a conversation where yours wasn’t necessarily the needed perspective?
