Identities and the Media: Reading the riots

Identities and the Media: Reading the riots

1.

Some of the language used in description of young people in the riots ranged from the very word 'riot' itself, to an 'orgy of brutality' to even 'young thugs with fire in their eyes and nothing but destruction on their mind.' Images also contributed to this anarchic, negative representation of young people with them commonly pertaining to the stereotypes that there were of them during that event. Hooded, young and black males was what covered a number of newspapers, working to reinforce the dominant stereotype that there is of young black people, with this almost definitely linking into Medhurst's shorthand value judgments.

2.

David Owens mentions this piece in reference to this concept of  'class demonisation.' Media coverage of the riots saw members of the working class being antagonised and scrutinised to a level where they were almost displayed as a threat to society, particularly the middle-upper class, itself.

3.

The typical representation of young boys is usually of them being menaces and rebels as oppose to an actual aid to society. coverage. The 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey found that '40% of newspaper articles featuring young people focused on violence, crime or anti-social behaviour; and that 71% could be described as having a negative tone.'

4.

Stanley Cohen's moral panic can be linked into the coverage of the riots as the reporting of it presented its participants as threat to the values of society. Whether it was through language or the images used of young people as 'young thugs,' they made people question the stability of the establishment that there currently is in society.

5.

Some of the elements of media and popular culture that were blamed for the riots were rap music, reality TV and also (violent) video games.

6.

Social media was blamed for the riots as it was the main platform used in actually organising some of the demonstrations that took place in it whether it was Facebook, Twitter or Blackberry Messenger. This is something that was also found in the Arab Spring of 2011, although the Western media have cited its use there as positive, maybe because it didn't pose a threat to their domestic societies.

7.

The two-step flow theory can be linked into the riots with the way that 'commentarists' gave their own opinion on the events that rolled out. Consisting predominantly of politicians, journalists and others, these groups used their platform to disseminate their own opinions (and agendas) to the masses. Even with a lack of evidence that came with these opinions, they were still published with the main intention of spreading the ideology possessed by the 'commentarist' behind it.

8.

Media scholars like Henry Jenkins would view the 'tsunami' as being a sign that the media has become a lot more participatory then just having the public be passive readers to the publications released by news institutions. While it can be said that this represents an increase in the democratisation of the media, it still has to be remembered that the top corporations still dominate the industry in an unmatched fashion regardless (Pareto's Law).

9.

The right-wing responses of the causes of the riots mainly lied funnily enough, in left-wing values. Things such as the welfare state that there is in the U.K has: 'bred a generation of young people with no respect for their elders and betters, and no 'moral compass.''

10.

Left-wing responses for the causes entail things like the inequality within our society making it almost inevitable that something like this would take place. Areas in which there was already poverty and deprivation is where things started popping off, and this is without the mention of the amount of cuts made to youth services.

11.

Personally, I'd find myself more aligned with the left-wing response to the cause of the riots. Cuts to facilities predominantly used by young people have meant they often find themselves 'lost' for things to actually engage themselves with. As well as this it has to be understood that they in part, sparked from what's already been growing tension between young people and the police force in the UK, the death of Mark Duggan being the last straw that broke the camel's back in this case.

12.

Capitalism can be blamed for the riot as both bankers and politicians now have reached a level in society where 'it has become acceptable [...] to lie and cheat.' With this it's not that remarkable to find that the young have followed in suit of this (copycat).

13.

It appears that the 'rioters' weren't really given the opportunity to explain the reasons for their participation. Rather what we got were the views of historians and professors like David Starkey, someone completely uninformed about the issue at hand, on why things played out in the way that they did.

14.

Causes outlined here are:

• Opportunism - 'chance to obtain "free stuff" or sought to justify the theft'
• Lack of money/jobs
• Feeling of unfair treatment of comparison with other groups
• Scrapping of the education maintenance allowance

15.

In my opinion, I think the riots are representative of a lot more of a deeper problem that there is within society. The hostility that the 'rioters' have towards establishment forces like the police and the government isn't 'just because,' and actually it's just part of what's been a growing schism between opposing sides. Strong prison sentences aren't the solution to take and rather what should be done is actually healing the scars that are there within communities that have been as a result of things like cuts. More punishment is only going to widen the division that there already is.