Kendall argues that the media frame poor people differently than they frame the wealthy. Do you find her discussion of thematic and episodic framing persuasive? Why or why not?
Week 1 Day 2 Discussion Question 5
February 16, 2018 | 1 Comment
Class, Culture, Representation
February 13, 2019 at 12:05 pm
According to Kendall, “Whereas the upper classes receive framing based on consensus, admiration, emulation, and the price tag, the poor, at best, are accorded sympathy and applauded when they manage to escape poverty. At worst, the poor are depicted thematically, as ‘faceless’ statistics, or episodically, remaining all but invisible except at holidays or following natural disasters” (Kendall, p. 116). While I do agree with her regarding her opinions that the wealthy are often depicted in the light of emulation and admiration compared to the poor, who are often depicted with minimal positivity, I am not entirely sure that I agree with all of her points about the purposeful thematic and episodic framing done by the media. Kendall’s discussion of episodic framing seemed most persuasive – highlighting the media’s humanization of poverty in four types: sympathetic, negative-image, exceptionalism, and charitable framing. I do believe that these portrayal methods are definitely in existence and perpetuate stereotypes like “welfare cheats, drug addicts, and greedy panhandlers,” often associated with fatalistic suicide and crime that undermine awareness of larger, systematic issues (Kendall, p. 84). However, I find her argument on thematic framing to possess a few more “holes.” This form of media framing is predominantly based on statistics and trends that are used to make overarching claims about patterns of poverty. Kendall claims that this method is dehumanizing, for it “ignores the human tragedy of poverty – the suffering, indignities, and misery endured by millions of children and adults” (Kendall, p. 83). While I do agree that focusing solely on numbers can have a dehumanizing effect when discussing issues like this, I think that the dilemma lies more in the falsity of the data that the statistics are derived from rather than the media’s conscious attempt to undermine the face of poverty. The use of statistics and trends can be very important to catch the eyes of readers and viewers, and while they may lack detailed narratives of the people being quantified, they bring the broader issue to the sight of the hungry public eye. Where I believe this becomes problematic, as I have mentioned, is in the inaccurate data that are representing the poor. For example, the poverty line has multiple definitions, lacking consistency, on which headlines become based. This is where the issue lies – in exaggerated claims that may further obstruct a positive view of the poor by media consumers, rather than in using thematic framing at all. Overall, I think Kendall brings to the table a range of interesting and thought-provoking opinions that help to extract the underpinnings of media portrayal disparities, and I would be interested in analyzing them further.