Olympics Opening Ceremony/Multiculturalism...

Representation of Race & Ethnicity
The Olympics opening ceremony consists representation of race and ethnicity, the multicultural opening involved a family who were of black and white/mixed race ethnicity. The family was represented as a positive happy stereotype with both families around watching the ceremony, this is reinforcing the actual British traditional families as your partner should be the same ethnicity. Along with the mixed race family the main characters was a young female mixed race and a young male black. As Britain is a multicultural society the modern representation of the family would have related to the audiences however others may critic this as the traditional representation of Britain would be only portraying White citizens.
I think this opening ceremony relates to Alvarado's theory of racial representation as the concept was humorous and made the audience happy. Alvarado's theory could also relation to the Katz and Blumbers uses of gratifications as the audiences are able to relate to the characters and be humorous with them. Moreover the 2012 Olympics could also relate to Fanon's theory of wearing the 'White mask' as the characters are portraying themselves in a White British event as audiences would have assumed too.
In the ceremony the NHS was also being celebrated as it;s playing a big part in Britian. However the Daily Mail refused to celebrate them as they published a negative article about the NHS the day after the ceremony, calling them as a negative role model for one mistake they have done.

Weekly NDM Story...

Sunday Times redesign aims to give readers the bigger picture. News UK title to refresh look for the first time since going full-colour in 2009, with new font and focus on images...

The redesigned Sunday Times Magazine

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/24/sunday-times-redesign-news-uk#_

The Sunday Times is to unveil a new look, its first major overhaul in almost six years, including the introduction of a new font and a "bolder use of images" to give the title a more vibrant feel. The refresh, the first since the Sunday Times went full-colour in July 2008, will extend throughout the paper with the introduction of a new font (Glosa) which aims to create "more white space on each page for an easier read, without reducing the word count." There will be a bolder use of images throughout the newspaper to "increase impact" with readers, and a "brighter colour palette" will be used across the title's sections.

- "Glosa is a delicate font that is highly readable at small sizes and offers a contemporary look," said the Sunday Times.

- "This weekend's design refresh gives each section of the paper a more vibrant, yet elegant feel," said Eleanor Mills.

- The Sunday Times will remain priced at £2.50, with digital subscription remaining at £6 a week for the seven-day Times and Sunday Times pack.

- The relaunch will be backed by a major TV ad campaign, launching on 2 February.

Overall I think this could be a positive decision to The Sunday Times as many competitor newspapers are in competition in the industry. Improving aspects of the newspaper would attract the audience more making them want to buy it, especially when it has been redesigned. I think the newspaper would be successful to some demographic audiences such as working class and the old tradition generation who buy newspapers. On the other hand as new and digital media has developed many would like to subscribe to the newspaper instead which would be online and could raise there audiences to subscriptions as well as buying the actual newspaper.

Weekly NDM Story...

How social media can change the face of fundraising. Ian Pearman explains how charities, like Kids Company and Refuge, are using social media to change the face of fundraising...

Charities are making the most of social media websites to advertise their cause and further their fundraising.
http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2014/jan/23/how-social-media-can-change-fundraising

Social media has now transformed into a sophisticated media that is fundamentally changing the way charities interact with audiences. A huge proportion of charities already have a presence in social media, for instants on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and etc. Raising awareness in a way people can relate to remains the first step to getting people to give, but the real potential of social is unlocked when campaigns are based on deeper insights about how the new channels are used. 

Last year, the British charity Refuge, specialising in domestic violence, tapped into the popularity of YouTube make-up tutorial videos, by creating their own. Except their version featured a woman showing how to put make-up on to hide the cuts and bruises she'd suffered from being physically abused. It was a powerful example of brands channelling social behaviour for their own ends.

- Charities on social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc.

- Ad campaigns about abuse becoming powerful on YouTube.

I think the social media has helped many charities a lot, in a way of informing and making audiences realise what's happening in today's society. The social media sites which support these charities would be successful I think as social networking sites are more viewed by the middle class demographic audience therefore would be aware of the charity. It helps attract a larger audience as well through many audiences.

12 Years a Slave & Django Unchained...

12 Years a Slave...

 

12 Years a Slave is based on a illustration called Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, the film was directed by Steve McQueen and Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan and Anthiny Katagas. The film was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and supported by studios called Regency Enterprises, River Road Entertainment, Plan B, New Regency and Film4. Moreover the films budget was $20 million and reached up to $52,192,000 at the Box Office. The release dates for the United Kingdom was January 10th 2014 and United States was November 8th 2013. 

