Key Concepts: Representation
Introduction
Sometimes you will come across people of your age represented quite controversially in a range of media texts. You need to look no further than the nearest soap opera to see your age being screened to millions in a way that you may find offensive or patronising. Through looking at representation, you are given a chance to see how media people - most of them decades older than you - depicts people of your age. Is their representation fair?
Why representation isn’t simple
When considering representation it is important to consider these points:
- is the representaion based on reality? Or are stereotypes relied on?
- does the way certain groups are represented alter how audiences think of them?
- to what degree will the representation of certain groups be accepted by the audience?
The picture below is of Tony Soprano from The Sopranos, an American drama series about modern day mafia members in New Jersey. Some Italian-Americans have complained that this programme represents all Italian-Americans as being criminals who are violent and corrupt. They say that this creates an unfair impression of their community. 
Questions to ask
When considering representation you should ask certain questions:
- who is being represented?
- is the representation based on reality, or stereotypes?
- why have the makers decided to represent the group of people as they do?
- how will the audience react to the representation?
