Media and the representation of Youth Culture

Authors Avatar

Media and the representation of Youth Culture

History of the debate

Since the late nineteenth century the media has been a cornerstone of our society. It has, for long periods of time provided the public with a variety of debates. In social policy the amount of influence the media has on the public has been at the forefront of intellectual minds. One of the main groups who have gained the attention of the media since the outset of the 1950’s is youth in their various different forms.

These considerations lead to three questions:-

  • What pressures are present in the production of media material and how do these pressures affect what eventually reaches the public via newspaper reports and other media sources such as television?
  • How do the media represent modern youth and how does the disproportionate amount of media reporting affect public perceptions on modern youth?
  • What lasting affect does this have on our society regarding it’s actions to the perceived problem and how does this affect youth cultures in their reactions to the situation
Join now!

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 ...

This is a preview of the whole essay