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CCT 300 Spring 2006

CCT 300 Spring 2006. Class 7/8: Objectivity, Subjectivity and Identity. Administrivia. Due to illness, 7/8 collapsed into one - look at Cunningham, Jon Stewart video and Agre. Objectivity. “just the facts” reporting

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CCT 300 Spring 2006

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  1. CCT 300 Spring 2006 Class 7/8: Objectivity, Subjectivity and Identity

  2. Administrivia • Due to illness, 7/8 collapsed into one - look at Cunningham, Jon Stewart video and Agre

  3. Objectivity • “just the facts” reporting • Usually unwritten doctrine - but in cases enshrined into law (e.g., fair access) • Also economic incentive - broadening potential consumer base, increases perceived truth value

  4. Problems with Objectivity • “neutral yet investigative; disengaged but have and impact; fair-minded with an edge” - it’s a hard balance • Can lead to milquetoast reports - investigative impactful, edgy reporting not only sells better but might make a clearer point

  5. Problems (2) • Excuses laziness - both sides of the story enough - synthesis and fact-checking is not done • Can fail in cases where one side - esp. powerful sides - is deceptive or silent • “…it’s a simple thing to stop the media cold. Say nothing, hide documents.” • Stewart ex.

  6. Bias • Now objectivity masks bias - Fox News’ mantra “fair and balanced” • Bias of reporters - conflict sells, common stories safe, events vs. processes • Bias of editors -what goes where, how much space, what is dropped?

  7. Compromise • Transparent subjectivity - biases and framing known and part of dialogue • Encourage not just factual regurgitation but analysis and expertise

  8. Identity and Privacy • Mass media - mass audience - isolating perhaps but private • New media - emphasis on data structure, processing and content manipulation allows for individual expression - but also individual tracking

  9. Possibilities of Identity • Identity experimentation - creation of postmodern identity structures (e.g., Turkle’s analysis of online chat) - may lead to empathy • Creates veil of anonymity that empowers some • Not perfect of course - examples?

  10. Surveillance and Privacy • Individuated transactions can be and are monitored • Enforcement haphazard - both panopticon effect and simple logistics • New media technologies - can automate and make surveillance more efficient

  11. Face recognition analysis • Technologies to scan and detect faces in a crowd • Preliminary systems already exist - potential uses in analysis of closed-circuit surveillance, forensic science, military/intelligence • Increased interest post 9/11

  12. Problems • Abuse - who controls information? For what purposes is it collected? • Cross-referencing - links to biometrics? Banking data? Advertising? • Voyeurism from afar - violation of shared norms of public spaces • False sense of security - not “needle in haystack” technology, false positives, probability of loopholes

  13. Network papers • Generally good (high B- average) • Application to current issues vs. simple analysis of movie • Good integration of theoretical concepts • Use of examples from film

  14. Next Class • More on Internet-era technologies and their structural and economic roots and effects • More time for questions and answers on Wiki/projects

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