ANNA VAN HEESWIJK DEBATES MEDIA SEXUALISATION IN THE MEDIA WITH EX-FHM EDITOR.

The issue of the Media and the Representaion of Women is a key area for debate and links to both Representation and a consideration of Media Theory at A2. Anna Van Heeswijk, the grass roots co-ordinator for OBJECT [ a group that challenges the use of sexualised images of women within the media] , is a key figure in the Representation of Women debate and is an important voice when considering contemporary feminist theory. The following links will be useful when exploring the images of women in advertising and considering the influence of such images on society's attitude towards women. A copy of FHM should be a useful resource at A2 as it connects with a whole range of media issues relating to the Representation of Women. Click on link to watch a debate broadcast by BBC News in March 2010 that was responding to a report that criticised 'lad mags' as possibly encouraging violence towards women. In 2007 OFSTED published a report relating to attitudes towards sex that included a section that praised 'lads mags' for providing sexual health awareness for young men as parents were failing to discuss sexual issues with their children. This area should allow a discussion of Marxism, Pluralism, Feminism, Representation, Audience Theory, and general discussion relating to the influence of the media.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgqr6GQDci4

Click on link to hear Anna Van Heeswijk's speech at the 'Million Women Rise' demonstration in 2009. Audio is imperfect but still worth your ear time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvnKsa5FVH0&feature=related

Click on link to access Object website:

http://www.object.org.uk/

I used FHM and ZOO at the beginning of A2 last year along with some recent statistics relating to sexual violence against women, a study of Pixie Lott's lyrics in the song 'Mama do' along with her FHM front-cover and the lyrics of Lily Allen's 'Fuck You' along with the use of imagery used on Lily Allen's MySpace site. It produced some excellent media analysis from a class that often struggled with Media Theory and were somewhat reluctant to consider complicated social issues.

RUPERT MURDOCH AND FOX NEWS IN THE USA.

The last blog entry related to Rupert Murdoch. In July Fishymedia posted a blog entry that offered resources relating to a consideration of the debates and issues surrounding the construction of Murdoch's paywall. Critics of Murdoch would argue that a true reflection of Murdoch's agenda is visible via the quality of the media that he constructs. For example, FOX NEWS in America is a Murdoch owned institution with a clear Republican,Christian, right wing political bias.Any student or teacher of media should navigate through material posted on You Tube to encounter the media sensibilities of Fox employees BILL O'REILLY, GLENN BECK and SEAN HANNITY.These three 'media commentators' are employed by Murdoch and support Murdoch's institutional ideology.

Bill O'Reilly's show 'The O'Reilly Factor' is broadcast every weekday at 8pm on Fox in the USA. Glenn Beck hosts his own show every weekday at 5pm on Fox.Beck also has an incredibly successful radio show that attracts over 6 million listeners. Sean Hannity's TV show 'Hannity' is broadcast on Fox every evening at 9pm after the O'Reilly Factor. Hannity also has a very successful radio show that attracts an audience of over 13 million listeners.

Click on link below to view two examples of Glenn Beck's approach to media presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM4xqnukQrM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbg604XqPY

Click on link to view the media virus that is Bill O'Reilly. This is his approach to critics of America's invasion of Iraq:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-F-zmTNuk4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU7Dyxt7hdw&feature=watch_response

O'Reilly on the David Letterman show.This is mainstream American television.Note the mutual hate. Click on link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkDjz_eRoaw

There is a mass of O'Reilly material on the internet.Help yourself. Here is Bill's own online home:

http://www.billoreilly.com/

OUTFOXED.COM is a media aggregate site that has often criticised Fox News.They have a clear institutional bias that is anti-Fox News and Murdoch.Here is a segment that explores Bill O'Reilly's interview technique.The experience of Jeremy Glick is often used to illustrate the Fox News agenda.Glick's father died in 9/11 and Glick had publically criticised the Bush administration in relation to his father's death.Click on link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IwIRNM5noY

Welcome to the Fox shaped world of Sean Hannity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3qbibh8Mk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8bsIjGcZyI&feature=related

This You Tube clip is interesting because Michael Moore only appeared on Hannity's show if Fox agreed not to edit the footage in any way. Clearly, Moore and Hannity despise each other and the discussion is fascinating. This interview relates to the release of Moore's film 'Capitalism: A Love Story'. Note the complete mutual contempt.Consider the nature of Hannity's questions and compare his attitude with, for example, an interview undertaken by Jon Snow on Channel Four News or Jeremy Vine on BBC's Newsnight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv9OiCv0v2Q

Moore also had a similar debate with Bill O'Reilly after the release of 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. Again Moore only appeared after being promised that the interview would not receive an edit and he could ask O'Reilly questions.Click on link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trOdCU6aZOg

So why is Fox News worthy of media attention? Rupert Murdoch's political ideology is evident in all his media.Should one company have so many global media platforms from which to promote their narrow institutional ideology? How influential is Murdoch? He states that media cannot shape the way people view the world. If this is true, why do British political parties desperately hope to ingratiate themselves with Murdoch and why do some political experts view Murdoch's support of Tony Blair as crucial to Blair's election victory in 1997? Why did Murdoch support Blair, disown Brown and support Cameron?How influential is the Sun Newspaper in the UK? Why does one man feel the need to project his views through his media on a global scale? Why not become a politician if you want to share your view of the world with an engaged audience? Why does James Murdoch resent the BBC? A consideration of Murdoch and his Newscorp media empire links to a considerable number of media issues and debates.

MURDOCH is a central figure when considering the influence of the media.His influence relates to issues such as media and democracy, representation,how institutional ideology shapes representation, the impact of digital media,media regulation, audience theory....etc.

