Week 10- Global Crises and Global News: Pacific Calling Partnership

Global warming is a major global issue that without the right attention will have harmful effects on the future of our world. The media, and in particular global news has been criticised for shielding society from the harsh truth. In this weeks lecture Tanja Dreher discussed the media and its actions towards climate change; and issues that sparks much debate throughout society. It requires us to think globally and act globally, because the outcome of our actions will be inflicted on the future civilizations. Dreher also argued that our perspective of climate change is mediated, and we are often not receiving the whole story (Dreher, 2014).

This is where the issue of ‘false balance’ comes into play. ‘False balance’ is where the media and journalists present an issue as being more balanced between differing beliefs than the actual evidence supports. Journalists may present this evidence out of proportion when it comes to the actual evidence available for each viewpoint. They may also censor the information that would establish one sides claims as unsubstantiated and thus, manipulating the coverage of certain issues. “In effect, reporters may for too long have been balancing opinions about science when in fact they might be better have been evaluating and reporting evidence based on the science”, and in doing so would report the issue of climate change in a less bias manner (Ward, 2009 p. 14).

Because climate change will ultimately effect the future of our environment Barak Obama stated “for all the immediate challenges that we gather to address this week – terrorism, instability, inequality, disease – there’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate” (Eltham, 2014). Therefore, delving into the detrimental effects of climate change as a result of the worlds relationship with the environment.

The effect of climate change is already a reality in many small islands and states in the pacific. It is here the civilians suffer water contamination, coastal erosion, inundation and risks to food security. ‘Voice for voiceless’, is using the knowledge, beliefs and realities of climate change in these regions because the voices we hear stray away from these impacts. Mary Robinson the United Nations high commissioner for human rights 1997-2022 stated “A climate justice approach will amplify the voices of those who have done least to cause climate change, but who are effected most severely by it” (Dreher, 2014).

Along with these movements many agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol attempt to minimise the damage done to the world through legally binding contracts. Other summits have occurred in attempt to change attitudes towards climate change. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon stated, “the purpose of the 2014 Climate Summit was to raise political momentum for a meaningful universal climate agreement in Paris in 2015.” However, many of the world leaders didn’t attend this meeting, our Prime Minister Tony Abbott being one of them (Eltham, 2014).

Along with this the current Australian government has repealed the carbon tax, without a replacement environmental scheme. Goal and gas is our main source of power, with more mines being built, therefore, causing more detriment to our environment and ignoring the evidence given about the long-term effects of global-warming. Through the media’s falsely balanced and excessively mediated coverage of climate change, and the current governments attention being on military action and un-renewable resources it is evident that society is unable to gain the complete unbiased truth of climate change.

Sources:

Dreher, T 2014, ‘Global Crises and Global News: Pacific Calling Partnership’, lecture notes, BCM111, University of Wollongong, delivered 8 October 2014.

Eltham, B 2014,’ ‘Obama is Right, Climate Change A Greather Threat Than Terror’, New Matilda.com, 25 September, viewed 10 October 2014, <https://newmatilda.com/2014/09/25/obama-right-climate-change-greater-threat-terror/ >.

Ward, B 2009, ‘Journalism ethics and climate change reporting in a period of intense media uncertainty’, Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, vol. 9, pp. 13-15

Week 9- who counts in Global Media

In this weeks lecture we had to make a list of our daily news sources. When I thought about it I realized just how vast the mass media is. I gained news from facebook, the television, blogs, apps, the general internet, the radio and the traditional newspapers.

Many imperative questions were posed such as ‘what is news’ and ‘what makes news’. While it may seem like the news is all the truth because it is backed up with facts and professionalism, it is important to note that it is not transparent and is a product of journalistic routines and procedures. Once the information’s a forgone these customs, and by the time it reaches its audience it is just a series of selections. The journalist and his or her company has the ability to choose what information they report, and what facts they back it up with, thus, it is bias and not necessarily the whole truth. This is a result of the news organisations applying objective standards.

