Is the rise in popularity of foreign language TV drama good news or bad news for traditional TV channels such as BBC, ITV and Channel 4

• I believe that the rise in popularity of foreign language TV drama is great because it will allow audiences in the UK to become more diverse and accepting of other cultures giving a positive outlook on the UK as a country.
• By doing this BBC, ITV and Channel 4 will be able to gain a wider audiences as a foreign language drama like Deutschland 83 attracted people from other countries to Channel 4 resulting in more people tuning in
• For younger people still in education studying a foreign language as a subject, watching a foreign language show will benefit them as they may be able to understand certain aspects of the language by constantly listening to people speak it.
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Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task

1) Read the section on Strinati's five ways to define postmodernity. What examples are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between culture and society (media-isation)?
Stritani defines postmodernity in five ways such as advertising being able to make a company even better or break the company e.g. in terms of the quality of the product they are selling as whereas some products may be very poorly made and a the quality is poor if the advertising for it is good it can still be a success. 

2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
According to Fredrick Jameson as mediazation increases so the culture finds itself losing a sense of historical context. History is now reduced to 'talking heads' documentaries and historical knowledge is often based on media representations.

3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?

• People are strongly influenced by branding when buying products as the label often becomes more important than the product itself and packaging more important than the contents. People are willing to pay high prices for products which bear the logo of a fashionable label regardless of the actual quality of the product.
• The modern rise of celebs launched through reality T.V programmes such as the popular 'Big Brother' can be seen as the culture celebrating style over substance. Many celebs are now famous for being famous rather than for an identifiable talent or ability.

4) What examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture? Can this be applied to Deutschland 83?

• In postmodern culture Andy Warhol created multi-coloured prints of the Mona Lisa (high art) and Campbell's soup cans (low art)
• Pop music (low art) often samples classical music (high art)
• Advertising (low art) often makes reference to visual art (high art) or uses classical music (high art) to help sell its products

5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?

The idea of mixing references is referred to as bricolage. Bricolage refers to the process of adapting and juxtaposing old and new texts, images, ideas or narratives to produce whole new meanings. An example of this is the sub-genre being Spy as there are involving aspects of the James Bond films in it as the protagonist is a spy.

6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.

Meta-narratives are the ideas and concepts that are used to explain the way the world is and how it should be. Deutschland 83 can link to this as it uses things such as communism and socialism and applies it to show different representations of Germany back then.

7) Read the analysis of media concepts and postmodern approaches on page 3 of the factsheet. Choose three of the concepts and write an example from Deutschland 83. Clue: genre, representation, ideology and audience would all be good options for this task.

Genre

Deutschland 83 features a range of different genres, e.g. the spy genre as we see Martin training to be a spy to get top secret info and make sure that his family and country are safe. Another genre is History as the whole thing is based on past events, the Cold War and the inner feud in West and East Germany in the 1980's. Another genre is Thriller as there are many enigma and action codes which create the whole idea of a Thriller. 

Representation

An regularly used representation in Spy genres is having a white male protagonist which this reinforces with the character of Martin as he is a white male and is shown throughout to be fighting for his country and his family. 

Audience 

I believe all audiences will enjoy this show as for the older audiences I believe they will feel a strong sense of nostalgia as the most probably will have lived through this time period and will notice things like Ronald Reagan's famous Evil Empire speech. As for younger audiences I think it is a fun way for them to learn about the history of Germany instead of having to go and learn about it at school where they may not be as invested. 

8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?

Modern texts demonstrate aspects of the post modern in their construction and ideological positioning these texts can be seen as postmodern culture. Deutschland 83 features continuous references highlighting the difference between East and West Germany, I believe this is done to show postmodern aspects as Deutschland 83 will be seen as more conventional.

9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?
When Martin was training it was a good example of post modernism as his training is comparable to that of a James Bond montage sequence. The intertexuality mixing with mise-en-scene reinforces the realism making it a good example of postmodernism.
10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?

Audiences would enjoy the aspects of bricolage and pastiche as they are a form of intertextuality and the audience would enjoy the juxtaposing of old and new texts , ideas and narratives as they link back to other things they may have seen such as the Rocky films of James Bond.

Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene

• Effective camera work  as it allows you to understand the conversation better 
• Great handheld camera work to track the actors
• The costumes are extremely accurate to the time period 
• The sound is very well used as it is from that time period
• Clothing/Fashion
• Austerity: food shortages
• Gritty run down buildings

Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender

• East Germany is un-advantaged and seen as very inferior
• West Germany is seen as superior 
• West Germany is seen to be more modern 
• Both sides are seen to be very family orientated
• Men are seen as superior

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene

• Establishing shot of West Germany
• Wide shots
• Props are reflective of the past

Audio codes – particularly music

• Ominous music
• Slow dramatic music
• High tension soundtrack
• Diegetic sound

Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy

• Supermarket is a bit more modern
• Western Culture
• Positive atmosphere

Audience pleasures

• Personal relationships
• Surveillance 
• Nostalgia

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing

• Fast paced editing
• Binary opposition
• Jumpcuts
• Montage

Audio codes

• Voice over 
• Non diegetic sound
• 80s soundtrack

Audience pleasures

• Viceral Pleasure
• Vicarious Pleasure
• Personal relationships

Intertextuality

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing

• Facial expressions shown closely
• Suspense being created
• Wide shots
• Close ups

Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound

• Fast paced music
• High tempo 
• Non-Diegetic sound
• Foley sound
• Voice-over
• Heavy breathing

Audience pleasures

• James Bond
• Spy Genre
• Shot through blinds- Surveillance 

Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

1) What positive aspects of Deutschland 83 are highlighted in the reviews?
Although there is quite a serious tone there is an element of comedy allowing the audience to feel more comfortable and enjoy themselves even more. For older audiences there is also a strong sense of nostalgia as many of the settings are recognisable for those who grew up around or during those times

2) What criticisms are made of the show?
There was slow pacing in the first episode, being very dependent on setting up the narrative and that the period drama in fact lacked the 'drama' and finally it wasn't as popular in Germany as the many Germans felt like most of the representations in the show were extremely negative which they clearly didn't appreciate.

3) Why did the Telegraph suggest that Deutschland 83 did the 'period' aspect of 'period drama' so well?
This is because they included real life clips of figures like Ronald Reagan, to be exact his Evil Empire speech which is very well showcased in the show as if it were happening all over again in real life

4) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?
'Enjoyed this series. It was well written and gave a perspective on the DDR that is not commonplace'
I agree with this as I believe the show was very well written and gave a great perspective on the feuding in Germany during the cold war 

'Deutschland 83 is a serious thriller driven by jeopardy of all-out nuclear kind' 
I agree with this as if offers thrilling tones and great action and also bits of comedy making it enjoyable for everyone to watch

'It was great far-fetched fun, punctuated by some jolting, very dark set-pieces. Nice 80s pop culture references and soundtrack too.'

I agree with this as it sums up what the show basically is well for people who are wanting to get into it but don't know enough about it.

Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

 

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 
Jonas Nay explains that the fact that he grew up in a time when Germany was united he was able to have a positive outlook on it and see Germany as one and understands the value of freedom and believes if he was alive during the Cold War he would enjoy having to live in West Germany as he would have a lot of freedom and mobilitywhich he wouldn't get if he was to live in East Germany as people living there were constrained and always monitored.

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)
Jonas Nay speaking in German with English subtitles is useful as it promotes different cultures to audiences showing their diversity and acceptance. Also, having this interview made this way makes it more cultural authentic. 

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?
The Channel 4 News audience will be interested in what Jonas Nay has to say as he is a pure German so to have insight from an actual German is a very good source of information to have and hearing somebody else state their view on their country is very beneficial to an audience from a different country who wouldn't be up to date with current affairs. 

Behind the scenes clips

The All4 website has a range of clips from behind the scenes of Deutschland 83. Watch the following:

Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83
Watch this short promotional clip for Deutschland 83.

1) Why should audiences watch Deutschland 83 - what does the clip offer viewers?
The clip mentions how it is fun and interesting and offers great performances that even make you feel like you're on a journey with these characters as well as all of the surprises. It is said that it is equally interesting for the older and younger audiences and how fact paced and action packed it is. It is also a good way for younger people to find out about the period Deutschland 83 is set on. Cinematography and the costume and production design is also said to be striking.

2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show?
The drama being based on historical events is very efficient as it is a great way for younger audiences to learn about Germany's past in a fun way making them more immersed and similarly older audiences will appeal to this as well as they may have gone through some of the events mentioned.
     
