MEST 4 Coursework Details - Critical Investigation & Linked Production

...Critical Investigation...

For my critical investigation, I am going to be looking at the ways in which the media in specific relation to UK News and contemporary films have created a moral panic surrounding ethnic minorities and if whether the stereotypes created have been reinforced or challenged in accordance to the representations. I will specifically be looking at the impact of gun and knife crime in the UK and will be analysing films such as Kidulthood (Menhaj Huda - 2006), Adulthood (Noel Clarke - 2008),and Life and Lyrics (Richard Laxton - 2006) and I will also be looking at TV programmes such as West 10 LDN (Menhaj Huda - 2008).

...Linked Production...

As a linked production to my critical investigation, I will be working in a pair where we will be creating a 2 page magazine article discussing the ways in which black people are represented within today's society and putting forth the question of whether these representations could show any relation to those created in the contemporary media. The magazine article will look into how black people are stereotyped and whether these stereotypes can show any current relations to people's actions in today's society.

...M.I.G.R.A.I.N. Analysis...

Media Language = Throughout the process of carrying out my critical investigation I will make many references to media terminology as this will be a way in which others will be able to see that I understand what I am doing and also allow them to understand my critical investigation in greater detail. For example, key words such as denotation and connotation will allow me to demonstrate my knowledge of what things definitely mean and what they could mean, which will also allow me to refer to what the audience may think when looking at a specific media text.

I will also be analysing the lighting seen within each text. High key lighting and low key lighting could mean two completely different things and as a result will show which people or which objects could be dominant and which could be subordinate, as a result showing the difference between those who are in control and have more importance and those who are under control and are less important within the text. It could also allow me to get a greater feel of the mood set within the scene, and the emotions of which surround it.

It is also important that the word mise-en-scéne is used within my critical investigation as it basically means what we can see on the screen referring to what the overall image is. All aspects of it will have their own distinctive meaning as they could all connote different things. When using this word, I will be able to talk about what the actors' facial expressions could connote and also what the costumes could say about each characters' position within the text.

Institution = I will be looking into which institution produces each film, TV programme and news report to see if I can find any connection between the ideologies. Due to some of these media texts portraying a negative image of the ethnic minorities, I will also be looking at the other films these institutions produce and see if whether they can show any relation to the ones of which I am studying.

Genre = As part of my critical investigation I will be looking at films which come under the Drama genre. Films which most likely fall into this category are Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Bullet Boy. Alongside this, I will also be looking at the media coverage of the ethnic minorities with specific relation to news reports .i.e. BBC News, ITV News, Channel 4 News, and FIVE News.

Representation = I will be looking at whether the media has created a moral panic upon issues surrounding ethnic minorities and will put into perspective if whether the stereotypes created show any relation to the reinforced or abated course of representations among them.

I will also be looking at how stereotypes in films of the Drama genre can show any relation to people's actions in today's society. When referring to news reports, I will look at the impact that ethnic minorities have had on Britain today, and the created moral panic surrounding the impact on gun and knife crime.

I will also be looking at whether the ethnic minorities will ever go above the subordinate representation of which surrounds them or whether the broadcasting media will remain a glass ceiling for them.

Audience = For my critical investigation, I will be looking into ways in which audience members may interpret the text, and get a grasp of any views and opinions of which they may have about the media text. I will also be looking at the mass audience's point of view, which will allow me to see if teenagers and adults share the same views and opinions surrounding ethnic minorities.

For our linked production, we will have no control on what the audience will think and therefore cannot come to any conclusions on what they may view as reinforcement of abatement in accordance to what we will produce. I would like to think that people of all social, and economical classes in specific relation those of ethnic minorities will be interested in our linked production as we will be looking into some of the stereotypes and representations which have come to light within the contemporary media and also allow for personal identification to take place as people of the ethnic minorities may be able to relate to the created stereotypes and representations of which may come up when producing our linked production.

