It will come as a surprise to few but a delight to many that Selina Scott is suing Five over ageism in its refusal to hire her for a maternity cover role and choice of younger presenters instead. It is a delight not because Five is worse than anyone else in this respect, but because it stokes a debate which urgently needs to be taken more seriously. Casual sexism, ageism and racism are the collective dirty secret of the vast majority of media institutions, and they represent as much of an industrial challenge as they do a moral one.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission's Report on Sex and Power, published last week, drew a depressing picture for women in the workplace. In general the progression of women at the highest level in the workplace is pitiful and the media are no exception: only 13.6% of national newspaper editors (including the Herald and Western Mail) are women; only 10% of media FTSE's 350 companies have women at the helm; and at the BBC, which has often been held as an exemplar of diversity, women make up less than 30% of most senior management positions. It puts into context Jeremy Paxman's deranged rant about the white male in television. Ethnic minority representation is even worse.
A couple of weeks ago Pat Younge, former BBC head of sports programmes and planning who left to work for Discovery in the US, caused a stir at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival by saying that diversity targets should be like financial targets - you don't hit them, you get fired. I have to say that as board champion for diversity at Guardian News and Media I would currently be firing myself and most of the board for some missed targets. But Younge is right - because diversity targets are not just a feelgood add-on, they are vital to the health of any media business. The temptation to hire in one's own image for most managers is as irresistible as it is subliminal - which is why there are a lot of opinionated women working in digital management at the Guardian, and why we all need targets to remind us to look beyond the mirror.
On screen, any number of unconventional-looking ageing blokes (Jeremy Clarkson, Jonathan Ross, Chris Moyles, Alan Sugar, Adrian Chiles, Jeremy Paxman, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan) are paid at a top rate for the talent they possess beyond their appearance. For women it is an altogether different story - appearance and age are clearly factors in choosing female presenters in a way that they aren't for men.
The media should be deeply concerned about this un-diversity - not because it represents moral turpitude on our part, but because it represents bloody awful business sense. What is happening to the UK population at the moment? It is ethnically diversifying, and it is ageing. It is also the case that it is, as of the 2001 Census, marginally more female than it is male. And we live longer - so older women, and non-white potential audiences are on the rise. In London, the major urban conurbation and key market for so many media brands, the population is around 37% ethnically diverse, yet this is nowhere near reflected in the management structures of media companies. Or indeed in their on-screen or in-paper representation.
How though, can you hope to address audiences for which you have no instinctive feel, and towards which you show casual discrimination? We are all in danger of becoming irrelevant to the changing demographics of our target audience at a time when holding any kind of audience is key to survival. If white men are so good at solving business problems - and given that they represent well over 80% of FTSE 100 directors we can speculate that this is a skill they must possess in measure - then I'm surprised they haven't grasped this one already.
Monday 23 November 2009
Coursework Title
C.I= "An investigation into the medias role in generating the ongoing moral panic in Britain surrounding black teenage males"
L.O= "To produce a two minute long opening introducing the documentary in a 'channel 4' style format"
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/batty-man
L.O= "To produce a two minute long opening introducing the documentary in a 'channel 4' style format"
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/batty-man
Friday 20 November 2009
Konnie Huq turns seductress for HIV awareness ad
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/19/konnie-huq-hiv-awareness
The former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq appears as a seductress in a tongue-in-cheek web video ad that aims to show young people that it is OK to kiss someone with HIV.
The online ad, created by the British Red Cross, has been created in the runup to World Aids Day on 1 December.
Developed by Red Bee Media, the 60-second ad aims to tackle the prejudices that many under-25s hold about those with HIV and Aids.
The ad opens in the style of a fashion or drinks commercial with Huq sitting sexily on a bar stool, asking: "If I had HIV, what would it take to get you to kiss me?"
Huq then runs through an increasingly ridiculous set of measures, such as shaving her tongue and wearing a chemical hazard suit, as she attempts to convince viewers to agree to kiss her.
