Global Crises in News: Climate Change

Source: http://larvatusprodeo.net/files/2011/07/cracked-earth-smaller-for-email1.jpg

In the field of professional journalism, most editors and reporters follow a code of journalistic ethics outlining their accountability and ethical responsibility for the information they deliver to the public. According to the Society of Professional Journalists (2014), ethical journalism should be honest, fair and accurate in the gathering, interpretation and reporting of information. Although well-defined, the code of journalistic ethics can often be abstract meaning it is not enforceable. In a time of revolutionary changes within mainstream media, these issues present new challenges as demonstrated through the media coverage of climate change.

Ethical journalism in the coverage of climate change is highly significant as the public’s understanding and knowledge is heavily mediated. In the heated debate on climate change, journalists encounter various opinions and take these into account when informing the public. However, there is the issue of ‘false balance’ where scientific credibility is disproportionate to the perspective of sceptics. For example, RTE1’s documentary A Burning Question further unpacked the concept of ‘false balance’ the media coverage of climate change regarding Himalayan glaciers. British media and cultural studies scholar, Justin Lewis, was concerned with the huge lag in consensus between climate scientists and the public opinion. As the public is heavily reliant on the media for information, it reflects that the media’s uncertainty and questioning has decreased the urgency of opinion and lost focus on the problem. As a consequence, Ward (2009, p.14) has expressed that:

“Reporters may for too long have been balancing opinions about science when in fact they might better have been evaluating and reporting evidence based on science”

Simultaneously, the media have become ‘the voice of the voiceless’ in the climate change debate, especially small Pacific Islands. An illustration of their role shown through Tom Zubrycki’s documentary, The Hungry Tide, which provided insight on Kiribati, one of the nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As Zubrycki (2011) stated in the synopsis of the film on the Hungry Tide:

“Sea level rise and increasing salinity are threatening the lives of 105,000 people spread over 33 atolls in this remote corner of the Pacific.  It’s the same ocean, which for generations has sustained the country that is now the source of its destruction.”

In addition, the media also utilises the ‘climate justice’ approach as it amplifies the voices of those people who have contributed the least towards the causes of climate change but have been the most severely affected by its effects consequences.

Thus, climate change is undeniably a critical issue that must continue to be addressed in the media, as exemplified through journalistic ethics, because it acts as a bridge of communication between sources of information and the public. As it is an issue that impacts every individual, media coverage enables the public recognise the importance of the effects and consequences of climate change, as demonstrated through small Pacific islands such as Kiribati.

References

1. Dreher, T 2014, BCM111 Week 10: Global Crises, Global News: Pacific Calling Partnership, Lecture Notes, UOW Moodle, viewed 11 2014
2. Society of Professional Journalists, 2014, SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists, viewed October 11 2014, <http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp>
3. Ward, B 2009, “Journalism ethics and climate change reporting in a period of intense media uncertainty”, Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics,  9, No. 13, p.13-15
4. Zubrycki, T 2011, The Hungry Tide: Synopsis, Screen Australia, viewed 11 October 2014 <http://thehungrytide.com.au/synopsis/>

Drama in Translation: Sherlock vs. Elementary

Source: http://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/column/headers/litreactor-elementary.jpg

Continuing on from last week’s blogpost, its main focus was on the successes and failures of comedy in translation across cultures. However, this week’s blog post will have a similar theme in question but I will be discussing about the success of television dramas and how they operate across cultures, location and nationality.

An example of a television drama programme that has operated across these aspects is Sherlock Holmes. The iconic fictional character of the London-based private consulting detective was created by Arthur Conan Doyle and first appeared in the Beeton’s Christmas annual novel, A Study In Scarlet, in 1887. After being featured in numerous novels, Sherlock Holmes has also been adapted in television programmes and cinematic films, which attests the popularity and appeal of the text. Frew (2014) believes that its appeal lies within the desire for a constructed and nostalgic Victorian England where order emerged from chaos as Sherlock Holmes represents an idealised classic Englishness.