This video demonstrates how the media is able to manipulate stories to make them seem legitimate and of high importance. It consistes of four main features that it is transient, that it reports Pseudo-events, narritivisation and visual imperatives. By utilizing these features news stories gain the audiences attention.

“It may be more useful to recognize that globalizing media and journalism simply mean that the creators, objects, and consumers of news are less likely to share the same nation-state frame of reference. To the extent that certain transnational media emphasize this approach to news, we may call it ‘global journalism’” (Reese 2010). Henceforth, the media has more than an ability to reach a global audience, but has created new public spheres that have a global element. The news also needs to have continuity, relevance cultural proximity and rarity in order to appeal to the audience.

Week 8- Television in translation: Drama Focus

This week’s material is closely related to last week’s lecture on ‘Kath and Kim’. While many television programs and movies are only related to only society due to their sense of humor, ethics and social structure. This is evidenced in television programs such as ‘Kath and Kim’ that was originally Australian and wasn’t as well received when it was re-adapted and aired in the US.

However, the reception of some drama is received differently. This is evidenced through some dramas that are adapted many times for both cinema and television. A prime example us Sherlock Homes originally a novel and now an extremely popular English drama that has been adapted many times for both cinema and for television. The series has been well received throughout many cultures including England, the USA and Australia.

The first novel of Sherlock Holmes was published in 1887 this was followed by three other novels and 56 short stories. The novels are from John Watson, Holme’s assistant’s perspective. It is interesting to note that only two of the stories have been written from Holmes’s perspective, because other times it is from an omniscient point of view. All of the stories consists of similar characters- these include Holmes, Watson, Mrs Hudson, Inspector Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes, The Network and Moriarty.

The Holmes series is believed to be the first detective fiction. However, there are many differences between American and British detective fiction. While the series has occurred for a long time, story lines and characters have differed. A modern example of Sherlock Holmes adaption is ‘elementary’ that was aired in 2012. Like many crime shows it is set in New York City. Johnny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes is a convalescing addict who meets ‘sober companion’ Dr Joan Watson, played by Lucy Lui. Lestrate is not as sympathetic and he work with Aidan Quinn Captain Thomas Gregson.

Elementary uses both English and American elements to appeal to a worldwide audience. It also brings in the idea of sexuality in order to bring in modern ideals of sexualisation and gender. The series Sherlock Holmes is a perfect example of how some dramas are able to be well received in a variety of cultures, unlike Kath and Kim, that was only well received in a few nations.

Week 7- Television in translation: Kath and Kim

Different cultures have different customs, different foods, different fads and different humor. Therefore, it is only realistic to understand that what one society finds funny, may be misconstrued, misunderstood and often offensive in another culture.

Australia’s popular television show ‘Kath and Kim’ starring Jane Turner and Gina Riley was a hit in Australia and the UK. Quotes such as ‘they’re noice, they’re different, they’re un-ewesual’ are widely known across Australia (Turnbull p. 112). However, when America mimicked the show, it was not as well received as in the UK and Australia. While the first episode of the American version was similar to the Australian in terms of the plot and structure, there were many significant changes that were used to appeal to an American audience.

Markieke Hardy writer for the Melbourne ages green guide, claimed “it’s like seeing a dramatic re-enactment on Crime Stoppers by amateur panto performers not quite hitting the mark”. Karen Brooks writing in the Brisbane courier mail stated “their [American] Kath Day and her daughter Kim and not monstrous enough to be clichés, stereotypes, parodies, or even brave enough to be abhorrent or funny” (Turnbull, p. 112). Thus, both Hardy and Brooks exemplify the fact that the American version wasn’t received well in Australia. But was the humor received well in America?

Teri Weinberg was reported by the AAP in the Age as stating that “We have incredible confidence in the creative auspices of this show and we believe it is a perfect fit with out Thursday night comedies” (Turnbull, p. 114). However, this comment was made after the ratings dipped down to 4.9 million viewers after the first episode. Henceforth, demonstrating that the show was not as well received as it was hoped.

