Media representations refer to the way in which individuals and groups are portrayed in the mass media. Representations are usually based on one or more of the following characteristics: gender, social class, age, ethnicity and disability.
These groups are often portrayed in terms of stereotypes, and rely on audiences being able to understand, or ‘decode’ very rapidly, what is being suggested about a person or group. As those responsible for the media output are to a large extent middle-class, middle-aged white males, it is argued that other groups, such as females and children, are seen through their ‘gaze’.
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