| THEME | NEWSBEAT | WOTW |
| OWNERSHIP | BBC, Public Service Broadcasting, Government, BBC Board of Trustees, DG (Lord Reith), Multimedia, transnational, not a monopoly, concentration of ownership – owned by the public, everyone is a shareholder. | CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), Private Company, Multimedia conglomerate, transnational(Yes), monopoly(No), U.S. COMPANY example of concentration of ownership i.e. a few companies own everything – oligopoly / cartel (??), vertical & horizontal integration (??) |
| HABERMAS | Transformation of the public sphere, media is constantly changing – BBC is adapting, BBC intention enshrined in their ethos, profit is not a priority – they put money back into programmes so Quality is important. Fits notion of transforming the public. Therefore more paternalistic, give you what you need instead of what you want. | Private business, likely to prioritise making profit. Quality is not as important as long as a profit is made. This profit will not go back into programmes. Does not fit the notion of transforming the public. Less paternalistic, gives you what you want if it makes them money. |
| CHOMSKY | Second filter (advertising) The BBC does not run ads in the UK | Second filter (advertising) CBS runs ads which helps them accrue profit |
| REGULATION | OFCOM, BBC Charter governed by parliament, license fee regulates BBC, BBC Ethos – educate, inform and entertain (Reith) BBC has a left wing, libertarian ideology (??) | Federal Communications Commission regulates private businesses i.e. not necessarily in public interest |
| AUDIENCE (ACTIVE/PASSIVE) | Audiences are more active, they are not just given programmes that they want but are given what they need (Paternalism) | Audiences are more passive, they are only shown the programmes that they want to allow in order for CBS to make a profit. |
| AUDIENCE (LAZARSFELD) | The two-step flow of communication model hypothesizes that ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them, to a wider population. It was first introduced by sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld in 1944 This relates to the specific textual example of Prince William and Kate presenting a special newsbeat edition on mental health The mass media flow ideas into the PSB BBC, flowing their ideas through various outlets as they are a multimedia convergence. They help promote their message through various opinion leaders such as Stormzy, Prince William and Kate presenting a special newsbeat edition on mental health | Can use opinion leaders to make message more relevant |
| SPECIFIC TEXTUAL EXAMLES | Prince William and Kate presenting a special newsbeat edition on mental health Kanye article. ^ This proves that the BBC care more about the viewers and want to supply a service that is educational, informal and entertaining | blurred codes of drama and news. Programme starts with title music, announcer introduction ‘Mercury Theatre Company presents . . . ‘ followed by Orson Welles prologue to War of the Worlds .. . |
| AUDIENCE (HALL) | Reception Theory – | |
| GERBNER | The Cultivation Theory suggests heavy television exposure will have a significant influence on our perception of the real world. The more we see a version of reality being depicted on the screen, the more we will believe it is an accurate reflection of society. | Cultivation theory links as the newly heavy influence of new media productions, through the introduction of radio, shows an example of this theory as it could have affected the public in a large way as a lack of knowledge and an imbedded naiveness that may of allowed the public to be victim to this hysteria produced by War of the worlds. |
| NEW TECHNOLOGY | New Technologies mean that the BBC is faced with more competition. Newsbeat is on social media, internet radio and apps. | Radio |
| CROSS MEDIA CONVERGENCE | ||
| CURRAN | – “depended on a set of linked and radical expansions” – “the BBC creating an image of its audience as ‘participants’ in the great affairs of the nation…” – Since the BBC is a PSB it uses the money it makes to improve itself and further benefit the public with a massive majority of different opinions straying away from lack of creativity that large conglomerates supply in which only function as a motive to generate a profit, which differs from the BBC. | – Private Company, Multimedia conglomerate. This means that CBS only operates as a function to generate a profit and please the shareholders, in which can lack creativity and care for the public. It will generate any kind of story in hopes to generate a profit, meaning they can lack integrity. |
| SEATON | Seaton makes us aware of the power of the media in terms of big companies who own too much. – Commercial broadcasters selling audiences to products NOT audiences to programs like the BBC. (ie no adverts on BBC). Meaning that the BBC are not chasing big exaggerated stories and appeals to informed citizens who want knowledge. | Seaton talks about rise and inevitable need for competition with new technologies. – Providing choice and more entertainment for wider audiences perhaps. the allusion of Choice – “Choice, without positive direction is a myth, all too often the market will deliver more -but only more of the same” CBS, as well as other businesses, create different media products as a sole motive to generate a profit. Meaning that when they produce programs, they will only generate products that they know will perform well, creating this idea on the illusion of choice, whereas in reality it is a well thought out process which involves repeated actions and choices in which have been largely successful in practice. |
Category Archives: Institution
Filters
CSP- NEWSBEAT
https://media-studies.com/newsbeat-analysis/#demographic-profile
- Newsbeat also exemplifies the challenges facing the BBC as a public service broadcaster that needs to appeal to a youth audience within a competitive media landscape.
