Identities and the Media: Feminism

Media Magazine reading

1) Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).
2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

HBO’s Pan Am and Beyoncé’s music video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’

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

The 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.
In the music video, Beyoncé reinforces her ‘credentials’ by openly rubbing her chest and body, whilst playfully looking down the camera, clearly submitting herself to sexual objectification and openly acknowledging the ‘male gaze’.

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

Both texts suggest that we are now in a time beyond the need for feminism, that we can now look back and laugh nostalgically at the way women were treated in those periods in our history. Whilst they both imply a criticism of the conventional media representations of
women, they simultaneously still objectify them! We can see that things have changed from the 50s as women have more rights and no longer stuck with the stereotype of being a housewife. Also, the text show that now women who sexualise themselves are exerting power.

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

Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.
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.
 

No More Page 3

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

No More Page 3 was a campaign to stop The Sun from including pictures of topless glamour models on its Page 3; it ended when the topless feature was discontinued. The campaign was started by Lucy-Anne Holmes in August 2012; it reached 215,000 signatures by January 2015.

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

-"Boobs are not news"
-People associated the models and Page 3's with rape culture
-Children shouldn't be exposed to sexual content on newspaper front pages
-The Sun was using sexualised images of women being used to decorate news stories both featuring and aimed at men
-They were portraying women as primarily decorative sexual objects
-Page 3 is - was - a symbol of a society unable to come to terms with its own sexism.

 3) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

Susan Boniface argues: it’s time to end the campaign to stop Page 3 – it’s as outdated, pointless and past-it as Page 3 itself. Those early Page 3 girls considered they were sexually empowered and celebrating the female form. The problem with the No More Page 3 campaign is it began at a point where society was evolving.
Barbara Ellen argues: It’s bizarre to defend it on the basis that there are “worse things” – there’s no sliding scale for institutionalised sexism. Page 3 is the Old Order – reeking of male dominance, of women as sexualised and neutralised objects. The very passivity of Page 3 is offensive.

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

Post-feminism is the ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed which can be linked to the No More Page 3 campaign because the campaign claims that we have passed the era of using women as accessories or for men to look at. However, many argues that we have passed the time restricting women and it should be viewed as feminism if a woman sexualises herself. 

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?

I agree with the campaign and it should continue. Personally I find it disgusting that we live in a society where people find it okay to view women in such a way. If a woman wants to sexualise herself to feel good, then by all mines allow her to, however it is not okay to publicly show such images especially in newspapers. Some people find it uncomfortable to see such images when they are trying to read what it going on in the world. Also, it can be easily be seen by children and married men which can cause troubles within ones family. There are also paedophiles and perverts in the world and seeing such pictures of women will only encourage them to continue doing harmful acts to women and sadly even children. Therefore, the No More Page 3 campaign, in my opinion, is a good idea.

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

I think there is still a need for feminism. Even though today, women have gained much more rights and respect then we had decades ago, there is still a need for feminism as women are still treated differently then men. As feminism is equality between both sexes, it is evident that women are treated differently in the media and in things like sports. Women are laughed at or insulted if they display interest in sports such as football. However, it is not only women who aren't being treated fairly. Today, there are many cases of men getting beaten by women but are not continued because they are not taken seriously even though it is just as bad as a women being physically abused by a man. There is definitely still a need for feminism.

Post-colonialism: Edward Said

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

Alvarado
-Pitied
-Humorous
-Exotic
-Dangerous

Fanon
-Primitive: exotic
-Infantilize: pity
-Decivilize: gangsta stereotype
-Essentialize: they all look the same
"putting on a white mask"

Said
The Europeans divided the world into two parts; the east and the west or the civilized and the uncivilized and have created certain stereotypes about the east.

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?

It offers a rather negative view of British Muslims as it shows that they live in poor areas and that some women strive to put on a "white mask" in order to fit in with society. The opening scene reinforce Edward Said's theory of Orientalism - that the west is superior to the exotic or uncivilised east as it shows the women being stopped by two white policemen when she is wearing her headscarf suggesting that they have power. Also, the graffiti written on the wall was quite offensive and was directed to the uncivilised east.

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.

Alvarado



The video shows that people should feel "pity" towards the people shown in the advert.



