Media Representation

  

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Hi everyone! This week, we focused on the topic of representation in media. The first video (StoryBlocks, 2021) depicts individual creators and their perspectives on the importance of representation. The one of the first speakers mentions that it is “important that people feel like they can watch content that they resonate with”. This can be accomplished by representing a diverse range of people in media, so that people can see representations that they can relate with. Another person says that “people who cannot be represented cannot be remembered”. I thought this was an excellent point about how people can feel when they aren’t adequately represented in the media they watch, completely overlooked. Jasmine C. Leyva explains how misrepresentation or a lack of representation in general can be harmful to an entire audience. When this happens, “you’re creating a lie that does damage to viewers that internalise what they see”. While it is beneficial for groups to see themselves represented in a positive light, it also has an effect on the audience and their perceptions of the people around them.

So how should representation be done properly? The second video (The Media Insider, 2019) explains the Stuart Hall representation theory and its role in media. Hall suggests that representation isn’t an “after-the-event activity”, but rather that most events carry no significant meaning until they are represented. An example of this is demonstrated through Donald Trump and other political figures. “How many of you have strong feelings about him either way? The answer is probably yes. How many of you have actually met him?” This shows how media in its many forms can imprint any kind of opinion on their audiences. As this is the case, ideas presented in media can often reflect those that are in power of media organisations. “What we almost always find is wealthy, white, straight men. As such, the representations that we see in the media tend to reflect their ideology”. When representations are limited to stereotyping and enforcing pre-existing harmful ideas, this can reflect on impressionable viewers. As mentioned in the video, “when stereotypes are used again and again over years and then decades the lack of diversity in representations can really narrow society’s perception of these things”.

Finally, the third video (SB Ikastgym, 2015) is a clip from the documentary “Miss Representation”, an examination of how women are portrayed in US media. Focus is placed on the 2008 USA Presidential election, wherein Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were disparaged by prominent media figures. One of the speakers in this clip, Caroline Heldman, explains that media is heavily involved in socialising children into believing that leadership is a man’s role. The quote “You can’t be what you can’t see” from Marian Wright Edelman perfectly encapsulates the point being made in this video. That point is that generally, societal change stems from people seeing things in media and reflecting on it. A few minutes into this piece, there is a montage of media personalities (mostly political pundits) making offensive remarks that range from stereotyping to directly insulting. The number of soundbites included in this segment demonstrates that these were not unpopular or controversial opinions to hold, and that these media corporations felt comfortable with pushing these ideas to their audiences.

Overall, these videos gave me a broader view of representation and how it ties into many different aspects of digital media today. Proper representation can combat harmful stereotypes, help people to pursue their aspirations, and prevent the cultivation of discriminatory attitudes within our society. While I think a lot of progress has been made, more work should be done to ensure that people feel secure in how they’re represented in widespread media.

 

References:

 StoryBlocks (2020) Why Representation Matters [online] Available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILmrpdxWgaU> [accessed 1 Dec 2021].

 The Media Insider (2019) Stuart Hall's Representation Theory Explained! Media Studies revision [online] Available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJr0gO_-w_Q> [accessed 1 Dec 2021]. 

 SB Ikastgym (2015) Miss Representation Female Leadership [online] Available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcxeQFuUqJM> [accessed 1 Dec 2021].