Crack Mothers in the News: A Narrative of Paternalistic Racism

This study examines the story the news tells about “crack mothers” through a narrative analysis of a newspaper series, exploring the major themes and character types from a perspective informed by critical cultural studies and feminist theory. It argues that news studies cannot adequately explore race within representation without also addressing gender and class. The focus of the series analyzed here was the battle to save the children of crack mothers. This narrative of redemption, viewed through the lens of gender, race, and class, is one of a white, professional middle-class working to rescue women and children of the black underclass. The underlying paternalistic racism reflects the intersectionality of gender, race, and class while reinforcing negative stereotypes about African American women.