This music video shows the "exotic" side of Trinidad & Tobago within both the culture and the women that are seen in the video.



Kevin Hart is a famous comedian and is known for his stand up comedy as shown which shows the humorous side to the Black ethnicity.

Fanon



Decivilize: Footage of the London riots




Primitive: Shows that Africans are good at sport




Essentialize: All black people look the same

Said



Stereotype shown on the Simpsons of Apu being a terrorist



Vines showing the typical Arab stereotype

(40) How tweeting about floods became a civic duty in Jakarta

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/jan/25/floods-jakarta-indonesia-twitter-petajakarta-org

 

Summary:

 

Five major floods hit Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in 2015, sparking more than 100,000 flood-related Twitter conversations in the city. Jakarta, the world’s second largest city, is regularly devastated by flooding during the annual monsoon. The global proliferation of smartphones has meant citizens increasingly take to social media networks to share information during emergency events like these. That’s why PetaJakarta.org (Map Jakarta) was born: it’s an online platform that transforms Twitter into an emergency data gathering and critical alert service during flooding in Jakarta. As far as we know, it is the first site of its kind to produce a real-time map of flooding in a city, driven by social media reporting.

Key data/statistical information:

 

• Last February, by asking residents to confirm the flood situation where they were, PetaJakarta.org was able to map 1,000 flooding sites across the city in real-time
• The resulting flood map was used by the general public and emergency services alike and was viewed more than 160,000 times
•  In 2015 the agency used PetaJakarta.org as an early warning system, allowing it to identify and cross-verify locations of flooding, speed up its response, and communicate with residents in flood-affected areas in real-time
• At the launch of the platform in December 2014, the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, called on government employees and residents to report flooding as part of their civic duty
• Jakarta’s citizens are keen users of smartphones and social media - a 2012 study found Jakarta the most active city in the world on Twitter
• This month PetaJakarta.org has begun to train 1,001 government employees how to use the platform during flood events and a second version of the platform has been launched

 

What's my view?

 

I think that it is really useful to use social networking sites and put it in good use such as sharing information during natural disasters. The fact that twitter was turned into an emergency data gathering and critical alert service shows the power of the internet especially seeing how most people use social network like twitter for news, updates and communication. This should be something that all should consider when something like a natural disaster occurs.



(39) Sun website traffic falls by more than 5% despite axing of paywall

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/21/sun-website-traffic-paywall-december

 

Summary:

 

The Sun saw a more than 5% fall in its audience in December, despite dropping its paywall fully for the first time on 30 November. A spokesperson attributed the decline to “certain apps being turned off to unify the Sun online presence and the expected seasonal lull in Dream Team”. However, the Sun outperformed the rest of the UK’s national newspapers, which saw bigger falls during the month, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Their Christmas traffic declines followed gains made in November, which were partly driven by public interest in stories such as the Paris attacks.

 

Key data/statistical information:

 

• Most national newspaper websites suffer double-digit traffic falls in December, except Mail Online and dailystar.co.uk
• theguardian.com fell from an average of more than 9 million daily unique browsers in November to just under 8 million, a drop of 15%
• the Telegraph slid to 4.1 million after losing almost 1 million unique browsers, equivalent to almost 20% of its audience
• Mail Online lost just under 10% of its audience to drop back to just over 13 million unique browsers
• dailystar.co.uk lost 8.8% of its unique browsers to come in at just under 600,000 a day

 

What's my view?

 

Despite taking down the paywall, the sun still falls because we are living in the era where not that much read the news. People prefer getting up to date with the world through social networking sites such as Twitter and Instagram. The decrease in unique browsers is not something to be shocked by as time passes, the number of people reading the news will continue to decrease.



January assessment learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

www- Good balanced essay; well structured+ incorporating theory

EBI- Stronger towards the end. Page 2/3 need more development + something on citizen journalism.

2) Read through the mark scheme. Of the six different statements, write which you think is currently your strongest and which is weakest. Explain WHY and, for the weakest, what you are going to do to improve in that area.

Strongest: "A comprehensive individual case study, with a wide range of detailed examples..." because in most of my paragraphs I included an example.

 

Weakest: "Sophisticated and detailed understanding of new and digital media..." as I didn't speak about all the different types of new and digital media in my essay. In order to improve in that area, I will research all the different areas of new and digital media especially in citizen journalism.

