The Voice Case Study: Blog Tasks :)

Language and textual analysis

Homepage

Go to The Voice homepage and answer the following:

1) What news website key conventions can you find on the Voice homepage?

The Voice homepage has a top menu bar along with a clear masthead at the top of the page which is considered a key convention of a website especially alongside the search icon at the top right of the page and a table of contents positioned on the right of that. The subscribe button at the top and even the use of ads on the home page are also key conventions of a website 

2) How does the page design differ from Teen Vogue?

This page design differs from Teen Vogue due to the advertisements which are not as discrete due to their size being bigger than the news stories. Teen Vogue also has more modern designs which The Voice is lacking 

3) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values and ideologies of the Voice?

Some of the items in the top menu bar are: News, Sport, Black British Voices and Faith. This tells us that while The Voice focuses on black Britons, there is still a mainstream nature due to the representation of sports as well as an interest in traditional values for older black Britons with stories on faith 

4) Look at the news stories on the Voice homepage. Pick two stories and explain why they might appeal to the Voice's target audience. 

• "Chris Kaba: Funeral held for unarmed man shot dead by police": This is the story of a black man who was shot by police despite being unarmed. This is relevant to The Voice's target audience as they produce content for black Britons who aim to educate themselves on what is happening to black people so this article is informative about what black people are still facing 
• Government reject call for new institutional racism inquiry after Fire Brigade scandal: The author of a report which found the London Fire Brigade “institutionally misogynist and racist” has warned that similar problems could be widespread in other public organisations. The independent review found colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds were “frequently the target of racist abuse”. This is relevant to The Voice's target audience because they are an audience who is actively looking for updates on racism around the world and this article informs them of the things that happen globally that are even affecting institutes 

5) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage and how they encourage audiences to click through to them.

Narrative is used to encourage audience engagement with The Voice through the use of enigma codes (applying Barthes enigma codes) with headlines such as "First commercial flight from Africa to Caribbean lands in Antigua", "London is the place for me" and "Labour finally fills race post". These headlines are vague which encourages a reader to read the article to understand the meaning of the headline due to the vague nature of the headline originally  

Lifestyle section

Now analyse the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:

1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?

The items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section are: Fashion & Beauty, Food, Health & Wellbeing, Relationships and Travel. This suggests that The Voice's target audience is likely to be middle-class seeing as they are able to afford this kind of lifestyle 

2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?

"Ghanaian architect looking to build for the future" and "The only woman in the world to lead an army"

3) How does the Lifestyle section of the Voice differ from Teen Vogue?

The Lifestyle section of The Voice differs from Teen Vogue due to the fact that there is less focus on education and campus on The Voice due to the target audience being more aimed towards an audience that is interested in a society that based around the issues that black people face. Teen Vogue aims to target its products towards a young audience and produces content about college life and celebrities. The target audience of  The Voice differs in that it targets itself at an older black audience so their lifestyle section would differ to a younger target audience like Teen Vogue

4) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?

I believe that the stories in the lifestyle section challenge black stereotypes in British media because the "Ghanaian architect looking to build for the future" article shows the success of a black women which is not a common representation in the media so this is undeniably challenging stereotypes because the success of white people typically dominates the media so this is a subversion of that representation and taking a step towards equality. Likewise, the "The only woman in the world to lead an army" article is a powerful article due to the fact that it also highlights the success of a black woman which has been severely underrepresented in the media which emphasises the growth that the black community has faced in recent years 

5) Choose two stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?

• Ghanaian architect looking to build for the future: This reflects the values and ideologies of The Voice because it subverts the stereotypical representation of the media that shows the success of white people most dominantly. This allows the audience to understand the way that black people are being offered more opportunities in society which shows progress 
• The only woman in the world to lead an army: This story is not only empowering for black people but is also empowering for black women. The underrepresentation of black women in the media is already devastating so this story allows for empowerment for the women who do not feel represented in the media 

Feature focus

1) Read this Voice opinion piece on black representation in the tech industry. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?

This piece reflects the values and ideologies of The Voice due to the recognition of the inequalities in terms of the percentage of black people in workplaces urging them "to do better". The feature lays out the facts in order to portray their desire for more black success which starts with accepting more black people into areas such as tech 

2) Read this feature on Michaela Coel supporting Oxfam's Second Hand campaign. Why might this feature appeal to readers of The Voice?

This feature might appeal to readers of The Voice due to the empowerment for readers to make a change by getting involved in Oxfam's Second Hand September Campaign. By having Michaela Coel as the face of this campaign, her fans will be more inclined to participate due to the personal relationship (applying Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory) they have built with her 

3) Read this Voice news story on Grenfell tower and Doreen Lawrence. How might this story reflect the Voice’s values and ideologies? What do the comments below suggest about how readers responded to the article? Can you link this to Gilroy’s work on the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?

This story might reflect the Voice's values and ideologies by reporting on a topic that criticises an organisation as large as The Fire Brigades Union over the way in which the Grenfell Tower fire was handled. While this tragic event in itself is a sensitive topic, reporting on Doreen Lawrence's views establish a sense of agency from black people along with their awareness and how this is then interpreted/reacted to by the mainstream media 

Audience

1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.

I think that the target audience for The Voice website is likely to be made up of older Black Britons due to the focus on giving black people a 'voice' as a central point of the magazine alongside the section on Faith which seems more traditional and accommodating to an older black audience. In terms of psychographic groups, I believe that The Voice readers are likely to be part of the Resigned group because of the traditional values they have that are unchanging and they choose what is familiar to them 

2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).

