Media portrayal of young people

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Young NCB members have completed a research project on the portrayal of young people in the British media, and the impact negative media coverage has on their lives.

The project was led by a core group of four young people aged 15 to 18. Seven Young NCB members contributed to the planning and dissemination stage, with support from NCB's research department. The project was part of The National Youth Agency's Young Researcher Network (YRN), which supports and encourages research led by young people.

The research arose out of concerns that young people are increasingly portrayed in a negative light in the media, with a heavy focus on the small minority involved in crime and antisocial behaviour.

The team designed an online survey, held focus groups, conducted interviews with journalists and collected media stories. The research concluded that negative news coverage of young people has a negative impact on the way they feel about themselves. It also found journalists feel pressurised to write negative stories about young people, as these are deemed more newsworthy