THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TYPEFACES: Observer article.

Click on link below to access an article that explores the role of the typeface in creating meaning. All AS students will be producing print media this year so this article is significant and worthy of your attention.
ttp://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/oct/17/type-letters-typefaces-simon-garfield

WIKILEAKS ONCE MORE: Media and Democracy.

Wikileaks is creating news once more. Below is a link to a BBC News article that provides a link to the global media response to Julian Assange's latest release of classified documents.

Click on link below to access BBC article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/2010/10/see_also_wikileaks_release_ira.html

Below is a link to a very comprehensive BBC News article that explores Wikileaks and their decision to publish these documents. Click on link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11612731

This article from the Sunday Independent provides an overview of the issues and debates surrounding Wikileaks and the Iraq War. It is possible to access several Wikileaks related articles from this page. Click on link below:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-shaming-of-america-2115111.html

Click on link below to access Daily Mail Wikileaks article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323277/Wikileaks-Did-British-troops-kill-8-year-old-Iraqi-girl.html

YOU TUBE RESOURCES:

The view from Russia Today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF2miwIWOE4

An AlJazeera report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbppsACVlcE

Julian Assange interview with Russia Today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBsMK1eQ7A8

Julian Assange interview with the Economist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_HPLHIBTtA

There is a vast amount of Wikileaks related material in the media at the moment and A2 students need to be aware of the issues and debates that surround the current Wikileaks publication of classified documents. This topic relates to MEST 3 and the impact of digital media and is specifically related to the issue of media and democracy.

YEAR 13 LESSON SIX [Wed 20th Oct 10]: Homework.

Students attempted a creative task. Students attempted to film a series of interviews with Year 13 students related to the recent recommendations offered by The Browne Report. If the government decide to follow the recommendations of this report the level of debt that students will experience if they attend University will be considerable. The aim of the filming was to create a news report suitable for BBC Newsnight.

Homework: Students should read the notes they have made over the last six weeks. When we return to school we will be discussing issues relating to media and democracy.

I will be posting a podcast that will provide an overview of the issues we have covered this half-term.

I should have the film edited by the time you lot return to media world. This film will be a stimulus for a written response. Have a great week fiends.

MLR.

YEAR 12 LESSON SIX [Tue 18th Oct 10]: Homework.

Students were asked to film a series of interviews with their fellow sixth form students with the aim of constructing a media text titled: 'How to Survive the first half-term of the Sixth Form'. This exercise was not quite as successful as the previous week's task but was still a valuable creative experience. I will show students the results of the filming when we return to school.

Homework: Students must watch the film we created last week and consider how text can be used to anchor meaning. The film requires some form of text immediately after the final frame. The film will also be used as stimulus for a written response when we return to school so students must be familiar with how media forms are used to shape content.

Furthermore, I will soon be posting a podcast that will provide an overview of the work we have covered over the last six weeks. The podcast will be recorded on a boat anchored near Spurn Point. Honest.

Click on link below to access the Year 12 film:
http://vimeo.com/16121970

Beginner's guide to internet censorship: Clip from Good Magazine.

This You Tube clip provided by Good Magazine will allow Year 13 to access a coherent and succinct two minute overview of global internet censorship. Click on link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPAvg6CU6sI

YEAR 13 LESSON FIVE [Wed 13th Oct 10]: Homework.

Students were introduced to the topic of Media and Democracy. Students were made aware of how digital media was used to report the demonstrations in Iran after the Iranian election in June 2009. Students were also introduced to Wikileaks and the issues that relate to China and their attempt to control digital media. Furthermore, students were introduced to the views of Andrew Keen and Clay Shirky.

Homework: Watch the second episode of the BBC's The Virtual Revolution; especially the section that deals with China and the Estonia 'cyber war' incident. You must use the resources offered by fishymedia to develop an understanding of how Andrew Keen's views differ from the views of Clay Shirky.

Don't forget folks, we meet at 12.30 next week to begin filming the 'student fees' documentary.

Resources to aid research:

Click on link below to access article relating to China's Green Dam Project:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/02/china-green-dam

The project appears to be collapsing.Click on link below:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/39235/

BBC news report on the Green Dam Project [July 2010]:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10614674

The Guardian reports on internet censorship in China:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/14/internet-censorship-china

The Guardian reports on the conflict between Google and the Chinese authorities:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/mar/22/google-china-live

Al-Jazeera report on internet censorship in China. Click on link below to access link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quaZi5sckwE

BBC article that offers China's defence of internet censorship:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8727647.stm

BBC Timeline of China's internet censorship:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8460129.stm

fishymedia's entry from July 2010 provides a series of resources that relate to Iran and the post-election demonstrations in 2009.
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.com/2010/07/power-of-photograph-appropriate-for-a2.html

Resources relating to Wikileaks can be accessed via the link below:
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.com/2010/07/wikileaksresources-relating-to-media.html

YEAR 12 LESSON FIVE [Tue 11th Oct 10]: Homework.

Students were asked to produce their first broadcast media of the year. The task was to produce footage that will be included in a [hybrid] documentary with the provisional title: 'HOW TO SURVIVE THE FIRST HALF-TERM OF THE JOINT SIXTH' aimed at next year's Year 12. Students were asked to produce footage that captured the energy and reality of the school. Students produced 90 minutes of footage which I will edit into a 3/4 minute film and present to the class on Tuesday. I will explain why I have included this footage and why I have cut other material. Some of the footage was superb. Big thanks to all students for approaching the task in a mature and enthusiastic manner.

