How have The Guardian and The Sun represented the BBC in two recent news articles?

How have The Guardian and The Sun represented the BBC in two recent news articles?

In recent months the BBC have undertaken huge amounts of criticism over ‘the aborted Newsnight programme on Jimmy Savile’. With this has caused audiences to feel less trustworthy of the BBC as information that started many years ago has only become broadcasted recently for audiences to know.  Many institutions have taken it into their own hands to report audiences of recent news about these situations and two that have recently published articles about it are The Guardian and The Sun newspapers. The Guardian is a daily newspaper that is centre-left meaning Liberal and is owned by the Guardian Media Group. The article published on Friday 23^rd November 2012 by Dan Sabbagh is quite biased however started off talking quite neutrally about the situation. The Sun is also a daily newspaper that is created as a type of discourse called Populism (a political ideology) and is owned by News International a company well known for owning many newspapers such as The Times and The Sunday Times etc. many people would recognise this institution for Rupert Murdoch who was in charge and had a lot to do with the phone hacking scandal. The article recently published by The Sun happened to have almost two articles in one that were published by two different people, the main article was written by Leigh Holmwood, Deputy TV Editor and the other was a point of view article written by the TV Editor himself Colin Robertson.

The article written for The Guardian newspaper is a very serious article, informing the readers of the recent goings on in the Pollard inquiry and giving readers who may not be completed clued up on the case the background information to how it started. The article has obviously been aimed at just informing audiences of the recent situation, however the article then seems to fall into accusing Mark Thompson the former BBC director general into having known about Jimmy Savile and his secret sex abuse and also about the BBC Newsnight wanting to broadcast the investigation to audiences, where it says he said that ‘he had no knowledge of the Savile allegations until ITV’s documentary on the late Jim’ll Fix it Star aired at the beginning of October’ then leading into him being made aware of the Newsnight Savile investigation which ‘he was first made aware of by BBC journalist Caroline Hawley at a Christmas Party a year ago’ but that ‘he did not intervene’. It then informs audiences that ‘he was told by Helen Boaden, the BBC director of news, that because it had been dropped there was nothing for him to worry about’. The article then goes on to inform audiences about how his ‘account altered earlier this month’ when his lawyers ‘sent a letter to the Sunday Times threatening to sue the paper for libel if he was accused of editorial interference’. The article does not include many quotes not even the ones written here however the article eventually sums up that Mark Thompson has a bad part to play in this whole scandal. The word ‘expected’ has also been used numerous times within the article making the information not sound so positive and certain as it should. You could also see it as a way of the newspaper saying what they expect Mark Thompson to do even though he hasn’t done it yet, almost a prediction of the future. The in a way could also make readers feel like their information is not reliable as they haven’t confirmed it to be true, however it has given them a slight idea of the current situation. Readers are also not included within the article making them seem very passive, no audience views have been used or personal views of people included in the situation that aren’t part of the BBC. No rhetorical questions have been used or any sentence phrasing that may make the audiences feel they can answer or ask a question. The only way audiences are included and active is at the end of the article where bullet points are places allowing readers to know contact details if they want to ask any further questions and also of how to get the latest media news on your mobile, via Facebook and Twitter pages.

