OSP: The Voice CSP
Go to the Voice homepage and answer the following:
1) What news website key conventions can you find on the Voice homepage?
- 'The Voice' title
- Today's date
- Top menu bar with links to: Home, Sport, Opinion, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Faith, Careers, Education, Motoring, Business, and Windrush 70
2) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values, and ideologies of the Voice?
The items on the top menu bar include Home, Sport, Opinion, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Faith, Careers, Education, Motoring, Business, and Wind Rush 70. These topics suggest that The Voice is well rounded and they make sure they cover a wide range of topics. The fact that 'Sport' is second on the list suggests that this is something The Voice cares about a lot and reports a lot of news about it. Furthermore, the way they report news stories is from a black perspective and the section 'Wind Rush 70' highlights their ideologies and values regarding the black community.
3) Look at the news stories on the Voice homepage. Pick two stories and explain why they might appeal to the Voice's target audience.
Spider-man across the multi-verse features a black superhero, this interview can inspire black children to get into superhero life. The use of AI on black representation and how harmful it can be educate black people on the dangers of AI.
4) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage and how they encourage audiences to click through to them.
The Voice uses Todorov's theory of equilibrium to engage their audience. For example, they will cover a recurring story's disequilibrium and equilibrium. A story on their homepage can be
"Missing Black children: youth charity hosts conference to tackle growing crisis".
Lifestyle section
Now analyze the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:
1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?
- Health
- Food
- Travel
- Relationships
2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?
WalKing Men doing it for themselves
THE Walking Men’s group, set up after Covid to help men combat isolation and mental health is a great story representing a problem that doesn't have enough attention to solve.
3) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?
They of course change, and harmful stereotypes will be debunked by these new stories coming out of black British people finding success and prospering rather than the typical stereotypes of a black gangster who's a drug dealer.
4) Choose two stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?
Black women address key health concerns at pioneering event- This story promotes health and prosperity of the body. The story tackles the obesity of black women.
THE Walking Men’s group, set up after Covid to help men combat isolation and mental health is a great story representing a problem that doesn't have enough attention to solve. It tackles an issue that can help improve the black British community.
Feature focus
1) Read this Voice opinion piece on black representation in the tech industry. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?
The voice is here to garner/bring attention to the lack of diversity in the tech industry. This is not only for black men but for women as well who don't get the chance to enter the industry due to harmful stereotypes about them.
2) Read this feature on The Black Pound campaign. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?
The story basically promotes black businesses so they can be more successful. The Voice as an establishment believes that Black British businesses should succeed in promoting a healthier environment for black people. Back in the 20th century casual racism and prejudice made black businesses suffer a lot.
3) Read this Voice news story on Grenfell Tower and Doreen Lawrence. How might this story reflect the Voice’s values and ideologies? What do the comments below suggest about how readers responded to the article? Can you link this to Gilroy’s work on the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?
The Voice believes that as a community they should put the responsibility on the government for their lack of transparency or conviction to help the lives lost at Grenfell. The comments agreed 100% that due to class and race, the rescue mission was a lackluster attempt that could've been avoided. Gilroy believes in the liquidity of culture and how black people have mixed into so many different cultures that their original culture feels foreign to them.
Social and Cultural Contexts - 40 Years of Black British Lives
Read this extract from The Voice: 40 Years of Black British Lives on rapper Swiss creating Black Pound Day (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access the document). Answer the following questions:
1) What is Black Pound Day?
2) How did Black Pound Day utilize social media to generate coverage and support?
They use a popular rapper to promote the day to thousands which brings in a wider audience and much more support. Especially since it could also help promote the rapper into further popularity it is a win-win for both of them and especially the community.
3) How do events such as Black Pound Day and the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards link to wider social, cultural, and economic contexts regarding power in British society?
For the economy, there is the increase in influence and power of Black British businesses in British society, a once neglected side of the economy due to racism and harmful stereotypes. For society, this will help root out the idea of superiority amongst the human race. Equality through the increase in power will help even out the already spreading of racist ideologies.
Audience
1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.
I believe that the target audience for the Voice website is elderly people who are reformers. The ages will be 50-60, the regular audience for the Voice website back in the 20th century. Working to middle class obviously those that have been wronged due to their race and have low power in British society.
2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).
Surveillance. Those who wish to catch up and be informed of the latest information about Black British society. Personal relationships are those that can build connections through these news stories such as Black Pound Day that can nurture and help those that are in need.
3) Give examples of sections or content from the website that tell you this is aimed at a specialized or niche audience.
Perhaps faith, much older people tend to be more religious as it was much more of a majority rather than a minority back in the 20th century. Adding this section in the website can help them catch up with the latest about faith.
4) Studying the themes of politics, history, and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?
Recently, The Voice has deeply spoken about the murder of Chris Kaba a man brutally shot by a police officer due to the reason of self-defense. I will not speak about the legitimacy of the murder but about the immediate position that The Voice took in this case. They saw this as a hate crime a white police officer using his power to kill and rid a Black British man. Despite numerous videos popping up about Chris Kaba's interactions with one of the largest gangs. You can see who they always will stand with and it is somewhat reasonable to keep your audience and yourself in the same view will bring both the audience and The Voice closer.
5) Can you find any examples of content on the Voice website created or driven by the audience or citizen journalism? How does this reflect Clay Shirky’s work on the ‘end of audience’ and the era of ‘mass amateurisation’?
