NDM News index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: how news consumption has changed
3) Baseline assessment: learner response
4) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
5) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
8) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality
9) Galtung & Ruge: News Values
10) Marxism & Pluralism: MM article ('Web 2.0: Participation or Hegemony')
11) Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the News
12) NDM News: full Section B essay on blog ('consumption and production')
13) Globalisation: MM article and Factsheet questions
14) Globalisation and fake news: articles and questions
15) News on the Tweet: Newsworks report
16) A case study in news and social media - Factsheet questions
17) Blog essay feedback and learner response

MEST3 Identities index

1) Reading the riots: youth identity

2) Post-colonialism: theories and Destiny Ekaragwa film analysis

3) Post-colonialism: Orientalism theory and Yasmin clip task
4) Post-colonialism: Bonus Media Magazine articles and questions

5) Feminism: Introduction to feminism and Everyday Sexism
6) Feminism: Feminist and gender theory / music video analysis

7) Feminism: Applying feminism - Media Factsheet
9) Identity and Film - Media Factsheet
10) Identity and the wider media - Factsheet

11) Collective identity in the online age

Identities: Identity and the wider media

Read the Factsheet in full and then complete the following tasks:

1) The Factsheet discusses how identity is a complex subject. What does it suggest defines our identity?
- Who we think we are
- Who we want to be
- Who we think others think we are
It suggest that we define ourselves in many different ways and our identities come from individualised experiences we have. These change depending on the context we find ourselves in and our relationship with other people.

2) Complete the task on page 2: suggest media texts that could reinforce that someone is non-mainstream; edgy; a pleasure seeker; fashionable; witty and fun; cutting-edge.
Non-mainstream - IT FOLLOWS
Edgy - 
A pleasure seeker - MARVEL - Black Panther
Fashionable - kingsman the secret service
Witty and fun - Thor Ragnarok
Cutting-edge - 

3) What examples are suggested for a case study on urban youth?
- Eden Lake
- Harry Brown
- Jeremy Kyle

4) What does Hebdige argue with regards to youth culture? 
- he says that youth culture show their resistance to the dominant culture through their style choices. Urban youth can show itself to be outside the mainstream by adopting the uniform that is feared by mainstream culture and they learn about this fear in the media representations.

5) What other theorists are referenced alongside Hebdige? How do they link to the issue of youth identity?
- The media continues to represent these youths as deviant in an attempt to reinforce mainstream values (Acland) but of course these representations are constructed by people outside this group (Perkins) and in this case can be seen to be a reflection of adult culture’s fear of urban youth (Giroux). Those within the group though have their status as outsiders reinforced

6) How can we link our Year 12 case study on Ill Manors to youth and identity? What specific examples from the case study could be used to discuss Hebdige’s theory that youth culture challenges mainstream culture and dominant ideologies?
- To link Ill Manors to youth and identity you can use the example of the London riots that was published all over the news where the youth were shown as resisting dominant choices. They were portrayed in a way that made them looked negative by using word like 'YOBS'.

7) What does theorist David Gauntlett suggest regarding the media’s influence over the construction of identities?
- He believes that that the media have influence on identity construction and so the way the media stereotypes groups may become part of how individuals see themselves and media institutions are able to use this to sell their products.

8) Do you agree that Hebdige’s view that youth culture will always seek to resist mainstream culture and challenge dominant ideologies?
- I think that this will be an issue that will persist for a while but with the recent changed in society I think that this is developing and becoming less of a problem. Dominant ideologies are constantly being challenged with issues like equal human rights or recently the gun control issues.

NDM 40

How a Tory MP's tweeted apology proves Labour is still winning at social media

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/06/tory-conservative-mp-ben-bradley-tweeted-apology-jeremy-corbyn-labour-social-media

- The Guardian

Ben Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield, who, in little over a week, has managed to clock up more retweets – 55,000 – than all of the Tory party’s tweets in 2018 combined. the tweet in question was part of a legal agreement following a defamatory post sent about Jeremy Corbyn, in which he said that the Labour leader had “sold secrets to communist spies”. A slur related to a right-wing press fabricated story that Corbyn cooperated with a Czech intelligence agent in the 1980s. Labour insisted the final sentence of Bradley’s apology be “please retweet”, which sent it skyrocketing.

NDM 39

Out of print: NME’s demise shows pressure on consumer magazines

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/mar/12/nme-vogue-death-print-magazines

- The Guardian

The closure of NME magazine after almost seven decades is the latest warning sign that the shift to digital media is threatening to kill the British love affair with print magazines.

While a number of these were shut when their print fans had already largely abandoned them, many were stunned at the news that that the magazine malaise had also spread to Glamour. The title, the 10th most popular paid-for magazine in the UK, halted its monthly print run last year. The outlook for the UK magazine market is not good with the decline in sales and advertising figures making for grim reading.

• Sales of the top 100 actively purchased print titles in the UK – those that readers buy or subscribe to – fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017.
•  Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline is 55% from 30.8m, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
• advertising in consumer titles will have more than halved from £512m in 2010 to £250m by the end of this year, according to Group M, a media buying agency.
• Google and Facebook account for 65% of the $6.5bn (£4.7bn) UK digital display ad market.



