Teen Vogue: background reading and textual analysis blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to complete your first case study on Teen Vogue.

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?

"Donald Trump is gas-lighting America."

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

2003, fashion and celebrity gossip

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

She used black models on the covers of 3 physical copies. 

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

the team publishes between 50 and 70 a day

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

He changed it to digital instead of print. 

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

a byword for social awareness.

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

Feminism and social injustice.

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?

"the relationship with readers is closer and more transparent, and says brands have had to respond to that. “It is in their best interest to subvert expectations of teen girl magazines,” Gevinson says."

This links to Shirky as the internet has allowed for the lines between consumer and creator to be blurred. 

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

coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.

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

one reader, 16-year-old Paige Wagner, reads Teen Vogue for truthful news coverage. 

Teen Vogue: Factsheet Part 1

Read Media Factsheet #200 Teen Vogue - Part 1. You can find the Factsheet in our Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive in school or download it here using your Greenford Google login. 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?

"As a result of this ideological shift, the traffic to teenvogue.com increased by 500% in 2 years."

Their content evolved with their audience, allowing for them to keep their place in mainstream media.

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

Fashion advice, feminist celebrations of female achievement and political commentary. 

3) Who is the typical Teen Vogue reader?

18-24, socially conscious. 

4) Read the content analysis of the Teen Vogue website on page 5 of the Factsheet. Pick out three key examples of how meanings are created in Teen Vogue and what is communicated to the audience.

use of news website convention adds validity to

the shift in focus of TeenVogue’s reporting.

the use of

a main image in the central third and the aspirational lifestyles

being presented through the images.

The

order in which the different sections appear signifies the branding

priorities: the amalgamation of ‘beauty’ and ‘fashion’ into ‘style’

reflects an attempt to position the audience within the new brand

5) 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?

Readers are interested in beauty and latest trends whilst also considering under represented groups such as the black, Asian and plus size communities. Additionally, there are articles pertaining to activism and political debates. 

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?

title, menu bar, articles 

2) How does the page design encourage audience engagement?

Enough tiles with alluring names as to create the the feeling of variety in their media coverage but not too much in a screen's length as to overwhelm. 

3) Where does advertising appear on the homepage?

There is an article about Black Friday deals, naming specific products on sale that their readership should buy. 

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

Style, Politics, culture, identity and summit. 

As style is first, it can be assumed teen vogue see it as their number 1 priority. They value fashion over politics despite their campaigns. 

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

27 stories appear on  the home page in total, 5 grouped together up top, two appear as trending and the rest have bars across the screen until you finish scrolling.

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?

HEALTH

SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

WELLNESS

HOROSCOPE

LIFESTYLE

VOICES

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

There's an article called "what each zodiac likes in bed" which will naturally prompt any reader to open and check to see if they got it right, as well as direct address in articles like "hoe to care for your fat body"

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

lots of use of "you" and "your", directly involving the reader. 

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

They are above the age of a teenager, in the 18-24 range. They are also assuming their audience is educated. 

5) Choose one story featured in the Lifestyle section and explain how reflects the Teen Vogue brand.

The "how to care for your fat body" feature relates to the brand's feminist ideologies. It chooses to bring light to issues pertaining to being overweight and doesn't demean them. 

Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

"The network connects us to other people, it provides a great source of information, it can be used for campaigning and political action, to draw attention to abuses and fight for human rights. It’s a great place for gaming and education, which can also be used to make a lot of money (for a few people) as well as a place where you can meet your friends."

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

"A lot of bullying and abuse takes place there. There’s pornography that you don’t want to see, and illegal images of child abuse that you might come across. Extremists and radicals can use the network to try to influence people to join their cause, and fraud, scams, ripoffs and malicious software are everywhere. Then

there’s the dark web, made up of websites and online services accessed via specialised browsers and tools that make it very hard to identify who is using them, which is used to sell drugs and for other illegal activity."

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

Does it mean an internet built around the

‘end-to-end’ principle, where any connected

computer can exchange data with any other

computer, while the network itself is unaware

of the ‘meaning’ of the bits exchanged?

• Does it mean computers that will run

any program written for them, rather

than requiring them to be vetted and

approved by gateway companies?

• Does it mean free software that can be

used, changed and redistributed by anyone

without payment or permission?

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

what could the internet do for you and your friends, and what could you make it do?

We know you want to understand the world and engage with it, so how do we deliver news media that can operate effectively online and still make money?

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I believe there should be a degree of openness that allows freedom of information and free speech,  whilst also protecting personal data. 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

Shirky defines a profession as a specialist job that fulfills a need not everyone can do. This applies to the newspaper industry because it fulfills a mass need for news while also monetizing the spreading of it.  

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

By destroying the means for monetization, the internet has endangered the industry. News has become widely available through mass amateurization. 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

Despite mainstream media's aversion to the story when it first came to light, the internet's ability to share information meant that traditional bottle-necking of news was subverted. Outraged by the undercurrent of racism, liberal and conservative bloggers alike brought the story to the masses. 