Ideologies = I will be looking into the ideologies surrounding the texts of which I will be looking into and will be looking at what ideas were behind these texts, making reference to what the institutions possibly wanted their audience to learn from what they were being shown. Patriarchy could fall into this category as it plays an important role within the ideologies surrounding media texts as a result of it being an influential structure of practices and ideologies which will favour dominant groups over subordinate groups.

Narrative = Throughout my critical investigation and linked production, I will be looking into Roland Barthes' symbolic and cultural codes, I will also be looking into his concept of enigma codes. Some movies use a lot of unanswered enigma codes in order to show that a certain group of people are enigmas to society or are less important than others .i.e. dominant groups are more important than subordinate groups. I will be looking into whether the enigma codes in films from the Drama genre about ethnic minorities have been left unanswered or have been answered and whether this has an impact on the moral panics surrounding the ethnic minorities.

I will also be looking at whether the characters in the films of which I will be studying whilst carrying out my critical investigation follow the roles of Propp's character theory .i.e. the hero, villain, donor, dispatcher, false hero, helper, and princess. Deconstructing a text in this way where I will be able to look at each piece of content and put into perspective any ideologies surrounding it and what the audience's views and opinions may be.

...S.H.E.P. Analysis...

Social = The main social issues that are being portrayed within society today can be mostly linked to the impact that the ethnic minorities are having on Britain as well as other countries, and the created moral panic which follows. Whereas, we could say that films such as Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Bullet Boy focus on teenagers, they more or less focus on ethnic minorities where people of the black ethnic community portray the protagonists. This is where the issue/debate of the moral panic comes into perspective where the impact surrounding these ethnic minorities has grown largely throughout the years. For example, the mass impact of gun and knife crime throughout the years has continuously increased and has allowed for stereotypes to be created, which as a result has diminished any hopes of people seeing those from ethnic minorities in a different light.

Historical = The question that comes into mind when thinking about my critical investigation is "have the ethnic minorities always been represented as the minority?"; for example, have blacks, asians, and hispanics always been represented as less important than white people or did they at one point in time share an equal position or possibly higher position than they do now to white people.

Economical = This would mainly fall into how easy or difficult it is for people of ethnic minorities to get well-paid jobs. Whilst we can say that those who immigrate to this country may find it easy in quickly finding a job due to them possibly being able to offer skills of which those who already work cannot I will also be looking into where people of ethnic minorities are most likely to live and see if there could any connection between their current living situations and their actions in association to the growing impact of gun and knife crime.

Political = "To what lengths have the Government gone to try and put an end to the increasing rate of gun and knife crime within today's society?", this could be a possible question which may link to my critical investigation as I will be able to draw upon the amount of deaths that have occurred due to the growing impact of such things. It could be said that some politicians may disagree with the growing mass of immigrants coming to this country as it becomes less like Britain, but this could be abated as a result of immigrants being able to offer their knowledge and skills for a job of which others may not have.

...Current Issues/Debates...

As part of both my critical investigation, and linked production I will be looking into the concept of moral panics which was created by Stanley Cohen. A moral panic can be put into focus by the inflation of reporting and the continued use of stereotypes which can lead to the public's overreaction or panic at a supposed threat to society. Whilst studying the impact that the media has had on the stereotypes surrounding ethnic minorities, I will be able to look at the different views and opinions of which people may have whether they be positive or negative and will be able to see if whether these moral panics are just a phase or whether they are a serious thing.

News values will also be a current issue/debate of which I will be able to look into when carrying out research on my critical investigation. The issue/debate which was created by Galtung and Ruge would be a concept to grasp hold of within my critical investigation, as it puts into perspective what newspapers or news reports can offer their readers and audience as a result of some being more important than others and thus having a more important role within the print media platform. This is important when thinking about whether or not the representations in film are true and if whether they can show any relation to people's actions in today's society.

...Media Theories...