The audience pleasures provided by The Voice website include entertainment due to the fact that they provide news on productions that are show that their readers might be interested in. The Voice website also suggests a personal relationship through the faith section where Muyiwa Olarewaju makes frequent appearances which allows the readers to become familiar with him. The website undeniably provides personal identity as it aims to give black people a 'voice' so that their content represents black people by black people 

3) Give examples of sections or content from the website that tells you this is aimed at a specialised or niche audience.

The Black British Voices section tells you that The Voice is aimed at a specialised or niche audience as black people are actually a huge minority in England. The section on Faith also suggests that The Voice is aimed at a specialised or niche audience as it highlights a need for content for people that are religious 

4) Studying the themes of politics, history and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?

The themes of politics, history and racism in The Voice's content might resonate with The Voice's British target audience as it highlights the black experience in the UK and acts as a reminder of the things they've been fighting for in the journey for equality 

Representations

1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?

The audience is positioned to respond to representations on The Voice website in a positive manner as The Voice aims to provide a more realistic and accurate representation of black people than can be seen in the mainstream media 

2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?

I think that the representations in The Voice are an example of Gilroy's concept of "double consciousness" as The Voice tries to capture an honest depiction of the black experience and through doing this, the double consciousness regarding being both British and Black is definitely prevalent and seemingly divided reinforced by the fact that The Voice as a magazine even needs to exist 

3) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?

Applying Stuart Hall's constructivist approach to representations, different audiences might interpret the representations of black Britons differently to The Voice's own target audience in accordance with their own conceptual map. Different audiences might view The Voice's content as reaffirming black people's role as being either entertainers or being violent due to the stories on theatre and music alongside news of shootings 

4) Do you notice any other interesting representations in the Voice website? For example, representations or people, places or groups (e.g. gender, age, Britishness, other countries etc.)

Another interesting representation on The Voice website is the sports section which covers information as the content focuses on how black people are represented in sport 

Industries

1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand? 

This tells me that the original values and ideologies behind The Voice brand were to target people "who were born here and had spent most of their lives here" and building up a reputation for campaigning against racism and injustice 

2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today? 

The article raises many relevant issues that are still relevant today such as the decline of sales for The Voice dropping circulation by 20% from its previous sales of 51,318 3 years earlier before the launch of its rivals - New Nation 

3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice? You'll need to research this using Google/Wikipedia or look at this Guardian article when Gleaner first acquired The Voice.

The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. The Gleaner company also owns media brands such as The Gleaner which is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Jamaica. From this, I think that The Gleaner company might be interested in The Voice as they share traditional values 

4) How does the Voice website make money?

The Voice makes money by asking for donations, ad revenue and sponsorships 

5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?

On The Voice website there are adverts for McDonald's and joining Hackney Council which suggests that their adverts aren't based on user's cookies but are rather fixed adverts 

6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?

There is definitely an element of public service to The Voice as they are doing what even major magazines fail to do by representing those who have less of a platform than those who are majorities 

7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content?

There are a few examples of technological convergence on The Voice website such as the link to purchase their book along with links to their YouTube videos 

8) How has the growth of digital distribution through the internet changed the potential for niche products like the Voice?

The growth of digital distribution through the internet has definitely changed the potential for niche products like The Voice due to the fact that they are now able to reach a larger proportion of their target audience even if they don't live locally but still want to consume the content of The Voice 

9) Analyse The Voice’s Twitter feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as Teen Vogue)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?

The Voice's Twitter feed is relatively straight to the point and the tweets are copies of the headline for the articles 

10) Study a selection of videos from The Voice’s YouTube channel. How does this content differ from Teen Vogue? What are the production values of their video content?

From The Voice's YouTube channel it is clear to see that their production values of their video content are lacking tremendously as they lack in professionality as seen by their video call format interviews, poor background and sound/audio quality unlike Teen Vogue which takes pride in its high production values and professional brand identity 

Women and Videogames: Blog Tasks :)

Part 1: Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?

Read this short Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions:

1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?

Women are typically either objectified or “damsels in distress” in many major video games, like the iconic Lara Craft to Princess Peach in the Mario franchise 

2) What percentage of the video game audience is female?

42% of the video game demographic is female, indicating that times have changed and video games cannot survive by solely targeting the male audience 

3) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?

Recent popular games like Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead series have female protagonists, co-protagonists or otherwise important characters.These games each have characters who are role models for real women, because they are strong, independent, intelligent, willful and compassionate 

4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?

I somewhat agree that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented in them because audiences undeniably want to see an authentic representation of themselves in media products which can cause negative feedback from audiences if they see a misrepresentation. This could ultimately lead to the rejection of the media product as a whole 

5) What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development?

The writer suggests that the changes regarding recent versions of Lara Croft were an evolution from “sex symbol to icon”. Pratchett has been credited as her getting hired as the lead writer for the reboot of Tomb Raider as a woman who “had a long history of working on games with complex female protagonists, such as Heavenly Sword and Mirror’s Edge” led to the creation of a protagonist who players could identify with 

Part 2: Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis

Visit Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games Series 2’ YouTube playlist and watch ONE other video in the series (your choice - and feel free to choose a video from season 1 if you prefer). Write a 100 word summary of the video you watch:

1) Title of video

Strategic Butt Coverings - Tropes vs Women 

2) 100 word summary

This video explores how women are objectified and sexualised in videogames due to their designers accentuating their butts through camera angles to ensure that it is in clear view at all times for the player to look at. However, great measures are taken in order to hide the butts of their male counterparts which has been done through capes, long coats or making it impossible to maneuver using the camera angles which indicates a double standard towards these two genders in videogames 

Part 3: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview

Finally, read this Gamespot interview with Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency and answer the following questions:

1) What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.

