Re-presentation, Stereotypes and Misrepresentation
The media never shows reality directly; it re-presents a constructed version. Learn how selection, stereotypes and misrepresentation shape what audiences see, and how dominant and contested representations differ.
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A version of reality 📺
When you watch the news or an advert, you are not seeing reality directly. Someone chose what to film, what to leave out, and how to frame it. The media re-presents reality. This module is about how media constructs representations, how stereotypes and misrepresentation work, and how the same subject can be shown in very different ways.
Words to know 🔑
Four terms run through this topic. Learn them first.
Two views of the media ⚖️
People describe the media in two very different ways.
Match the term 🔗
- Re-presentation
- Stereotype
- Misrepresentation
- Mediation
- The constructed version of reality media shows
- A simplified, exaggerated view of a group
- An inaccurate or unfair representation
- The process of selecting and shaping content
Spot the stereotype 🎯
A group of people is always shown in one simple, exaggerated way. What is this?
- A stereotype
- Mediation
- Self-representation
- Agenda setting
Dominant or contested? 💡
A dominant representation is the mainstream, widely-accepted view. A contested representation challenges it with an alternative. When a group represents itself, that is self-representation; when a group is shown too rarely, that is under-representation. Producers also set the agenda by deciding which stories matter most.
Match the process 🔀
- Selection
- Construction
- Audience positioning
- Agenda setting
- Choosing what to include and leave out
- Building a representation from those choices
- Guiding how the audience sees something
- Deciding which stories matter most
How media constructs meaning ✅
Which TWO of these are ways the media constructs a representation? Choose all that apply.
- Selecting what to include
- Choosing a camera angle
- Showing raw reality unchanged
- Removing all editing
How a representation is made 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the sentences 🧩
A simplified, exaggerated view of a group of people is a _____. An inaccurate or unfair representation is _____. The process of selecting and shaping content is _____. The mainstream, widely-accepted view is the _____ representation. A view that challenges the mainstream is the _____ representation.
Spot the stereotypes 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Whose view? 👥
A community makes its own media to show itself in its own way. What is this called?
- Self-representation
- Misrepresentation
- Stereotype
- Agenda setting
What is it? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Explain the idea ✍️
An interactive activity.