Analysis of News Report 7th August

- Who do the reporters interview?

They interview a local  resisdent to highlight the extent of the looting and focusing more promentitly on the looting and destruction of the Aldi store. They also reported on the statement by Commander Adrian Hanstock who defended the absence of police in the ealier times of the riot saying he wanted to allow the peaceful process to proceed with out unneeded interference. Also a discussion with Davis Lammy MP
- What images are used in the broadcast? What does this suggest about representation of the riots?

Many images shown in the broadcast show the acts 'Extreme Violence' by the rioters at this date at not explictly highlighted as 'Youths'. The broadcast unlike others has a more balanced view of the riots with much of the broadcast focusing on the police response to the riot than the riots themselves. Referring to the response a under scaled and was a cause for the exculation as the 'Violence was unprecedented'. Once the broadcast focused on the riot they chose the most violent and visually drawing images, such as the burning 'Aldi' to show the soctetal breakdown in Britian. Youths are not explict talking point on the news bullentin but the images contian a disturbing amount of youths in hoodies doing less than approite behavouir.

- Is the broadcast biased?

I was underwhelmed by the implicitly of the the minimalist bias (Good for the views bad for my short attention span). The broadcast give a well rounded report of the events. I was presently surprised at the news bulletin discussion of the reason of the riots, which was presented in a calm and considerate manner regarding unfortunate death of the young man. This give the other portions of the broadcast a an air of contextualization. It can be argued that the combination of the visually drawing images and persistent use of the word 'Riot' can be considered Sensationalism.            
- Are youths given a fair voice?
No. Is the simple answer. But this bad thing for this broadcast. Youths were not discussed extensively, meaning giving the 'Youth's' a voice would be unneeded and plain strange. Having a fair is relative to the discussion, this one did not involve Youths.      

London Riots Timeline

August 4, 2011 - Police investigating gun crime in the black community shoot 29-year-old Mark Duggan after stopping him in a taxi in Tottenham, north London. He dies at the scene after the shooting at 17.15 GMT.


August 4 - Britain's police watchdog opens an inquiry into the fatal shooting.


August 6 (16.00 GMT) - Duggan's friends and family gather outside Tottenham police station for a peaceful protest. About 200-300 people join the demonstration.


August 6 (19.20) - bottles are thrown at police cars near the police station and one of the vehicles is set alight. Locals say the violence began after an argument between a protester and a police officer.


August 6 (21.45) - riot police at the scene come under attack from people throwing bottles and missiles. A red London double-decker bus is set alight and there are reports of shops being looted.

August 6-7 - The violence continues through the night in Tottenham. Rioters attack banks, set fire to cars and loot shops.

August 7 (17.00) - the violence spreads to Enfield, a neighbourhood in northeast London. Shops windows are smashed and a police car is damaged. Shortly after, missiles are thrown in Brixton, south London.

August 7-8 - Rioters clash with police in Enfield and Brixton. They loot stores and destroy vehicles.

August 8 - Police say they are dealing with "copycat criminality" across London.

August 8 (05.30) - more than 100 people have been arrested overnight and nine police have been injured.

August 8 (16.00) - clashes are reported in Hackney, northeast London. London Mayor Boris Johnson says he will cut short his holiday and return to the capital.

August 8 (19.00) - police in Britain's second city Birmingham report looting and violence across the centre.

August 8 (20.00) - TV news channels show aerial footage of large fires in Croydon, a town to the south of London.

August 8 - Reports emerge at 2030 that Prime Minister David Cameron is to return home early from a holiday in Italy.

August 8 (21.30) -, the violence is reported to have spread to Clapham, an upmarket area in southwest London. Rioting follows in Ealing in the west and Woolwich in the east.

August 8-9 - Rioting continues through the night in several parts of the capital, including Peckham and Hackney. A police station is set alight in Birmingham and officers are called to a number of incidents in the northwest port city of Liverpool.

August 9 - Cameron addresses the media outside his Downing Street office and condemns the disorder as "criminality pure and simple". He says he will recall parliament and put 16,000 police on the streets of the capital on Wednesday, almost three times the number out on Tuesday night.

August 9 - The Football Association postpones a friendly match between England and the Netherlands planned for Wembley on Wednesday due to worries about the rioting.

August 9 - Cameron visits Croydon to see the damage from the previous night's violence.

Useful Theory

Useful Theory

David Buckingham (2008)

He argues that identity is complicated and complex

Antonio Gramsci - Hegemony(See also Acland below)


Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci (1881-1937). He emphasised that the control of society by one group or one set of political ideas was not necessarily achieved by force or control of arms, but by persuasion and ‘consent’ – the basis of democracy. The rulers manage to convince the mass of the population that they are ‘better off’ accepting current government policies. Maintaining hegemonic control is thus a process of constantly reinforcing the message and developing the argument.



