The Role of Media on Public Perception: Impact on the Life Choices and Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care

James Alexander Gordon on 27th June 2025



Author Information

Leslie Ponciano, Fielding Graduate University, United States
Mary-Joy Marsh, Fielding Graduate University, United States

Abstract

This paper shares the results of a pilot study designed to assess the feasibility of an online focus group as the methodological approach for Phase 4 of a longitudinal action research project examining the impact of media on perception of youth in foster care (YFC). Earlier phases of the study found that much of the public believes that media portrays YFC as victims, criminals, survivors, and drug addicts. Participants who endorsed these narratives were also more likely to assume that YFC face negative real-life outcomes such as homelessness, incarceration, teen pregnancy, and school drop-out. Phase 4 explores how these implicit biases may influence the life choices and current outcomes of young adults (formerly YFC). Although the online focus group script was carefully developed to prompt reflection and discussion, the pilot test was unsuccessful. An in-person, unstructured listening session was convened with young adults (formerly YFC) to generate new methodology ideas. Unexpectedly, the session produced rich conversations about the role of media in participants’ lives and revealed four emerging themes to pursue when the study is scaled using this revised design: 1) Media had no influence or a positive influence, 2) The importance of media representation of foster care is debatable, 3) Identifying as YFC can create vulnerabilities, and 4) Success in life may be discounted or viewed as temporary because of one’s foster care history.


Paper Information

Conference: KAMC2025
Stream: Media Studies

This paper is part of the KAMC2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Ponciano L., & Marsh M. (2026) The Role of Media on Public Perception: Impact on the Life Choices and Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care ISSN: 2436-0503 – The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 715-727) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.58
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.58

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