3) Read through the exemplar A grade essay. What does this essay offer that yours does not? Identify THREE things you can take from this essay to improve your own responses in future.

-use of facts and figures
-a wide range of wider context
-detailed examples

4) Write ONE new paragraph for your January assessment essay. Ideally, this should be a section you did not cover in your original essay. This paragraph needs to be comprehensive and meet the criteria for Level 4 of the mark scheme.

New and digital media has also helped with the rise of citizen journalism. With technology developing at a rapid pace, people can now capture news themselves if they happen to be at the scene by using their phones. It has been said that everyone now is a journalist as people can now provide user generated content to the news so as to show proof as to what really happen. A good example of this would be the Rodney King incident in 1991. Having caught Rodney King, an African-American, after a high speed chase, the officers surrounded him, tasered him and beat him with clubs. The event was filmed by an onlooker from his apartment window. If George Holliday hadn’t been looking out of his apartment window and made a grab for his video camera at the time Rodney King was beaten, King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences. Due to the provided footage for the news, attention started to grow towards his case. User generated content now plays a huge role in many aspects of the media. News stories nowadays come along with some sort of user generated content to show evidence of the event that happened. This usually starts social debates. Also news stories can now be found on-line on social networking sites rather than just broadcasting or print news. This allows the audience to share their opinions during these debates and raise awareness to things that they think should be heard. This is why this era can be described as the "technological blossoming of the culture of freedom" (Castells) as people now can bring up points that the elite people will try and hide. Overall, new and digital media has given the audience the opportunity to "conform, accommodate, challenge or reject" what they see in the media.

(38) Daily Mail takes full control of Australian website

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/15/daily-mail-takes-full-control-of-australian-website

 

Summary:

 

The Daily Mail has ended its joint venture with Nine Entertainment and taken full control of its Australian news and entertainment website. The two companies, which described the decision as mutual, announced the joint venture in 2013 with the newsroom opening in Sydney on 1 January 2014. Clarke said the Daily Mail & General Trust’s full ownership meant there would be more investment made in the Australian site’s editorial and commercial operations including new hires.

Key data/statistical information:

• Nine Entertainment joint venture ends as Mail Online’s global chief executive says 100% ownership is best business model
• It’s current operation has around 65 staff members
• The Daily Mail Australia has approximately 2 million monthly readers and has operations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

What's my view?

Due to the massive decrease in popularity in the newspaper industry, companies such as The Daily Mail are trying to find ways to make money through expanding their company into other countries. Whether this will work or not, I'm not too sure as technology is a rising platform worldwide not just in UK and US.



(37) Phone hacking: The Sun accusers open a new chapter

Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/phone-hacking-the-sun-accusers-open-a-new-chapter-a6816806.html

 

Summary:

 

Just last month, the Crown Prosecution Service announced, to the relief of the great and the not so great, that there would be no more criminal prosecutions against journalists over phone hacking. Nor would proprietor Rupert Murdoch’s company face any charges for overall responsibility for what had gone on. However, it seems a third phase has begun. The Sun, another Murdoch paper, escaped scrutiny, but now that is changing.

Key data/statistical information:

• The High Court heard that 16 civil claims by alleged phone-hacking victims are in the offing, with a possible 25 to follow.
• Five of the initial 16 are against The Sun.
• Mulcaire worked under Greg Miskiw, an executive for a shadowy branch of the paper called the Covert Intelligence Unit (CIU), and was sent to prison for intercepting voicemails in 2007.

What's my view?

Many newspapers are known for hacking into people's phone therefore I think that it might be key to see what The Sun could potentially be hiding. In the past, people have been sent to prison for invading others privacy which is still an ongoing problem in the news industry. Its a good idea that there are more investigations going on to sort this problem.



Identities: Post-colonial theory & blog tasks

Post-colonialism does not simply refer to the period after the colonial era. It can also be seen as a continuation of colonialism, albeit through different or new relationships concerning power and the control/production of knowledge.

We are interested in post-colonialism and identity in terms of the representation of non-white groups in British media.

