Introduction to feminism

 Introduction to feminism: blog tasks

1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?

Bates was subjected to sexism and groping over a course of a week. She experienced men staring at her body, catcalling, being groped in the train. Even though she publicly asked for help during her situations, Bates realised nobody will help her, thinking she was the problem. Later she communicated with other women who shared her experience and decided to make the Everyday Sexism website to help acknowledge the use of sexism every day by sharing stories from women and men-

2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?

Everyday sexism links to post-feminism because it gives a platform for women to share their experience and expectations. All over the world, post-feminism has reached society yet. The world is changing to be more equal but women still experience this every day by looking at the data and stories shared.

3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project?

Bates said she didn't have any budget for advertising and marketing but she if she could gather 20-30 women to share their stories, it will eventually start to spread throughout the internet. With the help of social media and online news articles, awareness started to spread gathering 75,000 women onto the website. 

4) Will there be a point in the future when the Everyday Sexism project is not required? What is YOUR view on the future of feminism?

At one point in the future, feminism problems will be solved and the Everyday Sexism project will be looked at as piece of history. No-one knows how the future will be, maybe men's behaviour will change to be better or to be worse. 

Media Magazine: The fourth wave?

1) Summarise the questions in the first two sub-headings: What is networked feminism? Why is it a problem?

Feminism can be divided into 4 different "waves". The 1st ewave starts in the 19th to early 20th centuries focusing on suffrage, 2nd wave began in the 1960s campaigning for equal pay, 3rd wave is the birth of post-feminism and the final 4th wave is known as networked feminism. Network feminism uses new technology to communicate and spread awareness of feminism. Using technology to make blogs, projects campaigns and hashtags.

2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave of ‘networked feminism’?

Feminism can be divided into 4 different "waves". The 1st ewave starts in the 19th to early 20th centuries focusing on suffrage, 2nd wave began in the 1960s campaigning for equal pay, 3rd wave is the birth of post-feminism. For the 4th wave I do believe we are still in wave that we use technology to spread awareness. Using technology is a really good way to spread awareness and since it's so easy to get into and still being used every day, we are still in that era.

3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a short summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.

Everyday sexism was a project started by Laura Bates  back in 2012 as a website which posted examples of sexism that users faced every day. Laura set it up after finding feminism hard to talk about, saying: ‘Again and again, people told me sexism is no longer a problem – that women are equal now’. The response she received proved differently, with 50,000 entries of sexist experiences made by December 2013. Three years later, Everyday Sexism is one of the most high-visibility feminist digital campaigns, arguably due to its user-generated content and its well-used #EverydaySexism Twitter feed.

He For She campaign led by the famous actress Emma Watson. In a speech to the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador. Watson’s campaign focuses on male support for gender equality, highlighting the fact that feminism is not about promoting matriarchy, but solidarity. Her digital commitment means that you can pledge to help the women’s issue online, and has generated a huge response.

One of the most popular digital campaigns is the FCKH8 campaign. FCKH8 is a for-profit company that sells merchandise. This exploitation of feminism as an advertising tool created a huge backlash. In addition, the equation of swearing with ‘good’ feminism didn’t play well with a majority in the movement; and the digital aspect left the campaign open to numerous parodies and anti-feminist diatribes. 

This Girl Can campaign, which has been described as the first fitness campaign for women which doesn’t shame or exclude them, by sharing photos, videos and quotes of women without the usual sexual exploitation of a women’s fitness advert and without body shaming.

4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?

Feminist theory

 Feminist theory: blog tasks

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

1 example is In the pilot episode of Pan Am we first meet the stars of the show – the stewardesses – through an image of Laura, one of the main characters, on the front of a magazine cover. It is interesting to note that this first image of the Pan Am stewardesses is one which is highly constructed and mediated, an image whose purpose is to be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men.

Another example is from Beyonce. In her music video for the song ‘Why Don’t you Love Me’ Beyoncé parodies the stereotype of the 1950s housewife, clearly intertextually referencing the iconic 1950s pin up girl Betty Paige by taking on the persona of B.B Homemaker, a frustrated housewife. Just as in Pan Am, the video relishes in the period details and costumes of the 1950s, with over twelve costume changes, all exaggerated versions of the Fifties looks presenting a playful, nostalgic version of the time, and highlighting the performative nature of femininity. 

2) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

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

Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies. 

Patriarchy – An ideology that places men in a dominant position over women. 

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. 

Theory Drop: Gender Performativity

1) How does the writer suggest gender performativity is established from a young age?

Children are taught to perform their gender from early on so that they align themselves with certain tastes and behaviours befitting their gender category. This is never more noticeable to me than when ironing (on the rare occasions I perform ‘good housewife) my children’s t-shirts. My son – ‘Mummy’s little monster’ – has permission to be a scallywag, to be disruptive and chaotic – monstrous, even – and the main woman in his life will never disown him. My daughter – ‘Dancing with my friends makes the sun shine’ – has a duty to be nothing more than agreeable, pleasant and pretty in order to make the world a better, sunnier place. If you shopped entirely at Primark or Mothercare (the worst places for these #everydaysexism clothing slogans) you’d be teaching girls to be passive, caring, responsible for the happiness of others, and boys to do what the hell they like because it’s cute, attractive and roguish. Fast forward 30 years and you can possibly trace a line between these early messages and the startling number of women who suffer abusive relationships. 

2) What does the phrase 'non-binary' refer to and how does it link to Butler's theory?

The phrase ‘non-binary’, referring to someone who doesn’t define themselves as either wholly male or female, is increasingly in common usage. The younger generation is gradually becoming more comfortable using the gender-neutral pronoun ‘they’ to refer to people who do not identify as either ‘he’ or ‘she’ and increasingly media products made for the younger generation deal more openly with LGBTQ issues with more variety in the representations of multiple genders. In 2014, Facebook ended its binary gender categorisation and offered 71 different genders for users to choose from.

3) How and why does the media help reinforce gender stereotypes? The writer provides several examples in the final section of the article.

there have been more progressive representations on some platforms (online, on demand services), the mass media still has a way to go. It’s worth thinking (as always) about whose interests are served by perpetuating these roles. When females (and non-white, working class, LGBTQ+, disabled etc.) are presented as inferior, males (white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied etc.) come out as superior (see Theory Drop: Hegemony MM65). Of course the mainstream media relies on gender stereotypes for other reasons, mostly as a shortcut to meaning. Narratives (in film, TV, print, online) are easier for audiences to understand if the characters, subjects and storylines conform to a set of ideas that are already fixed in our heads from an early age.

Music video analysis

Beyonce - Why Don't You Love Me

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

In this music video, Beyonce represents herself as a housewife from the 50s. As butler suggested Beyonce is framed as a "ladylike" woman wearing clothes that show more skin, makeup and. The behaviour is one important factor for this argument. The behaviour including with the lyrics attracts male gaze and makes it more appealing for men.

2) What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video? 

Beyone behaviour helps van Zoonen theory about establishing patriarchal ideologies. The music video is a great example of constructing a patriarchal ideoligie by sexualising beyonce and making the music video more appealing to men. This can be seen everywhere so this is common which supports the fact of a male dominant industry.

3) What are YOUR views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ and oppression of women? 

The song, Beyonce indenpendtly I feel have helped empower woman. There has been many examples of Beyonce doing so but this music definitely support "male gaze" and oppression by appealing to men. But the song lyrics does include many examples of empowering women but the male dominant, video music industry promoted male gaze.

Will Jay - Gangsta

1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?

This music video shows that now masculinity has been more strong and independent. Before masculinity made were if you didn't do what is considered "manly" like playing a female sport, being over-sentimental you would be considered non-manly and think of you as gay or just "weird". This video suggests that masculinity has accepted the fact that you don't need to be manly to be yourself.


2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?



3) What is YOUR view on the representation of men and masculinity? Are young men still under pressure from the media to act or behave in a certain way?

Reprensentation

 Representation: blog tasks

1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?

Representation - "the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of bein so represented." Representation could be seen as a language. The more you learn  how to understand representation, meaning what the producers wants you to know and deeper meaning the more you can understand. 

2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?

A photographer takes her picture. If this is an official picture, Kate and the royal team will have given considerable thought to the outfit she is wearing, the location of the image, her pose, facial expressions etc. If this is an unofficial or paparazzi photo, Kate herself may have tried to control the image as much as possible, but the "snapshot" is now controlled more by the photographer. 


