"The Latino Media Gap: A Report on the State of Latinos in U.S. Media" details racial disparities on the big and small screen and highlights the lack of Latino prominence in top 10 films and scripted television series during 2013. The report also details the finer points of the Latino media gap.

The study revealed that while stereotypes restrict both the opportunities afforded to Latinos and cultural perceptions of Latinos, compelling storylines about Latino characters tend to be rewarded with higher ratings and increased viewership. Racial disparities in media greatly affect young people, making them feel unseen and unheard in an era of supposed multiculturalism.

Eighteen percent of Latin America's population is of African descent, as is 12 percent of the U.S. Latino population. Yet, Hispanics of African descent are virtually unseen in lead roles in mainstream media across both Spanish- and English-language platforms.

Marketers and film makers perceive Afro-Latinos' presence as a complication when casting and campaigning for Hispanics, blurring their perception of what or who Latinos are, resulting in a conspicuous absence of Afro-Latinos from many mainstream networks, as well as Telemundo and Univision projects.

The report indicated there has been a significant incorporation of Latinas and Afro-Latinos (2010 to 2013, Afro-Latino performers represented 18.2 percent of Latino film actors and 16.7 percent of Latino TV actors), but Afro-Latinos were generally confined to supportive roles. Latinos overall, however, continue to be cast in stereotypical roles.

On screen, Latinos continue to pose as criminals, law enforcers, and cheap labor, according to the report. Between 2012 and 2013, 17.7 percent of Latino film characters and 24.2 percent of TV characters were linked to crime, a dynamic increase from the 6 percent seen on television in 1994.

Since 1996 , 69 percent of iconic media maids in film and television have been Latina. The longstanding lack of diversity occurs in front of and beyond the gaze of cameras; the discrimination palpable.

From 2010 to 2013, none of the top 10 TV show creators were Latino, and Latinos comprised only 1.1 percent of producers, 2 percent of writers, and 4.1 percent of directors. Among top 10 films, Latinos accounted for 2.3 percent of directors, 2.2 percent of producers, and 6 percent of writers.

With few exceptions, Latinos' participation in mainstream English-language media has been low, and there's been a continual failure to grow numbers; much like there has been a continual failure to grow the number of Afro-Latinos actors and actresses in Spanish-language programming.

Hollywood has moved away from using whites to portray blacks on the screen, but film makers continue to utilize whites to play Chicanos and Hispanics; Latinos Alexis Bledel, Frankie Muniz, and Aubrey Plaza are perpetually cast to play white roles due to their Caucasian appearance; and Afro-Latinos, like Zoe Saldana and Christina Milian, continuously play characters that are black and non-Latino. In Spanish-language programming, Euro-Hispanics are featured in lead roles; they are seen as elite or sophisticated. Non-white or mixed Latinos portray supporting roles, such as banditos, maids and gang-bangers.

The stereotyping of Latinos, like in English-language media, is as damning as not featuring them at all. Latino men (European and African descent) have totally disappeared from lead roles in English-language media, pushed into subsidiary roles, which has been the case since the 1990s. And, when it comes to representation in news, Latinos constitute less than 1 percent of news media coverage; there's little Latino participation in front of or behind the camera.

Latinos flock to the theaters (buying 25 percent of all movie tickets) and sit in front of their television sets more regularly than other groups. Their financial contributions ensure industry growth but do not ensure inclusion.

Latinos of every shade, nationality, and ethnicity need to be featured and better represented in media, which help improve self-esteem, self-respect and self-awareness within the Latino community. Recommendations for closing the gap include: investment in young talent and new media companies; major networks need to hire diverse executives and top leadership, and develop diversity policies; promotion of open casting and diverse hiring; and rewarding programming that attracts high ratings by featuring non-stereotypical Latino characters and storylines.

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