When Anita Sarkeesian published her videos on YouTube on women in videogames, she received more extreme and sustained torrent of sexism, hate, and threats which only encouraged her to continue the series 

2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?

Sarkeesian summarises feminism as the radical notion that women are human beings

3) Why do stories matter?

Stories matter as narratives because they have always been a core way human beings learn about, make sense of, and understand the world we live in. Stories have embedded myths and messages and can be carriers of positive, heroic, or subversive values as well as reinforcing negative stereotypes and oppressive social norms 

4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?

Although Sarkeesian is in favor of more female protagonists in videogames, she views Samus Aran and Lara Croft as female protagonists who are still objectified and sexualized for a presumed straight-male audience. She believes that the existence of a female protagonist must be linked to an intentional shift away from the idea that women in games exist primarily as objects of sexual desire 

5) How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?

The videogame landscape has allowed the representation of women to change significantly due to the fact that there are now more female characters and more protagonists. Despite this positive change, some negative representations have been reinforced even further- today the trope of a "Fighting F@#k Toy" has essentially become the default representation for women in much of the gaming industry. There has also been a resurgence of the "Damsel in Distress" recently as developers rush to remake or reboot many of the classic 1980s games 

6) Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women?

Mirror's Edge and Portal are held up as examples of more progressive representations of women due to the fact that both characters are women of color, and both serve as the protagonists of their own games without being overly sexualized or objectified 

7) What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters?

The qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on in order to create more positive female characters are: protagonists with agency not tied directly to their sex appeal, transformative story arcs where characters are struggling with or overcoming personal flaws, and some emotional depth and expression 

8) What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?

The impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated is that creative and decision-making roles are influenced by the old boys' club mentality and atmosphere 

9) What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series?

Sarkeesian hopes to achieve the promotion of media literacy and give people tools to look critically at the games we play. Her hope is to clearly present the issues surrounding women's representations as a systemic problem by identifying reoccuring patterns 

10) What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series?

Sarkeesian hopes to spark media debates on the larger ongoing conversation already happening elsewhere about women in games in order to have "genuine", complex female characters because it will make games and gaming better overall, more diverse, and more innovative 

Further Feminist Theory: Blog Tasks :)

Use our Media Factsheet archive and find Media Factsheet #169 Further Feminist Theory, read the whole of the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’?

• Feminism: A movement which aims for equality for women – to be treated as equal to men socially, economically, and politically. It is a movement that is focused not on ‘hating’ men, or suggesting that women are superior. Instead, feminism is focused on highlighting the power and suppressive nature of the patriarchy

• Patriarchy: Male dominance in society

2) Why did bell hooks publish her 1984 book ‘Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center’?

Because she had identified a lack of diversity within the feminist movement, and argued that these diverse voices had been marginalised, being put outside the main body of feminism 

3) What aspects of feminism and oppression are the focus for a lot of bell hooks’s work?

“Women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those that are non- white, would not have defined women’s liberation as women gaining social equality with men since they are continually reminded in their everyday lives that all women do not share a common social status.” Here hooks argues that feminism’s goal to make all women equal to men is flawed; not all men are equal to men as a result of oppression, sexuality, ethnicity. hooks used her work to offer a more inclusive feminists theory that advocated for women within a sisterhood to acknowledging and accepting their differences 

4) What is intersectionality and what does hooks argue regarding this?

The term intersectionality is used to describe overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination or discrimination. Multiple identities intersect to create an individual identity that can include gender, race, social class, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, mental illness, physical illness. bell hooks argues that experiences of class, gender, sexuality etc cannot be completely understood if the influences of racialisation are not considered. hooks argues that understanding intersectionality is vital to gaining political and social equality and improving our democratic system 

5) What did Liesbet van Zoonen conclude regarding the relationship between gender roles and the mass media?

Van Zoonen concludes that there is a strong relationship between gender (stereotypes, pornography and ideology) and communication, but it is also the mass media that leads to much of the observable gender identity structures in advertising, film and TV 

6) Liesbet van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed. What does this mean and which other media theorist we have studied does this link to?

van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed which means that gender roles have been formed by society rather than having any objective evidence. Arguably, we can apply Judith Butler's theory of gender as performance to van Zoonen because she suggests that we are conditioned to adhere to social norms that society has developed 

7) How do feminists view women’s lifestyle magazines in different ways? Which view do you agree with?

Feminists view women's lifestyle magazines in ways that perhaps criticise women’s magazines as commercial sites of exaggerated femininity which serve to pull women into a consumer culture on the promise that the products they buy will alleviate their own bodily insecurities and low self-esteem. van Zoonen argues that women’s magazines mediate images that tell women “how to be a perfect mother, lover, wife, homemaker, glamorous accessory, secretary – whatever suits the needs of the system”. I agree with the view that women's lifestyle magazines emphasise women's femininity in order to appeal to consumer culture 

8) In looking at the history of the colours pink and blue, van Zoonen suggests ideas gender ideas can evolve over time. Which other media theorist we have studied argues this and do you agree that gender roles are in a process of constant change? Can you suggest examples to support your view?

van Zoonen suggests gender ideas can evolve over time. This has also been argued by David Gauntlett who presents the idea that things change over time and that identity is becoming more fluid. Gender roles are undeniably in a constantly changing suggested by the growing support towards the LGBTQ+ community and the inclusion of options other than the traditional male and female gender identity  

9) What are the five aspects van Zoonen suggests are significant in determining the influence of the media?