"Knowing you can't catch HIV from kissing is one thing – but when young people were asked if this was something they would actually do, the majority still said no," said Huq. "The video is a light-hearted way of challenging some of the negative assumptions people hold and hopefully forcing them to rethink."
The British Red Cross ran research among 15- to 25-year-olds that found that while 85% of young people knew that it is not possible to contract HIV from a kiss, 69% still said they would not kiss someone HIV positive.
"The video also acts as a call to action to young people to encourage them to sign up as peer educators – young people who train and teach people their own age, covering a range of humanitarian issues including HIV," said Alyson Lewis, the health and care team leader at the BRC.
The former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq appears as a seductress in a tongue-in-cheek web video ad that aims to show young people that it is OK to kiss someone with HIV.
The online ad, created by the British Red Cross, has been created in the runup to World Aids Day on 1 December.
Developed by Red Bee Media, the 60-second ad aims to tackle the prejudices that many under-25s hold about those with HIV and Aids.
The ad opens in the style of a fashion or drinks commercial with Huq sitting sexily on a bar stool, asking: "If I had HIV, what would it take to get you to kiss me?"
Huq then runs through an increasingly ridiculous set of measures, such as shaving her tongue and wearing a chemical hazard suit, as she attempts to convince viewers to agree to kiss her.
"Knowing you can't catch HIV from kissing is one thing – but when young people were asked if this was something they would actually do, the majority still said no," said Huq. "The video is a light-hearted way of challenging some of the negative assumptions people hold and hopefully forcing them to rethink."
The British Red Cross ran research among 15- to 25-year-olds that found that while 85% of young people knew that it is not possible to contract HIV from a kiss, 69% still said they would not kiss someone HIV positive.
"The video also acts as a call to action to young people to encourage them to sign up as peer educators – young people who train and teach people their own age, covering a range of humanitarian issues including HIV," said Alyson Lewis, the health and care team leader at the BRC.
Thursday 19 November 2009
Cadbury Dairy Milk ad cleared of racism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/cadbury-dairy-milk-cleared-racism
The advertising regulator has cleared Cadbury of racism and perpetuating colonial stereotypes of African people in its latest TV advertising campaign.
Cadbury's campaign featured Ghanaian musician Tinny and aimed to promote the chocolate brand's tie-up with the Fairtrade organisation for cocoa from the African nation for its Dairy Milk range.
The Advertising Standards Authority received 29 complaints that the TV campaign was demeaning to African people and perpetuated racial stereotypes.
However, the ASA's council has decided not to formally investigate the complaints. "Although the council acknowledges that Cadbury had used stereotypes in their ads, they felt that the stereotypes were not harmful or offensive," said the ASA, which argued that most ads use some form of stereotype device to get a age across.
Cadbury has steadfastly maintained that the company went to "considerable lengths" to ensure that the ad campaign was culturally sensitive and developed as a "joyous and uplifting portrayal of Ghanaian culture and something which Ghanaians can feel proud of".
In 2007 the ASA banned an ad for Cadbury's Trident chewing gum, which featured a black "dub poet" speaking in rhyme with a strong Caribbean accent, after more than 500 complaints that it was racist.
The advertising regulator has cleared Cadbury of racism and perpetuating colonial stereotypes of African people in its latest TV advertising campaign.
Cadbury's campaign featured Ghanaian musician Tinny and aimed to promote the chocolate brand's tie-up with the Fairtrade organisation for cocoa from the African nation for its Dairy Milk range.
The Advertising Standards Authority received 29 complaints that the TV campaign was demeaning to African people and perpetuated racial stereotypes.
However, the ASA's council has decided not to formally investigate the complaints. "Although the council acknowledges that Cadbury had used stereotypes in their ads, they felt that the stereotypes were not harmful or offensive," said the ASA, which argued that most ads use some form of stereotype device to get a age across.
Cadbury has steadfastly maintained that the company went to "considerable lengths" to ensure that the ad campaign was culturally sensitive and developed as a "joyous and uplifting portrayal of Ghanaian culture and something which Ghanaians can feel proud of".
