Overview of Media & Democracy unit.

1. CriticalPerspectivesinMedia
Unitoverview –allthestuffwe’vedone

2. AS A2
1a Media Language Both Both
1a Research and Planning Both Both
1a Use of digital technology Both Both
1a Post-production Both Both
1b Genre Either Or
1b Narrative Either Or
1b Representation
1b Media Language
Either
Either
Or
Or
SECTION A

3. Question 1a
 About progress and development over 2 years
(synoptic).
 Must write about several production experiences
(preliminary, main task, A2 outcomes + extra-
curricular if relevant).
 Fundamentally about making creative decisions in
theoretical contexts.

4. Question (b)
 A different concept will „come up‟ each time, from
the list in the specification.
 Candidates will need to choose ONE production
that you can most effectively evaluate and
analyse with this concept.
 Question (a) is more about what you did,
question (b) is more about the resulting media
product as a text for analysis.

5. 1a Example: Post Production
The editing stage, where material is
manipulated (often using software) and
transformed into a finished media product.
(The Media Teacher’s Book, p185)
Write about how you have developed over the course
in your post-production techniques.

6. 1b Examples
 Genre
 Narrative
 Representation
Apply whichever one comes up to ONE of your
coursework productions.

7. Section B

9. Plato‟s Republic
 App 375bc.
 Society is „naturally‟ divided into 3 classes of citizens,
who each “know their place”:
Philosopher-Kings
Guardians
Workers
Best to keep the workers distracted – the cave (early
media).

10. Mill‟s Utilitarianism
 1859 – On Liberty.
 Centres on notion of liberty.
 Individual freedom = collective freedom.
 Rights crucial.
 Everyone free to do what they want, as long as
they don‟t harm anyone else.
 So no need for surveillance etc.

11. Interactive / Democratic?

12. Or Demotic?
Turner - there is no clear connection
between the exposure given to ‘everyday
people’ by reality TV and any kind of
progressive or emancipatory shifts.
Thus the ‘demotic turn’ equates merely to
the increase in exposure of / to the public
with no necessary democratic outcomes.
Rather, the rise of celebrity culture – and
with it the clamour for us to seek the prize of
commodifying ourselves as celebrities - has
had the effect of charging the
contemporary media with the power to
‘translate’ cultural identity.

15. Media 2.0
Lots of DIFFERENT IDEAS on this.
Very much a CONTESTED view.

16. Participation Culture

17. Internet Democracy
 Often seen in terms of ideals – eg JP Barlow‟s Declaration of
Independence of Cyberspace (1996) had 3 central
characteristics:
 Information democracy – unfettered information construction and
dissemination, free from the stranglehold of MSM
 Democratization of decision making power – e-democracy, direct
participation
 More engaged citizens
 Has any of this really happened?

18. The Realities?
 However, use of the web can be used by specific
groups for:
 Visibility and publicity
 Organisation and mobilisation
 Coordination and collaboration
(Rheingold – smart mobs)
 Can often be short term issues
 Or is online activism merely “slacktivism”? (Morozov)
 Lievrouw shows how Global Justice Movement use the
internet for:
 Co-ordination
 Platform
 Engagement (limited)

19. Morozov
 MYTH of Twitter Revolution in Arab countries
 The Iranian Government is still in power!
 What are people REALLY using the
web for?
 Uses research in Eastern Europe and
Middle East
 Sex, shopping and entertainment
 This is the REAL American Dream
 Authoritarian Governments happy for this
to continue

20. Morozov
 View that the web is emancipatory is a “mis-reading of
history”
 Part of the technologically deterministic, cyber-utopian
“Google Doctrine” or “Twitter Agenda” – an exaggeration
 Governments are actually using the
web for propaganda, control,
surveillance, censorship and
suppression

21. Media 2.0 – 3 more „for‟

22. Imagine
OK, but

23. Charles Leadbeater
Clay Shirky

24. Tapscott & Williams
Peering
Free Creativity
Democracy
Global Thinking
Perfect Storm – technology, digital natives, economics.

25. Bart’s research
Douglas Rushkoff

26. The right answer = Yes and
No

27. A case study for us today

28. Always back to this ..
… to ask if this has happened

29. Use the blog
Read the stuff
Use Pete‟s media blog
Use Media Magazine
Combine theory with
YOUR examples

30. Tribute