10/05/17 - Death Note: Netflix sparks whitewashing controversy once more with new film

Netflix decided to make the famous Manga Death note however it has been a complete westernised and whitewashed 'adaptation'. Actor Edward Zo was refused the role of Light Yagami, the protagonist for 'being Too Asian'. there has been a lack of lead roles for Asian-Americans and this issue has be exacerbated by the rise in US adaptations with a complete white American cast.


O another recent controversy is Ghost in the Shell  where the lead was changed to Scarlett Johansson.

I think that whitewashing is a massive issue and Netflix seems to be showing it on a smaller scale. Death Note in particular is heavily reliant on Japanese traditions and culture and it would simply not make any sense whatsoever in an American remake. there are a lot of POC, members of the LGBTQ+ society e.t.c who are not being represented and remakes that original included them are replacing them with White, typically American, straight, fully abled people. They also often have the actors play the role 'the way it was' even though they personally have no association. The lack of representation, although being tackled is still a massive issue and i don't think it will be resolved until the most powerful in the industry change. Its not about people just wanting notable stars, There is an obvious demand for more representation that is not being listened to.

10/05/17 - Murdoch's Politics: How One Man's Thirst for Wealth and Power Shapes Our World by David McKnight – review

POLITICAL STANCES AND REFLECTION IN MEDIA

- Last year there was his cheerleading for Mitt Romney – "looking better and better while Obama seems devoid of anything new", Murdoch tweeted 11 days before Obama comfortably won re-election.
- moved decisively rightwards from the mid 70s
- "Thatcher and Murdoch had a deep mutual regard, more sincere on her part than his." When she deviated from what he saw as the true path of modern conservatism, he could quickly turn critical or disloyal 
- Murdoch transmits his political desires, both within his conglomerate, News Corporation, and far beyond.
- 1980, McKnight writes, Murdoch backed Reagan's presidential bid
- the Sun's notorious assault on Neil Kinnock and Labour in 1992.
- In the 1988 presidential election, he  favoured t Robertson as the Republican candidate. 
-  In the 1992 contest, he abandoned the Republicans for the Ross Perot 
- launched Fox News, with constant support for the conservatives


Murdoch states that 

"I give instructions to my editors all around the world," as Murdoch put it in 1982.

This shows the sheer influence he can have and how he can share his political believes at the time. It highlights how newspapers may not have been as impartial as they would have seemed. This is discussed throughout the article as to whether he uses politics to benefit his papers or whether he uses the papers to benefit his political beliefs. Nevertheless less this highlights how much influence  conglomerate owners such as Murdoch has and also how easy it is for him to exploit it.

Does your case study suggest that new and digital media have a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of value s and ideologies?

New and digital media has a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies. Wherein traditional media leans to have a more limited range of values and ideologies which have arguably used to retain the status quo within society.

New and digital media fulfils a pluralist ideology. Where traditional media such as newspapers fulfil a more Marxist ideology. Murdoch controlled almost a fifth of UK news consumption in 2010 and in 2013 News Corp Australia titles accounted for 59% (17million) newspaper sales. Here it is obvious that Murdoch in particular is a perfect example of how a minority of producers serve a majority of consumers (Pareto’s law). It is particularly easy for him to ‘inject his views’ into the audience because of how much control he has globally. His papers tend to follow his suggested political affiliation. During Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime minister the papers tended to support her. He then switched to support Tony Blair where they were both criticized for their closeness and secret meetings. A Marxist would definitely see the relationship and support for the PMs as something that benefits the most powerful and keeps them at the top (hegemony) as the influence could easily retain the status quo. The passive audience would not even consider how the closeness between Murdoch and Blair can be reflected in the newspapers and the ideologies that may have been potentially struggling to get across to politicians could be pushed by the news. This is still reflecting today as most recently, the online consensus for Brexit was against, the echo chambers created really impacted consumers as it was a shock to find that more people voted for Brexit. Reports are now stating that even though new and digital media were against Brexit. The newspapers were overwhelmingly pro. The digital divide in the UK particularly between the elderly and the youth shows how influential newspapers still are as the audience who still read newspapers, voted for the side which was covered by the content they were consuming. This draws emphasis to the influence traditional media has to a suggested passive audience.