In 2010, BBC debuted their television adaption, which was simply named Sherlock. The writers of BBC’s Sherlock preserved most of the original narratives of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes such as his struggles with drugs, the care he has for few people in his personal life and lack of love/sexual interest (besides the Woman). Very few elements have been altered to cater to modern English audience like changing cab types, Holmes’ nicotine patches and the homeless network. Whilst the series is extremely popular, it has been criticised for becoming more “blog-aware” and incorporating elements into episodes that are influenced by fan responses such as fanfiction (Penny, L 2014). Fan-influenced episodes are exemplified through the ending of second series (2012) in the circumstances of how Holmes’ was able to ‘fake’ his rooftop fall death.

Another successful adaptation of Sherlock Holmes is the American television programme, Elementary. Elementary was produced by CBS and premiered in 2012 with new and unique twists to the iconic character. The CBS version of Holmes appears to be more ‘dark’ as he is now a recovering drug addict and has a sexual relationship with Irene Adler/Moriarty, played by Nathalie Dormer. There are major differences between Elementary and Sherlock such as the context of television series and casting of characters. The context of Elementary is now set in New York City in the US, where the show follows a ‘private-eye’ narrative as characters explore the city to solve crimes, also utilising an ‘open’ journey narrative. The most drastic change is shown through the change of Watson’s gender into a female, Joan Watson who is portrayed by Lucy Liu. Through the casting of Dormer and Liu, Americanised elements are brought into the show through unresolved sexual tension and political correctness respectively, creating appeal and understanding for American audience.

In conclusion, Elementary and Sherlock are both examples of success in the translation of television drama, specifically through their take on the iconic novel character, Sherlock Holmes, while maintaining the appeal of classic ‘Englishness’. However, this is not to say that all drama translations successfully operate across cultures, location and nationality as shown through examples such as Skins UK (original) and US, in which the US remake by MTV failed to connect and resonate with young American audiences after a one season of 10 episodes. Thus, as asserted in the previous blog post, it is important to consider the social and cultural practices of nations when translating media content.

References

1. Frew, C 2014, Sherlock and Elementary: Representing Englishness in Television Drama, Lecture Notes, UOW Moodle, viewed 23 September 2014
2. Penny, L 2014, ‘Sherlock and the Adventure of the Overzealous Fanbase’, NewStatesman, 12 January, viewed 24 September 2014, <http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2014/01/sherlock-and-adventure-overzealous-fanbase>

Comedy in Translation: Successes and Failures

Globalisation has lead to the mass exchange of media content across the world, especially television programmes. This mass exchange can be identified through the popularity of televisions programmes from a certain country amongst an international audience, leading to adaptions or remakes in other countries. However it is highly possible that certain local television programmes do not translate well in different global markets, especially in the genres of comedy. Sometimes, television programmes are altered to fit the social and cultural values of audiences or they can be simply exported from one nation to another, with little changes made to the original.

One of Australia’s most successful comedic television series is Kath & Kim, which was first broadcasted in May 2002 on the ABC. While it was widely popular in Australia, its exported American version did not garner the same reaction in which the New York Post described it as a “dish-water copy” of the original. They also believed that: “the Australian version is broader, bolder and more callous, gleefully unabashed about sending up lower-class accents and suburban vulgarity,” while “the NBC adaptation tiptoes a little too squeamishly through snobbery and bad taste” (News.com.au, 2008).

Source: http://i.dlisted.com/files/kathandkimno.jpg

Through close comparison, the first episode of both the Australian and American versions were identical in terms of plot and structure. So what was the problem? According to Turnbull (2008, p.110), the failure of cultural translation is contributed through the absence of the role and place of irony, which is how the character imagines himself/herself to be and how they are perceived by the audience. In the case of Kath and Kim, the American portrayal of the spoilt and indolent Kim by Selma Blair failed to measure up to the original. Blair’s performance as Kim portrayed a significantly younger, attractive and size 8 Kim,who was based on trashy tabloid queens such as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. This was much unlike the original Kim, portrayed by Gina Riley, who was a self-deluded, size 16 and foolish 40-plus year old ‘horn-bag’.

