Yes it does, especially in the American context. I agree with Anam, please see Stuart Hall (he died recently but his work lives on). Also a good source is Dwight E. Brooks.

I find this question to be too broad and yet it extremely important because of the nature of the issue it raises. In the background, it is vital to know that the world is made of many different races. Some races are almost synonymous with some cultures or religions. At the same times, race studies are quite as complex as the races themselves are. The influence stems from the news events in society of all races. There are also internal racial variations associated with dialect, attitude, and behaviour

     I am aware that, races have been variously named to include: Africans, blacks, whites, Jews, Asians, Arabs, coloureds, and Native Americans (Red Indians). Women are represented in their roles, situations, and status. For example in: politics, games and sports, performing arts, management, religions, cultures, conflicts, education, science, business, development, and careers.

     The media are not always homogeneous as some people might think. They are usually driven by their primary investment policies and they are first and foremost, accountable to the governments, if state owned, or to the board of directors, trusts, or governors, if privately owned.

     Race influence may negatively, positively, superficially, or controversially portray women in media. For example, in countries where women are forbidden from taking part in some activities such as: games and sports, driving, marriage to foreign husbands or partners, shaking hands with men, drinking wine or beer, proposing to men, or dressing as they choose; such women will receive damaging media coverage.

     These may originally be given prominence in national news and later become international news by international broadcasters or publishers like the BBC (UK), VOA (USA), CNN (USA), Aljazeera (Saudi Arabia), RFI (France), VOG (Germany), SBC (South Africa), RAI (Italy), ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada); The New York Times, The Age, Washington Post, the Guardian, and The Times Magazine. In most cases, women are presented more as women and less as their status indicate because this would naturally be more appealing to the male audience than otherwise.

     In addition to the above background, it is also advisable to know something about the media industry generally. The mainstream media are normally identified as the print media or publications (newspapers, magazines) and electronic media (radio, television). The media industry is essentially a business which thrives on advertising revenues which in turn must hook up the audience. The audience are made of races.

     These (mainstream media) normally operate at national, regional, or international levels. They are both state owned and private. The mainstream media is a term which normally excludes the community media and social media as well. It is known that women issues or images sell very well because they are crowd-pullers.

     It is amazing and perplexing how contradictory or similar different races perceive women and these are reflected in the local (community) media and the mainstream media as well. Part of the explanation is that, the main media is feed by the local media or the local reporters or news sources. Our race colour our world outlook.

     For example, the following conflicting vocabularies are used by different races in the world to describe the behaviour or status women in the society: careful, sensible, organized, fearful, careless, scandalous, voiceless, thoughtless, cowards, sexy, good, important, afraid, valuable, immoral, tough, easy going, gossipers, welcoming, intimate, disorderly, trusted, partners, comrades, allies, stable, tolerant, forgiving, hard working, troublesome, noisy, prey, charming, unclean, comfort, patient, courageous, peaceful, traitors, pilots, dangerous, reliable, right hands, foundation, and soul mates. These are usually picked by the media as direct quotes or sound bites.

     In races where the societal roles of women are accepted, respected, and recognized wives, mothers, beauty queens, or beauty items; this practice continues. Besides, the media are the vehicles for agenda setting, priming, and framing certain issues. It is known that the media also guided by the social responsibility theory of the press.

      Accordingly, the media has a duty to the society to set high professional standards of in formativeness, truth, professional competence, accuracy, objectivity, and balance. In addition, it should refrain from anything that may cause crime, violence, civil disorder, or offend the minorities. These set the standards of media coverage. 

     One of my immediate responses to this question is that, it not race but the media house policy that determines that influence of representation of women in the mainstream media. Racial influence or elements is enhanced or promoted by the specific media policy. We know that a negative racial remark, picture, publication, or gesture; may be a crime against humanity and hence, against the women folks.

