T3 | Wk 9 | Friday - Video Game Censorship

   Task 1

Research what the MEDIA EFFECTS THEORY is. 

- Create a powerpoint that explains the main points using these links and including pictures

https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/45690_book_item_45690.pdf

https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/2-2-media-effects-theories/

Task 2

- Create a second blog post with the title - Video Game Censorship in NZ: Case Study 

- Comment on the banning of the video game that was referenced by recent Christchurch Mosque terror attacker. Provide details of the case and what happened as a result of the censorship.

- What are your thoughts on these cases in light of the Media Effects Theory? 

- What are some other controversial video games that have been rated in NZ?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/117050161/terrorist-publication-and-christchurch-shooting-video-game-banned

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shooting-censor-idUSKBN1XA0D5

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/402193/game-designed-to-spread-hate-and-encourage-killing-banned-by-chief-censor

- Use this case study to reference a banned video game back in 2004 to comment on the first time NZ banned a video game and why;

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/prosecutions-over-banned-video-game/4TY4XLG2O6DKBU4JRKTMCGHLKU/

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/rockstars-manhunt-banned-in-new-zealand

T3 | Wk 9 | Wed - Media Regulation - current case study examples

Let's use the most recent examples of Charlie Kirk's death and the stabbing of the Ukranian refugee on the train to flesh out an argument for more media regulation needed.

1. Do you think Media Regulation is currently effective enough? 

Answer this question reflecting on and using examples of Charlie Kirk live-stream of the shooting, footage of the refugee being shot as well as LiveStream of the Christchurch mosque shooting. 

Are big tech companies doing enough? What measures do they currently have in place? 

Include Youtube case study information on how many hours are uploaded every minute, etc. 

regulating Youtiube

Read this article to help inform your opinion.

https://www.adl.org/resources/article/livestreaming-violence-what-platforms-should-do

How is NZ moving to have tighter regulation on social media and digital platforms? 

https://www.dia.govt.nz/media-and-online-content-regulation

Further research for power and the Media

Look at the following terminology for POWER AND THE MEDIA

Media Power – The ability of media institutions to influence audience beliefs, attitudes, and behavior.

Ideology – A system of values and beliefs often promoted by dominant institutions.

Hegemony – Dominant ideologies are accepted as common sense or natural (Gramsci).

Cultural Imperialism – The dominance of one culture’s media and values over another.

Gatekeeping – The process through which information is filtered for dissemination.

Agenda-Setting – The media's role in determining which issues are considered important.

Framing – How media presents and structures information to influence interpretation.

Media Convergence – The merging of previously distinct media technologies and platforms.

- Rhetoric 

- Narrative 

2. Ownership & Control

• Media Conglomerate – A large company that owns many different media outlets.

• Vertical Integration – A company controls production, distribution, and exhibition.

• Horizontal Integration – A company acquires or merges with competitors in the same industry.

• Oligopoly – A market dominated by a small number of large companies.

• Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) – Media funded by the public, meant to inform and educate (e.g., BBC).

• Commercial Media – Media driven by profit, advertising, and audience size.

• Monopoly – When a single company dominates a particular media sector.

  
  

  3. Regulation & Censorship

  • Media Regulation – Rules and standards that govern media content and distribution.

  • Censorship – The suppression or control of media content.

  • Self-Regulation – Media industries policing themselves rather than being regulated by governments.

  • Regulatory Bodies – Organizations that enforce media laws (e.g., Ofcom, FCC).

  • Freedom of the Press – The right of media to publish without government interference.

  • Moral Panic – A widespread fear, often exaggerated, about a threat to societal norms, amplified by the media (Cohen).

    
    

    4. Power + Media Audience  

    • Passive Audience – Audiences who accept media messages without question.

    • Active Audience – Audiences who interpret and respond to media in varied ways.

    • Uses and Gratifications – Theory that audiences use media to fulfill needs (e.g., entertainment, information).

    • Reception Theory – Audiences interpret texts differently depending on context and background (Hall).

    • Negotiated Reading – An interpretation partly aligned with the intended message, but with some resistance.

    • Oppositional Reading – An interpretation that completely rejects the intended message.

      
      

      
      

      6. Media Theorists to Know (Name + Idea)

      • Stuart Hall – Representation; Encoding/Decoding model.

      • Antonio Gramsci – Cultural hegemony.

      • Marshall McLuhan – "The medium is the message"; technological determinism.

        Jenkins (participatory culture

        
        

        CASE STUDIES 

        
        

         Media Ownership & Control

        Disney / The Walt Disney Company

        • Focus: Media conglomeration, horizontal & vertical integration, cultural imperialism.

        • Theory Links: Hesmondhalgh (cultural industries), Adorno & Horkheimer (culture industry).

        • Key Points:

          • Ownership of Marvel, Lucasfilm, ESPN, 20th Century Studios.

          • Cross-platform synergy & global reach.

          • Dominance in children’s content and ideological influence.

            
            

            
            

            Audiences & Power

             #BlackLivesMatter and Social Media Activism

            • Focus: Audience empowerment, alternative narratives.

            • Theory Links: Jenkins (participatory culture), Hall (oppositional readings).

            • Key Points:

              • BLM’s use of platforms like Twitter and Instagram to bypass mainstream media.

              • Power shift from institutions to grassroots movements.

              • Challenge to dominant representations of race and justice.

T3 | Wk 9 | Tuesday - Representation within NZ film / TV

  Check out this article;

Diversify or die: What New Zealand television can learn from our film industry

Questions;

1. What are some of the points this article raises between the difference in how progressive the TV representation of Maori is and the representation of Maori in film? 

2. What is an example of the last TV show that really brought Maori representation into the spotlight but that is an older show to reference now? 

3. What are some examples of films that have done well and that focus on telling the stories of ethnic minority in NZ? 

4. Why are US TV networks scrambling to make their programming more diverse? 

5. What, according to the article is one of the biggest challenges for Maori television shows? 

Write a few other good points from the article and a quote that sums up one of these points, to be able to contribute to your essay on POWER AND THE MEDIA. 

T3 | Wk 8 | Friday - Power and the Media - Disney as an Example

 

Look at these 2 articles;

More in-depth for examples, this one...

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190724-did-disney-shape-how-you-see-the-world

just briefly for some historical context, this one...

https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/disneys-representation-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-over-the-years-71236

Write a few paragraphs in response to the following question (using ALL your Disney case study information AND ownership terminology from last year)

Question;

"There is a shift in power from large institutions to audiences."  Discuss whether you believe this is completely true

Look particularly at the relationship between power, influence, audience size, fan-base, messaging, stereotypes and cultures represented as well as the idea of hegemony. All these words should pop up in your response. 

Power and the Media Class Question

 Discuss how traditional power models are changing with the introduction of new technologies. 

Include;

- Disney case study info

- Ownership terminology

- Power and media theories (at least 3)

T3| Week 8 - Wednesday - Media regulation online

Watch the following videos for revision. Write a paragraph using the concepts presented in the videos, answering the following question;

"The internet and digital media has made media regulation exceptionally hard"

- I want you to use UK examples spoken about in the video and then look up the way in which NZ is regulating streaming sites and social media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye3raA_lynA

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtDb_0nrA9w

- Have a look at this article from the Classifications Office.

https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/media/documents/Part_5_-_New_rules_for_streaming_platforms.pdf

- How is NZ working to regulate online platforms?