Van Zoonen argues that the influence of the media is dependent on: Whether the institution is commercial or public, the platform upon which they operate (print versus digital media), genre (drama versus news), target audiences, the place the media text holds within the audiences’ daily lives

10) What other media theorist can be linked to van Zoonen’s readings of the media?

Van Zoonen builds on Stuart Hall’s negotiated readings, arguing that the negotiated readings and subsequent focus on the way meanings are encoded and decoded "implies acknowledgement of gender construction as a social process in which women and men actively engage" 

11) Van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’. She suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. What other theory and idea (that we have studied recently) can this be linked to?

van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’ and suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. Paul Gilroy's double consciousness is another theory that links to this 

12) Finally, van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism. She suggests that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. How does this link to bell hooks views on feminism and intersectionality?

van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism by suggesting that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. This links to bell hooks's views on feminism and intersectionality because it recognises that gender cannot be looked at independently but in relation to many other elements of identity and society 

Paul Gilroy: Blog Tasks :)

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 170: Gilroy – Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory. You can access it online here using your Greenford Google login. 

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?

Gilroy suggests racial identities are constructed by colonialization, slavery, nationalist philosophies and consumer capitalism 

2) What does Gilroy suggest regarding the causes and history of racism?

Gilroy suggests that the causes and history of racism isn’t caused by race, racism causes race. Racism is not caused by the clash of two or more races, instead, Gilroy states that racial difference and racial identities are the product of racial oppression. Racial identities are caused by historical conflicts that have brought different groups into opposition 

3) What is ethnic absolutism and why is Gilroy opposed to it?

Ethnic absolutism is a line of thinking which sees humans are part of different ethnic compartments, with race as the basis of human differentiation. Gilroy is opposed to ethnic absolutism as it is counter to his argument that racism causes race 

4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?

Gilroy considers a transatlantic diasporic identity, where groups across the Atlantic share cultural practices – a “single, complex unit” of black cultural practitioners as a result of a shared history of oppression and slavery. Gilroy sees black identities as a product of movement – the African diasporic identity is based on routes taken throughout history, and not the roots of origin. Gilroy sees this as a diaspora that cannot be reversed, unlike the classic position which offers the myth of returning to the place of origin. For Gilroy, the Black Atlantic diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery irrevocably changed the diasporic identity. It cannot be ‘rewound’ to a state of cultural purity and cannot return to Africa as the place of origin has changed – the place of origin doesn’t exist as it did before diaspora 

5) What did Gilroy suggest was the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s (when the Voice newspaper was first launched)?

Gilroy suggests the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s when the Voice newspaper was first launched was as “external and estranged from the imagined community that is the nation” As such, to accept the role of slavery into the cultural identities of Britain would be to challenge the negative stereotype of black Britons at the time, and reverse the “external and estranged” relationship with the nation 

6) Gilroy argues diaspora challenges national ideologies. What are some of the negative effects of this?

Gilroy argues diaspora challenges national ideologies- some of the negative effects of this are that diasporic identities can also become trapped within a national ideology, diasporic cultural ideologies and practices exist within a national ideology based upon its social, economic and cultural integrations and as such there is a cultural difference with the diasporic identities 

7) Complete the first activity on page 3: How might diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity? E.g. digital media - offer specific examples.

Diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity as seen with examples such as the #1millionshirts campaign on Twitter along with the Invisible Children's Kony 2012 video about capturing the notorious Ugandan rebel Joseph Kony which both came under heavy diaspora scrutiny online. The video was regarded as "over-simplified" and "misleading" by many in the diasporic community 

8) Why does Gilroy suggest slavery is important in diasporic identity?

Gilroy suggests slavery is important in diasporic identity as the modern world was built upon a normalised view of slavery, particularly plantation slavery. Slavery was only rejected when it was revealed as incompatible with enlightened rationality and capitalist production 

9) How might representations in the media reinforce the idea of ‘double consciousness’ for black people in the UK or US?

Representations in the media might reinforce the idea of  'double consciousness' for black people in the UK or US in that the dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete 

Teen Vogue Industry and Social Media: Blog Tasks :)

Industry: Condé Nast

1) Research Teen Vogue publisher Condé Nast. What other magazines do they publish and how much money did they make last year?

Condé Nast publishes other magazines like Vogue, GQ, Tatler, WIRED, Glamour, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker - last year they made $2 billion in total revenue 

2) What are Teen Vogue’s main sources of income?

Teen Vogue's main source of income is selling advertising which is targeted using browsing history. Customer data and loyalty is also monetised and the data can then be sold to other companies  

3) How are traditionally print-based products like Teen Vogue diversifying to create new income streams?

Traditionally print-based products like Teen Vogue are diversifying to create new income streams by creating a larger presence on social media like YouTube as a way to make money by monetising their videos. Summits are also being held in which consumers can interact with other consumers  

4) Why is sponsored content and ‘advertorial’ particularly important in media linked to the fashion industry?

Sponsored content and 'advertorial' are particularly important in media linked to the fashion industry because it engages audiences with fashion by advertising products linked to magazine to encourage purchases 

5) Do you view Teen Vogue’s content as a form of public service media or is Condé Nast simply interested in clicks and profit?