 

Two key post-colonial theorists:

 

 

Alvarado (1987)

 

Four key themes in racial representations:

 

Often quoted in relation to the black community but can be applied to other non-white groups:

 

• Exotic (models; music artists; food)
• Dangerous (crime; gangs; socially dysfunctional)
• Humorous (comedians; sidekicks; quirky)
• Pitied (poverty)

 

 

Frantz Fanon: “Putting on the white mask”

 

 

Typically black stereotypes can:

 

• Infantilize - such as the 'cute' children of the Charity Poster or the 'simple-minded‘ 'Step ‘n’ fetch it‘ lazy comedian.
• Primitivize - The 'exotic & virile' tribal warriors or 'bare-breasted maidens' with a 'natural sense of rhythm‘. Sporting prowess.
• Decivilize - The 'Gangsta', 'Pimp' etc.
• Essentialize - Undifferentiated mass-'they all look the same to me'

Gone too Far Trailer

 

To what extent can we apply the theories of Alvarado & Fanon to Ekaragha's work?

Alvarado suggests that "Pitied" "Humorous" "Exotic" and "Dangerous" are the 4 main things displayed in a racial representation. Humorous can be seen in the trailer as the film is a comedy and one of the main characters has a brother who has been accepted to come to this country and he is presented in a humorous manner as he has a strong Nigerian accent and wears socks and sandals. Also, their mum is has an accent and acts in quite a funny which causes the audience to find her quite "fresh". Exotic can also be seen in the trailer has the main girl shown is presented as seductive. Also the culture is shown in the trailer displaying the exotic side of Nigeria or example when the brother sings the song about chicken. Dangerous can slightly be seen as the girl's boyfriend sends a threat to the main character which enhances the representation of black people, especially men, being dangerous.
 Fanon's theory that black women are 'putting on a white mask' can be seen in the trailer as the girl who is classed as exotic has straightened her hair and is wearing a fake hair piece.

Post-colonialism: blog task

1) Read the excellent article exploring the different representations of black people in British film and TV from Media Magazine 42 (MM42 from our Media Magazine archive - page 51)

 2) List FIVE films, FIVE TV programmes and FIVE online-only productions that are discussed in the article.

FILMS: Skank, Sket, Attack the block, Adulthood, Kidulthood
PROGRAMMES: Top boy, Luther,  Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Line of duty, The real mcoy
ONLINE-ONLY PRODUCTIONS: Brothers With No Game, Venus vs Mars, The Ryan Sisters, All About The McKenzies, Meet the Adebanjos

(36) Daily Telegraph to withdraw devices monitoring time at desk after criticism

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/11/daily-telegraph-to-withdraw-devices-monitoring-time-at-desk-after-criticism

 

 

Summary:

 

The Daily Telegraph has announced that it is withdrawing devices installed to monitor whether people are at their desks, after it was heavily criticised by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for carrying out “surveillance” on its staff. Journalists at the newspaper’s London HQ arrived on Monday morning to find the boxes, which reportedly track whether someone is at their desk using heat and motion sensors, BuzzFeed reported. Workers have very strong privacy rights and these must be protected. The right to be consulted on new procedures governing such data is enshrined in law. The NUJ will resist Big Brother-style surveillance in the newsroom.

Key data/statistical information:

• Telegraph management emailed staff at lunchtime, saying the monitors would be in place for 4 weeks to help plan measures to improve energy efficiency.
• Accordingly, the devices are designed to record occupancy across each 24-hour cycle for all seven days of the week to make sure we are making best use of our space in the building.

What's my view?

I agree with the point made about workers having privacy rights and that they should be protected. Sometimes those in power tend to think that they can overlook such things therefore such rights should be spoken about more so as to raise awareness and allow people to know their rights when it comes to their privacy whether in companies or on-line.

(35) The social housing tenants taking to Twitter to influence policy

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/jan/11/social-housing-tenants-policy-activism-twitter

 

Summary:

 

In the past it might have been a case of writing an angry letter to the local paper or simply bad-mouthing the council or housing association The rise of social media, and in particular the way the housing sector has embraced Twitter, may have changed all that. Rob Gershon, Philip Green and the pseudonymous Bessy Banks are three tenants who aren’t currently part of their landlords’ traditional involvement structures and governance but are, in their very different ways, making themselves heard. Gershon is a carer, and blogs and tweets as @Simplicitly. Green (@apootler) lives on the Boundary estate, Britain’s oldest council estate, in east London. A recent resident-led initiative almost bit the dust after his landlord issued an insensitive communication, but Philip responded by blogging and tweeting about it, and communicated directly with the chief executive. Banks (@CultofBromford) has a different story. She took to social media after she “got nowhere” with a traditional complaints route, and used Twitter because it seemed to be the platform of choice for her landlord.

