Representation: "The process by which the media present to us the 'real world' ".
Do you believe all you see, hear or read????
What you see on the TV, hear on the radio and read in newspapers and magazines is carefully selected and specifically constructed to represent certain images/ beliefs/ values of the subject or person.
How the media portray people of importance depends upon their influence to an audience. This happens particularly within politics and newspapers. Newspapers sometimes favour one political party over another. When writing articles about their chosen party they will give them 'good press' celebrating the positives and ignoring the negatives in order to persuade an audience to that way of thinking, whereas when writing about an oppositional party they will focus on the bad points and try to influence an reader and make the turn against them. This also often happens with celebrities - one wrong act could in turn make the media give them 'bad press'.
Are your favourite soap characters accurate representations of real people?
Stereotyping is a way in which the media often represent people. It is easier to group people together according to their culture, likes/ dislikes etc... rather than lots of individuals. The majority of fictional programming on television contains stereotypes, for example in the Simpsons, Apu is the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart Convenience store, he is a caricature of a common stereotype – in his case; the stereotype of the Indian convenience-store owner.
Regulation.
The media industry is carfully regulated to ensure that they produce a fair and accurate report.
OFCOM are the regulators of the UK communications industries, including TV, Radio, telecommunications and wireless communication services.
The Press Complaints Commission are responsible for monitoring British newspapers and magazines to ensure they adhere to ethical guidelines.
Although not entirely a regulator, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) have a code of conduct that journalists should adhere to.
The Advertising industry is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). They are responsible for making sure that advertisements - through all mediums- are not misleading.
Media Knowall
BBC Media Education
ThinkBox
