It has been said that the media is influenced by a number of factors whether it is profit, ownership or politics, which determine the eventual content of media output. This is in evidence when looking at the various press reports prior to the 1997 government elections. Newspapers such as the Sun claimed to support certain political parties, which coincided with the newspaper owner. After the elections the newspapers claimed to be an intergral part in the labour government coming into power. The question that arises is, does this also apply when reviewing the possible over representation of youth in the media? And do the media have the same sort of influence when looking at the public attitudes towards modern youth?
The fact is that the media have the power through selection and reinforcement to give us very influential portrayals of a whole range of groups, situations and ideas. Some Criminologists have highlighted the fact that representation is not just about the way the world is presented to us but also about how we engage with media texts in order to interpret and assimilate such portrayals. This concept of representation is, therefore, just as much about audience interpretation as it is about the portrayals that are offered to us by the media.
Research Outline
At this stage of my research I consider it useful to analyse the current theories of deviance in criminology. All of these theories of deviance touch on the amount of media input which contain messages. These messages tend to reinforce the views and norms of society. The question that arises is as follows, Is this purely coincidental, or do these messages have lasting effects on the individuals whom consume them on a regular basis.
Calfloun (2002:12) describes social norms as “a prescribed guide for conduct or action which is generally complied with by the members of society”
Many of the core theories of criminology have found that one of the main influences on what is considered deviant and wrong in society is the mass media. Youth in particular is one of the modern focuses of the media as it tries to express an air of discontent towards the Criminal Justice system in its treatment and actions towards such individuals. One of the main messages that is presented by the media as one of the main problems in our society is a gradual lack of morals, they tend to present this as creating a new generation of less considerate individuals which are more likely to be involved in criminal activity.
Many of the theories surrounding the way in which youth is represented by the media are in some way associated with the research of Howard Becker. Becker’s research is based on the way in which an act is classed as deviant and who the main forces are which have the power to classify something as deviant.
He stated that “whether an act is deviant… depends on how people react to it. You can commit clan incest and suffer from no more than gossip as long as no one makes a public accusation” (1960 :12). Becker highlights the differences in the way certain acts are viewed. He states that in war time murder is seen as a necessary part of our social, whereas in normal circumstances the act is classed as a criminal activity. He also highlights the differences in the way peoples actions are viewed regarding their class.
For Becker the current hype surrounding the problem of youth in the media is simply designed to create popular uproar. These youth groups could be seen to be rebelling against their increased focus from the government and the media- the so called gold fish bowl effect. This could be seen as no different to the miners strikes in the 1980’s who were also rebelling against their treatment by the then Thatcher government. This suggests that the media representations of youth affect both the individuals in question and that of the rest of society. The individuals in question feel aggravated by the situation of surveillance and restraint put upon them. The public act in the opposite way seeing this as a problem that society has to address. I intend to explore this theory and the ways in which media content and presentation of material effects the public later in the research.
Many of the theories of the media in general have supported the view that the media provides the public with the basic knowledge that eventually leads to attitude formation. I will now introduce you to some of the key concepts which underpin general understanding of the media.