Archive of ‘Initiative’ category
I love Bec Judd. I think she’s gorgeous and she always looks amazing and is so composed and an amazingly successful woman who doesn’t get by simply on her husband’s fame. I’ve noticed recently, however, that for whatever reason, the media seems to really have it in for her. Every joke Bec makes is twisted and manipulated to make her seem snobbish or rude, and to be honest, I’m over it.
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The above image was posted by Bec in April, and was the real of her pregnancy with identical twin boys. In the caption, in a move that was quite clearly making fun of herself and making a joke, Bec says that she “wish[es they] called Billie a proper girl’s name now,” referring to her daughter.
Within hours, my Facebook feed was absolutely filled with articles reported that “BEC JUDD REGRETS DAUGHTER’S NAME”. Something that was said as a joke and that was intended to be lighthearted was completely twisted and misconstrued in order to write articles and gain publicity.
This isn’t the only time this has happened to Bec, either. After the Logies, she posted the below image of her children playing in her dress. Media outlets reported the image and claimed that Bec allowed her children to destroy a dress worth thousands, thereby painting her as someone with no appreciated of understanding of money.
The aftermath ?
A video posted by Rebecca Judd (@becjudd) on May 8, 2016 at 3:23pm PDT
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In fact, the backlash and criticism of this video was so great that Bec felt the need to make another post, clarifying that the dress was in perfect condition, and that it was hanging in the designer’s studio.
Why is it that we seem so against a successful woman sharing her life with us? Why does the media feel the need to twist and manipulate every little thing simply for the sake of promoting their own agenda? It’s nothing short of vicious and mean, as far as I’m concerned, and they should be made to clarify the facts prior to writing pieces that criticise another’s character and intentions.
i think it’s so important that we as consumer acknowledge how wrong this treatment is, as we are the ones with have the power to say ‘no more’ and demand a change in the way the media treats women like Bec. As a media producer, I never want to be someone who looks for success in the manipulation and potential humiliation of another.
This past week, I was involved in the massive task of setting up a brand new store for the company I work for. My store was upsizing on a massive scale, and everything from the managers to the fixtures to the clothing was brand spanking new.
The amount of media content that was involved in the store setup was something I never would have previously realised, and so I took some mental notes, asnI think it really goes to show just how fundamental media is not only in our own lives as an entertainment outlet, but also as a means for success for business.
- Facebook event – the company made an event for the store opening and listed all the days events and the promos we had running in order to entice customers
- Price pointing – massive signs showing promo prices and 2-for deals, so that customers an see them not only inside the store, but also form outside when walking past, which may entice them into entering the store
- Door talkers – the sign outside the store that displays the current “hot deal” we have running – so at the moment it was advertising the “spend over $50 and receive a free beanie” promotion
- mannequins – showcasing our clothing and putting it into outfits for customers to shop
- VM – the store layout is incredibly technical, every little fold is agonised over and deliberate so as to increase sales and customer experience
- Promo – spend over $50 and receive a free beanie throughout opening weekend
- Opening day events – We had a DJ, free coffee, free cupcakes and gift bags for the first 500 customers
- New store Instagram – updating other stores and customers and allowing them to become familiar with the store and the people who work there
- Regional Instagram – the regional was posting updates for the store setup throughout the day
An Introduction to Film Studies
Jill Nelmes
This particular source looks at film institution and how it has existed as a changing entity over time. It focuses in particular on American film institution, as it claims it is the largest and most dominating of the film institutions. It discusses the “institutional framework” of the film industry – meaning it looks at the production, distribution and consumer receiving of a film – unlike many other sources which do not break the film industry down to this degree, and instead discuss it as one giant entity that simply spits out films.
This source is particularly useful is we want to look at the changes to film institution over time, as it breaks the film industry down into “eras”, and discusses them all separately. It discusses the changes to film production and distribution over time, as well as the audiences and consumers who receive them, and how they have changed over time.
It also discusses film stars and how they have changed over time – for the most part in a legal, contractual sense. This source also provides case studies on certain studios within the film industry, which may be helpful and worth exploring when putting together our essays.