3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.


It's a producers job to communicate with representation to the audience. So they have to consider the audience expectations, limitations from genre codes, the type of narrative they want to create and their institutional remit. Communicating in subtle ways if what producers need to learn to effectively communicate with their audience. Like changing the environment, color code, outfits... All these factors come into play when trying to send a message to the audience.


4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation?

Hall argued that audiences do not necessarily accept the ideology of texts passively, but instead draw on their own cultural and social experiences to create their own interpretations. In his view ‘meanings’ and messages are not fixed by the creator of the text, but depend on the relationship between the reader/ viewer, and the text. 

5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?

With the rise of new media, audience members can now construct and share their own media products, and in websites, video-sharing platforms and social media there are more opportunities for people to represent themselves than ever before. Individuals can now engage in the act of self-representation, often on a daily basis, through the creation of social media profiles and content. 

6) What example is provided of how national identity is represented in Britain - and how some audiences use social media to challenge this?

National identity is invariably raised during national sports competitions. During the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’. This representation may have helped some audience members to identify with a certain idea of national identity and our politicians seemed keen to represent themselves in relation to it, reinforcing The Sun’s messages about what it means to be British. 

7) Write a paragraph analysing the dominant and alternative representations you can find in the clip from Luther.

With the first scene we can start getting the hints of dominance, the person sitting down in the factory gave us hints of dominance. A dominant representations could be interpreted by the actor. As a male black character with strong facial features including the background, pose and conversation they are having we could sense that he has everything in control and in order. That becomes more prominent when we meet another male person waiting for him by the car. An alternative representation is the female representation and the message its giving. If we analyse her from the conversation. She has a deep voice, speaks in a sarcastic/professional way, and from the conversation we get the message the she could be the boss of this operation. Meaning she could be the dominant person in this situation.

8) Write a paragraph applying a selection of our representation theories to the clip from Luther. Our summary of each theory may help you here:

The representation of the female character in this clip does not promote Mulvey theory of the male gaze. She is shown to have more of an authority role, inducing that she has power. This relates to Dyer theory of stereotypes and power. We give certain stereotypes to characters that we relate to. The female character relates to someone that has more power over other characters in this clip.

Public Service

Public service broadcasting: blog tasks


Ofcom report

1) How does the report suggest that TV viewing is changing?

Today's audience are viewing media in variety of ways, by using Smart TV, phones, tablets. More you adults are watching non-PSB content. While older aged audience are still watching PSB content.

2) What differences are highlighted between younger and older viewers?

Viewers aged 65+ watch an average of 5 hours, 44 minutes in 2016 which isn't much difference in 2013 were it was 3 minutes less. While 16-24 aged viewers watches an average of 1 hour, 54 minutes in 2016 which is 43 minutes less than in 2012


3) Does the report suggest audiences are satisfied with public service broadcasting TV channels?

78% of regular and occasional viewers say that they are satisfied with PSB.


4) Public service broadcasting channels are a major aspect of the UK cultural industries. How much money did PSB channels spend on UK-originated content in 2016?

PSB spent £2.6 billion on the first-run UK-originated content in 2016 which is slight 2% increase from 2014.

Goldsmiths report

1) What does the report state has changed in the UK television market in the last 20 years?

The proliferation of channels has reduced the market share of the public service broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel5 – although they have largely retained their prominence and developed portfolio services. Skyhas emerged as a major force,contributing to the success of pay television. New technology has facilitated on-demand access to television content, and created new services and platforms, while consumer behaviour has started to change rapidly, particularly among the young

2) Look at page 4. What are the principles that the report suggests need to be embedded in regulation of public service broadcasting in future?

In return for public service broadcasters meeting the obligations of their licences, their content should be guaranteed prominence on electronic programme guides, smart TVs and on the interfaces of on-demand players as they emerge. 

Retransmission fees should be paid by pay-TV platforms to public service television operators to address the current undervaluation of public service content by these distributors.

 Ofcom should supplement its occasional reviews of public service broadcasting with a regular qualitative audit of public service content in order to ensure that audiences are being served with high-quality and diverse programming.

3) What does the report say about the BBC?

