Analysis - Practice: Positive Images - Media still disrespects the young

The British media's demonisation of young people remains rife but there does appear to be signs of the nation's youth slowly but surely getting a more favourable airing.

To mark Young People Now's third Positive Images Awards, the magazine commissioned research company TNS Media Intelligence to monitor the tone of coverage of young people during the week of 19 to 25 May 2007. It found 23 per cent of mentions were positive, 29 per cent neutral or balanced and 48 per cent negative - dipping below the psychologically significant 50 per cent barrier. The last time the research was carried out, during a week in August 2005, 12 per cent was positive, 30 per cent neutral and 57 per cent negative. A year prior to that it was 14 per cent positive, 15 per cent neutral and 71 per cent negative.