Journalism and Public Relations

Résumé du document

Poverty and Social Disadvantage as entertainment? Consider the role of contemporary media in stigmatising benefits recipients. Support your discussion with relevant media examples, you may include newspaper reporting alongside television representation.

Extraits

[...] He does not aim to find a job as he is "on more money now than somebody working minimum wage" (McAndrew & Walley, 2015). On the other hand, Steven, who has also been convicted, tries to get hired but remains unsuccessful as his criminal past discourages potential employers. He is in an immense debt, has few friends and, like Kim, feels isolated from society. Considering Holman's claim that the poor or, in this case, benefits recipients, are distinguished from other members of the society (1973, p. 440), that statement does not seem surprising. [...]

[...] Consequently, in the second half of the 19th century, a considerable number of Irish and Jewish immigrants settled down in the East End of London. Suffering from "poverty, disease and crime", the poor received support from private charity organisations. However, the strikingly problematic issue caused a need for significant changes in the system. Therefore, the government established the Poor Law Amendment act in 1834, which demanded from people receiving support working in workhouses (The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales, 2008). [...]

[...] Daniel from Benefits: Millionaire Shoplifter spends his benefit money on excessive drinking, smoking and gambling, while Kim from the same TV show admits that she spends a considerable amount of money on beauty treatments, expensive clothes and luxury food (McAndrew & Walley, 2015). Moreover, criminals from Saints and Scroungers both spent falsely claimed funds on fancy lifestyle" (Bazeley & Sullivan, 2015). Comparing these tendencies to descriptions stating that in the nineteenth century, the poor were addicted to alcohol to the extent they were willing to sacrifice anything to be able to drink (Preston p. [...]

[...] Calling a person claiming benefits "benefit unit" also reminds of "the war of words" theory assessing the stigmatisation of the poor in the media (Gans p. 11). In his book, Gans argues that pejorative labels go further than stereotyping one kind of behaviour; negative labelling indicates a "character falling" (1995, p. 12). Thus, stereotyping deprives labelled individuals of their qualities and put an emphasis on their true or imposed flaws (Gans p. 12). In so doing, certain groups of people are seen as worse than others. In this case, Gans claims that the poor are seen as "moral inferiors" (1995, p. [...]

[...] Moral Blindness: the Loss of Sensitivity in Liquid Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press. Bazeley, M. (Writer), & Sullivan, N. (Director). (2015). Saints and Scroungers, Friday 25 Sep 2015. In S. Rest (Producer), Saints and Scroungers. Retrieved from http://bobnational.net/record/315296 Brown, E. (2003). Neo-liberalism and the End of Liberal Democracy. Theory & Event Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theory_and_event/v007/7.1brown.html Chomsky, N. (1989). Necessary Illusions : Thought Control in Democratic Societies. London: Pluto Press. Drinkwater, J. [...]