Below is a link to the Fox News website:

http://www.foxnews.com/

I sincerely apologise if the three photographs at the beginning of this blog entry caused visual discomfort or any loss of psychological equilibrium.

RUPERT MURDOCH

Click on link below to access an interview with his satanic majesty. Be aware that the institution responsible for this broadcast is SkyNews Australia. Murdoch's views, and the views of his son, the equally gorgeous James Murdoch,need to be considered in any discussion of the future of digital media. Further resources will follow. Be aware of the Fishymedia July Blog entry that relates to Murdoch's paywall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7GkJqRv3BI&feature=related

Click on link below to hear Murdoch's response to the question: 'Is there any agenda that you want to shape?'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K2pLo8JV5Y

Mark Thompson ,the BBC's director general, used this year's MacTaggart lecture to criticise Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Last year, James Murdoch attacked the BBC in his MacTaggart lecture.The content of both lectures should be of interest to any student/teacher of media.Click on link below to access the Guardian's interpretation of Thompson's views:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/27/bbc-mark-thompson-murdoch-mactaggart

View the whole of Thompson's 50 minute speech below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/aug/28/mgeitf2010-mactaggart-full-video

In 1994 the author Dennis Potter was filmed by Melvyn Bragg. Potter was aware that he would soon die, that his cancer was eating him, and that this would be his final interview. Potter named his pancreatic tumour, Rupert. He was not a big fan of Murdoch.Here Potter explains why he despises Murdoch. Potter died one month after this interview. Click on link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVrK38xI-A

Click on link to access James Murdoch defending his own MacTaggart speech the day after he offered his lecture in August 2009:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHaMaQ5271o

CYBER BULLYING.

Below is a link to an article published by BBC News.Internet service providers are being accused of ignoring their moral responsibility. This issue is linked to any debate that considers the impact of digital technology. The related stories and links at the conclusion of the article are worth reading:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11118152

Link to Childnet International anti-cyber bullying video.Perhaps the person responsible for this film should be the victim of some hefty creative criticism!? Perhaps not. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNumIY9D7uY

America's CBS News journalist Katie Couric offers advice to parents when dealing with the digital world and the potential for bullying [2007]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa6Vxc4cB2w&feature=related

Click on link below to access a UK Government website that confronts the issue of cyber bullying:
http://yp.direct.gov.uk/cyberbullying/


There is a mass of material available across all media platforms that relate to this issue.

ARGENTINA MEDIA CONTROVERSY.

This story from the BBC website on 26th August 2010 reports a conflict between the current government in Argentina and Clarin, the country's largest media group. This story is of interest when discussing the influence and power of media organisations and also relates to the media and democracy debate. Click on link below to access article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11091763

Click on link below to access an Aljazeera report of this media/government conflict from September 2009:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGYY9OQpTKs

OFCOM media report relating to how Britain uses media.

Below is a link to a BBC report covering the recent publication of the OFCOM media survey. I'm not sure about the credibility of this report as its source is vague [industry sources !] but the results should be used to provoke class discussion.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11012356

Below is the link to the Ofcom report. Don't worry, it is reader friendly.

http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2010/08/19/consumers-spend-almost-half-of-their-waking-hours-using-media-and-communications/

HOW THE INTERNET IS ALTERING YOUR MIND: A 'Guardian' article written by John Harris that investigates the claims offered by Nicholas Carr.

The article below considers the view offered by Nicholas Carr in his book 'The Shallows' that the internet is changing the structure of the human brain. Harris interviews Carr and also considers the view of the Carr sceptics in an attempt to consider the relevance of Carr's claim. This debate relates to the impact of digital media at A2. Could the internet be reshaping our brains? Nicholas Carr is the American author responsible for the 'IS GOOGLE MAKING US STUPID' article available elsewhere on this blog. A previous blog entry [august 17th] also considers Carr's claim. Carr may be a lunatic, he may be close to the truth, but his views are worthy of discussion in the media classroom when considering the power of the internet. Again, note the reader comments. Click on link below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/20/internet-altering-your-mind

John Harris is a superb journalist and any curious student with a brain should navigate his views relating to all forms of popular culture.

The link below is an American ABC news interview with Carr about the claims made in his book 'The Shallows':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS_FwVI7Si4

IS POP MUSIC SEXUALISING OUR CHILDREN? Article from the Observer newspaper 15th August 2010.

This article relates to the Representation debate that should be a constant feature of media study. This article may be useful to any consideration of Feminist or Audience/Reception theory at A2. Be aware of the reader comments.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/15/the-debate-pop-sexualising-children




This edition of the Observer also included an interesting article relating to the 'new feminists' which is a useful resource when considering media theory. Click on link below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/15/meet-the-new-feminists

Furthermore,below is a link to a Guardian article that considers the negative influence of the 'superhero' upon male behaviour.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/16/superheroes-role-models-child-psychologist

THE INTERNET: IS IT CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK? Article from the Observer newspaper 15th August 2010

Below is an article that is a response to the belief offered by the American writer Nicholas Carr that the internet is physically altering the human brain. This is an interesting issue when considering the impact of digital media at MEST 3. It may also be useful when considering the REPRESENTATION of digital technology.The views of the 'experts' should be considered but the reader comments are also worth a browse.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/15/internet-brain-neuroscience-debate

ARTICLE RELATING TO DIGITAL IMAGE MANIPULATION.

Click on link below to access BBC article relating to digital image manipulation.The related articles are superb.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10558258
Click on link below to access BBC article relating to the banned DFS advertisement.The furniture was digitally manipulated to mislead the consumer:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7762337.stm
Click on link to view banned advert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKCMGGN1HFo