G325:Critical Perspectives

1. G325:Critical Perspectives Question 2

2. The areas of study There are six areas of study altogether. • Media in the On-line Age • We Media • Media and Collective Identity • Postmodern Media • Global media • Contemporary Media regulation

3. These are interlinked • You can put any one in the centre:

4. Mandatory three focus areas • Historical – at some point in your response you should briefly relate relevant aspect of contemporary media to the past • Contemporary – Most of your response will be an up-to-date, accurate, theoretical and academic analysis of today’s media • Future – this again is not the main focus but you should indicate that you have some understanding of where the media arfe going next.

5. Postmodern Media(Media Reality is the New Reality) This area covers: • Definitions of Postmodernism in relation to media products and media audiences • The difference between Postmodern media and traditional media • Examples of postmodern products • The impact of Postmodern media on audiences • Debates around postmodernism

6. Media and Collective Identity“Identity is complicated. Everyone thinks they’ve got one. “ [Gauntlett. 2007] This area covers: • How the media represents groups of people in different ways. • How these representations differ from historical reps. of the same groups. • The effects in society of particular kinds of reps. of collective identities • Ways in which people use the media to create collective identities • Debates around the idea that collective identities are constructed through or by the media

7. Global Media“In a globalised world there will be a single society and culture occupying the planet.” [Waters, 1995] This area covers: • A variety of media which can be considered global by the way they are distributed and shared. • The historical development of media globalisation. • The impact of global media on audience behaviour • Debates about the pros and cons of global media

8. Media in the Online Age This area covers: • The historical development of on-line media. • Examples of how media has been transformed by the internet and broadband access (and examples of where there has been no change) • The impact of broadband internet on audience behaviour • The importance of media convergence and the role of the internet in accelerating this. • Debates around the future of the media in the web 3.0 era.

9. We Media and Democracy“The spreading of an item of news , or of something larger will occur .... Without any help from the mass media as we know it.” [Gillmor :We ,The Media 2004] This area covers: • The we media theory and associated claims that the media is becoming more democratic. • Examples of where you think we media is developing and where you think it is not. • Debates around the impact on our culture and daily lives of we media in terms of power, control, hegemony, access, truth and freedom.

10. Contemporary Media RegulationThe media is big business and if it is unregulated companies and corporations can gain a great deal of influence. This area covers: • How media regulation now is different to the past • The different kinds of media regulation and how they all seek to ‘protect’ people in some way. • The efficiency and impact of various forms of media regulation – how well do they work and what difference do they make to people’s lives? • The debate around the role of the regulator in a democracy – arguments for and against various forms of media regulation.