First Draft

Black youths in today’s society are portrayed as thugs, out of control people who cause mayhem to society. However, the media’s immense influence on today’s society- is this representation true? Since ethnic minorities ‘in London is over 30%’ - and ‘8% of the UK population’[1] this perhaps could be a reason why ethnic minorities within the UK are represented as subordinates within the media. Britain as a democracy, and a multi-cultural society, you’d think the media would represent a more diverse Britain and celebrate the culture? Anchorage, controversial headlines, moral panics are some of many techniques used by the media to unfairly present all black youths as violent thugs. Similarly, Milligan (2005) argues ‘young black people grow up in a society where media images of black people are often negative and that it is therefore no surprise that many black children internalise such negative views about black people’. Could this negative representation be a way in which the media can punish black youths as an ethnic minority for the change in society? Or reinforce hegemonic values? Theoretically, speaking- Louis Althusser argued the media was like an ‘ideological state apparatus’-where the ruling class pass down their values onto society and use their social status/position to manipulate audiences, making their views right. The extent to which the British media actually reflect social issues within society is debateable.

Firstly, a debate that particularly looks on how effective the representations of the media are, whether this representation truly reflects the ‘zeitgeist’[2]. In terms of print media- institutions such as ‘The Sun’ ‘Daily Mirror’ use the ‘moral panics’- is an expressed feeling within society that threatens the social order within society. Cohen argues a moral panic occurs when ‘a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests’[3]. This is particularly expressed by broadsheet newspapers who are politically biased, such a ‘The Sun’ who politically in favor of the conservatives- who are a right wing political party which follows traditional values. The use of moral panics used to describe the social concern of knife crime does reflect the media’s attempt to marginalize black youths in society. However, the negative representation of the media does reflect the social concerns within the media as ‘Black people make up only 5% of the United Kingdom’s population. However, over 50% of the prison population is black and 40% of the Black population is unemployed’. This is when the use of moral panics does reflect the ‘zeitgeist’. However, the irony is that the media continuously focus on the negative issues within society and ignore the positive to create a fair representation of black youths, the media clearly do not take the ‘we are all alike approach’. However, the struggle of the subordinate representation against the dominate representation is becoming increasingly difficult as ‘Every year 1000 Black pupils are permanently excluded and nearly 30,000 receive a fixed period exclusion. Black pupils are three times more likely to be excluded than their White peers; after all other background factors are taking into account.’[4] With this concern the negative representations and moral panics are – unfortunately- serving a purpose.

On the other hand, Britain as a democracy- is able to print as they like as institutions, which unfairly represent black youths- are not obligated to fairly to meet the needs of different types of audiences as they are not PSB’s who are not funded by the government through taxes. Similarly, as Connor argues ‘Representation is not about the way the world is presented but how we engage in media texts, representation is therefore, just as much as audience interpretation as it is about the portrayals offered to us by the media' the representations of black youths are merely an interpretation in which, through the cultivation theory audiences believe the negative representation.

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[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_6360000/newsid_6368100/6368173.stm

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist

[3] Cohen, Stan: (2005) The Folk Devils and Moral panics.

[4] http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminorities/resources/PriorityReviewSept06.pdf

Essay plan

Introduction

The introduction will mainly talk about the influence of wider context such as society and its influence on the bias representation of black youths. Furthermore, I will introduce the issues and debates that occur alongside the bias representation along with the validity. For example introducing texts such as Kidulthood, Adulthood and West 10LDN, are being examples which reinforce this bias representation thus making it difficult for audiences not to accept this bias representation. I will further introduce the audience receptions and the differences that occur, particularly linking a typical audience reception to the cultivation theory and how the media has gradually become desensitised and thus being a reason for audience’s to accept this bias representation. Furthermore, I will focus on print and representations that are created and how they are created, particularly with the use of font, anchorage and Photoshop to manipulate the audiences and create a moral panic of a situation that has been blown out of proportion. Finally, I will focus on the debate between the alternative representations and the dominant representations of black youths and the irony of the alternative representation being the true actions of society.

