1. How did the language and selection of images in the coverage create a particular representation of young people?
The newspapers featured large, and aggressive images of the young people the Daily Mirror called ‘young thugs with fire in their eyes and nothing but destruction on their mind’, or the Daily Express called simply ‘flaming morons’. Newspapers presented young people as not being brainless and very dangerous.
2. Why does David Buckingham mention Owen Jones and his work Chavs: the demonisation of the working class?
In his recent book Chavs, Owen Jones points to the emergence of a new form of class contempt in modern Britain. The working class, he argues, has become an object of fear and ridicule.
3. What is the typical representation of young people – and teenage boys in particular? What did the 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey find?
The typical representation of young people, especially teenage boys, is as shown on many of the stories about teenage boys where they are described as yobs, thugs, sick, feral, hoodies, louts, heartless, evil, frightening and scum. A 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey found that 40% of newspaper articles featuring young people focused on violence, crime or anti-social behaviour; and that 71% could be described as having a negative tone.
4. How can Stanley Cohen’s work on Moral Panic be linked to the coverage of the riots?
Cohen argues that the media play a role in ‘ in reporting the phenomenon and in expressing the fear and outrage of ‘respectable society’, they make it more attractive to those who might not otherwise have thought about becoming involved. In this case, the media coverage can be seen to reflect a much more general fear of young people (and especially of working-class young people) that is very common among many adults: the media speak to anxieties that many people already have.
5. What elements of the media and popular culture were blamed for the riots?
It was rap music, violent computer games or reality TV that was somehow provoking young people to go out and start rioting.It was rap music, violent computer games or reality TV that was somehow provoking young people to go out and start rioting.
6. How was social media blamed for the riots? What was interesting about the discussion of social media when compared to the Arab Spring in 2011?
Despite being depicted by tabloids as mindless thugs and morons, the rioters were also seen as somehow skilful enough to co-ordinate their actions by using Facebook, Blackberry and Twitter. The Sun, for example, reported that ‘THUGS used social network Twitter to orchestrate the Tottenham violence and incite others to join in as they sent messages urging: ‘Roll up and loot’.
7. The riots generated a huge amount of comment and opinion - both in mainstream and social media. How can the two-step flow theory be linked to the coverage of the riots?
In this case, the web forums (not least of newspapers and broadcasters) were overflowing with opinions, while an army of bloggers and tweeters effectively created a running commentary on events as they unfolded. Giving more ordinary people have their say on these situations.
8. Alternatively, how might media scholars like Henry Jenkins view the 'tsunami' of blogs, forums and social media comments? Do you agree that this shows the democratisation of the media?
Centralised corporations controlling media – is now finished: hierarchical, top-down communications have been replaced by a more egalitarian approach. But it's useful to consider that new media are simply providing more opportunities for ignorant people to mouth off about whatever happens to have annoyed them that day. overall he was pleased that the media are not run by the bug media moguls and new media gives alot of people them the freedom of saying what they want and whenever they want.
9. What were the right-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
The right-wing response: amoral youth
Probably the most astonishing example of this argument came in an article by Max Hastings of the Daily Mail, headed ‘Years of liberal dogma have spawned a generation of amoral, uneducated, unparented, welfare dependent, brutalised youngsters’. For some right-wing commentators, it is parents who are principally to blame for this situation; while others, such as Katharine Birbalsingh, blame schools for failing to instil discipline and respect for authority – especially, according to her, in black children.
10. What were the left-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
Left-wing responses: inequality and poverty
Such commentators point out that the UK has one of highest levels of inequality in the Western world. They argue that it was unsurprising that most of the disturbances erupted in areas with high levels of poverty and deprivation – and, they point out, it was tragic that these communities also bore the brunt of the damage. More specifically, they point to the cuts in youth services, rising youth unemployment (which is now over 20% in the 18-25 age group) and the removal of the Education Maintenance Allowance. While these are valid arguments, they also appear to look only to youth as the cause.
11. What are your OWN views on the main causes of the riots?
Personally, I believe the killing of Mark Duggan should have not happens and so they local civilians were protesting peacefully and that was very good.They needed to express them self,however what followed after should not have happend. Tottenham youth started linking together on the high street to through fire and looting shops then the whole of England joined from Manchester to Liverpool and Birmingham.Then west london,south london and east london so far a couple days people thought this was a good idea to steal from shops it was't even about Mark Duggan.
12. How can capitalism be blamed for the riots? What media theory (from our new/digital media unit) can this be linked to?
Others, like Dan Hind on Al Jazeera, argued that the government’s decision to bail out the banks was indicative of ‘a social and political order that rewards vandalism and the looting of public property, so long as the perpetrators are sufficiently rich and powerful’.
13. Were people involved in the riots given a voice in the media to explain their participation?
When the producers of BBC2’s Newsnight invited the eminent Tudor historian Professor David Starkey to discuss the riots, they might have been hoping for a considered historical perspective.
14. In the Guardian website's investigation into the causes of the riots, they did interview rioters themselves. Read this Guardian article from their Reading the Riots academic research project - what causes are outlined by those involved in the disturbances?
Many rioters conceded that their involvement in looting was simply down to opportunism, saying that a perceived suspension of normal rules presented them with an opportunity to acquire goods and luxury items they could not ordinarily afford. They often described the riots as a chance to obtain "free stuff" or sought to justify the theft.Despite David Cameron saying gangs were "at the heart" of the disturbances, evidence shows they temporarily suspended hostilities. The effective four-day truce – which many said was unprecedented – applied to towns and cities across England. However, on the whole, the research found gang members played only a marginal role in the riots.Contrary to widespread speculation that rioters used social media to organise themselves and share "viral" information, sites such as Facebook and Twitter were not used in any significant way. However, BlackBerry phones – and the free messaging service known as "BBM" – were used extensively to communicate, share information and plan riots in advance.Although mainly young and male, those involved in the riots came from a cross-section of local communities. Just under half of those interviewed in the study were students. Of those who were not in education and were of working age, 59% were unemployed. Although half of those interviewed were black, people who took part in the disorder did not consider these "race riots".
Rioters identified a range of political grievances, but at the heart of their complaints was a pervasive sense of injustice. For some this was economic: the lack of money, jobs or opportunity. For others it was more broadly social: how they felt they were treated compared with others. Many mentioned the increase in student tuition fees and the scrapping of the education maintenance allowance.
15. What is your own opinion on the riots? Do you have sympathy with those involved or do you believe strong prison sentences are the right approach to prevent such events happening in future?
The public,especially the black community,were angry because of the death of Mark Duggan but it wet to anointer level through the youth taken an opportunity that would never come out in a long time.They took their opportunity and it left the city in pieces. However I still dont believe the media should be labelling them that as they were a lot of youths in the rioters however there were many more millions of youths at home watching this.So its abit of order saying all youths are out of order and dangerous.
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