Media and class

Deery, June; Press, Andrea L.

doi:10.4324/9781315387987

Cited by 26 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…These issues, as well as analyses of the work of the global supply chains of raw materials, electronics, and devices -relying on a division of labour between North and South (Fuchs, 2014) -are important aspects of the relationship between media and class. While exploring topics related to the digital media landscape, we should not forget that social class also shapes traditional media settings, representing an important area of study regarding what we can learn about the kind of workplaces for which we are training our students (Eikhof & Warhurst, 2013), as well as what we can learn about the ways in which labour conditions and class interests shape the products emerging from these workplaces (Hesmondhalgh, 2017).…”

Section: Media and Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From a historical perspective, it would be worthwhile to analyse when the concept of class started to disappear, how and when (and whether) it has been silenced, in what ways and to what extent, as well as the conditions under which, it is possible to talk about class in different forms and genres of media (from journalism to social media interaction and entertainment, etc.). These analyses also need to be more connected to political, socioeconomic transformations on a macro level, for example, the spread of neoliberalism since the 1970s, as well as other contextual factors, such as media ownership structures and production practices (Hesmondhalgh, 2017).…”

Section: Media Communication and Social Class: The Road Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduction: Class in/and the media: On the importance of class in media and communication studies

2021

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Social class is one of the most enduring concepts in the social sciences and is associated with many of the key themes and topics across multiple disciplines. Thus, there are many uses to which the concept of social class in media and communication can be put. The ambition of this special issue is to offer a glimpse into the heterogeneity of its uses in the field. While attuned differently in relation to the various approaches and definitions of class, the eight contributions to this special issue collectively focus on the relationship between media and class. One of the ambitions of this special issue is to report on some of the current Nordic scholarship in this growing field of research and to highlight the particularities of the relationship between class, inequality and media in this region. While the special issue also includes contributions from other regions, the main focus is on social class in the Nordic countries.This introductory article begins with a discussion on the concept of social class and its analytical relevance in the contemporary social landscape. We detail the relationship between media and class as manifested in a growing body of research, followed by a brief presentation of the individual contributions to this special issue. Finally, we identify the road ahead and potential research areas for scholars of media and communication concerned about class and social inequality in the twenty-first century. Class: A key concept in an increasingly unequal worldDespite its long history of playing a key role in the social sciences, the concept of social class is a contested term. First, because of the definitional uncertainty that stems from a range of academic traditions applying the concept in different ways to different objects of study. Second, due to changes in the sphere of production, social structure, and in the lifeworlds of citizens in many parts of the world, which has made it more difficult to ascertain the empirical reality of social class.

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Section: Media and Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Media Communication and Social Class: The Road Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction: Class in/and the media: On the importance of class in media and communication studies

2021

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“…While "middle classness" is often unmarked and rendered invisible, representations of the working class, or blue-collar workers, have received some scholarly attention. Butsch's (2017) longitudinal study of American television programmes, for example, reveals that upper-middle-class sitcoms far over-represent their demographic, while working-class families are relatively scarce. One troubling theme that has emerged from these programmes is the prevalence of the "fool" trope, most commonly depicted as a working-class male breadwinner who is "a buffoon or bungler, often well-meaning and warm-hearted, but incompetent, immature, ignorant, irresponsible" (Butsch, 2017: 41).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

All in a day's work: Working-class heroes as videogame protagonists

et al. 2021

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Class depictions in videogames are prevalent, yet understudied. In this article, we analyse how the working class – particularly working-class men – have been depicted in videogames over the past 30 years. In doing so, we bring together a class- and gender-based analysis to study how narratives, representations, gameplay, and game systems construct the “working-class hero” as a central protagonist. This is done by examining eight paired examples of videogames that feature working-class characters in central roles, including janitor, fire-fighter, taxi driver, and bartender. Our analysis finds that some roles are glorified (such as firefighters), positioning their protagonists in direct conflict with white-collar settings and antagonists. However, many other roles task players with “doing their job” in the face of repetitive (and sometimes outlandish) working conditions. Through these examples, we document the portrayal of working-class videogame heroes, noting how videogames can both reinforce and subvert common media tropes.

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“…Both media scholars and the media industry have largely ignored social class as a relevant analytical concept (but see Hesmondhalgh, 2017;Lindell, 2018), reflecting declining class awareness in academic and popular debates (Biressi, 2018;Yilmaz, 2018). Politicisation of the working class in recent years has served as a wake-up call that has initiated new interest in the modern working class, both within newsrooms and among politicians and researchers .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Politicisation of the working class in recent years has served as a wake-up call that has initiated new interest in the modern working class, both within newsrooms and among politicians and researchers . Recent studies of class division and representation find that working-class people are both underrepresented and misrepresented (Hesmondhalgh, 2017), subject to mediated marginalisation by being represented as less important than people from the middle or upper classes . Critical scholars interpret this as neoliberal journalistic discourses on industrial workers in the Nordic and global contexts (Jacobsson & Ekström, 2016;San Martin, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigations of a journalistic blind spot: Class, constructors, and carers in Norwegian media

2021

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Recent studies argue that the contemporary working class has largely disappeared from the news media. Another strand of literature demonstrates that the traditional labour beat has lost newsroom prestige due to changes in the established news media and crisis in the labour movement. Analysing how traditional working-class sectors are covered in mainstream newspapers and trade union magazines over time, we conduct a systematic, quantitative content analysis of 18 months of coverage from 1996–2017. We find a steady decline in media coverage throughout the period, indicating that the labour beat as an established specialisation is disappearing. Studying topical emphasis and source practices demonstrates marked differences between the newspapers and the trade union magazines: The mainstream newspapers are elite- and conflict-oriented (although not hostile in their coverage), while the trade union magazines largely reflect power structures and the interests of the labour movement. In the discussion, the main findings from the content analysis are explained by practitioners, to contextualise and provide insider perspectives on the findings.

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Media and class

Cited by 26 publications

References 0 publications

Introduction: Class in/and the media: On the importance of class in media and communication studies

Introduction: Class in/and the media: On the importance of class in media and communication studies

All in a day's work: Working-class heroes as videogame protagonists

Investigations of a journalistic blind spot: Class, constructors, and carers in Norwegian media

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