- a transitional media product which reflects changes in the contemporary media landscape
- a traditional radio programme with regular, scheduled broadcast times, but it is also available online after broadcast
- The broadcast itself and the use of digital platforms provides opportunities for audience interaction
MEDIA INDUSTRIES
- Newsbeat as a BBC News product with bulletins are broadcast on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1 Xtra and BBC Asian Network
- The funding of BBC Radio through the license fee, concept of hypothecated tax
- Issues around the role of a public service broadcaster within a competitive, contemporary media landscape
- The distinctive nature of the programme connected to its public service remit
- Arguments on the need for addressing a youth audience already catered for commercially
- The influence of new technology on media industries – Newsbeat as multi–platform media product. eg
- Website
- The regulation of the BBC via Ofcom and the governance of the BBC
Public Broadcasting Service
Re-cap of Press:
| Acting | Was of good quality, believable |
| Lighting | Good quality |
| Camera angles | Good camera angles |
| Editing | Editing was mostly good but felt rushed towards end. |
| Storyline | Sometimes the plot line of each episode was weak and didn’t have much progression |
| Set | amazing set |
| sound | quality sound |
| props | appropriate – fine details |
| costume | appropriate costume – realistic |
| script | good dialogue |
Broadcasting: To a big wide audience
Narrowcasting: To a niche audience.
The BBC
- Publicly owned (funded through TV licenses by the public and overseen by government)
- The BBC was founded in October 1922
- Originally it started off as a radio and then developed into television
- Lord John Reith was the first ‘director general’ of the BBC
- He set out a mission for the BBC. This had 3 main principals; to inform, to educate and to entertain.
- The BBC is regulated by the Royal charter
- initially rejected by many organisations out of fear of new technologies
- Their work is funded through a TV license fee from British households/companies/organisations.
- Since 1 April 2014, it has also funded the BBC World Service which broadcasts in 28 languages and provides comprehensive TV, radio, and online services in Arabic and Persian
- Became increasingly more popular after second world war and played a prominent role in British life and culture.
Populism = Giving people what they want.
Paternalism = Giving the people, what some people think they need.
The BBC utilises a paternalist approach rather than a populist approach. This means they provide diverse content for their audiences. Cecil Lewis said that the BBC began opening “new worlds to people” as they are exposed to new/more content.
Habermas – Transformation of the Public Sphere within the BBC
- Using a paternalist approach to give their audiences more exposure to alternate content. For example in 1941 Una Marson was the first black BBC producer.
- More inclusive when it comes to representation.
- New technologies transformed time and space. For example in 1948 being able to watch the Olympics at home.
- 1955 first television show for deaf children – became more accessible to wider audiences.
Jean seaton
- “One cause of the collapse of the principle of public service broadcasting has been the deterioration in the relationship of the state and broadcasting institutions. “
- “essential that permission to transmit, and the matter to be transmitted should be subject to public authority.”
- “it was impossible for broadcasting to be politically accountable and yet remain independent of any political influence.”
- “developed the idea of broadcasting as a public service – catering to all section of the community, reaching all parts of the country regardless of the cost, seeking to educate, inform and improve, and prepared to lead public opinion rather then follow it.”
Ownership effects – James Curran and Jean Seaton
- their book power and responsibility explains how media has fallen under the control of a handful of global media conglomerates.
- radical pamphlets in Victorian era created by working class for working class were the engines for social and political change. Described “as an alternate value system that symbolically turned the world upside down”
.
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
Standards for Quality Programming
Qualitative elements:
- Believable acting/ character performance
- Seamless editing
- Quality camera work/ angles/ shots
- Good lighting and sound quality
- Believable and relevant ‘mis-en-scene’ elements/ setting/ costume etc.
