Media and Morality--Seeing the Other in the News

PLEASE COME! :)

Date/Time: September 5, 430-600 PM
Venue: Escaler Hall, Ateneo de Manila University

In today’s globalizing world, we get to know distant peoples, distant cultures, and distant events primarily through screens, pages, and interfaces—what we have come to call as media. The news, in particular, brings us images of the Other on a live, continuous basis—but with what consequences? Indeed before we mistake connection for responsibility, we should ask Roger Silverstone’s forceful question, “The media may have extended reach, but have they extended understanding?”

In this public seminar Seeing the Other in the News, scholars from the Department of Communication dialogue with esteemed industry professionals Maria Ressa (ABS-CBN) and Howie Severino (GMA Network). The seminar wishes to highlight the ever-evolving, ever-increasing responsibilities of the media—and here we mean owners, producers, actors, and audiences—to create a space for hospitality for the distant others that we see onscreen. Issues such as objectivity in journalism, ethical issues in reporting on suffering, and compassion fatigue will be discussed. The format also allows for participation from the audience, as they can pose questions to the panelists.

This event also marks the launch of the MediaTalk@admu seminar series, produced by the Department of Communication and the Center for Communication Research and Training.

Announcements

Hello! I missed you all yesterday.

Here's a primer on what to expect/prepare for the next few weeks:

1. August 21-24, Tuesday to Friday
I'll be making myself available for consultations from Tuesday to Friday. You can sign up for Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday consultations HERE. Email me at bertiebott@hotmail.com if you wish to schedule Wednesday consultation. I recommend that you start talking to me about your creative projects.

2. August 24, Friday (Class)
Instead of continuing our discussion on identity, we will hold our Case Study Presentations this Friday. Treat this like an informal proposal presentation. Each group is expected to prepare around a 10- to 15-minute presentation (preferably on Powerpoint), telling the class about their motivation for the research (the research problem), their research questions, the key concepts (from our class) that they wish to explore and problematize in the study, and the methods to be used. The group is also expected to have done a cursory review of the materials that they wish to analyze and give initial speculations of what they expect to find. I.e., For representations case studies, you can bring the videos or articles that you want to analyze, show them to the class, and give a "working argument/analysis" about it. For audiences case studies, you can tell us about an informal chat that you had with a respondent and what key issues came up. Initially, I wanted to give 10% of the grade for the presentation; I am lowering this to 5% since we lost a session yesterday where we could have discussed this further. I just want to see that the groups are prepared and have a good (but not perfect) plan.

The last hour will be devoted to discussions about MediaTalk@admu and Creative Projects. I am expecting Creative Project proposals to be submitted on Friday. This can be a one-paragraph description of what you wish to do. Important to note the length of your production if it's a video or event.

3. August 31, Friday
No classes. August 31 will apparently follow a Monday schedule. I may schedule a briefing for volunteers for the MediaTalk@admu seminar this week, however.

4. September 5, Wednesday (Seminar)
MediaTalk@admu: Media and Morality--Seeing the Other in the News; Escaler Hall; 430PM. All students are required to attend. Please bring your friends!

5. September 7, Friday (Class)
Lecture: Identity Politics and Resistance.

6. September 14, Friday (Class)
Creative Project Presentations. Depending on what you wish to do for your creative projects, we may all hold them on one day (or maybe over two meetings). I am even open to moving this to September 21, but again it depends on the type of projects being planned. Again, the objective is to "play with" a concept/argument/issue discussed in our class. We want to provoke debate and critical thinking using a creative product, such as a video, website, media event, etc. Examples: 1) a Philippine AdBusters-type of blog, 2) a fashion show that exhibits the homogenization vs heterogenization debate, 3) a documentary that represents distant suffering using the concept of proper distance, 4) a reality TV program that tries to find the “ultimate cosmopolitan,” 5) a non-Orientalist tourism ad for the Philippines.

7. Remaining weeks
Lectures on Cosmopolitanism, Media and Morality.

Migrants Mentioned

This People Asia magazine article has some interesting things to say about OFWs.