Teen Vogue's content as a form of public service media due to offering content on current affairs that is relevant and interesting to their target audience. The audience pleasure of surveillance could be applied here due to the offer of news and information that educates people- the interest in educating people proves that they are not simply interested in clicks and profit 

Closure of print edition research

Read the following short articles to learn the background to Condé Nast's decision to close the print edition of Teen Vogue in 2016 and then answer the questions below:

BBC: Teen Vogue: How will going online-only affect readers?

New York Times: Condé Nast Ends Teen Vogue’s Print Run

Folio: Your Teen Vogue Hot Takes Are All Wrong

1) Why does the BBC suggest “Teen Vogue’s digital game is strong”?

The BBC suggests "Teen Vogue's digital game is strong" due to the six million Facebook likes, a huge following on Snapchat and 3.5 million Twitter followers 

2) What does the BBC suggest is responsible for the Teen Vogue website’s success?

The BBC suggests that the reason for the Teen Vogue website's success is the light and relatable headlines with many written in the first person that make viewers want to click on them and find out more about what they actually mean 

3) How did Teen Vogue justify the closure of the print magazine?

Teen Vogue justified the closure of the print magazine by saying, "Though the quarterly print editions will cease publishing on a regular schedule, we will explore re-imagined special issues timed to specific moments, as we do in social," a spokesman told BBC News. "As audiences continue to evolve around content consumption, we will modernise and calibrate how, where and when we produce and distribute our content to be in sync with the cultural moments and platforms most important to our audiences" 

4) In the BBC article, David Hepworth suggests there is a risk to going digital-only. What is it?

In the BBC article David Hepworth suggests there is a risk to going digital-only, this risk is, "Once you let paper go you're just another website. You're just more space junk floating around out there." 

5) How do online-only publications make money?

Online-only publications make money through advertising 

6) What does Sarah Penny suggest regarding audience consumption for print and digital – and how might it be changing for Generation-Z?

Regarding audience consumption for print and digital Sarah Penny suggests that the limited amount of money eligible to be made for print and the decline in physical sales of magazines in general. Specifically, she notes the difference in Gen Z's in which "print is a very difficult medium to sustain"  when they're the target audience 

7) What does the New York Times say Conde Nast is known for?

The New York Times says Conde Nast is known for its lavish spending and its visually rich glossy magazines 

8) The New York Times states that Conde Nast expects to bring in less revenue in 2017 than 2016… by how much?

The New York Times states that Conde Nast expects to bring in less revenue in 2017 than 2016 by £8M (6.6%) 

9) The Folio article also looks at the switch from print to digital. Pick out a statistic that justifies the digital-only approach.

The Folio article also looks at the switch from print to digital. A statistic that justifies the digital-only approach 

10) Finally, Folio also highlights some of the aspects we have studied elsewhere. Pick out two quotes from the article that link to our work on the Teen Vogue audience, representation or design.

• "Surely it comes as no great revelation that Teen Vogue‘s young female audience prefers to consume articles on mobile devices and via social media rather than in print magazines" 

• "The fact that both The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, the other two prongs of Condé’s three-headed anti-Trump vanguard, were among the only titles whose print editions were spared any cutbacks in the company’s restructuring certainly seems to undermine the argument that politics are hurting Teen Vogue" 

Social media analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of Teen Vogue's social media presence:

1) Look at the Teen Vogue Twitter feed (you don’t need to sign up to Twitter to see it but may need to log-in at home). How many followers does Teen Vogue have?

Teen Vogue has 3.3M followers on Twitter 

2) Now look at the content. Classify the first 20 tweets you can see using the sections on the Teen Vogue website: News & Politics, Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Lifestyle, Wellness and Homecoming. What does the Twitter feed focus on most? Does this differ to the website?

It is clear that Teen Vogue's Twitter feed is centred around entertainment and celebrity gossip which is indicated through the articles on upcoming movies and celebrity interactions 

3) How are the tweets and headlines written? Can you find examples of clickbait?

The tweets and headlines are written in a way that makes them seem relatable to readers but also interesting making readers more likely to click on the headlines or tweets and engage with them

4) How does the Twitter feed use videos and images?

The Twitter feed uses videos and images in conjunction with the articles it links to making readers more interested in the article due to the visual representation of the videos which you can also click on to take you straight to the article 

5) Analyse the Teen Vogue Facebook page. How many ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ do they have?

On the Teen Vogue Facebook page they have 5,560,394 likes and 5,509,039 follows 

6) Click on the Videos link on the left-hand menu. What type of content do the videos feature? Does this differ to the website or Twitter feed?

On the Facebook page Teen Vogue feature political along with health and fitness contrast perhaps to cater more to the older audience on Facebook who might not be interested in the celebrity gossip that they post about on Twitter 

7) Now look at the Events tab to explore past events. What are these events and what do they tell us about how audiences interact with the Teen Vogue brand?

The Teen Vogue events consist mainly of summits along with other kind of meet-ups with Teen Vogue readers allowing the website to be more than a digital form but a physical form 

8) Go to the Teen Vogue Instagram page. How many followers do they have on Instagram?

Teen Vogue has 4M followers on Instagram 

9) How does the Instagram feed differ from other social media channels?

The Instagram feed differs from other social media channels in that it is more focused on movies and celebrity gossip similar to the Twitter page but quite different from the Facebook page 

10) What examples of digital convergence and synergy can you find on Teen Vogue social media including the Teen Vogue YouTube channel? (E.g. opportunities to engage with the brand across different platforms). 

