Commissioning Poverty and Creative Authorship
Poverty in the Media – Commissioning Priorities
Poverty is a problem faced by both individuals and society.
Societies commentators are an exclusive group, selected via a hierarchy and instated within a system, how representative can their voice be of the individuals who, because of the restrictions of their experience, do not rise through this?
The stories that find there way into the mass media produce a profound impact on the public subconscious; all mediated by the editorial chain, with whom the conditions are set and must be met to be accepted. The commissioning editors of both BBC and Channel 4 documentaries present similar priorities in their commissioning guidelines: Their requests come in loaded language – requesting proposals to match.
Hamish Mykura, Head of Documentaries for More 4 lists ‘harrowing’ ‘obsessed’ ‘extreme’ and ‘compelling’ in the descriptions for previous successes, the titles of which are equally charged (Eight Minutes to Disaster, Killer in a Small Town).
Alternatively, there is a focus on the ‘cheeky’ (BBC3) or the BBC4 equivalent ‘witty’, with both seeking ‘onscreen talent’ just as Channel 4 emphasises ‘presenter-led’ documentaries; encouraging programmes that are less focused on informative or critical worth and more (as requested by BBC3) the ‘entertainment values in their DNA’.
None of these criteria are detrimental in themselves but with this blanket approach to issue based programming, there is an obvious conflict of interests, the end point of which is arrived upon by Mark Raphael.
“I want to make ‘Risk Taking’ films that shed light on subjects we thought we already knew. ‘Provocative’ films that stir controversy, and ‘Popular’ films that thrill and excite large audiences.”
Mass appeal and commercial viability, are not criteria that encourage varied and responsible reporting. Industry checks may happen but if the material never leaves this sphere, pre-public release, there can be no dialogue. Fact checking, largely to avoid any potential legal repercussion, only happens to concrete information, not implication and is far more perceptible in specific rather than abstract cases. Where backlash does happen, it tends to pass more quietly than the impact of the broadcast programme.
When RDF went head to head with the Queen (A Year with the Queen, BBC, 2007) the BBC placed all blame with RDF, whose misleading editing meant producer, Stephen Lambert’s, head rolled. Now he’s back (as Studio Lambert) with Benefit Busters and RDF are free to continue with programmes, Wife Swap and The Secret Millionaire. It is not the representation, but the victim and resource with which they can respond, that affects the reaction – but the personal harm and perceptual effect is no less dramatic for those without recourse.
The power the media wields in propagating and reinforcing hegemonic ideals has long been recognised: The veil of entertainment and pretext that responding to audience choice, removes the onus from the media, only highlights the need for institutional change.
This is just one of the issues that Spectacle’s ‘Poverty and Participation in the Media’ project seeks to address; finding alternatives, opening up discussion and challenging what is seen to be the authoritative voice. The project was commissioned as part of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s ‘Public Interest in Poverty Issues’ campaign, and project content can be viewed online at:
www.spectacle.co.uk/poverty-and-the-media
Luton focus of ‘Changing Britain’, Channel 4 News
Luton was the focus of the Channel 4 News piece ‘Changing Britain‘ aired on Tuesday 23rd March.
On the streets of Luton and in the context of it’s pronounced industrial and migrant history, Jon Snow’s report examined crime, unemployment and the benefit’s trap, and inviting local perspectives on the upcoming elections.
The Snowblog ‘Hats off for Luton’, published prior to the broadcast, recognises Luton as “merely the tip of a very British reality, a snapshot of a country with vast social challenges extending far beyond what we mainly talk about – fixing the deficit.”
Glenn Jenkins (who extends the discussion in A view from the Marsh Farm estate) and other Marsh Farm Outreach members also feature in the programme. Spectacle have been working with the group for over 15 years, most recently on our Poverty and Participation in the Media project for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, but also during the early community activism and outreach principles of the Exodus Collective (now Leviticus and MFO), about whom Spectacle produced two films Exodus Movement of Jah People and Exodus from Babylon.
England, N. Ireland, Scotland, Wales – Devolution and Disadvantage
Joseph Rowntree Foundation have released a series of reports to mark 10 years of devolution. The reports look at the impact of devolved policies and recognise a need for the Westminster to continue to reserve certain powers in order to improve conditions across the board but picks up on a failure to communicate feedback and learning between central and devolved government policies.
While concluding that much of the improvement in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales stems from UK policy, the reports acknowledge promising results from devolved policies, especially in the areas of social housing and elderly care. Athough their impact so far has been limited in size these results should improve as the administrations stabilise and imbed.
A less positive equalising factor was raised by report author Jim McCormick, who warns -
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
The Public Relations Guru
Being in a Reality TV programme can be psychologically damaging. To make sure you can financially benefit from your exploitation it is a good idea to have a public relations agent. He will look over product endorsement contracts for you and make sure when your private life is exposed in the press it is on the front page.