New Zealand Film and Television: Institution, Industry and Cultural Change
Trisha Dunleavy, Hester Joyce
This sources focuses specifically on the media industries of film and television, with a focus on New Zealand. Although it is not Australia, I think the similarities between the industries in the two countries makes it relevant and useful with regards to Australian industry. It discusses the industry over a number of years, and how the small population of NZ results in some financial struggle when it comes to film and television production. This could also be applied to Australia, where the film and television industry is not on the same scale as countries such as the U.S., and budgets similarly aren’t on the same scale.
This source also discusses film and television as cultural industries, and how they can both draw from local culture as well as contributing and creating their own culture – film and television culture. This is also discussed over an extended time period, so it can be seen how this film and TV culture has developed and changed over time.
In addition, it also discusses the political implications and place on film and TV industries within NZ society, which can be extended to Australia to some degree.
Are digital media institutions shaping youth’s intimate stories? Strategies and tactics in the social networking site Netlog
This source talked with particular reference about social media institutions, and how they have influenced the youth of today and their “intimate stories” – how social media influences relationships, sexuality and gender experiences and identifications for today’s youth. It discusses the role of social media, and how it and other media institutions have become such central aspects to our everyday life experiences.
This source is particularly useful when discussing the everyday place media institutions have in our lives, and just how much they can influence our relationships and life narratives. It becomes even more relevant when comparing our life experiences and the place of media institutions today when compared with 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
This piece also discusses the differing identities that emerge as a result of social media, and how media institutions such as social media have allowed people to express their true selves in a safe environment.
This piece is a bit dated and does focus heavily on issues of feminism, sex, gender etc. and how social media influences these issues, and doesn’t really discuss economic factors, so in this was it may not be particularly useful, but there is certainly some information that could be drawn upon in our discussion of media institutions influence on our lived experiences.
Culture, Society and the Media
Michael Gurevitch, Tony Bennett, James Curran & Janet Woollacott
This particular source looks at different approaches to media studies – from a marxism perspective as well as a liberal-pluralist approach. It compares the two perspectives and how they approach the media, and how they came to be.
This piece also looks at mass media and how it developed over time into what we know it as today. It discusses the relationship between the traditional audience and mass media, and how this has changed over time.
This source also explicitly discusses media institutions, and the power that they have from a social, economic and cultural standpoint. It discusses how media institutions play a role in many aspects of life, such as political aspects, and do not exist purely as an entertainment entity. This piece pays particular focus to how media industry influences and plays a role in politics. In saying this, it also does look at media industry as having a role in the social development of society.
Further, this piece does look at media changes over the course of a number of years, as well as approaching media studies and the discussion of media industries from a number of different theoretical approaches. This proves a well rounded approach to media institution studies.
I just got home from the footy, and whilst waiting almost 40 minutes for literally either team to score a goal, I got to thinking about how massive a role the media plays in the footy. Not only just advertisers; there’s tv, which broadcasts not just games, but also footy related shows, radio, social media and more.
AFL has been so successful in transitioning into the social media age – team Twitter accounts use GIFs and memes in order to engage fans. They upload 30 second clips of successful plays. They engage with fans and use their media to update supporters not only during games, but over throughout the week during training and the like. It ensures they remain in the supporters mind, and therefore increases the likelihood that they’ll not only tune in to the game on TV or radio, but that they’ll attend the match and support the club, buy merchandise and sign up for memberships.
Further to this, there are accounts completely separate from the AFL, such as AFL memes, who make fun of teams and players through memes. There is an online community surrounding AFL that allows for it to remain relevant, despite criticism that rule changes and poor umpiring is ‘ruining’ the game.
Even when attending the game, the media plays such a huge role. The home team provides entertainment – such as kiss cams and dance cams, usually from sponsors – that not only engages the attendees, but also spreads the word of their sponsors, in turn increasing their support for the club. The MCG even has wifi now, allowing fans to jump on Facebook and checkin, or head to Twitter and ‘tweet the crowd,’ in which the person who tweets the closest estimation for the ground attendance wins a prize pack.
It just goes to show how there are so little aspects of our lives that are separate from the media, and how much of an influence it can have. Personally, I think the AFL is great as they are aware of this power and use it for good. Throughout the season, there are numbers of games devoted to creating awareness and funds for multiple organizations and issues. For example, the ANZAC game, indigenous round and Maddie’s Match. Further to this, many players understand the power they have, and use it to personally further causes, for example Jimmy Bartel and his pledge to raise awareness and money to help eradicate domestic violence.
