Identities and the Media: Reading the riots

• How did the language and selection of images in the coverage create a particular representation of young people? 

The language and the selection of images in the coverage create a very negative representation of young people. The images include the young audience wearing a hoodie and tack suits, by the clothing itself raises alarms for wider audiences and cause a moral panic for them and it also categorises the young audiences. The language used; youth, chav, destructive reinforce the issues/problems the wider audience have against young people. Through this, society will judge and have a bad representation of young people through this. 

• Why does David Buckingham mention Owen Jones and his work Chavs: the demonisation of the working class?

David Buckingham mentioned Own jones and his work Chavs: the demonisation of the working class because the book mentions the society and the ideology that is put not the audiences head (hypodermic needle theory). Owen Jones had said that wider audiences have fear towards the working class and this sis could stem from the shoes such as the character of Catherine Tate or like Little Britain. 

• What is the typical representation of young people – and teenage boys in particular? What did the 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey find?

The typical representation of young people and especially teen boys in pearlier are representation as people who don't do much in the media and who are destructive to the society. Teenage boys who are upper class and in either private schools would never be put in the negative representation but would be seen as teenagers to look up too for who are in the negative representation by the media. The 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey found out that 40% of the articles that features youngsters, focused on anti-soical behaviour and what crimes had been committed by them. 

• How can Stanley Cohen’s work on Moral Panic be linked to the coverage of the riots?

Stanley Chone's work on Moral Panic can be linked to the coverage of the riots because it is alarming the wider audience to be aware of young people and their capability of their wrong doings and what damage they can cause to the society. The media showed the audiences that they were at danger with the young people that were living in their community and for them to be aware of them. 

• What elements of the media and popular culture were blamed for the riots?

There were many causes to the riots, and media and popular culture are the very attention. In the article, it states that rap music which mentioned violence. By young people looting stores and people advertising that, it didn't mention if it was it was something that needed to be something the audience to look of or be aware off. In addition, there are also dates raised to the government neglecting youth, and which then could have also made the riots to happen more and become a bigger problem than to when it first started. 

• How was social media blamed for the riots? What was interesting about the discussion of social media when compared to the Arab Spring in 2011?

Social media such as Twitter can be blamed for the riots because how openly it allowed audiences to communicate with one and other, using trends to keep up withe discussions that were having with wider audiences and seeing what peoples opinion were about it. The Arab Spring in 2011 was very similar because people also used social media; Twitter to create revolution. 

• The riots generated a huge amount of comment and opinion - both in mainstream and social media. How can the two-step flow theory be linked to the coverage of the riots? 

The two step flow theory can be linked to this because news coverage and journalists can change or allow audiences to think about their views on the riots. In the article it gives an example of an ex teacher; Katherine Bibalisingh, she is a blogger and news columinst, she has said that Mark Duggan had fired a gun at the police, since there is no evidence of him doing so, this made audiences more angry but it created bad representation against Mark Duggan and his family because of the violence behaviour that was accused against them. 

• Alternatively, how might media scholars like Henry Jenkins view the 'tsunami' of blogs, forums and social media comments? Do you agree that this shows the democratisation of the media?

Henry Jenkins views were seen as positive within the society  through his blogs, forums and social media comments.  Henry Jenkins tend to celebrate these kinds of ‘participatory’media; while some even see this as evidence of a wholesale democratisation of the communications system.

• What were the right-wing responses to the causes of the riots?

There responses were very against teenagers and their expressed their fear towards them and how they have no respect for authority or the law itself. They also debated that youg people have no morals with no respect. They even went to an extent to say that animals are better trained and manner than some of the youth of the streets..

• What were the left-wing responses to the causes of the riots?

The left wing response were more towards thinking/responding what may have caused the youth to react in such ways, some say of the services that are have been limited to the youth and also inequality and poverty could be also issues why youth went out their way and behaved like they did.

• What are your OWN views on the main causes of the riots?

In my opinion, i think youth reacted a lot because of their anger towards the elite and how they have behaved towards them. Also because a lot of communications/messages spread over social media that allowed such a vast majority of young people to get involved into this. In addition, i also think a part of the left wing responses were right as in it could be possibility of low employment rate especially for teens to not get jobs, and just youth getting out their anger. 

• How can capitalism be blamed for the riots? What media theory (from our new/digital media unit) can this be linked to?

Capitalism can be considered to be blamed for the riots, as we as discovered before that the powerful is not also trusted with their power. Hegemony can be a theory that can be linked to this as the elite are in so much control of how audience preserve things, they inject audiences with their ideologies to the society to make them believe that society would be in a certain way and no other way that challenging their views and if so, then they are wrong. 

• Were people involved in the riots given a voice in the media to explain their participation?

No, people that were involved in the riots weren't given a voice in the media to explain to why they could involved or even their thoughts on it, this may be because the ellite knew that there could be possibility of the people who got involved in the riots were going to expose them or challenge their ideologies. 

• In the Guardian website's investigation into the causes of the riots, they did interview rioters themselves. Read this Guardian article from their Reading the Riots academic research project - what causes are outlined by those involved in the disturbances?

The causes that are outline by those involved in the disturbance:

- Unemployment 

- Political grievances 

- Gang members only payed a marginal role 

- Social media wasn't used in significant way but BBM was used too. 

- Looting was down to opportunity

- Materialistic desires. 

• What is your own opinion on the riots? Do you have sympathy with those involved or do you believe strong prison sentences are the right approach to prevent such events happening in future?

In my opinion, it makes sense to why youth got involved into these riots, some of them did just do it and because everyone else got involved, others had a real meaning to it and I really think it is their anger towards the elite and how they have been treating the youth for example the rise in the uni tuition fee also had been in the minds of audience for them to also react. I understand that violence only causes more distribution and chaos to happen and doesn't resolve nothing but then again some youth have been quite and gone about the riots in other peaceful ways but that also didn't do anything either. In my opinion, i feel like youth and the elite are very two end of the spectrum to where now they wouldn't see eye to eye on things because of how they have treated the youth and how youth have behaved back.