Identities: Applying Feminism factsheet

Applying feminism: blog task

1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism.

First wave - was concerned with creating equality between men and women and focused on legal inequalities such as voting rights and property ownership. This cause was brought to light by the suffragette movement.

Second wave - was associated with the women's liberation movement. they were interested in creating equality elsewhere in women's lives such as the workplace and family

Third wave - laws of equality have been established, this wave are concerned with negative stereotypes of women, their right to control their sexuality and reproductive issues - abortion and contraceptives.

2) The factsheet doesn't mention a fourth wave of feminism. Do you think we are currently in a fourth wave of feminism due to digital media?

- I think that may be the case due to the fact that the rise in the use of social media has changed the way we in which we receive information and it has also helped reach a wider audience more quickly through different techniques. Therefore an issue like feminism will change in the way it is consumed by the audience due to this. Examples of this would be the increase of campaigns set in place to promote the understanding of different issues.

3) List the five different types of feminism with a one-sentence definition for each.

Radical Feminism - Sees the cause of women's oppression is by men.

Liberal Feminism - concerned with gender socialisation and that gender roles are not biologically determined.

Marxist Feminism - Looks at women's oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system.

Black Feminism - concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation. It combines ideas about capitalism, patriarchy and anti-racism.

Postmodern Feminism - It acknowledges the diversity amongst women and encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences of life 

4) Summarise Laura Mulvey's analysis of Hollywood film.

- Mulvey believes that the classis Hollywood film is created to portray women in a way that is for the pleasure of men and that they are meant to be looked at. This is known as the male gaze. She suggested that in order to challenge this we must change the cinematography of films. She also explains how the male gaze is still present in mainstream/contemporary Hollywood films.

5) What does Jean Kilbourne argue regarding advertising and the impact on women?

- She started analysing the representation of women in advertising. She argued that advertisement is  selling more that products. It is also selling ideas of what it is to be normal on our society. In the advertising industry, she believes, a woman's body is the most important thing about her and that there is unrealistic goal to reach that version of perfection that cant be achieved that is being deemed normal.

6) Summarise Naomi Wolf's theory of 'The Beauty Myth'.

- Wolf claims that the notion of beauty is entirely socially constructed and patriarchal. In the sense that men in a given society create rules of what is considered beautiful in women but this alters from culture to culture. She believes that even though women have achieved more equality in terms of voting and regulations in the workplace, male dominated society continues to oppress women by making them focus of on whether they are considered beautiful or not.

7) List the texts discussed in the section 'feminism and music videos'. Do you believe that the representation of women in music videos can have an impact on how people behave in real life?

1 - Nelly: Tip-drill

2 - Beyoncé: Run the World

3 - NineteenPercent's feminist response to Who Runs The World.

8) To conclude feminism, do you believe than men and women are basically equal now or is there still a need for feminist movements?

- I think feminism is still required in western societies as there are people who are vocalising their opinions and standing against what is wrong. I think they way they are voicing these opinions has changed to suit the changing society. I think men and women have become more equal but not completely equal.

Identities: Identity & Film blog task

1) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.

1 - My name is Muna
2 - I am 17
3 - I am friendly
4 - I have one sister
5 - I am weird
6 - I am funny
7 - I like pizza
8 - I am a Muslim
9 - I am a Pentatonix fan
10 - I am a Marvel fan
11 - I am a student at Greenford
12 - I am always tired
13 - I am going to finish Alevels
14 - I am going to start University
15 - I am planning to go to Sussex16 - I am a female
17 - I am short
18 - I am bad at History
19 - I enjoy spending time with friends
20 - I enjoy social media

2) Classify your answers into the categories listed  on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

Social groups

• My name is Muna
• I am 17
• I have one sister
• I am a student at Greenford
• I am a female
• I am short

Ideologies

• I am a Muslim 

 Interests

• I like pizza
• I am a Pentatonix fan
• I am a Marvel fan
• I enjoy spending time with friends
• I enjoy social media

 Ambitions

• I am going to finish Alevels
• I am going to start University
• I am planning to go to Sussex

 Self-evaluations

• I am friendly 
• I am weird
• I am funny
• I am always tired
• I am bad at History

3) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson or simply choose your favourite film if you weren't present). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?

Thor franchise (Marvel)
- I think this choice of film shows that I am the type of person that likes to enjoy themselves and since the Marvel cinematic universe is basically revolves around that that fits my personality. Since there is comedy within each film and each character has some comedic element to it I feel like I can relate as I like to see myself as a funny person thus its also a source of entertainment.

4) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film:

• Wilde (1997, dir. Brian Gilbert)
• Philadelphia (1993, dir. Jonathan Demme)
• The Wedding Banquet (1993, dir. Ang Lee)
• The Kids are Alright (2010, dir. Lisa Cholodenko)
• Pride (2014, dir. Matthew Warchus)

How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations?
- In these trailers LGBT identities are constructed in a way that makes them look like outcast and that they are widely unaccepted by society however audiences are encouraged to respond to these representation by seeing that there is nothing wrong with them and that they are to be seen as an equivalent in society.