Marxism and hegemony is key when looking into representation of ethnic minorities in films for my critical investigation. I will be looking into different types of the marxist media theory with relation to the reception theory and the hypodermic needle, and seeing if whether the views and opinions created by audience members have only been created as a result of what they see within the media, putting into perspective Karl Marx's theory that we are controlled by the media, and are most likely to be passive rather than active making it seem as though we cannot think for ourselves and therefore cannot develop our own views and opinions about what we see.

Audience theory is also an important media theory of which I will be looking into when analysing my chosen media texts. I will be looking in the uses and gratifications theory, and the two-set flow theory. As a result of covering these theories I will be able to see if whether the audience is passive or active when watching the films, programmes, and news.

This study fits into the contemporary media landscape because it puts into perspective the issue of whether the stereotypes created surrounding ethnic minorities can be reinforced or abated in accordance to what is shown within films, TV programmes and the news and allows us to see if whether we are able to develop our own views and opinions or remain passive and be controlled by the media.

Media Theories - Post-modernism & Its Critques...

...Post-modernism & Its Critiques...

Post-modernism is a term which literally means “after the modern”. It rejects the modernist ideals of rationality, virility, artistic genius, and individualism, in favor of being anti-capitalist, contemptuous of traditional morality, and committed to radical egalitarianism.

It explores the media saturated, transnational culture of consumption where globalised media corporations provide a universal package of information and entertainment. It is also important as a description of generic variation in media texts and as a definition of a cultural attitude where it is seen as an eclectic movement with an ambivalent ending. For example, Quentin Tarrantino’s film series of Kill Bill can be described as a postmodern film as it mixes cultural elements from the American west, traditional Japan and the simulated world of Japanese manga and anime.

Fredric Jameson who is an American literary critic and Marxist political theorist argues that parody which requires a comparison of societal norms was replaced by pastiche .i.e. a collage and other forms of juxtaposition without a normative ending. This can relate to the opinions of other theorists such as Terry Eagleton, Michel Foucault and Jean Baudrillard where they all come to the conclusion that as a result of having a bricolage of elements within a media text, the image of a harmonious form and function has been taken away which would have been there if not for the postmodernist view.

Red Herrings...

* Modernism

* Philip Johnson

* Terry Riley

* Ideal perfection

* Traditional form

Post 9/11 and The Media...

...Post 9/11 and The Media...

The 9/11 attacks were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks led by Al-Qaeda that occurred in the United States of America in the spring of 2001. In total 2,933 people, including the attackers died in the attacks whilst many buildings were destroyed.

The Media's Reaction: The media's reaction has caused the United States to respond to the attacks by launching a "War on Terrorism", invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harboured Al-Qaeda terrorists, and enacting the USA PATRIOT Act. Many other countries also strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers.

Stereotypes have been cast among Muslims, due to the events that took place on this day. Al Jazeera, which is the only independent news network in the Middle East gained worldwide attention following the 9/11 attacks when it broadcasted Osama bin Laden and his acquaintance Sulaiman Abu Gaith defending and justifying the attacks, as a result showing that they were in favour of the attacks occurring. Al Jazeera received a lot of criticism for this as the network was accused for engaging in propaganda on behalf of the terrorists by the United States. This led to an attack on network when its office was destroyed by a U.S. missile strike during the US invasion of Afghanistan on November 13 2001.

Conspiracy theories had followed after the 9/11 attacks. Proponents of these conspiracy theories have suggested that individuals inside the United States possessed detailed information about the attacks and deliberately chose not to prevent them, or that individuals outside of Al Qaeda planned, carried out, or assisted in the attacks.

Some theorists believe that the World Trade Center did not collapse because of the crashing planes but was demolished through the use of explosives. These conspiracy theories also allege that the 9/11 attacks in 2001 were either intentionally allowed to happen or were a false flag operation orchestrated within the United States government.

These conspiracy theories have left the public pondering on what could be the real motives behind these attacks, and trying to figure out why these places were targeted.

Media Ownership and Control...

...Media Ownership and Control...

Ownership and control is a generally used term that refers to the view that the majority of the media outlets are owned by a small group of people or a small number of corporations.