- Followable storyline/ plot and something that is also unpredictable
- Professional marketing
Broadcasting = Producers target a wider, mass audience.
Narrowcasting = Producers target a niche audience.
The BBC
- Publicly owned (funded through TV licenses by the public and overseen by government)
- The BBC was founded in 1922, it started with radio – television broadcasting came later.
- Lord John Reith was the first ‘director general’ of the BBC
- He set out an ethos (a belief/ mission statement) for the BBC. This ethos had 3 main principals; to inform, to educate and to entertain.
- To oversee due diligence and regulation, the UK government reviews a charter: The BBC Charter, to ensure the BBC stay inline.
The BBC took up a PATERNALIST approach rather than a POPULIST approach. In other words, rather than providing ‘normal’ content to their audiences, they provide alternate ideas and what is ‘good’. Cecil Lewis said that the BBC began to open up “new worlds to people”, meaning that audiences are given access to new content.
Populism = Giving people what they want.
Paternalism = Giving the people, what some people think they need.
- British culture is centered around the BBC. It is the ‘social cement’ that gives us a shared experience and exposes us to new culture/ ideas (Habermas’ ideas on the Transformation of the Public Sphere –> The uneducated have access to education with entertainment)
Grace Wyndham Goldie says that the most significant thing regarding broadcasting is the ability to change time and space. Many have fears revolving around new technologies.
Magazine csp – men’s health
Print Language: The dominant signifier is a celebrity called Vin Diesel. He is looking down towards the viewer – connotating towards feelings of intimidation and superiority/dominance. The symbolic use of the shades of colour blue is stereotypical to the gender of a man creating a reactionary representation of a masculine magazine. The font is blocky and bold in order to come across stronger and more masculine. The semantic field of language used demonstrates what it is to be a man and alludes to strength. E.g. kill, demolish, blast. There is also use of a hashtag to link to social media and perhaps trying to access a younger demographic or to link with the modern digital world, in order to make it more accessible.
Representation: The Magazine print is a reactionary representation of men as it uses stereotypical semiotics that are connotated with masculinity. This connotates to Judith Butler’s theory of how we view gender in a “binary fashion”. She believes that gender is fluid.
Audience: The use of a celebrity is more appealing to the audience- connotating to Laswell’s Two-step flow communication model by influence of opinion leaders. The target audience is men who want to invest on their selves and take care of their body. The audience will also be men who are typically wealthy and have the money to afford luxuries. This is aimed at a range of men 15+.
Industries: Men’s Health was published by Hearst – the worlds largest magazine brand. Started by Mark Bricklin in the US in 1986 focusing on topics such as fitness, nutrition, relationships, travel, technology, fashion and finance. These magazines reach over 71 million readers worldwide. The magazine was criticised due to its focus on fitness which can increase men’s anxieties about their bodies and making them more prone to eating disorders and compulsive over – exercising. In 2004 Men’s Health started putting pictures of celebrities on the front cover with their shirts on. This is due to them promoting an unattainable model of a man. The price is $4.99 per magazine (monthly) or $28 for the year.
Since 2000, Men’s Health has been nominated for 17 National Magazine Awards which are administrated by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors. Won both Editor’s Choice and Reader’s Choice for the 2016 Hot List
Costs over $200,000 to feature an ad on the front cover. 708 men buy Men’s Health and 365 women buy men’s health.
The British edition of Men’s Health was founded in 1995. In March 2006, one of the UK writers, Dan Rookwood, appeared on the cover having transformed his body shape while working at the magazine.
- Links to online website ‘menshealth.co.uk’, encouraging readers to move online to view the magazine- more accessible. Also prevents from going outdated
- Reactionary representation of exercise, strength and fitness through links to articles within the magazine on the contents page. This is shown through image signifiers such as pictures of trainers, weights etc. Creating this unrealistic ideal that to be a ‘real’ man you must be physically at top performance. Limited radical representation through the inclusion of men of different ages and races.
- Typical male characteristics displayed through linking to an article with a picture featuring spanners, lock and key, cogs – implying men are good at fixing things or building things.
- Q+A style interview signposted through bold font for question and different for answers.
- Iconic sign of a arrow, clearly marking that he is the topic of the conversation.
