Representations of ethnicity, nationality and disability

Overview

Tokenism in media representation, democratic deficit in Welsh media and what is meant by inspiration porn.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What did van Dijk find in his analysis of press reporting of minority ethnic groups?

   Model answer

   Van Dijk found that reporting repeatedly linked minority ethnic people to crime, conflict and dependency, and rarely to ordinary life.

2. 2

   List three recurring stereotypes of minority ethnic groups found in news coverage.

   Model answer

   They are portrayed as criminals, as a problem or threat to the majority, and as dependent on aid or welfare.

3. 3

   What did Hall mean by the white eye?

   Model answer

   Hall argued that mainstream media view the world from an assumed white standpoint, so whiteness becomes the invisible norm against which others are marked as different.

4. 4

   How are asylum seekers and migrants typically represented in the British press?

   Model answer

   Coverage emphasises numbers, illegality and pressure on public services, and rarely allows migrants themselves to speak.

5. 5

   Why does the ethnic composition of newsrooms matter?

   Model answer

   Minority ethnic journalists are under-represented in senior editorial roles, so the assumptions that shape story selection go unchallenged.

6. 6

   How has the representation of minority ethnic groups changed in television drama?

   Model answer

   Casting has become considerably more diverse, although critics argue that roles are still often written around a character's ethnicity rather than simply including it.

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