Representation in Film Openings (socials groups and socials issues)

 Representation in Film Openings (socials groups and socials issues)

First of all ,What is media representation?

Media representation refers to portrayals of different social groups through various mediums such as TV, newspapers, magazines, etc. based on stereotypical views.

• Types of media representation of social classes:

In the media, certain social classes, particularly the ‘lower’ or working classes, are mainly associated with negative stereotypes and representations. This is because mainstream media professionals majorly belong to the 'upper' echelons of society - elite or middle-class backgrounds. People who own, control, or produce media content rarely come from lower-class backgrounds. Therefore, elite and upper-class people and institutions usually receive positive representations. 

1. Representations of the monarchy in the media

      Nairn (2019) points out that after WWII, the monarchy strengthened its ties with the media industry. As an outcome, positive media coverage of every minuscule detail of their lives has helped the monarchy reinvent itself as "The Royal Family". The media’s glamourized narrative of the Queen and her family, representing them as a family that is "like us but not like us", presents their lives as an ongoing soap opera that encourages people to identify with the royal family.

     2.Upper-class representation in the media

Neo-Marxists claim that media depictions of social classes focus on hierarchy and celebrate wealth. The outcome of this is that the monarchy, the upper class, and the rich benefit through receiving favorable representations from the media.

According to David M. Newman, media representations tend to focus on the concerns of those who are wealthy and privileged. He further argues that the media over-focuses on extravagant consumer goods e.g. luxury cars, costly holiday destinations, trendy clothes, fashion accessories, etc. that are usually only accessible to the rich.

   3.Representations of the middle class in media

Mainstream media over-represents and, to a certain extent, exaggerates the prevalence of middle-class families. This is especially clear in TV dramas and shows (e.g. "Homes Under the Hammer" or "Escape to the Country"). Both of these shows (and others) often feature very high-income families, yet portray them as "the norm".

Television presenters are also generally from middle-class backgrounds and naturally identify more with middle-class guests compared to those from working-class backgrounds. As a result, they consciously or unconsciously support the interests of the former and devote more attention to them. Social class also influences the attitudes and behaviors of media professionals towards their audience.

   4.Representations of the working class in media

David M. Newman believes when news organizations represent the working classes, they usually label them as "social problems". For instance, working-class youths and associated subcultures are the subjects of frequent moral panics as they are often portrayed as welfare frauds, drug addicts, criminals, etc.

Also, a common example of classism in media is the fact that representations of poverty, lone-parent families, single mothers, and unemployment often imply that these situations are a result of personal faults or inculpabilities, rather than government policies or poor business practices.

   5. Representations of the underclass in the media

Newman argues that media portrayals of the most destitute in society are often negative and unsympathetic. Representations of the poor often focus on statistics rather than human stories - figures of the number of unemployed people or those on benefits, rather than stories of people's suffering or challenges faced due to poverty.

Simply put, media coverage focuses on individual poverty instead of on the structural contributors to poverty and the conditions of the underclass. Moreover, the underclass is usually portrayed unfavorably and scapegoated for societal issues.