13E: Post-colonialism

As discussed in today's lesson, I'd like you to write a short analysis on your MEST3 exam blog of the representation of race and ethnicity in the two texts we studied today: the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony and the subsequent opinion piece on the Daily Mail website. The links you need:

The Olympic Opening Ceremony on YouTube - from 101.30 (music section based around the surburban-style house).

The Daily Mail article you have a copy of but you may find this Guardian article on it useful.

Bring in the theorists we have learned about today and aim for 300 words.

Year 13 Critical Investigation Proposal

The next step in our Critical Investigations is to develop our presentations into detailed academic proposals. You will be given a one-to-one tutorial to help you find the right angle and issue to concentrate on but for now need to develop a blog post working through the following headings and tasks:

Working title

Include specific texts in the title and either 'how or 'why' or both, e.g.: To what extent and why are video games such as 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto’ becoming more violent?

Angle

E.g.: What impact are these increasingly violent games having on their audience? Is this simply a moral panic of the 21st century or is further regulation required?

Hypothesis

E.g.: Video games are psychologically damaging for young people, and audiences have become increasingly desensitised to screen violence.

Linked production piece

E.g.: Newsnight-style documentary video report looking at the impact of violent videogames on young people.

MIGRAIN

Apply the Key Concepts to your texts/topic by using the questions from the Summer Research Project to help you. (Include at least five bullet point/key concept). Include as many media keywords as you can.

SHEP

Apply the Wider Contexts to your text/topic, including at least three bullet points on each one.

Issues/Debates

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using the Media A-Z to help you think about this:

• Representation and stereotyping
• Media effects
• Reality TV
• News Values
• Moral Panics
• Post 9/11 and the media
• Ownership and control
• Regulation and censorship
• Media technology and the digital revolution – changing technologies in the 21st century
• The effect of globalisation on the media

Theories

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using keywords/specific theorists' names from the Media A-Z:

• Semiotics
• Structuralism and post-structuralism
• Postmodernism and its critiques
• Gender and ethnicity
• Marxism and hegemony
• Liberal Pluralism
• Colonialism and Post-colonialism
• Audience theories
• Genre theories
• Contemporary Media Landscape

Explain how your study fits into this.

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)

Media texts
What your main focus will be, E.g.:
Call of Duty
Grand Theft Auto

Other media texts
(at least five related examples)

TV documentaries
Research videos online, e.g.:
BBC One - Panorama, Addicted to Games? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wlmj0

Academic texts/books
(a minimum of five, including author/full title/year, e.g.:)
Barrie Gunter: The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked (1998)
James Newman: Playing with videogames (2008)
Nancy Signorielli: Violence in the media: a reference handbook (2005)
Peter Vorderer, and Bryant Jennings: Playing video games: motives, responses, and consequences (2006)

Internet Links
1. At least FIVE from Media Guardian or Guardian Culture or another newspaper website.
2. At least FIVE from university websites/academic papers online. Use Google Scholar as a starting point.
3. Any other relevant sites/articles - the more the better.

Use last year's archive of previous top-grade Critical Investigations to help you.

You have two weeks to complete this detailed proposal before you need to start your research in depth. Good luck!

The Rise and Rise of UGC

13D: Read this article...

The Rise and Rise of UGC

Answer the following questions...

1. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
5. What is a gatekeeper?
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

13D homework: presentation feedback

Firstly, well done on producing some excellent presentations - the level of focus and long-term thinking in terms of your critical investigations was brilliant to see. There were also some EBIs (there always are!) and hopefully some of you have learned the importance of rehearsal when presenting. Remember: you may well have to do something similar at a job interview in future.

You now need to write up my feedback as a WWW and EBI list. 

Once you've done that, write a detailed evaluation of your presentation. Include the following:

• How your research contributed (or failed to contribute) to the presentation
• The delivery of the presentation
• The topic area chosen
• How you plan to develop the presentation into an extended academic essay

It is very important this is on your blog by Tuesday (24 Sept) - make sure it is done!

Feminism: the end of men?

American author Hanna Rosin caused controversy last year when she published her book 'The End of Men'.

Read an interview with her in the Telegraph first and then...

...a response disagreeing with her in the Guardian. 

What is your opinion? Are women taking over? 

What will the world look like for men and women in 10 years? 50 years? 100 years?

Remember: the most important aspect of A2 Media is developing the confidence in your own opinions and thoughts.

Questions: answer these on your blog (finish for homework - due Tuesday)

1) To what extent do you agree with Rosin's hypothesis that women are taking over modern society? Give examples in your response.

2) Can we find examples in modern media that support Rosin's suggestion that women are taking charge? You may wish to argue the opposite - that men still dominate the media scene.

3) Research Judith Butler's approach to feminism. How might Butler respond to Rosin's writing in The End of Men?

13E Feminism: essential reading

Read the following articles and be prepared to discuss the questions below at the end of the lesson.

Guardian: Twitter boycott

Independent: Our generation needs to reclaim feminism

Telegraph blog: If you upset feminists, prepare for abuse

Guardian: Page 3's days may finally be numbered

1. Was the Twitter boycott an appropriate response to the online threats prominent women were receiving?
2. Should Twitter have done more in response to those threats?
3. Should young women in 2013 take an interest in feminism? Do young women need to 'reclaim' feminism?
4. Why has the internet been effective in feminist campaigns?
5. What is your opinion on page 3 of the Sun still featuring a half-naked young woman in 2013?

Homework: Answer the five questions above in detail on your blog.

Due: next Tuesday.

13D: Weekly NDM Story

13D: Each week (for Monday's double lesson) you must find, read, summarise and comment upon at least one New and Digital Media story (A/B candidates will do more). The best sources to begin with are...

• The Guardian: Digital Media 
• The Guardian: Technology
• The Guardian: Newspapers
• The Guardian: News Corporation

...but don't stick exclusively to these throughout the year. Find your own too.

For each story...

• Provide the title and link;
• Include an image or graphic;
• Summarise the story in your own words;
• Produce a list of bullet points of any key data/statistical information;
• Comment on the story: What's your view? (At least one paragraph).

You'll be presenting these to the class each week and, obviously, building up an archive of up-to-date examples to include in any exam answer.

13D NDM Essay Question #1

• Developments in new/digital media mean that audiences can now have access to a greater variety of views and values. To what extent are audiences empowered by these developments?

Plan/revise your answer for this question (using the PowerPoint from last term, and your own research) for a one hour timed essay on Mon 16/9.

Y12 New/Digital Media Lessons: Revision

13D: Go back through this PowerPoint for HW this week and revise it for your baseline assessment exam essay under timed conditions (1 hour)...

Y12 Introduction to New/Digital Media Lessons

Some key quotes/ideas (Briggs/Burke, Castells, Gutenberg/Internet Revolution, Keen, Pareto's Law...)

Do any of the activities you haven't already done and post them up on your Unit 3 blog.