U75102
understanding media
Audiences Debate
Required Reading
Branston, G. and Stafford, R. (2006). The Media Student’s Book. 4th ed. London: Routledge, Chapter 8.
Pro Reading
Economist (1994). Videodrome. Economist, 7876, 13 August, p. 73 (extract).
Fenner, J (2013) Grand Theft Auto V Baselessly Slammed By British Politician Nick Clegg, Guardian
Liberty Voice, Guardianlv.com http://guardianlv.com/2013/09/grand-theft-auto-v-baselesslyslammed-by-british-politician-nick-clegg/ retrieved 23.10.2014
Scholzman, S. (no date). Vampires and Those Who Slay Them. Unpublished (extract).
Storey, J. (1997). An Introduction to Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. 2nd ed. Hemel Hempstead:
Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf, pp. 215-16 (extract).
Con Reading
Gross, G (2014) ‘Violence on TV and How It Can Affect Your Children’. Huffington Post,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/violence-on-tv-children_b_3734764.html retrieved
23.10.2014
Hurley, K. (2005). ‘I Did Not Inspire Jodi’s Killer’. Scotsman, 14 February. Retrieved 5 March 2005
from: http://news.scotsman.com/celebrities.cfm?id=168382005.
McCarthy, C (2014) ‘Are Parents Getting Too Used to Sex and Violence in the Media? Boston.com,
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/mdmama/2014/10/are_parents_getting_too_used_to_sex_a
nd_violence_in_the_media.html retrieved 23.10.214
Washington Times (1997). Hard Rock Music Creates Killer Mice! Washington Times, 2 July. Retrieved
5 March 2005 from: http://www.relfe.com/hard-rock.html.
Proposition
Having read the chapter on ‘Audiences’ in Branston and Stafford and watched the
clip from Videodrome consider the following proposition:
The texts produced by the media provide harmless information and
entertainment. Audiences are intelligent enough to consume these texts
without having their ideas and behaviour manipulated, and without becoming
desensitised couch potatoes, quivering and fearful wrecks, or violent and
sadistic killers. Audiences are essentially proactive in their use of the media.
Preparation
Now divide your group into two ‘factions’, one of which will be ‘pro’ (in favour of the
proposition), the other ‘con’ (against the proposition).
(1) Each member of the faction should read one of the texts listed above.
(2) Each person should then summarise their text’s content for the other members of
their faction.
(3) Each faction should then discuss the points they will raise in order to argue their
case. Try to settle on at least three key points that you will make to your
opponents.
(4) Consider also how you will respond to your opponents’ arguments.
Debate
Having prepared their arguments, the two factions should then debate the proposition
as follows:
(1) The ‘pro’ faction should explain to the ‘con’ faction, without interruption, why they
believe that the proposition is essentially accurate (5 minutes).
(2) The ‘con’ faction should explain to the ‘pro’ faction, without interruption, why they
believe that the proposition is essentially inaccurate (5 minutes).
(3) The two factions should then discuss in detail their points of disagreement.
U75102
understanding media