In 2007 the ASA banned an ad for Cadbury's Trident chewing gum, which featured a black "dub poet" speaking in rhyme with a strong Caribbean accent, after more than 500 complaints that it was racist.
Monday 16 November 2009
Relation to Different Media Representations
BBC Opinion Based
Ch Supt Jack Russell said: "I called a meeting because of serious concerns I had regarding possible trouble between rival groups who may attend the carnival.
"I believe that some groups who have been involved in the recent spate of firearms incidents could use the event to continue their disagreements.
"I want the carnival to go ahead because it wouldn't be reasonable or fair to cancel an event which not only celebrates the history of the West Indian culture but also brings together many other diverse communities in our city."
About 12,000 people are expected to attend the event.
Ch4 Opinion based
A teenager was killed in a gang-related shooting a few streets from where I live in East London. As the police cordoned off the crime scene and the TV cameras arrived, I began to wonder what separates our lives so much that while some of us can look forward to a bright future full of opportunity, others end up involved in guns, drugs and crime before they have a driving licence. In Britain, does your postcode determine your future or are teens in poorer areas just easy targets to blame? Are schools failing to inspire teens to chose another route? Why are gangs, so-called ASBO kids and 'hoodies' all so attractive to frustrated and disillusioned teens in the first place? Young people have always rebelled, but is it all getting increasingly violent? Or is the whole idea that teenagers are 'out of control' a product of media hype?
Ch Supt Jack Russell said: "I called a meeting because of serious concerns I had regarding possible trouble between rival groups who may attend the carnival.
"I believe that some groups who have been involved in the recent spate of firearms incidents could use the event to continue their disagreements.
"I want the carnival to go ahead because it wouldn't be reasonable or fair to cancel an event which not only celebrates the history of the West Indian culture but also brings together many other diverse communities in our city."
About 12,000 people are expected to attend the event.
Ch4 Opinion based
A teenager was killed in a gang-related shooting a few streets from where I live in East London. As the police cordoned off the crime scene and the TV cameras arrived, I began to wonder what separates our lives so much that while some of us can look forward to a bright future full of opportunity, others end up involved in guns, drugs and crime before they have a driving licence. In Britain, does your postcode determine your future or are teens in poorer areas just easy targets to blame? Are schools failing to inspire teens to chose another route? Why are gangs, so-called ASBO kids and 'hoodies' all so attractive to frustrated and disillusioned teens in the first place? Young people have always rebelled, but is it all getting increasingly violent? Or is the whole idea that teenagers are 'out of control' a product of media hype?
Marxism..
Marxist on Gangs
As Marxists we have to note that the material reality has a large effect on
the distance gangs usually travel down the political road. The Watts
uprising of 1965, for instance, united different gangs in their struggle
against police brutality which paved the way for a formation like the Black
Panthers which could recruit from different gangs and put aside petty
differences in favour of revolutionary struggle and unity. And the heyday
of the Black Panthers was the late 60s; no one on this list needs to be
reminded of the political climate during that time. Or more recently the
police killing of New York City resident and black man Sean Bell created a
climate where the Bloods and Crips (who are usually in a state of war with
each other) both marched together to protest police brutality in NYC.
Marxist on Gangs
As Marxists we can look at street gangs sociologically or politically.
Sociologically, Marxists favour a much more sympathetic view towards gangs
then the mainstream view, for the reasons Piercy stated. We acknowledge
that these groups are almost entirely composed of impoverished people and
are often targets of the blame game when capitalist politicians need a
scapegoat for the system and its results. As Mike Davis so brilliantly
noted in an interview he gave in the DVD 'Bastards of the Party,' if you had
39,000 union jobs in L.A. you could very well get 39,000 gang members to
leave the negative aspects of their gang lives behind. Gang leaders
pursuing reform often complain that without jobs they find it extremely
difficult to stop members from pursuing monetary gain through illicit
means.