Teen Vogue social media exemplifies digital convergence as across all of their social media platforms the link to the Teen Vogue website is there for readers to access them in one place 

Teen Vogue Audience and Representation: Blog Tasks :)

Audience

1) Analyse the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue. What is the Teen Vogue mission statement and what does this tell us about the target audience and audience pleasures?

The Teen Vogue Mission Statement is: Teen Vogue is the young person’s guide to saving the world. We aim to educate, enlighten, and empower our audience to create a more inclusive environment (both on- and offline) by amplifying the voices of the unheard, telling stories that normally go untold, and providing resources for teens looking to make a tangible impact in their communities." Teen Vogue is clearly aimed towards teens who aim to have an impact on the world and Teen Vogue will provide them with the resources to do so- Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratification theory can be applied here because there is clear evidence of surveillance in the way that Teen Vogue educates the youth and provides material for them to learn from 

2) What is the target audience for Teen Vogue? Use the media pack to pick out key aspects of the audience demographics. Also, consider the psychographic groups that would be attracted to Teen Vogue: make specific reference to the website design or certain articles to support your points regarding this.

The target audience for Teen Vogue is predominantly teenagers to young adults who have interest in fashion but also keep up to date with politics. 63% of their 18.5M reach are Generation Z/Milllenials and in total their audience has spent $11B on fashion and beauty. Reformers and Succeeders are likely to be the psychographic group for Teen Vogue due to the emphasis they have on value their own opinions with them being activists that aim to improve the world 

3) What audience pleasures or gratifications can be found in Teen Vogue? Do these differ from the gratifications of traditional print-based magazines?

Due to the strong focus on politics and current affairs, there is clear evidence of surveillance in Teen Vogue. There is an entire section that educates people on current affairs and politics which is why I believe that surveillance is the most prominent audience pleasure in Teen Vogue. Their mission statement also states that they aim to "educate" which shows that they place a heavy emphasis on wanting to teach young people about the world around them 

4) How is the audience positioned to respond to political news stories?

The audience is positioned to respond to political news stories by forming their own opinions and sharing them on social media in order to spread their opinion and potentially influence the opinions of others 

5) How does Teen Vogue encourage audiences to interact with the brand – and each other – on social media? The ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ section of the media pack may help with this question.

Teen Vogue encourages audiences to interact with the brand and each other on social media via events like the Summit aiming to connect the new generation of activists along with the Young Hollywood Portfolio which aims to allow audiences to reach out and support one another along with encouraging them to end up in this portfolio 

Representations

1) Look again at the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue. What do the ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ (key events and features throughout the year) suggest about the representation of women and teenage girls on teenvogue.com?

The 'tentpoles and editorial pillars' suggest that the representation of women and teenage girls on teenvogue.com presents them as being strong, capable and intelligent as many of these pillars focus on women winning awards or being praised for their encouraging work as activists or how they've tried to challenge the industry 

2) How are issues of gender identity and sexuality represented in Teen Vogue?

Issues of gender identity and sexuality in Teen Vogue are represented in a liberal and open way. One of the most obvious ways of Teen Vogue being accepting about sexuality was the employment of Phillip Picardi as an editor who is openly gay and was a major part in the transformation of Teen Vogue into the successful website it is today 

3) Do representations of appearance or beauty in Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge traditional stereotypes?

The representations of appearance/beauty both challenge and reinforce traditional stereotypes- although they still reinforce Western beauty standards that van Zoonen put forward, there are still aspects of challenging traditional stereotypes when it comes to race and ethnicity due to their features of artists and activists from all backgrounds 

4) What is the patriarchy and how does Teen Vogue challenge it? Does it succeed? 

The patriarchy refers to the domination of men in society which has been repeatedly challenged by Teen Vogue due to the emphasis of successes in women. Teen Vogue has successfully done this through the encouragement they have given women to subvert previous expectations of women in a patriarchal society 

5) Does Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge typical representations of celebrity? 

Teen Vogue reinforces typical representations of celebrities due to the gossip-type stories that  would not gain attention if they were not celebrities 

Feature: how Teen Vogue represents the changing nature of media aimed at women

Read this Quartz feature - The true story of how Teen Vogue got mad, got woke, and began terrifying men like Donald Trump - and answer the following questions:

1) How was the Teen Vogue op-ed on Donald Trump received on social media?

The Teen Vogue op-ed on Donald Trump was very well received on social media although it was also met with some baffled reactions as well evoking responses such as: "big words for a magazine about hairstyles and celebrity gossip", "Who would have guessed @TeenVogue might be the future of political news. Unreal coverage of the election" and "Go back to acne treatments" 

2) How have newspapers and magazines generally categorised and targeted news by gender?

Newspapers and magazines have generally categorised and targeted news by gender where the sections on Business and Politics were meant for men and the Lifestyle section covering all topics 'feminine' such as cooking, fashion, beauty, parenting and celebrity news was targeted at women 

3) How is this gender bias still present in the modern media landscape?

This gender bias is still present in the modern media landscape in how journalists are assigned stories. Women have been attending and graduating from journalism school more often than men since the 1970s, by 2010, 64% of J-school graduates were female. Yet as of 2015, 65% of political journalists, 67% of criminal justice reporters, and 62% of reporters covering “business and economics” were male 

4) What impact did the alternative women’s website Jezebel have on the women’s magazine market?

