What role do the media play in La Haine?

The scene begins with a slow tracking long shot which frames the trio in a way that reflects their relationships, with Said positioned in between Hubert and Vinz as he looks up to them. Whilst the trio sit around, a quick dissolve is used between two shots to show the passage of time, and how their time is wasted due to the lack of opportunities.

The mise-en-scene used in this sequence show the trio in a children's play area, reinforcing the idea of the lack of opportunities for youths in the projects, and the exposure of poverty related issues (such as drugs) to children. The safari style play area has a slide that is designed like a hippo, and the way the trio are positioned Hubert is sat at the end of the slide, in the hippo's mouth, followed by Said in the middle, and Vinz at the end. This positions them in a social 'food chain', as Hubert is the most recognisable 'Non-French' of the three, whereas Said has a French name although he is not white, and at the end is Vinz since he could pass as French, the only thing holding him back is his location. This could be why Vinz is the most aggressive, because he does not understand why he is grouped with the others since he is the most accepted of the group.

When the TV crew arrive, they are clearly there to collect negative actions from people in the projects, therefore they instigate the aggression within the protection of the news van. The way the camera is positioned, the media are looking down at the trio in the enclosed and zoo-like park, this forces the characters to look up at them, however this is ironic as although the media think that these youths should be looking up to them and treating them with respect, the characters do not feel that they should ever be inferior to the media. The zoo-like park makes them look like they are in an animal enclosure, and the way the TV crew stay in the car makes it look very similar to a safari, as if they are observing the wildlife in their natural habitat, the projects.

The POV shot of Vinz from the TV camera shows how they are viewed by the media and how the media can manipulate and dehumanise them. The media reinforce negative stereotypes, and when the cameraman zooms in on Vinz's face, it makes him look intimidating and confrontational, as if the trio are instigating violence, and making him seem closer than they are although they have not approached the TV crew. This is their way of demonising the projects.