Are media messages also to blame for racism?

Answer 1

partley yes. but in the end the individual who IS racist is the one to blame.

Answer 2

Far, far less than they used to be. When I was a child, it was the rare television show that had a black character, much less a respectable black character -- certainly no Asians or Indians. But since then there has been a concerted effort on the part of many shows--not all, but some progress is better than none--to bring in diversity. "Grey's Anatomy" is an excellent example.

We still have a long way to go. But progress has been made.