The alternative women's website Jezebel had a huge impact on the women's magazine market as it was the first mainstream publication to successfully adopt the feminist-blog approach as well as challenging the traditional gender bias in terms of news. In 2008, Anna Holmes’ Jezebel made the then-risky move of combining politics coverage and traditionally feminist op-eds with fashion and celebrity gossip, betting that the same woman could plausibly enjoy reading both Megan Carpentier on Hillary Clinton and Sadie Stein on bandage dresses. Jezebel’s traffic soon outstripped its more dudely counterpart Gawker, and created a model for women’s media that is still the norm today 

5) Do you agree with the writer that female audiences can enjoy celebrity news and beauty tips alongside hard-hitting political coverage? Does this explain the recent success of Teen Vogue?

I agree that female audiences can enjoy celebrity news and beauty tips alongside hard-hitting political coverage. Just as people are able to separate their work from their lives outside of work everyone is able to find a balance and they shouldn't be forced to pick one over the other. The fact that Teen Vogue was able to recognise and act on this explains their recent success 

6) How does the writer suggest feminists used to be represented in the media?

The writer suggests feminists used to be represented in the media as "sexless, grim bra-burners, uninterested in pleasure or aesthetics" 

7) What is the more modern representation of feminism? Do you agree that this makes feminism ‘stereotyped as fluffy’?

The more modern representation of feminism the writer alludes to are people that are finally willing to talk about makeup and Beyonce but in doing so get stereotyped as fluffy. I think that over the years the movement that feminism is has become very blurred particularly as it has become more mainstream 

8) What contrasting audience pleasures for Teen Vogue are suggested by the writer in the article as a whole?

The contrasting audience pleasures are surveillance and entertainment (applying Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory). Surveillance is offered by the politics as well as offering entertainment through the celebrity gossip and the promotion of fashion and beauty  

9) The writer suggests that this change in representation and audience pleasures for media products aimed at women has emerged from the feminist-blog movement. How can this be linked to Clay Shirky’s ‘end of audience’ theory?

The writer suggests that this change in representation and audience pleasures for media products aimed at women has emerged from the feminist-blog movement. This links to Clay Shirky's 'end of audience' theory as this reinforces the blur between the roles of producers and consumers. Blogging has allowed consumers to become amateur producers which led to the feminist-blog movement 

Teen Vogue Background Reading and Textual Analysis: Blog Tasks :)

Teen Vogue: background reading

Read this Guardian feature from 2017 on Teen Vogue and answer the following questions.

1) What was the article that announced Teen Vogue as a more serious, political website – with 1.3m hits and counting?

The article that announced Teen Vogue as a more serious, political website with 1.3m hits and coming was an op-ed piece by Lauren Duca about Donald Trump gaslighting America 

2) When was the original Teen Vogue magazine launched and what was its original content?

The original Teen Vogue magazine was launched in 2004 and its original content used to focus on the standard cocktail of fashion must-haves and celebrity worship 

3) How did editor Elaine Welteroth change Teen Vogue’s approach in 2015?

Editor Elaine Welteroth changed Teen Vogue's approach in 2015 by featuring three unknown black models on the cover, that break conventions. “It was everything which, during my 15 years working in New York, I heard, ‘You can’t do it; it won’t sell,’” creative director Marie Suter told a reporter for the Atlantic- however, it became the bestselling issue of the year 

4) How many stories are published on Teen Vogue a day? What topics do they cover?

Teen Vogue publishes between 50 and 70 stories a day. They cover topics such as fashion, entertainment and current affairs 

5) What influence did digital director Phillip Picardi have over the editorial direction?

Director Phillip Picardi had an influence over the editorial direction in that he thought that Teen would have to "dig into politics and the news cycle" 

6) What is Teen Vogue’s audience demographic and what does ‘woke’ refer to?

Teen Vogue's audience demographic lies with 18-24 year olds and Welteroth described their readership as 'genderless', sophisticated and conscious. Welteroth regards Teen Vogue as a 'woke' brand and believes their readers are too 

7) What issues are most important to Teen Vogue readers?

The issues that are most important to Teen Vogue readers are things like cultural appropriation and feminism. Creative director Marie Suter is charged with keeping the look and feel “elevated and sophisticated, no matter (how radical) the content”, and the web platform operates as “a playground to test out different things” – what Welteroth calls “consumer research on demand” 

8) What does Tavi Gevinson suggest regarding the internet and ‘accountability culture’ with regards to modern audiences? Can you link this to our work on Clay Shirky?

Tavi Gevinson suggests that the internet has created an “accountability culture”, where the relationship with readers is closer and more transparent, and says brands have had to respond to that. Consumers have been given more of a voice and can now criticise the professional producers that used to hold all the power. The fact that Tavi Gevinson regards readers as (amateur consumers) being closer to the brands (professional producers) they are now able to actually influence production, something that wouldn't have been possible in the old relationship between consumers and producers signifying the end of audience 

9) What social and political issues have been covered successfully by Teen Vogue?

The social and political issues that have been covered successfully by Teen Vogue include Trump's election, the Black Lives Matter Movement, LGBTQ+ community rights, immigration and women's rights 

10) What do Teen Vogue readers think of the magazine and website?

Teen Vogue readers think that the magazine and website maintain a good balance between fashion and political and social issues due to the belief that you can be interested in both  

Teen Vogue: Factsheet Part 1

Read Media Factsheet #200 Teen Vogue - Part 1. Answer the following questions: 

1) The Factsheet suggests Teen Vogue has successfully made the transition to an online, social and participatory product. Why? What platforms is it now available on?