Key data/statistical information:


What's my view?

I think that it is a good idea that they took to social media to turn things around. As social networking sites, such as Twitter, is now a big platform, taking advantage of it can bring great benefits towards the things you're aiming for. Twitter is a great place to start discussions and bring people's attention to a problem they think should be spoken about.



Identities and the Media: Reading the riots

Read the Media Magazine extended feature on the media coverage of the UK riots (MM38 page 5)

Go to our Media Magazine archive, select MM38 and read the WHOLE eight-page feature. Answer the following questions on your blog with as many references to media theory and examples as possible. Refer to specific aspects of the Media Magazine article too:

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

 The newspapers consistently featured large, dramatic images of what the Daily Mirror called ‘young thugs with fire in their eyes and nothing but destruction on their mind’, or the Daily Express called simply ‘flaming morons’. Newspapers presented young people as not being sufficiently socialised: they were led simply by a kind of ‘childish destructiveness’.

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

Buckingham mentions Owen Jones and his recent book Chavs, because it points to the emergence of a new form of class contempt in modern Britain. The working class, he argues, has become an object of fear and ridicule, not just in this kind of media coverage but also in popular figures such as Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard and Catherine Tate’s ‘Am I bovvered?’ character.

3. 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, especially teenage boys, is as shown on many of the stories about teenage boys where they are described as yobs, thugs, sick, feral, hoodies, louts, heartless, evil, frightening and scum. A 2005 IPSOS/MORI survey found that 40% of newspaper articles featuring young people focused on violence, crime or anti-social behaviour; and that 71% could be described as having a negative tone.

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

Cohen argues that the media play a role in ‘deviance amplification’: in reporting the phenomenon, and in expressing the fear and outrage of ‘respectable society’, they make it more attractive to those who might not otherwise have thought about becoming involved. In this case, the media coverage can be seen to reflect a much more general fear of young people (and especially of working-class young people) that is very common among many adults: the media speak to anxieties that many people already have.

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

In the tabloid press, much of the initial blame for the violence was put on popular culture: it was rap music, violent computer games or reality TV that was somehow provoking young people to go out and start rioting. The Daily Mirror, for example, blamed the pernicious culture of hatred around rap music, which glorifies violence and loathing of authority (especially the police but including parents), exalts trashy materialism and raves about drugs.

6. 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?

 Despite being depicted by tabloids as mindless thugs and morons, the rioters were also seen as somehow skilful enough to co-ordinate their actions by using Facebook, Blackberry and Twitter. The Sun, for example, reported that ‘THUGS used social network Twitter to orchestrate the Tottenham violence and incite others to join in as they sent messages urging: ‘Roll up and loot’. According to The Telegraph: technology fuelled Britain’s first 21st century riot. The Tottenham riots were orchestrated by teenage gang members, who used the latest mobile phone technology to incite and film the looting and violence. Gang members used Blackberry smartphones designed as a communications tool for high-flying executives to organise the mayhem. A very similar argument was used in media debates about the ‘Arab spring’ earlier this year: there was much discussion about the use of social networking in the revolutions that took place in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Syria – although in those instances, this was generally interpreted by the Western media as a positive thing.

7. 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?

 In today’s media, this kind of instant commentary has proliferated, and ordinary people can become involved far more easily than was the case before. While channels for public debate have long been available through radio phone-ins and the letters columns of newspapers, new media have created many more opportunities for people to have their say. In this case, the web forums (not least of newspapers and broadcasters) were overflowing with opinions, while an army of bloggers and tweeters effectively created a running commentary on events as they unfolded.

8. 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?

