Media and Collective Identity

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

"Who are you?" 

This section is about, the different things we do, either fit in or not, and the things and people we follow in order to become like. 

"I think therefore I am"

We are now in an age where we are now groups instead of individuals, and we do not take up the normal role of either men or women.

"From citizen to consumer"

Before, we only consumed the things we needed, now, its more about our wants, anything to look good.

"The rise of the individual"
We now are our own people, and want to be different, we do not want to conform to traditional values.

"Branding and lifestyle"
A product that is created, can be sold on the identity it creates, and if the consumer is in touch with that identity.

"Who will we be?"
Due to social media, people are hiding behind avatars.

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Nike 

Tropicana

Liverpool Football Club

The Blind side movie 

GridIron Gang 

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean? 
I think the media is now mostly about 'style over substance' this is because different things like the news, would put stories in particular order, of how much views they would get, and not relevance to the nation. Style over substance is an imitation of something, as it is nice looking on the outside, but has nothing in the middle.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

 Media saturation is a sort of cleanse we get by the media, as they bombard our lives. We now use media for everything, meaning there is a lack of normal conversation and contact with people due to a persona put on by people online, meaning that there is some things said online that would not be said in person, and people think that is fine due to media saturation.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

I think my presence on social media is a reflection of who i am, this is because i tweet about football, and occasionally lyrics of songs, and as someone who is a football fan and like listening to music, i think that is a valid representation. I have removed a picture, because i have realised it is not the image of me that i am trying to portray.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

I think data mining is fine, but to a certain extent. This is because somethings should be kept private, so having things like an in private browser when products that are similar to the thing you search doesn't come up all the time. It can be classed as an invasion of your privacy, but it also gives you a chance to see other deals that you may be interested in.

Feminism Online

Ched Evans

Jean Hackett, a radical feminist has used twitter to try and stop Ched Evans from playing football again. She has used twitter to get people to sign petitions to stop Oldham and Sheffield United from signing him. The petitions got hundreds of thousands of signatures from people who believed the same thing. Due to those petitions, and other factors, both clubs chose not to sign him.


Evans and another footballer, was tried at the Crown Court at Caernarfon after being charged of the rape of a 19-year-old woman, "who was deemed too drunk to consent," at a hotel near Rhyl in May 2011. Evans was convicted on 20 April 2012 and was sentenced to five years imprisonment. He was eligible for release after serving half of that sentence. During his incarceration, Evans worked as a painter and decorator in the prison in order to afford a healthy diet. In August 2012, Evans was refused leave to appeal against the conviction by a single Court of Appeal of England and Wales judge and the full court upheld the decision in November. Evans continues to maintain his innocence and in November 2013 recruited a new legal team to attempt to clear his name.
In my opinion, I think there are elements of witch hunt in the Ched Evans case. There were many things that were said and done that may have been a little too public, like Jessica Ennis' comments saying she will want her name to be taken off the stand of Sheffield United if Ched Evans plays for them. The public comment was uncalled for, as it made more people condemn Ched Evans not because of what he did, but because they are fans of Jessica Ennis and take everything she says as gospel.

Caroline Criado-Perez

Caroline Criado-Perez used twitter to protest, the male oriented pictures on money (Notes), as she believed it showed inequality. Mervyn King the Bank of England governor refused her request, but when he was succeeded by Mark Carney, the view went into straight contemplation. She was then asked to come into the Bank of England  and was asked if she would accept Jane Austen on the back of a £10 note.

This got a mixed reception on twitter, as the women on twitter congratulated her, but there were a lot of men giving her abuse and threatening her with comments of rape and death. The comments on twitter that she received was uncalled for and it should not have came to that. However, I don't believe that a women felt that strongly about having a women on some money. For me, there are many things going on in the world, and a women, is caused drama on twitter for a female person to be on money. If it was an ethnic minority who attempted to do that, they would have been shut down, and that question never asked or publicised because it is an ethnic minority.

Emma Barnett

Emma Barnett, is a female journalist for the Telegraph and she among other women journalists are subject to trolling via twitter. This is a serious concern, because women journalist are trolled more than men journalist. The abuse they receive on twitter is normally sexual or threats. There have been a lot of rape tweets, and tweets, about the women's lack of sex life, causing them to be ranting needlessly. 

Emma Barnett, was sent a shocking tweet, saying there was a bomb in her house that will be going off at a certain time, to wreck everything. This caused her to be scared and she ran to the pub.I think tweets like that are very disrespectful, and should not be tolerated, but on the other hand, men get trolled also, in different fields, and the only field women get trolled more is the filed that is talked about, I think this is very biased and misleading. 