- Use of alliteration “Marathon Man” making it more memorable, eye catching and easier to digest. Also has similarities with language choice alluding to this sense of a powerful ability e.g “super man”
On pages 10-11 of Men’s Health the car provides escapism and self esteem which applies to Katz’s theory of uses and gratifications and contrasts between the social and personal needs. Also relating to a typically masculine interest/hobby.
The School of Life produced a video called How to be a Man, while this is not an academic theory it nevertheless presents two versions of masculinity; the warm man and the cool man. It is possible to identify these two versions in Men’s Health, thus supporting Gauntlett’s notion of fluid, negotiated, constructed, collective identity.
For example, on the front cover of Men’s Health, Vin Diesel is standing with his posture straight and his eyeline directed down towards the viewer. Here he is demonstrating the cool man which is typically a relaxed and confident version of masculinity.
Exam Prep
- Hearst UK’ is a publishing organisation (conglomerate) which publishes 21 magazines in the UK, including; ‘ELLE’, ‘Good Housekeeping’, ‘Women’s Health’ as well as ‘Men’s Health’. It is owned through horizontal integration by ‘Hearst Communications’ (an American mass media company based in New York that is over 130 years old) Women’s Health was founded in 2005 as a branch of Men’s Health. It currently has a higher circulation than Men’s Health – 96,350, (dec 2021)
- Started by Mark Bricklin in the US in 1986 focusing on topics such as fitness, nutrition, relationships, travel, technology, fashion and finance.
- “More than 21 million readers across social and digital platforms”
- ‘MH-18’ a spin-off magazine of Men’s Health was produced in August 2000 to try to engage with a teenager demographic. This links to David Hesmondhalgh idea that media companies need to find ways to find new audiences, whilst keeping the loyalty of avid readers as a way of reducing risk.
- Social Media: 8.9 M – Facebook, 4.4M – Twitter, 1.7M – Instagram.
- Their consumer profile states that 67% of their readers are married, engaged or with a partner. 66% of the readers are college educated. The consumer profile also highlights that 5.3 Million of readers are adventure/ thrill seekers and 11.4 Million aspire to have a healthy lifestyle.
- Print sales fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017.
Statistics from Jan-Dec 2021
- An average of a 89,811 circulation per issue (how many copies distributed)
- 26% of copies were purchased digitally
- 74% of copies were purchased as print
csp – magazine
Semiotics: how images signify cultural meanings
The dominant signifier (the actor Vin Diesel) in the image is the man stood in the front of the magazine, he is dominating the page and is the anchorage which more directly relates to the masthead which illustrates the message of the magazine which is ‘Men’s Health’. The use of a famous actor as the dominant signifier is used as a method to sell more magazines as a way for the target audience to trust the message of the magazine greater. There is a large syntagm of indexical signs, phrases and subheadings all following a theme of unrealistic conventions of health and how to lose weight.
The use of the dominant colouring of blue followed by headings such as ‘Best fitness classes for men’ shows a clear male target audience. The media naturalises ideas through repetition meaning the repeated use of similar phrases and themes of fitness is obviously the focal point of the magazine.
When evaluating the magazine it can be assessed that it follows a reactionary view. This is because when the magazine was made (early 2017) there was a more shallow and elementary view on fitness so it illustrates a conventional view on health for the time. But when applying more modern views on fitness and health, it may be considered a negative radical field due to the statements such as ‘103 shortcuts to t-shirt arms’, this radical statement dehumanises men, constructing a fabricated view on the male body as a method of control within media and to comprehensively sell more products.
Constructed identity:
- The goal of this media product, a men’s magazine, is to generate a profit. So depending on the audiences the magazines identity will change, it will bend and appeal to the majority as a method of control. It will create a narrative that is most appealing to them, in this case, a narrative of toxic masculinity and a basis of the ‘cool man’ to push their men’s health ideas.
Lasswell’s model of comms:
- Active vs passive consumption’s
- WHO? The parent company, Hearst Communications UK, creators of the magazine specifically the main editor Morgan Rees
- SAYS WHAT? Men’s Health and how to become stronger and lose weight etc, various other messages also
- IN WHICH CHANNEL? Print, online, social media
- TO WHOM? The target audience of the magazine, younger impressional men, and magazine subscribers. Men specifically interested in health and exercise, active adventurous people. 70% of all Millennials and 69% of all Gen Z over the age of 18
- WITH WHAT EFFECT? Profit. Inspirational, perhaps aggressive.