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodard.

12 Years a Slave relates to the Diaspora identity as the characters in the film are forced into migration and experience belonging to a culture which is other to the dominant culture of the country of residence which is portrayed in the film as White Americans are controlling the Black Americans as slaves. I think this relates to Alvarado's (1987) theory as themes such as racial representation is significant in the film therefore the audience are feeling 'Pitied' for the characters as they are treated as slaves. The film focuses on Racial and cultural inequality as the Black Americans are suggested as slaves for the White Americans who are the dominant culture, they have imperial powers and the colony between exploitation.

Django Unchained...

Django Unchained was directed by Quentin Tarantino and produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The film was supported by A Band Apart studios and distrubuted by The Weinstein Company, and Columbia Pictures. It's budget was $100 million and achieved $425,368,238 at the Box Office. The release date was December 25th 2012.

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.

Django Unchained relates to Orientalism as the East and the Orient are representations of both fear and fascination which is portrayed in the film, this was introduced by Edward Said (1995). Furthermore the film also relates to other two key theorists called Alvarado (1987) and Frantz Fanon (1925-61) as the film relates to racial representation and the theory of Fanon 'Putting on a white mask'.

- Alvarado's Themes in racial representations include: Exotic (Models, music artist, etc) , Dangerous (Crime, gangs, socially dysfunctional, etc), Humorous (Comedians, sidekicks, etc), and Pitied (Poverty, etc).

- Frantz Fanon was a Black psychoanalyst and philosopher, he believed in the Black skin, white mask theory(1952 - translation published). An example of this is that the 'universal' criteria for 'beauty' tends to be 'White'. In many countries Black people straighten their hair and lighten their skin. There language to speak means to assume a culture. Have to wear a white mask to be successful. 

"Putting on the White Mask": Typically Black stereotype can be:

- Infantilize: such as the cute children in charity posters.

- Primitvize: The exotic and virile tribal warriors or bare-breasted maidens with a natural sense of rhythm.

- Decivilize: The gangsta, pimp etc.

- Essentilialize: Undifferentiated mass, 'they all look the same to us'.

Post-colonialism...

Colonialism normally refers to a period of history from the 15th to the 20th century when people from Europe built colonies on other continents. The reasons for the practice of colonialism as this time include:

- The profits to be made

- To expand the power of the colonising country

- To escape persecution by the colonising country 

- To convert the indigenous population to the colonists religion

Some colonist also felt they were helping the indigenous population by bringing them Christianity and civilisation. How the reality was often subjugation, displacement or death.

1. Political and legal domination over an alien society.

2. Relations of economics and political dependence.

3. Exploitation between imperial powers and the colony.

4. Racial and cultural inequality.

Britain's Colonial Past: India (Jewel in the crown), America (Native Americans), Parts of China, Parts of Africa (Nigera, Ghana, Caribbean etc), Australia and New Zealand.

Post- Colonialism does not simply refer to the period after the colonial era. It can also be seen as a continuation of colonialism albeit through different or new relationships concerning power and the control/production of knowledge. Post-Colonialism may seek to challenge or under mind the 'Western' discourse under an umbrella label such as 'The third world'. Post-Colonialism recognizes that there was and still is resistance to the West practised by subaltern, a group of socially, politically and geographically outside of the hegemonic power of structure.

Orientalism It is a perspective that suggests the East and the Orient are representations of both fear and fascination.

Diaspora identity is the result of forced or voluntary migration. People experience a sense of belonging to a culture which is 'other' to the dominant culture of the country of residence.

Key Theorists: Alvarado (1987), Frantz Fanon (1925-61) and Edward Said (1995)

- Alvarado's Themes in racial representations include: Exotic (Models, music artist, etc) , Dangerous (Crime, gangs, socially dysfunctional, etc), Humorous (Comedians, sidekicks, etc), and Pitied (Poverty, etc).

- Frantz Fanon was a Black psychoanalyst and philosopher, he believed in the Black skin, white mask theory (1952 - translation published). An example of this is that the 'universal' criteria for 'beauty' tends to be 'White'.

In many countries Black people straighten their hair and lighten their skin. There language to speak means to assume a culture. Have to wear a white mask to be successful.

- Edward Said introduced the East and the Orient are representations of both fear and fascination.

