News, trust, and “truthiness”

Reading through my classmates’ blog entries, the views on whether satirical news reportage is less or more reliable as traditional news reportage varied. However, there was a common theme throughout reading the entries and the majority agreed that satirical news reportage attracts a broader demographic through humour. When a political issue is presented in a less-serious way; usually through comic relief, the audience finds the news reportage more interesting. Conversely, when satirical news reportage uses comedy uses humour to criticize mainstream news or lighten up then solemnity of a political issue, “it forces an audience to see the world in a different light that may be comical, but isn’t always reflective of the truth or reality of the situation being reported (http://christinemerrill2.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).”

The problematic issues that arise from satirical news reportage’s dependency on using comic relief is the fact that, “it seems to create a blurred distinction between the “real” delivery of hegemonic news, and the “fake” delivery of the satirical product of the former (http://madelainelegaultcpcf.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/if25-post-4-is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).”  In addition, satirical media usually exaggerates the stories that they report. Thus, when a younger demographic watches these reportages, they are misinformed about the underlying message they report. A classmate touches upon this perspective of satirical news and states that, “often in satirical media exaggeration is used or comical elements in order to make the stories more interesting, but when this media is communicated to a younger audience this information can be taken wrongfully at face value (http://christinemerrill2.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).” The irony of why satirical reportage is increasing in popularity is because it combines criticism of mainstream news while still maintaining an image of standardization in reportage media. Drawing upon this notion, my classmate states that, “the ironic way of trying to blend in to the “norm” while criticizing its possible underlying biases and ideologies tends to succeed in supporting the objective (http://madelainelegaultcpcf.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/if25-post-4-is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).”

Although many of my classmates have expressed their opinion of satirical news reportage as less reliable than traditional news reportage, some have articulated their perspective in an alternative stance. Satirical news reportage can be used to raise awareness about the propaganda and biases traditional news reportages portray. Furthermore, satirical media and, “culture jamming is becoming more and more popular as time goes on and the media progresses (http://karabalsdon.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).” Satirical media used to be viewed as seditious, however, as time progresses, it is becoming more mainstream and the connotations of how it used be looked at is not the same.  

Culture jamming and the mainstream media

I believe that satirical news reporting should be considered a form of mainstream culture jamming and it is useful to have satirical news reporting to the public  sphere because it, “denaturalises the media images that we see every day by making us notice and question their underlying messages (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 214).” Culture jamming is a vital mechanism to challenge and sensitize the mass media in regards to racism, sexism, homophobia, abuse and many other forms of social injustice that is prevalent today. Although culture jamming can aid to defy underlying messages in the media, it “can also be used simply to be clever or funny, without a political or critical motive (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 214).” In this case, people would argue against satirical news reporting because they can sometimes desensitize negative messages that culture or media portrays. Conversely, some satirical news reporting shows may actually dismiss the negative messages in the media by over-humouring the issue intentionally or unintentionally.  Nevertheless, majority of the time advertisements, satirical news reporting and other forms of media that use culture jamming, seem to object the negativity that mass media produces. O’shaughnessy and Stadelr (2012) state that, “the discourse of mass culture speaks to us about consumption and appearance, and the counter-cultural discourse of culture jamming speaks about refusing to consume, and refusing to be seduced by images that offer unattainable, unhealthy, or unethical ideals (p. 216).” We need satirical news reporting to speak out against or raise awareness on messages that try to directly or indirectly deceive us into unmoral agendas. Culture jamming is not only used through satirical news reporting. Many advertisements use culture jamming to overthrow the status quo and to let the viewer’s acknowledge the inequitable hidden agendas that mass media projects. Satirical news reporting questions the motives and ideals of the government, policy makers, and institutions on a global scale. Thus, this form of reportage is useful in the public realm because it questions and asserts the underlying messages we are conditioned to believe. Moreover, “culture jamming opposes aspects of the dominant culture and [thus], referred to as a counter-cultural activity, or as a counter hegemonic discourse (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 216).”

Demonstrable demographics

Reading through my classmate’s blogs, there were many common themes and similarities that were addressed with regards to how the media hails and interpellates my demographic. Most of the blogs discussed cosmetic and beauty products which was no surprise because females in my demographic are the biggest consumers when it comes to purchasing cosmetics and skin care items. An interesting way to look at how the media tries to hail us in the messages they try to project is by speaking to our psychological needs and insecurities. Many young females struggle with low-self-esteem daily, all for various reasons; however, the most observable reason is how the media tries to objectify women and their physical appearance. Because of how the media attempts to hyper-idealize beauty, companies such as Dove initiated a self-esteem campaign to combat this issue that young women face regularly. A classmate specifically talked about this campaign. The reason why she believes that this campaign hails young women in our generation is because “how else [can the media] garner popularity for a brand but to create the idea that buying it helps fight problems that a demographic had once faced (http://madelainelegaultcpcf.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/1f25-post-3-what-the-hail).” It is stimulating to think that skin care and cosmetic companies try to hail the audience by addressing psychological issues that many girls in my demographic struggle with. Many girls and young woman look up to celebrities in terms of style and appearance. Many make-up and skin care lines use celebrities to advertise their products. This easily hails women in my demographic into succumbing to their messages because “celebrity endorsement is a good selling strategy because [people] want to use the same products as stars do (http://karabalsdon.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail/).” Young women and men want to look their best for whichever reason, thus, by thinking they can enhance their appearance and look like that of a celebrities’, they are hailed and interpellated into buying the advertised product. This is common amongst the way the media hails my demographic because another classmate touches on the topic of how we want to achieve a certain look or lifestyle. The reason why she believes “advertisements succeed in product sales is because they gear their imagery to a particular lifestyle that draws in the targeted audience (http://christinemerrill2.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-in-the-hail/).” All these representations of how the media hails us within my demographic are relatable and accurate.  