Source: http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/55610/_1368445517.jpg

Source: http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/55610/the_office_55610.jpg

Despite the failure of Kath and Kim to resonate with American audiences with their “slightly off-beat suburban spirit” (Idato, 2014), there have been cases where adaptations have been achieved cultural translation, receiving international success. An example would be the American version of the UK original series, The Office. Rather than simply exporting, the American version was re-invented through the imaging, naming of characters and contextualisation to appeal to an American audience. In particular, the whole office staff had become more culturally diverse (except for Dwight), better looking and more upbeat in comparison to the UK version. There have been mixed reviews on whether the British original or the American remake is better, but it is inevitable that there will be comparisons between an original television programme and its revised version (Turnbull, 2008, p.173).

In conclusion, the cultural translation of television programmes can be either a success or failure. However, it is important to remember that comedy is a cultural and social practice, shaped by the construction of national identity, with jokes implying sharing and belonging.

References

1. Idato, M 2014, “Kath & Kim on Hulu in the US after remake failed”, Sydney Morning Herald: Entertainment, 12 September, viewed 19 September, <http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/kath–kim-on-hulu-in-the-us-after-remake-failed-20140912-10fuhm.html>
2. com.au, 2008, ‘US Kath and Kim ‘worse than Vegemite’, News.com.au, 11 October, viewed 19 September, <http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/us-kath-and-kim-worse-than-vegemite/story-e6frfmyi-1111117718888>
3. Turnbull, S 2008, ‘It’s like they threw a panther in the air and caught it in embroidery: Television comedy in translation’, Metro Magazine, No.159, p. 110-115

Media Capitals and the ‘K-Pop Wave’

The development of media capitals is a result of globalisation, where cities are not only centres of media activity through the finance, production and distribution of content but also sited as an intersection for complex patterns of economic and cultural flows (Curtin, 2003, p.203-4). Media capitals are described as a switching point where national centres have been superseded into global centres (Curtin, 2003, p.204). In this blog post, I will be focusing on South Korea’s capital, Seoul, as a continuous and rapidly rising media capital.

In South Korea, there has been an influx in the proliferation of television shows and pop music production, as an outcome of the ‘Korean Wave’ or the ‘Hallyu Wave’ which is used to describe the rise of Korean pop culture in the late 1990s. In recent years, South Korean pop music (known as K-Pop) has grown to become somewhat of a phenomenon in the global music industry through communication technologies such as the Internet, particularly YouTube. It is not just popular within Asia but also in Europe, the U.S and the Middle East (Lie, 2012, p.340). Due to the increasing worldwide interest in the Korean Wave, K-Pop has started to become focused on breaking into the global music industry. With this intention, K-Pop has begun to find recruitments of foreign talent from nations such as the U.S, China and Japan in order to appeal to a global audience (Choi, 2011, p.74). In particular, the recruitment of foreign talent as idols who are fluent in either English, Chinese or Japanese can help with group promotion and activities in overseas countries (Lie, 2012, p.358).

An example of well-known K-Pop ‘idol’ groups is 9-membered girl group, Girls’ Generation. Girls’ Generation have achieved few international successes as they have had multiple worldwide tours, performing at famous concert venues like Madison Square Garden and Tokyo Dome. However, their most prominent global effort was the 2011 release of their U.S and Korean single, The Boys. The English version of The Boys served as their U.S debut, which was produced and written by Teddy Riley, whom SM Entertainment (Girls’ Generation’s record label) dubbed him as “one of the world’s top three producers” and “Michael Jackson’s producer” (Choi, 2011, p.70).

According to Lie (2012, p.342-3), Korean music has originated its sound and emulates musical concepts from American and Japanese (J-Pop) music such as U.S popular music genres (e.g. jazz, blues, pop, rock), the inclusion of English phrases and musical production and education from Japan. As demonstrated in the video above, rather than singing in Korean, The Boys is sung fully in English but still maintains the typical K-Pop element through the pop dance music and choreographed dance. SM Entertainment’s attempt at globalising Girls’ Generation and their ‘debut’ in the U.S landed them appearances on popular U.S talk shows such as ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ and ‘Live! With Kelly’ with two English speaking members participating in interviews.

