Part 1:
What were two points from this week’s reading that stood out to you as particularly important and interesting?
Why so?
The simplest definition of representation in the media is simply how certain groups of people or communities are portrayed in media like television, movies, and novels. They include women, people of color, LBGTQA+ individuals, and individuals with a variety of body types,... Stereotypes that may be harmful to individuals and stifling to society can be fought and broken down with the aid of strong and positive portrayals (Yasmina) Tawil, 2020). The way these categories are portrayed in the media has an impact on how we feel and what we "know" about ourselves and other people in society. An ideology is a way of thinking, a set of values, attitudes, and ideas that a person, a group, or a community views to be true or significant. These are common convictions about how a culture or society should work. Social concerns and social divisions are portrayed in media texts, which frequently use social categories that place certain people at a social advantage while placing others at a disadvantage. Both have an influence on the media and create great value for the media industry today.
About feminism. It is a significant subfield of sociology known as feminist theory, which turns its assumptions, analytical framework, and thematic emphasis from the perspective and experiences of males to those of women. The predominately male perspective in social theories obscures or misidentifies societal concerns, trends, and problems that feminist theory illuminates (Ashley Crossman, 2020).
Part 2:
Why is it important for mainstream media to represent diverse humans?
Diversity in the media is important because it draws attention to an underrepresented group and provides the voiceless a voice. Diversity is the array of differences in people. Among many other things, ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, economic status, and physical ability. These groups are all of the same kind. While representation refers to how a media outlet integrated diversity into a story that is being told to an audience. Inclusion results from diversity and representation. As a result of the media's effectiveness and capacity to shape audiences' minds and ideas, a variety of expressions broadens rather than narrows the audience's viewpoint on a given subject (Arlenea Halyda, 2021).
To what extent do mainstream media have an "obligation" to present diversity?
Diversity is considered in the news industry when developing new media tactics to reach new markets and viewers. Diversity is a component of the news media's democratic purpose and of its moral duty to provide the public with quality reporting. In addition, media firms value diversity initiatives for financial reasons (Heike Graf, 2011). The mainstream media has an "obligation" to display diversity to the extent that is culturally and ethically acceptable. It's also critical to recognize the close connection between the profession's diversity and the increasing representation of the mainstream media, both in terms of diversity in content and in the profession itself.
Does there need to be certain types of representation in mainstream media? Why so?
There needs to be some kind of representation in the mainstream media. Because, when it comes to society, multiculturalism, and the world, the media broadens our perspective. Since it highlights uncommon experiences that are normally out of reach, it has an educational influence on many. Representation is important because of this. It is critical to raise everyone's voices and tell everyone's tales in a multicultural, varied, and complex society (Rue, 2021). The media plays an important role in representing important social identities including age, gender, class, ethnicity, and sexuality. This is most evident through television, media texts, or movies. Speaking of "Sex Education" is a famous movie shown on Netflix, through the movie we can clearly see the characters that play an important role in representing the signs of social identity, creating characters that the viewer can see themselves in. Stereotypical depictions can create unconscious bias in viewers, which can directly influence an individual's thoughts and behavior toward others. Therefore, there is a need to be certain types of representation in mainstream media.
References:
Ashley Crossman, Feminist Theory in Sociology, 25 February 2022, viewed 28 November 2022.
Arlenea Halyda, Why Diverse Representation in Media Matters, 15 October 2021, viewed 28 November 2022.
Cure Authors, The Importance of Representation in Media, 12 June 2021, viewed 28 November 2022.
Heike Graf, Diversity in Theory and Practice, 2011, viewed 28 November 2022.Wayne, M., Henderson, L., Murray, C., & Petley, J., Television news and the symbolic criminalisation of young people, 2008, viewed 28 November 2022.
Yasmina Tawil, What Exactly is Media Representation Anyway?, 3 July 2020, viewed 28 November 2022.