What the Hail?

Media today uses various strategies to hail and interpellates us in the messages they portray. The Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show commercial is a great example of that. The 2012 commercial had about six different models (or “angels” as they are referred to) show off exotic and dramatic lingerie pieces made from crystals, beads, feathers, and pearls. Some of the model strut and pose down the runway seductively, blowing kisses, whereas some lay in flowers showing nothing but their accentuated long legs. One of the ways the ad tries to hail or interpellate me or any girl in in my demographic is through gender. Because, “gender is central to identity, and gender socialisation is one of the earliest processes of interpellation” (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, Where Are Discourses and Ideologies Found?, pg.185) the ad tries to hail and interpellate me in thinking that a woman is gentle, elegant, and her body is the center of attention through the models’ body language. Personally, the ad is not successful in making me think that the ideal body of a woman is that of the model’s body in the commercial. However, girls and women who struggle with low self-esteem and those who face judgement based on their body type may succumb to the idea that they should have the same assets of the models in the commercial. The commercial emphasizes on objectifying the female body. This becomes a problem because, “in our identity we internalise particular ways of thinking, feeling and believing, we take on particular ideologies (O’shaughnessy and Stadler, Where Are Discourses and Ideologies Found?,pg. 184). The commercial idolizes the female body and dismisses the female that is modelling the lingerie. It attempts to make us think and believe that the only way females should identify themselves as, is through objectifying their body and looking a certain way. Consequently, the superficiality that is projected in the commercial allows women to believe the ideology of having a slim body and a pretty face is the way to intermingle within society. 

Wanted: the media that we need

Is the media we want the same as the media we need?

The answer to the question projected is not necessarily black or white; a yes or a no. Our desires come into play as we choose our media choices. Sometimes the media choices we make do not enhance our knowledge about social, political, cultural, and economic issues; rather more to indulge in things that we find entertaining and enjoyable and may even go against our ethics or beliefs. For instance, some people have been raised to not discriminate others by their ethnic colour and not to judge other’s based on the sexuality they identify themselves in. However, in many popular television shows, specifically the show Friends, portrays the opposite message. In certain episodes, they send out homophobic messages and try to “normalize” or make it seem acceptable through comedy. In one of the blog entries I have  read, someone touches base on how “the media acts as a foundation to show people how to survive in today’s world in such a way that is seen as normal or acceptable (http://karabalsdon.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/the-media-we-want/).” This poses a vital problem. Although we may not agree with the messages the media sends out; there is potential for it to manipulate or persuade us through time. We may want to watch certain television shows or films because we find them entertaining, however they do not always adhere to our morals or values.

Conversely, the media choices that we choose can positively affect us or inform us on various political, social, cultural and economic issues that we face today. Personally, I enjoy reading New York Times magazine because it addresses many political and social issues on a global scale and I like to be informed on what is happening in other regions of the world. As I read through the various articles; I am exposed to issues that I was not aware of and thus, makes me want to further explore those issues on a deeper level. A classmate in her entry states, “as we constantly search for the specific media that we are interested in, it influences our values, beliefs and ultimately our actions (http://razanalkayed.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/the-media-we-want/).” Because politics is an interest of mine, I specifically search for various media outlets that are politically informative like New York Times magazine to further educate me in this sector, which inevitably influences my beliefs just like how my classmate stated.

The media choices I make may differ from the media choices my classmates, or any person in my age range makes. Because, “humans have individual preferences and wants when it comes to the media (http://madelainelegaultcpcf.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/cpcf-1f25-the-media-we-want/)” people will always pick and choose the things that are of importance to them and what they want to hear or read. Overall, I believe the media choices I make inform me greatly about matters that we, as a society, face today.  Although sometimes the media goes against our morality and ethical information we are accustom to; the vast accessibility of media allows me and others to look for information about different matters elsewhere.

 

The media we want?

