AQA Exam Paper Media 2

1Q) New and digital technology has a huge impact on traditional media industries.
What challenges have media brands faced as a result of changes in technology? Refer to your online  ans social participatory Close Study Products (The Voice and Teen Vogue).

Media brands such as Teen Vogue (TVU) and The Voice (TVE) have faced an increase of competitors and difficulties due to changes in technology.

TVU from 2007-15 used to have a stereotypical and almost degrading patriarchal view of women. Women in the magazine are perceived  from the "male gaze" as Mulvey would say as they were being objectified. This led to the decline in TVU audience in 2015 but, changed as they used the internet to better interact with "digital natives" ( people who grew up with the internet and want rich,free and fast content) as Marc Prensky would say. TVU faced backlash on Twitter so severe they had to take down the comment section due to white male peoples' preferred readings of TVU's work. This shows how due to changes in technology that media brands like TVU have updated better, which they've been doing in contemporary times seen from TVU is focused on promoting women in politics, fashion, power as well as diversification.

TVE is a newspaper company owned by GV media and a Jamaican owner, who founded the paper in 1982 due to the Brixton riots in 1981. TVE main focus of viewership are the Black British demographic and try to give black people a voice in politics through the black community not white racist media. As it focuses on a niche group it is small, however due to using the internet as a platform they can compete with other media brand giants like Vogue even with smaller resources. Although due to the changes in technology they also face more media brands as competitors and because they focus on a "niche" demographic of people who face having, as Paul Gilroy would say a diasporic identity, which is theory when people belong to neither their home country or the country they currently live, causing TVE'S media presence to be week. This can also be seen from TVE'S YouTube channel which videos have lower than a thousand views as well as from the pitiful amounts of followers they have on Twitter and Facebook.This means that since TVE cannot effectively adapt/utilise the changes they cannot effectively build up their media brand.

TVU has also faced a need to increase their political appearance to the public due to the changes of technology. TVU had women appear:weak, superficial and catty. Van Zoonen talks about how gender is constructed through the media as weak and superficial and TVU had been making women appear this way for years. This idea has been cultivated over the years as Gerbner would say so that TVU can exploit young women insecurities to make a profit. Also due to technology people are becoming more socially and politically aware leading to a decline in TVU's viewership, however they have adjusted and used their online presence to promote women and events like the Teen Vogue summit on their online platforms.This shows the challenges that media brands like TVU face due to the changes in technology.

Feminist Waves

Wave 1

• Early 20th Century.
• Right to Vote.
• The women's suffrage movement (aka woman suffrage) was the struggle for the right of women to vote and run for office and is part of the overall women's rights movement.

Wave 2

• 1960's - 1990's
• Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity and thought that began in the United States in the early 1960's and lasted roughly two decades. It quickly spread across the Western world, with an aim to increase equality for women by gaining more than just enfranchisement.
• Abortion/pills.
• Reproductive rights.

Wave 3

• 1990's.
• Present, empowerment.
• Reclaiming of femininity (high heel, sexuality).

Wave 4

• 2010 ongoing.
• Use of new technology and digital media
• Twitter and social media for activism. 

Tori

There are many persuasive techniques used in advertising. A selection include:

·                     Slogan – a catchy phrase or statement

·                     Repetition – constant reference to product name

·                     Bandwagon – everyone is buying it

·                     Testimonial/association – e.g. celebrity endorsement

·                     Emotional appeal – designed to create strong feelings

·                     Expert opinion – ‘4 out of 5 dentists…’

How does the Advert create desire for the product?

(12 Marks)

How would I structure this?

Intro (theorist) (Mulvey, Butler, Van Zoonen, Bell Hooks, Gerbner)

Analyse Suggested narrative 3x examples of persuasive techniques backed with mise en scene.

Conclude with second theorist.

Van Zooonen says that images of women are are used against. In this advert you can see how the women is in a patriarchal ideology of women being at home as mothers and as being clean and girly, whilst the men work. This ideology can be seen from how the advert says "Nothing compares to family" which is using emotive language to create this strong feeling of women being a house wife seen from how she is with her son and by herself in a clean home. however you could say that this advert is promoting single mothers to be hard working and perfect.