Some media scholars like Henry Jenkins tend to celebrate these kinds of ‘participatory’ media; while some even see this as evidence of a wholesale democratisation of the communications system. They argue that the age of ‘Big Media’ – of powerful, centralised corporations controlling media – is now finished: hierarchical, top-down communications have been replaced by a more egalitarian approach. I agree that this shows the democratisation of the media as the audience has the opportunity to make comments and opinions without being controlled by the elite people.

9. What were the right-wing responses to the causes of the riots?

The right-wing response: amoral youth
Probably the most astonishing example of this argument came in an article by Max Hastings of the Daily Mail, headed ‘Years of liberal dogma have spawned a generation of amoral, uneducated, unparented, welfare dependent, brutalised youngsters’. For some right-wing commentators, it is parents who are principally to blame for this situation; while others, such as Katharine Birbalsingh, blame schools for failing to instil discipline and respect for authority – especially, according to her, in black children.

10. What were the left-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
 
Left-wing responses: inequality and poverty
Such commentators point out that the UK has one of highest levels of inequality in the Western world. They argue that it was unsurprising that most of the disturbances erupted in areas with high levels of poverty and deprivation – and, they point out, it was tragic that these communities also bore the brunt of the damage. More specifically, they point to the cuts in youth services, rising youth unemployment (which is now over 20% in the 18-25 age group) and the removal of the Education Maintenance Allowance. While these are valid arguments, they also appear to look only to youth as the cause.

11. What are your OWN views on the main causes of the riots?

Personally, I think that the main causes of the riots is the way the government as a whole treat young people who are not in the upper class. They are viewed and called thugs which can make them to develop hate and lack of respect for authority. However, sometimes young people can start unnecessary problems as the riots went from a serious cause to looting and rebellion causing the elite people to view them as rebellious therefore creating a vicious circle.

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

Others, like Dan Hind on Al Jazeera, argued that the government’s decision to bail out the banks was indicative of ‘a social and political order that rewards vandalism and the looting of public property, so long as the perpetrators are sufficiently rich and powerful’.

13. Were people involved in the riots given a voice in the media to explain their participation?

Not much. On all sides of the media debate, there was a rush to instant judgment – or at least instant opinion. Advocates of participatory media would see this as indicative of healthy public dialogue. When the producers of BBC2’s Newsnight invited the eminent Tudor historian Professor David Starkey to discuss the riots, they might have been hoping for a considered historical perspective. Starkey’s remarks were challenged by the other guests, and subsequently by a large number of other academics (as well as some skilful mash-up artists on YouTube).

14. In the Guardian website's investigation into the causes of the riots, they did interview rioters themselves. Read this Guardian article from their Reading the Riots academic research project - what causes are outlined by those involved in the disturbances?

Rioters revealed that a complex mix of grievances brought them on to the streets but analysts appointed by the LSE identified distrust and antipathy toward police as a key driving force. Many rioters conceded that their involvement in looting was simply down to opportunism, saying that a perceived suspension of normal rules presented them with an opportunity to acquire goods and luxury items they could not ordinarily afford. They often described the riots as a chance to obtain "free stuff" or sought to justify the theft. Rioters identified a range of political grievances, but at the heart of their complaints was a pervasive sense of injustice. For some this was economic: the lack of money, jobs or opportunity. For others it was more broadly social: how they felt they were treated compared with others. Many mentioned the increase in student tuition fees and the scrapping of the education maintenance allowance. Although rioters expressed a mix of opinions about the disorder, many of those involved said they felt like they were participating in explicitly anti-police riots. They cited "policing" as the most significant cause of the riots, and anger over the police shooting of Mark Duggan, which triggered initial disturbances in Tottenham, was repeatedly mentioned – even outside London. The most common complaints related to people's everyday experience of policing, with many expressing deep frustration at the way people in their communities were subjected to stop and search.

15. 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?

The riots escalated due to some teenagers taking advantage of the situation. However, some rioters do claim that they aren't happy with the way government treat them especially as most of them are lower class people. I, however, have no sympathy for those involved in the riots and I don't believe that prison sentences are the right approach to prevent such events happening in the future. There is a better way than rioting in order to get the governments attention. The riot caused many injuries to innocent people which was wrong. But, I do understand where these young people are coming from.

Updated Article Index

(1)- Amazon launches gaming and 4K streaming Fire TV update

(2)- The Media Column: British TV is being bought up and outgunned by the Americans, leaving the BBC with a dilemma

(3)- BuzzFeed to cover more local news as it expands UK editorial team

(4)- Social media 'rehab': Is a 24/7 texting helpline really the best method?