     I think today, any national or international newspapers, radio, or TV stations which represent demeaning image of women in a racial light, directly or by innuendo (implication); will do so against national laws, constitutions, or international human rights conventions or protocols. Influence of race has both positives and negatives.

     Except in special circumstances like conflicts, crimes, and scandals where women are clearly involved, most mainstream media coverage of women are favourable. The following tones apply: beautiful, courage, victims, successful, dishonest, enduring, weaker sex, wives, family, clever, stars, flowers, mothers, fair sex, friendly, lovely, serious, honest, forgiving, teachers, smart, amiable, loves, queens, brilliant, devoted, spiritual, gentle, comfort, sex objects, life, energy, labour,  kind, valuables, managers.

     This does not in any way mean that the race influences representation of women in the mainstream media. Far from it, it happens even more frequently today. The main reason is that, the media are the sources of news or features they cover and air or publish. Race influence is a natural phenomenon. The type, nature, tone, attitude, and magnitude of the influence are inherent in or typical of the race in question. To a certain extent, it also depends on the policy of the media house or national policy.

     The influence varies from race to race and the composition of race in the media houses contributing to the mainstream media coverage. The influence also depends on the gender composition of the newsroom staff (from reporters, sub-editors, editors, trainers, and managers) and the percentage of women ownership of media houses.

     The latest (men on men) racial attack emerged on 27 December 2014. The North Korean president (Kim Jong Un) hurled a predawn personal attack on the USA president (Barak Obama), likening him to a monkey in a forest. It would have been  more interesting if the subject to him was a woman, in a country where reports say women are not equal to men in any sphere of life except in the kitchen or at home.

    It is known that women representation is a mixed bag of sexism (sex objects), gender bias, and trivialisation, exaggeration of achievements, prejudices, stereotypes, objectivity, commercial comodification, or beauty queens. The media are usually the mirrors of the society. The sources of media coverage are part and parcel of the society.The society itself is made races which also have their own history or tradition.

     At the same time race has multiple dynamics and dimensions which include: intra-race, inter-race, multi-inter-race, and multiple race-alliances. Each of these perceives women, their roles, values, and rights quite differently. There are also extremists, moderates, and conservatives. Most of these attributes are also inherent in the mainstream media especially in some national and regional mainstream media.

     Some see women as equal partners in everything, others see women folks as objects of admirations and beauty queens, but some races consider women to be inferior, valueless, at the level of slaves especially sex slaves and beasts of burden.

     All these representation or misrepresentation issues are mainly influenced by racial background of the perpetuators. The chief culprits would be the media houses.

     This is a see-saw situation because while racial extremism can be contained by professionalism and code of conduct (ethical practice) by media; what is on the ground regarding racism is objectively increasingly taking place in many societies. In some cases, it is perpetuated by some of the notorious world leaders against women.

     In all cases, media representation are framed by gatekeepers such reporters, editors, and publishers. The reporters or journalists (the legs of the media houses) rely on their news sources from the scenes of the events. The background to this process is that, all actors in the community belong to their racial perspective of women.

     In some cases, the sources of the main stories are the social media (networks) from the locations where the women are found. When these local stories (news) are transmitted to the mainstream media houses (radio, television, newspapers, and magazines); they have to be well edited and run or published accordingly.

      New challenges have come about because of the speed of inter-cultural integration through cross-education, immigrations, marriages, networking, social media, women emancipation, human rights and democratic freedoms, women communicators, and class representation. These have made women representation in the mainstream media to become more permanent than opportunistic these days.

     The priming, agenda setting, framing, and social responsibility of the mainstream press (media) are becoming more presented by women media practitioners who now interact better with other women in politics, games and sports, music, education, communities, security, military, faith, agriculture, banking, science, and commerce.

     Some women have themselves been complacent with the media representations that limit women’s values to aesthetic feminism and traditional gender attractions. This could possibly be attributed to the status of women as a product of the society where they were brought up. The media which are the mirrors of the society is always aware of this and hence, their interests in portraying women to their audience.