Belle Hooks would say that the media uses images of light skinned women as a representation of beauty in the media. In the advert the image of the women is white, which suggest that only white celebrity endorsements are effective instead of darker skinned celebrities because they are not as attractive. This is how this advert uses celebrity endorsement to appeal to more people because the actress herself is white. however you could also that they are just trying to raise awareness of their shoes and are not trying to be racist.

Judith Butler says that gender is constructed, which means that certain genders like a cis-gender females would act more feminine in front of the media. The advert uses a catchy slogan like "Nothing compares to family" to suggest that family is the most important thing for females, cultivating as gerbner would say a hetoral normative ideology that women need to be straight and have a family which is empathised by how the women is portrayed pregnant and with her son happily at peace with her house wife position. This idea of being heterosexual is further emphasised by the colour schem of the advert that suggest that women choose pink because it represent females as being girly and boys in blue due to it being a more masculine colour. However you could say that due to this being Tori Spelling's actual son that this is actually how they are in real life that they are not trying to pressure people into anything but, to actually buy the shoes.

Stuart Hall Teen Vogue and The Voice

Dominant, or Preferred Reading - how the producer wants the audience to view the media text. Audience members will take this position if the messages are clear and if the audience member is the same age and culture; if it has an easy to follow narrative and if it deals with themes that are relevant to the audience.

Oppositional Reading - when the audience rejects the preferred reading, and creates their own meaning for the text. This can happen if the media contains controversial themes that the audience member disagrees with. It can also arise when the media has a complex narrative structure perhaps not dealing with themes in modern society. Oppositional reading can also occur if the audience member has different beliefs or is of a different culture.

Negotiated Reading - a compromise between the dominant and oppositional readings, where the audience accepts parts of the producer's views, but has their own views on parts as well. This can occur if there is a combination of some of the above e.g. audience member likes the media, is of the same age as you and understands some of the messages, but the narrative is complex and this inhibits full understanding.

Teen Vogue

• Dominant, or Preferred Reading -  YouTube video called "Anne-Marie Creates the Playlist of Her Life | Teen Vogue". Commenter wigconic says "I would definitely listen to these songs cause Anne Marie told me to lol"

• Oppositional Reading - YouTube video called "Anne-Marie Creates the Playlist of Her Life | Teen Vogue". Commenter Magnificent Me  says "What’s up with her hair??"

• Negotiated Reading - YouTube video called "Anne-Marie Creates the Playlist of Her Life | Teen Vogue". Commenter hicloudy summer "Anne Marie I love you and you're so pretty but what did they do to your hair?"

The Voice Newspaper

• Dominant, or Preferred Reading -  YouTube video called "Afua Hirsch grateful for recognition and support from the black community". Commenter Gerald Francis says "Gerald Francis Gerald Francis, I'm a big fan of Aufa, a strong woman, a good role model to young woman, and a warrior for melanated people in Britain. She deserves this.💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿👍🏿👍🏿♥️"

• Oppositional Reading - YouTube video called "Afua Hirsch grateful for recognition and support from the black community". Commenter AngloHuscarl says "Just seen another interview with this 'Professor' and I have never seen such an outright 'Racist' as this woman. She sees colour in every aspect of life, it's clearly a rich vein to tap into within the MS 'Progressive' Media as it ensures coverage and other virtue signalling plaudits, and clearly air time!  Victimhood is a breadwinner, and she's not doing too bad for a woman of colour in a 'White Supremacist' Regime & Culture!"

• Negotiated Reading - YouTube video called "Afua Hirsch grateful for recognition and support from the black community". Commenter Wanda Woman says "Andrey Lebezyatnikov Are you a Russian bot? She is physically beautiful, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that she isn’t a deep thinker. She always relies on emotion and anecdotes to deflect attention from her dumb ideas."

Henry jenkins

Henry Jenkins is an expert in fandom and participatory culture. Key to this idea is the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – audiences that create as well as consume media. This culture has revolutionised fan communities with the opportunity to create and share content. It also links to Clay Shirky’s work on ‘mass amateurisation’.

Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who).


https://youtu.be/ZCKoLB1kUsY

Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences.

Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support.


EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture?

A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.

CAN YOU FIND SOME FANDOM OR EXAMPLES OF PROSUMERS FOR EACH OF THE CSP’s?

https://lbbonline.com/news/sarah-lund-stars-in-save-the-children-xmas-viral/

Or literal music videos?

