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A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both. -- James Madison
“When a dog bites a
man that is not news,
because it happens so often.
But if a man bites a
dog, that is news.”
- Editor John B. Bogart, New York Sun
man that is not news,
because it happens so often.
But if a man bites a
dog, that is news.”
- Editor John B. Bogart, New York Sun
About Me
Followers
forthcoming
- "A Newspaper Is a Collection" (poem)
- "News Today" (music video)
- 20th Century Man
- A Walk Back Through a Day's New
- BBC Facebook Parody
- Breaking News
- Bullshit
- Citizen Journalism -- What Is It?
- Civil Rights Movement
- Class Project: Media Parody
- CNN War (music video)
- Colbert versus Keen
- Dead!
- Dirty Laundry (Remix)
- Electronic Book Burning
- F the CC (music video)
- FCCFU
- Future of Book Publishing
- Internet Art!
- Interview With Andrew Keen
- Journalism Back in the Day (short movie)
- Journalism?
- Locus Novus
- Logorama (short film)
- Monoculture
- Murrow Broadcast From London
- Neil Postman on Cyberspace (YouTube)
- New York Times Home Page
- Newsboys
- Newsboys Shooting Craps
- Newsies
- NPR (Your Brain on Computers)
- Penn & Teller on Marketplace of Ideas
- Penn & Teller's FCC
- Perez Hilton
- Postman Comic: Orwell vs Huxley
- Reconstruction of American Journalism
- See It Now
- Story of Electronics
- Story of Stuff
- The Yellow Kid
- Turkel
- Video Game Faces
- Whackamurdoch
- Who Owns the Media?
- Who Owns the Web?
- World of Blogging (music video)
19 comments:
Though it seems narcissistic, I think one of the styles of media navigation that describes me is the Exhibitionist. Though the exhibitionist section mostly addressed reality TV, I think it applies to me with fictional, scripted television shows. This is because I like watching characters I relate to, an example being the well-rounded characters of the HBO show Girls. A hobby of mine is acting and singing, and the same logic applies: I am going to subconsciously prefer one musical over another and be more likely to audition for it if there’s a character I can envision myself playing. I think the same applies for television. So in that way, I must enjoy exhibiting myself, and that is reflected in my viewing choices and attitude. With reality shows, I have noticed that I seem to fit the most into the Ironist. Maybe I am missing the point of the Ironist, but I think they seem like they could also be called The Pretention-ist, in that they try to acknowledge the irony and wit in whatever they watch, whether that irony was intended or not. And in that, they can develop a sense of superiority (not that I think I personally do, but hey, none of them are perfect fits) because they are the one catching these moments and providing that commentary. The examples provided (“She knows that models are airbrushed and collagened, that commercials do not depict slices of life accidentally stumbled upon, that studios manufacture programs and campaign teams candidates, that actors are not characters, that they perform more than one take, that film footage is edited, that docudrama characters are frequently composites, that when a major character dies on a TV series, it’s because the actor is leaving the show) are things that obviously, anyone with common sense can notice and comment on. But I have realized these types of observations are one of the first things I think about when I see an example of one of these described situations. When I think back to an episode of a reality show I watched recently, the first thing that comes to mind is more likely the ironic flaw in that episode, not the plot of the episode itself (I am currently grappling for an example of this and am coming up short, but they're out there). I think it means I have become rather jaded when it comes to viewing reality TV. I no longer take what I watch at face value the way I did in high school.
