#jour5210

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How the media portrays stories

Bullying has always been a problem in school but has become a social cause that has garnered attention from the press and the people in charge of changing the legislation. Bullying used to be accepted and was expected during your school career, and in some cases it was a rite of passage.

When bullying results in suicide the press reports on a certain type of victim, someone who is from a middle class or affluent family or the newsworthiness of the victim. We’ve all heard about Natalee Holloway who was white, young and pretty.

The book states that stories are likely to gain momentum if they align with American mainstream culture of heteronormativity, which is the idea that all individuals are straight and conform to masculine or feminine ideals appropriate to their sex.

In the case of Phoebe Prince the media focused on her romantic relationship and dating but choose innocent looking photos so she looked like a victim. While the stories on Carl Hoover’s suicide was not attributed to bullying even though it was clearly bullying.

The reporting on the story was also different. Carl’s death was more descriptive and explained his hanging in detail, while Phoebe’s was alluded to. People could argue that it’s sexist or racist and it probably is but they still do it.

There have been a growing number of gay characters on television and on popular shows like glee, modern family and scandal. One of the shows that I watch How to get away with murder has shown some pretty intense gay love scenes and when I watch the episodes on hulu people are always commenting on the unnecessary use of sex scenes and in particular gay scenes. I don’t think they are offended by it but I don’t think they want to watch it either. So while seeing gay couples is becoming more accepted I don’t think they want to see it.  

[katiegibbs04]

Advertising and body image

Do you ever pay attention to ads on television? Our reading for the week talks about how our culture helps promote being small in advertising, which is leading young teens to feel a loss of self-esteem and face body image issues. Every year Victoria’s Secret has its annual fashion show and you can’t help but see the commercials for it everywhere. No matter what channel, it’s there. I buy stuff from VS and generally don’t feel negative when I see the ads. However, when the fashion show comes on then I feel fat and plan on losing weight in the future. All girls have problems with their body and have certain features that they don’t like. It’s when that becomes detrimental to your health is when it becomes bad. I have always felt that I am too short but I can’t really do much about that. A lot of people resort to plastic surgery and gastric bypass to become prettier or skinnier. I’m not saying that gastric bypass is bad because I know someone that it has helped. I’m talking about other cosmetic surgeries that are done because people feel that they are ugly or because they like having surgery. Growing up there was always the stigma of what I wore. I never had a problem with my image because I didn't wear revealing shirts or short shorts. I always cover up because I personally don't feel comfortable with my body and it also makes me feel exposed, physically and emotionally. I was with my dad at a photography session for my brother and were waiting till he was done in the waiting area. There was a girl and her mother waiting in the chairs across from us. I don’t remember exactly what she was wearing but it was really revealing so when we left my dad complimented me for always dressing appropriately. I see people who show too much skin or cleavage and I don’t think that it is appropriate but it could just be based on how I was raised. You don’t have to show a lot of skin to be sexy or beautiful.

[katiegibbs04]

Blink

The reading this week that was the most interesting was by Malcolm Gladwell, Conclusion: Listening with your eyes: The lessons of blink. It was an interesting story about the screening process when choosing orchestra members.

When I was a kid, I tried to learn how to play the piano but I wasn't very good at it. My fingers were too short and I couldn't reach the keys so it became a hassle. That is as much experience that I have as a musician.

I never knew that different instruments that were masculine were meant for men and feminine instruments were for women. The idea that women couldn't play masculine instruments seems crazy. The trombone was considered a masculine instrument while instruments like the violin and oboe were feminine instruments.

When they introduced the screen in 1980 they found out that women could play masculine instruments better than men. Which shocked a lot of other musicians, this was the case with Abbie Conant.

The reason they introduced the screen was that one of the applicants was the son of someone in the orchestra, so they wanted the auditions to be fair. This helped change the way that auditions were held throughout Europe.

The people in charge demoted Conant to second trombone so she took the case to court where she had to go to a lung clinic to see if she possessed the same strength as a man. She did. It took eight years for her to be reinstated as first trombone and then they refused to pay her the same as her male colleagues. That court battle lasted five years and the thing that helped win her case was that screen.

It just goes to show that people come up with prejudice and notions on first impressions even if they are proven wrong it is hard to overcome.  

[katiegibbs04]

This video shows how the media uses stereotypes to portray women who are in positions of power. I love watching Scandal and felt a little sad because I know that it does happen in my profession but the way that she handled it was marvelous and empowering. Although I’m sure that people would also say that she was being emotional or a bitch.

Unfortunately, stereotypes about women exist in the media despite the fact that it is wrong. I thought that the fact that they went out of their way to make her seem like a woman without actually saying the words was interesting. It also was a subtle hint of bias like with the pitcher of tea as a backdrop and the comment about inviting them into her home.

There was another episode where Abby, the White House press secretary, was working on her resignation because of her boyfriends Scandal that she thought was going to come out. She gave a really long monologue but it is true and shows how women are affected by their significant other and other outside forces. I am going to pick the most important parts that display sexism and how people discuss women in power.

“If I wear lipstick, I’m dolled up. If I don’t, I’ve let myself go. They discuss my hair color. There are anonymous blogs that say I’m too skinny. My work, my accomplishments, my awards-- I stand at the most powerful podium in the world, but a story about me ain’t a story unless they can report on the fact that I am the girlfriend of D.C. fixer Leo Bergen. So, what happens to you, happens to me.”

I would have included a video of this but there isn’t the full version of it. I know that during elections the press seem to report on female candidates differently than men. Whether, it’s discussing their fashion choices, their children or their significant other. Both instances above have sexism and seem to reduce women just because they are not men. I know that my examples are from television but this phenomenon also happens in the news, which is why It is so relevant.     

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Race in the News

The reading for this week centered on race and how it plays a role in the media. The article by Lynn Owens discusses the theory of incognizant racism, which is the idea that journalists cover the white community differently than communities of color and the same applies to on camera sources.

The results of the study concluded that certain races mostly covered certain topics. For example, black sources appeared in disaster/accident stories and crime stories the most and often as perpetrators and not victims. The study also found a relationship between the race of the reporter and minority sources interviewed. Non-white reporters were nearly twice as likely as white reporters to use minorities in their stories.

I thought the study was interesting and a bit disturbing on some levels. Asians were used as experts in health and medicine stories and are often referred to as the “model minority.” This is a common stereotype for most Asians and even though it is positive it still shouldn’t be important enough for people to perceive all individuals as this.

Since my brother and I are both Asian my mom has often worried about us when we stay out late. She worries more for my brother since he is a guy than for me but since we are both minorities she still worries. Even though I am Asian I don’t think of myself as that since I have been raised by Caucasian parents. I have no ties to my Asian culture besides liking Chinese food. Most people also assume that I am good at math and am smart since that’s the stereotype but I am really bad at math and I suppose that my intelligence is average.

However, stereotypes have not helped the African American or Hispanic communities since they are often portrayed negatively in the media which only helps reinforce people’s perceptions.