Representation of youth in the media

MORAL PANIC

Moral Panic

A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media

Stanley Cohen (1972)

QUESTIONS WE WILL ANSWER IN TODAY’S LESSON:

• How is youth represented in the media?• How does media language work to

create meaning?• How are some representations

stereotyped and stylized?

What do we already know about representation?

I want EACH OF YOU to come and write a word or short phrase on the board which you think describes or explains representation. When you are not using the board, copy down what the others have written.

You have 30 seconds to think of something.

GO!!!

Representation

• Everything you see or hear in ALL types of media has been carefully SELECTED and CONSTRUCTED in order to create meaning

•Media representations often reflect the dominant ideologies of the society in which they are created

How is moral panic created in the media?

“HOODIES AND ALTAR BOYS”The word most commonly used by newspapers to describe teenage boys was "yobs" (591 times), followed by "thugs" (254 times), "sick" (119 times) and "feral" (96 times).Other terms often used included "hoodie", "louts","heartless", "evil" "frightening", "scum", "monsters", "inhuman“and "threatening".Research showed the best chance a teenager had of receiving sympathetic coverage was if they died.

What are the wider social implications?

What is meant by stylized and stereotyped representations ?

Top Boy (2011)

Camera Angles/ Shots:High Camera AngleLow Camera AngleHand Held CameraPoint of ViewLong ShotMid ShotClose-UpExtreme Close-UpTracking ShotPanTilt

Editing:Shot/Reverse ShotCross CuttingCut AwayEye Line Match

Sound:Diegetic Sound (in the world of the film)- dialogue, ambient sounds, etc.Non-Diegetic Sound (not in the world of the film)- Soundtrack, voice over, etc.

Mise-en-Scene:Everything that is on the screen-LocationPropsClothing

Media Language

TECHNICAL CODES AUDIO CODES

SYMBOLIC CODES

In pairs, analyse how either technical, audio or symbolic codes are used to create meaning.

Camera Camera Symbolic EditingIqra Kevin Kate SangamNicole Zaynah Sumaya Ashwin

Camera Camera Symbolic EditingMustafa Ashleigh Justin RheaAli Ewelina Daniel PavanMohamed

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/top-boy

Questions to consider

• How is youth represented in this sequence?

• How do technical codes, audio codes and symbolic codes work to create meaning?

• Can you apply Cohen’s theory that representations are stylized and stereotyped (through media language)?

How do technical, audio and symbolic codes work to construct representations of youths in Top Boy?