Contrastingly, Social media, in particular, highlights how an audience can be more active. During the Brexit vote audiences actively engaged with the content that was being shown to them. The content being shown, although dependant on whether people are stuck in a filter bubble, could have come from a variety of sources and from people with various views. The alternative ideologies and readings would not be possible in newspapers due to the strenuous amount of gatekeeping and if Murdoch had a similar relationship with any party similar to the relationship with Blair, the alternative readings would not have seen out of fear of potentially offending advertisers. The fact that advertisements have rapidly fallen means that to offend one and have the pull ads could be detrimental to the company so the news institution would have to make sure they appeal to them. This would not be ignored by the active audience, the ‘call-out’ nature, particularly on social media could mean that the backlash could be even more damaging. This then shows a more positive impact and a more diverse range of views that an audience is able to challenge and debate suggesting that we are in fact a more democratic society who not is able to debate important issues without being harshly regulated.

Social media offers the news value (Galtung and Ruge) of immediacy a lot better than traditional media. The instant something happens, for example a shooting at an LA university or the Westminster attacks, people film and become citizen journalists when telling people online about it. One it trends and enough content has been shared confirming the events reliability and accuracy there is then an influx of comments, ideas and opinions. With the availability of 24hour news reals it could be suggested that immediacy isn’t that big of an issue because Institutions can just regurgitate what is being said online and also use the user generated content to construct a narrative for the audience. However, News institutions have to follow a set of rules and regulations. They have to make sure the information that they receive is 100% accurate and any video or photographic content has to be checked for and graphic images and then also censored for use on television. This automatically shows how the user generated content is unmediated and how there are fewer gatekeepers checking the content to make sure it adheres to any rules. In saying this the lack of regulation has been said to desensitize the youth, graphic images are being shared and watched on a daily basis. This has also been abused by the likes of ISIS where their content has been radicalising the youth and encouraging them to go over and side with them. There is also a valid argument that the graphic content is completely disrespectful to victims and their families, it is. So it also provides the argument as to whether users of social media have ‘lost their humanity’. However, with regards to footage from the Westminster attack and the murders on Facebook live, after the initial shock and reaction, social media users were encouraging people to stop sharing the videos out of respect for the victims. Although they are desensitised the content is not something so normal that people don’t mind constantly seeing it on their page or timeline. Although there isn’t the same reaction to graphic images that latter response is still the same disgust.

Conversely, all types of media have fallen victim to Americanisation therefore they are not receiving a range of views. They are receiving the US ideologies. Americanisation is a by-product of globalisation and we are seeing eastern values being diminished and replaced by western ones. Rather than American news just being something documented within the country itself we are seeing an abundance of US centric news stories. From shootings to riots, typically these would not be reported anywhere apart from the appropriate areas however it could be said that the news value (Galtung and Ruge) of the Elite has been exacerbated to such an extent where events in the elite countries are what dominate news across the globe. This shows a much narrower range of values.

To conclude, new and digital media has definitely resulted in the ability for audiences to be exposed to a larger range of values and ideologies. However it has also increased the growth of Globalisation and more importantly Americanisation where traditional media in particular is dominated by US views and ideologies showing that a larger range of ideals is mainly only available on platforms that enable audience to interact and engage with the content.

MEST3 PPE - Learner Response

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

55/80 = B

WWW: Good sense of critical autonomy throughout

EBI: More focus needed on news for Section B.

2) Did you succeed in meeting or exceeding your target grade for A2 Media? If not, how many additional marks do you need across Section A and Section B to achieve your target grade?

Met Target

Grade boundaries for complete paper (out of 80): 

A* = 75; A = 65; B = 55; C = 45; D = 36; E = 25.

3) Read through the mark scheme. Pay particular attention to pages 6-8 that have suggested content for each of the questions in Section A. How many of these potential points did you make? Did you successfully answer the questions? The original question paper is here if that is helpful.

Q1

• Use of narrative voiceover

• Use of soundtrack to establish tone

• Use of self-contained narrative that resembles a Hollywood film

• Use of differing production values

• Use of direct address

• Use of hand-held camera to suggest immediacy

• Use of interviews involving residents in New Era estate

• Role of Russell Brand as celebrity figure

Q2

• Development of coherent set of values and beliefs that can be seen in all products created by individual institutions

• Use of language to establish authority

• High production values to establish tone, mood and atmosphere

• Repetition of values, meaning that dissenting voices don’t often get heard

• Limited opportunity for audiences to provide instant feedback

• Moderation of feedback by media producers

• Presentations of fact rather than opinion

Q3

• Role of the media in our everyday lives

• Responsibilities of the media in catering to a wide variety of opinions

• Differences between public service broadcasters and privately owned media institutions

• Opportunities for audiences to express their own values and beliefs

• Changes in media technology / impact upon audiences and producers

• Role of audiences in providing feedback to media products

• Role of government in democratic societies

4) Which was your strongest question in Section A? Why did you do better in that particular question? Note the number of marks each question is worth.

Q1 - Media language and analysis if products.