(5)- Music streaming just became a billion-dollar industry

(6)- Forty percent of US millennials still pay for news, poll finds

(7)- Meryl Streep defends feminist credentials as Suffragette opens London film festival

(8)- Richard Desmond boosts Daily Star sales with price cut

(9)- Female technology journalists report abuse is still the name of the game

(10)- News Corp offers Times and WSJ digital bundle for corporate users

(11)- Why the future of newspapers is not all doom and gloom

(12)- Map shows parts of UK most excluded from digital world

(13)- Sun website to scrap paywall

(14)- Freedom of Information Act must be strengthened, says Tom Watson

(15)- Can dropping the paywall and upping the story count boost Sun’s website?

(16)- Kate Winslet says children being harmed by social media

(17)- BBC shelves plans to shut news channel

(18)- Marketing 2020: next generation talent will be key to filling digital skills gap

(19)- Sun website traffic recovers as Mirror slips back

(20)- Eiffel Tower meets peace sign in show of solidarity after attacks

(21)- Two-thirds of Britons will own a smartphone by 2018, research finds

(22)- Twitter raids Sky for new head of UK news

(23)- Mail Online US almost doubles advertising growth

(24)- YouTube Kids: campaigners criticise app for its 'junk food' videos

(25)- Time Out to cut about 40 staff in UK and US

(26)- The Independent’s blog site hit by ransomware attack

(27)- Twitter warns users they may have been hacked by 'state-sponsored actors'

(28)- Daily Mail is cruel and childish about the Duchess of Cambridge

(29)- Sun website traffic rises by a quarter – but it is eclipsed by the Mirror

(30)- Can Donald Trump's social media genius take him all the way to the White House?

(31)- Facebook and Uber team up to offer Messenger users taxi trips

(32)- The Daily Telegraph fined £30,000 for email instructing readers to vote Conservative

(33)- US digital advertising in 2016: things will get better

(34)- Two New Jersey newspapers denounce Chris Christie's 'abysmal' performance

(34) Two New Jersey newspapers denounce Chris Christie's 'abysmal' performance

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/02/new-jersey-newspaper-editorial-chris-christie-abysmal-asbury-park-press-courier-news

 

Summary:

 

Two New Jersey newspapers on Saturday called Governor Chris Christie a failure for his state, rejecting the Republican presidential candidate’s sales pitch to Americans that he has an accomplished record and sound judgment. The editorial boards for sister papers the Asbury Park Press and the Courier News denounced the governor, joining the Star-Ledger in loudly criticizing Christie and citing residents who consider their governor “a failure across the board”. The papers also ridiculed Christie for his about-face on President Obama, whose help he welcomed – with an embrace that became infamous on the 2012 election trail – after the devastation of Sandy.

 

Key data/statistical information:

 

• The Press argued that Christie has proven himself a negligent leader, “content to leave New Jersey on autopilot while he campaigns for president” during more than 200 days out of state in 2015.
• The Courier News agreed, and called Christie “a disaster on the environment” for taking a settlement from $225m ExxonMobil over a pollution case.
• Christie’s approval ratings in New Jersey have plummeted, with only 33% approving of his performance, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll, and 61% want him to abandon his presidential ambitions, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
• A Monmouth University poll found in July that 57% of New Jerseyans want Christie to resign.
• Nationally, Christie has struggled, ranking sixth in the Republican primary, at 3.7%, according to a HuffPost average of 33 pollsters.
• He has performed better in New Hampshire, with 10.8%, and where an influential newspaper endorsed him

What's my view?

 

According to many, he should be in prison for numerous felony offenses.

Also, the fact I found news about New Jersey on the Guardian is an example that the world revolves around America.



(33) US digital advertising in 2016: things will get better

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/dec/29/us-digital-advertising-2016-things-get-better

 

 

Summary:

 

As we’ve seen with the rise in the ad blocker narrative, good consumer experiences are fighting back and 2016 will see ad tech in retreat. Platforms such as Instagram and Medium allow for smart, targeted and more harmonious places for content and advertising, and new mobile standards from Google will improve how we consume information quickly and cleanly on mobile devices. Some of the key trends worth keeping an eye on for 2016 include: Adblockers are only the first salvo, the new case for media experience, death of the meddling middle, a contrarian focus on quality, podcasting continues to thrive, the great platform migration, the case for great creative.

