the last essay

How do the contemporary media represent nations, regions and ethnic/social/collectivegroups of people in different ways? (50marks)

In the media , there are many examples of represetation that in turn have the ability to either create a negative stereotype or a positive portrayl.When we're  discussing ethnic,social and collective groups, one very interesting topic is that of the gypsy and irish traveller background .The media in recent years has put these people in a negative way which has left certain people in this ethnic group 'fustrated'; te media in it's contemparary form has a way of presenting media through mediation, to try and twist the actions of a particular group of irish and gypsy travellers, and make it seem as though a whole ethnic group are all the same.This then creates the dominant ideology that consumes the pupilc and turns them against or for, a particular subject.

 In the early fifties to the late sixties, irish/romani and gypsies were not highly discussed within the media because of more concentration being towards racial discrimination.

In ‘my big fat gypsy wedding' there are many connotations that suggest a certain negative depiction of a specific group of people. In certain countries over the years there is homogeneity in the way that particular vulnerable groups are seen t be presented. In connection to the falsely heightened representation of Gypsies in Britain, America had once victimized Black people; they were once the subject of humour and pitiless entertainment for the whites in the 20s and early. However in today’s society and the media tends to discriminate towards the working class more generic lifestyles and ways of living.

Marxists believes that this is due to the bourgeoisie being in power and the media directly reflecting the views and opinions of the upper-class people. This could be another explanation why contemporary media tend to give very negative or positive portrayals of certain group’s .In one letter of complaint by an eighteen year old Romani Gypsy traveller, a number of issues were highlighted to inform channel four of their unfair and ignorant representation of this generic group of people .One the very interesting part of this young man’s letter was that he pointed out that people usually associate Irish Gypsy travellers with Romani, even though their cultures differ greatly. It is very common for television shows to ignore how different ethnicities are, including the fact that my big fat gypsy wedding is a comedy, it is far too typical to assume anything serious of it.