1st paragraph
The first paragraph will focus on the media and the content of what they distribute and how much of an extent does it reflect society in which the age that they are created. Furthermore, focusing on print aspect of the media and how a tabloid newspaper outsells a broadsheet newspaper despite the intellectual and quantative difference there is between the two types of print. Secondly, I will look on a different side and argue that the media are not obligated to show information that meets the needs of society as it is not government funded. Furthermore, look into Britain’s use of ‘freedom of press’ and the extent to which British media in particular tend to abuse that opportunity. Furthermore, as I am looking into British media I will focus on demographics such as 33% of London being made up of ethnic minorities and the ‘white plane’ where rich white middle class people are in fact moving to less urban areas as it is now becoming more urbanized. Taking all these points into account I will conclude on to how much the media actually use social and historic events to their advantage at the expense of black youths who are apart of the alternative representation of the media.

2nd paragraph
Within this paragraph I will focus on the cultivation theory and talk about audiences receptions of violence within television and how films such as Adulthood have used this ‘dumbing down’ of audiences tolerance to a very sensitive subject which is violence and use this as entertainment. Furthermore, I will focus on how different types of audiences will actually perceive this of different ethnic minorities and I will also talk about how audiences have become more passive and becoming less active and placing their own judgement.

3rd paragraph
Within this paragraph I will focus on the alternative vs dominant representations of black youths and how the dominant representation seems to be fabricated and a manipulative way in which media institutions can generate profit. In addition, I will focus on how the British media tend to ignore alternative representation of black youths within the media such as hard working students who do not dress in hoodies, and dress in suits and focus on the irony of how the fabricated story and negative news is what makes audiences read into these representations. Particularly within tabloid newspaper ‘The Sun’ who sell about 3million newspapers a day; reflect how successful the media are and how the hypothermic needle theory seems to justify that audiences are becoming more passive. Furthermore, I will back this up by Marxist arguments with Althusser’s view of the media being like an ‘ideological state apparatus’ and how hegemonic values have been passed down and considered as ‘common sense’ thus making audiences reception more passive.

4th paragraph
Within this particular paragraph I will focus on the economical aspect of the wider context (SHEP) as this could be a way in which the media further suppress black youths and use their lack of financial aid is the reason they commit crimes. Furthermore, the lack of economic access could be why films such as WEST10LDN were filmed on an estate thus reinforcing the typical stereotype of where black youths commit crimes. Furthermore, I will also argue a reason for why black youths are perceived the way they are and according to Ross (2000) she argues that black youth’s erratic behaviour is due to the ‘lack of role models within their lives’ and also a web research I carried out also looked into black youth’s lack of father figure’s within their life and this is where I provide the for aspect of the debate in which to an extent the media are in fact distributing news which reflects social concerns within society.

Conclusion
The ending paragraph will be about how the British media do in fact create a bias representation towards black youths however, the biasness comes from the fabrication of the actual story and not the actual events itself, the events took place the media do tell however the unfair and unjustified representation is because the media is able/ has the means to change the perception of the events and manipulate audiences into believing that, that was what actually happened. I would also talk about the power of the media and how they use this as a way in which they can actually make black youths seem the violent creatures that only understand violence and nothing else.

xmas task 3

1.A social representation is not a quiet thing: exploring the critical potential of social representations theory

This site does not make explicit links to the representations of black youths, however it focuses on the wider context and why social representations occur and what affect it has on the social group that is being representated. This particular Source is coming from the university LSE, and as it specializes on political and social sciences this institution is a perfect and reliable source to use or counter argue.


2. Black youth on the margins

This site also looks more to wider context and how negative representartions occur in the first place, focusing on demogaphics and causes within the home and outside it also. This site will help me as it offers in depth and insightful resources in which I can counter argue the negative representations of youths extensively and effectively.


3.Channel 4 Race, Representation and the Media 2007 Research Report

This particular site will help me on various levels, as Channel 4 is partly a PSB and look at how they represent ouths and how much of this contributes. Furthermore, Channel 4 particularly target youths as part of their show, such as Hollyoaks, Inbetweeners & Skins. This report will help provide an arguement as this report is comming from the institution and not from a newspaper site.