However, there have been doubts in the ability of K-Pop groups, including Girls’ Generation, to break into the global music industry and whether it can be successful or not due to culture codes. There have also been arguments whether K-Pop is truly Korean due to heavy Westernization as it becomes undermined by its global goals (Choi, 2011, p. 69). Nevertheless, it is clear that Seoul is an ever-growing media capital due to its efforts in globalising K-Pop which are exemplified through its active promotion by South Korean government to enhance its soft power and export prowess (Lie, 2012, p. 340).

References 

1. Curtin, M 2003, Media Capital: Towards the Study of Spatial Flows, International Journal of Cultural Studies, 6, No. 2, p. 202-228
2. Lie, J 2012, What is the K in K-Pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity, Korean Observer, 43, No. 3, p. 339-363
3. Choi, YJ, 2011, “The Globalization of K-Pop: Is K-Pop losing its Korean-ness?”, Situations, Vol. 5, p. 69-75, viewed 6 September 2014, <http://web.yonsei.ac.kr/bk21/situations5/Yunjung_Choi.pdf >

Crossover Cinema

Source: http://purpose.edelman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Picture-12-594×306.png

When the topic of crossover cinema, it is often confused with transnational cinema. According to Khorana (2013), transnational cinema enables the recognition and consideration of the impact of post-World War II migration and globalisation on film practice and scholarship. On the other hand, cross-culture cinema is defined as the emergence of a new form of cinema, which crosses cultural borders during conceptualization and production, thus manifesting into a form of hybrid cinematic grammar at the textual level, as well as cross overs in the consumption of content such as distribution and reception.

Personally, I have watched a lot of foreign (particularly Asian) television shows and movies. Did/Do I understand the language? No. How could I possibly know what was even going on when I couldn’t? Simple. SUBTITLES! However, through the ever-growing impact of globalisation, crossover cinema has allowed the creation of a new cultural experience. Nowadays, we can find that movies have similar storylines, which could have been potentially remade. East Asian films are a great example, as many have been appropriated and remade to cater to Western audiences such as Park Chanwook’s 2003 South Korean mystery thriller film, Oldboy and Spike Lee’s 2013 American remake film of the same name.

In particular, I will focus on one of the most well-known crossover cinematic films – Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog Millionaire is an Oscar-winning British-Indian drama film first released in 2008, co-directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan. The film garnered mass international attention for its incorporation of the Hindi language, Indian actors/actresses and cultural/film elements, especially Bollywood music and dance sequences. According to Kavoori (2009, cited in Khorana, 2010), Slumdog Millionaire is “a classic crossover text” due to using Indian locale to speak about wider (global) concerns that impacted world citizens after the post-financial crisis in America such as personal responsibility, the need for agency in an alienated society and the renewal of ‘love’ and self-understanding. Despite these incorporations, the film is still predominately Westernized due to the fact that it was a British-made film that was intended to appeal to and resonate with the Western audiences rather than just the Indian audience. For these reasons, there have been numerous academic criticisms and controversies after its box office release.

Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Slumdog Millionaire is a true example of crossover cinema due to the fact that the film had crossed over to the main (non-foreign) category at the Academy Awards in 2009. Although it is the fact that it won multiple awards at the Academy Awards is any indicator that it is a crossover cinematic film, but its ability to have transcended cultural borders, appeal to and resonate with Western and global audiences is something to be commended. Thanks to the rise of globalisation, crossover cinema allows all cultures to be embraced and united through entertainment.

References

1. Khorana, S 2013, “Crossover cinema: a conceptual and genealogical overview”, Research Online, p. 1-18

Global Film Beyond Hollywood: Chindia

Source: http://villagefilm.com/

Everyone has heard of Hollywood, right? Technically it’s a district located in Los Angeles, California but it’s most notable as being the heart of the American, if not global, entertainment industry. However, the new millennium has seen the emergence of Asian film industries, particularly China and India (Bollywood), which scholars predict will compete against the global film flows of Western dominance (Karan, 2010).