"Putting on the White Mask": Typically Black stereotype can be:

- Infantilize: such as the cute children in charity posters.

- Primitvize: The exotic and virile tribal warriors or bare-breasted maidens with a natural sense of rhythm.

- Decivilize: The gangsta, pimp etc.

- Essentilialize: Undifferentiated mass, 'they all look the same to us'.

Counter-type: A positive stereotype.

Weekly NDM Story...

Mail on Sunday closes sales gap on Sun on Sunday to less than 100,000...

The Mail on Sunday reported a drop in sales of 2.89% in December, closing the gap on the Sun on Sunday, which saw circulation fall 4.55%

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/17/mail-on-sunday-sun-on-sunday

The Mail on Sunday is becoming close of being the best selling newspaper from Rupert Murdoch's Sun on Sunday, as the sales gap goes down to less than 100,000 in December. The Mail on Sunday's 2.89% drop with the Sun on Sunday shedding almost 80,000 copies each week on average in December making the rate of decline significant. It was reported last month the Mail on Sunday was a circulation of 1,570,614 leaving the sales gap between the two biggest Sunday newspapers at just 98,422 copies.

- News UK title reported a month-on-month drop in sales of 4.55% to leave lead over rival paper at just 98,422

- Sun on Sunday was the biggest faller in the across the entire national newspaper sector in December, with sales down 4.55% month on month to 1,669,036.

Rupert Murdoch's Sun on Sunday is becoming less popular than The Mail on Sunday which is becoming more successful as the audience buying more copies than The Sun. The drop could cause loss to Murdoch however The Sun newspaper is very successful overall and I would think they would be back on track.

Weekly NDM Story...

Almost 3.5 million British under-eights own tablets...

Children as young as four can be hooked on computer devices

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10576118/Almost-3.5-million-British-under-eights-own-tablets.html

Nearly a fifth of British parents believe their children who are under sixteen years of age are addicted to their smartphones, tablets and computers, however a quarter of British parents said their children would feel lost without their technology. There has been a rise of educational and entertainment apps for these devices aimed for young users which means they are more proficient at handling the devices than their parents. 

- Around 27 per cent of British children aged under eight years old now own tablets.

- Around four million children mastering touch-screen devices aged three and under.

- 1740 adults in the UK bought gadgets for their family last year.
- Spending an average of £462 each or £5.6 billion in total.

- Apple is set to refund £19.8 million to customers who complained about their children's accidental or unauthorised purchasing.

I personally think as new and digital media is growing with more developed technology, the audience are interested in buying them devices as its new and the latest gadgets that everyone would start to get. New devices are becoming more attracted to the younger audience now as they seem to be the ones with smartphones, tablets and etc. I also think parents buy these gadgets for their children for them to be more aware of the devices created now, as most schools use tablets for educational purposes encouraging the younger demographic audience to make them buy the device from their parents.

Weekly NDM Story...

Local newspaper heads into the future by relinquishing its office...

A moving notice to readers. Twitpic courtesy of Gazette editor John Francis

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/jan/10/local-newspapers-digital-media

The Hemel Hempstead Gazette has published a weekly newspaper which not be having an office to operate in as they will be operating through computer screens. Editor John Francis says there would be face to face meetings with his collogues which is about half a dozen of staff and would be holding his first meetin gin a community centre. The company has started  downcast at relinquishing the office and transforming into modern journalism as newspapers are dying out. As newspapers are dying the editor has agreed to operate his company online and organised meetings in different locations to experience the citizen journalist experiences.

- The Gazette owned by Johnston Press.

- First published in 1858.

- Until September 2011 was developed into broadsheet.

-  Last available circulation figures for the paper (July-December 2012) showed it selling an average of 9,118 copies a week at 65p. 

- Sister title, The Herald Express which is free.

Personally as I think print newspapers are dying, most newspaper companies are trending into online servers. Most of the audiences who read newspapers now have smartphones, tablets etc and access the news from that which is development in technology. Especially the younger demographic audiences now all access the news from their devices and only the traditional audience are said to be the ones who buy newspapers.

Weekly NDM Story...

China blocks the Guardian, censorship-tracking website says. Some attempts to access the Guardian site in Beijing fail, but no clear reason for China's leadership to take issue with recent content...