The BBC is the most important part of the television ecology, but the model of universality underpinning its public service credentials is under threat.The licence fee is vulnerable in the face of changes in technology and consumption, and it is in any case far from an ideal system: it has failed to guarantee real independence and is charged at a flat rate.BBC should be encouraged to pursue networked innovation, to embrace the internet and to develop a range of content and services for the online world.

4) According to the report, how should the BBC be funded in future?

The government should replace the licence fee as soon as is practically possible with a more progressive funding mechanism such as a tiered platform-neutral household fee, a supplement to Council Tax or funding via general taxation with appropriate parliamentary safeguards. 

5) What does the report say about Channel 4?

Channel 4 occupies a critical place in the public service ecology – supporting the independent production sector and airing content aimed specifically at diverse audiences.. But it has cut programme spending; it has largely abandoned arts programming and has been criticised for not doing enough for older children. 

6) How should Channel 4 operate in future?

Channel 4 should not be privatised – neither in full or in part – and the government should clarify its view on Channel 4’s future as soon as possible. Channel 4 should also significantly increase its provision for older children and young adults and restore some of the arts programming that has been in decline in recent years.

7) Look at page 10 - new kids on the block. What does the report say about new digital content providers and their link to public service broadcasting?

Television with the characteristics of public service broadcasting now appears outside the public service system: from Sky and other commercial broadcasters, on subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon, and through the new Local TV services.

My opinions on PSB

1) Should the BBC retain its position as the UK’s public service broadcaster?

Yes and no. I have mixed opinions on this argument. One reason is that I do believe the BBC should retain is position due to BBC appealing to an older audience. But what I want the BBC is that their content hasn't changed. They haven't adapted to the new age so their content is always stale. Except for the news all the other series that BBC own are made and appeal to an older audience. So if they want to retain their position they need to make changes to their content.

2) Is there a role for the BBC in the 21st century digital world?

The BBC should start making new innovations in today's world. They could even start marketing more with IPlayer since there is a lot of untapped potentials that BBC is missing.

3) Should the BBC funding model (license fee) change? How?

No I don't think it should change. A license fee for The BBC is good way for funding so way fix it if it's not broken. But what they should is to add a paid-tv factor. The BBC could limit some TV shows for paidTV and even market it with IPlayer. License fee is a good way to earn money but today generation it could be improved on.

Industries: Regulation

Industries Regulation

1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?


Regulation is an authority that regulates something, meaning to keep everything in order. Mostly media industries need to be regulated nowadays because of the damage that it can face if not properly regulated. If there was no regulation it could lead to some serious damage due to cancel culture being really popular and damaging for companies.

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

Ofcom (Office of communications) is the goverment-official regulatory which regulates all type of media in the UK. They regulate Television, radio, broadband, mobile services. All companies are required to have a licence by Ofcom create and publish those type of media.

3) Look at the section on the OFCOM broadcasting code. Which do you think are the three most important sections of the broadcasting code and why?

Section 1: Protecting the Under-Eighteen. Parents need to make sure that their kids isn't influenced on what they see in TV or hear from the radio. Parents need to have safety trust between media companies so i feel like this is important

Section 3: Crime can include heavy violence, drugs and more. All of these factors can influence if crime is put detailed. I don't think there is much regulation in this subject due to crime having such a big recognition but it is important to look over this section because it may be damaging for the audience.

Section 4: Regulating this section is also important due to it can offend some audience. Religion is a hard subject to regulate due to people having many beliefs. But i believe this section is heavily regulated but not related often due to media producers also avoiding this topic.

4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?

Due to Wolverine was aired when it was the prime time of children watching Channel 4. Wolvering is a really popular movie which does include scenes of violence which is concerning for parents. But I feel like Channel 4 did nothing wrong because Wolvering appeals to a lot of audience then the younger audience.

5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice.

Discrimination, Harrasment, Reporting of Crime, Privacy, Intrusion Into grief and shock and accuracy.

6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?

It’s critics claim that the lack of statutory powers means that when a newspaper has been found to break the rules, the best a victim can hope for is an apology, which often does not get sufficient prominence in the paper.

7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?

It was set up because of a phone-hacking scandal. A reporter and a private investigator was sent to prison because off illegal phone tapping into the royal family. The Leveson enquiry helped bring light that phone tapping used throughout different industry's. It also looked at different press behaviour that looked questionable.