Bollywood, the large Hindi language-based part of the Indian film industry, originating back in 1899. On the other hand, the creation of Hollywood dates back to 1910, 11 years later than Bollywood, with many similarities discovered between these two national film industries. Although it may be more common to hear that Bollywood has remade (or plagiarised, depending on the situation) Hollywood films but more so, it is unlikely vice-versa. Such similarities are an effect of cultural hybridity, which intentionally creates and mixes both local and global cultural elements appealing to current audience tastes and trends. Appadurai (1996 cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010) emphasises that this cultural mixing of elements in film production are results from the provision of global mediascapes.

As hybridized content continues to spread worldwide, ‘contra-flows’ arise that shifts cultural influence towards the direction of the Global South, blurring boundaries such as modern/traditional, high/low context, and national/global culture (Thussu 2006: 175 cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010). In the case of Bollywood films, it is exemplified through their ‘soft power’ because, although everyone may not understand the Hindi dialogue, audiences are enraptured by its spirit and glitzy entertainment as shown through the 2008 Oscar-winning British/Indian drama film, Slumdog Millionaire (Tharoor, 2008 cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010).

Positive impacts of hybridized contra-flows on global film trade are further exemplified through East Asian films industries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Curtin (2007: 287 cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010) claims that East Asian film makers have been most successful with mixed unique content such as Chinese martial arts and ‘Wuxia’ storylines. An exemplification would be Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, where success attributed to hybridization as it was an film that could be enjoyed by both Western and Eastern audiences (Lagerkvist, 2009: 370 cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010).

In conclusion, it appears that Indian (Bollywood) and East Asian are becoming increasingly influential players in the global film industry, also known as ‘Chindia’ (Ramesh, 2006 cited in cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010). In particular, Indian/Bollywood films stand the best chance in challenging Hollywood’s dominance in the movie industry, demonstrated through the incorporation of ‘Bollywoodism” in mainstream media (Bose, 2006: 195, cited in Karan and Schaefer, 2010). However, the hype of Bollywood doesn’t yet compare to the great influence that Hollywood possesses in global film industry but its their vast potential is undeniable.

References

1. Karan, K and Schaefer, DJ, 2010, ‘Problematizing Chindia: Hybridity and Bollywoodization of popular Indian cinema in global film flows”, Global Media and Communication, Vol. 6, No. 3, p. 309-314
2. Woke, 2007, Bollywood vs Hollywood – The Complete Breakdown, Mutiny, blog, 1 February, viewed 25 August 2014 <http://mutiny.wordpress.com/2007/02/01/bollywood-vs-hollywood-the-complete-breakdown/>
3. Unknown, 2014, 10 Hollywood movies you probably didn’t know were a direct copy of Indian films, IBNLive, viewed 25 August 2014, <http://ibnlive.in.com/news/10-hollywood-movies-you-probably-didnt-know-were-a-direct-copy-of-indian-films/484753-79.html>
4. Pranshu, 2014, A Complete List of Bollywood (Indian) Movies copied from Hollywood | Plain Plagiarism, Pranshu, viewed 25 August 2014, <http://pranshu.hubpages.com/hub/a-complete-list-of-bollywood-movies-copied-from-hollywood-plain-plagiarism>

Internationalising Education in Australia

Source: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/

Although I am Australian-born and a local student, I am ethnically both Vietnamese and Chinese. I personally know of many people from overseas, some whom are relatives, who have travelled to Australia for better opportunities, especially in education that are not offered in their home country. Even if I have no personal experience myself, I have witnessed international students trying to adapt to a new country with great cultural differences from what they grew up with.

However, everyone may not understand life beyond Australia and the idea of studying abroad and international education. As I’ve experienced in University, most international students tend to befriend each other. Thus, there is a misconception that they do not want to interact with local students. However Marginson (2012) reveals that it is quite the opposite; international students want closer interaction with local students and are willing to take risks to achieve this, or friendship, but it is local students who are disinterested. He believes that:

“International education is not the rich intercultural experience it could be.”

