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WHATS MY CHOSEN TOPIC?

Topic: Filming to express a specific view.
My point: The way the media purposely films
in a specific way to back up what theyre
trying to show and say in the film.
Refined: An exploration as to how the media
purposely portrays a fixed ideology in the
last 10 years, especially within
documentaries

WHAT POINTS AM I MAKING ABOUT THIS

TOPIC?
Working Question: To what extent do
documentaries mediate dominant ideologies in the
last 10 years?
Hypothesis: Some film platforms use mediation to
purposely make some of the audience to become
opinionative and to believe the point which the
media platform is trying to make, particularly
through the use of the camera and scripting.
Method: Finding 4 examples of documentaries
between 2005 to 2015. 2 which are at the newer
end of the decade, (2015-2013), and to which are
at the lower end of the decade (2005-7).

POTENTIAL EXAMPLES: BENEFITS

STREET
Argues for the essay. A program which has proven to be
controversial (
http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9116701/britains-dirty-secret /)
Article says how there are 31,000 petitions signed of protest
Mentions how its fixed and that the Channel purposely makes those
seem in poverty more than they actually are
Reports saying that they made them wear and act the way they are
purely for entertainment. This shows how the program may use
mediation to make the viewers believe that Britain does have areas
of poverty shown in the program, making the program more
interesting
More importantly, mediation is used here to get the audience
engaged and to become opinionative as to what they see, making it
more entertaining.

POTENTIAL EXAMPLES: BLACKFISH

A documentary film which explores how killer

whales in sea parks such as Sea Life are
being treated.

The documentary has a clear perspective: it

is to protest against the captivity of killer
whales by showing the deaths and injuries by
a killer whale called Tilikum (and other
whales).

This documentary therefore follows

mediation: some of the audience may turn
against killer whale captivity as they learn
about how dangerous the whales are plus
how it is cruel. For example, the program
shows how small the whales living pools are,
the way they are treated (they show them
with bruises), and footage of the whales sad.

The program has led to the sea park Sea

World to loose a huge amount of visitors
plus an increasing petition to free the killer
whales.

POTENTIAL EXAMPLES: IDIOTS GUIDE

TO POLITICS
This one-off documentary revolves around young
people people not voting going into detail
about some of the reasons why young people
dont vote.
However, this documentary too can be an
example of mediation as it goes into how young
people dont vote BECAUSE they dont know what
to vote for, or dont like anyone running to vote.
For example, the program purposely has
interviews with young people asking why they
dont vote, as well as picking out promises
parties have made which werent promised. They
even film pranks on certain parties which have
policies which have failed or lied.

POTENTIAL EXAMPLES: RELIGIOUS

Religious is a one-off documentary
where Bill Maher goes out to learn
about religion in some of its
extremist ways.
This has been very controversial as
the documentary is almost a
mockery of all religions Bill learns
about these religions and simply
mocks them purely for
entertainment.
This is a clear example of mediation
as its clear that this has been filmed
to almost dig at religion.
Such mediation is even reinforced
through the documentary cover,
shown to the right, where you can

POTENTIAL THEORIES/IDEOLOGIES
Mediation: The way some films purposely film in a specific
way to reinforce their viewings and opinions. For
example, Blackfish focuses on the cons of the killer
whale captivity it chooses and mediates this view
purposely.
Dominant Ideology/Hegemony: The main view one which
is agreed on by the majority of people. For example, a
dominant ideology in Life and Death Row would be that
they should be punished for they're crimes. This can be
used to back up how mediation may challenge dominant
ideologies, or be used to reinforce it.

POTENTIAL THEORIES/IDEOLOGIES
Moral Panic: The idea that the public
become anxious from a potential threat
or danger of society. This could link to
how Life and Death Row may fuel a moral
panic that some of these murderers may
not all be in prison/caught, or how people
may be worried about legislations not
being met in politics
Hypodermic Needle: The theory that the
media injects messages into the
audiences mind (similar to mediation).
For example, Blackfish inject this idea
that killer whale captivity must be
stopped.

POTENTIAL THEORIES/IDEOLOGIES
Reception Theory: The theory how the audience
may respond differently to one another, and can
be split up into different sections. This can be
used to argue for and against my essay question.
Semiotics: The way the audience interpret signs
and symbols differently. This too can be used to
back up points made and other theories, similar
to reception theory. For example, you may get a
different message/interpretation of Idiots Guide
to Politics compared to someone else

RELEVANT READINGS
Mediation & Protest Movements. Bart Cammerarts
Life After New Media: Mediation as a Vital Process. Sarah
Kember
Semiotics, An Introduction Arthology. Robert E. Innis
Media Studies: Institutions, theories & issues. Pieter Fourie
Media Studies: Media history, media and society. Pieter
Fourie
Reception Theory. Robert Holub
Folk Devils & Moral Panics. Stanley Cohen
Moral Panics. Kenneth Thompson
Moral Panic and the Politics of Anxiety. Sean Hier

CHAPTER 1
Discussing what mediation is, and how it is
becoming more evident since the last 10
years
Exploring briefly into dominant ideologies
what they are, linking to how it is
dependent on the passive audience
How mediation is more effective and
evident within documentaries: what
techniques are used to position some of
the audience in a deliberate way?

CHAPTER 2

How mediation can fuel a moral panic, often because it

is controversial.

That mediation almost injects these ideas and views

into the audiences mind.

Semiotics are used in a certain way to create these

biased opinions

How mediation is entirely dependent on the type of

response from the audience, linking to reception
theory.

CONCLUSION
How most films within the last 10 years
have clearly been mediated possibly
because of modernization and how
everything is becoming more diverse and
there is a high competition in TV to be
recognized and be effective
However argue that mediation is
dependent on how you read film/TV: linking
to reception theory and whether you are a
passive or active audience.