 5) How have representations of LGBT issues changed in recent years? What examples from across the media (not just film) can you provide to support this view?

 - I feel like with this generation, LGBT issues are more important and widely accepted. There have been films that have been popular in recent years that focus on LGBT themes such as moonlight. There have also been a lot of social media influencers that are very popular that identify with the LGBT community.

NDM 38

Florida students have turned social media into a weapon for good

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/21/florida-students-have-turned-social-media-into-a-weapon-for-good

- The Guardian

The article talks about gun control and how young students are using the social media platform to raise their voices and stand up against what they believe is wrong. This talks about the recent shootings at American schools and how they are affecting childrens daily lives.

•  Going to school in a country with 88 guns for every 100 people is a matter of life and death
• Within hours of the Parkland shooting, Russian bot networks were seeding Twitter with misinformation and divisiveness
• the New York Times reported. YouTube’s search algorithm is promoting conspiracy mongering videos about students being “crisis actors”.
• The rightwing media is using social media to amplify attacks on schoolchildren.

I think this is interesting because it is showing the effects of social media and how it has allowed for people to share their opinions and have a voice. This shows the importance of pluralism and the fact that the youth have gone online and demanded for their opinions to be heard. The fact that this has generated some level of conversation has shown that this has been effective. However, the fact that the leaders of the countries are dismissing them as unimportant shows the effects of Marxism and how in the end the way the situation is handled will remain the same.

NDM 37

Florida shooting survivors have a voice because they believe in change

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/26/florida-shooting-survivors

- The guardian

Despite their grief, these students have been eloquently and effectively insisting that they don’t have to accept the world’s horrors. In student speeches you can hear their voices are breaking, they scream with rage, then they pause to gulp air and weep. They are riding the thinnest crest of a wave between abject grief, righteous anger and political will, seeming at any point as if they may by dumped by the weight of their own emotion. Yet despite this, they are able to argue their case in simple terms and identify the weakest link in the oft-perfected Republican script following a mass shooting.

Both the media and the students themselves have suggested that the reason they’re being listened to is because they have grown up digital natives and they have been able to harness the power of social media. While it’s true that internet access will have exposed them to the power and techniques of activism, it does these teenagers a disservice to say they are merely wily online operatives

Identities: Feminist and gender theory

Feminist and gender theory: blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).

1) What are the two texts the article focuses on?
- Pan Am
- Beyoncé's video for 'Why don't you love me'

2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
- In the pilot of Pan Am we are introduced to the main character through a magazine cover which is an example of male gaze as it is a text that is highly constructed, mediated and an image that is aspired to be women and to be enjoyed by men.
- Beyoncé is a perfectly constructed image for post-feminism. She declares herself to be an independent woman whilst objectifying herself for the camera. She does this through her music video by making a parody of the stereotype of a 1950s housewife. by doing this she shows that she welcomes the male gaze whilst avoiding criticisms through the idea of it being a parody. it is said that she is controlling the gaze and therefore is empowered.

 3) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?
-  I think that these text can be seen as sexism in a different form as they can be interpreted in the wrong way. I think that there is never not going to be a time where we don't need feminism. If not then we are still a long way away from that point.

4) 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.
Patriarchy - An ideology that places men in a dominant position over women.



Music video analysis

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’: 

 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?
- This could link to this Butlers theory as this music videos shows Beyoncé exaggerating every action that is seen as a stereotypical behaviour that is associated with the 1950s housewife. She does this by also being very sexual in the video and also doing household chores.

2) Does this video reinforce or challenge the view that women should perform certain roles in society?

- The video itself is mocking the fact that women are seen to have to do certain roles in society like cooking and cleaning. However when you listen to the lyrics it is emphasising and empowering message through the ideologies of third wave feminism. The fact women are now more in control of the sexuality and femininity.

3) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?

- McRobbie would view Beyoncé as an empowering role model because she advocates for femininity and allows others to accept their sexuality and embrace themselves. She challenges the view of radical feminists by encouraging women to embrace their femininity. This is seen with Beyoncé's music video as she is doing just that whilst also being in control.

4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?
- I think that Beyoncé does empower women by using the ideas of traditional male gaze. She has managed to establish that label for herself as a strong independent woman and is seen as a role model for women all over the world.

Watch the Will Jay music video for 'Gangsta':

1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?
- This suggests that there are changes overt the recent years because the lyrics is suggest that men do not have to conform the stereotypical overly masculine image of what it is to be a man and that there has been a more open acceptance for more sensitivity.

2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?
- He looked at men's lifestyle magazine like McRobbie looked a women's magazines. He found a new, quite different representation of masculinity. - reflecting the changes in woman's magazines. He disagrees that masculinity is in crisis. Which has been a popular view since the last 15 years.

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

- I feel like there is still pressure for men to be overly masculine and to behave a certain way. There is an increase in gym culture and the fact that that their body needs to look a certain way. However this is changing and it is seen through different types of media like film for example Moonlight.