(Marginson, 2012)

Most research has found that the pathway to improvement lies in creating interaction between international students and locals, especially students (Marginson, 2012). Consequentially, educational and welfare benefits follow. Intercultural encounters improve language proficiency in English, their communicative competence, and strengthen their confidence, their agency. Through studies of international students conducted by Kell and Vogl (2007), they further support Marginson’s argument. They reveal that despite international students learn English in their respective home countries, they have difficulty with communication in Australia because there was a strong focus on grammar, writing and reading, rather than spoken word. International students struggle with Australian-English due to our heavy use of colloquialism/slang and unfamiliarity with the social norms and conventions of Australian life. It is further exemplified through the quote:

“…language could not be understood without close attention to the cultural context in which it was situated in.”

(Bourdieu from Jenkins, 1992: 152 cited in Kell and Vogl, 2007)

In conclusion, it is important for both international and local students to have social interaction because it will help improve international students’ English proficiency, while increasing their confidence with approaching local students, while utilising colloquial and non-formal English. These factors are important in reducing and preventing alienation, loneliness and homesickness that international students may feel living and studying abroad. Thus, we must be considerate and make sure international students feel as welcome and accepted as possible because imagine the hardships international students live through conversing and learning in a language that you aren’t proficient in while adapting to a country where it is TOTALLY different from your own (culture-wise). In any case, it is important that we avoid tragic events in the future such as the attack on Indian students in Australia earlier this year.

1. Kell, P and Vogl, G, 2007, “International Students: Negotiating life and study in Australia through Australian Englishes”, University of Wollongong, p.1- 10
2. Marginson, S, 2012, “International Education as Self-Formation”, University of Wollongong. p.51-61

Globalisation

Source: http://arthemis-cinema.ca/sites/arthemis.nt2.ca/files/0214map.jpg

According to O’Shaughnessy and Stadler (2012), Globalisation refers to an international community that is influenced by technological development as well as economic, political and military interests. It is characterised through global interactions and unification (i.e. interdependence, interconnectedness and instantaneity), which could potentially lead to the homogenisation of world cultures, or towards hybridisation and multiculturalism.

According to Appadurai (1990), in order to analyse and evaluate globalisation, we must consider five key dimensions:

1. Ethnoscapes
2. Technoscapes
3. Financescapes
4. Mediascapes
5. Ideoscapes

On the topic of international communication, the key dimensions that I will be focusing on are technoscapes. Technoscapes are the global and fluid configuration of technology (Appadurai, 2000). Technology has rapidly and relentlessly advancing, simultaneously surpassing impervious boundaries, such as time and space, on a global scale through platforms such as the Internet. The Internet is an example of the utopian view of globalisation. This utopian view is captured in McLuhan’s phrase of ‘the global village’ that suggests no matter where we are in the world, everyone can be brought closer by the globalisation of communication (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, 2012). The Internet is a world where everyone can have a voice and be heard and also enable information to be freely shared with each other or as members of online communities, similar to the image depicted in McLuhan’s ‘global village’.

However, today’s global interactions have created tensions between cultural homogenisation and heterogenization. Negative reactions to globalisation represent a dystopian view, which is exemplified by cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism describes the widespread cultural values and ideas of one culture through means such as the media rather than direct rule or economic trade which is detrimental as it threatens the loss of cultural diversity and a global monopoly (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, 2012). Thus, there are both positive and negative reactions and consequences following globalisation.

References

1. Appadurai, A.1990), ‘Disjuncture and difference in the global cultural economy’, Public Culture, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 1-23
2. O’Shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J (2012) ‘Globalisation’, Media and Society, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic, pp. 23-38

Trolls and Misogyny

Internet ‘trolls’ are known for their “crude insults, aggressive threats and unstinting ridicule” (Thorpe & Rogers 2011). Although Internet ‘trolling’ is not a new thing, there has been a rise in compliance trolling and anonymous digital misogyny. Such behaviour includes faceless men threatening women online with death threats, rape threats, violence and sexism. Since when was this acceptable? Has the Internet opened up another avenue to stigmatise women?

Internet ‘trolling’ has grown to be frequent and violent, especially towards female commentators and columnists, causing even the most renowned names in journalism to hesitate in sharing and publishing their opinions. Evans (2011) believes this online from men is an extension of women’s continuous battle for equality. She adds that this online abusive behaviour is unacceptable, not only towards women, but in general and must be called out.