Marxist Perspective
From the Marxist perspective, adolescent gangs are a collectivist subculture which forms as a reaction to an impoverished lifestyle and an environment lacking in intellectual stimulation, in order to share knowledge about criminalistic activities, and to share the proceeds generated from deviant behaviour.
As Marxists we have to note that the material reality has a large effect on
the distance gangs usually travel down the political road. The Watts
uprising of 1965, for instance, united different gangs in their struggle
against police brutality which paved the way for a formation like the Black
Panthers which could recruit from different gangs and put aside petty
differences in favour of revolutionary struggle and unity. And the heyday
of the Black Panthers was the late 60s; no one on this list needs to be
reminded of the political climate during that time. Or more recently the
police killing of New York City resident and black man Sean Bell created a
climate where the Bloods and Crips (who are usually in a state of war with
each other) both marched together to protest police brutality in NYC.
Marxist on Gangs
As Marxists we can look at street gangs sociologically or politically.
Sociologically, Marxists favour a much more sympathetic view towards gangs
then the mainstream view, for the reasons Piercy stated. We acknowledge
that these groups are almost entirely composed of impoverished people and
are often targets of the blame game when capitalist politicians need a
scapegoat for the system and its results. As Mike Davis so brilliantly
noted in an interview he gave in the DVD 'Bastards of the Party,' if you had
39,000 union jobs in L.A. you could very well get 39,000 gang members to
leave the negative aspects of their gang lives behind. Gang leaders
pursuing reform often complain that without jobs they find it extremely
difficult to stop members from pursuing monetary gain through illicit
means.
Marxist Perspective
From the Marxist perspective, adolescent gangs are a collectivist subculture which forms as a reaction to an impoverished lifestyle and an environment lacking in intellectual stimulation, in order to share knowledge about criminalistic activities, and to share the proceeds generated from deviant behaviour.
Sunday 1 November 2009
To what extent is the media to blame for the raise in moral panic in Britain surrounding Black Male Teens
Media Language and Institutions..
I will use media language relevant to the text i am studying. The reference point for my production will be the BBC documentary "MAX: Black Britain".I will be focusing on looking at BBC, and Channel 4 as they have a tendancy to feature the same shows as i wish to. With this i will cast an eye on the clothes which are stereotypically found amongst young black boys.
Narratives..
There are no real narratives, however we can talk about the ways in which the interviewee will be addressed etc.
Genre..
The genre of my piece will be drama-documentared, as it will show the real life conventions of the black 'gangtser life' and the successful working black mans life. I will be studying moving image adverts, and still images such as posters for example.
Ideologies..
I will be addressing the stereotypes of young black people, and investigating whether the media could be partly to blaim for the image put across about them. My research is a radio clip talking about the successes of Black peaople in britain, and how the had originiated to the country. I believe strongly that taking the problem or investigation back to its source can help to reach conclusions.
Audience..
My main audience would obviously be black people, but this isn't a race war, so any other ethnic group will also be accepted as an audience. The secondary audience however would be males, as this is surrounding them also.
Historical values..
Ways in which my prodution can be deemed as historical, is through its relationship and influence from the past. This is through the slave trade, and through the migration and settlization of black people in britain. Also how does this affect the standards of life in which they live when they grow up... And why do teens not strive to get out of this stereotype? Is media really to blaim?
Social issues..
My production is related to social issues, as this is an ongoing moral panic, which is affecting Britain as wide scale. I will take research from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=267 Which is a table of racially related crimes. This shows that white people are at the least attacted (pre 2000).
Economic..
The ways in which black youths are going to be at the bottom of the class system in terms of wealth (relation to Marx's theory). The stereotype of feeling the need to steal etc in order to earn money.
Political..
Talks about the ways in which Black youth crime may be sensationalised undercoverly through newspapers and other texts. An example being the amount of stabbings on an increase, and the ongoing conferences about how to reduce these levels of crime. Additionally, how this may have a negative affect on their social image.
"This study fits into the contemporary media landscape because it looks at the effect of stereotypes and Marxism in life, and the affects it may have in society".
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