Brianna Hodder A2

  Final Edit:

  Final Digipak: After receiving peer and teacher feedback and making changes where deemed necessary, I made my final digipak covers: Front Cover: Inner Cover (1): Inner Cover (2): Back Cover:

  Instagram: Ed Sheeran Fanpage Link

  Creative Critical Reflection: The song "Best Part of Me" is not clearly defined as one genre such as 'pop', but rather falls into a mixture, including indie, R&B soul, and pop. As it is an acoustic ballad and one of Ed Sheeran's slower, more romantic songs,  it was easy to use and challenge different conventions that most music videos conform to when making a music video strictly defined by one specific genre. One of the main subjects represented  in my music video is age and gender. The main actors, playing Ed and Yebba, are both young. Rather than having slightly older people to play the part, by having younger people, it is more relevant and can appeal to the target audience as younger people are more insecure and have a significantly lower self-esteem. A recent survey found that majority of people recall they were around 16 years old when they first developed insecurities. And though men were 35% more likely to get insecure at an earlier age, women were ...

How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day:   People working at tech companies are constantly steering people's thoughts through their choices whether we notice or not There's a hidden goal driving the direction of all the technology we make: the race for our attention - This something that everyone is fighting for because there's only so much of it The best way to get someone's attention is to know how someone's mind works - E.g. YouTube wants to maximise how much time you spend on it = autoplay (this is also seen on Netflix, Facebook etc. - Snapchat gave two people something that they don't' want to lose by creating snapstreaks - Outrage gets people's attention, e.g. people tweet/post "Can you believe this thing they said?" "You can precisely target a lie directly to the people who are most susceptible"   It's not just taking away our agency to spend our attention and live the lives that we want, it'...

The Power of the Media:   We live in a multimedia world that is largely owned and controlled by a handful of large media corporations. If you're looking at who rules or owns America, it's the same people that propagandize (to) America. American media doesn't just report news, - it's not independent of the system, but a pillar of it - it reinforces the world view and defends the interests of those who rule America. With new global digital enterprises like Google, Facebook and Twitter growing in importance worldwide, US-based  media became a transnational force. Is the media helping strengthen our democracy or is it helping divide us? Even as the world is known for its diversity, American media is not. Editorially and ideologically, the power elite tends to reflect the views of the government and the people who shape its views. Americans tends to vote and engage with the system on the basis of that which they hear (which of course is being controlled by these big companie...

Different Generational Demographics:   Streaming services have transformed the way people consume media practically overnight, accelerating the transformation of stories into content. All these trends have been exacerbated by Covid-19, which has kept people locked indoors and glued to their screens. Since the decline of the studio system in the 1950s to the introduction of home video technology, film studios have been navigating challenges and seizing opportunities for seemingly their entire history. Gen Z  - also called Zoomers - (born roughly between 1997-2012) seemingly defy the generations that came before them and demand new and novel experiences. Film and Tv is no exception. In a survey, Gen Z listed watching movies and TV as their 5th favourite form of in-home entertainment, the first generation with the category not listed in the top spot. Topping the list was video games, followed by listening to music, web surfing, and social media engagement. Will studios stop cater...

Internet Regulation:   Internet freedom has always been controversial, but now there's more pressure than ever to reform this law with profound consequences. In the US, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act 1996  which was about keeping this new online world 'clean', but the US Supreme Court struck down most of its restrictions. Section 230 (remained):   "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."   It originally protected bookshop owners, since they couldn't read everything they wouldn't be prosecuted. But it is the publishers who can be sued and therefore act as gatekeepers. Now, on the internet the barriers to publication would disappear. There would be not only no gatekeepers, but no gates.  Platforms from eBay to Facebook to Twitter to Google all rely on section 230, as it's the ultimate backstop that protects the...

Societal context of representation (or lack thereof)   Rep•re•sen•ta•tion: The description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way or as being of a certain nature   On TV and in films there are always archetypes (a very typical example of a certain person or thing) of characters that are either good or evil, and it is often the minorities that are portrayed in cultural output as being a stereotype or represented in a very stereotypical way. Representation of people, e.g., children of colour, is always going to be best represented by a person who belongs to that marginalized community, and this is something that is not seen in filmmaking and TV as much as it should be. This is one of the main reasons as to why the movie Black Panther  was so successful. Because it had a predominantly black cast (including directors and crew members), these people were able to portray the characters based on themselves, and bring an accurate representation of people of...

