class

• upper class / ruling elite

  1. over represented In media
  2. represented as celebrities
• Nairn - royal representation

  • gives the example of the Royal Family, whose life is treated almost like a soap opera, with the media taking a great interest in minor aspects of their every-day life. 
  • e.g the crown on Netflix depicts the monarchy
• newman - upper class overrepresentation

  argues media focuses heavily on the upper class

  glorifying their lifestyle even though the rich only represent a small portion of society

  influences audiences to live the 'American dream'

  e.g the great Gatsby, Bridgerton
• middle class

  • over represented
  • dominant
  • anxiety
• middle class - over-representation

  • middle class is probably even more over-represented than the very rich. e.g Property programmes aimed at middle class
  • dominant ideologies of middle class transmitted by middle class producers (Althusser ISA)
  • middle class culture presented as normal
• middle class - anxiety

  • mc often represented as being anxious about contemporary society - prone to moral panic
  • e.g Daily mail targets middle class audiences focusing on topics such as immigration, youth culture in a negative light
• working class

  1. seen as a problem
  2. shallow / unintelligent
  3. "salt of the earth"
• jones - working class representation


  argues the media demonises the working class

  seen as a problem

  e.g rich house, poor house , shameless
• newman - working class

  • often represented and stereotyped as a problem in the media.
  • Working-class lives are presented as marginal and problematic rather than as the majority of the population.
• curran and Seaton

  • media producers dumb down content to cater to working class audiences
  • e.g reality tv shows , comedies, the sun focuses on entertaining stories to attract working class
• "salt of the earth"

  • can be seen more positively
  • working-class people as simple but decent “normal” people. 
  • many producers have a pro-working class political message
• underclass / poverty

  1. marginalised & dehumanised
  2. entertainment
• mckendrick - marginalisation of underclass


  argues marginalisation of poverty in news

  there was very little exploration of the causes of poverty

  marginalisation - treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.
• schildrick and macdonald - underclass

  • underclass labelled as welfare dependant
  • e.g benefits Britain, can't pay we'll take it away
• underclass - entertainment

  • poverty is used as entertainment
  • e.g reality tv and documentaries
  • use them for a laugh - do not realise these are lived experiences