3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video
The technical aspects Cinematography, Production design and costuming are highlighted in this video as the Deutschland 83 crew believed they successfully used all of these aspects to the best of their ability making the show even better for audiences.

Making Of: Set Design
Watch this interview with Production designer Lars Lange.

1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?
These were all extremely crucial because Deutschland 83 is based on real historical events so they have to make everything as accurate as possible because there are people who have lived through this and will be fast to give out criticism on the show and for those who want to learn what happen you have to give the best/correct representation.

2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?
Most of the show was very historically accurate like the characters and props however some of the settings were hard to make accurate because many of the locations were not revealed to the public back then and so it was hard for the producers to try and make out certain locations as they had to use little to no source of information or just use their imagination

3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?
This is because they offer the older audiences a strong sense of nostalgia as they will easily be able to recognise certain aspects as it's what they had lived through.
Textual analysis: trailer

 

1) The opening of the trailer uses sound and editing to draw the audience in. Explain why this is effective.
The 80's music will draw in older audiences as they may be able to recognise the music as they ma remember it from their past and and find a sense of nostalgia from it. Older audiences will also be attracted because of the use of Ronald Reagan speech which many people who were around to witness it in real life will easily recognise and want to find out where the show is going with this story-line. There are also a lot of action codes as we see Martin running fast and shots of fights which will draw in younger audiences.
2) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
There are a lot of action scenes being shown throughout the trailer which offers vicarious pleasures as audiences, especially younger audiences enjoy to see action scenes or just general use of things like explosions and weapons. Personal relationships can also be formed as we are following a single character through the trailer as he run, fights and tries to fulfil his goal. This is very useful as by drawing an audience in to a character before the show even airs will create a great word of mouth and more people will want to tune in when it finally releases.
3) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
There are many action and enigma codes which easily immerse audiences as we see the main character (Martin) running and fighting throughout the trailer which is great use of not only action codes but enigma too as the audience will be questioning what he is running from or to and why is he fighting so many people which is very effective as people will want to watch the show even more to get answers from these questions they have just from watching the trailer.
4) Pick three shots/scenes from the trailer that capture the spy thriller sub-genre. Why might this appeal to an audience? Try and apply Neale's genre theory 'repetition and difference' (the original notes on genre theory are here).
The shot at 21 seconds show Martin picking a lock conveying the fact that this is most definitely a spy drama and that he will have to undergo many complicated tasks.

At 24 seconds we see him opening a suitcase further showing that this is a spy drama as he has a shocked look on his face connoting that he found what he was looking for or something even worse, he also looks very nervous which could show that he is trying to be as stealthy as possible.

At 26 seconds we see Martin jumping off of a building at night time, from this I can infer that he went there on a secret mission to potentially get some information or something valuable and was maybe caught and has to get out as fast as possible or just needs to escape before someone arrives which is something used in many spy films like he James Bond films.

5) Pick three examples of mise-en-scene from the trailer that capture the 1983 setting the confirm the sub-genre of period drama. Why might this appeal to an audience? 
At 12 seconds a soldier uniform is shown which captures the 1980's period as that is when the Cold War was occurring . This may appeal to an audience as older people may remember this time as they lived it and younger audiences will see it as a fun way to learn about the past

At 20 seconds we see a walkman being used which further shown the time period the show is set in as that is when they were most popular and will appeal to older audiences as they will have a sense of nostalgia.

At 34 seconds Ronald Reagan is shown, specifically when he was doing his notorious 'Evil Empire' speech which many older people will recognise and start to recall things from their past and want to watch this to gain a further insight of what happened.
6) The trailer uses the song 'Two Tribes' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Why did the producers select this soundtrack for the trailer?
This is because the song was released in the 1980s therefore it fits the time period extremely well, therefore certain viewers may feel nostalgic when hearing this music as they may have grown up to it.

7) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
I believe this is done in order to captivate audiences better as audiences from England will be less interested if they hear an entire trailer in a language they don't speak or understand, therefore having it in English a language that is understood very well around the world encourages people to watch it more and does't make them feel confused.
Production and industry context

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by FremantleMedia International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around the world.`

1) Read this Freemantle Media press release on the worldwide success of Deutschland 83. How is the drama described by the distributor? Why was it considered such an international success?
The CEO of Fremantle Media International described the series as 'compelling' and claimed that 'it is set to captivate viewers around the world.'