The article written for The Sun newspaper is in some ways serious but also quite humorous. There are two parts of this article, one part written by Leigh Holmwood the Deputy TV Editor and the other a very biased but point of view area written by Colin Robertson the TV Editor himself. This contrast of two views in the one article is actually a really good idea as not all audiences are going to agree with the one view so by giving two gives readers the opportunity to participate and choose who they agree with, this democracy caused by the situation can also help globalisation. The area of the article written by Leigh Holmwood sums up the whole BBC scandal in a negative way, however sums up the ‘New BBC Chief’ as a ‘supremo’ that has been through some amazing career paths with negative sides to it that we as readers should feel sympathetic to, such being how ‘He received death threats following the murder of the star Jill Dando in 1999’. The article goes on to tell us how he has had such a career in the media industry starting ‘as a news trainee at the BBC 39 years ago’, rising to become head of the news and current affairs from 1996 to 2001, then leaving to become the ‘innovative boss of the Royal Opera House’, to ‘also being appointed to the board of Olympics organisers LOCOG by David Cameron’ himself. The emphasis on these great achievements couldn’t make the man sound any bigger, it’s almost as though he wrote it himself. The article then leads onto the ‘myView’ area written by Colin Robertson TV Editor. This area of the entire article is definitely against the BBC telling readers that ‘At last the BBC gets a grip’. Colin talks of the BBC’s past saying how this ‘is the first decent decision top brass have made…’ allowing audiences to know that the BBC’s past has obviously not been very good which may persuade or just inform audiences that with this new decision the BBC may become different and make a change for the better. Colin informs audiences in quite a critical way that Lord Tony Hall ‘knows the BBC inside out’ however ‘he hasn’t lived his entire professional life in the self-satisfied and dangerously myopic BBC bubble’. The use of the words ‘BBC bubble’ are quite catchy and remember able allowing audiences to remember where they heard them however it also could be seen as classing the BBC as a negative thing. ‘The dangerously myopic BBC bubble’ doesn’t sound very encouraging and makes out all people who are part of that bubble are dangerous when obviously not all are. The use of the word ‘myopic’ is very good allowing audiences to know that for  a while now the BBC have been very distant with its audience and have been creating this blurred edge/defence over something they never bothered to tell their audiences. In a way that sentence completely sums up how the BBC has been with the entire situation and I think any reader could agree with this. Audiences are also very passive when it comes to this article, they aren’t advised to contact The Sun directly or visit any Facebook or Twitter pages however they can click on a link to read more if they want to.

Overall both these articles sum up the BBC in a negative way because they are based around the situations that have occurred lately that the BBC are to blame for. If the BBC had stopped what Jimmy Savile was doing years ago then people (specifically women) would not have to live with this nasty man’s memory for the rest of their life, Newsnight would not have had to create an investigation about it and the BBC would not be to blame for this scandal and would not be losing audiences.

 

The Representation of America and the Growth of Flash Mobs

 The Representation of America and the Growth of Flash Mobs

There is not a Liberal America and a Conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America - there's the United States of America.-Barack Obama. America is a country that all are accepted in. Cultures are so diverse nobody feels left out. Even though in the past this has been used against America for instance in the 9/11 attacks the country still stands strong and has become a better country compared to the rest of the world because of it. Friends with Benefits is a rom-com brought out September of 2011 that includes Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, while trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, characters Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications. This film set in the hearts of New York and Los Angeles allow audiences to see two characters from two different sides of America meet to show not a clash but a coming together of two different ways of living. The clip of the film that I have decided to focus on is when Dylan and Jamie are situated in the middle of Times Square, New York having only just met each other Jamie already starts to introduce Dylan to how the ‘New Yorkers’ live. A large amount of people are shown in this scene allowing the character of Dylan who is from Los Angeles to get the real of feel of New York and its people through the use of a Flash Mob.

A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs are usually organised via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails. The term invented in 2003 is designed to surprise passers-by which it certainly does to Dylan in this scene. Low angle shots are used to allow us to see Dylan and Jamie’s reactions to the sudden dancing and close ups are also used specifically on Dylan as he is the character meant to be surprised as well as when the two characters are talking so that the audience concentrate on their conversation rather than the dancing in the mise en scene. At the beginning of the dance, throughout the dance and especially at the end real high angled shots are used so that the audience are able to view how many people have taken part in the dance to emphasise that it is a Flash Mob. As well as shots being focused on Dylan (Justin) for his reaction to the people dancing, a side shot of Jamie (Mila) blurred with Dylan in the background as the focus is used to show the audience Dylan’s reaction/emotion towards Jamie, this shows the start of the romance within the film as audiences know they are watching a rom-com and part of the comedy being the Flash Mob means that the romance is still to come and it starts to brew in this one shot.