I think the style that most reflects me is Ironist. If I understand it correctly its that I like all this spectacle and flux of the media because it amuses me, but I also know that it is somewhat bad for you. As he says in the first paragraph, "She can enjoy the spectacle on two levels at once, or alternate between them - as someone who liked the faded star and someone who knows they are touring again because they're broke" So, as a fan and an insider. I think taking this class has definitely shaped me becoming an ironist because I know I will never stop enjoying the fake, trashy side of television but now I can also acknowledge the harm it is doing. If that makes sense. I guess being an ironist is also bitter-sweet. Its like you want to believe in santa clause but you its physically impossible for him to be real, kind of thing. At times I guess you have to (if your an ironist) suspend your disbelief. A part that really described me was when he said, "she liked to know HOW things work backstage, how the production package is assembled and the publicity campaign mounted." I always want to know the how. I am always thinking of how things are done and not just enjoying them blindly, which can sometimes take away from the experience. Also the entire paragraph that said, "She enjoys reading Vanity Fair...but makes a point of knowing that their images are fabricated...She knows models are airbrushed...that commercials do not depict slices of life accidentally stumbled upon...that film footage is edited.." this all describes me to a tee. But even thought I know this, I still enjoy the media. I do not allow truth to ruin it for me, but I am still gad I know that truth. If that makes sense. Reading the other styles, I was worried because I really didn't think any one of them were like me, but then I came upon the ironist and I was like, ah there we go, something I can relate to.
I would have to agree and say I'm an Ironist as well. I am just as guilty as anyone in my age group of occasionally watching reality TV but more and more I take into account the production values and what is probably staged before hand or prompted by producers and camera men. I'm beginning to realize more and more that "drama" is what makes these people money but if anybody truly gets hurt or leaves a show they are on it suddenly halts the illusion. Reality kicks back in and I'm reminded there is a whole camera crew and small army of production people right behind the lens. Yes I sometimes feel superior because of it, but I also get a strong urge to simply turn the show off from being embarrassed that I'm watching it in the first place. With movies and scripted shows my disbelief is suspended more because it's meant to be fake and tell a story, but if I hear a laugh track in the background or look at a celebrity magazine I once again feel strange for recognizing its all just for show and those actors aren't the roles they play. Lauren compared it to wanting to believe in Santa Claus and how disappointed you are by the niggling voice of logic in the back of your head. For me, it's the same thing. I want to believe in what I'm watching at face value, but I just can't.
I think the media navigation style listed by Todd Gitlin that best describes me is a mix between the fan and the content critic. I’m definitely not the type of person to blindly love things that are problematic in terms of being sexist, racist, ableist, etc. I absolutely belong to fandoms in the sense that I love certain things (TV shows, bands, authors, novels) wholeheartedly and love learning about them. There are times while listening to a favorite album or watching a show where I can feel what Gitlin describes as “a form of love, which is finally incomprehensible: though unlike romantic love, which is exclusive, it must be shared, experienced in at least an imagined crowd.” It’s the quasi-community feeling that these fandoms create that make them so satisfying; knowing that there are people out there who love what you love and are affected in the same way is a really powerful thing. However, I’m also highly critical of the things I’m a “fan” of. I don’t dismiss the flaws. For example, there are films and shows I love that are definitely lacking in diversity (whether in ethnicity or gender). Instead of looking past those problems, I think to criticize them and put them into the public sphere. I want people to criticize the things they love, because it makes them more aware. I think I’m most like the content critic in the sense that I hate “infotainment” or “the blurring of lines between news and amusement, with the news using reenactments, trailers and music while entertainment opts for docudramas.” I hate the fact that people cannot tell the different between truth and reality, or the real and the representation. My biggest problem with the media is that (often times) they are not transparent enough in their motives. Misrepresentation and bias are two things that really make me hate the media, and I try to recognize and vocally criticize whenever possible.
I would say that the style that reflects me the most is the fan. I can definitely describe myself as a fandom in numerous different instances; such as music, tv shows, and sports teams. When I like something, I devote so much time to trying to find out information about it and just spend so much time listening to it or watching it. I have spent so much money going to countless concerts of my favorite band, even leaving the state. I also did not go to my prom because my dad bought me Mets tickets and I couldn't miss the game. I'm also the one that goes to the midnight showings of the Twilight movies. I thought it was interesting when Gitlin said, "Whether we watch or listen, individually or in groups, we know we are not alone. We are always in touch with an invisible crowd." I completely agree with that statement. As crazy as a fan you might think you are, you always know that there are people somewhere out there loving the same thing just as much as you are or even more. I could agree with the example he gave about the 1985 consumer revolt against New Coke. Although I cannot think of a specific instance of this type of "brand" that pertains to myself, I can see and agree with those people about how they love something so much and watching it change can be very upsetting. However, similarly, I have been very upset over my favorite character leaving my favorite tv series. As Gitlin mentioned, it strikes an emotional feeling with you. It's strange thinking how much in "love" I am with all of these things that the media brings me.