First list ALL your CSP’s. Then find an example!

Then Answer these…

Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:

Factsheet #107 - Fandom

Fanatic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal - shortened to fan.

·         Hard core fan: identify themselves as the ‘insiders’ within any given fandom and consider themselves to be aficionados of their chosen media text. They spend a lot of time and often money in becoming hard core fans. They take pride in how long they have been a fan and also the quantity and quality of the knowledge they have amassed whilst being a fan.

·         Newbies: new fans of any given text and do not have the longevity of devotion or depth of knowledge that hard core fans have and are initially viewed as the ‘outgroup’ within fandoms.

·         Anti-fans: those which identify themselves with media texts but negatively so; they loathe or hate the text but unlike ‘true’ fans they do not form their relationship with a text through close readings, they develop their emotional attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers. Hills argues that the ‘anti-fan’ seems to be a negative stereotype of a text or genre such as ‘all people who watch chick flicks are dim’ or ‘people who watch horror must be sick in the head’.

Fandoms exhibit a ‘passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.’ Fandoms are subcultures within which fans experience and share a sense of camaraderie with each other and engage in particular practices of their given fandom. Fandoms can be narrowly defined and can focus on something like an individual celebrity, or be more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions.


Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.

Fans use the original media texts and get creative and innovative with the material. Crawford suggests that it is this which distinguishes fans from ordinary consumers. They engage in diverse activities such as ‘the production of websites, mods and hacks, private servers, game guides, walkthroughs and FAQs, fan fiction and forms of fan art, fan vids’ all of which have been aided by digital technology. Digital fandoms use technology in multiple ways and Fiske sees this as the ‘cultural economy’ of fandoms, one that is focused not on making money but on expressing the complex ideas and value systems behind fandoms.

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of a fan?

• A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing.

2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?

• Hard core fan: identify themselves as the ‘insiders’ within any given fandom and consider themselves to be aficionados of their chosen media text. They spend a lot of time and often money in becoming hard core fans. They take pride in how long they have been a fan and also the quantity and quality of the knowledge they have amassed whilst being a fan.
• Newbies: new fans of any given text and do not have the longevity of devotion or depth of knowledge that hard core fans have and are initially viewed as the ‘outgroup’ within fandoms. 
• Anti-fans: those which identify themselves with media texts but negatively so; they loathe or hate the text but unlike ‘true’ fans they do not form their relationship with a text through close readings, they develop their emotional attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers. Hills argues that the ‘anti-fan’ seems to be a negative stereotype of a text or genre such as ‘all people who watch chick flicks are dim’ or ‘people who watch horror must be sick in the head’.

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?

• The fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture.

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?

• Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.

5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?

• Fandoms exhibit a ‘passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.’ Fandoms are subcultures within which fans experience and share a sense of camaraderie with each other and engage in particular practices of their given fandom. Fandoms can be narrowly defined and can focus on something like an individual celebrity, or be more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions.

6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?

•   It is part of digital fandom because ideas from the text and rereading them in creative ways allows for fans to remake or add on things for their own personalisation.

FANDOM Examples For Media Close Case Study Products

The Killing

No Offence

On IMDB

User Reviews

Love this

29 August 2018 | by lasmith-28653 – See all my reviews

One of the best cop shows, comedy-wise. Great portrayals of strong female officers along with witty comebacks. Wish there were more episodes. If you take offense at off-color jokes - stay away. You are too weak to handle this!

Score Advert

Maybelline 

• Manny Mua an actor in the ad does a tutorial on his YouTube channel and says "Hey guys! Who's ready for a DRUGSTORE edition with my One Brand Tutorial series here on my channel?! And yes! Todays is going to be MAYBELLINE! I am so beyond excited to make this video cause not only is Maybelline one of my favorite drugstore brands of all time BUT I did an online campaign with them for Big Shot Mascara which was such a sick ass thing to do! Thank you for all the love and support! I couldnt do what I do without you guys. I hope you enjoy the video :D "

Billie Jean

• On YouTube you can many remixes of the music videos e.g. "BILLIE JEAN - 35th Anniversary (SWG Extended Mix) - MICHAEL JACKSON (Thriller)"

Letter to the Free

•  JON BLISTEIN a reporter reviews Commons "Letter to the Free" on the website "RollingStone"  and says "Common portrays the cruel legacy of slavery, Jim Crowe and mass incarceration in the stark new video for “Letter to the Free.” "

Teen Vogue

• Does a fan video series in which celebrity guess How Fans Responded to a Survey About Him from Teen Vogue.