Key data/statistical information:

• Between 20 and 50% of web users are believed to use adblockers and it’s a number that is expected to grow

What's my view?

I think its good that new and digital media have goals to make 2016 a better experience for users. Hopefully some of these things sort out the problems that people have faced in 2015.



NDM News index

September 2015 > The impact of Google
September 2015 > News Institutions

October 2015 > NDM News case study: Audience and Institution
October 2015 > Newspapers: The effect of online technology
October 2015 > NDM News: Citizen journalism
October 2015 > 10 examples of citizen journalism
October 2015 > NDM: News values

November 2015 > NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony
November 2015 > Marxism and Pluralism essay
November 2015 > Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news
November 2015 > NDM News: Globalisation

December 2015 > Globalisation and the media: wider issues
December 2015 > NDM case study: News on the Tweet
December 2015 > NDM: The key concepts of audience and institution

January 2016 > NDM institution case study: News Corporation

NDM institution case study: News Corporation

1) Research News Corporation’s response to the growth of new and digital media by listing each of the institution’s brands (Sky News, Times etc.) Have any closed, changed or been in the news in the last 10 years for any reason?

The Sun
The Times
Sunday Times
Press Association
Foxtel
Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox)
MyNetworkTV,
Fox Television Stations
BSkyB

New York Post

National Star

The sun developed a paywall which turned out to be unsuccessful so it was recently taken down.

2) Develop examples of the impact that new and digital media has had on News Corp’s brands (paywalls, readership figures, audience share etc.)

New and digital media has had many impacts on News Corp's brands. An example of this would be when the sun developed a paywall which they were hoping would be successful. However due to new and digital media, the audience was no longer interested in paying a fee to read The Sun as they are able to read free news on-line. After a period of time, the paywall was taken down and The Sun found other ways to approach the audience so that they can read their news and the corporation can make some sort of money from it. Once the paywall was taken down however, The Sun website bounced back, adding more than 180,000 daily unique browsers to take its total to 1.29 million.
However, news Corp's seem to be suffering due to new and digital media which had given the audience so much power. The development of accessible news on-line has decreased the popularity of the newspaper industry. Newspapers like The Sun and The Times now experience great losses.
Some news organisations are now using advertisement as a way to make money for example the Mail On-line US has increased its popularity with advertising growth of more than 60%.

New and digital media has also had a negative impact on News Corp's brands as hacking seems to have become a common problem. For example, The Independent’s blog-hosting site has fallen foul of hackers who are using ads to target visitors with virus software that encrypts files and demands a ransom. Also, the BBC reported that visitors to the Mail Online site were “briefly” exposed to ads that linked to malware.

3) Use what you have found out about News Corp to answer the following question:

Why and with what success are traditional media institutions adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media?

Traditional media institutions are adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media so that the future of News Corps' aren't doomed. Many people are now refusing to read newspapers because of new and digital media being available to them, so they can read their news on-line or use twitter as a way to receive immediate news 24/7. Also, the new generation is all about technology and less and less people find reading books, let alone newspapers, interesting. Therefore, in order to keep the tradition going, traditional media institutions are pressured and forced to adapt and find ways to interest the audience whose attention seems to be on digital technology.

As said previously, The Sun learned that no one is now willing to pay a fee to read the news considering the fact that people can go on other news corporations and read news for free. By adapting to the audience's wishes and removing the paywall, The Sun was able to successfully boost their number of browsers. Even a partial lifting of the wall in July made little difference. The Sun have also successfully adapted to the new developments by the use of their app that can be accessed on smartphones and tablets which maintains the audiences interest seeing as it is based around the new digital media platform.

Other newspaper brands such as The Daily Mail and The Guardian are maintaining their audience's attention through the use of allowing the audience to read the news on-line for free. The comments section seems to keep the audience interested and active. Instead making the audience pay for news, traditional media institutions seems to be leaning towards the idea of using ads to maintain the balance of receiving and giving which has found to be a success.