Media as a Social Institution
Art Silverblatt
Whilst I think there are aspects of this source that may be interesting and useful throughout our essays, it does look at media as a social institution, rather than the impact of media institutions on society and social construct. This source discusses the way social groups can form around certain media types, and how media can facilitate discussion and can form common bonds between groups. In this way it may be helpful, as this speaks to the success of some media institutions in comparison to others.
It also discusses media ownership, and how in the US a lot of media institutions are privately owned. This is particularly interesting as it speaks to media institutions and whether they are motivated by the desire to create new and interesting media, or by the need to turn a profit. This is certainly interesting to explore with regards to different media institutions and how they operate differently depending on their motivations.
It also touches on the difference between privately owned and government owned media industry, and how their social impact can differ; for example in countries like China, where media is government owned, it is not so much for entertainment and exists mores as a guide to citizens on how the live and think.
At my school, a couple years above, there was a guy named James Macready-Bryan. On the night of his 20th birthday, James was out for a drink with mates at a bar, where a fight broke out. James stepped in to intervene, and was punched. He fell, hit his head, and as a result has an acquired brain injury (ABI). He will never again be able to dress himself, feed himself, walk, talk or live independently. One punch changed James’ life forever, as well as the lives of his mum, dad, brother and friends.
As a result of what happened to James, two foundations were formed – one was the JMB foundation, who raise funds to care for those with ABI’s, whilst another was named Step Back Think, an organisation who travel to school and raise awareness for the danger of the Coward Punch.
Going to the school that JMB attended, I was always exposed to the facts and dangers of the Coward Punch. JMB’s story was one we all knew; it was a cautionary tale. A story that showed the dangers one punch can do. James’ mum taught at our school; we knew the impact one punch could have not only on the victim, but on their family.
However, not everyone is lucky enough to be so exposed to this. Not everyone has such a firsthand experience with such a terrible crime. That’s where the media come in.
There has been numerous stories about James and his family, not only when the incident occurred, but since then, his family have featured in news stories quite often when the issue of the cowards punch arises. Both the JMB Foundation and Step Back Think have a prevalent social media presence, in which they are constantly fundraising and spreading the message of the dangers associated with cowards punches.
They have been and are instrumental in the transition from the term “King Hit” to “Coward Punch,” highlighting that by removing power from the term, they may make people second guess their actions prior to throwing a potentially life altering hit.
Recently, teenager Patrick Cronin was coward punched and subsequently died of his injuries after a night out in Melbourne. His tragic and premature passing has reignited the conversation around coward punches, and both the television and print media, in addition to social media, are having a massive impact in spreading the need for education and action in order to prevent similar incidents like that of Patrick and JMB.
The media can be massive driving forces when it comes to social and political change. By spreading the message to as many people as possible, they increase the number of people joining in the conversation and striving for change. The more people talk about a topic, like cowards punches, the more likely that a. people won’t throw punches and b. the penalty for doing so will become incredibly severe, again deterring people from throwing punches. Ultimately, it’s pretty clear the massive influence the media can have when it comes to exposing and highlighting an issue, and subsequently causing social and political change that can influence the issue into the future.
Today I recorded my interview with my Mum. One of the difficulties I’ve faced over the course of this project is finding out that my subject, my Grandma, has entered the final stage of Alzheimer’s and isn’t expected to live much longer. Obviously this has been completely devastating for us, but after discussion with Rachel and my family, I’ve decided to go ahead with my project with her as the subject as a means of honouring her and saying goodbye in a way.
This obviously has added a lot of emotion to the project, and it’s making it difficult for me in some ways as I really want to do well and produce something that really honours her, and I feel like if I do poorly I’ll sort of be letting her down in a sense. Although I know this is a silly way to think and that she is proud of me no matter what, I have piled the pressure on myself to produce something I’m proud of.
Technically, my main issue with the recording is that it’s really long. Like, I have about 20 minutes of content. I’m hoping it’ll be easy to edit down but I know the reality is that it may not be. I’m going to have to be selective about what I think is the most valuable content, and what perhaps detracts from the project, in order to produce a concise and beautiful project.
