Media Hegemonies / Mapping Who Owns What

Gap is a clothing store that is well known to people of the western world. We know that just by logging on to gap.com, we will find that Gap s a “global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies under the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Athleta brands.” (“SEC Filings”). All of these companies have the same common factor, they all sell clothing and fashion goods to the consumer. For these brands to be in such close ties together, I feel that it allows Gap Inc. to cover a wide range of major clothing stores that many people shop at. Because of this it allows them to control what consumers buy. The stores that are listed above rank in cost level. Old Navy being at the bottom of this chain and allowing consumers to buy fashion at a lower cost, then Gap also owns Banana Republic which is more of a higher end store. By them owning this wide range it ensures that they have their bases covered, which is a smart business approach. Another factor is that these companies are worldwide and consumers just don't stop in the western world. The Gap inc “distinguishes the dominant firms [and] their ability to exploit the "synergy" among the companies they own.”(McChesney) they show this well on their website, where they combine all of their brands together and making it easier for the consumer.

I used the website theyrule.net to look up Gap. I found out that their are other companies and corporations that this company is apart of aside from the brand names that they already own. This website showed that the directors who are on the board of Gap are also affiliated and working with other major companies. These companies include: Starbucks, Dillard's, HCA, Capital One Financial, Chales Schwab, Sun Microsystems, Constellation Energy and Procter & Gamble. This shows that the Gap Inc has become a company that has “moved aggressively to become global players.” (McChesney). They are connected with companies that aren't even related to their main business objective, of selling clothing. I think that this could be a good thing because it allows them to have connections out side of their normal boundaries they are connected with other parts of the worlds leading industries and can use this to their advantage by using their companies information on sales and public appearance to better know the consumers and tailer these findings to the Gap's needs. This could also lead to partnership, lets use Starbucks as an example. By having Starbucks as one of their affiliated partners, they could team up say at christmas and have promotions that benefit each others company, this could also steer their costumers to wanting a product from a different company. If the product is well received by the public then Starbucks would gain costumers and GAP would be known for knowing its costumers and all would be pleased.

Work Cited

McChesney, Robert. "The New Global Media." Nation 11 Nov 1999, Web.

"THE GAP, INC. 2008 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K." SEC Filings. 27 Mar 2009. SEC Filings, Web. 19 Nov 2009.

Net Neutrality

I didn't know network neutrality was an issue until I learnt about it in mass communications. I then soon realized that this is a reality that could be coming soon, and it won't be accepted kindly by the public.Net neutrality is the concept to prevent centralized control over the future of our internet.(Wu)

This also means that all users of the internet are to be treated the same way. And that packets are delivered on a first-come, first-served basis regardless from where they originated or to where they are destined.(“PC Mag”) The problem now is that the internet companies want to change this. They want to make it so they can direct you to the sites that they want you to go to. They will “carve off bandwidth for their own services...to charge selected companies a toll for "priority" service” (Wu) This means that they will take us to the sites that have payed the service provider money to make sure that their customers will use this site over another site of the same intent. As a user I feel that this is wrong and we should keep the net neutral! What's the point of being connected to the web if you have to keep wondering if your allowed to go onto a certain site, or if your service provider is going to prevent you from going to the current site your on in the future. As a user i agree with Wu in saying that “what must be banned are blocking, gratuitous discrimination, and choosing favorites.”(Wu).

We know that the only reason the websites are doing this is due to money, and the greed that our service providers have. It all brings it back to hegemonies. They want the power in their hands to control and the companies who are paying them to control their users. They are becoming “horizontally integrated; that is, they control a significant slice of specific media sector” (Mc Chensney). The companies that would be paying the internet companies are trying to get their slice of the internet media sector. A lot of these compaines who will be paying those internet companies are “major media companies [are] [moving] aggressively to become global players”(Mc Chensney). And now just like everything else is our world, the internet will become a “global media system [that] is intricately intertwined with that of global capitalism” (Mc Chensney)

Work Cited

McChesney, Robert. "The New Global Media." Nation 11 Nov 1999, Print.

" Net neutrality ." PC Mag . Ziff Davis Media International, Web. 11 Nov 2009. .

Wu, Tim. "Why You Should Care About Network Neutrality." Slate 1 May 2006: n. pag. Web. 11 Nov 2009. <http://www.slate.com/id/2140850/>.