2) Read this Freemantle Media press release on Deutschland 83 becoming Channel 4's highest rated foreign drama. What was the consolidated viewing figure for Episode 1 of Deutschland 83? What praise for Deutschland 83 is included in the press release?
The consolidated viewing figure for Episode 1 of Deutschland 83 was 2.5 million views.

3) How does the press release promote the Channel 4 'Walter Presents' collection of international TV drama?
Walter presents series will gain more interest and positive receptions as they enjoyed Deutschland 83 and will therefore be interested if other shows Walter talks on are on the same level as Deutschland 83.

Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama.

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?
Channel 4 introduce him as a professional critic of international drama who is very serious of his work and highly respected for his work.

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
I believe they are attempting to appeal to an audience who appreciate international dramas with serious themes and the trailer makes the audience feel like they are going to be witnessing one of the best dramas ever made even being selected by a professional critic.

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
It reflects the changing nature of television in the digital age as more and more dramas are becoming availabble online showing how institutions are becoming more reliant on digital media as it is the best way to gain a lot of success. 

Marketing and promotion

Look at the online Channel 4 press pack for Deutschland 83.

1) Read the programme information from the press pack. How does the programme information seek to interest a reader from the first paragraph?
The programme info expresses how Deutschland 83 is based on real events and therefore those who were involved or aware during this time will be extremely interested to a modern day representation of it as it may offer a sense of nostalgia and those who aren't informed will be intrigued to find out what actually occurred.

2) What does the programme information suggest the main strengths of the programme are?
One strength is the background story of Martin and his ulterior motives for doing such risky assignments given to him by the high ranked East German intelligence officer as the audience are able to properly understand why Martin does what he does even though he has a sick mother to take care of. 

3) Read the press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
She did research on the Cold Water to give her best representation for audiences making it as accurate as possible. She was also able to rely on her cast members as they gave out their memories from when they lived in that time.

4) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
The type of music used in the show was a very important and memorable in 1983 and will now offer a strong sense of nostalgia.
International marketing

Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).




1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
On the DVD Cover if you look at the wall they are two different sides one which communicates sort sort of secret agent/spy feel and the other as just living a normal life which could mean that the show has a spy sub-genre as he is shown to be living a double life. The fact that 83 is in the title tells the audience that the show will be based on past events as the 83 is a representation of the year it covers.

2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the UK DVD cover. What does it communicate to the audience?
One of the props used in the DVD cover is a walkman which indicates that the show is set in the past as walkmans were extremely popular back in the 1980's and aren't really seen anywhere these days. The fact that he is wearing a shirt and tie connotes that he is a professional and takes his work seriously as he most probably has a job that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. The review at the bottom tells the audience that once you start watching you will be immediately immersed with the show because of its fantastic storyline and characters. 

3) How does the American branding use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The American Sundance TV advert uses extremely vibrant colours to attract more attention from audiences, especially the younger demographic as they will be more interested if the poster doesn't look dull/boring. A large font is used for the title which may be done so people can recognise it easily as if it was small people wouldn't be able to see the poster well if they were standing far away and caught a glimpse of it.

4) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 
I believe this is done so they can appeal to different audiences as in every country the audience are into different things therefore you can't just repeat the same method as it wont gain more interest.

Applying Marxism: blog task

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?
Marxism suggests that the majority of power in society lies in the hands of the elite e.g. wealthy large media conglomerates have a large amount of power and that Marxists see powers in terms of class domination as the class with the highest amount of power is superior to those with less power and class.

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?
This Apprentice is a good example of media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies as it goes into minorities having power and the majorities having almost none. Although Alan Sugars wealth puts him at a more advantageous place than many others 

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)
Eastenders presents a glorified life for the working class making them look like they are living an almost perfect lifestyle we should look up to even though in reality those in working class normally aren't usually living the ideal life and not those we would idolise, presenting a false representation. In Coronation Street we see the whole community get along quite well together which doesn't match up with real life as there will always be problems as no community is entirely perfect. The Daily Mail presents the working class in a negative way, often presenting them as being hopeless and trying to leech off of others for their own benefit, like those who are unemployed and receive benefits which The Daily Mail like to ridicule and bring shame upon. Also, The Daily Mail like to phrase their headlines in a way that positions the audience to dislike the working class before even reading the articles properly. 