I would have to consider myself an ironist as well. I think the idea of floating along and almost blocking out the things that plague society comes easily to me. IT is not to say that i do not realize these trends but i ignore them. I also find myself analyzing numbers wether it be sports or other figures i find those to be the parts of articles that i pay most attention to.I find a way to distance myself from situations in order to digest what is going on but not feel emotional repercussions which all falls in line with the ironist.
I think the style of media navigation that best describes me is the fan and the critic. I'm a big fan of certain television shows, musicians, and sports teams and enjoy that "fandom is one way of feeling our way out of the churn of the torrent and joining something more definite--a "community" where fans follow the lives of their particular celebrities..." Enjoying certain forms of media over others helps people cope with the influx of media in their lives. If we enjoy one tv show or sports team, there are other tv shows or sports teams we inevitably will not be a fan of. I think this is why Gitlin says, "Everyone must not only be a fan but a critic." I think everyone is a media critic, especially because of the distinction between high-brow and low-brow media. While some people enjoy things like reality television, others (like me) don't see any important function that it serves. I think Gitlin defines the critic when he says "the more intensely the critic feels a tension between how the world should be and how it is, the more blameworthy are those central carriers of imagery, the media." Though many television shows portray life through some kind of filter--comedic, dramatic, etc., I can still find value in the characters and relationships that are portrayed. But reality shows and most television news completely skew reality. I try to point these inaccuracies out to friends and family when they watch reality tv/news because I feel it's important for everyone to think more critically about what the media represents as "reality."
I think that I would classify myself as a mix of both the Ironist and the Secessionist. The Ironist is a role I relate to because I like to watch unrealistic - yet surprisingly popular - television shows, and understand the fantasy of it all. Like when I am with a group of friends enjoying illogical, yet "guilty pleasure" television, I am always the one to say "Oh that would never happen". It makes me feel in charge of the media instead of the media being in charge of me if I can see through its lies. I also relate to the Secessionist because I do try to limit myself from the media as much as I can. I pride myself on not having an up-to-date cellphone and I will always never have cable television. However, I feel these two roles almost go hand-in-hand as I am very much aware of the irony and the "seducing nature of the media" yet I am just as much a part of the problem as I am aware that it will never reform.
After reading “Styles of Navigation and Political Sideshows” I would have to say that I am probably Paranoid. This is not something that I like to think about since it does not exactly carry a positive connotation. I would say that it is true that I worry a lot about my media involvement. From a young age I was taught that time watching television was something I should be mindful of. To protect me from this, my parents did not have cable t.v. in our house until I was in high school and had formed habits that did not include television. When I was younger, the only form of news that I family got was The New York TImes, which I read on a daily basis. Now that I am older, I would say that I still think about this when I turn on the t.v. and I often worry about how my other media involvements will effect me. I did not think that it was something so out of the ordinary until I read this reading. I think that there are aspects of others classifications that I fit into as well, but they do not come close to the paranoid description.
While I see some aspects of all the styles of navigation in me, those that most aptly describe me is 'the critic' and I find myself gradually developing into 'the abolitionist.'
The more I come to understand the effect of the media on our social and political structures, the more I believe we cannot begin to address the fundamental flaws and injustices that define those structures without first addressing the failure of our media to critically analyze them.
After going two years without a television in my house, I find myself engaging with media in different ways than I previously did. Although I do access some television content via the internet, I that I am more selective and critical of with content that I do choose to watch.
I recognize that the problematic effects of the media are not solely a product of the 'television' per se, but rather the context in which television and other media are situated. My criticisms attempt to expose what I see as the media's perpetuation, either explicitly or implicitly, of injustice.
