REPRESENTATION IN MASS MEDIA
REPRESENTATIONS OF ETHNICITY AND RACE
- Hartman and Husband (1974) showed that the media defined the way race was thought about rather than simply influenced our attitudes.
- Trona (1974) found different attitudes about race in different newspapers, but agreement on the issues.
- S. Hall et al. (1978) said moral panic about muggings meant that they were portrayed as new, and black on white. The crime figures didn't support this, but the effect was repressive policing.
- Jones and Jones (1996) said science fiction reinforces and aliens are like immigrants, uncivilised, and black people are more likely to be portraying them.
- Van Dijk (1991) said the press is still a white voice, with officials often white. It's not deliberate, but represents minorities as a problem.
- Solomos and Black (1996) analysed changes in media stereotypes:
- 60's, welfare scrounger rather than nhs worker.
- 70's mugger rather than victim of race attacks,
- 80's rioter rather than victim of repressive policing.
- But they still found two consistent themes:
- Black and Asian culture are alien to the 'British way of life'.
- Ethnic minorities are a threat to 'British 'Culture''.
REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY
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Men are seen as workers.
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Women are wives and sex objects.
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Tuchman (1984) analysed the representation of women in the media, as well as the above, women were in jobs which were extensions of thier domestic roles.
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Cumberbatch (1990) anaysed tv adverts. Men were shown more often in paid employment. Women were younger. Men, though, were more likely to be shown cooking.
Ownership and Control
Reproduces patriarchal ideology. Men still fill many journalist roles. Interactionalists argue that the media reflect aw well as create gender stereotypes.
HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
Gender role reversal sometimes sells products.
Extra Information
You don't have to restrict any answer to women.