The concept of hegemony allows for substantial change in ideas over time, even though the
same groups remain in power. These groups constantly adjust their ideas and find new ways
to gain the consent of those they dominate.



In media terms the Mass Media both perpetuate cultural hegemony and are a cultural hegemony in themselves in that a relatively small number of big companies, e.g. NewsCorp., The BBC, Time Warner, Sony etc., control most of the world’s media, and this in turn allows them to control most of what we see, hear and know. This, in turn, allows them to control what we think, selecting only ideas that serve its interests, i.e. bourgeois capitalism. This is known as a ‘Top Down’ model of dominant ideologies.


David Buckingham


“A focus on identity requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life, and their consequences for both individuals and for social groups”


Mikhail Bakhtin


The Russian philosopher Bakhtin believed that individual people cannot be finalized, completely understood, known or labeled. He saw identity as the unfinalised self meaning a person is never fully revealed or known.


This ties in with the idea that identity is a fluid concept, a life-long project that is never complete.


Stan Cohen

Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972)


David Gauntlett

'Identities are not 'given' but are constructed and negotiated.'

Michel Foucault (French thinker 1926-1984)


For Foucault, people do not have a 'real' identity within themselves; that's just a way of talking about the self -- a discourse. An 'identity' is communicated to others in your interactions with them, but this is not a fixed thing within a person. It is a shifting, temporary construction.

Power is something which can be used and deployed by particular people in specific situations, which itself will produce other reactions and resistances; and isn't tied to specific groups or identities.


Power outcomes are not inevitable and can be resisted.


(The power in our instance would be MASS MEDIA)
Henry Jenkins - Participatory Culture

He celebrates these kinds of 'participatory' media and argues that a 'participatory culture' is one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another. Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression tocommunity involvement. Links to the idea that social media can empower young people and bring about change.



Hebdige (1979)


Hebidge studied British youth subcultures in the late 1970s. Hebdige argues that youth subcultures are a way for young people to express their opposition to society, and to challenge hegemony. This is primarily expressed through style. In this context you may consider how the working class youths’ behaviour is a response to their position in society (e.g. broken Britain, failure of the penal system, consider Plan B - youths let down by government - fuel the fire).


Hebidge also argues that representations of young people are quite limited showing them as either fun or trouble. Again this suggests media representations of young people do not really relate to reality.


Acland (1995)


Acland argues that media representations of delinquent youths actually reinforcehegemony. They do this by constructing an idea of ‘normal’ adult and youth behaviour, and contrasting it with deviant youth behaviour which is shown to be unacceptable.


Acland also claims that media representations of young people out of control allows the state to have more control of them (e.g. media reports about delinquent youths led to ASBOs). This is something Acland calls the ‘ideology of protection’ – the idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring. This happens because youth is the time when young people learn about social roles and values, and allows the state to make sure they conform to hegemonic values.

When applying Acland think about the extent to which media representations show young people as in need of control. Do the representations show young people as behaving in an unacceptable way? If so does this identify what behaviour society thinks is acceptable (i.e. hegemonic)? You may want to focus particularly on how the representations we looked at show youths to be deviant, thus reinforcing middle class hegemony.

Historical Case Study Notes

1.)Discuss the representation and ideological values of Jimmy, Steph and Kevin. Use textual examples to back up points made.

Jimmy

Jimmy character relies heavily on the 'Collective identity' for his own identity. This is symbolized , as Jimmy’s downward spiral is the personification of a mod. Jimmy strong connection to the mod culture is clearly shown in the opening scene. Jimmy buys a large amount 'Blueys' for the dealer outside the club. As the movie progresses 'Blueys' are integral to Mod Culture. His need to be wanted and needed is further personified by the images on the wall of Jimmy room. Mod culture also represents the majority of his ideological values. Like much of the youth of the time his had a dead end job, and had a strong distaste for the older generation. Jimmy need for the Mod Culture is clearly shown in the conversation with his unlikely Kevin. “That's why I'm a Mod see, because I don't want to be like everyone else.” Throughout the movie Jimmy ideologies are tried and broken through the course of the movie. The most prominent is the truth about his mentor 'Ace Face' which leads him to almost commit suicide.

Steph

Steph values can be seen as lacks or non-existence throughout the movie. Even though she 'hangs' around with the Mod the culture does not dictate her life, unlike her cohort Jimmy. Her promiscuous nature maybe a representation of her strength (It was the 70s Ladies strong WHAT!) thus her detached view of the Mods. Unlike Jimmy who need and want to be accepted is all his life is. Personally I find her the most grounded character in the cast, unlike many of the other she is not searching for anything she is just living her life, perhaps a little to loosely than acceptable. Or it could be just my soft spot and me for promiscuous blondes who love bikes.  

