Race Against Prime Time

58 minutes, 1985 , United States

Producer/Director: David Shulman

Race Against Prime Time

Educational Streaming

Colleges, Universities, Government Agencies, Hospitals and Corporations

Streaming licenses for institutional use—ideal for education, training, and research.

Community Screening

Short-term use for small groups, organizations, or high school classes (under 100 participants-where no admission is charged).

Flexible options for educators, facilitators, and non-commercial screenings.

Home Viewing

48-hour personal streaming rental for in-home use only.

For individuals without institutional access.

Race Against Prime Time is the only film to scrutinize how television news represents African Americans. This hard-hitting documentary takes us behind the scenes at the newsrooms of the three network affiliates during the Liberty City uprising in Miami which left 18 dead. It provides a classic case study of how the news gets made: what we see - and what we don't.

Race Against Prime Time documents how local television newsmen anoint black community spokespersons, characterize whites as victims and blacks as rioters and fail to place the disturbances within the context of and decades of civic neglect. This film reminds us that twenty-five years after the Kerner report decried media prejudice, news reporting remains very much a white view of black realities.
Race Against Prime Time trailer image