Media stereotypes are inevitable, especially in the advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand information. Stereotypes act like codes that give audiences a quick, common understanding of a person or group of people—usually relating to their class, ethnicity or race, gender, sexual orientation, social role or occupation.But stereotypes can be problematic. They can:reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations, transform assumptions about particular groups of people into "realities", be used to justify the position of those in power, perpetuate social prejudice and inequality. More often than not, the groups being stereotyped have little to say about how they are represented.
This section comments on common media stereotypes and examines some of the root causes of stereotypical portrayals, including lack of diversity behind the scenes in newsrooms and film studios. The section explores the impact of stereotyping on self-image and the development of attitudes among the young, and it showcases efforts to counter stereotyping with alternative programming. It also outlines diversity guidelines for the broadcasting industry, as well as government policies to promote fair and equitable portrayals in Canadian media. For further information and research, each of the sub-topic sections below also offers a continually updated selection of pertinent articles, reports, surveys, statistics, and Web sites.
If we assume that the media perpetuates stereotypes, what can be done to combat them, or has our society become numb to these stereotypes? Mass media became on of the main sources of popular culture in modern capitalist society. Media, however, not only entertains and offers news to people, but also transfers the stereotypes, beliefs and values of the society to reproduce the existing order of social life. Louis Althusser in his theory of ideological state apparatuses, says that schools, families, religions play the role of the ideological state apparatuses. These institutions invisibly transfer and indoctrinate the dominant hegemonic ideology of the society into the minds of people in order to be able to control people. In the modern capitalist world, I would argue, media turned to be yet another althusserian ideological apparatus that control the mind of masses. It seems like media creates the unique pieces of art: movies, documentaries, magazines, music, TV shows and others. Theodor Adorno, however, would argue that all of these products of media contain zero level of uniqueness. According to him, what we see on TV screens or in newspapers is produced only with one purpose of being sold. Therefore, what is manufactured (popular culture) by media has to reflect the life of people, it needs to be on such level that people would understand and except. This reflection, however, is created through reproduction of stereotypes, which fill the life of society and, thus, are known to everyone.
NG PEI YEE
1091101409
1 comment:
I agree with what peggy-piggy had said. Stereotype is a good method to advertise and publish something to community because it can make a bond with the community. People will know what the media is about and they would not have to guess so much about what is the is talking about.
Post a Comment