4. Good outcomes working with black and minority ethnic children in residential
child care

'Milligan (2005) also point out that young black people grow up in a society where
media images of black people are often negative and that it is therefore no surprise
that many black children internalise such negative views about black people. Positive
black role models can help to dispel these views.'


5. 'Youth violence is not about race'


'An inability to delay gratification - whether with food, alcohol, money or sex - is becoming a hallmark of our age, reinforced by advertising and media (by the age of ten, the average British child recognises nearly 400 brand names). But while materialism and a consumer culture cannot be wished away, its impact on children can be restricted. The centre-left must govern markets in the public interest and it is right to look at advertising and its impact on young people.'

This site will help make my essay have more depth and sophistication as my aim is to make sure that my coursework includes enough wider context to help me gain a higher grade.

6.The role of the mass media in representations of age, social classs, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability

Connor (2001)'... Representation is not about the way the world is presented but how we engage in media texts, representation is therefore, just as much as auience interpretation as it is about the portrayals offered to us by the media'

7.Media Portrayal of Young People – impact and influences


'Sensationalised images of youth predominate in the media and elsewhere, and
display bias in the behaviour they report as well as the status of the children they
depict. The well-behaved, well-adjusted ‘ordinary’ child may not be newsworthy but
this does not explain the undue attention paid to negative messages about youth'

This quotation and site does not nessarily focus on the black aspect of my coursework focus but it focuses on the British aspect of it and how the British media represent youths in general.

xmas task 2

1. Robert Ferguson, (1998) Arnold Hoddle Headline Group

"Wars, murders, racist attacks are part of the seemingly endless flow of media representation of black British teens"
"Black British teens who in which later associate in gangs are often reported in the media as a modern issue"
2. Striniatic, Dominic: (1995) by Routledge

"The gangster film has a number of features which can usefully be explored by younger teenagers".
"The gangster film is about law, street crime and young black teenagers".

3. Wignall, Paul - Prejudice & Difference (2000) - Reed Educational and Professional Publishing ltd.
"Black people make up only 5% of the United Kingdom's population. However, over 50% of the prison population is black and 40% of the black population is unemployed".

4. Malik, Sarita (2002) Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television: London. Sage Publications
“Race or racism is a problem which only arrived when ‘the Blacks’ did, that Britain was inherently homogenous and conflict-free before ‘the Blacks’ came”.

5. Clark, Vivienne. Baker, James. Lewis, Eileen (2003) Key Concepts & Skills for Media Studies: London. Hodder Headline
“There is a constant struggle between the dominant groups’ need to sustain their position and the subordinate groups’ attempts to gain recognition and status”.

6. Casey, Bernadette. Casey, Neil. Calvert, Ben. French, Liam. Lewis, Justin (2003): Television Studies: The Key Concepts: New York. Routledge

“Stereotyping as a mechanism is persistent; the form stereotypes take must change with shifting cultural norms and expectations”.

“This ‘we are all alike’ approach can run the risk of ignoring specific cultural conditions in the effort to provide pleasant, acceptable images for an assumed ‘mainstream’ audience and raises a number of questions”

7. Bignell, John (2004): An introduction to Television Studies. New York, NY: Routledge
“serial invites its viewers to make sense of questions of ethnicity and in particular, how it defines ethnic difference and inequality or racism”.

Adulthood Textual Analysis

The movie adulthood focuses on the hardships of a living within London; particularly youth. There are many issues and debates being raised with Noel Clarke’s follow- up film from Kidulthood. Firstly, it is the Noel Clarke actually reinforcing the bias representation of youth and knife crime within the media. Secondly, the actions of the film on a general perspective seemed to reinforce the stereotypes that are attached to youths within London. Furthermore, it seemed that there was no demonstration of the alternative representation of youths within London, e.g. educated and well behaved kids, instead the use of props: Guns, Knife, hoodies and Batons; were used to hold a mirror up to society similar to the media’s representation of youths and didn’t consider the increase in A-level results for teenagers across London.

