This document outlines Sarah Kelly's chosen area of exploring media representations of youth and collective identity. Some topics that will be covered include mainstream vs underground music videos and how middle/working class youth are portrayed, negative media representations of teenagers in the news focusing on their behaviors, and debates around "we media" and citizen-created media providing positive representations of youth. Case studies that will be analyzed include the TV show "Misfits" and the 2009 UK report "Hoodies or Altar Boys", which found most news stories about teenage boys portrayed them negatively in relation to crime. Relevant theories that will be applied include Gramsci's concepts of hegemony and dominant social classes shaping common sense.

1. Section B: Contemporary Media
Issues
Sarah Kelly

2. Area chosen:
My area chosen is to explore the representation
of the youth in the media, and the chosen topic
will be specifically Media and Collective
Identity. Other topics will coincide with this
chosen topic such as;
• Global media
• Media in the online age
• and ‘We Media’.

3. Topics to be explored
• Mainstream music videos v.s underground alternative music videos (middle and
working class) (rich v.s poor)
• Class (middle, working class) represented in the media – negative representation
of teenagers through the national news; only thing that it shows about teenagers
is negative. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hoodies-louts-scum-
how-media-demonises-teenagers-1643964.html
• Evidence of negative the representations
• Demonization of CHAVS; Owen Jones;
http://hugeog.com/attachments/article/301/7.pdf
• ‘We media’, debate against negative representation; will show case study on
citizen created media to back up positive representation of the youth in the media
• Youth culture, mass media, moral panics, folk devils; MODS & ROCKERS: Stanley
Cohen.
• Exploring the idea of youth subcultures
http://www.slideshare.net/jphibbert/contemporary-media-representations-of-young-
people

4. Case study 1: Misfits
Representation of Youth:
• The television show show negative representations of Youth because of the swearing, drugs and bad behaviour, the different
representations of the misfits such as CHAVS and could therefore relate to ASBOS through there bad behaviour.
• The character Kelly represents the CHAV through the accent used.
• However; it also challenges the negative representation as they are Superhero’s trying to save the planet and people. As it is also shown on a channel that is
typically watched by the same aged pe`ople.
Theory required:
Gramsci – Hegemony, the predominance of one social class: Bourgeois v.s Proletariat- dominent
class projects its own way of seeing the world so those who are controled by it accept it and
make send of it, -
“Relating to the media; this relates to the media as the television series
produces a representation of a so called ‘CHAV’ and reinforce the
stereotypical ideas of a CHAV; therefore subconsciously controlling the
common sense of those watching the program. However, as the stereotypical
negative representation of a CHAV is challenged through the idealistic view of
being a SUPER HERO, the representation of CHAVS aren’t as objectified and
stigmatised, thus creating a positive representation of Youth.”

5. Case study 2 - ‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’
Report (2009)
‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’ Report (2009)Text ‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’ Report
(2009)Representation How are young people represented?of YouthKey Points
What is the significance of the representation? You may want to consider the
issue of social class.Theory Which theorists can you discuss in relation to the
representationsAdditional Can you link your discussion to any articles we
looked at.ReferencesLesson Objectives: To be able to explain how young
people arerepresented in contemporary media, and apply relevant theory.
‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’ Report (2009)Text ‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’ Report
(2009)Representation Found that most news stories about teenage boys were
negative andof Youth usually in relation to crime. Words used to describe
teenage boys in newspapers include yob, scum, feral, inhuman, monster.Key
Points Negative media representations are making people fearful of
teenagers.Theory Althusser; Acland; Gerbner – cultivation theory; Cohen –
moral panic; Hebdige – hegemony.AdditionalReferencesLesson Objectives: To
be able to explain how young people arerepresented in contemporary media,
and apply relevant theory.