5) Which was your weakest question in Section A? Again, try and identify why this happened. Did you misinterpret the question? Did you run out of time? 

Q2 - Didn't use many theories and examples.

6) Now look at pages 11-12 of the mark scheme for Section B - New/Digital Media paying particular attention to the suggested essay content on page 12. How many of the broad areas suggested by AQA did you cover in your Section B essay? Did you successfully answer the question?

Historical role of media producers

Recent developments in new and digital media

Impact upon, and responses of, traditional media producers

Changing demands of audiences

Different situations in different mediums and on different platforms

7) Read the Examiner's Report in full. For each question your answered, would you classify your response as one of the stronger answers or one of the weaker answers the Chief Examiner discusses? Why? What could you do differently next time? Write a reflection for EACH question in the paper: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q6 OR Q7.

1 Stronger - Need more examples and spend a more balanced time talking about each text.
2 Middle - Needed more examples 
3 Weaker - Not enough writing or a balanced argument.

6 Middle - needed more focus on traditional - but there was a lot of examples.


8) Choose your weakest question in Section A and re-write an answer in full based on the suggested content from the Examiner's Report. This answer needs to be comprehensive and meet the criteria for Level 4 of the mark scheme. This will be somewhere between 3-6 well-developed paragraphs (depending on the question/number of marks available).

How do media products encourage audiences to agree with a certain set of values and beliefs? 
You may refer to other media products to support your answer.

Both media products encourage audiences to agree with a certain set of values and beliefs, to a certain extent. Both texts offer some uses and gratification (Blumler and Katz). Product one offers identification for a wide variety of people. The upper class, A, B most specifically as this is the lifestyle that thy have attained or are able to. It also offers identification for the aspirers psychographic  as they may be able to see themselves in a similar situation in the futur, making the brand more appealing to them and further encourages them to believe their ideals. The binary opposition of the two lifestyles shown by the protagonist also highlights the dominant ideology that bigger is better, richer is better and you are not truly happy until you live like the 1%. 

Product two offers contrasting uses and gratifications - surveillance and education, we are looking directly into the lives of people living on the estate and the issues that they face regarding the rise in rent. The stereotype that people in estates are struggling are true in this case (perkins) and it is no fault of their own, we rarely see this and it becomes more appealing for the audience. This also shows how stereotypes are created by the more powerful (Dyer) an dis also evident in their other products where eastern things are documented through a western persepctivecreating stereotypes suggesting that they are all uncivilised/unsophisticated and work in sweatshops. The things that make a better narrative becomes the stereotypes. 

The argument for Product one can be similar to reality TV shows such as The Housewives of (whichever area) and Made in Chelsea, we are seeing the lives of certain more 'posh' or privilege groups, the footage tends to be unadulterated online Product one so offers a more realistic feel for the audience. The fake/exaggerated reality then results in the audience believing them because they seem honest. A marxist would believe that the characters within the shows would share views that the content producers want and that then allows them to 'maintain a false consciousness'. However as a Pluralist believes that the audience is active, even if content producers are forcing ideologies in their programs, the audience will debate and challenge this, the sheer fact that views are being shared means that there is inclusiveness of views. Things are being said and not being injected or forced into the audience. They may encourage them to view things in a certain light but ultimately they construct their own opinions.

Another example would be YouTube, this is a platform with a lot of media influencers (opinion leaders) Abercrombie and Longhurst (2005) believe that there is a shift in the audience experience that allows the 'boundaries between the audience and the producer of the media texts to become more fluid' it is now more complex that Pareto's law wherein a minority of producers serve a majority of consumers. Some could argue that there are channels on YouTube that are still controlled by groups of people, they retain control over editing and the final product that is hared, however these teams typically consist of fellow colleagues/friends of the owner of the channel rather than a larger audience. Rather than being in control they are there to ensure the main subject is able to meet with the demand of larger viewings. without compromising quality. A pluralist perspective can most definitely be applied as the comment section, like/dislike button and the use of various other social media shows how there is a constant discussion between the audience and the producers they also often lead to debates.

A more recent example of an audience being active would be the case of the Daddyoffive channel on YouTube, the family consistently posted videos of them abusing and encouraging the abuse of two of their children in particular, they continually said 'it was a prank' that 'it wasn't real' e.t.c however many did not believe this, due to the debate that was started by Phillip DeFranco (an online 'news show' host) that resulted in the children being removed from the home and protected. If the audience was simply passive we would not have seen this positive result. We also see this with the shootings of unarmed black men, police brutality and recorded 'private' conversation leaks. If they audience was passive we would not see such a response challenging the topics raised.