"Audiences now have just as much power as media institutions." To what extent do you agree with this statement.   Power and responsibility is being shifted gradually to online platforms, and due to the proliferation of technology, the internet is becoming a more user-generated site with multiple platforms influencing how audiences use and perceive media. This is giving audiences more of a voice, and has resulted in changing how media is created and distributed, both on a small scale, whereby consumers - or, as Clay Shirky puts it in his end of audience theory, prosumers - create amateur content as well as on a larger scale, where large media conglomerates take into consideration audience demands and produce media content that lines up with what they want. Alongside this, more power is being given to smaller filmmakers and the minorities, such as indigenous filmmakers, allowing their stories to be represented in a more accurate way, and empowering more people than ever before....

 How might the Star Theory and Celebrity Culture work together to the advantage of the Big 5 and those with the funding to hire the A-list actors? How might the celebrity culture that exists in the world, impact audiences trends in what types of movies they choose to see? How might it be argued that celebrity culture be an example of the 2 step flow theory in the passive audience theory and do you think this is true? Celebrity culture is a high-volume perpetuation of celebrities' personal lives on a global scale. It is inherently tied to consumer interests where celebrities transform their fame to become product brands. Celebrities themselves do not form a cohesive and identifiable group with which they identify themselves, but are rather found across a spectrum of activities and communities including acting, politics, fashion, sports and music. The "culture" is created when it is common knowledge within a society that people are interested in and are willing to alter the...

The 1938 broadcast of 'War of the Worlds', a reading of an H.G. Wells' fictional novel, caused fear and chaos to ensue after a misunderstanding that resulted in people believing aliens were invading. Since many people were listening to another radio station that overlapped with this one, they missed the beginning which revealed that it was only a reading of a fictional novel, and not being broadcast live. This event shows how the illustration of Stuart Hall's reception theory combined with political and historical events, such as the threat of war that was prevalent at the time, influences how people received the message. Because there was only old media sources such as radio and newspaper, many people couldn't rely on the technology that modern audiences now have access to. Additionally, this passive audience - a reference to both Stuart Hall's reception theory and the hypodermic needle model - left people panicking since this message was received directly to t...

How social media algorithms shape the way we get information and news   Conservative politicians and outlets have long argued that platforms are biased against their point of view, citing how algorithms are engineered. But professors (University of Virginia) found that the algorithms, e.g. on Facebook, are more likely to give users content matching their world view. Most of the platforms researched actually have a beneficial effect of increasing information that is seen, but found that some platforms - specifically Facebook - shifts content more towards the views a user might already have, regardless of the fact that the information is more diverse. E.g. conservatives will view more conservative news etc. What users view is based on: content engagement likes shares & comments etc. When you engage with content that's how it decides what you want to see in the future. But this engagement could be because you want to see that content or because you disagree with it, so users don...

"Media Regulation today is complex and becoming more and more difficult". To what extent do you agree with this question? Media regulation takes into consideration issues or morality and decency, and we can see how in modern media there are several arguments in reference to the accuracy of content in media ownership. This topic has recently become a global issue frequently debated and it is largely due to the proliferation of the internet and access to technology that has made this issue increasing difficult. There comes about the question of whether or not regulation can be done successfully without violating personal freedoms. Media regulation sets limits to freedom and is motivated by a desire to control media against negative consequences to the public and their general wellbeing. The regulation of web content is a complex area which touches on issues such as freedom of speech, censorship, and jurisdiction. There is also the question of defining what is subjectively offen...

Should social media be regulated?   Main question: "Is regulation the answer and can it be done without violating personal freedoms?" While sites including Facebook and Twitter allow us to share information, they have also become places for illegal and harmful content to thrive. Big tech giants should be held accountable to regulate media on their platforms "To help keep our community safe we haven't waited for regulation; we've created new technology, hired expert reviewers, worked with external specialists, and reviewed our policies to ensure they're fit for evolving challenges we face online". -YouTube UK "We have clear rules about what is said and what isn't allowed on our platforms and are investing billions in safety. We look forward to carrying on the discussion with the government, Parliament, and the rest of Industry as this process continues." -Facebook UK The regulation of web content is a complex area which touches on issues suc...