The diegetic music used for the Flash Mob is a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s version of ‘New York’. Sung by Ray Quinn feat Ultra Love (FWB Remix) shows the old classic in a modern light, as well as this character Dylan says to Jamie “Oh my God its 1988” allowing audiences to be reminded of that old time with the original sung by Sinatra rather than the new version. This new version having been used rather than the original emphasises to audiences how America has developed to become modern and new, it also shows that the film itself is up to date keeping up with today’s new style of music. As well as keeping up to date the lyrics to the song are ‘New York, New York’ allowing any audiences who weren’t sure of where the mise en scene had been placed in ‘Times Square’, that it is a well-known place within New York.  Other lyrics that are used are ‘I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps’, ‘N.Y how I hate to leave her’, ‘New York’s the place for me’, these lyrics are very persuasive and for any audiences who may listen to them may be intrigued to want to visit there too so as well as boosting the films popularity it can also boost America and specifically New York’s popularity with gaining more visitors. I suppose you could also say this isa sign of marxism as the audience are made to believe that New York is the place to be, nowhere else.

Flash Mobs have become one of the things to do with the rise of digital and new media and the world continually becoming more modern. Other areas of media that have used Flash Mobs are the T-Mobile adverts released in 2009 that included a large amount of business commuters suddenly stopping in Liverpool Street Station as well as Heathrow Airport to entertain guests with their dancing. People who have also tried to attempt ‘Flash-Mobbing’ are Diversity Britain’s best break-dance company. They created a ‘Flash Mob’ in the middle of Westfield shopping centre to try and gain audiences to watch the show ‘Got to Dance’. Another person who has made his flash mobs famous via Youtube is Todrick Hall, a singer and dancer whose flash mob videos in supermarkets, his home and shopping centres became worldwide phenomena’s. Obviously these Flash Mobs are planned and choreographed, however audiences as well as Dylan are made to think that they just happen and aren’t planned as well as everyone just knowing the dance, which can surprise audience when viewing them as for those few minutes that it’s on they are made to believe that, that is reality.  Within this large group of people ‘Flash-Mobbing’ wide moving shots are used to show the audience the audience of the Flash Mob, who are all looking round, mostly in one direction that we automatically presume is to the Flash Mob. This proves to the audience of the film that at this point they are not the only audience allowing them to feel part of the scene with the other audience of the Flash Mob.

The mise en scene that has been used for this scene is Times Square and to most people is automatically recognisable.  Other audiences will also realise where it is when Dylan sarcastically says “Oh you’re showing me Times Square, that’s not touristy at all!”. Times Square is a major commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Times Square – iconified as "The Crossroads of the World” and the "The Great White Way" – is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theatre district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major centre of the world's entertainment industry. Within the scene audiences are able to view in the mise en scene the lights of Times Square’s advertisements and billboards as well as the shops and hotels situated in that area. Times Square is also known for its long view everywhere and its constant movement, we could say that this is emphasised to audiences with the use of lots of people for the Flash Mob and the audience of the Flash Mob and also of the high and wide angled shots emphasising these people. A pan downwards is also used at the end of the Flash Mob to show the ending but also allows the audience to view more of the shops and restaurants within the mise en scene.

The character of Dylan makes it very clear to the audience via his speech and reactions that he is not from New York, even though he has an American accent. Audiences find out later on that he is actually from Los Angeles which is still situated in America. This proves to audiences that the lives that are lived in America can be very different, someone from New York may not have been brought up knowing the same as someone from Los Angeles or Texas or Florida etc. Within this scene we are able to see that Dylan is learning and learning in fact very fast. He is never made to feel unaccepted in this scene which proves to us that America is a friendly country where no one is out of place, like the quote from Barak Obama said, no matter who you are if you live in the United States you are from the Unites States.

This clip that lasts 1:36 sec allows audiences to view a very positive side to America and specifically New York being represented in a good way. With a large amount of people in this scene not one person is out of place, not even the character of Dylan who we know is not from New York. Even with the song ‘New York’ being used nobody is made to feel overpowered proving to audiences that America is an accepting place that everyone is welcome to. No one is seen as an outsider.

To view the clip go to : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcF1AMace2s