NDM 35

Social media 'at heart of 2015 general election campaign'

Article

Political advertising on television and radio is banned in the UK. But parties are able to use social media as propaganda which allows them to get  more votes The videos - some of which have been attacked for their negative campaign messages - are not regulated by the broadcast regulators Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority. 

This will be a good way to get more people interested in the election debates and process, but a social media campaign targets youth, which is ironic as the age for voting is 18, and not 16, the sort of age that people who are on social media start from.

NDM 33

ITV buys The Voice producer Talpa Media for £355m

Article

ITV has bought the makers of BBC1’s The Voice, Dutch production company Talpa Media, for £355m in a deal that could end up costing more than double that.Established by the creator of Big Brother, John de Mol, Talpa Media’s other shows include panel game I Love My Country and reality show Dating in the Dark.It has created 75 shows in more than 180 countries but is best known for “spinning chair” talent show The Voice, currently in its fourth series on BBC1 featuring Rita Ora and Will.i.am.

“When it comes to the importance of content, the strategy of both successful companies is exactly the same and for Talpa this represents a fantastic opportunity for strong further growth.“It also enables me personally to concentrate and focus even more on creating new, groundbreaking content.”

Feminism

What are the two texts the article focuses on?

This article focuses on a TV show called "Pan Am" and a music video by Beyonce called "Why don't you love me."  

What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

One example from the two text of the male gaze is in Beyonce's music video as she says "I got beauty I got class, I got style and I got ass." This quote shows that Beyonce has sexualilsed her self in order to be loved, as she know men objectify women. Another quote is "with a face like that you will find a husband in a couple of months" it again shows that it is about how the woman looks and not her intelligence or how she is as a person, this shows even women believe men objectify women, and they try to conform to it.

Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?
In my opinion, I think there is a need for feminism as there are issues in the UK that need to be addressed, such as differences in pay, and how women are objectified. However, on the other hand I think there are just some things that happen to women that may cause that, for instance, maternity leave  which has women  out of work for a little less than a year. This means men would have a higher wage as they are in work longer than the women.

Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

Feminism – A movement aimed at defining, establishing, and defending women’s rights and equality to men.

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.

Nostalgia - A sentimental longing for the past often only remembering the positives of the time.


Page 3 Article 

Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?

Lucy Holmes was the person that organised and started the campaign as she believed women were only seen in The Sun newspaper as sex objects, and nothing else.

What are the six reasons the campaign gives for why Page 3 has to go?

1) It’s 2014! Page 3 was first introduced in the sexist 1970s. 

2) It’s soft porn in the UK’s no.1 selling family newspaper that children are exposed to. 

3)They see page after page of pictures of men in clothes doing stuff (running the country, having opinions, achieving in sport!) and what are the women doing in this society they’re learning about? 

4) Women say, do and think so many interesting and incredible things and should be celebrated for their many achievements. They are people, not things! 

5) Every single weekday for the last 44 years in The Sun newspaper the largest female image has been of a young woman (usually of a very particular age, race, physicality) showing her breasts for men, sending out a powerful message that whatever else a woman achieves, her primary role is to serve men sexually.

6) The Sun newspaper could be so much stronger without Page 3. 

3) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara 

Susan believes The Sun should abolish page 3 as we are not in the 1970s any more. Also, she believes it doesn't boost up the sales of the newspaper, so it is just pointless. 
Barbara said  spoke about there being worse things than page 3, which means it is the least of their concern. And there are other things like level pay that is a little more important. 


4) How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

The campaign can be linked to post feminism because people are campaigning for the abolishment of something that makes feminism look like it still exists. Because it objectifies women, women believe the page 3 of the Sun shows that women are still inferior to men.

5) What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign. Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?

In my opinion, i think the campaign should continue as people have a right to speak about what they want, but the Sun newspaper shouldn't get rid of page 3 models. I think this because page 3 models are not forced to be naked, but choose to be also, women say it is giving a bad image of women but, there are stories that stereotype ethnic groups, but they are still on the newspaper and in the news, meaning there are different standards for different types of people.

6) Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

I think we still need feminism, because there are things that objectify women and stereotype them also. But on the other hand, I think there is very little oppression of women in the job world, because there are different roles done in the work place that warrant different pays. People who get jobs with higher paid salaries would have to be working for a long time, but as women, who get pregnant, take time off, taking them out of the running because they have stayed stagnant in their quest for higher pay because they have conceived a child which they look after and have to take time off work to do so.

Post Colonialism Blog Task

1) Summarise the three theorists we have looked at: Alvarado, Fanon and Said.

