Discuss and illustrate the production of ideology by the contemporary mass media. Focus upon the issue of race representation

As a result of colonisation, the dissemination of belief took place through the popular media of the time. First hand accounts in papers such as the Times and in literature in the form of theories and reports from missionaries or government personnel initiated such terms as the dark continent, savagery or heathenism. This is confirmed by Young (1996) "the late nineteenth century is replete with examples of 'knowledge' about the character of Africans based upon white supremacist attitudes toward 'race'. In particular, the notion of Atavism - the belief that the 'primitive' people of Africa constituted an earlier stage of human development often recurs"(p57)

As technology became more advanced the audience for mass consumption grew accordingly and the imagery of master and servant was compounded and with it the concept of 'otherness' is developed.

This is described by Gillespie (1995) " The dominant ethnic group often adopts the strategy of concealing its own ethnic status by attributing ethnicity only to 'others'. The English have done this for centuries, and the 'Heritage Industry' in contemporary Britain continues the tradition of affirming Englishness as a 'natural' cultural identity to be taken as normative.

Using the cinema as an example, the attitudes outlined above were carried in the imagery and the texts, which established the hierarchy, and the stereotypes which would endure for most of the twentieth century. Young (1996) lists such films as "Saunders of the River (1935), The Song of Freedom (1936), King Solomon's Mines (1937) and The Drum (1938)" (p57) Films in this tradition of showing the English master and his subordinate subjects continued into the 1950's.

Two events would change the nature of racial discourse in Britain, firstly the immigration of people from colonies to this country in significant numbers after the second World War, in order to rebuild the country's infrastructure and to take advantage of the great wealth of the time. The second was the installation of television sets in almost every home in the country to tune into the BBC and ITV networks. The dissemination of information could now be truly mass distribution and with the ITV networks came commercial promotion in conjunction with a new boom in international consumerism.

Television would reflect the issues of the day and the programmes began to include content that considered the issues of immigration. One of the most legendary figures of the period was Alf Garnet, the main character in the comedy 'Till Death Do Us Part'. Daniels and Gerson (1989) describe his impact: "He has access to an enormous vocabulary of abuse that is all the more striking because it had been hitherto absent from British television screens. A whole repertoire of anxieties and prejudices was being expressed for the first time and with such bravado and forcefulness that the response was instant and massive"

The tirade of stereotypes and anxieties expressed by the programme reflected much of the political and social rhetoric of the time, marked by the famous speech made by Enoch Powell warning against the dangers of immigration. By the late 60's the great economic boom was coming to an end and anxieties about an ailing economy were reflected in the media. In subsequent years a succession of entertainment programmes would highlight racial stereotyping as a central theme. This included Love Thy Neighbour where a black couple moves into a suburban street and weekly jousting between the black husband and his neighbour would take place. The comedy series Mind Your Language was able to charachature any race or characteristic from across the world as it was set in an evening class where English was being taught.

By the 1970's Television had moved from Till Death Do Us Part which had no black presence at all to the series The Fosters which was about an all black family and perhaps marked a period where the consideration of racial issues was being considered by the producers of programmes. Debates about the integrity of representation would continue with shows like the Cosby Show in America where the family presented are wealthy middle class but are they representative? In these early television shows the presence of anyone who was not white tended to be tokenistic. Daniels and Gerson (1989) stated that "What is needed is a broad range of sitcoms with black characters, otherwise the kind of problems arise that have beset the representation of minorities in soaps (one black woman in Coronation Street, one gay couple in Eastenders)"(p20)

Perhaps the most watched programme on mainstream television is the main evening news. Ferguson (1998) describes the details of a special broadcast in 1980 by ITN concerned with the victory of Robert Mugabe in Rhodesia. The ITN news reporter referred to Mugabe as 'The Black Master' and hinted that Mugabe might have a place in his cabinet for a white man.

The significance of this broadcast is outlined by Ferguson as follows: "The addition of 'He may have a white man in his cabinet' invites the response (from white people) of oh thank god for that! Fear of the loss of white power had dominated news and discussion programmes about what would soon be Zimbabwe. It seemed that for broadcasters, whiteness was a prerequisite for civilisation"(p180)

At the time the influence of such a broadcast served to reinforce the fear and anxiety around the loss of power in the white community along with the inherent dangers to be feared in the black community. At the present time any of the contents, inferences or direct remarks highlighted above would be completely unacceptable for transmission. Considerations of the circumstances that have brought about these changes are important. These influences include the effects of consumerism on a scale far beyond anything preceding the globalisation of markets which started in the 1960's. Cross fertilisation of ideas in popular culture such as music or film, protestation and legislation through groups such as councils for racial equality along with action by minority groups themselves and as a consequence of all of the above, a changing relationship between the audience and the producers of media.

In 1980 the broadcast by ITN from Rhodesia may have been a significant televisual event however in subsequent years such events would become more common place in every home. Some of the major events that were covered across the world were the long struggle of South Africa towards democracy which included the transition of Nelson Mandela from prisoner to President. In 1985 the first major global event since the moon landings took place in the form of the Live Aid concerts at Wembley and Philadelphia and the fall of the Soviet Empire culminating in the demise of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany. During this time the concept of the global village was becoming a reality although it could be argued that the effects of globalisation are contradictory, presenting the same images but also the potential for the fragmentation of idea and identity.

This is supported by Gillespie (1995) "The increasing globalisation of economic, political and cultural relations is matched by a massive rise in the flow of images, narratives and information which cut across and challenge established national and cultural boundaries and identities" (p3)

The effects of global communications have been combined with the domestic responses of people to increasing economic and racial tension in Britain. In addition to the gains made through formal bodies struggling toward the recognition of endemic racism, The late seventies saw the rise of the Punk Rock era, which incorporated Reggae and dub music along with the Rock Against Racism campaign. This was the first time that Black protest music was fully accepted into the mainstream. In the early eighties there was major rioting in many cities across England. Racial issues in mass media moved from light entertainment to central news and a more complex discourse.

Although race became more prominent in society, the producers were still white. Cashmore & Troyna (1990) state that "The Media have done little more than generate the material on which colonial mentality is sustained and the signs are that they will effect no radical change in the near future" (p201).

The increased struggle toward acceptance of multicultural Britain was reflected in programming and film of the period.