Weekly Response 7Imagining the Audience: language, creativity and

communication in youth media productionDAVID BUCKINGHAM & ISSY HARVEY

A Public Voice for Youth: The Audience Problem in Digital Media and Civic Education

Peter Levin

Christopher Williams

Highlights/Key Points

OpportunityGlobalization of mediaReality in media productionSocial NetworksFactors for youthSociety and media

OPPORTUNITY

“social outcomes are more likely to be just when participation is equitable.” (Levin p. 120)

“it could be argued that the globalization of the media industries has resulted in the dominance of two or three principal 'media languages': the 'classical' Hollywood style, with its reliance on continuity editing, realism and invisible narration; the montage-based style of MTV (and some advertising), which draws in turn on a history of avant garde film aesthetics; and (perhaps) the style of the 'art movie', with its more elliptical approach to narration and its self-conscious use of visual symbolism” (Buckingham & Harvey p. 175)

GLOBALIZATION OF MEDIA

REALITY IN MEDIA PRODUCTION

“I AM CONCERNED THAT WE MAY SET KIDS UP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN WE IMPLY THAT THE INTERNET

WILL MAKE THEM PAMPHLETEERS OR BROADCASTERS WHO CAN CHANGE THE WORLD BY REACHING RELEVANT

PEOPLE. EVEN IF SOME KIDS ARE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, MOST WILL NOT DRAW A SIGNIFICANT OR APPROPRIATE

OR RESPONSIVE AUDIENCE.” (LEVIN P. 130)

SOCIAL NETWORKS

“A MADE-FROM-SCRATCH WEB SITE OR VIDEO REQUIRES MANY SKILLS (TECHNICAL, CREATIVE, AND ORGANIZATIONAL) AND IS

THUS HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL. IT IS NOT YET CLEAR THAT MYSPACE CAN SERVE THOSE FUNCTIONS.” (LEVIN P.132)

 USING FACEBOOK. IS IT A POSITIVE TOOL FOR TEACHING MEDIA

LITERACY?

FACTORS FOR YOUTH

“there are limits to any strategy that gives kids online opportunities without changing their life worlds. Factors such as segregation and stratification are powerful determinants of how people use technology.” (Levin p.133)

SOCIETY AND MEDIA

“Media languages are inescapably tied to social interests, and as such they are far from

neutral.” (Buckingham & Harvey p. 183)