Sunday, 27 November 2016

HAS THE INTERNET BECOME A FAILED STATE?






















Article in The Observer by John Naughton:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/27/has-internet-become-failed-state-crime-cyberspace
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Thursday, 24 November 2016

FAKE NEWS...

FAKEW NEWS is big business...but creates a very confusing world!!
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/nov/23/heres-the-truth-fake-news-is-not-social-medias-fault
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38053324
Facebook on the defensive! Article from Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/11/21/fake-news-is-just-the-beginning/
BBC FAKE NEWS article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37983571
Brilliant Channel Four News segment:
https://www.channel4.com/news/fake-news-in-macedonia-who-is-writing-the-stories
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YEAR 13 Thursday 24th November 16.

Today's session considered issues related to regulation. Resources from the previous Y13 blog entry were used as a stimulus for class discussion. We also watched a couple of these media texts:
Phones for U...many complaints but complaints upheld by ASA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2oL_gXECtg
Cyberbullying advert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLAm-4uqeDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXkQ2pN7Mx0
The class discussion considered WHY media texts are regulated. We will be creating a written response to the question: CAN MEDIA REALLY INFLUENCE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR?

The last group of essays were a little light on specific detail and this next essay needs to offer clear evidence of independent research and very specific textual reference.

HOMEWORK: Students need to visit the last blog entry and peruse some of the recent posts to fishymedia.
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Tuesday, 22 November 2016

YEAR 12 15th/18th/22nd Nov 16.















The first of these sessions sessions contained a discussion of three texts that became a homework. The second session considered how media could be used to create social change and the third session was a consideration of the cross-media study and how e-media can be used to promote a documentary film. The class considered the e-media used to promote last year's Academy Award winning documentary CITIZEN FOUR:
https://citizenfourfilm.com
and then we considered the role of the print media:















After this consideration of the cross-media study, the class attempted the following critical analysis:
HOW IS THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY REPRESENTED in this media text?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aw966AqgCA

HOMEWORK: Produce a written response to the question. Please read the exemplar material that I have glued into your books. Your work needs to reflect this level of detail. This is a representation question so must deal with Preferred Reading. How is the advertising being criticised? What is STOP FUNDING HATE hoping the industry will recognise? Students must explore how media forms are used to shape this representation.
Also...select your film documentary and your hybrid-documentary for the cross-media work.
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YEAR 13 Mon 21st Nov 16.


















This session looked at two key questions. The first question was a Section B type question:
ANDREW KEEN has stated that the rise of NEW DIGITAL MEDIA has caused 'cultural chaos and moral decay...we are dumbing down our culture...everyone is talking and no one is listening.'
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS PERCEPTION OF NEW DIGITAL MEDIA?

Students can answer this question in any way they like. I want students to show mw that they have developed a wide range of media knowledge. This question could easily link to:

  • The idea that Media is not dumbing down and is in fact inspiring and informative. The BBC's PLANET EARTH 2 is an incredible piece of media. Reference was also mede to Charlie Brooker's BLACK MIRROR which is available on Netflix. Brooker talks about how his series explores the potential of technology in this Newsnight interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m45wLFQ6t7Q Here is the trailer for the new Black Mirror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDiYGjp5iFg Reference was also made to WESTWORLD which is another great drama that explores the nightmare potential of   technology. Here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZcBv0gPK0 Furthermore this is the golden age of documentary and many of these films are challenging social issues and attempting to create a fairer and more equal world. For example llegal, a Brazilian documentary film made in 2016, explores the fight for a girl suffering from epilepsy to access the drug required to dilute her symptoms and dramatically improve the quality of her life and this film helped changed the social policy of the government. Class discussion also considered how the audience uses shows such as the X Factor and I'm a Celebrity in a way that challenges the idea that media is dumbing down.
  • Class discussion considered the nose of non-mainstream media and social media. We will continue this discussion in the next few lessons.
The second question was CAN MEDIA REALLY INFLUENCE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR?
The aim of this question was to encourage students to consider issues related to media REGULATION and MEDIA THEORY.
The resources below will be used in the next session to generate class discussion:
Banned Gucci Advert 2016:
Banned Poster campaigns:
This was not banned...but perhaps....what do you lot think?
New Amazon Prime Advert....What do you think?
This film is always referenced when discussing media influence...Clockwork Orange:
WHY DO WE NEED MEDIA REGULATION??
Post-Leveson Inquiry....


