Mediation refers to the process by which a media outlet uses focussing, and selection vs rejection to create a false representation of a particular group or issue. Merrin (2005) suggests that "The media do not just reflect and represent the reality of the public, but produce it, employing this simulation to justify their own continuing existence". This is an argument that suggests it often makes economic sense for a media institution to use mediation with regards to some issues or groups, as a means of selling. Furthermore, it is also argued that mediation is used as a tool of power, aiding in the maintenance of a hegemonist society. The ways in which audiences perceive the media that they consume and the extent to which they believe it depends on how they read a text. Whilst the hypodermic needle model suggests that audiences passively consume media, believing everything they see, the uses and gratifications theory explains that audiences are active rather than passive individuals, who will choose what they consume and believe - altering the impact that mediation of identity groups has upon society.
Youth is one group that are often mediated. Anne Gould (1999) suggests that traditionally youths are represented in six ways in the media: Nihilistic, Sexual, Violent, belonging to Artificial Tribes, Rebellious and Self-Destructive. A study from the Independent suggests that 86% of 1,000 males believe that they are portrayed in a negative light in the media (2010), whilst the Youth Media Agency suggest that 76% of media portrays youth negatively. Recent events such as the London Riots in 2011, where a minority of youths carried out looting and various anti-social behaviour in the city reinforced this - and a series of negative news reports of youths during this period led - Such as The Daily Express headline "to a Deviancy Amplification Spiral (Wilkens 1964), creating a moral panic and presenting the youth as folk devils. This representation is also conformed to in contemporary cinema, such as Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish (2011). In this film, about a group of youths protecting their estate from an alien invasion, the youth are presented as many of these stereotypes as Anne Gould suggests, such as rebellious, nihilistic and violent, such as when they mug a female on the estate in the opening scene. Giroux suggests that the mediation of youth in instances such as these cause "the youth to become an empty category in representation, reflecting adults concerns", acting as a form of control to allow those in power to keep the order (hegemony - Gramsci). As a result of these representations, it is likely that audiences passively consuming media such as this regularly will overestimate the amount of crime in society (Gerbner, Cultivation theory) and will demonise youths as a group.
In addition, youths have also been represented similarly historically, as evident in Franc Roddam's 1979 feature film Quadrophenia, based around a mailroom worker Jimmy who escapes his day job to embrace Mod subculture, particularly by travelling to Brighton to engage in a riot against the rival 'rockers'. Hebdidge suggests that "a subculture is a group of like-minded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and form a sense of identity", and in this instance this subculture, consisting of youths, is represented negatively and is mediated, again showing youths to be violent and destructive through their rivalry with the opposing subculture, shown in various fight scenes throughout the film. Furthermore, hegemony is reinforced in this text through the way that 'hard power' is shown through police attempting to restore control, strongly detesting the movements of the groups. On the other hand however, in The Young Ones (1961), a musical directed by Disney J Furie, the representation of youths shows them to be very different. In this musical, a group of youths work to save their local youth club from being taken over from a millionaire property developer, and are presented in a mostly positive way - as active in the community and inclusive of younger generations, such as when Nicky (played by Cliff Richard) performs on the beach and allows the children in the community to be involved. It could be argued that between these two time periods, a process of social change has taken place, as youth have become more challenging of society and the media has reflected this.
Females are also an identity group that suffer from mediation. Traditionally, the misrepresentations we see of women in the media due to mediation processes consist of them being placed within binary categories - where they are assigned typical gender roles, and being sexualised. UK Feminista report that 6% of global news reinforces gender stereotypes, 8x more than the amount of news that challenges it. In addition to this, it is suggested that 1/3 young females would change an aspect of their appearance, due to the media. Mediated representations of females have been taking place for a long period of time, and examples of media texts that contain stereotypical content regarding the female can be seen frequently in history. For example, in 1966 a Fairy Liquid advert aired on television, presenting a female in a maternal and domesticated role - she appears to be teaching her daughter how to wash up - implying that she would be doing so herself one day, and she also presents herself as an object of beauty - saying that the Fairy liquid product keeps her hands 'pretty'. This is an example of mediation and shows how women were often misrepresented as an object of beauty and as a domestic figure.
In the modern day, the practice of objectifying women continues - exemplified by Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines music video (2013), which has amassed over 43,000,000 views on YouTube. This shows a misrepresentation or mediated version of the female gender, by showing a group of dancers in the nude - objectifying them and presenting them as an object of sex, juxtaposing them next to a male, wearing a suit (who is made to look like a professional). Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze (1975) can be applied to this, as the text is made from the perspective of the heterosexual male, for the heterosexual male. Jonathan Schroader suggests that "to gaze implies more than just to look, but a psychological relationship where the gaze is superior to the subject". The songs lyrics "i know you want it" reinforce the objectification of females, and undermines them further - presenting females as an object of the man, reinforcing a patriarchal society. It should also be considered however that this process can also take place for the male, reinforcing Miriam Hanson's (1984) theory of the female gaze. Diet Cokes televised advert of 2013 reinforces this, and uses focussing to sexualise the male, as a group of females throw a can of coke at a male gardener in an attempt to spill it on him, forcing him to remove his clothes.
I believe that more recently however, there is a conscious effort to challenge gender stereotypes in the media however, and try to steer away from mediating representations. An example of this is Sport England's televised advert 'This Girl Can' (2015), which presents the female as powerful, athletic and as an equal to the man, through the focussing on their ability to compete in sport, hyperbolised by slow motion shots and powerful titles such as "Deal with it". This less mediated representation of the female challenges the patriarchal society that has so frequently been shown through the media, and I believe that this form of media demonstrating equality will be more prevalent in the future.
In terms of the mediation of both of these groups, it is clear that traditionally and currently there is a trend for them to be misrepresented, however I believe that is the responsibility of the audience to consume and believe as they choose according to the uses and gratifications theory (Katz and Blumler), rather than allowing the media to inject a viewpoint into our belief system.
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