• What kind of representation of young Londoners can you find?

v  Within the article of the of the ‘young looters co-ordinate raids via twitter and Blackberry’, mini images of the looters fill the sides of the article. Four distinct images have been shown from four different parts of London. The editors have used this to exaggerate the extent of the riots covering the whole of London. The first image represents a black girl sitting on a Curry’s television, with her hands tied behind her back and being held by a policeman. Neither are looking with direct mode of address, but the girl has a rather bored look captured on her face.  This could then reinforce Alvarado’s dangerous black stereotype by the intimidation that can be connoted from the image. However, this could also reinforce Fanon’s idea of Decilizing the black. The girl is represented all in black, but the most enigmatic aspect of her jacket is the Curry symbol on it. The fact that she has stolen from a place she has worked at, makes this seem more horrific, further giving viewers to represent how youths have no respect for their elders or society as you would think they would want to protect the place they work rather the destruct it. Nevertheless, theirs also a distinct differentiation between the colours of both people within the image. The police are represented as being of a white Caucasian background. This could then further connote Edward Said’s theory of the civilised vs. the uncivilised by the way that in society, the white are represented within the media then the Black. Status can also be connoted as a large importance as the girl is represented to be working in retail, whereas, the white guy is represented to be a policeman, further reinforcing Dewsbury’s opinion that Black people can’t have a proper middle class job. Their’s also then a sense of binary opposition between these two people (Levi Strauss) as although she isn’t considered higher then him within society, her colour makes her seem more intimidating then the policeman in uniform. Broken glass then envelopes the background, which ultimately reinforces and connotes the havoc displayed. Within the media, this then links well with the representations of the black stereotype being Decilized and being considered as dangerous. This can be ultimately reinforced by many of these images within the article as a majority of them represent black youths being caught red-handed or being taken by the police.

Another image on a double spread uses similar representations to the smaller images. However, these images are clearly bigger and actually identify many individuals that took part in the riots. An example of this is the big middle centred image of a black girl lashing out as she’s been arrested in the police station. Her lack of mode of address whilst the white officer is looking at her, could connote her shame. Whilst, giving an oppositional reading of her not wanting to be identified, this being ironic considering her own mother identified her. However, this can similarly be connoted by the small icon of a black girl in tracksuit jacket covering her face.The medium side shot of the girl captures her in an unflattering stance as her white top rolls up, exposing a bit of her tummy. This has also been used with a close up of image of a black persons face on the left making a face. This could then link to Alvarado’s theory of humour, but also link to Fanon’s theory of decilizing and primitising the black people.  However, Said’s theory of the uncivilised and civilised can be opposed as theirs a black police officer in the background. This then subverts Dewsbury’s opinion on Black people failing to form into a middle class background. Whilst, also subverting to how black people are represented in society, as the police officer is actually doing good to society. On the left hand side, a proper image of a mixed race girl is conveyed as a way to identify her. Headlines have informed the audience (Blumler&Katz), that her mother was the one to give her to the police. This then subverts the idea that parenting supervision and authority was one of the problems that resulted in the riots. This represents a sense of responsibility and that parents also care about discipline and keeping London safe. Whilst, subverting to the ideas of Black people as being decilized.