Participatory Cultures

The internet is a world on it's own. We create and converse among our selfs and others who are all connected to the same outlets we are. I'm personally connected to some of these participatory cultures that are available on the web. Social networking is a big aspect. Just about everyone is connected to Facebook, and I'm no exception. Another site that I'm apart of is lookbook.nu. Which is a mixture between a social networking and a knowledgeable community. My own personal Blog is another which I use the odd time, that falls under the category of knowledgeable community.
For me Facebook is a way to connect to people and to add my input on topics that other people have posted on the site. It has changed the way I communicate with people and I feel that it is an easier way to communicate. The fact that it is also allows you to use various media's to convey your message makes it for a much more interesting way to talk to people, especially when it comes to sharing information, your no longer limited to text.
Lookbook.nu is a participatory site where people have to be invited to join. It's more inclusive then some of the other sites. This is a site where those who are invited to join, post pictures of their outfits, then people can comment and give their input on the image. The other users can also “hype” the image of the persons personal style, this is like a voting system saying “hey, I like your out fit and i'm going to add it to the collection of other styles I like on this site.”. This system also ranks the user on popularity. I personally don't care about the popularity level and aspect of the site, but I do like to post and look at the images of the peoples outfits, while providing comments.
As for my blog, It's mostly a place where I participate for my self. I like to post items that interest me and share my knowledge on specific topics, or to whoever my come across my blog. It's nothing special but it's just a place you know kinda like a scrapbook of my mind.
Those are the participatory cultures that I'm apart of. It's like when Klosterman talks about the sim's “Nothing was something.....Nothing is everything” (Klosterman 15). In all of the participatory cultures, I'm creating something from nothing and that explodes into being everything. It's everything because, it feels as if it's everything to me me, like its the way that I'm just use to living. The fact that the cultures take on the internet “ we must give all due praise for its efficiency.” (Postman 14). The internet is efficient, and thats why it makes it so easy for me to use this medium in order to get my message across and participate.
This whole participatory culture hasn't always been this way. When I was a kid, you had to go out and physically go somewhere to join a a club or or joining a team of sorts. This is no longer whats happening. I now do all of this from the comfort of my laptop. Laziness and convenience has become the way of our world.



Websites
www.facebook.com
www.lookbook.nu
www.tiialicia.blogspot.com

Work Cited

Postman, Neil. "The Humanism of Media Ecology." Media Ecology Association. 17 June 2000. Fordham University, Web. 5 Oct 2009. .

Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, Drugs, and Cocopuffs. New York, N.Y., USA: Scriner, 2004. Print.

Activist Project

PETA stands for people for the ethical treatment of animals. This organization is globally known for the activist work they do in ensuring people know the cruel behaviour that some establishments put their animals through. They have more then 2 million members who have singed up to support the cause. (“PETA”) This activism group mostly focuses their attention on factory farms, laboratories, clothing trade and the entertainment industry. (“PETA”) PETA works through the use of public education, cruelty investigation, research animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement – this is a huge aspect of PETA, they have many celebrities who donate their time to ensure that the message of animal cruelty is an issue – and PETA also gets their message across with the use of protest campaigns.
PETA also have clever culture jamming ways that they get their message across. Much like other culture jamming activist that was mention in the reading Pranking Rhetoric: “Culture Jamming” as Media Activism this activism group uses the companies own images and symbols to show how what their doing is wrong (as seen in the image above). The company is using this as a “replacement for more traditional modes of civic engagement, the playful and disruptive strategies.” (Harold 192) I think this is an effective way to get the message across, many people already have the image of the corporation in their minds, but now their seeing the fault that is behind the image on which they stand for.
I use to be a vegetarian and I would often find my self on this site, which I was introduced to by a friend. This was 5 years ago and I'm no longer a vegetarian for health reasons, but I often find myself easing my way back onto the path of vegetarianism. This is of course for the ethical reasons which are so strongly stated on the PETA website, as well as a healthier life style. I have participated by protesting through letters to companies that I feel are mistreating the animals they sell for unnecessary purposes. I voiced my opinion to the company and outlined the reasons and, how as a consumer I see this as an issue. I also ensure that I don't buy products that are tested on animals.

Work Cited

Harold , Christine. "Pranking Rhetoric: “Culture Jamming” as Media Activism ." NCA. (2009): Print.

"PETA Mission Statement ." PETA. 2009. PETA, Web. 23 Nov 2009. .

Culture Jamming

Bansky is an artist which uses the streets of London as his canvas. He uses spray paint in most of his works and city walls. He highlights key social issues with his art and each new creation sheds light on diffrent subject matters.

