CSP The Voice- Language, Audience, Representation, Industries

Britain's Best Black Newspaper

Paper 2

• Must be studied across all 4 elements & relevant contexts must be applied.
• Key elements: Online, social & participatory news website, produced/targeting minority group.

Language

How are codes and conventions of websites used in product? How are they use for conveying meaning?

• Website- analysed by composition of images, positioning, layout, typography, language & address mode.
• Application of semiotic approach aids the analysis in a way where the website makes a narrative on the world being constructed- often based on race, ethnicity and age.
• News websites genre conventions must also be studied & genre approach may also include references to news values.
• Narrative in online material's context can refer to how the images and story selection construct narratives about world- 1 likely of being ideological.
• Black top
• Text led

Representation

• Online product choice gives a wide representational issue range. Includes representation of target audience- black Britons- but also construction and selection of news stories & subjects. Representations analysis builds on work done in visual image analysis & can explore target audiences & ideological readings.
• Particular group's representations (race, gender), constructing a Black British identity in The Voice.
• Who's constructing representation & for what purpose (Hall).
• Analysis on stereotypes function & construction.
• Representation & news values- how do stories select constructs of certain representations of world, group & places inside.

Compare race representation in The Voice with that across the rest of media landscape?

The Voice

• Positive representations (e.g child entrepreneur who's successful & competes on level playing ground.
• Subverts Alvardo's theory to extent- wider race representation- positive reinforcement achievement.
• Reports police brutality & institutionalised racism which may present black communities as victims- countered by enablement of 'Voice of the voiceless' & reporting/vocalising Black British experiences.
• Tries representing real life & everyday experiences of Black British.
• Voice= giving a voice to the voiceless.

Wider media

• Alvardo's theory: pitied, dangerous, victims or comedic.
• Invisible with a lack of representation of experiences.
• Black representation experiences: celebrities.
• Gilroy- reinforces racial stereotypes.

Industries

• Voice- commerical media product but may also be seen as fuilfilling public service by targeting an ethnic minority audience. Website also demonstrates how news institutions have responded to new technology by it's bi-media presence & convergence usage.
• Provides case study for specialised nature of production, distribution & circulation in both regional & national contexts.
• Using digital platforms to expand output & reach of products helps demonstrate how institutions respond to new technology's impact.

Audiences

• Provides example of clearly targeted, primary audience through ethnicity, race & age demographics which encourages the studying of identity issues.
• Related: a discussion on changing relationship between producers & audiences- are there needs for media aimed at specialised audiences in contexts of audiences as producers? (Clay Shirky- End of audience).
• Definitions: mass & minority/specialised audiences.
• Debates on ideas of targeting specialised audiences by race, age, lifestyle, etc & how successful that targeting is really. What's problematic about this approach?
• Differing interpretations by groups- those belonging to & outside primary audiences (Reception theory).
• Opportunities…