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now apply those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

I believe, Capital reinforces the representations that are suggested by Marxism/Capitalism. Firstly Capital shows an upper class British family being the power elite as they have a luxurious house and the father works in a serious business earning  a lot of money being the breadwinner for his family, even though he earns such a good wage he still demands for a better bonus even though the one he got was already thousands showing how the elite are so out of touch with themselves and society as those in the middle class and working class would die for anything even close to what he is earning showing that the elite take what they have for granted and are extremely under appreciative. Another representation that Capital shows is 'meaningless, foolish or anti-social failed revolt', this is shown when the African woman gets deported back to her country even after all the hard work she has been doing all by herself which is her challenging social constructs normally attached to immigrants. Therefore her being deported back shows a failed revolt making it evident and supporting the fact that challenging the original base is foolish.

Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?
The Daily Mail suggests that Capital features a left-wing ideology in many ways, one of which being the way characters are represented, e.g. the Middle-upper class family as they are presented to be quite ignorant greedy, only caring about their income whereas the working class family are humble, caring and hard working even though they aren't in the best of positions. These representations are evident of left wing ideologies as they show cultural diversity.


2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

"Capital started off with an intriguing idea...but that concept went nowhere".
I agree with this as the characters aren't fleshed out as they should be and after the postcard mystery did interest me at first but quite stale to me after a while and even after the identity of the mystery man was revealed I still didn't feel intrigued or want to carry on watching. It felt like they had started to run out of ideas.

"The last 20 minutes contained no plot. Whatever story there had ever been was over". 
I agree with this as in the final moments of the show I became very bored and found it really dragging, just wanted it to end as the plot already had become a mess and I didn't feel any proper connections to the characters even though I spent hours watching them. The producers could've definitely tried much harder with the plot instead of giving it a half made attempt as it resulted in a dissatisfying end. 

"With a fizzle like a firework on a wet night, Capital (BBC1) dribbled to a soggy ending. It started with such a brilliant display, but by the finish we were left staring at the proverbial damp squib".
I agree with this criticism as the ending had so much potential to be something much better and jaw dropping for the audience but just ended up being disappointing 

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?
Episode one features a young African woman who is an immigrant working illegally in London going to receive her £300 cheque explaining how she has even been working overtime. This creates left wing ideology as it presents immigrants as hard-working and willing to pave their own way instead of relying on others. Another scene from episode one that promotes left-wing ideology is when the Muslim shopkeeper goes out of his way to help the White woman get what she needed from the shop, going so far as to calling for his daughter to look in the back showing how kind-hearted they are even though they are not in the best of positions and are often discriminated against. Another scene regarding the Muslim family is when the son was released from Jail after being wrongly charged of offences relating to terrorism, promoting left wing ideologies as rather than trying to show Muslims as being terrorists they are being shown as innocent and just trying to make a living.

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?
The hard-working characters throughout the show making good income and working hard reinforce the status quo in Capitalist London.
Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Beeb, The Mail and JKR' in MM53 (page 20). This focuses on the politics of The Casual Vacancy, another BBC three-part drama based on a book by JK Rowling.

 


Answer the questions below:

1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?
The Daily Mail suggests the characters are cut from plywood, the plot is nonsense and the left-wing breast beating is infantile and that the Casual Vacancy promotes a ;eft wing ideology through its characters and values.

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
The article suggests characters, setting and narrative all promote a left-wing ideology, according to the article the wealthier characters are ridiculed and shamed for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House.
3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

 Research from Dr. Mike Berry shows that the BBC are more positioned to the right, having more conservative views. Christopher Stevens was quoted when regarding BBC's bias as in his interview he explains how BBC programme challenge Tory views. You also have to take into account that broadcasters must undergo very strict regulations of what they can show to audiences. Because of this I am leaning more towards the BBC not being biased as they show programmes that display left and right wing views not just one which is what some people may believe.

4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
When ideologies are continuously shown and done audiences become to believe that they are normal and just part of common sense as the elites begin to repeat them over and over again. Because the BBC are such large platforms with power in their hands they are able to reinforce or challenge different ideologies and going back to them being such large platforms in the media they are able to easily influence audiences, encouraging them to support a view they maybe usually wouldn't. For example they may be able to influence people to support one political party over the other or just their general views on that specific political party.