The PR consultant will oversee your career
What do you think he is advising the contestant??
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Follow the link if you would like to know more about our Poverty and Participation in the Media project
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #4
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #4
The Victim Contestant
In this picture the contestant is trying hard to win and keep his dignity. He is thinking about the fame and fortune that will follow. How the woman at the check out is going to say something like “‘Ere weren’t you on telly last night?”
How am I doing?
What else is he thinking? Any ideas?
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Follow the link if you would like to know more about our Poverty and Participation in the Media project
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #4
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
Studio Audience
The nice people at the Television company invite their friends and family to be in the studio audience. Being in a TV audience is very easy but these days you need to know how to Whoop! like an American, which some English people find hard to do. You can practice this at home before you go “on set”.
Two reality TV fans in the audience
Can you think what they are saying?
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Follow the link if you would like to know more about our Poverty and Participation in the Media project
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
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Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
The Director
In this scene the director is very animated and holds his hands up to form a frame so he can see what the image will look like on television.
Give me victim- Thats good-ACTION!
Before he shouts “Action!” he gives words of encouragement to the contestants. Can you think of what he is saying?
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Follow the link if you would like to know more about our Poverty and Participation in the Media project
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #4
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV- Poverty and the Media
People in the early twenty first century thought nothing of watching the insane for entertainment. It was seen as quite normal. People used to joke that it was often hard to decide who was the madder, the actors, the crew or the viewers. There are stories of the celebs leaving the asylum and the wrong people being kept inside.
Have a look at this “behind the scenes” image of a reality TV studio shoot and if you have any idea for a caption add it below.
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Follow the link if you would like to know more about our Poverty and Participation in the Media project
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #1
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #2
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #3
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #4
Reality TV shoot – caption competition #5
Poverty and Participation in the Media is now available to buy on DVD
Poverty and Partcipation in the Media is now available to buy on DVD from the Spectacle Catalogue page.
Poverty and Participation in the Media is a participatory media project examining how the media treats poverty and those affected. Looking at opportunity and exclusion; representation, stigmatisation and stereotyping. With the wealth gap on the increase and virtual segregation of the classes creating urban ghettos – Does the media bridge or increase the divide?
The Spectacle Catalogue page contains videos produced by Spectacle, Despite TV and others and all the titles are available to buy on both video and DVD.
More children living in persistent poverty in Northern Ireland than Great Britain
More children living in persistent poverty in Northern Ireland than Great Britain
A report published today (12 November 2009), on child poverty in Northern Ireland, found that more families in Northern Ireland experience persistent poverty than in Great Britain.
What can we do to tackle child poverty in Northern Ireland by Goretti Horgan from the University of Ulster and Marina Monteith from Save the Children (Northern Ireland) explores the challenges faced by the Northern Ireland Assembly in meeting its target of eradicating child poverty. It found that persistent poverty in Northern Ireland (21% before housing costs) is more than double that in Great Britain (9% before housing costs).
The report points to four main reasons for higher persistent poverty in Northern Ireland:
· High levels of worklessness: 31 per cent of the working-age population is not in paid work,higher than any GB region and 6 per cent higher than the GB average.
· High rates of disability and limiting long-term illness, especially mental ill-health.
· Low wages: the median wage for men working full-time is 85 per cent of that for British men.
· Poor-quality part-time jobs and obstacles to mothers working.
The authors acknowledge that although there are some areas which need to be tackled that are beyond the Assembly’s control, there are issues over which the devolved administration has some influence. They recommend that the Assembly works on six key areas:
· Increasing the supply of well-paid, good quality jobs
· Supporting those already in work to increase their qualification levels
· Alleviating the worst impacts of poverty on children
· Addressing the lack of quality affordable childcare
· Increasing educational attainment
· Providing access to leisure and social activities for poorer young people
Julia Unwin, Chief Executive of the JRF, said: “The Assembly has already shown that it is possible to intervene to alleviate some of the worst aspects of poverty. Just as it provided the one-off fuel payment of £150 to families on benefit in winter 2008/09, it could make it easier for people to take ‘mini-jobs’, allowing those living on benefits to provide a little extra for their families. School budgets need to provide for all the costs of education including books, school trips and after-school activities. It must also address ways of giving poorer young people access to positive social and leisure activities.”
What can we do to tackle child poverty in Northern Ireland by Goretti Horgan from the University of Ulster and Marina Monteith from Save the Children (Northern Ireland), is available to download for free from the Joseph Rowntree website.
For more information view Spectacle’s Poverty and Participation in the Media project.
Notes:
Poverty is defined as a family income below 60% of the median income.
Persistent poverty defined as being in poverty for at least three out of four years (in this case 2003-2007).