Lazarsfeld 2 step flow of comms:
- Use of opinion leaders in media products help as a theme of control and reinforcement, such as in ‘Men’s Health’, there is a dominant signifier of Vin Diesel on the front, a famous actor who is used as a tool for promotion, using him to endorse their ideas and products, it opens up to the consumer and the general public as a method of active consumption.
- Page 6-7, use of the ‘Man of today’, an opinion leader used to sell a product (Hugo Boss aftershave) to the masses is a prime example of the 2 step model.
The school of life produced a video called ‘How To Be A Man’, while this is not an academic theory, it nevertheless presents 2 versions of masculinity, the ‘Warm Man’ and the ‘Cool Man’. It is possible to identify these 2 versions in Men’s Health, thus supporting Gauntlett’s notion of fluid, negotiated and constructive identity.
For example, on page 1, (the front cover) there is a dominant signifier which is an example of constructed reality, the ‘Cool Man’, he is edited and surrounded by a paradigm of phrases and headings labelling items on how to become a ‘real man’ essentially. In reality, it does not matter what you do, these things do not make you more or less of a man, therefore supporting ideas of Gauntlett of constructed reality.
Statistics on Men’s Health Magazine: January to December 2021 and other statistics
89,811
CIRCULATION
(AVERAGE PER ISSUE)
- Owner: Hearst UK
- 74% of the years circulation is physical print copies, whereas 26% is digital copies.
- Basic cover price = £4.50
- UK annual subscription rate = £36.99
- 10 made per year usually
- On average, 5% of all Paid Single Copies during the period were multipacked with ‘Runner’s World’
- Private limited company, meaning shares can not be bought on the stock market
- Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, television channels, and television stations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan and Esquire.
- Hearst UK reveals plunging revenue and £13.4m loss in Covid-hit 2020
- Despite an 18% drop in revenue to £115.9m, the company managed costs without using the Government’s job retention scheme, increasing its gross margin from 45% to 46%.
- This year (after the 2020 results period) it made up to a fifth of its staff redundant, closed Town & Country UK magazine and sold the Net Doctor website.
PAID MULTIPLE COPIES:
- Airports / airlines / international rail = 42
- Trains / other travel points = 4
- Leisure centres / club = 28
- Hotels = 213 – Majority of the multiple copies payables is by hotels
Audience:
Has an audience of more than 165 million readers and site visitors, direct engagement with 70% of all Millennials and 69% of all Gen Z over the age of 18
Women’s Health Magazine:
- Owned also by Hearst UK
- Shows a reactionary view on women, the magazines covers have women with less clothing on compared to the men’s magazine it seems.
- 1.6 million. social media followers
Market:
- MARKET SHARE: 5.07% – They are not the dominating force of major magazine publishers based on combined annual circulation of consumer titles in the United Kingdom as of January 2020
- Bauer Media is the leading force in the market with a market share of 27.7%, much larger than Hearst UK
– Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze
– Lazarsfeld – two-step flow of communication model hypothesizes that ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them, to a wider population
Page 6-7, use of the ‘Man of today’, an opinion leader used to sell a product (Hugo Boss aftershave) to the masses is a prime example of the 2 step model.
– WHO? The parent company, Hearst Communications UK, creators of the magazine specifically the main editor Morgan Rees
– SAYS WHAT? Men’s Health and how to become stronger and lose weight etc, various other messages also
– IN WHICH CHANNEL? Print, online, social media
– TO WHOM? The target audience of the magazine, younger impressional men, and magazine subscribers. Men specifically interested in health and exercise, active adventurous people. 70% of all Millennials and 69% of all Gen Z over the age of 18
– WITH WHAT EFFECT? Profit. Inspirational, perhaps aggressive.
4 Things to write about in essay + Theories to mention
- Institution – who owns it
- Examples of specific pages
- Language, how it’s laid up, representation
- Audiences
- 1. Owner: Hearst UK
- 74% of the years circulation is physical print copies, whereas 26% is digital copies
Magazines CSP, MEN’S HEALTH
Paper 2 CSP:
Page 1:
Semiotics:
- Dominant signifier being Vin Diesel, we know this because he is the main focus within the first page, being the biggest and most outward object on the page.
