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The Role of the Media. National 5. Learning Intentions. To understand the different roles media has within society To recognise why media is created and the influence it has upon us To be able to use this knowledge to create a piece of media with a specific intention. The Role of the Media.
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The Role of the Media National 5
Learning Intentions • To understand the different roles media has within society • To recognise why media is created and the influence it has upon us • To be able to use this knowledge to create a piece of media with a specific intention
The Role of the Media Media does not exist in a vacuum; every piece of media you encounter has been designed for a specific purpose, to have a specific influence on its audience.
The Role of the Media Purposes may be: • to profit • to promote • to provide public service Media meets needs by: • informing • educating • entertaining Media can influence behaviours: • intentionally or unintentionally
Achieving a Purpose You have already looked at the idea of “purpose” from the key aspect of Categories. For every text that you analyse, you should remember to ask: • Who is behind this text (institutions)? • What are they trying to do with the text (purpose)? • What response do they wish me to have to the text (audience)? You should begin to position yourselves in a relationship with the makers of the text to able to make judgments about how creators of media texts operate within society.
Meeting Needs Remember that institutions construct texts with the needs of the audience in mind. Often, they will commission market research into specific elements of this. Key messages to consider: • Different audiences have different needs • Different texts meet these needs in a range of diverse, complex and often contradictory ways • Sometimes purposes and needs will overlap Refer to your notes on “needs” in the Categories section of your notes for examples and further information
Influencing Behaviours & Attitudes You should decode representations, narrative and language features of media in order to recognise when attitudes and behaviours of audiences have been influenced, either intentionally or unintentionally. Consider your own experiences to develop an understanding of the link between institutions, behaviours and attitudes. • Can you think of a time when you were persuaded to buy something as a result of an advertisement? • Have you ever voted for a contestant in a reality TV show? • Which of these people would you most likely vote for?
Some factors to consider when thinking about how institutions influence behaviour and attitudes: • How is this institution funded? • Is it self-regulated or government-regulated? • How much profit does this institution make per year? • How does this institution market itself? • What audience is targeted by the institution (for the text being studied)? • How is this institution viewed within a variety of communities (within their target group, for instance, and within other, possibly oppositional communities)? • How is this group presented in the media at large? • Has the institution ever been involved in scandal?
Advertising Watch the following adverts and take notes on their purpose(s), the needs they meet and how they might influence: In pairs, discuss your findings and reach an agreement before feeding back to the class.
Believe We are going to watch the killer whale show, Believe. Make notes on the purpose, needs met, and possible influence on behaviour. Consider: • Did the adverts you watched previously make you want to watch the show? • Did the show live up to the adverts’ hype?
Answering Assessment Questions Appealing to target audience: • The creators of the content have included... • This would appeal to the target audience because... = 1 mark Meeting the needs of the audience: • The creators of the content have included... • This would meet the needs of the target audience because... = 1 mark Influencing the audience’s behaviour or attitudes: • The content shows... • This might influence the audience to_______________ because... = 1 mark
Assessment Practice Having watched the full show of SeaWorld’s Believe; answer the following questions:
Influencing Behaviour Media is a powerful tool by which to make audiences/readers act, respond, and feel in certain ways. The same basic information can be manipulated to make you respond in entirely different ways.
Influencing Behaviour In pairs, read through the article you have been given. Answer these questions: • What is the purpose of the article? • What information does the article provide? • What/how does the article make you feel? Identify any language used to make you feel this way.
The Role of the Media We have examined how SeaWorld uses media to make viewers think a certain way; we have also examined how the same information can be shared sympathetically or critically. We will now explore the role of the media through a critical viewpoint on SeaWorld.
Blackfish Blackfish premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013 where it was picked up by CNN films and Magnolia Pictures for a limited cinema release. It then found its way to Netflix where it was able to reach a much wider audience. It has since been broadcast on TV both in the US and UK and has been released on DVD and Blu-Ray. The documentary was nominated for Best Documentary at the BAFTAs in 2014. It is rated 8.1/10 on IMDB.com and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Blackfish As you watch the documentary, takes notes on: • Purpose • Needs met • Intentional or unintentional attempts to influence behaviour Be specific about which scenes you think best demonstrate these points.
Meeting Needs & Influencing Behaviour and Attitudes The role of a documentary film is to inform. However, information presented isn’t always without bias. The information in Blackfish has been labelled ‘animal liberation propaganda’ by some supporters of SeaWorld. They claim the film deliberately misrepresents the reality of what happens in their parks to promote the attitude or belief that keeping animals in captive environments such as this is wrong.
Influencing Behaviour Watch the following adverts created by the animal rights group PETA. Take notes on: • Who is the target audience for each advert? • What key aspects are used to appeal to each target audience? • How might the adverts influence behaviour?
Consider... Dawn Brancheau died in 2010. Have these media campaigns affected SeaWorld? • Blackfish was released in 2013 • Jason Biggs Loves Seaworld was released in 2014 • SeaWorld is Horrible Place for Moms was released in early 2015 • Draw My Life: Seaworld Edition was released in mid-2015 Read the articles provided to see the “Blackfish Effect”.
Impact and Public Response Since the film’s release in 2013, SeaWorld has witnessed a drop in profits from ticket sales at its parks and a fall in its share prices. SeaWorld (as reported in the national press) lost $25.4 million in ticket sales as attendance figures dropped 2.2% between October-December 2013. The national press have blamed this on the negative publicity that surrounded the film. The CEO of SeaWorld, Jim Atchison, stepped down after these figures were released. Following the film’s release, a number of bands and singers who were scheduled to perform at a SeaWorld event in Orlando pulled out of the show. These included Reo Speedwagon, The Barenaked Ladies and several others. Additionally, a number of bills have been introduced to prevent the abuse of whales in captivity.
The Power of (Social) Media In July 2015, One Direction singer Harry Styles amplifies the anti-SeaWorld campaign during a concert in San Diego. Analysis of social media showed this single event caused the highest spike in negative commentary about SeaWorld online since Blackfish was first shown.
In response, SeaWorld has launched a PR campaign to counter this negativity. • A YouTube ad focuses on behind the scenes footage of the ‘excellent’ care the animals receive from their ‘highly trained’ veterinary staff. • Print ads are to feature in high profile newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall St. Journal. • There is also now a section of their website dedicated to dismissing some of the claims made in the documentary (read the document from SeaWorldCares.com) • SeaWorld also pledged to double the size of its whale enclosures. These are attempts to prove to consumers that SeaWorld is a caring organisation – not like the one represented in Blackfish.
Self-evaluation • Could you explain ‘the role of the media’ to someone not taking this course? • What facets of ‘the role of the media’ are you unsure of?
Creation & Production Assessment Task: Your brief is to design and produce an advert to encourage people to either visit or boycott animal attractions or facilities (e.g. zoos, circuses, SeaWorld-esque entertainment etc.). • You will decide on the theme/approach of this advert and what content will appear on it. • You will need to decide how you wish to advertise it (i.e. what medium, target audience etc.) and create one advert.
Past Paper - Practice Using your knowledge and analysis of Blackfish, you will attempt to complete a Past Paper 5. Some media content is intended to perform a public service. a) Describe how media content you have studied is intended to perform a public service. (4) b) Explain how at least one key aspect is used to achieve this public service. You should refer to at least one of: language, narrative, representation, categories, institutions, audience. (6)