People may assume that the title of owner and controller are the same due to the close link of being able to have the last word. The owner of a business is the person who owns the business i.e. has put the financial capital into the business and takes out the profit. The controller of the business is the person that makes the management decisions.

However due to business structures becoming larger, there is a tendency for the control of the company or corporation to become more widely spread between the owners and those that run the business on a day-to-day basis. This has been a particular issue in recent years where shareholders in a number of companies are less happy about the way businesses are being run on their behalf. Recent issues have involved the increase in directors' pay and the ethical practices of some businesses. If they are not happy with the initial running of the business, shareholders are eligible to take issue at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) for the company and vote out directors if they wish to. Shareholders will also sometimes try to influence the ethical practice of the businesses that they own, so that it leads more towards the way they like it.

By knowing the difference between the owner and controller of a company, we are able to understand more of what their job role may be, which as a result could enable us to understand the level at which they may stand within the business industry.

Coursework Ideas for the Critical Investigation and Linked Production

Together as a class we were each told to write down our ideas on what we think would be a good critical investigation and what would be a good linked production. We then had to swap them around and let another student write down what they think would be good for the coursework links. Whilst some didn't have very good connections, others were able to stand out due to the good combination of the critical investigation and linked production.

...Critical Investigation...

"Representation of Women in Music videos"

This would be a good critical investigation to focus on within the coursework as there are currently many stereotypes which face women who do work in the music industry as just being sexual objects and nothing more. It is hard for women to separate themselves from this stereotypical representation as it comes into perspective that the music industry is somewhat of a glass ceiling for female performers, and therefore if carrying out this critical investigation it would be required of the student to understand the obstacles of which females face within the music industry which as a result will allow them to have a greater understanding of the level at which females stand within this form of entertainment.

...Linked Production...

"A music video of American rappers"

This linked production would have been a good idea if not for the sake that it was for American rappers. Due to what is actually being asked of the student for the production of this part of the coursework, it would be quite difficult for them to carry out this part of it as they are not permitted to use any other source of media texts apart from their own original work, and therefore they may find it hard to produce a music video of American rappers thus finding it hard in showing the representations of women within the music industry. However, if it was to be a music video by a new British rapper, they would be able to not only produce their own permitted work but also show the representations of women within the music industry and allow the audience to see whether these stereotypical representations are at where they stand in today's society or whether they can ever be changed.

Helpful Words from the A-Z Glossary...

A key part of being able to write an effective evaluation for my coursework will be my use of media terminology. Five words which could help me in doing this are:-

1. Audience profile = an advertising and marketing term for the demographic and personal characteristics of members of the target audience for a media product.

This would be useful if I was to aim my media product at a specific audience profile which would possibly allow personal identification to take place. For example, if I was to aim my coursework at black people, I would evidently be able to shown that within my coursework I have targeted this specific demographic in order to grab their attention due to how they may be able to relate to the text, and whether they will be able to identify with it.

2. Bibliography = the section at the end of a media project that lists all the information sources.

By including a bibliography at the end of my coursework assignment, I will be able to show that I have not plagarised from any secondary sources of information and that all work which is produced by me is my own.

3. Critical autonomy = the ability to research a topic, to assess and evaluate evidence and to come to an informed personal judgment.

This would be helpful when talking about the process of carrying out my critical investigation. I will be able to talk about my ability in being able to analyse a piece of information and come to a final decision about what it could connote and how others may view it.

4. Deconstruction = the process of taking a text apart to explore and analyse its component elements.

This will allow me to show how I was able to understand the text in greater detail and also allow me to show my understanding of the values and ideologies behind the text.

5. Edit = the selection and construction of the various elements hat form a completed media text.

Within any media text it is important that the person who has produced he text has edited it in order to allow people to understand it in greater detail. When applying this to my coursework, I will be able to talk about how I was able to construct my media text and also be able to use this key term to allow others to understand how I was actually able to produce the end product.