Homework: On Tuesday we will be attempting to capture the interviews that will provide the core of the documentary. Students will be expected to consider the following questions: Which three words capture your experience of the sixth form? What advice would the girls provide for BHS students to prepare them for the BGS experience? Similarly, what advice would the boys offer BGS students to prepare them for the BHS sixth form experience? What CRUCIAL piece of advice would you offer a student to ensure that they survive the first half-term of their post-16 education?

I thought you lot were fantastic on Tuesday. Much appreciated.

Ta.

MLR.

SHAWN FANNING OPEN UNIVERSITY PODCAST.

Click on link below to access an Open University podcast relating to Shawn Fanning's influence upon the digital media landscape:

http://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/1-09-pioneers-shawn-fanning

YEAR 13 LESSON FOUR [ Wed 6th Oct 10]: Homework.

Students were introduced to an MEST 3 exam question relating to the impact of digital media: 'Media Institutions are right to feel threatened by new/digital media.' Consider this statement and show how media institutions are reacting to technological developments.

Class discussion generated notes that related to the essay question. Students watched the final 15 minutes of the BBC's The Virtual Revolution.

Homework: Produce a written response to the essay question. Students are advised to use the resources posted to fishymedia to develop the ability to produce an informed and sophisticated response.

Click on link below to access a potential essay structure:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56738988/ADVICE-FOR-CONSTRUCTION-OF-YEAR-13-MEDIA-STUDIES-ESSAY

YEAR 12 LESSON FOUR [5TH Oct 10]: Homework.

The whole session was a reaction to issues raised by the class response to the first essay. The level of effort is admirable but there are clearly some general issues that we need to address such as developing the ability to support opinion with specific textual reference and developing the ability to use appropriate media terminology when constructing a media analysis. Furthermore, students were advised to focus their analysis upon the four or five key moments from a media text as many students were attempting to deal with too many aspects of the text and therefore producing a very general response. Analytical focus needs to be more specific.

Students were given four examples of print media and asked to consider which media text had the most powerful representation and which text most successfully achieves its institutional aim.

Homework: Attempt the second essay having considered the notes and modelling from today's lesson. Furthermore, consider the nature of the four examples of print media as we may be using these media texts to stimulate a written response.

THE CULT OF CELEBRITY: Jeremy Paxman interview with Russell Brand. Oct 1st 2010.

This is a fantastic interview. BBC Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman interviews comedian Russell Brand. Brand is incredibly eloquent and honest. He explores the notion of 'the celebrity' and the role of the media in creating the celebrity narrative. This is a superb resource for A2 media debates and issues when examining the issue of fame and celebrity. Brand explores some incredibly interesting comments about the role of the media and the vacuous nature of fame and celebrity that is endorsed by a media keen to' keep us stupid.' He believes his 'Sachsgate' scandal was used by private media to attack the BBC and he refers to a media narrative that dominates our culture. Brand suggests that private media already has its narrative and that it merely selects stories that reinforce this narrative and allow the media institution to mask their subjective narrative as news or truth. This is one of the finest television interviews I have ever seen. Proper adult content. Brain food for any sentient media student. Enjoy.

Click on link below to access the full 19 minute interview:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9053238.stm

YEAR 13 LESSON THREE [29th Sept 10]: Homework.

Students were introduced to the theories of John Berger and Laura Mulvey. The idea of the male gaze was explored through a series of advertisements from the 1970s and equally offensive contemporary examples of advertising that reduce the representation of women to a sexualised object. Students were provided with recent shocking statistics from the Home Office relating to violence against women and this linked to the possibility that negative representations of women within the media could be influencing male behaviour.

Students were asked to consider the positive and negative features of the web and consider the concept of 'Levelling' and the implications relating to the fact that the Web is not controlled by a central authority.

Homework: Watch the first episode of the BBC's The Virtual Revolution. You will find the links elsewhere on fishymedia. Consider narrative theory and genre issues as we will be applying these theories to our next written response. Digest the notes that I have given to you. We are dealing with a lot of content at the moment and you must synthesise these ideas as you will be expected to apply these ideas to a media text. Consider coursework content.Click on fishymedia and watch the Fox news features and features relating to the representation of women. There are articles posted in August 2010 that will allow you to access examples of Fox news's approach to journalism and interviews with Anna Van Heeswijk of Object. A fishymedia post in May 10 allows you to access an excellent Rachel Williams article in The Guardian . What do you think of Murdoch's approach to news?What are his institutional values? How hard would you like to punch Bill O'Reilly? How would you respond to the views being offered by 'Object' ? Click on the fishymedia August link to view Anna Van Heeswijk's BBC news debate with an ex-editor of FHM.

I expect you to be navigating through fishymedia to develop a sense of critical autonomy.

I created this site for you so please use the resources being placed upon your media plate. You will not be expected to produce a written homework but there is a lot of material that I expect you to visit independently with the aim of allowing you to develop a more sophisticated understanding of current media debates and issues.

Ta.

MLR.