Media Representation of Underclass

• The 'underclass' is a contested issue and many doubt its existence (a New Right Theory)
• Media coverage of the underclass is generally always negative, and they are often scapegoated for society's problems
• Golding and Middleton completed their studies on the media representations of the underclass in 1982
• Golding and Middleton (1982) examined media-generated moral panics about alleged welfare abuse (abusing the benefit system)
• Golding and Middleton (1982) completed a 6 month content analysis finding that welfare (benefits) was only seen as newsworthy when linked to crime, fraud or sex, stigmatizing the underclass
• Golding and Middleton (1982) found that the poor was constructed to be either 'deserving' or 'undeserving'
• Golding and Middleton (1982) found that he underclass are demonised as being 'lay-abouts' who didn't want to get jobs as they have benefits
• Golding and Middleton (1982) argued that the media demonises certain sections of the underclass and that this has contributed towards legitimising (giving validity) to welfare cutbacks by the government