In Australia the television show has 1.23 million viewers for the first episode, and channel seven took it off the air to replace the show with re-runs from the Australian version. The way Kath and Kim was received in the US and Australia demonstrates that certain types of humor are only funny in certain societies.

Australia’s Kath and Kim was well received in Australia and the UK, but not in the USA, thus, they created their own. However, other television shows that are created in America are well received throughout western societies. An example of this is Modern Family, a sitcom that reflects a 21^st century style family. It includes homosexuality, adoption, age difference as well as the stereotypical family. This show is well received in America, Australia, and the UK, and this is accredited to the universality of the themes and characters. Whereas, the Australian Kath and Kim are characters that are purely Australian and that other cultures may not understand.

Sources

Turnbull, S 2014, ‘Television in translation: Kath and Kim’, lecture notes, BCM111, University of Wollongong, delivered 10 September 2014.

Reading week 6

Week 6- Television and the emergence of new ‘media capitals

The emergence of new media capitals is closely related to the criticism of the clash of the civilizations. This is informed by cultural essentialism, and the societal norms of various civilisations. It also relies on an Orientalist opposition between East and West, and which of this dominates- for example the wests Hollywood and the Easts Bollywood. The clash of civilisation allows us to pay attention to the boundaries of these media capitals rather than complex patterns of flow.

“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future” (Huntington, 1993).

Media capitals allow us to think in terms of patterned change rather than essential qualities. We also focus on disparities and resemblances, while we think of cultural spheres of influence without considering them as articulate, confined beings.

The features of these media capitals include modern television is exceeding boundaries and disrupting the normal ways of media power. These new patterns of media coverage are not multilateral because they don’t involve the interchange of programming transnationally.These flows originate from particular states that have become powerful places for the finance, production and distribution of various television – cities such as Bombay, Cairo and Hong Kong.

A definition of media capitals is “media capitals, then, are sites of mediation, locations where complex forces and flows interact. They are neither bounded not self-contained entities. Rather, we should understand them in the manner that geographers like Doreen Massey (1992) and Kevin Robins (1991) understand cities, as meeting places where local specificity arises out of migration, interaction and exchange…Media capitals are places where things come together and, consequently, where the generation and circulation of new mass culture forms become possible” (Curtin, 2003).

The emergence of these media capitals has led to a more hybrid mediascape, because many multi-cultural programs are now shown on television. These cultural influences also affect society through multiculturalism and a more diverse variety of views.

Sources:

Curtin, M (2003) ‘Media Capital: Towards the Study of Spatial Flows’ International Journal of Cultural Studies Vol 6: 2, pp. 202 – 228

Khorana, S 2014, ‘Television and the emergence of new ‘media capitals’’, lecture notes, BCM111, University of Wollongong, delivered 3 September 2014.

Khorana, S (2012) ‘Orientalising the new media capitals: The Age of Indian TV’s Hysteria’ Media International Australia Vol 145, pp. 39 – 49

 

Week 4- Global film: Beyond Hollywood: Industry focus

Week 4- Global film: Beyond Hollywood: Industry focus

 

While it may seem that our film industry is dominated by Hollywood, there are also other film industries that play a huge role- these being India’s Bollywood and Nigeria’s Nollywood. Many scholars claim that in today’s era of globalisation and technology, Asian film Industries, especially from India and China will “wrestle control of global film flows from Western dominance” (Karan & Schaefer, 2010 p. 309).

These filmmakers use local and global elements to appeal to the audience on more than one level. Films and there content that are more hybridized, and as they spread ‘contra-flows’ develop. Thus, changing the movement of the cultural influence to the global south and distorting the “differences between the modern and traditional, the high and low culture and the national and global culture” (Karan & Schaefer, 2010 p. 309).

Examples of this hybridity is evidenced through many US films with Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Ang Lee and Yimou Zhang, and it is suggested that their uniqueness of using martial arts and Wuxia narratives appeal to an international audience (Karan & Schaefer, 2010 p. 310). These influences coupled with the influences of India, led to the Indian parliament member Jairam Ramesh in 2006 using the term “Chindia” to refer to collaboration and cooperation of both the film markets in order to challenge the dominance of the western film Industries (Schaefer & Karan p.310).