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

9) What is your opinion on press regulation? Is a free press an important part of living in a democracy or should newspapers face statutory regulation like TV and radio?

Newspaper should face regulation as well. Newspaper is a type of published media production that includes almost the same content as radio and TV but in written form. Free press is important but to big companies free press could also damage them without regulation.

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

It is impossible to regulate the internet due to so many people having access. If its one platform like twitter or facebook then yes. Big social media platforms can be regulated but smaller ones is impossible.

The Cultural Industries

1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

Cultural Industries refer to the process of creation, production and distribution of products that is put in an artistic nature.

2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

Different types of broadcasting like radio, television, Film, Music, Print and electronic publishing, video games, advertising and web design.

3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?



4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?

Risky business

Creativity versus commerce

High production costs and low reproduction costs

Semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity

5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

Risk derives from the fact that audiences use cultural commodities in highly volatile and unpredictable ways, often in order to express the view that they are different from other people. Risk stems from consumption and is made worse by 2 factors: firstly, limited autonomy granted to symbol creators in the hope that they will create something original and distinctive; secondly, the cultural industry company is reliant on other cultural industry companies to make audiences aware of the existence of a new product or of the uses and pleasure that they might get from experiencing the product. Companies cannot completely control the publicity a product will receive, as judgments and reactions of audiences, critics and journalists etc. cannot accurately be predicted.

6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?

Media can be whatever you want. It can be turned into a profit and make money out of it but it can also be used to post and share what you want including cultural and artistic expressions. So I'm in the middle with this argument. Especially in this generation, it's harder to appeal to the audience with an artistic expression. 

7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here)

Hesmondhalg proposed a theory that states "throw against the wall and see what sticks". This means big media companies should try releasing as a test to see the output of feedback to see if it will become successful. 

8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?

Yes, I do believe that cultural industries reflect on the inequalities and injustices in society. Bigger media companies use the creative minds of our generation to promote products that don't get rewarded enough. While the working class gets the persuasion from their role models to use more money on these products.


9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?

The visual-effects industry has suffered due to the bar of quality is raised more then the budget can handle even tho movie's budget keeps going up now. During lockdown it's even harder due being at home makes a lot more harder.

10) What is commodification?

Within a capitalist financial system, commodification is that the transformation of products, services, ideas, nature, personal info or individuals into commodities or objects of trade. A artefact at its most elementary, in line with Arjun Appadurai, is "anything supposed for exchange," or any object of quantity.

11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?

Yes. For example, today's news is always flooded with covid-19, Donald Trump, lockdown and Boris Johnson. There is no diversity anymore because it's risky. It's the content that matters now for big media companies.

12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.

• Today technology made it easier for more people to access to different content which turns into cultural content.
• Ownership is king. It makes it easier for big companies to spread their content and different types of cultural industries

Collective identity and representing ourselves: blog tasks

 Collective identity and representing ourselves: blog tasks

Task 1: Media Magazine article

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

Who are you? - We construct a self-made image to communicate with other people who you are.

I think, therefore I am - By using social construct like class, religion, gender, it hsapes our past identity

From citizen to consumer - The idea that our identity was built from another image / identity

The rise of the individual - Dominant values and ideas helps shape our image

Branding and lifestyle - Branding and advertisement help to change personality and self-image.

Who will we be? - Through the internet, we help make our own avatar/persona to promote our public image

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

Apple, Intel, Nintendo


3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

I do agree with this. Style over substance is basically meaning to relate with latest trend to fit in. That expression is 

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

Baudrillards theory explains that "media saturation" results in high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion. The media potrays so much of ideal images, personality, role models that it helps construct the audience identity.

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?

My social media presence is highly inaccurate to who I actually am. In social media there is a lot of hidden info about me that i don't want others to know. I want to potray myself in social media as the best me so I use my presence to make it look like and deceive people to think I'm a different personality.

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 believe data mining is ok. I think its actually beneficial for me and media companies. First I get recommended viewing based on my data and get to see more content that i like, and in the other side media companies can make money out of that which I'm okay with.