What Clay Shirky wanted to tell us is that the audience can now generate content. For example Youtube a few clicks and you are able to create your own content. The era of audience and media platforms being separate Is over and has mixed right into each other. I can not find any examples my bad.
Representations
1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?
Positioned to view the representations of black people in the Voice website as refreshing and positive - an attempt to dispel the once dominant representation that Black Britons were "estranged and external from the imagined community that is the nation." Audiences are encouraged to view the Voice as a means of promoting the idea of community, rather than the idea of viewing black people as a helpless minority - for example, highlighting the successes of Black people across the globe (from Amandla Stenberg starring in The Hate U Give, to Nadine Ijewere being the first black female to shoot a cover for Vogue Magazine).
Positioned to view the representations of black people in the Voice website as refreshing and positive - an attempt to dispel the once dominant representation that Black Britons were "estranged and external from the imagined community that is the nation." Audiences are encouraged to view the Voice as a means of promoting the idea of community, rather than the idea of viewing black people as a helpless minority - for example, highlighting the successes of Black people across the globe (from Amandla Stenberg starring in The Hate U Give, to Nadine Ijewere being the first black female to shoot a cover for Vogue Magazine).
2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?
This doesn't apply to The Voice as they give a fresh and proper view of the Black British experience. Rather than other western news outlets representing or not bringing to light the Black British experience they rather create harmful stereotypes for British people to criticize.
3) What kind of black British identity is promoted on the Voice website? Can you find any examples of Gilroy’s “liquidity of culture” or “unruly multiculturalism” here?
The Voice seems to capitalize on the fact that the majority of its readership/audience would originate from another country - particularly places in Africa/the Caribbean. This is highlighted through the use of banner advertisements promoting sending money to other countries. This directly relates to Gilroy's theory about "liquidity of culture" as it emphasizes the sense of displacement that some Black Britons may feel as their families are likely to still be in their countries of origin despite them being in Britain - their identity has come from traveling to multiple countries rather than it solely being based on where they originate from.
The Voice seems to capitalize on the fact that the majority of its readership/audience would originate from another country - particularly places in Africa/the Caribbean. This is highlighted through the use of banner advertisements promoting sending money to other countries. This directly relates to Gilroy's theory about "liquidity of culture" as it emphasizes the sense of displacement that some Black Britons may feel as their families are likely to still be in their countries of origin despite them being in Britain - their identity has come from traveling to multiple countries rather than it solely being based on where they originate from.
4) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?
- Constructivist approach: isn't one specific meaning as concepts do have shared meanings that can be open to interpretation.
Preferred
- The Voice is highlighting black British people, the struggles they face, and the success stories that they have come across.
Negotiated
- Typically positive representations of the black community but there is a lack of political news - a lot more clickbait; which raises questions as to whether or not the Voice is actually effecting change.
Counter-Hegemonic
- By solely focusing on the Black community, the Voice is actually singling out black people and making them more externalized rather than making them included in the community around them - still heavily focused on the negatives
5) Do you notice any other interesting representations in the Voice website? For example, representations or people, places, or groups (e.g. gender, age, Britishness, other countries etc.)
Gender
- Females are highlighted in a positive way - portrayed as professional individuals attempting to become involved in a variety of career paths
Age
- Portraying the black youth as creative individuals attempting to make a difference in their community rather than the typically negative portrayal of young black males (aggressive,violent etc) - i.e. a 10 year old boy being recognised by PETA for his talents in cooking
Health
- Discusses sexual health, general health issues, diet/lifestyle related content on things that are usually not covered in as much detail - i.e. Women with AIDS etc.
Industries
1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand?
2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today?
3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice?
- Youthlink
- Western Focus
- The Flair Magazine
- The Financial Gleaner
- The Weekly Gleaner (UK)
4) How does the Voice website make money?
Through advertisements - they sell space on their website to promoters who need the advertising space.
Through advertisements - they sell space on their website to promoters who need the advertising space.
5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?
6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?
I think the Voice was originally designed as a public service tool - a means of giving those in the black community a platform to express themselves and be represented through (dispelling this concept of double consciousness).
I think the Voice was originally designed as a public service tool - a means of giving those in the black community a platform to express themselves and be represented through (dispelling this concept of double consciousness).
7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content?
- The interviews offered with different influencers - i.e. the Amandla Stenberg interview surrounding her role in The Hate U Give
8) How has the growth of digital distribution through the internet changed the potential for niche products like the Voice?
I think that it has increased the potential outreach for products like the Voice. I think this is because people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gaining an insight on multiple perspectives, and because they can access the content easier now it makes it easier for niche products like the Voice to receive more recognition
I think that it has increased the potential outreach for products like the Voice. I think this is because people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gaining an insight on multiple perspectives, and because they can access the content easier now it makes it easier for niche products like the Voice to receive more recognition
9) Analyse the Voice’s Twitter feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as MailOnline or Teen Vogue)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?
- The Voice's twitter feed has a lot more clickbait compared to the twitter feed for Teen Vogue
- Does have a lot less text in the actual tweets - very image/video based
10) Study a selection of videos from the Voice’s YouTube channel. How does this content differ from Teen Vogue? What are the production values of their video content?
- Production values are of a lower quality compared to the videos of Teen Vogue
- More simply shot/edited
- They receive a fewer views (some videos have less than 100 views).
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