Indian films have been enjoyed in many countries including Russia, the Middle East, UK and Africa for many years. The influence of Bollywood is now occurring within the USA. Three examples of this are the US figure skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White who at the 2010 winter Olympics won silver metal for an Indian style performance. Secondly, the US sandwich chain subway that featured Hindu film-style female dancers, a reflection of Bollywood (Schaefer & Karan, 2010 p.311). Lastly, James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time, ‘borrowed from the Indian Mythology’, as spokesperson Rakeysk Omprakash Mehra pointed out in 2010 (Schaefer & Karan, 2010 p. 312). Other examples of the influence of Bollywood in Hollywood include ‘Bend it like Beckham’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, ‘Bride and prejudice’ and ‘Monsoon wedding’, that draw on ideals of Indian culture and relate to western audiences.

It is not just ‘Chindia’ that allows us to call our international film industry hybridized, there is also an African element known Nollywood. This film industry differs from its counterparts, having an extremely low budget and less time. It is the 3^rd largest film industry in the world and in 2007 alone it produced 1,687 films (Khorana, 2014). The films are never screened in the cinemas, the primary market being home copies sold in stores. On average each film sells about 50,000 copies. Nollywood is significant because it has successfully overcome problems that many other African filmmakers struggle with. The films originated from Igbo traveller discovered a way of disposing a large cashe of VHS cassettes that were imported from Taiwan, and these technologies were then used to create the low budget films.

While, many scholars argue that the Nigerian film industry is purely for local benefit, other claim there is also an transnational element. Nollywood is now recognized in many international film festivals such as the ‘festival of African and Caribbean films’ and ‘the international film festival of Toronto’. Jayne Bryce an organizer of the festival says that Nigeria gains attention from transnational audiences, and that an important characteristic is the fact that it looks inward at Nigeria, staying close at the world of Nigerians (Okome, 2007 p. 1). Jade Miller from the Tulane University in the USA also claims that it has international relations in the way it came about and in the technology it uses (Miller, 2012 p. 122).

Biri Bandele demonstrates the influence of Nollywood through the film “Half of a yellow sun”, produced in 2013. The film used 6 times the usual Nollywood budget and was well received internationally. The film produced a new form of Nollywood that cost more and was received internationally, rather than just locally.

It is through the relationship between Bollywood, Nollywood, Hollywood and the various Asian film Industries that the hybridity of the film industry is evident. While many films only apply to each region, others are received internationally as a result of globalisation and modernisation.

Sources:

‘About Nollywood’, thisisNollywood.com (2006), http://www.thisisnollywood.com/nollywood.htm (accessed 20 August 2014)

 Khorana, S 2014, ‘Global Film Beyond Hollywood: Industry Focus’, lecture notes, BCM111, University of Wollongong, delivered 20 August 2014.

Miller, J. ‘Global Nollywood: The Nigerian movie industry and alternative global networks in production and distribution’. Global Media and Communication, Vol 8. No.2 (2012) pp. 117-133

‘Nollywood’s new scoreboard’, The Economist (17 July 2014), http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2014/07/nigerian-films-try-move-upmarket (accessed 20 August 2014).

Okome, O. ‘Nollywood: spectatorship, audience, and the sites of consumptiom’. Post colonial text, Vol 3. No.2 (2007) pp. 1-21

Schaefer, DJ & Karan, K 2010, ‘Problematising Chindia: Hybridity and Bollywoodisation of Popular Indian Cinema in Global Film Flows’, Global Media and Communication, Sage Publications, pp. 309-315.

Week 3- Internationalising education: cosmopolitanism and cultural competence

As a current University student it is evident that there is an international element when it comes to higher education. Exchange students make up a large population of life on the University of Wollongong campus, and many Wollongong students  go on exchange to many areas of the globe.

This international education is Australia’s third or fourth largest export industry (Marginson, 2012). This international-education is also a profit making business, as well as being an education and social experience. However, there are many challenges facing international students, and this makes adapting to Australian life a difficult occurrence.