Kevin

Kevin is Jimmy's old friend from his past; he joined the army to subvert the norm and that failed. Now he is a 'Rocker'. The opposition of Jimmy's gang of Mods, this does make their friendship tenuous at best. But when they first meet in a public bathhouse they are friendly and nice. This is due to their lack of attire this soon changes when they meet for some 'Grub'. 'What you dressed like that for?' Jimmy questions Kevin. Unlike Jimmy, Kevin believes that everyone is the same underneath "We are  just the same Jimmy" Kevin implores Jimmy to reconsider. Kevin ideology is to live life for fun, not to the extent of Steph and not for a group of people, Jimmy; but for him. When he is attacked by the Mods and sees Jimmy there he screams and shouts for him to stop them. This shows his belief of there friendship is strong when is reality it is dwarfed in comparison to Jimmy need and want to be Mod.   

2.) What examples of Mise en scene reinforce the idea of youth culture?

The Mise-en Scene was imperative for the representation of the two 'gangs' in the movie. The Mods ha there tightly fitted suits, parker coats, Lambretta scooters and a strange need for 'Blueys'. In almost direct opposition the rockers worn huge leather jackets and big combat boots and ride around on huge loud motorcycles. They identify with the older 50s rock generation whilst the Mods love the contemporary indie music. An important scene is when Jimmy meets Kevin at the diner their renounced friendship quickly deteriorates as they notice they’re different attire “What you dressed like that for?” Jimmy asks Kevin. This divide is personified by clothes. The clothes also refer to the ‘Stickiness of labels’ Jimmy was arrested for just were similar clothes. He was rioting but at the time of his arrest his was innocent, damn you Police. Their mode of transportation becomes more and more important as the film progresses, as it becomes the symbol of Mod culture. The building of this symbolism is needed as the end scene shows Jimmy shredding his Mod restraints as the bike goes over the edge.

Jimmy parents see him as strange and anti-social and waiting for something bad to happen with him. This links with the attire as the clothes Jimmy wears gets a reaction from his parents. When he wears skinny jeans that you have to put on wet, his Dad calls him an abundance of names. In the same scene Jimmy is also mocked for his taste in music. The recurrence of distasteful names is that Jimmy isn’t ‘Normal’ or not ‘Right’. This allows us to see were his hatred of the older generation, stems from.   

3.)“Identity is complicated” – How can this quote be applied to the character of Jimmy?

This Identity that Jimmy carefully constructed his life around is a lie. He joined the Mods to ‘Belong’ and to be different from others, ‘to find himself’. But by doing so he is conforming to the culture he so disparately despises. The title Quadrophenia refers to the fallacy that schizophrenia is having or hearing two personalities, Quadrophenia is a play on that concept as the lead protagonist has four different personalities as he is trying to find himself. He is a Son, Mod, Worker, and friend. He is trying to discover who he really is. And what he finds isn’t pretty. The most ambiguous of the four personalities is the ‘Friend’; this refers to the friendship he shares with the rocker Kevin. His struggle to keep the Mod culture at bay whilst around Kevin tests Jimmy friendship with his other friends. His resolve is broken when he and other Mod go out with the intention of hurting some rockers, as they attacked one of his friends. Once they find one, it is Kevin; Jimmy breaks down and doesn’t know what to do and just runs away. The climax of the movie a dark and unnerving ideology is presented that the four personalities he is trying to mediate don’t exist. (Purely metaphorical). He is not a son because his parent are ashamed of him and don’t understand him. He is not a Mod as the Leader ‘Ace Face’ is liar and his ideology is shattered by that ‘Bombshell’. He is not a worker not only because was fired but he didn’t make an impact or connect wit his dead end job; and finally he is not a friend to Kevin as he helped with the brutal beating of him. This Jimmy has with nothing he is no one by the end scene. His ‘coming of age story’ has lead him to discover he is nothing. His life a fallacy, fortunately he decides not to ride of cliff and end it all. (Being a cliché is bad for the soul).             

  

 

4.) Can you draw any similarities between the youth representation of the past compared to youth representation today? 5.) Discuss how Stan Cohen’s theory can be related to this film.

        

Cohen’s theory of Moral panic and the demonization of youths in the media holds strong in the film. The Moral Panic of the mass media can be seen in the headlines that Jimmy places on the wall of his bedroom. But the most prominent example is the huge gang fights at Brighton; Jimmy was arrested for just being there. This is a societal commentary that youths must be guilty, if present. This is a clear link to the London riots many people were arrested for simply being there. This not to detract from the clear evidence of huge number of people being involved. The arresting procedure at first glance consisted of a check list of one thing ‘young’ you check that box and your in the nick. This pessimistic view of youth culture and the affect it could have on the youth of today can be summed up is a simple quote from the dark TV program ‘Wire in the Blood’ “Don’t you think is you tell a little girl that she is evil, over and over again, she might start to believe it?”. Could the ‘Moral panic of social have a more harmful effect on the youth than any ‘Gang or Mob Culture’.       