We get the media we want. In this day and age, the media sells products, programs, T.V shows, films, books, etc. based on what the audience like and wants. Inevitably, us, the audience, control the media in one way or form; “if people don’t like a product, they will look elsewhere for one, so the media must satisfy their popular audience” (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, what do the media do to us? media and society, pg. 37). Consequently, the media targets the more predominant and popular audience, which is the working class and about fifty percent of females. Generally, many families fall under this category in North America and the West, which makes it easier for companies and big corporations to sell and advertise their products. They analyze what different age groups want and they give them that through various media outputs. “It could be argued that audiences influence, if not control, media output through their choices f what media products to consume” (O’shaughnessy and Stadler, what do the media do to us? media and society, pg. 38).” Popular culture today has a big impact on what the media portrays. Artists, writers, producers, and CEO’s use popular culture as a tool to sell their product. “Popular culture is the culture that the content of television and other media forms is at least partly determined by what the people (the consumers) want. (O’shaughnessy and Stadler, what do the media do to us? media and society, pg. 38). People want to watch and read things they relate to in their daily lives. The media captures that notion by providing viewers with reality T.V shows, and other media outlets that project that. “Many media and artistic representations refer to things from the real world. Cameras all aim to re-create objects that are part of the world we live in” (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, mediation and representation, pg. 80). Reality television is in high demand by viewers because we like to watch shows that are unmediated; we relate to it more and find it entertaining when things are unscripted because it mimics our own sense of “reality”. Thus, reality television has been growing throughout the media. Evidently, we can witness that the media gives us what we want based on our choices of what we like to watch and the products we consume. If we do not enjoy the products and media outlets that are created, we resort to looking for what we want somewhere else, therefore, the media tries to apprehend and please the crowd by allowing people to indulge and consume in the things that keep us entertained and satisfied.

1f25 Blog Response 1: Media Impact on Others

Reading through my classmate’s blog responses, my initial thoughts of how everyone would state in one way or another; mass media greatly impacts and influences their worldviews, stands correct. What I have also come to realize throughout reading other’s responses is that they don’t necessarily agree with what mass media portrays, but agree that it inevitably affects us somehow in our daily lives. Mass media can be seen as a positive output to advocate freedom, equality and liberty. Television shows, music, and magazines to name a few, are discussing social taboos such as homosexuality and gender equality openly and freely. For example, the music industry is a powerful industry that allows artists and music producers to promote social issues that many people, specifically the youth, battle on a daily basis. “The gay rights movement has never been this big but due to the growing number of celebrities and musicians who address this problem through their music, it has changed the way people look at it. (http://farahalhalbouni95.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/1f25-post-1-media-impact/).”

Consequently, we have seen that mass media can be used in a progressive ways to raise awareness about social and psychological problems we face today. However, mass media can also destruct one’s self-esteem and psychological well-being. Because mass media is present in all aspects of our lives; at home, at school, in social gatherings, at work; it is almost impossible to dismiss mass media out of our lives. This becomes a vital issue when billboards of male Calvin Klein models and lingerie fashion shows like the popular Victoria’s Secret annual show objectify the way women and men are supposed to look. Thus, the consequences for young women and men to try to maintain the superficial and unrealistic image of that model become detrimental to their overall health, mentally and physically. I came across a classmate who touched on this social issue of trying to looking a certain way because of what mass media tells us, and she states, “I am constantly being bombarded with images of pretty girls and I’m pressured to look the same. (http://societythroughmyeyes.wordpress.com/).”

Although we use mass media on a daily basis, we have the capability to pick and choose what we want to listen to and what we don’t. Just because mass media tells us information about a particular issue does not necessarily mean that we have to succumb to that idea. In my opinion, we as citizens of the twenty-first century, have the choice to allow mass media to impact our worldviews positively or negatively. In conclusion, I came across something that a classmate wrote that articulates my thoughts on how mass media impacts me personally. She says, “mass media will play a role in shaping my worldview but I refuse to let mass media define it (http://questioningthisworld.blogspot.ca/).”

1f25 post 1: Media Impact

Mass media in this day and age has become a significant aspect in our daily lives. We are constantly being updated with the latest news and information at our finger tips wherever we go. I believe mass media is a vital tool to stay connected with the outside world in our technologically-advanced society both socially and politically. During the Arab Spring that was sparked about two years ago, mass media played a crucial role in letting the world know what was going on. Human rights activists and journalists used social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to portray the real message of what the Arab spring was about instead of the propaganda that was aired on state televisions in countries like Syria, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. When the crackdown was going on in the Middle East landlines and mobile phones were being tapped, therefore the only means of communication between my family and I was via Twitter and Facebook as it was less dangerous and easier to send quick and brief updates on how they were coping. Activists teamed up with civilians to advocate peaceful protesting and created groups on Facebook to raise awareness about demonstrations and rallies that took place in different cities. Countries in the West and Europe that were following the events in the Middle East were given different views on what was really happening. State televisions in the tyrannical countries were spewing wrong information and were hiding the reality of the revolutions, whereas, social networks allowed citizens the scarce opportunity to say what was happening to them. In social terms, I use mass media when I sit down on a Friday night and catch up on my favourite television shows like “Gossip Girl” and “Grey’s Anatomy”. I look forward to coming home after school and quickly change the channel to tune in and think to myself how crazy thousands if not millions of other people are watching the episode at the same time. Mass media is forever evolving as technology and the internet continues to grow in popular use at home, at school, and in the work force.