Portrayals of fathers in the mass media influence parents' views of the importance of fathers to the well-being of children and of fathers' competence as parents. Awareness of how these portrayals influence parents is crucial to the effectiveness of professionals as they seek to improve child well-being through their work with parents, particularly through tactics that seek to increase the involvement of fathers in children's lives. This article raises awareness among professionals about how media depictions of fathers influence parents and concludes with recommendations for how professionals can counter negative stereotypes of fathers.