Fact or belief?
representation involves selection and omission. In the above example, the coverage featured quotes by people to reflect the view that transgender persons are living an unnatural lifestyle which is socially unacceptable and are therefore incapable of providing sound views on HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the views presented reinforce the notion that transgender persons could disrupt society.
Omitted from this discussion were the views of the transgender community and other supporters of the appointment. By including and omitting information in how we learn about issues, we are left with a narrative that continues to perpetuate commonly held beliefs and therefore, can heighten the already difficult tension between marginalised communities and society at large.
Fear and stereotyping
Critically reflecting on media representations is important because it potentially plays a part in how we relate with others. For example, when engaging with how others are represented in the media, we can either identify commonalities and feel a sense of belonging or be struck by fear of those who differ from us.
We also have to be careful if media representations develop a sense of fear in our psyche. Fear is a tactic that is used to create exclusion and we must pay attention to it. We might even be nudged to believe that people who are different from us are dangerous.
From a communication perspective, when the media consistently informs us about how a particular group may pose a danger to our everyday lives, the assumptions that arise from the media content may turn into our unfounded fears, in which we tend to believe that they are the “facts” or natural way of life.
In this case, it is generally assumed that
Master of Communications and Media Studies graduate Yap Yoong Jian says people can learn to understand one another better through media literacy and critical thinking. the transgender community is different from the majority who identified with heterosexuality as the sexual norm of the society. But is this the truth or a belief?
When it comes to the transgender community, it is easy to forget that they too, are people, especially when any description of this community tend to skew heavily to the negative. Persistent representations in such manner would only serve to cultivate fear, and is ultimately, unproductive and harmful to an already marginalised community.
What can we do?
Thankfully, the relationship between media representation and audiences is not a one-way street. Audiences are not obliged to passively accept the ideas that are presented to them by the media. They can question, challenge and interpret the media content based on their level of awareness and knowledge on how the media works.
A good way to start is to ask: Why is this particular representation chosen?
When we start to explore the reasons behind particular values or stereotypes as portrayed in the media, we can develop a greater sense of understanding of the relationship that we have with the people around us. After all, we do not always have to agree about everything. But we can certainly learn to understand one another better through media literacy and critical thinking.
nFor more information on the Master of Communications and Media Studies programme, visit monash.edu.my