Media Representations of Social Groups Flashcards
what are the 4 social groups that are represented in the media?
-underclass
-working class
-middle class
-upper class
how are the underclass labelled in the media?
-aggressive men
-fake designer clothes, ‘chav’
-dirty clothes
-more likely to join subcultures and take part in crime
how are the working class labelled in the media?
-masculine and macho
-foul-mouthed
-manual labour
how are the middle class labelled in the media?
-overrepresented in the media
-mature/sensible
-family-orientated, well-functioning family
-financially stable
how are the upper class represented in the media?
-luxury homes and estates
-posh accent, expensive clothing
-enjoys shooting/hunting
-royal family, etc
what are two examples of the difference in how the media represent social groups?
-Madeleine McCann (middle class)- £1.5 million reward
-Shannon Matthews (working class)- £20,000 reward
what was the quote that newspaper articles used to label Shannon’s working class parents?
‘Monsters- no morals, no compassion, no sense of responsibility, who are incapable of feeling guilt.’
what is middle class solidarity?
the lower the social class, the more negative the portrayal
what are 5 ways in which lower classes are portrayed?
-the dangerous class
-dehumanising, just a number
-undeserving of public sympathy
-most destitute images are shown
-moral panics, real issues rarely explored
what did Cohen say about poverty porn and the underclass?
the media exploit the poor for entertainment and gratification, which provides ‘viewing pleasure.’
=’Freaks to be mocked.’
what is the impact of poverty porn and explain what is meant by this?
SYMBOLIC ANNIHILATION
=working class are destroyed by the media, through negative headlines and aspects about them
what did Nairn say about the upperclass in the media?
-global newsworthiness = profit
=focus on every trivial detail which reinforces a sense of national identity
what did Newman say about the middle class in the media?
-overrepresentation of high income nuclear families
-middle class interests are portrayed as the ‘norm’
-day time TV focus around cultural capital
-political opinions of MC are over-represented on current affairs
what did Newman say about the working class in the media?
-make up a significant section of society but very few media focus on their everyday lives
-identified as ‘social problems.’
-GUMG found unflattering language to describe strike action (lazy, greedy, violent)
-unflattering, ‘well intentioned but dumb.’
what percentage of the top 100 journalists were privately educated, but how much does private education make up of the whole UK population?
-54%
-only makes up 7% of the whole UK population (
=Sutton Trust 2006/12
what is one word associated with the upper class in the media?
respect
what is one word associated with the middle class in the media?
relate
what is one word associated with the working class in the media?
unrelatable
what is one word associated with the underclass in the media?
judgemental
what is a quote to do with the privately educated journalists?
‘male, pale and stale (and privately educated)’
what do neo-marxists say about media representations of social groups?
-media is a toll of ideological control
-media downplays class conflict and exploitation, leading to false class consciousness
-media presents elite classes as deserving but the lower classes are problems