Internet users in Beijing. Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/08/china-blocks-guardian-website

According to the website Greatfire.org censorship tracking website, it is said to be The Guardian's website in China has been blocked on Tuesday, however the Guardian's mobile and iPad apps were still uncensored. The site had been accessed numerous times in many browsers across Beijing but only few received the connection as some people have commented the site 'come and goes' meaning they were only able to access the front page briefly but could not reload it moments later. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman had said  "This is the first time I have heard of this, I don't understand the situation. You can inquire with China's relevant department." Therefore the reasons for the block are unclear weather it is permanent or temporary, but A Guardian News and Media spokesperson said "Obviously we are dismayed that theguardian.com has been blocked in China. The reason for this is currently unclear but we are investigating the extent of the block and hope that access to our website will return to normal in the very near future."

- China's leadership is known to block websites that it deems a threat.

- Bloombery and The New York Times have been blocked since 2012.

- Unclear why The Guardian has been blocked in China.

The Guardian online is a very successful source to many, I think this censorship was properly a mistake as China's ministry do not know why the site has been blocked. However as China is known to be blocking websites that deems any threat to them it also could have been done deliberately as they have blocked sites such as The New York Times.

Black Mirror: The National Anthem...

What is the message of Black Mirror: The National Anthem?

Keywords:

Twitter 

Social Networking

Satire

Rolling News

Traditional media vs new/digital media

Smartphones

Censorship

Desensitisation 

A fictional drama broadcast on Channel four called Black Mirror initially sends a message across to the audience about how he new and digital media has changed in the way audience react. The drama focuses on a Prime Minister who is demanded to demonstrate sexual intercourse with a pig live on television and networks, in order to free the Princess. The drama is basically making fun out of the Prime Minister which is also known as 'Satire' where the audience is mocking a celebrity or a important person. As the video of the demand was uploaded onto YouTube it was worldwide spread to everyone within three hours as the audience were able to copy the video and spread it onto other social media sites such at Twitter, Facebook etc. The censorship involved in the drama was very high as one part of the scene demonstrates a news reporter outside a crime scene where the police thought they were going to catch the criminal however they did not know an outsider was recording on her smartphone which was live to her news studio. Once the police have detected the reporter they had destroyed the smartphone as they want the problem to be less spread however as she was live streaming the footage was already sent. Furthermore this also involves new and digital media as in the traditional aspects of recording footing would be on a camera with crew members however she uses her smartphone to record the events taking place which is live. Lastly the rolling news was the breaking news of the Princess and what was expected of the Prime Minister to keep the audience informed.

Weekly NDM Xmas #4

Smartphone smackdown: the best (and worst) of 2013 – video review...

It's the end of 2013 and there have been a lot of smartphones released this year, from the likes of Blackberry, Sony, Motorola, HTC, Apple and Google. Charles Arthur and Samuel Gibbs try and test the best – and the worst. They also cast their expert eyes on the trends to expect in 2014.

Tablet takedown: the best (and worst) of 2013 – video review...

It's been a bumper year for tablet devices, with new and improved products released from established technology giants Apple, Microsoft, Google and Nokia. But there have also been some surprise new budget entries on the scene from high-street retailers Argos and Tesco. So, just in time for Christmas, Charles Arthur and Samuel Gibbs take us through the best – and the worst – tablets of 2013.

Over the past year many devices have been released and have been developing through the years such as the famous iPhone phones and tablets, there are still more to come in 2014.

Weekly NDM Xmas #3

YouTube to showcase 4K video streaming at CES...

YouTube, which is owned by Google, will demo the VP9 codec at CES

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/10548613/YouTube-to-showcase-4K-video-streaming-at-CES.html

According to reports YouTube will demonstrate 'Ultra HD ' also known as 4K video streaming at the Consumer Elevtronics Show in Las Vegas. It is nearly 4000 horizontal pixels which has already been used for current movies and other electronics manufacturers including Sony, LG, and Toshiba. This new technology can deliver higher resolutions at a bit-rate that isn't beyond your connection and reduce the amount of data needed to stream HD videos, furthermore it can reduce the time buffering videos. Moreover rumours had said YouTube had announced after Netflix revealed to be able to watch House of Cards season 2 at a full 4k resolution later this year. The company has already launched a selection of videos to show our audience what Ultra HD is cable off.

I think this would be a great technology, as new and digital media is changing along the years to more advanced. It allows the audience to try new things and being able to use it as their own. The idea I think sounds very successful as many audiences are YouTube users and use the social site to watch videos mainly, therefore the progress of technology on YouTube would be great as buffering would decrease and the resolution would be better.