Kell and Vogl highlight the limitations and problems that international students face while living in Australia. While academic success is important for these students, life on campus is also another extremely important factor (Kell & Vogl, 2007 p 3). Studies on international students show that students from non-English speaking nations, come to Australia and find it difficult to understand English in Australia due to colloquialisms, fast speech and accents (Kell & Vogl, 2007 p 3).

One student stated, “when I came to Australia, I’m thinking what is going on and they put every word together and it’s very different, it’s not Enlgish but it’s English” (Kell & Vogl 2007, p. 4). Many international students also claimed that it wasn’t that local students were unfriendly, but they were unsure of how to start conversations with the locals (Kell & Vogl 2007, p. 5).

Another important issue that international students are aware of is the informality of University within Australia, one student stated that at college at home “nobody even dreams of wearing thongs to university”, and in Australia almost every student wears them (Kell & Vogl 2007, p.6). Also, many international students couldn’t go out to clubs and pubs because they either couldn’t afford it or were unable due to religious reasons. This was a major limitation to social life because going out, is an important social aspect on University life within Australia.

As highlighted in the lecture, racism is also another issue that international students face in Australia. In 2010, Indian students were attacked, and while the government claimed that these weren’t racial attacks, the events made the news in India, and made international students fearful of life in Australia (Khorana 2014).

While, the attacks were a rarity, it still affects Australia’s credibility as a multi-cultural country. This coupled with the issues validated by Kell and Vogl make it hard for international students to settle down in Australia. In todays hybridised and globalised world this international element in education is extremely important, and without it Australia will struggle to compete in the global economy.

SOURCES:

Khorana, S (2014) “Internationalising Education-Cultural Competence And Cosmopolitanism”, BCM111, University of Wollongong, 12th August 2014

Marginson, S (2012) ‘International education as self-formation: Morphing a profit-making business into an intercultural experience’, Lecture delivered at the University of Wollongong, 21 February 2012.

Kell P & Vogl, G 2007, ‘International Students: Negotiating life and study in Australia through Australian Englishes’ in Everyday Multiculturalism Conference Proceedings, Macquarie University, 28-29 September 2006.

Week 2- Globalisation, Media Flows and Saturation Coverage

Globalisation is an extremely important part of today’s society, allowing different cultures no matter how far away or how different to be able to share ideas, technologies and customs.

Globalisation refers to a borderless community that is influenced by economic, political and military interests. This has led to an increase in interdependence, interactivity, interconnectedness and the ability to exchange a vast amount of information. This “Global Village” has many positives and negaitves. Many people claim that it is a Utopic society, and that we are all joined together around the globe through our new technologies such as facebook, youtube and world news sources. However, others claim that it is a negative aspect within society.

This idea of a dystopic society and the negativity of Facebook is derived from the idea of an “imagined community”. The globalized community is imagined “because the members of communitites will never know their fellow members, meet them or even hear them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion…in face, all communities larger than the primordial villiages of face-to-face contact are imagined…it is imagined as a community because, regardless of the actual inequality and exploitation in that may prevail in each, the nation is always conceived as a deep horizontal comradeship” (Korana, 2014).

The idea of media saturation is also an important negative because through globalisation the media offers a vast amount of information, all of which can be accessed via the World Wide Web. Along with globalisation society has also lost traditional forms of communications. These being traditional communities, languages and ethics. Castells claims, “we are not living in a global village, but in customized cottages globally produced and locally distributed” (Korana, 2014). Thus, suggesting that traditional ways of life are evaporating with these new forms of the media.

There are five dimensions to these global cultural flows. The first one being the idea of ethnoscapes. This involves the movement of peoples- including tourists, immigrants, refugees and other people. Secondly technoscapes or the global configuration of technology, and with globalisation the speed technology travels across borders is extraordinary. Financescapes is the global flow of capital that includes currency, stock and service. Mediascapes and Ideoscapes are closely related and include the landscape of images and electronic capabilities. Cultural imperialism is also another major issue, where one or a few nations dominate the whole world. Thus, leaving many nations powerless, while others dominate politically, economically and via the media.