Ignite Presentation Bullet Points

LADAN - Twitter
Social media - twitter
US general election
Globalisation- accelerating americanisation
Social media revolution - Arab Spring
Citizen Journalism- Hudson River Crash
Place for Black Identity
15 Million active UK users
65% under 34 years old
Terrorism - Radicalisation
Echo Chambers
Impact of Echo Chambers on twitter - Politics - liberal - retainers. Security and Privacy.

ABAYOMI - Music Streaming
New platform for promotion and distribution
Spotify 2008 - 20 locations
2016 100 million users - millennial/ generation z
Access rather than own
Accessibility
Threatens Physical performance
Use twitter notifications on projects
75 % of 60 million users use the free version.
Reliant on AD Revenue
founder was the CEO of a torrent site.

AMRIT - Social Media
Facebook bought instagram - because audience
Based on Algorithms
600 million monthly users
18 - 29 year olds
8% of users are 65+
Centre of USG
Constructing your own identity
Encourages consumerism
Privacy issues
Political aspects

SUNNY - Trump
Choosing narrative over facts to be relatable
Reddit - The_Donald - chase algorithms to stop it from being at the top.
Meme Creations
Fake News  and the dilation of information
Russian hacking scandals
Using analytics to target audiences\

CALLUM - Gaming
3rd party developers
Merge with vivendi games inn 2007
Consumption in general is the same
little USG - except for mod tools - create maps
Growth of 99.6 bn - 228.6 bn in 2017

HARKIRAN - Film Distribution
Lionsgaer -1997
Largest and most successful
MGM Produce more
Occasional Preference of the cinematic experience - More for the older generations
1 cinema ticket = 6 months of netflix

Netflix has created a unique and cheap opportunity for the TV industry, making it more appealing to the youth and people who belong to the binge watching culture. ( in this case

KHADIJAH - Netflix
 created in 1977
tailored for individual experiences
technological convergence
shows typically address issues and debates
Globalisation - expanse in product
Americanisation - American shows and values.
Promotion for shows are typically online with their own individual pages.
social media is an opportunity
70% binge watch.

Netflix has created a unique and cheap opportunity for the TV industry, making it more appealing to the youth and people who belong to the binge watching culture.

JOHN - Apple Music
Student discount - appealing to the youth
100 + Countries
30 million users
45 million on itunes
Mulligan 'the superstar economy'
YouTube - no cost
streaming boosted the music industry (counter activity, piracy)
Music Streaming rose by 76% in 2016
40% of views come from Latin America
Music industry grew.

The industry is now benefitting from NDM rather that being destroyed by piracy.

03/05/17 - Google and Facebook bring in one-fifth of global ad revenue

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/02/google-and-facebook-bring-in-one-fifth-of-global-ad-revenue

The article discusses the power of the US where 20 out of 30 top ranking media companies are based in the US. Where in one fifth of global advertising spending comes from Google and Facebook.


O Google and Facebook attracted one-fifth of global advertising spending last year, nearly double the figure of five years ago,
O Twitter is the fastest-growing media owner, increasing ad revenue by 734% between 2012 and 2016.
O Google, owned by parent company Alphabet, is by far the biggest media owner in the world and attracted $79.4bn (£61.5bn) in ad revenues in 2016, three times more than the second-largest, Facebook, which pulled in $26.9bn,
O Most of the media owners in the ranking – 20 out of 30 – are based in the US.

i think that the simple fact that global advertising spending has doubled in the last five years alone shows how online media has grown. The issues newspapers are facing isn't due to social media but the content that they are producing. The US is the centre of everything, potentially due to americanisation and also allows for the process to happen more easily and rapidly.

03/05/17 - Hollywood ending sees writers call off strike after last-minute deal

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/02/hollywood-ending-writers-call-off-strike-cliffhanger-studio-deal-writers-guild-of-america

There has been a dispute over the pay and benefits of Hollywood writers. 'concerned about the impact on their earnings of the trend towards shorter runs of television series'.  the strike would have occurred had a beneficial resolution not been agreed.

O According to the Hollywood Reporter, a number of unresolved issues remained during the final hours of haggling with studio representatives, the AMPTP. Issues included payments to shore up the WGA’s health plan and “wage parity”, a set payment minimum regardless of medium or budget.
O the WGA aiming for a deal worth $535m (£415m) but studios offering $180m. 
O 96% of voters had backed a strike.
O Strikes between November 2007 and February 2008, cost the film and TV industry up to $2.5bn.

This would have been the 7th strike since the 1960s and they typically lasted for months. Think this shows a change in the 'importance' of writers in the eyes of the most powerful in the industry. I think that the binge watching culture has also influenced this because of the threat of shorter series. means that writers have a shorter writing period.