College of Journalism and Mass Communications students Patrick Clark, a broadcasting and sports media double major, and Elaina Kratky, a broadcasting major, received this year's George Burleigh Writing Excellence Awards. Both Huskers are first-year students from Omaha.
2025 was the first year the scholarship was awarded. Over the summer, high school seniors admitted to the CoJMC were invited to submit a written essay on this year's topic, "How media accurately or inaccurately portray youth and the issues facing youth."
Members of the college's journalism faculty reviewed the essays to decide which two incoming students would receive the $2,500 scholarships. Read the winning essays below:
Patrick Clark's Essay
Media's portrayal of youth is a complex, double-edged sword, reflecting both truths and distortions about their lives and challenges. While media can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and fostering understanding, it often falls short, relying on stereotypes, sensationalism, and superficial narratives. By critically examining media representations and supporting responsible journalism, we can work towards a more nuanced and accurate understanding of youth and the issues they face.
One of the most significant ways media inaccurately portrays youth is through the perpetuation of stereotypes. Teenagers are frequently depicted as rebellious, lazy, or obsessed with social media, overlooking the diversity of experiences and personalities within this demographic. Such stereotypes not only misrepresent the majority of young people but also contribute to negative perceptions and biases that can affect their opportunities and treatment in society. For example, news stories focusing on youth crime or risky behavior can create a distorted image of young people as inherently problematic, while ignoring the positive contributions they make to their communities.
Conversely, media can accurately portray youth by giving voice to their experiences and concerns. Documentaries, independent films, and responsible journalism can shed light on the real issues facing young people, such as mental health challenges, academic pressures, and social inequalities. For instance, documentaries that explore the lives of marginalized youth can provide valuable insights into their struggles and resilience. Moreover, social media platforms themselves can be powerful tools for young people to share their stories, organize for change, and connect with others who share similar experiences.
In conclusion, the media's portrayal of youth is a double-edged sword. While it has the potential to accurately reflect their lives and struggles, it often falls prey to stereotypes and sensationalism. By critically examining media representations and supporting responsible journalism, we can work towards a more nuanced and accurate understanding of youth and the issues they face.
Elaina Kratky’s Essay
Often regarded as society’s guiding light to a better future, youth bear the weight of expectation placed on them by older generations. Adults rely on the hope that young people will use modern technology to renovate present day society. However, today’s youth are frequently misjudged as immature and irresponsible due to inaccurate media portrayals. The voices of the future are being silenced as their behavior is unfairly questioned by adults who internalize media-driven stereotypes. As a result, society’s belief in the potential of the next generation is steadily eroding. Through fear-based stereotypes and the normalization of underage substance use in entertainment, the media inaccurately portrays youth, ultimately contributing to their marginalization and misunderstanding.
In the news media, youth are often inaccurately stereotyped as disobedient or dangerous through dehumanizing headlines which are designed to provoke panic. To catch a reader’s eye, some newspaper companies manipulate stories involving situations regarding youth violence. In 2020, for example, the New York Post ran a headline reading, “Teen Wolf Pack Beats Girl on Subway.” Referring to the teens as a “wolf pack” animalizes the individuals and leads the audience toward a predatory image of youth. A group of teens beating a girl on the subway is undeniably violent and punishable, but the article unnecessarily emphasizes the teens as savages rather than stating the truth of the situation. Not only does the misrepresentation of youth in the media undermine the potential of teens, but the media's targeted vernacular is often discriminatory as well. In 2017, the Daily Mail posted a video headlined “Shocking footage of elderly man with cane beaten by thugs.” The racially coded term “thugs” not only vilifies youth, but it disproportionately targets Black or Latino individuals. The Daily Mail’s headline also utilizes the word “shocking” to heighten fear rather than provide an objective account. The media exploits the isolated acts of violence by teens to confirm pre-existing bias, turning youth into easy scapegoats for social anxieties.
Although tabloids like the New York Post and the Daily Mail are known for exaggeration, even respected outlets such as The Wall Street Journal reinforce negative stereotypes about teens. In Julie Jargons 2024 article, “Teens’ Energy-Drink Habit is Amping Anxiety, Disrupting Class and Triggering Seizures,” the Journal frames teens as impulsive and dependent. The Journal fails to explore systemic causes like academic stress, aggressive marketing, or weak regulation which may be more important to explore than teen caffeine consumption. Even distinguished publications oversimplify teen behavior to stimulate an adult audience and neglect to mention adult-driven societal factors as a cause of the issue.
Fictional media is also problematic, as popular television series regularly glamorize teen alcohol and drug consumption. In an effort to present an entertaining lifestyle for interested audiences, television series take advantage of juvenile characters and place them in suggestive adult settings. The CW’s Gossip Girl is known for storylines in which teenagers indulge in excessive drinking in clubs, cocaine use, and manipulation of others while intoxicated. This media romanticizes illegal adolescent behavior. The scenes in Gossip Girl emphasize situations where the characters are intoxicated rather than exploring teenagers’ interests in athletics, education, faith, or future careers. The skewed display of interest doesn’t accurately portray daily life for most adolescents. Although Gossip Girl was filmed in the early 2000s, current television series continue to foster an inaccurate and negative perception of youth culture. Euphoria, an HBO series, follows high school students’ struggle amid graphic depictions of drug addiction. The series explores an uncommon teenage issue, but adult audiences take this point of view as truth rather than an unlikely situation. Audiences are misled by media like Gossip Girl and Euphoria, which falsely characterize teenagers as party-seeking, substance-driven individuals.
While this media portrays issues that impact some adolescents, they are not representative of the average teenager. For instance, in the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 5.6 million (14.6% of) people ages 12 to 20 reported that they drank alcohol in the past month. Although it would be accurate to represent some underage drinking in the media, current representations are exaggerated. 85.4% of teens don’t consume alcohol regularly. Adult viewers unfamiliar with current teenage behavior may mistake television portrayal for accurate depictions of adolescent life. When media relies on stereotypes and distorted figures to depict youth in society, audiences will be left with a negative perception of teens.
The media continues to push a narrative of youthful chaos and rebellion because it sells. This tactic has worked in favor of news companies and production teams, but ultimately endangers the potential of youth as a whole. Adults belittle teenagers’ ability to function at a high level due to stories printed and shows televised, and the portrayal is also misleading to the true behavior of youth. Adolescents are used as scapegoats for the media’s continued profit, leaving them misunderstood and resented by most of society. To prevent the further isolation of a generation, the media must shift its focus toward truth and balance. Rather than relying on sensationalism and clickbait, journalists and producers should highlight both the challenges and the successes of young people. Normalizing negative behavior sets damaging expectations, but acknowledging progress and potential creates a more accurate, empowering narrative. The media must choose to support the promise of a generation over misleading stories. The outcome of that choice will determine how society evolves, and whether the media deserves criticism for misleading the public or credit for capturing a more honest future.