Clockwork Orange

2.How was the film reported by the press and how did the youths of the time relate to
the film?

The was reports of ‘Clockwork Gangs’ committing crimes after watching the movie. This is narrow minded view of the human psyche watch something violent and become violent. Silly. If anything being exposed to violence will allow you to view it in real life with a slightly detached apathy that can allow you to process the distasteful scenes easier any with less lasting damage. But back to Clockwork. Despite the media portraying the film is vulgar and promoting violence. The youths said it did the opposite it is a representation of the unemployment and hooliganism in 1970s Britain. And detests violence as it is seen in negative light. This can show two things; the extent the mass media will resort to evoke ‘Moral Panic’ or how well the youth of today can lie. The effect of the movie on the youth cannot be imperially measured or tested so we can only theorize what the movie could have or has done to the youth culture. What we do know is that the director Stanley Kubrick removed the film from distributers saying he cannot live with the guilty of any one being harmed because of the movie. This shows the extent of the public reaction to Kubrick’s Masterpiece. But we can measure the so called ‘Moral Panic’ the Mass media evoked during the film short release. The Newspaper headline such as ‘Clockwork Orange Gang kill defenseless homeless man’, this can be described as sensationalizing headline, as it evokes an overly emphasized version of events. The news outlet made an arbitrary connection between this unfortunate death and a scene from Kubrick’s ‘Clockwork Orange’. There was no solid proof of an explicit connection. This quick jump to a connection has been seen in a more contemporary context, the London Riots rocked Britain’s foundations on August 4^th they continued for many days spanning multiple cities. The Media coverage as the riots started to intensify focused on the Youth and their role in the events. This specific focus only narrowed as the riots continued, reaching its peak when the ‘Mass Media’ accused the Youth of being the main driving force or even the sole perpetrator of the Riots. Weeks after the riots statistics were published by The Guardian showing the demographics of those arrested during the riots. Surprising the number of ‘Youth’ (A loose term, in this context will refer to those under the age of 18) arrested was under 50%. So the accurate media coverage wasn’t so accurate after all.                       
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3.How can Stan Cohen’s theory be related to this film?

Alex and his droogs can be seen, as the embodiment of ‘Folk Devils’ Cohen loves so much. They subvert the norms of the society, as ‘they always up for some ultra-violence’. This positions Alex and his droogs as a content culture as they reject the rule of society and live by their own. This links to Stan Cohen’s ‘Social Deviants’ they are marginalized by society; this is not explicitly highlighted in the movie, but the younger audience stated there was similarities between the movie and the level of unemployment at the time of its release.           

Presentation of Self

In general, media is my identity even though I don't actively seek out the new trends or styles. But in a depressing way we do not have a unique or unbiased idea in our entire life. As I watch an unhealthy amount of TV and Film I must be influenced explicitly or implicitly via these mediums. Such as a new hit tv show may have a specific stance on a political or social issue, even though I am not political. That view point will be taken in by me and chances are that I will be adopted by me. DAMN YOU SEMIOTICS (shaking fist angrily in the air). I personally believe that I do not follow trends. But it's the large public awareness that leads these 'trends' to me and the chances that they become adopted by me increase ten-fold. 

The images I choose were mostly of TV shows, as this is the medium I am mostly exposed to. Meaning chances that my 'New' Identity has been nurtured by my Tv Shows are extremely high. Once you start thinking about it, it is quite scary. You may dress a certain way because your favorite actor does, but the reasons for the actors attire is illusive. Is it because he is payed to dress like that, if so who payed him? READ 'NO LOGO' and be really scared. In addition to the Tv shows some Novels are present as they represent all the books I have read. It is harder to view novels as ploys to gain political or social ground, more so the older non- contemporary ones as they cannot influence real life issues in the same way contemporary novels can. Making them a more enjoyable read. 

I maybe apparent that the majority of images contain woman (Correction, Beautiful Woman) its because im a TEENAGER! 

The difficultly is that is this a representation of our identity or our likes. And how strong is the difference. A extremely smart man once said that we only accept a percentage of the information we are exposed to. An simple example is presidential candidates has a huge marketing campaign. One may say that the other had an affair. Does that mean that everyone who hears about the story will believe it? Of course not. The same logic can be applied to creation of Identity just because we have been exposed to something, do not be are changed or even affect by it.   

Da Exam

Exam Date: 4th June

Sally's Blog

The Exam

A2 media exam from jphibbert1979