The Voice

• On their YouTube channel comments show appreciation for the things they post e.g. a commenter called, All Fall Down commented "Thank you for posting this video. And for those of us watching, please if you know anyone who has been affected by the Windrush Scandal, please share this video with them. Thanks."

Lara Croft

Metroid

Sims Freeplay

• Sims Freeplay machinima is a narrative story instead of being just a game and is made by the fans of the game. Can be found on YouTube and is called "Sims freeplay Machinima".

Daily Mail

• DM has their own YouTube channel and on one of their videos called "Suspect dances in front of cops after a police chase" and commentators like Jase King respond with game references e.g. " He's not dancing. He's using LB, RB, Left, Right, Left, Down, Up cheat code to lower his wanted level." which is done to show that their news is nothing bit a joke.

i

• A person on YouTube called "Centrist Philosopher" makes a video called "The i newspaper is sold to Daily Mail owner" and talks about this issue and his take on the situation.

Surgery 1 (Life Hacks)

• BBC Radio 1 YouTube channel shows a video on "Big Mike talks to Cel Spellman for BBC Radio 1's Life Hacks about all things #merky, including his new book, and the recent controversy around his scholarship for black students." Commentors like "Adam" say they have "have a huge respect for Stormzy, definitely one of the truest artists out there." Which shows the approval of the people on Life Hacks content.

Orson Welles - War Of The Worlds

• On YouTube a video can be found on the War of The World called "Orson Welles - War Of The Worlds - Radio Broadcast 1938 - Complete Broadcast." In the comment section a commenter called "Tom McCarthy" said "This will forever be the greatest prank of all time" with 3.5k likes.

Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey male gaze

The male gaze theory is the theory that women are objectified in the media through the eyes of women.


The Male Gaze theory, in a nutshell, is where women in the media are viewed from the eyes of a heterosexual man, and that these women are represented as passive objects of male desires as Laura Mulvey would say.

In the Score advert they create desire for the product through the use the females to create the idea that if a man uses the hair cream they will get girls, showing how women are being objectified.

1) The male gaze theory is the theory that women are objectified in the media through the eyes of women.

2) It could leave women viewers with the idea that they are lesser than men and are objects for them.

3) For male viewers it could make it so that they treat women as objects for their enjoyment and pleasure.

4) We believe this because women are still use as objects in films.

5) This can reinforce a patriarchal society, however, with this theory we can break this society down step by step in films and TV series.

Teacher feedback

Main Idea

(YASIN is 15, living with his Mum until now.... Mum has met Robert and fallen in love.  Now YASIN and Mum are moving in with Robert. Robert has his own son SAIF who could not be more excited to welcome Yasin to the house and teach him about photography, positive thinking and the importance of an early morning jog.)

OPENING ARGUMENT SHOULD BE - 

YASIN  through the door to (Saruh) as Mum.

Yasin shouting etc

Saruh - 'open the door '

'I don't want to move in. You wanna marry him. You go live there leave me behing.'

Saruh

'You'll get to have a brother!' 

'I'm sure you two will have loads in common'

CHANGE THE SONG-

SAIF's JUNO SEQUENCE

Well respected man sequence- 

2 familys - oppositional -

Saif's charachter is quite light, comedic,

Angry punk kid - (YASIN)

Same SEQUENCE BUT PUNKY - DIFFERENCE MISE EN SCENE 

TITLES

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HIS MUM MEETS HIS DAD 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CewglxElBK0&safe=truehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CewglxElBK0&safe=true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ8KJ4MzzOw&safe=true

The idea is based similarly to the concept of "step brothers" the film, however one of the siblings in this idea is not repulsed by the thought of having another brother but instead enjoys the idea of having one, whilst the other brother - not so much.  The idea for the family drama is based on two divorced parents with sons are getting together,  but the sons of the parents are total opposite in the fact that one wants a brother, whilst the other hates the idea.