Week 9 Discussion: Diaspora, Identity, and the Media

HERE are the lecture slides for the week.

I'm really pleased how everyone has become comfortable sharing both their insights and their personal (unspeakable?) stories in class. I think that our class has become a real space for critical and responsible discourse. :) I'm still waiting for more posts online however.

Here are the questions regarding our readings for the week:
1) What does a "diasporic perspective" (Gillespie) contribute, if any, to our understanding of identity and the media?
2) Critically discuss one or more central (conceptual) tensions or contradictions that Gillespie explores in her empirical study.
3) How is the framework of media as environment (Silverstone) applied, if at all, in Gillespie’s AND/OR Cabanes’ studies?
4) Why are strategies for inclusion and exclusion central in understanding diasporic identity in Cabanes’ study?
5) Evaluating Cabanes’ study, what is the value of essentialist discourses in self-representations of diasporic identities?

I am excited to hear your thoughts.

Once again, I ask the case study and creative project groups to consult with me. You don't have to have fixed plans for your projects during consultation; I am happy to help you think things through. It's just crucial to discuss these at this time and not cram everything. Allow ideas to simmer and give data time before they "speak to you."

For next week, you can choose between two readings: Madianou and Gillespie. Madianou's chapter (in Filipiniana) is a very sophisticated framework on media and identity. Very useful background material, even for your other classes. Gillespie's book (in Reserve Section) has chapters that reveal her findings, which are quite fun to read because they're in narrative form. (Additional Note: For folks doing discourse analysis, the best discourse analysis book is in the Reserve Section as well--MacDonald's Exploring Media Discourse)

For those wanting more of Oh Tokyo, HERE is the link to the website where you can download episodes. Enjoy!

Happy weekend!!!

Week 8 Discussion: Nation and National Identity

HERE are the excellent lecture slides prepared by Nicole C. Curato.

I really enjoyed our discussion today. I hope that we get the same kind of active audiencing from the class in future weeks. For those who are kinda shy to recite in class, do remember that this space (place? splace?) is another venue by which you can share your ideas.

Some possible points for discussion:
1) Critically discuss the concept of "imagined community" (Anderson). What are its strengths and weaknesses? How is this concept useful for our understanding of the media? (Relate to the media's centripetal and centrifugal qualities, technological determinism, narrativisation)
2) How do we relate "banal nationalism" (Billig) and "ecstatic nationalism" (Dayan and Katz) to our understanding of the media and its role in a globalizing world?
3) How might audience studies argue with the concepts of "imagined community," "banal nationalism," and "ecstatic nationalism?"
4) "Stories give us a sense of belonging, not the other way around." Critically discuss.
5) "The nation should be seen as A starting point and not THE starting point in doing social science research." Critically discuss.
6) How should we understand "Filipino-ness"? Relate to concepts of globalization, identity, time, place, representation, etc.

HOMEWORK:
1) Please schedule consultations for your creative projects and case studies. Your case study presentations, where you informally present your problem, framework, and initial findings, is drawing near (August 24 to be exact). And your creative projects are due in six weeks' time. Please note also that in both projects, you will be given individual grades: groupmates will evaluate one another. I am making myself free on the week of August 6 for consultation. I will be busier in the week of August 13, however. Please contact me ASAP.

2) The readings of Gillespie (Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change) and Cabanes (Pinoy Postings: Self-Representations of Singapore-based Filipinos in Blogs) are available for photocopy at Filipiniana. These readings are quite enjoyable, I promise.

3) We have our second essay-based quiz on Friday. Once again, you will be asked to choose from one of five questions that cover the reading/s for the week (i.e., There will be questions that cover Gillespie, questions that cover Cabanes, and questions where you can draw from both).

Announcement

As of today, Wednesday, our Department Chairperson has announced that there are classes on Friday, August 3 for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Only freshmen have no classes.

Our class on Nation and National Identity (guest lecturer: Nicole Curato, MA University of Manchester) will push through as scheduled.