Task 2: Media Magazine cartoon

• Gauntlett is a British media theorist which specialises in "self-initiated everyday creativity and cultures of making and exchanging"
• He states that since media is easily accessible and we view different types of content everyday, it represents a range of representations that we the audience can "pick and mix" to persuade our identity.
• Alternative images and ideas help create new influences for more "diversity of identities"
• Looking from different narratives from different types of media content helps to use narratives in our experience in real life
• He also states that we use media, not as entertainment but as a trigger for experiences and making things happen

Task 3: Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

Collective identity is a group of people that share the same or close to different ideologies, beliefs and traditions. It combines all of them in one identity which brings more diverse and interesting images. These different types of identity can be collected by different types of media, people, traditions and cultures that build over time and changes.

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can think of that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

• British Food (Fish and chips, full breakfast, pie, mash)
• British Landscape (Underground, Tight Roads, small 2 story houses, big hills)
• British Media ( BBC, British series, musical)
• British accent

They are in common in some way. All of these points were made by each other in a way. These point that I made were points that came up when I thought of the word Britian or UK. 

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

James May is most famous for being a host in Top Gear, A BBC show about cars and automotive. In Top Toys the show mainly focuses on an older demographic. James May reflects nostalgia on different choices of toys. These toys represents as a metaphor of "nostalgia". "nostalgia" represents as the all things British like cricket, pubs and beer, tea, but it also represents the things we have lost like community spirit.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

Todays' technology makes it really easy to see a different type of content. These kinds of content represent different type of cultures, traditions and personality. So with technology it helps broadens the spectrum of different identity and make it more complex and detailed.

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity?

Davis Gauntlett states that "Identity is complicated; everyone thinks they have got one."

6) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

A facebook user made a group called "I learned the word exacerbate from Shaun of the Dead". This group grabbed attention of fans which also learned the word form Shaun of the Dead and started getting more members into the group. This gather collected identities in one place. Jenkins calls this an interpretive community and labels fans as "cultural producers". Because they use social media to create new forums of identy using different types of production and text.

Industries: ownership and control

Media conglomerate research

1) Type up your research notes from the lesson - what did you find out about your allocated media conglomerate? Selection of companies: Alphabet, The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Facebook, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner. If you were absent or didn't have time in the lesson to make these notes, research any of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.




2) Do you agree that governments should prevent media conglomerates from becoming too dominant? Write an argument that looks at both sides of this debate.




Media Magazine reading and questions




Media Magazine 52 has a good feature on the changing relationship between audiences and institutions in the digital age. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM52 and scroll to page 9 to read the article 'Two Key Concepts: The Relationship Between Audience and Institution'.




1) Briefly describe the production, promotion and distribution process for media companies.

First, the production process gives the audience the media products that they need. The producers have to consider what the audience wants and should meet their expectations. The promotion process is to research what the audience is interested in and to advertise in a way to persuade them to visit their media product. Finally, the distribution process is to find the best way to reach and distribute the media product to the audience making it easy as possible.

2) What are the different funding models for media institutions?

BBC - since the BBC is a public service which means it can only be funded by the public using licence fee and selling merchandise like DVD's, magazine and other BBC products.

ITV - ITV relies on advertisements and sponsorships. Which mean their strategy is to appeal to bigger audiences and attract more sponsorships to buy add space.

Sky One - Sky One is a paid TV channel which means it relies on subscription fees and advertising.

3) The article gives a lot of examples of major media brands and companies. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them.

Disney - 

Marvel - 

Walt Disney Company - 

4) What examples are provided of the new business models media companies have had to adopt due to changes in technology and distribution?



5) Re-read the section on 'The Future'. What examples are discussed of technology companies becoming major media institutions?




6) Do you agree with the view that traditional media institutions are struggling to survive?

I sort of agree. Sort of meaning that they are not struggling to "survive" meaning staying a lot but instead I believe there is problems adapting. But I don't the struggle is causing media institutions to close down. The audience is totally different then it was before. I feel now today audience are more strict on what to watch due to it being so easy to watch anything now a day. Some media institutions are a bit conservative nowadays which they struggle to adapt, which bring lower sales and revenue. But other big media institutions use change for their benefit and adapt to the new market.

7) How might diversification or vertical integration help companies to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape?



8) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media conglomerates maintain their control?

I believe in the future the audience is going to change a lot. The normal won't be something completely different like we have seen today. I feel that it will change so much that major global media conglomerates have to change to maintain their sales and revenue. If they don't they are going to struggle.