The Factsheet suggests Teen Vogue has successfully made the transition to an online, social and participatory product due to its reflection of the the challenges facing print products, and reinforces ideas about a changing media landscape and audience expectations. It is now available on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest 

2) Look at the screenshots and details on pages 3-4 of the Factsheet. What does Teen Vogue offer its audience?

Teen Vogue seems to offer its audiences the latest news on fashion trends, make-up along with political and social issues such as the suffering of Appalachian coal miners 

3) Who is the typical Teen Vogue reader?

The typical Teen Vogue reader is 18-24 years olds and editor Welteroth added that their readership is 'genderless', sophisticated and conscious. Welteroth regards Teen Vogue as a 'woke' brand and believes their readers are too 

4) Finally, look at pages 6-7 focusing on representations. What range of representations can be found in Teen Vogue and what does this suggest regarding Teen Vogue's values and ideologies?

The representations found in Teen Vogue are mostly positive and left leaning as suggested by the numerous articles about him all with quite negative headlines 

Teen Vogue textual analysis and example articles

Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of the Teen Vogue website and read notable Teen Vogue articles to refer to in exam answers. 

Homepage analysis: 

Go to the Teen Vogue homepage and answer the following:

1) What website key conventions can you find on the Teen Vogue homepage?

Some of the key website conventions on Teen Vogue homepage are the horizontal navigation bar along the top and the brand logo situated at the top left as well as the search button at the top right and a link named 'newsletter' which redirects readers to sign up to the newsletter 

2) How does the page design encourage audience engagement?

The page design encourages audience engagement through the use of GIFs and images of celebrities that audiences may recognise and therefore be more likely to click on as it makes the articles seem more personal 

3) Where does advertising appear on the homepage?

The advertising on the homepage appears in the same format as some of the articles as a one-off section of its own along with a whole row at the very bottom 

4) What are the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content of Teen Vogue?

The items in the top menu bar are: Style, Politics, Culture, Identity, Video, Summit, and Shopping. This tells us that the content of Teen Vogue is quite varied which means that there is inclusion for everybody's interests 

5) How far does the homepage scroll down? How many stories appear on the homepage in total?

The homepage scrolls very far due to the total of 33 stories appearing  

Lifestyle section: 

Now analyse the Lifestyle section of Teen Vogue (in the Identity section) and answer the following:

1) What are the items in the top menu bar for the Lifestyle section?

The items in the top menu bar for the Lifestyle section are Health, Sex and Relationships, Wellness, Horoscope, Lifestyle, and Voices 

2) How is the Lifestyle section designed to encouragement audience engagement? Think about page design, images, text and more.

The Lifestyle section is designed to encourage audience engagement through the layout of the articles which resembles a list. The organised format encourages audiences to click through the articles in an orderly fashion and makes navigation easier 

3) What do you notice about the way headlines are written in Teen Vogue?

Teen Vogue headlines are written in a relatively straightforward way to understand which allows readers to know what to expect as well as the familiarity providing an environment in which readers feel that they can return 

4) What does the focus on education, university and ‘campus life’ tell you about the Teen Vogue audience demographics and psychographics?

The focus on education, university and 'campus life' tells us that the Teen Vogue audience demographics are young people who are educated. In terms of psychographics, the Teen Vogue audience are likely to be Succeeders or Reformers as they are the type of audience that is likely to have strong goal orientation or are intellectuals that value their own independent judgement 

Teen Vogue: Five key articles

Read the following five notable Teen Vogue features then answer the questions below.

Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America

The new face of teen activism

Black Teens Have Been Fighting for Gun Reform for Years

Netflix and strong female leads

How to Break Away From the Gender Binary

1) What do you notice about the content and style of these articles? What do they have in common? 

A noticeable feature with the content of Teen Vogue is that it states that changes to society have been presented as becoming more positive and they adopt a left-wing liberal approach 

2) How do the articles use narrative to engage the reader? Try and apply narrative theory here if possible - what makes the reader want to click or read more?

Todorov's theory of disequilibrium can be applied to Teen Vogue through the suggestion that the issues presented in the news section of the website is the disequilibrium and addressing and reading about the cause of the issue leads to the new equilibrium 

3) Pick a quote from each article that illustrates the political, 'woke' ideology of Teen Vogue and paste it here.

• "black youth, who've been passionately advocating for gun control measures, have been demonized, obfuscated, and overlooked": Black Teens Have Been Fighting for Gun Reform for Years 

• "A lot of impact can be made online, and older generations don't always get that": The New Face of Teen Activism

• "if you shake up stereotypes and break boundaries with regard to what a female character can do, people will watch": Netflix and Strong Female Leads

• "It wasn't one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history, so presumably that's another red-herring lie to distract from Trump treating the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States like it is some rogue blogger to be cast to the trolls": Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America 

• "Cancel the gender reveal parties":  How to Break Away From the Gender Binary

4) What effect on the audience are these articles hoping to achieve?

These articles are trying to encourage audiences that things are undoubtedly changing in society to reflect what young people seem to be more open-minded about they set out to inspire them to accelerate this process and ensure that they meet their final destination 

5) How do these article reflect the values and ideologies of the modern Teen Vogue?

These articles reflect the values and ideologies of the modern Teen Vogue as they proudly challenge, 'call out' and encourage change in society to subvert the traditional stereotypes. They address politics, feminism, identity, social injustice and activism and therefore reinforce the fact that their readers are active and reflect and discuss these matters too