I would have to agree with others in that my way of navigating the “media torrent,” as author Todd Gitlin describes it, is by being both a fan and a critic. The genres or examples of media I feel positively about, I often feel very strongly about. I think this fandom is related to my sense of community. “Whether we watch or listen, individually or in groups, we know we are not alone,” as Gitlin writes. “We are fans linked to other fans.” By identifying with a band, sports team, movie, etc. so much so that it becomes a part of your identity, you want to associate with other people that you share this identification with. As Gitlin accurately describes, “At more glorious moments, we feel like and unlike ourselves at the same time–– ecstatic (out of the self) and integrated (made one).”
My personal experience aside, I think it’s of interest to note that this idea of media creating a community has been capitalized upon by the social media revolution. For example, the application Spotify allows users to listen to music and share whatever they’re listening to on Facebook, through email, and through their own social media platform built into the application with other friends. The Washington Post or Yahoo! News social readers allow readers to share the headlines and links to the stories they’ve most recently read with their friends via social reader applications on their homepages or on Facebook. This allows us to align our outward personalities with certain music, or allows friends to associate our interest in a particular news article with a personality trait. I agree with Gitlin’s statement that “Everyone makes aesthetic judgments, sorting the good from the bad, distinguishing oneself from others through such judgments.”
The ways in which I am a content critic are numerous. Even with the media that I’m a “fan” of, I am still constantly critical, for example, keeping in mind the techniques used by media for psychological manipulation–– noticing the strategy behind the gender, race, weight, age, of the advertisement spokesperson on a popular television commercial, or noticing the information that I have to suspect was purposefully left out of a particular news story. I also identified with Gitlin’s point that, “Scratch an advocate of any social position and you’re likely to find a content critic making not only semiotic claims about media bias but sociological claims about causes and effects.” With some issues I have a position on, I certainly am critical of the media for their mainstream bias or lack of coverage.
In regard to “Styles of Navigation and Political Sideshows, I see myself as a fan and ironist. When it comes to being a fan, I do admit to being a celebrity news junkie and watch certain shows religiously. If I were to buy a magazine, it sometimes comes dow to who is on the cover. There are some shows that I love so much that I can talk about their life stories and I get too invested in their personal life. However as much as I love celebrities films and television, I can see myself fit into the ironist category. An ironist is defined as one who watches the media, but understands that everyone is publicized and exaggerated to appeal the audience. There are some cases when I love reality television, and will never miss an episode of the Kardashians, but I understand that what I watch is only 20 minutes of their lives, and the way they look and dress is for show. I also watch what I like. I would never pay 15 dollars to go see a movie just because it grossed high in the box office. I don’t watch a show just because my friends are obsessed with it. If it interests me and I am hooked, then that is what I will watch. I feel like since I am a journalists and have taken classes pertaining the media, I am well aware of the spectacles and the “behind the scenes.” Nothing in the media phases me.
I think the styles of media navigation that best describes me is the Critic, though I was stuck between the Critic and the Fan for a while. While I am a Fan of numerous things, I don't blindly accept them at the surface level or just build a body of knowledge about them without delving deeper. I look for the substance in things and am not shy about pointing out when that substance is missing. In a sense, I feel that one cannot be a true fan of anything without also being a critic. I love to talk and debate with my fellow fans, because it gives the subject matter meaning and furthermore, allows us to become more than a passive audience. Being in touch with the "invisible crowd" is not such a bad thing if everyone in the crowd retains their own individual thoughts and presents their own independent criticisms.
According to Tom Gitlin’s “Styles of Navigation and Political Sideshows”, I feel that I’m a mixture of the fan and the ironist. I believe that I am a fan because there are certain celebrities, musicians and athletes that I tend to favor and as a result follow them in the news. I feel like everyone in society has a sense of “fandom” for celebrities, whether its a major emotional link or just favoring and supporting them. This doesn’t mean you need to have to love a reality star such as Snooki, but someone that may be a philanthropist and give back to society. That being said, I also feel that I am an ironist when it comes to the news media. “She can enjoy the spectacle on two levels at once, or alternate between them---as a faux-naive fan (who always liked the smile of that faded star) and as a knowing insider (who knows that the faded star started touring again because she was broke).” For example, there are shows such as “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “Giuliana & Bill” that I love and watch regularly, but I know that almost all of the events that take place are scripted. I’m not one to deny that fact, but I watch it simply for entertainment.
