1. The document discusses how different social classes are represented in media. 2. The monarchy and upper classes are often shown positively and as deserving of their wealth and status, while the working class is sometimes portrayed negatively as problems like criminals or welfare cheats. 3. Newman believed the media focuses too much on unattainable consumer goods of the wealthy and gives them disproportionate coverage compared to other classes.

1. Cameron
REPRESENTATION OF SOCIAL CLASS

2. WHAT IS IT?
People are shown throughout the media to have stereotypes
attributed to them. These stereotypes can then be broken up into
different sectors. One of these is class, for example the class
system: Lower Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper
Class

3. MONARCHY (NAIRN 1988)
• Nairn noted in 1988 that throughout the media, the monarchy
(the highest class within the system) are always shown
positively. They are always given good media coverage in a
positive light. They cover most aspects of their life, and they
ensure that they are adding a sense of glamour, in order to
provide the positive impression.

4. REPRESENTATION OF UPPER CLASS AND
WEALTH
• Representations of the Upper Class and Wealth. People
sometimes argue that these people are shown as at the top of
the hierarchy within the media. They are shown to be deserving
of their wealth and status, for example they are celebrities or
connected to royalty. They are rarely seen in a critical light, and
they are not seen to draw any reasoning for the inequalities
between them and the public.

5. NEWMAN
• Newman believed that the media focuses positively on wealthy
people and the upper class. He thinks that they focus too much
on the consumer goods they have and things that are not
realistically in reach for the general public. They are things that
they cannot afford. He also thinks that they are over covered by
the media, especially these areas.

6. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MIDDLE CLASSSES
• You can make four broad observations of the middle class: They
are over-represented on the media Some forms of media are
targeted solely at middle class, e.g. daily mail The media
assumes that middle class people are worried about the lack of
moral standards within society, and they are proud of being
British. This is why newspapers such as the Daily Mail focus on
these issues and news stories. Most of the creative workers in
this media are middle class, they possess the authority.

7. • Newman says that when the news is focusing on the working
class, they are trying to identify them as the problem, for
example welfare cheats, drug addicts or criminals. Groups such
as mods or skinheads normally cause moral panics and other
issues such as unemployment are the cause of individuals
rather than the government policies. The media portrays
unreasonable workers instead of employers.
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE WORKING CLASS

8. CURRAN AND SEATON (2003)
• Newspapers that are aimed at the working class assume that
the people who read them are not interested in the more
intellectual news, they are more interested in gossip, rather than
the news about the economy, markets, etc. When discussing
political debates they simplify it, assuming people of this class
cannot understand it in the same way. They provide information
to this class such as gossip, celebrities and sport.