- The title “Men’s Health” being indexical to men’s health and the gender performance of the male gender.
- The page is reactionary, supporting the typical view of strong, independent men.
- The syntagm of men’s gender performance and what men should be like. This suggestion is that men should be fit and strong with muscular developments. “Lose 8kg fast”, “127 ways to build a stronger core” “103 shortcuts to t-shirt arms”
- The title and Vin Diesel in the magazine provide anchorage that the magazine is targeted and made for men.
Representation:
- Gender is represented through the magazines choice of colours, the colour being an aggressive dark blue which can represent masculinity.
- The sub-title “Get Back in Shape Special” represents men and the typical stereotype that men are fit and strong.
- The model used (Vin Diesel) supports and promotes the idea of gender as a performance and fits the heterosexual gaze.
- The constructed identity of a typical man is represented on the front page, but also other pages. Firstly, Vin Diesel is seen to represent the typical male, being strong, fit and have a aggressive, alpha stance.
Lazarfelds idea within men’s health:
Vin Diesel represents the idea of a strong and fit man, therefore his supporters or followers are going to buy the magazine and follow its tips to try and end up looking like him, because its his idea and his opinion that says you should be fit and active, that’s why he is also fit and active himself.
On page 6 -7 Gerard Butler can be seen as a model for the Boss aftershave “Intense”, the idea is that his supporters and people who follow him will look at this advert and think “he’s cool and he’s wearing that aftershave, so i should buy it to be cool like him”
Page 2:
Semiotics:
- Icon – Vin diesel photograph in the bottom left
- Dominant signifier being the editors letter positioned in the bottom right, talking about new years resolutions.
- Anchorage being each photo posted with the page number it correlates to.
- The picture of Vin Diesel creates the strong male ideology.
Representation:
- The constructed identity of the Male gender is represented here through the selection and combination of images of vin diesel along with pictures of the other pages, some of these pages contain weights or running shoes, implying the stereotype of how men are fit and strong.
- The individual identity of different types of men, being the strong man (Vin Diesel) down the bottom left, the old man in the middle (True Grit) and the cool man also in the middle (Page 125).
The school of life released a video called how to be a man, while this is not an academic theory, it nevertheless presents two versions of masculinity, the warm man and the cool man. It is possible to identify these two versions in men’s health thus supporting David Gauntlets notion of Fluid, negotiated, constructive identity. For example, on page 125 you can see a calm and collected man who isn’t ridiculously built up and fit, however he is positioned to be inspirational and confident. This is the representation of the “Warm Man” who knows his anxiety’s and flaws, but makes the most of what he has and stays as he is, calm and relaxed. However on page 2, within the advert for Dolce and Gabbana, the male within that photo is seen to be strong and fit, fitting the typical constructed identity of a cool man. He’s holding a woman, and shirtless in the middle of the snowy cold Alpes, but he doesn’t care, he’s calm and relaxed, and confident within himself.
Media Industries (And Audiences)
Men’s health is owned by a company called “Hearst” which has business in the UK and US, it’s mainly based in New York and started after the Founder William Randolph Hearst took over his fathers newspaper, the “San Francisco Analyser”
Hearst is a media conglomerate owning 7 different companies,
Fitch Ratings – A Market analysis company
First Database – A pharmaceutical company
Hearst Television – Owns 34 different television channels.
A-E Networks – Multinational joint broadcasting company between Disney and Hearst.
Men’s health reaches on average 89,111 people in one year, this is through majority paid subscriptions to the magazine. However, per month in the UK it is seen that it reaches 708 men aged 15+ (study made from April 2019 to March 2020) which fits the targeted demographic group.
Hearst not only has men’s health, they also have woman’s health. Along with 10 other woman focused magazines, however only 1 for men.
Woman’s health reaches on average 96,350 people in one year, which is 7,239 more than men’s health. with 65,000 of them being monthly subscriptions which is 1000 less than men’s health. This supports the idea that the media conglomerate of Hearst is supporting and creating content for both genders and many different beliefs to maximise profits and followers.