Sources:

Khorana, S (2014) “Globalisation, media flows and saturation coverage”, BCM111, University of Wollongong, 5 August 2014.

REFLECTION

Back on the 4th of March it was my second day of University, the nerves were running high as I began my journey in BCM110! Now six weeks later I feel that I have progressed  when it comes to the world of blogging. Through our lectures we have learnt a vast amount about the media and how it affects the modernised world we live in. To sum up what I have learnt I have decided to use an image as a case study and talk about all the concepts we have learnt throughout our first few weeks.

I have decided to use this well known image of an overweight child eating mcdonalds as my case study on childhood obesity.

Week one: what is the media being blamed for and is this justified? In recent years the number of overweight children has doubled and around a quarter of children are considered obese. The cause of this being eating bad foods and a lack of exercise. However, can the media really be to blame and is this justified? With advertisement’s for junk food being ever-present, it is no wonder that researchers have found strong links between junk food advertising and the  rise of childhood obesity. However, whether we can blame the media, or parents for purchasing the food is a question which floats around the public sphere on a day to day basis.

Week two: connotation and denotation: The signifiers for this image is obviously the overweight child over indulging on mcdonalds. Hence, the connotation is childhood obesity and the denotation is the world behind it such as the advertising industry and the media.

Week three: who controls the media and why does this matter? Why does it matter who controls the media when it comes to this particular image? Ray Kroc began the corporation of mcdonalds. And it has spread with all aspects of the media advertising the multi-billion dollar company. Thus, the people who owns these particular media’s whether it be Rupert Murdoch, or Mark Zuckerburg , have some form of a say in what they air, and have the power to sway opinions and sell products. Hence, expressing many products and ideologies such as fast food cooperations.

Week four: The mediated public sphere: This particular image relates to debate in the mediated public sphere through the issue of childhood obesity, and the controversy within this public domaine.

So thank you for reading my blog over the past few weeks and I hope you enjoyed my ideas 🙂

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) is undoubtedly a great movie that  has you in a fit of giggles, which also contributes to issues in society, thus, leading to debate in the mediated public sphere. The young girl Olive competing in the child beauty pageant “little miss sunshine” raises many issues when it comes to young girls self esteem,  sexualisation, and the morality of such contests.

These beauty pageants include young girls  wearing heavy makeup, fake tans designer clothing, dancing, singing and acting well beyond there age. The children are being judged on their pose, individuality, body, face, dance and outfits. Thus, it is not difficult to understand why there is so much debate about these child beauty pageants.

The young girl Olive, acted by Abigail Breslin is a symbol of what these contests are doing to young girls. Olive an average girl, is over the moon about being accepted to compete in the contest. The juxtaposition of Olive an average little girl, to the other contestants is quite hilarious and delves into the reality of these contests with heavy makeup, fake tans, and huge hair.

A beauty pageant entrant and the image stereotyped for contestants:

Olive the girl in the movie reflecting what most young girls are like:

Through the picture of Olive it is evident that she is self conscious about her body image, which is a reality when it comes to these pageants. Experts claim that children participating on these activities which focus  heavily on appearance, are more at risk of eating disorders and self harm.

Another question raised in the mediated public sphere is how young is it to young to model, wear adult clothes and be sexy? The fact is that these contests aren’t little girls dressing up, it is a multibillion dollar business which parts of society judge and pamper young girls,  ultimately sexualising them.

Another issue are these pageants child abuse? While many girls are interested, it is evident that parents also push their children into it. The question is where is the line between supportive and pushy parents. An extreme case within these contests is 8 year old Brittany Cambells,  mother injected her face with botox, and performed waxing the bikini region and claiming that “lots of pageant [moms] do it”. Hence, establishing these morality issues.

 

The end of “Little Miss Sunshine” as Olive performs her dance is hilarious!  Olive performs strip moves to Rick James’s song “super freak”, therefore, making a comment on these pageants and contributing to debate within the mediated public sphere.