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Saturday, 19 November 2016

YEAR 13 Mon-Thu 14th/17th Nov 16.

These sessions included a discussion of the SECTION B essay and an attempt at a timed essay relating to the Presidential campaign films of Clinton and Trump. The Thursday session was a consideration of CONTEMPORARY MEDIA ISSUES AND DEBATES. The discussion involved a consideration of...

  • THE FILMS OF KEN LOACH and whether media can change society.
39 journalist have dies so far this year as they have been investigating truth around the globe. 11 journalists have died reporting the War in Syria. Not all journalists sit in an office and spin lies! This bloke was a bit of a hero...TIM HETHERINGTON...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4W97bmAHSo.....He died in Libya in 2011 when covering the conflict in this country.
  • To what extent technology is liberating human creativity.
  • How technology is being accused of invading our privacy.
THE BIG TASK THAT STUDENTS NEED TO CONFRONT FOR HOMEWORK IS THE FOLLOWING ESSAY TITLE:
Developments in New Digital Media means that audiences can now have access to a greater variety of views and values. To what extent are audiences empowered by these developments?
Potential Essay Structure:
  • Address the inference within the title that we live in such a pluralist media world that it is difficult for mainstream media to influence the audience with a narrow and bias representation of national and global events. A contemporary media belief is that NDM has inspired an explosion of non-mainstream news portals that has diluted the power of mainstream news institutions. Reference to Marxist theory?
  • The next paragraph needs to provide examples of the non-mainstream news platforms and consider whether access to The Canary, The Young Turks, Paul Staines, or Breitbart news has empowered the audience. Has access to the different views and values of these organisations inspired a more informed audience? Has choice increased the ability of the audience to make objective and informed political decisions? Hypermedia Seduction Theory?
  • The next paragraph needs to deal with the explosion of social media. Twitter??? More access to views and values...or prejudice, trolling and mindless abuse???Are we closer to truth?? READ THAT FANTASTIC ESSAY I GAVE YOU FROM LAST YEAR'S COURSEWORK. Note the comments about BUZZFEED. Is Buzzfeed trivialising news? Empowering the audience? 
  • Perhaps reference to FREEVIEW and the fact that the narrow Northern European view of the world can be challenged as we now have access to Al Jazeera, Russia Today, Press TV etc...
  • The final section needs to deal with with the idea that all this DEEPLY MEDIATED choice is just exposing the audience to more examples of PROPAGANDA. BAUDRILLARD??? Is the audience being empowered? Read the POST-TRUTH articles I have posted to the blog. They will help you construct a PROPER EVALUATIVE A LEVEL conclusion. 70% of Donald Trump's statements of FACT have been found to be LIES...so what chance does the audience have of being empowered by truth when the media are reporting lies as truth? Perhaps both mainstream and non-mainstream media need to challenge the views and values of politicians and political commentators to ensure that the audience is being empowered by factual information rather than being bombarded with emotionally loaded lies!!! WHAT SAY YOU? Perhaps audience empowerment is a complete myth. Perhaps ANDREW KEEN'S comments are correct....
ANDREW KEEN....Is the internet killing journalism?
Great Keen extract from Radio Four.....'the internet is not democratising our culture...it is resulting in cultural chaos and moral decay...we are dumbing down our culture.....everyone is talking and no one is listening'.....

A post-truth world????

HOMEWORK: Complete the essay.
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A POST-TRUTH MEDIA WORLD.....
























What is a post-truth world?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/15/post-truth-named-word-of-the-year-by-oxford-dictionaries
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/12/how-technology-disrupted-the-truth
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/opinion/campaign-stops/the-age-of-post-truth-politics.html?_r=0
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21706525-politicians-have-always-lied-does-it-matter-if-they-leave-truth-behind-entirely-art
Michael Gove and his great line...'I think the people of this country have had enough of experts..'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGgiGtJk7MA
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