Stuart hall in “Men’s Health”:
Here we can see the creators idea that weightless, nutrition, health, fitness, style and muscle are the main things in your life to focus and produce upon. I could see how health fanatics and body building see that and agree with it because that the way they are and that’s what they focus on the most, however to someone like me I can agree that all of those things are very important but it shouldn’t be the be all and end all of your life, you should be with your family and friends, and focus on relationships rather than everything being for yourself and impressing others, however I can also see how someone who is unhealthy, sits at home eating takeaways constantly and is over weight would look at this page and completely disagree with it and continue on with their ideas of life rather than re-considering with these.
Magazines
This is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four elements of the Theoretical Framework (Language, Representation, Industries, Audience) and all relevant contexts.
Print: Magazine. The magazine should be studied in depth – the front page and from inside, both the contents page and the one page article. If you wish to look at other areas of the magazine, look at the Jan/Feb 2017 edition. There is a digital version of the edition below, look at pages 17 and 101. The interview with Vin Diesel is pp 48-56. There is so much material to draw from this magazine, so be careful NOT to JUST FOCUS ON FRONT COVER as this will be a limited reading of this product.
You will also need to study the magazine looking beyond the specific edition to consider issues of ownership, production, funding, technologies and regulation (Media Industries) and targeting, marketing, sales and readership, audience interpretation, fulfilment, uses and gratifications ideas and theories (Media Audiences).
Media Language (the language of print)
Semiotics: how images signify cultural meanings
The magazine front cover and specified content should be analysed in terms of the composition of the images, positioning, layout, typography, language and mode of address etc. this will then provide detailed evidence for application of the other theoretical frameworks
Narrative and Genre
Genre theory ie Steve Neale
The cover and specified content can be analysed in the context of genre in terms of conventions of layout and composition – which will overlap with analysis of visual language – but also as part
of the genre of men’s health and lifestyle magazines.
Genre study would include an analysis of the conventions of magazine front covers – a study which would overlap with visual analysis and audience positioning. Students should extend their genre approach by analysing the conventions of content of the
magazine.
The genre conventions of the magazine cover will need to be studied. While narrative may be more familiar to students as an approach to apply to moving image forms, it can also be very
productively applied to print media as a way of examining audience targeting, positioning and interpretation.
• Consider the way the front cover creates a narrative about character and lifestyle in order to attract an audience
• The way in which the cover stories create enigma and anticipation for the reader – to be fulfilled by reading on.
• Narrative theory (Structuralism) including including Todorov, Lévi-Strauss
Task 1: Start by looking at the key theoretical frameworks of SEMIOTICS, PRINT LANGUAGE, NARRATIVE, GENRE & REPRESENTATION. As before, have a look at the products, front cover, contents page and article, and discuss in a small group as to whether you consider these to be RADICAL or REACTIONARY REPRESENTATIONS OF MASCULINITY, AGE, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND . . . etc. Try to come up with 12 points in 12 minutes.
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher and political activist. He is a Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona and an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is the author of more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media. Chomsky’s political values have changed since his childhood when he was influenced by the emphasis on political activism that was ingrained in Jewish working-class tradition. He thinks best meet human needs: liberty, community, and freedom of association. Chomsky explains how propaganda and systemic biases function in corporate mass media. He goes on to explain how populations are manipulated and how consent for economic, social, and political policies, both foreign and domestic, is “manufactured” in the public mind due to this propaganda. This results in narrowing the public sphere and the audience engaging passively instead of actively. This is an example of Lasswell’s passive consumption model (who?-says what?-in which channel?-to whom?-with what effect?) They no longer challenge anything and think what they are told is “facts” making them easily manipulated. The I creates contrast and appears that it is positioned on the left-wing spectrum, however the I is owned by DMGT which presents views of patriotism and right-wing conservative. (70% of news papers are owned by just three companies). Active consumption can be processed through education of media tactics. Roland Barthes who talks about semiotics presented in the media and how that manipulates public consent, e.g, colours, font, pictures, where things are positioned. According to Chomsky “propaganda is to democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state,” and the mass media is the primary vehicle for delivering propaganda in the United States. We generally believe that we are more free than authoritarian states, when in fact Noam Chomsky says that we are not and that our freedom of choice is an illusion.
Five filters of media:
- Ownership– e.g if there are only a few companies
Part of bigger conglomerates with an end game of profit. Push for what gets them that profit that’s their interest. Journalism comes second.