Weekly NDM Xmas #2

Snapchat reacts to hacking group releasing millions of phone numbers. App will be updated to let users opt out of the 'Find Friends' function which searches for users in a phone’s address book...

Snapchat app. Photograph: Screengrab from Snapchat

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/03/phone-hacks-snapchat-breaks-silence

The creators of Snapchat have faced millions of users details to be exposed by hackers who had published a database matching usernames to phone numbers. The millions of US users was uploaded by an anonymous group called SnapchatDB, users last two digits of their phone numbers were redacted to decrease spam and abuse. Snapchat has reacted to this problem and said it would release an update of the app to let users opt out of the vulnerbale 'Find Friends' function which searches for users in your phone's address book. The Snapchat community is believed to be a user friendly place where users can express and feel comfort about themselves sending pictures, furthermore they are dedicated in preventing any kind of abuse.

- "Consider releasing the unredacted data “under certain circumstances”.

- Potential abuse of the Find Friends function was released in August 2013

- Australian security research group, Gibson Security, revealed further details of vulnerabilities and said Snapchat had not responded to its warnings.

- The app creators responded on 27 December that they had implemented safeguards to “make it more difficult” for people to match up usernames and phone numbers, which they conceded was “theoretically possible”.

- SnapchatDB uploaded its database of 4.6 million users.

Personally, I think this problem had effected many users as they would feel concerned about the personal details being published online unsafe. As a Snapchat user myself I also found this interesting as important details about users could be published for everyone to see, however Snapchat has said the social network has become secure now and nothing else such as snaps except usernames was published therefore the social media could still be safe. Hacking is of course a major issue and could cause important details to be published therefore security needs to be a raise of concern for Snapchat to avoid this problem and prevent from losing customers.

Weekly NDM Xmas #1

Treat online abuse of women and girls as robustly as offline, authorities urged. Call on police and prosecutors by women's group EVAW comes as report reveals extent of sexual harassment on social media...

The Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has been subject to online abuse.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/treat-online-abuse-women-girls-robustly-evaw

A report on Thursday reveals the extent of sexual harassment on social media sites such as Twitter. Holly Dustin, director of End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) said "Rape threats should be treated with the same seriousness as if they happened in the street or on the bus. They need to treat abuse online in the same way as they do offline". The raise of concern was a call from two people who were charged with improper use of a communications network on allegations of abusive tweets to Caroline Criado-Perez this summer. The campaigner, who led calls for Jane Austen's portrait to be featured on a banknote, said the experience of abuse had left her "emotionally and psychologically scarred", scared to open email or look at her mentions on Twitter. She is also to make an official complaint about the Crown Prosecution Service's handling of the case after it released details of the charges to the press before alerting her to the abuse. Speaking to the Guardian, she said the CPS did not seem to realise that any renewed interest in the case could trigger more abuse online. The Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has also been subject to abuse online, tweeted her outrage over the lack of notice. The End Violence Against Women Coalition published a report in association with the Gaurdian after a round table of 20 lawyers, academics, support workers and journalists to discuss the issues of the online abuse of women. The discussion ranged from rape threats sent to high-profile women such as Professor Mary Beard to sexist bullying and harassment of teenagers on sites such as ask.fm and Facebook to the distribution of pornography through web chatrooms and messaging.

She added: "This abuse is real and threatening, and is circulated and duplicated far more quickly because of new technology. The government and the companies who provide those spaces have responsibility to prevent this. The police and prosecution must urgently respond to abuse online, and we must ensure that schools talk to young people about these issues, as well as ensuring specialist support for survivors."

- "I called the police in North Wales and they said: "Why are you calling us and not Twitter?'". It is a criminal offence to identify a rape victim and no media site would be able to do such a thing.

- Demands that the government places an obligation on all schools to teach respectful and consensual relationships.- Department for Culture, Media and Sport to set up an advisory group on sexism in the media.

- Campaigns on "everydaysexism" and against sexism and racism in music videos at the same time as "creating a new space for the same old abuse".

I think abuse is wrong overall in any way even if its online or offline. Woman do get targeted more than males in my point of view as they are easier targets especially at such a young age on social networking sites. Moreover the media today portrays many negative representation of women such as hip hop music videos where women are established in a very revealing and sexual way, making the opposite sex to think all women could be like that. The police should certainly react to this issue even if it is online as it could effect people, it is not a difference to offline abuse as everyone should be treated right.