The Media s Coverage On Poverty, Government Policies, And...

Poverty is a social issue that has negative consequences for individuals and society as a whole, so it is a greatly covered topic in the media. The way that the poor are represented in these outlets is important as it can affect government policies, and the public’s perceptions of poverty. In this paper I examine the relationship between the media’s coverage on poverty, government policies, and the public’s perceptions of the poor. I have concluded that Americans’ views on poverty have shifted from structural explanations of poverty to more individualistic one views. I reached this conclusion by examining trends in government policies enacted since the 1960’s, the way that diverse news outlets reported on them, and Americans’ impression†¦show more content†¦This came as a result of a greater government spending on poverty assistance. It is important to point out that during this time period, the media also portrayed the poor as the p eople who lacked education and skill, who had bad health, poor housing, and high levels of mental distress (Rose Baumgartner 2013). The media and the government during the 1960’s, attributed variations to structures such as the labor market and educational institutions, as well as other factors to being major contributors to poverty. Therefore, there is clearly a relationship between the government’s and the public’s call for a comprehensive government assistance program, and the way that the media depicted the struggles of the poor during these years. Yet, these positive and supportive stances on poverty did not last long, and by the late 1960’s and in the beginning of the 1970’s, this viewpoint started transforming into a more individualistic outlook. During this time period, Americans began to strongly emphasized individualistic values, holding the poor primarily responsible for their plight. This change in opinion caused the poor to get separated into two spheres: deserving and undeserving. The deserving poor were characterized by those who are not expected to work due to factors such as their age, sex, or family status. For example, the elderly or children wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Issue of Homelessness Essays2064 Words   |  9 Pagesnegative connotation, a stigma, of homelessness due to misrepresentation. In effect, public perceptions affect how homeless are treated by other institutions and ultimately affect how efficiently homelessness is resolved. Though there is a reported sympathetic view toward the homeless, there definitely seems to be a dominant negative connotation of the homeless. First, according to national opinion surveys, the public seems sympathetic to the homeless. According to a recent national poll conductedRead MoreMedia s Influence On Public Perception Of Law Enforcement Essay2350 Words   |  10 PagesIt is no secret that the media is able to influence the general public’s opinion on most anything. Whether the subject is fiction or non, movies, documentaries, and the news especially, are capable of swaying the public’s opinions and perceptions one way or the other. Not even the world of law enforcement is safe from the media’s purview (Barlow, M. H. and Barlow, D. E. and Chiricos T. G., 1995), as media portrayals often romanticize law enforcement as a well oiled machine that always gets the badRead MoreThe Current Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act ( Ppaca )2437 Words   |   10 PagesABSRACT The healthcare system in the United States has been under fire for the last several years, with the primary focus on radical reform of the fragile healthcare system. Legislators, the American people and the media all have differing opinions on the direction of such a reform. The following is an investigative review of the current Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is the latest attempt at reform and the most ambitious healthcare reform in the history of the UnitedRead MoreStereotypes Of Poor People Keep Them Poor2361 Words   |  10 PagesStereotypes of Poor People Keep Them Poor? Samantha Jett Social Psychology 236 Sara Crump May 10th, 2016 Stereotypes box individuals into certain categories usually affecting them negatively. There is an interesting stereotype of poor people. We assume that they are lazy and/or uneducated and so on. Do the stereotypes of poor people keep them poor? The Looking glass self is how a person grows based on how society treats them. If we keep treating poor people as ifRead More Welfare Reform: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Legislation2809 Words   |  12 Pagesreplaced it with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Unlike AFDC, TANF is not an entitlement program. This means that states are under no obligation to provide cash assistance to eligible families. Instead the federal government gives block grants to assist poor families with the emphasis on moving them from welfare to work or deterring them from applying for welfare in the first place. States are no longer obligated to match federal funds, creating an incentive to eliminate their previousRead MoreRole of Medi a in Modern Society3659 Words   |  15 PagesThere are many different ways in which people communicate such as, through the phone, through personal encounters, and by attending work place, school, seminars etc. Though media is not the only communication medium used to dispense the flow of information, its importance in developed countries is worth mentioning as it has been the main source to inform people on political issues or current affairs as well as being as the main source of entertainment. The flow of information from one geographicalRead MoreRacial Profiling And Gender Profiling2082 Words   |  9 Pageseliminating racial profiling. Racial Profiling in Urban Communities Racial profiling is defined as â€Å" the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin† (ACLU, 2005, p. 1). Racial profiling is a serious problem that has affected millions of people in this country. Almost 32 million Americans have been victimized by racial profiling (Amnesty InternationalRead MoreThe Health Security Act : Political Strategy3381 Words   |  14 PagesPolitical Strategy: On October 27, 1993 after promising universal coverage, Clinton unveiled a plan for universal coverage based on consumer choice among competitive private health plans, operating under a cap on total spending know as managed competition within a budget. Clinton named Hillary Clinton and Ira Magaziner the chair and director of healthcare reform respectively. In trying to direct the political environment and develop public support, the Clinton strategy took three political turns. TheRead MoreOvercoming The Silence of Generational Poverty1809 Words   |  8 Pagespolitics and media coverage rather than the real people that these decisions affect. I think its fair to say that American attitudes toward the poor are more often than not, disdain and fear. Theres a common myth that people are forced into poverty because they are simply lazy or inferior, the truth is it is harder to feed and clothe your family than ever before. Poverty in this country is not accidental, it is a direct result of funneling wealth upstream; the rich get richer and the poor suffer. Read MoreThe Patient Protection Affordable Care Act ( Ppaca )3791 Words   |  16 PagesAssociation for Labor Legislation (AALL), President Roosevelt, President Truman, President Johnson, President Nixon, President Clinton, and President Obama, to name a few. The ACA demonstrates the n eed for the balance of power between state and federal government, as well as, how America has been handling the balance of power. This law has been in the making since 1989, conceptually beginning as the Individual Health Insurance Mandate through the Heritage Foundation. The individual health insurance mandate