- Advertising
They are not selling you products they are selling advertisers products. Advertisers are paying for audiences. Audience becomes the product. The motive of the media is profit, critical journalism takes second place. The media costs more than audiences will ever pay, so advertisers are needed to fill the gap – they are selling audiences to advertisers. Whistle-blowers’ stories are trashed, and diversions are made.
- Links with establishment (official sources) e.g. friends with the higher ups.
Being friends with higher ups helps to promote your career. Risk of losing job if not.
- Flak (strong criticism) – persuaded to think about something else
When the story doesn’t work in their favour they undermine and discredit journalists/media to manipulate audiences into believing them.
- uniting against a ‘common enemy’–
They tell us that (example) is bad because we all need a common enemy. Helps with public vote.
- Agenda setting
- Framing
- Mythmaking
- conditions of consumption
The Printing Press:
- The Printing Press was created in Germany around 1440.
- This invention made way for the spread of news through a different media forms.
- ‘The Peterloo Masacre’
regulation theory
Habermas – The Public Sphere
Public Sphere – the central arena for societal communication where different opinions are expressed, problems of general concern are discussed, and collective solutions are developed communicatively
The Printing Press developed by Johannes Gutenburg in 1440 expanded the public sphere due to its positive impact on the price of written materials and effectiveness at producing products quickly, enabling ideas to be spread faster and wider
The Peterloo Massacre in 1819 saw the death of fifteen people when cavalry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation. This outraged public opinion and therefore saw the emergence of the radical press in the UK and after calls for parliamentary inquiry where the Tory government supported the use of force. determined to stop further incidents, the government established a series of legislation, in one of the biggest clampdowns of radical behaviour in history: training prevention act, seditious meeting act, seizure of arms act, misdemeanours act, blasphemous and seditious libels act, newspaper and stamp duties act.
Jurgen Habermas, 1929
- author of ‘Theory of Communicative Action’
- a member of the Frankfurt School
- argues that the ‘development of early modern capitalism brought into being an autonomous arena of public debate’ therefore the public sphere came to be ‘dominated by an expanded state and organised economic interests’
- he defines the public sphere as a virtual or imaginary community which does not necessarily exist in any identifiable space. In its ideal form, the public sphere is “made up of private people gathered together as a public and articulating the needs of society with the state”
- believed emergence of an independent, market-based press, created a new public engaged in critical political discussions
Chomsky – Propaganda Model
- believes propaganda and systemic biases function in corporate mass media – mass communication media and the government “are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion”
- The Propaganda model seeks to explain how populations are manipulated and how consent for economic, social, and political policies, both foreign and domestic, is “manufactured” in the public mind due to this propaganda
- ‘The mass media serve as a system for communicating messages… to inculcate individuals with the values, beliefs, and codes of behaviour that will integrate them into the institutional structures’ and achieve this through ‘systematic propaganda’ – Chomsky and Herman 1988:1
- Chomsky and Herman do not claim that the PM captures all factors which influence mass media coverage of news stories, and do not suggest they are particularly anti-democratic – however, they do tend to produce systematic bias in favour of powerful political and economic actors
| structures of ownership | mass media firms are big corporations – often part of even bigger conglomerates Thus, news goes through a process of ‘self-censorship’ news that augers well for the company is encouraged while any news that could harm the image of the company is filtered out |
| the role of advertising | Revenue generated through advertisements is essential for media outlets to survive revenue earned through advertisements is higher than the revenue earned by subscriptions and sales |
| links with establishment | media houses cannot afford to place correspondents all over the place so instead they place correspondents and personal at locations where news stories are most likely to break out Hence, they enter into a symbiotic relationship with various sources of information the media does not run any story that might hurt the interests of their informants and runs stories without checking their credibility in some cases |
| diversionary tactics/FLAK | When the media – journalists, whistleblowers, sources – stray away from the consensus, they get ‘flak’ When the story is inconvenient, the powers can inflict complaints, lawsuits or any disciplinary legislative actions Such complaints or actions can be raised by the government, companies, advertisers or other individuals Flak can be damaging for any media outlet |
| uniting against ‘common enemy’ | to make the public accept authority, oftentimes artificial fears are created for the public most significantly communists, terrorists, immigrants a common enemy to fear, helps corral public opinion |