Representation Flashcards
What is representation?
Representation is the meaning that is given to an object, person, or event.
Representation has three aims. List them.
- To reflect and resemble
- To stand in for
- To represent
What is the ‘gap’ of representation?
A representation can never show the complete truth of a depiction, therefore, there is always a ‘gap’ in the representation where something is left out.
Why is media and communication always linked with power?
Because the people that hold the power are able to shape the way people, things, and events are represented in the media.
How do knowledge and power intersect in the media?
When someone holds a lot of power in the media, they are able to present/limit the information they provide to represent their own interests rather than the interests of the consumers.
How are marginalised groups represented in the media and why?
Marginalised groups are usually depicted in a stereotypical manner to exaggerate differences between ‘us’ and ‘them’. This is called ‘othering’.
Give an example of ‘othering’ in the media.
When Keisha Castle-Hughes fell pregnant in 2006, she quickly changed from ‘our’ Keisha to an ‘other’ as she no longer represented the idealistic symbol of biculturalism in New Zealand.