Alvarado's theory (1987) was that black people in the media are split into four categories:

• Exotic (Models, Music Artists, Athletes and Food)
• Dangerous (Crime, Gangs and Socially Dysfunctional)
• Humorous (Comedians and Sidekicks)
• Pitted (Poverty)

Frantz Fanon (1952) Claimed that black people were "Were putting on the white mask." He also said that black stereotypes can be:

• Infantilize (Children in Poverty)
• Primitivize (Beats, Sporting Prowess)
• Decivilize (Gangster, Pimps)
• Esssentialize (All look the same)

Edward Said said  there is Gulf between the east and west. Also Civilised vs Uncivilised.

2) Watch the opening of Yasmin (2004) again. Does it offer a positive or negative view of British Muslims? To what extent does it reinforce or challenge Edward Said's theory of Orientalism - that the west is superior to the exotic or uncivilised east?

I think there are both positive and negative representations of British Muslims in this film. A negative representation is firstly shown sue to the main character. She pretends she is a good Muslim woman to her family, but when she is at work, she looks like western woman. This means she is trying to conform to two different parts of society and by doing so she is conceding her morals and religion. However there is also a positive representation of British Muslims in this film as the boy, who has also conformed a little to western ways, which is shown by his Nike trainers, however has not neglected his religion and morals. This is shown when he still goes to pray when the call to pray comes out in the city. This therefore can mean that British Muslims are able to conform with western ways, and still be religious. 

3) Finally, choose THREE clips for EACH of the theorists and explain how you could apply that theory to the clip. Pick a selection of clips on YouTube from TV, film, music video or advertising and embed them in your blog before writing your analysis under each clip. Note: this means you need NINE clips in total on this blogpost.


Alvardo.

Fannon 

Said 

Identities and the Media: Reading the Riots

How did the language and selection of images in the coverage create a particular representation of young people?

The language and selection of images, gave a negative representation of young people. They did this by using words, that evoke a reaction from the audience, or pictures that make young people look bad. An example of this is through the word “Anarchy.” This word has a connotation of lawlessness, meaning that the young people have no morals or respect for their country.

Also, the picture of the person in the tracksuit with a scarf covering his face and gloves represents young people as “Chav”. This is because wearing a hoodie or tracksuit is a shorthand that audience may use to identify a trouble maker.

Why does David Buckingham mention Owen Jones and his work Chavs: the demonisation of the working class?

I think David Buckingham mentioned Owen Jones and his book because it showed the audience who are reading media magazine that there was a lot of middle classed youth in the riots, as there was a lot of talk about the riots being attended by working classed youth instead of the middle classed youth that can hardly put a foot wrong.

What is the typical representation of young people – and teenage boys in particular? What did the 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey find?

The typical representation of young people is negative. This can be backed up by the stat 72% of stories in newspapers about youth are negative. This shows representation of youth is not a good one. Also, a typical representation of young people, especially boys could be that they are drug takers and criminals, due to the amount of stories which contain those things.

The 2005 IPSOS/MORI

How can Stanley Cohen’s work on Moral Panic be linked to the coverage of the riots?

A moral panic is an intense feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. Moral panics are in essence controversies that involve arguments and social tension, and in which disagreement is difficult because the matter at its center is taboo. This therefore can be linked to the riots as the riots threatened social order.

What elements of the media and popular culture were blamed for the riots?

The elements blamed for the riots in regards to the media were violent video games, rap music and reality TV. 

How was social media blamed for the riots? What was interesting about the discussion of social media when compared to the Arab Spring in 2011?
Social media was blamed for advertising the riots and giving people a platform to interact and organise the riots also. In regards to Arab Springs, they used social media to show us how bad they were being treated. This shows that social media can be used for good.

The riots generated a huge amount of comment and opinion - both in mainstream and social media. How can the two-step flow theory be linked to the coverage of the riots?

Alternatively, how might media scholars like Henry Jenkins view the 'tsunami' of blogs, forums and social media comments? Do you agree that this shows the democratisation of the media?
I think that it does show democratisation as people are able to express their opinions and have freedom of speech without fear of backlash due to new and digital media’s anonymity.
What were the right-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
The right wing compared them to animals that needed to be tamed, like a beast.  What were the left-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
The left wing believes that other factors are to blame such as unemployment and lack of youth clubs, and social places for youth to be. 

What are your OWN views on the main causes of the riots?
In my opinion, I think the riots were caused by the shooting of Mark Duggan initially. However, I think the latter parts were due to greed.

How can capitalism be blamed for the riots? What media theory (from our new/digital media unit) can this be linked to?

Capitalism can be blamed for the riots because everyone in those riots wanted wealth. That is what capitalism is about. 

Were people involved in the riots given a voice in the media to explain their participation?
People involved in the riots were not able to voice their opinion as it may have the things people in institutions had to say about them.

What is your own opinion on the riots? Do you have sympathy with those involved or do you believe strong prison sentences are the right approach to prevent such events happening in future?