Introduction to studying 'We Media' and
Democracy
• What is 'We Media'?
Gillmor defines it as: ordinary people creating their own media
e.g. blogging, file sharing, video uploading, podcasting, wikis, 2nd Life etc
The important thing is that it uses easily
accessible technologies.
• So what is Democracy? A
society founded on equality - the people who make the decisions are elected and
accountable.
Gillmor believed that the power of the media rested in too few
hands (he called these the Big Media) but he also believed that access to the internet would challenge that supremacy as the 'former audience' made its own media and media decisions
therefore making it more democratic.
• Activity 1: Do a chart of
the pros and cons of Big Media versus We Media
See article by the BBC on Rupert Murdoch - Discuss.
Key issues to think about are:
• Access • democracy
• truth • bias
/ fairness / impartiality • representation • privacy
• Activity 2: What are the
issues with these?
Spidergram the
issues with points springing off them.
• Activity 3: Research the time frames for these and draw a time
line for them:
• look
up CNN on wikipedia find out:
• which
news events were they famous for breaking.
• when
did CNN go to 24 hr rolling news?
• when
did BBC news get its 24 hr news channel going?
• when
did ITV and when did it 'can' it?
• when
did YouTube get started?
• look
up Twitter and find out what events it has played a major part in.
• when
did the internet get started
• what
year did CERN announce the advent of the world wide web?
• make
a list of particularly news worthy events which have been covered on 24 hr news and any specific digital
technologies which have played a part in the story or its dissemination. (over the past two years)
• Activity 4: do research into
the accessibility of the internet in different parts of the world.
See this article about Hong Kong http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29420802]
Now for some key terms:
• Hegemony
and
• Ideology
make sure you
understand these and can use them accurately.
(Dictionary
def in your exercise books too)
• Activity 5: Choose one of these to research:
• Rupert
Murdoch and News Corporation
•
the BBC
• Richard
Branson and his Virgin Media Empire
• CNN
• Fox
News
• Google
• EMap
• Write
a brief summary of their history and the ethos and beliefs held or espoused by
the company.
• Describe and explain the effect of any of their ideological
or hegemonic views.
This clip is Noam Chomsky on 'manufacturing consent' - [5 mins]
https://prezi.com/mjequmlagxnh/studying-we-media-and-democracy/
• This clip is about democracy and digital technologies - [1 1/2 mins]
https://prezi.com/mjequmlagxnh/studying-we-media-and-democracy/
• This clip is about the internet and its influence on politics
https://prezi.com/mjequmlagxnh/studying-we-media-and-democracy/
• This clip is about China and Google.
• What hegemonic and ideological views are displayed in this
clip?
What about Freedom of Speech?
• look
at the 'mother-in-law's e-mail' [see document handed out]
• and
super-injunctions?
• watch
Ryan Giggs and Twitter - mocked on 'Have I Got New For You.'
• Activity 6: Write an assessment of the
conflicting issues involved in freedom of the press versus the rights of the
individual to privacy giving examples from stories in the media in recent
times.
• Watch clips of the news about the London riots and the role
of social networks. Search and collate evidence to form opinions. Relate to
theorists.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/08/the-two-sides-of-social-networking-on-display-in-the-london-riots/
• Activity 7: 'What will happen next? The role of
Twitter and social networking sites.'
Discuss and write an overview of your findings.