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.
Representation words
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
Put the stages of making a media representation into a sensible order.
- An editor selects an image
- They frame it and add a caption
- A representation is constructed
- The audience decodes it
Stereotype, misrepresentation and more
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
Tap the TWO statements that describe a stereotype.
- All members of a group shown as the same
- A group always shown in one exaggerated role
- A detailed portrait of one real individual
- A balanced view showing variety
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?
For each situation, choose the idea it best shows.
- A news channel decides which stories lead and which are ignored. What is this?
- An advert shows a group of people in an unfair and inaccurate way. What is this?
- A group is shown so rarely in the media that they are almost invisible. What is this?
Explain the idea
Explain how the media re-presents reality rather than simply reflecting it.
- Explain what re-presentation means
- Give an example using a stereotype
- Explain the difference between dominant and contested representations