EXAMPLES OF MEDIA ANALYSIS

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EXAMPLES OF MEDIA ANALYSIS

• A. AN ANARCHISTS MARCH
• Based on framing and hegemony concepts, subtle
  cues serve to delegitimize social protest
  movements.
• What choice of language is notable in the way the
  reporters describe the protesters?
• How are the protesters framed? Who are they seen
  in opposition to?

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• What visual devices in the coverage are important
  in framing the protesters?
• What aspects of the marching activity did the
  coverage revolve around?
• What kinds of sources were relied on? What other
  sources could have been called upon?
• What is the ideological effect of the coverage as
  a whole?

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• LOCAL PRINT MEDIA
• Local mainstream Print media characterization of
  a street demonstration of anarchists
• Headline frames event
• "ANARCHISTS ORGANIZE TO WREAK HAVOC DOWNTOWN"
• News focuses on appearance of marchers unruly
  hair, dress, etc.

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• Actions examined based on elements of
  criminality
• One-dollar bills burned, symbolic meaning not
  discussed, but police quoted saying "burning less
  than 2 dollars at once is not a crime."
• Incomplete photo showed protester burning
  American flag--did not show them also burning
  Soviet and McDonalds flag, focusing on the
  "anti-Americanness"
• Great attention given to thoughts of bystanders,
  esp. those who disagree with the march

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• Considerable attention to official points of
  view e.g. the Deputy chief of police
• Meaning of anarchy not addressed stereotype of
  society in disorder, chaos, ruled by will of the
  strong.
• Anarchy actually contrasted with hierarchy of
  people in power

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• COVERAGE BY ANARCHISTS' OWN MEDIA
• Anarchist media coverage by The Guardian
  newspaper OVERTHROW
• Emphasizes planning behind march
• Gives clear statements of rationale behind each
  stop on march e.g. Pillsbury was picketed
  because of "ownership of Burger King and other
  fast food enterprises which contribute to the
  destruction of the world's largest remaining rain
  forests in Central and South America."

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• Characterizes events as peaceful and cooperative
• Portrays police as instigators rather than
  respondents of violence
• Criticizes local media for concentrating on
  "punks" rather than older demonstrators
• Estimates crowd at 200 in first march. ( The Star
  Tribune quoted bystanders as estimating crowd
  at 100)

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• TELEVISION COVERAGE
• Presented in law and order, social control frame
• These protesters call themselves anarchists.
  They claim they're opposed to any and all forms
  of government. (Delegitimizing)

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• Blame violence on protesters (none of the
  anarchists given air-time to speak)
• Pictures shot from behind the police, thus
  adopting that visual viewpoint (Framing)
• Stories framed as anarchists vs. police, rather
  than vs. president of local bank, or CEO of
  Pillsbury, e.g. (speaking to these may have
  legitimized the protest)
• Variations in coverage
• Clear distinction between mainstream
  (pro-government) and alternative (opposition)
  media

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• COVERAGE DEMONSTRATES IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF THE
  MEDIA
• Managing deviance, reaffirming social order
• We live in a media-dependent society
• Essential to be able to think clearly about
• the important values in our culture,
• how they are reproduced and transmitted by the
  mass media,

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An Anarchists March - Analysis

• the institutions that affect that process,
• the people, groups and interests that benefit and
  those who are harmed.

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The Persian War - Analysis

• B. IDEOLOGY AND THE PERSIAN GULF WAR
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• LINGUISTIC DIRECTION IN GULF REPORTING
• Myths, stories, and metaphor give meaning to
  events, affect the way we come to know things,
  direct our thinking e.g. Mother of all battles
• One of the important new theoretical areas in
  media studies is the role of language.
• Metaphors, in particular, are powerful in the way
  they structure our thinking about issues.
• E.g. sports metaphors abound in discussing war,
  but improperly so
• The objective in sports is simply to win. In war,
  we must question what it is that we are winning.

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The Persian War - Analysis

• WAR DEPICTED AS NATURAL EVENT
• Desert Storm
• War Erupts
• War breaks out

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• Bombs "rain,"
• Scuds "shower"
• (Compare with The vase broke no agent)

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The Persian War - Analysis

• WAR AS CONTEST
• Turkey shoot
• Showdown in the Gulf

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Knock out
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Sink em all
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Mow em
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The Persian War - Analysis

• DEHUMANIZATION OF ENEMY
• Saddam's war machine
• Mosquito (Iraq) biting elephant (the USA)
• The enemy is crafty, peculiar, surprising,
  unpredictable, mysterious, horrifying,
  unreliable, weak, haphazard, desperate,
  unspeakable, bizarre, demonic, devilish, satanic,
  criminal, ruthless, cruel, complex, random

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The Persian War - Analysis

• We are meticulous, successful, precise,
  accurate, careful, scrupulous, tough, cool calm,
  swift, decisive, effective, confident, cautious,
  eager, enthusiastic
• (Strategy of negative Other-representation and
  positive Self-representation)

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The Persian War - Analysis

• MAKE KILLING ABSTRACT
• Suppressing assets
• Collateral damage
• Neutralizing targets
• Degrade/Downgrade initiatives
• Acquire assets
• Soften up targets

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The Persian War - Analysis

• HIDING THE ACTOR (OR AGENT)
• "Its war"
• Non-combatants died
• (Again, The vase broke)

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The Persian War - Analysis

• DEMONIZATION PROCESS
• Gaddafi vs. Hussein The most dangerous man in
  the world in Newsweek features on both men
• Visual changes in Hussein picture in New Republic
  (to make him look like a demon)

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The Persian War - Analysis

• HOW WAS OPINION MOBILIZED IN THE GULF WAR?
• Early support was mixed
• In November, NYT ran front page story on public
  uncertainty about Gulf policy. Sec. of State
  Baker, claimed it was about "jobs,"--"to bring it
  down to the level of the average citizen"
• Support for troops is converted to support for
  policy We support our boys in the Gulf. They
  are fighting for the nation.

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The Persian War - Analysis

• Think about ideological influences of media
  Isn't it remarkable that public opinion
  materialised so dramatically over that short
  period of time?
• Once troops are committed, a powerful set of
  routines and messages are engaged which establish
  their own logic, making it difficult to envision
  alternative policies.
• Support for the troops has been given the
  corporate and Hollywood treatment Yellow ribbon
  ads in Austin Weekly several Welcome Home Troops
  ads