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

The mass influx of amateur content in a previously specialized profession, such as the News or Music industries. 

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

Facebook's infestation of false Corona-virus conspiracies can be viewed as exemplar to the spread of fake news online.  

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

The social effects of Technological change are beneficial for greater society but disadvantage professionals already in the field. 

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

The internet allows anybody to create content and for others to equally consume/ believe it. 

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

Evidence of "intellectual and political chaos" can be seen in the 2020 US election where fake news and political debate could spread across the world as opposed to staying in America. 

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Anyone with a smartphone ("84% of UK adults") is capable of taking pictures and sharing them online, eliminating the need for it to be considered a viable industry. 

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

I believe that taking the power over information from the rich and distributing it to the masses provides a better balance of experiences and stories we are exposed to daily. However, the new system is only as strong as its weakest link: nut-jobs. 

OSP: Paul Gilroy - Diasporic identity

Paul Gilroy - blog task

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 170: Gilroy – Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets or 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?

Race’ [is not] the eternal cause of racism [but is] its complex, unstable product. I should probably emphasise at this point that neither race nor racism are the exclusive historical property of the minorities who are their primary victims. (Gilroy, 2004)

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

Here Gilroy is saying that racism isn’t caused by race, racism causes race. Racism is not caused by the clash of two or more races – racism is not a natural phenomenon. Instead, Gilroy states that racial difference and racial identities are the product of racial oppression.

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

Gilroy is opposed to ethnic absolutism as it is counter to his argument that racism causes race.

4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?

The classic diaspora is the position from which Gilroy develops his concepts of diaspora. The classic diaspora considers the originating place for those displaced as the original source of unity and permanence for the diasporic identity. The means that the country a group have been forced to leave will always be the place that defines the cultural or ethnic identity for those individuals.

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

At the time, the dominant representation of black Britons 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?

Diaspora challenges national ideologies, through the commitment and loyalty to the origin nation or place. However, 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.

By using social media, they can discuss good and bad representations of their community.

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

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. Gilroy argues that the figure of the black slave of ‘the Negro’ provided enlightened thinkers and philosophers an insight into concepts of property rights, consciousness and art.

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

The dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is

either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete. These representations then serve to reinforce the double consciousness of the black male, that he is not anything more than what he sees in the media.

10) Finally, complete the second activity on page 3: Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures and discuss how the film attempts to challenge ‘double consciousness’ and the stereotypical representation of black American women.

By having the film focus on black women working for NASA, it closer represents the wide variety of black identities that exist, subverting stereotypes about education and gender politics. 

Further feminist theory: blog tasks

 Further feminist theory: blog tasks

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or here using your Greenford Google login. 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 is 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 (male dominance in society). Feminists see the patriarchy as a limitation to women receiving the same treatment and benefits as their male counterparts."

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

“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.”

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

Intersectionality 

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

hooks argues that class and race also plays into the debate with feminism

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?

Gilroy's double consciousness

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

"For many years, feminists have criticised women’s magazines as commercial sites exaggerated femininity"

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?

Pink symbolises different gender identities depending on the time and location. Therefore, there are only socially constructed expectations of what a woman is or should be.

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?

Stuart Hall’s negotiated readings

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?

Gilroy's double consciousness 

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?

bell hooks believes gender inequality cannot be solved without addressing the effects class and race have on the treatment of women.

Women and videogames: blog tasks

 Women and videogames: blog tasks

Work through the following blog tasks to complete this introduction to women in videogames.

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

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

1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?

"typically either objectified or “damsels in distress”"

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

"but based on the survey “Distribution of Computer and Video Gamers in the United States from 2006 to 2017 by Gender”, 42% of the video game demographic is female"

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

"women are starting to be presented as 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 do agree that women would reject the game industry as it comically exaggerates femininity. Women have to watch themselves being looked at. 

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

The new Lara is given depth of character that previous iterations have not been treated with thanks to the company striving for better sales.   

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:

Title of video: 

Ms. Male Character - Tropes vs Women in Video Games

100 word summary: 
Through femenisation of symbols, male characters become women characters and reinforce gender roles. Bows, high heels and eyelashes are examples of "superficial gendered signifiers". The female version of the character is also seen as lesser.

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.

misogyny and hate speech

2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?

"Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings." 

3) Why do stories matter?

They're culturally important.

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

"Samus is handled problematically...  The quicker you complete the game, the more of her suit she takes off at the end; her femaleness is presented as a reward, something for players to ogle"

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

"the ubersexualized yet violent female character--and today this trope has basically become the default representation for women in much of the gaming industry. On top of that, we've also seen a resurgence of the "Damsel in Distress" in recent years 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?

"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?

"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 fact that the gaming industry has historically been and is still so male dominated does play a big role in the types of games, narratives, and characters produced"

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

 "I want to promote media literacy and give people some tools to look critically at the games we play"

"We can recognize and point out the more problematic representations without necessarily throwing the whole game out"

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

To question the treatment of women in the gaming industry