Banksy art has been around since 2000 and has been known for its culture jamming affect. Culture Jamming is known for “an interruption, a sabotage, hoax, prank, banditry, or blockage of what are seen as the monolithic power structures governing cultural life.” (Harold 192) Banksy does this through his art. As an artist Banksy has “interpretive sense, requires both practice and knowledge of [his] instrument as well as a dynamic exchange among a community of agents” (Harold 197).

When people look at his art it's something new to them, therefore they often try to see the relation with the image and themselves.(Berger 2) In Banksy's images he focus on subject matter on a wide spectrum, from war to sexuality. The image I choose to analyze and explain is titled 'The fleeing napalmed Vietnamese girl flanked by Micky Mouse and Ronald McDonald.' ( first image above).

We all know the famous image that the Vietnamese girl originated from (second image above), and the emotion be hind it. We then see the poor girl sandwiched between two figures that all of us know, Mickey Mouse, who represents the Disney corporation, and then McDonalds, which is another globally known corporation. By having these figures in the same image and with the type of media he used, he is “playfully and provocatively folding existing cultural forms in on themselves”(Harold 191) The girl in the middle represents the weak, and the hopeless people left in the world. The ones who don't have a chance to have a voice. By having her in the image is a way to get the message across that it's the “effort to redirect the resources of commercial media toward new end.” (Harold 191). The new end that Banksy is trying to portray in his culture jamming image, is that the big corporations of the world don't care about the weak and helpless people of the world. While those people suffer, they continue on their marry ways filled with grins and a hop in their step. Banksy communicates this message well, just like in the rest of his culture jamming art.

Work Cited

Harold , Christine. "Pranking Rhetoric: “Culture Jamming” as Media Activism ." NCA. (2009): Print.

Buy Nothing Day

What is buy nothing day ? It is describded as a “ special day to unshop, unspend and unwind. Relax and do nothing for the economy and for yourself ” (“Buy Nothing Day.”) . This year the day will occur on november 25^th the efforts behind this movement is to “bring the capitalist consumption machine to a grinding ... halt.”(Adbuster). In theory I feel that this is a great idea. After looking at the information on this event, I now can really grasp the concept that our economy over spends, and it's unnecessary. In the video below that was made to make people aware of this day in 2006 it shows that North American's have spending issues. I do however feel that this buy nothing day will cause some difficulties. Most people now a days are plugged in, and if were plugged in were spending. This includes internet, cable, cellphones ect. Most of use don't even know that were doing it half the time, it has become second nature. The group realizes that this is the reality “Of course, we say this not to push you to attempt the impossible or go to extremes. We just want everyone to think about how integrated these transactions are into our daily routines.” (“Buy Nothing Day.”). This has open my eyes, and I've decided to participate in Buy Nothing Day.

“Buy Nothing Day.” Buy Nothing Day. Web.

http://www.buynothingday.org/

"Buy Nothing Day ." Adbusters. Web. 6 Nov 2009.

https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

Fake News

Citizen Journalism is when a members of the public play an active role in collecting, reporting, analyzing and disperse news and information to the rest of the public. I feel that citizen journalism is a movement.

This movement has been developed over time and it’s now explosive with outlets on the web such as Twitter, Youtube and the many blogs that are self run by an individual. Not all of these outlets are used for telling breaking news stories or information that applies to the general public, they have have something different and sometimes insightful.

I feel that this is important because it gives journalism a third dimension. People are stepping out of the boundaries of only letting professionals telling the news stories and providing the public with information, their taking the matters into their own hands. This is can provide the public with a fresh new out look on an old topic, or give them something new that they would never suspect from a conventional news source.

“John Seely Brown, chief scientist of Xerox Corp., further elaborates on participatory journalism in the book The Elements of Journalism: ‘In an era when anyone can be a reporter or commentator on the Web, ‘you move to a two-way journalism.’ The journalist becomes a ‘forum leader,’ or a mediator rather than simply a teacher or lecturer. The audience becomes not consumers, but ‘pro-sumers,’ a hybrid of consumer and producer.’ ”(Browman, and Willis)

I completely agree with this statement. The audience is now the ‘prosumer’. This means that the audience is an active part of the new movement and they are becoming the ones who have the information that other people want to read.

I think that this has become a popular way of gaining news information, because its new to the public. I know that when I’m looking at news or information I want the subject to be different then it would be conventionally, and I want it to be delivered in a more appealing way then just in a newspaper. I think that the public feels the same way.

Work Cited

Browman, Shayne, and Chris Willis. "We Media ." Hypergene. July 2003. The Media Center, Web. 7 Oct 2009. <http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/download/we_media.pdf>.