I woud have to say that the navigation style that best reflects me is the content critic. I grew up without television for the most part since my house did not have cable. At the time I was always envious of other children who were able to watch tv, but I'm grateful for this now because I think this has helped me to not buy into much of the media most people do these days. Not having been immersed in the media at a young age has allowed me to stay fairly skeptical to most content I see in ads and television programs. I tend to avoid most of the trivial reality content most of my friends find entertaining and prefer a small number of shows which I think are of quality content.
So, as I was reading this article, I kept trying to find some definite label to identify with and I found that certain smatterings of each section definitely applied, but I was beginning to feel hopeless, an unlabeled sheep in the media field. Until, that is, I read the Ironist section and it was as if I’d stumbled onto the media consumer label holy lands. “I am understood,” I thought, tears welling in my eyes.
No, not really. But I definitely think Gitlin nails that particular description that seems to apply to many people in my age bracket; we love our pointless media but we’re not quite so invested as to let the goings on of Snooki ruin our day. For me in particular, I found this quote interesting: She likes how things work backstage, how the production package is assembled and the publicity campaign mounted. So true. I have my favorite shows I devote (often too much) time to and movies I can watch until I know the lines like an understudy, but when it comes to background information like that, I eat it up. Please tell me about the psychological aftermath of the Harry Potter cast after death scenes. Oh, did you know that apparently the producers of The Walking Dead use fans as zombie extras? I did. Also, I’m very curious of just how Bud Cort felt after they filmed the “sex scene” with Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude.
I think being the Ironist is the perfect alias for I-actually-really-like-media-but-don’t-want-you-to-know-how-much-even-though-it’s-strikingly-obvious without you coming across as far-gone Fan sprinkled with Exhibitionist. Although…my face was covered in tears during the season finale of Game of Thrones and I’m a sucker for throwing myself into unnatural pose positions every time a camera makes an appearance at a party.
I have and still do play the role of the "fan." I tune into popular reality shows, not just because they are popular, but because of my own interest in them, which is generally for entertainment purposes. However, I wouldn't say that my style of media navigation is the "fan" type. Even if that's exactly what I am at times—a fan of someone's music—I don't use that term because to me being a fan takes commitment, and I've never been that committed—buying all their albums, waiting outside for hours to see them in person, learning all of their song lyrics, or collecting memorabilia.
I do like the idea that with some popular VH1 reality shows, I know for a fact that I am not the only one watching. I like the feeling of being connected to other "fans" of a show like "Love and Hip Hop." These social connections are enhanced by people who post statues about the show on Facebook, or those who tweet about it and make a particular reality star a trending topic. Some people who may not even be familiar with the show, wanting to be part of the crowd after seeing all the social media frenzy, becomes a fan as well.
I don't feel I invest enough time into celebrities to be considered a fan, partly because I am aware of how harmful it can be to my own spiritual development. At one point I was so obsessed with Rihanna—her style of dress, her voice and music, her beauty—that it started to affect the way I saw myself. I started wishing I looked like her. I hate the fact that people use entertainers as models as to how they should live their lives, when we could hardly get close enough to see how they really live. I guess in my case, I am fan, but not a fanatic.
I can also relate to the style of the Exhibitionists and often times the Paranoid, but the Ironist style I feel describes me the most. I feel my level of consciousness is what guards me, and I feel that those with the same level of consciousness—knowing what's real and what's not—can engage in the media but not be influenced or changed by it. I take on this view because I feel although people for years have spoken out against the media; nothing has changed and for the most part never will—things actually seem to be getting worse. I feel that the media will be what it is, but that it is our individual responsibility to equip ourselves with the tools and knowledge to make the necessary distinctions within the media or society as a whole.
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