     In some races, women are trusted more than men especially on the issues of integrity, details, care, and performance effectiveness. This influence may not be noticed by the same race whose culture perpetuates the attitudes that women are inferior to men (because they are women).This may be done in good faith because of the cultural history which is also deeply rooted in the history of the race in question.

     Some women appreciate the natural and popular practice gender inequality form the point of view of a fair sex. In addition, some women see their femininity admired beauty by men as an end in itself and therefore welcome any media representation that enhances it. The women themselves are part of the race we are discussing.

     Besides, among some races, women and men are aware that media representation of women is done in good faith because it is obvious that men use their senses to do the right thinks or make the right moves in social relations with women at all times.

     On the other hand, media representations which are false or of propaganda nature may be identified or known as such. At the same time, media representations of women have matured with cultural changes and globalization (the media have now given women unlimited space and time to present their own issues by themselves).

     From the point of view of the majority of men or males (of all categories or classes), women are always seen as women first, and then their status or issues. This appears to be a natural tendency in almost all the societies in the world. Such may usually be manifested through discussions in various social fora or programs.

     There is a general feeling that women were created or exist for men and not vice versa. As a result, men would seem to think that women are automatically accountable to them regardless of the objective and visible realities surrounding their (women’s) true human, productive, reproductive, and professional values.

      Most societies even think that the children that women bear always belong to men. It is almost impossible to identify a man who does not think that a woman’s sexuality is the most important or valuable think about any woman on earth not withstanding her societal status. This misperception is often covered by the media.

      This is because most men (top consumers of the mainstream media services and products) find the natural attraction of women inevitably irresistible. This feeling does seem to be part of the reasons for the media (usually dominated by men) to light up the screens, air, or pages with women issues.  Besides, women issues are quite real, critical, and human; such as: social, economic, environment, and political.

      Not only in the media, but also in other male dominated for a such: parliament, cabinet, universities, games and sports, army or military, police, schools, music, dance, and drama, communities, homes or families, institutions, companies, within media houses, hospitals, business, politics, and workplaces.

     Race has influence on our world outlook of all things including gender issues or gender relationships [gender roles of women, girls, wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, widows] as assigned by the society they grew up. Some women have reached a level of racial defiance regarding their representation in the main stream media.

     For example, very many women with outstanding national, regional, and international performance traits have become success stories in the mainstream media. Women with enduring achievements have often been objectively covered.

     These include women top politicians, laureates, pop stars, and sport personalities like: Bandaranaike (Sri-Lankan ex-premier), Indira Ghandi (late Indian premier), Bhutto Begum (Bangladeshi ex-premier), and Sheikh Hasina (Bangladeshi premier), Helen Johnson (Liberian president), Joyce Banda (Malawian ex-president), Rodham Clinton and Condoleezza Rice (USA ex-secretaries of state), Corazon Aquino (Thailand ex-premier), Imelda Marcos ( Philippines ex-president), Margret Thatcher (British ex-premier), Bruntland (Norwegian ex-premier), Wa’ngari Mathai (Kenyan ex-environmental campaign laureate), Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani girls’ education campaign laureate), Madonna (USA music pop star), Bhuto (Pakistani ex-premier), Williams and Venus (USA tennis sports stars), Angela Merkel (German chancellor), Steffi Graff (German ex-tennis sports star), Dilma Rousseff (Brazilian president), and Mary Robinson (Irish ex-premier).

     All these women and many millions of others have come to treated on their own personal merits regarding their contributions or status in the society. But this does not mean that they did have to endure the influence of race in the media because as far as most men are concerned, women are always women regardless. The influence of race on media representation of women remains permanent. There are no substitutes for women, according to this point of view. The mainstream media itself feeds heavily on the alternative media. The influence is therefore quite real, frequent, widespread, and so far, very sustainable.