They had limited recording space when producing the song so Collins recorded each band memeber individually and built up the song track by track
Cultural, Social and Historical
In 2002 Jerry Dammers told The Gaurdian, “You travelled from town to town and what was happening was terrible. In Liverpool, all the shops were shuttered up, everything was closing down … We could actually see it by touring around. You could see that frustration and anger in the audience. In Glasgow, there were these little old ladies on the streets selling all their household goods, their cups and saucers. It was unbelievable. It was clear that something was very, very wrong.” He later stated in 2011 that seeing this was the inspiration for Ghost Town.
The song addresses themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for being a hit at the same time as riots were occurring in British cities
“no job to be found in this country” is one of the lyrics from this song making a clear link to the high unemployment in england at this time especially the north.
Communicating Meaning
The song consists of many unusual instruments and different chords and sounds, all of this was to represent the chaos and discomfort felt by many at the time.
The music video uses a shot of the band all inside a car, it uses good blocking techniques to fit most of the band memebers in the shot.
The clothing choice with some members in all black suits and others in brighter clothing juxtapose ine other which could be a statement at the divide in the country especially racially.
An episode of a american radio drama called The Mercury Theatre on the air
It was released as the Halloween episode on 8 pm Sunday October 30 1938
Audience
12 million listeners
It was first broadcast on October 30th 1938
Performed on radio by Orson Wells
H. G. Wells was the author
Upon its first release, people who tuned in after the beginning of the radio drama believed it was a real news bulletin and began to freak out.
Home station – CBS radio
Hosted by – The Mercury Theater on the air
Fake news
Anxiety era
12 million listeners at the time
The relationship between newspapers and radio is significant
By 1935 there were double the amount of radios in houses than telephones so it was easily spread.
‘Moral Panic’
Stanley Cohen
The fact that Wells made such a benefit from the overblown coverage as well as CBS radio created an idea that the radio station amplified the stories of people over reacting to gain viewership and publicity. However, if people did overreact in this way then that would of supported Well’s belifes of the power of media.
Chomsky‘s argument that the media is used by powerful groups – ‘Manufacturing Consent‘ – is the most appropriate theory to structure an understanding of media, technology, control, manipulation and power.
the ideal level of regulation for media that would be most beneficial for the public sphere is somewhere between the state and the free market. Full State regulation reduces freedom of speech whereas a fully free market regulation would allow people to say anything they want which would create problems.
‘Critical reflection fostered by letters and novels, the flowering of discussion in coffee houses and salons and, above all, the emergence of an independent, market-based press.’
‘a public space between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed and ‘popular’ supervision of government was established ‘
‘ The primary democratic role of the media is to act as a public watchdog over the state. ‘
Habermas is a German philosopher who developed the structural transformation of the public sphere theory. The public sphere is an undefined group of people effected by the media. It is a “society engaged in critical public debate”. he believed that the public sphere was dominant and a positive group up until the 1830’s when there was an disruption within the public sphere with the introduction of media.
Curran and Seaton
Their theory is that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power.
The concept of a ‘public interest’ Endures
Underlying the proposal for a normative framework is a fundamental presumption, that the media do serve the ‘public interest’ or ‘general welfare’ weather by design or chance.
Something is ‘in the public interest if it serves the ends of the whole society rather than those of some sectors of society’
Public control
VS
Deregulation
Ideally, somewhere between these two would serve the public interest most beneficially.
pen / pencil / paper word processor / printer telephone camera microphone license computer
(large scale) printing press lorries / vans / cars stacks / shelves / display cases / boxes social media platforms company / organisation / individual to deliver product storage billboards target audience
paper (the ability to read? & understand?) a digital device (ipad/phone, computer reading glasses / eyes / braille / audio provision (headphones) Wifi!
Noam Chomsky
Chomsky, otherwise known as “the father of modern linguistics”, is best known for his influence on linguistics, specifically, the development of transformational grammar. Chomsky believed that formal grammar was directly responsible for a person’s ability to understand and interpret mere utterances.
“Normally, news ‘coincides with’ and ‘reinforces’ the ‘definition’ of the political situation evolved by the political elite.” – Murdock
“Fewer and fewer corporations control more and more of the American news media” – Bagdikian
“Swat flies but don’t beat tigers” – Polumbaum. This quote is in reference to Chinese media and their view on state criticism.