Within this particular scene Sam is the character who was released from prison, once the news came out three youths were sent to kill him for £6,000. However, one of the youths was Sam’s brother in which he had no knowledge until he was turned over after being beaten up. The point of view shot within this particular scene it demonstrated the growing endemic violence between youths, because the point of view shot was effective because it demonstrated how dangerous youths are within London are as they go as far to ‘jook’ each other in order to maintain this gangster status, as dangerous and someone not ‘to fuck with’. This goes into another issue and debate of youths not having a role model they therefore turn to alternative means to gain further in life financially i.e. crime. ‘The lack of positive role models and the way in which black minority characters are routinely stereotyped contribute to feelings of low self esteem and failure, especially among young black minority children’ [1]. This perhaps contributes to the gangster attitude and the point of view shot is a powerful way to demonstrate this because as the youth is pointing the knife towards his brother it is as if he is pointing the knife towards the audience and Clarke’s way of positioning the audience in that inferior position of power makes this particular scene highlight many issue and debates occurring within society today. Finally, the lack of role models within these youth’s lives is a suggestion, because of their educational failure they have nothing in which they can look forward to in life and the only thing that these youths seem to have is their respect and thus turn to violence, which in their eyes they may see it as a way in which they must uphold as their respect is the only thing they can look forward to and thus they must take care of that respect.

The mise- en- scene further demonstrates the effects of the media, particularly as the setting of the scene is on an estate and had many connotations to evil and mysterious behaviour particularly due to moral panics created by the media associated estates where youths live and commit crimes. Furthermore, the scene was particularly filmed near rubbish containers which have been a common technique used within television of crime genre. E.g. The Bill, where most of the actions are based on binary oppositions and the Mise- en- scene is dirty and cramped, and Adulthood as a movie fell into many of those conventions. It seemed that Adulthood was a typical film in which the disruption is the centre piece of entertainment and all is well because the conventional use of disequilibrium. Furthermore, the lead having a troubled past is a typical convention used within crime genre.

Furthermore, the cultivation theory fits into the film Adulthood; in terms of crime audiences are now becoming desensitised to violence. Particularly within this scene of the film where a medium shot of Sam on the floor being repeatedly kicked and another part of this scene was the ending where Sam punched Harry onto the actual rubbish containers. These actions indicated how tolerant audiences have become of violence and audience’s attitudes towards violence have lost its seriousness. This is further reinforced by Antonio Gramsci who argued, ‘once a particular group has achieved hegemony the public see this as “common sense”’ further reigniting the power and influence of hegemonic values. Thus making it difficult for opposition groups to make an effective change; this is probably why Clarke chose to show and follow on conventions of a typical crime genre as motion picture continues to develop in the 21^st century it is now widely focused on the financial aspect and meeting the needs of what is now considered to be a success, because during the ‘golden age of film’ money was not at the forefront of a film success it was merely the creativity and the gripping storylines that was at the forefront of motion picture. Thus suggesting that in order for Adulthood to be a recognized film and become a 21^st century ‘success’ it must contain hegemonic routes into obtaining audience’s attention by following similar conventions to the crime genre shown on television, and not take the risk and thus making it increasingly difficult for different aspects of drama to be shown rather than reinforce what entertainment is; which is the same typical conventions used within other aspect of the media.

Furthermore, from a Marxist perspective many props such as knives and hoodies fit into ‘culture industries’ in which audiences are encouraged to watch T.V because it helps to generate greater profit. Furthermore, Marxists see the media as a way of distracting the proletariat from their exploitation and passing down their own ideologies and values. This is further reinforced by French Marxist, Louis Althusser, who argues that the media is like an ‘ideological state apparatus’ where the dominant groups in society pass down their ideologies. For example, Christianity is the main religious institute that is celebrated in mainstream media e.g. BBC 1 Songs of Praise, Education- in order for entrance into A-Levels students must have 5 GCSE’s, Family- Nuclear family is considered normal within Mainstream media.

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[1] Bennett, Peter, Slater, Jerry & Wall, Peter (2006): A2 Media Studies The Essential Introduction. Oxon : Routledge