1) McLuhan's 'the medium is the message' theory   The medium through which content is carried plays a vital role in the way it is perceived, e.g., YT, IG, social media etc. The power of the internet allows people to communicate on a global scale 2) Stuart Halls' reception theory   Something doesn't have a specific meaning until it is represented in the media "Media representations aren't reflections of things that already have meaning, they are the meaning makers of things that happen in reality" Dominant/preferred reading - How the producer wants the audience to interpret the media text Oppositional reading - When the audience rejects the preferred reading, and creates their own meaning Negotiated reading - A compromise between dominant and oppositional readings, where the audience accepts parts of the producer's views, but has their own views on parts as well 3) Gauntlett's identity theory   Audiences get a sense of their own identity from th...

Social media platforms have served as venues for political engagement and social activism for many years, especially for Black Americans This was evident especially in 2020, when the killing of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, by a white Minneapolis police officer resulted in widespread protests that demonstrated the reach and power of these platforms Research shows that Black social media users have been particularly likely to say these sites are personally important for getting involved with issues they care about or finding like-minded people. These platforms also hold people accountable for their actions and gives a voice to underrepresented groups. The online community known as Black Twitter  has been using these platforms to collectively organise, offer support and increase visibility online of black people and issues that matter to them.

"The media control how we understand and connect with the world." To what extent do you agree with this statement?   The media plays a dominant role in how we understand the world as it provide ideas and concepts that help audiences connect on a global scale. Through the change from older to newer representations, as well as old and new media, we see how the media now influences audience perceptions and challenges or reinforces pre-existing ideologies. In addition to this, through technological advancements, audiences are now connected on a global scale, which can be dangerous since large media conglomerates and tech companies are making decisions based on money and not what is considered 'right'. People are largely influenced by what media they are consuming, and the presentations of people and ideologies that are incorporated in the media texts being consumed. This links to Gauntlett's identity theory, where he believed that audiences get a sense of their own id...

Concepts:   Freedom of speech Ideology Misinformation Trump on Twitter and Facebook:   Trump used his social media to share misleading content and 'inflame' his millions of followers As a result of this, Trump was banned from both media platforms (FB indefinitely, Twitter permanently) Arguments supporting this:   Those who feel the bans were appropriate acknowledge that simply banning a single account is hardly an adequate solution to address the deep-rooted issues that led to the event of the Capitol attack on January 6 Trump's violence-inciting posts were a significant factor, but social media platforms' broader tendency to promote and amplify conspiracy theories, fringe groups, and other problematic content must also be addressed Arguments against this:   Many people criticized these decisions as infringements on free speech The first amendment  only protects individuals' speech from US governmental oppression - there is nothing illegal about a private firm c...

What are the pros and cons and the arguments for and against media being decentralised?   The news was once controlled by institutions, but now modern trends are changing how people are engaging with the news. Since we now get information from an app or online, specifically from social media, "fake news" has become more apparent in recent years. We now get information from an app or online, specifically from social media Social media = main source of news online with more than 2.4 billion internet users Nearly 64.5% receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram instead of traditional media 50% of internet users hear the latest and groundbreaking news by social media before going to news sites to learn more There is a decrease in how much of an article people read People on average read an article for 15 seconds or less and the average video watch time online is 10 seconds Social platforms have control over what news and information we see. An a...

How Social Media is Changing Culture: The internet and social media are very powerful tools that can influence and shape human behaviour It has played a significant role in recent outbreaks of social protest and resistance Many protests, such as the Occupy and Arab Spring protests, were heavily dependent on the resources provided by the social media. Many observers concluded that in a networked world the social media possesses the potential to promote public participation, engagement and the process of democratising public life = the internet and social media are powerful instruments for mobilisation of people It is not its own technological imperative that enable social media to play this prominent role, but rather the creative use of it as a response to aspirations and needs that pre-exist (or at least exist independently of it) This technology should be perceived as a resource that can be utilised by social and political movements looking for communication infrastructure to prom...