From magazine covers to small screens, media producers are striving to meet public demand for a level of diversity that reflects reality – but are their efforts enough? Canvas8 spoke to eight Americans about whether they believe mainstream media fairly represents all parts of society.

For the eighth series of MTV’s reality show Are You The One?, the drama-filled fun came with an important social message. By featuring an entirely sexually fluid cast, the network offered a nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ dating in 2019 and boosted media representation for this oft-sidelined group.

The Sims 4 Island Living expansion pack includes a transgender character, in a bid to offer greater diversity in gaming media. As people look to identify with characters in different forms of media, this representation of transgender people in gaming is significant.

Less than a year since India legalised homosexuality, Bollywood has released its first lesbian romance. The rom-com tells the story of a family coming to terms with its daughter’s sexuality, but the film's marketing highlights its mainstream rather than groundbreaking features.