Stereotyping in mass communication refers to the application of pre-formed, generalised assumptions about members of a group — based on race, gender, age, religion, nationality, profession, or social class — to all members of that group. The textbook explains that media stereotypes are “sometimes inevitable, especially in advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand information.” However, the danger is profound:

• Stereotypes reduce complex individuals to simplified caricatures
• When repeated frequently, they transform assumptions into perceived realities
• They can cause measurable psychological harm — the textbook's case study on beauty stereotyping in media linked media images to depression, eating disorders, and loss of self-esteem in women and girls
• Stereotypes perpetuate discrimination by associating entire groups with negative or limiting characteristics

The textbook argues that media professionals must be educated about stereotyping to reduce its harmful use.