Representations in media do not present reality directly, but re-present events and ideas in certain ways that invite audiences to understand and agree with preferred interpretations. Whatever representations are used implicitly contain ideologies and values that give media institutions power to influence social attitudes towards groups. Stereotypes are an extreme form of representation that focus on and exaggerate certain aspects to allow audiences to instantly identify meanings, but they are usually negative oversimplifications that make assumptions, especially about minority or disadvantaged groups.

1. REPRESENTATION
By Harry Heath

2. WHAT IS
REPRESENTATION?
• A representation can be a single image, a sequence
of images or a whole programme.
• The media do not present reality they “re- present
it‟”– basically representing things that have already
occurred.• Representations invite audiences to
understand them and agree with them in certain
preferred ways. Different interpretations are possible
to some extent, depending on the audience.

3. POWER OF
REPRESENTATIONS
• Whatever representations are used, there are
ideologies, meanings and values implicit in that
presentation. This gives great power and
responsibility to media institutions as their
presentations, to some extent can influence social
attitudes to social groups in many ways.
• In particular some institutions could be described as
starting what Stanley Cohen refers to as “moral
panics”.

4. STEREOTYPES
• Stereotypes are used to allow the audience to instantly
identify and understand the meaning of a text.
Stereotypes are an extreme form of representation.
Certain aspects are focused on and exaggerated.• In texts,
stereotypes are characters who are types‟ rather than
complex people. Stereotypes are usually negative
representations and generally have a lot of assumptions.
• This is often evident when there is a power imbalance
between members of society. For example, relations from
men and women could encourage the development of
stereotypes on both sides. In the same way, disadvantaged
minority groups (ethnicity, disability) often have
stereotypes associated with them.