As a result, women bloggers and journalists across the political spectrum have joined one another to end these abusive actions. An example is feminist blogger Sady Doyle’s Twitter hashtag #mencallmethings, which was created with the aim to further discussion of sexist behaviour towards women with a ‘voice’ online, experience. Through trending the hashtag, women were encouraged to share the online threats and insults they have received from trolls. Although there is overwhelming support, these comments do not come without consequences as some have commented that “it’s just the Internet” and trolls continue to do as they do.

However, this is not just exclusive to women bloggers and journalists, as ANYONE can be targeted such as celebrities. The first person that came to mind was Australian television personality and former model Charlotte Dawson. In 2012,  Dawson began to receive vicious death threats on Twitter which spiralled into depression and was hospitalised after she appeared on Nine Network’s A Current Affair and Channel Ten’s The Project to expose cyberbullying. In 2014, she could no longer fend off the trolls and unfortunately passed away.

These examples highlight that ‘trolling’ is a serious problem, especially when it comes down to the topic about misogyny and gender equality. Gibson (2011) believes that “it’s not just the Internet” as this kind of behaviour reflects culture – real life attitudes, real life misogyny and it has more prolific due to the use and growth of social media.

Reference List
1. Evans, K, 2011, Men call me things: it’s not as romantic as it sounds, The Drum, 11 November, viewed 15 May 2014, <http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3659712.html>
2. Gibson, M, 2011, #Mencallmethings: Twitter Trend Highlights Sexist Abuse Online, Times, 8 November, viewed 15 May 2014, <http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/11/08/mencallmethings-twitter-trend-highlights-sexist-abuse-online/>
3. News.com.au, Charlotte Dawson in hospital after Twitter attack, News.com.au, 30 August, viewed 15 May 2014, <http://www.news.com.au/national/charlotte-dawson-in-hospital-after-twitter-attack/story-e6frfkp9-1226461526394>
4. Thorpe, V, 2011, Women bloggers call for a stop to ‘hateful’ trolling by misogynist men, The Guardian, 6 November, viewed 15 May 2014, <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/05/women-bloggers-hateful-trolling>
5. Webb, S, 2014, Trolled to death: Model Charlotte Dawson bombarded with vile message over Twitter, DailyMail UK, 23 February, 15 May 2014, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2565903/Trolled-death-Model-Charlotte-Dawson-bombarded-vile-messages-Twitter-just-hours-death.html>

#Clicktivism – Effective or Ineffective?

Source: http://i.imgur.com/7CDws.jpg

The new digital age has changed the way we are able to connect and communicate with others due to the rapid growth and advancement of technology and social media. Now, it has evolved so greatly that we are now able to contribute to social change on a global scale, not through the traditional method of activism but through online activism, also known as clicktivism. Clicktivism can be defined as ‘the use of social media and other online methods to promote a cause’ (Oxford English Dictionary) and it is prominent through social media platforms.

Clicktivism has become an important tool for organisations in order to maximise their impact, spreading awareness and support for themselves and their causes, without utilising their limited supplies because it is inexpensive. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become an ideal medium to promote as the online community is constantly growing and expanding, allowing individuals to become publishers and disseminate information at fast rates, even virally. An important factor of clicktivism is hashtag activism (#hashtag), a term coined by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Thus, these organisations’ causes are able to gain large audience engagement and mainstream attention and coverage.

However, it is just as easy to click and. Critics have attacked clicktivism for being ‘lazy’ and ineffective, labelling these actions as slacktivism. Slacktivism refers to the simple measures used to support an organisation or cause that requires virtually no effort and participation. Critics also believe these actions are simply participation gratification because it lacks engagement and commitment and fails to create any tangible effect in assisting the cause. In a new study published in the Journal of Sociological Science, researchers found that the majority of people who “like” a Facebook page for a cause don’t follow up the gesture with a monetary donation.

An example of both clicktivism and slacktivism is Kony 2012. I’m sure everyone remembers, right? Since it’s been a while, let’s refresh our memory. Kony 2012 was a 30-minute video released in March 2012 and produced by non-profit organisation, Invisible Children Inc. It exposed the series war crimes (focusing on the use of abduction child soldiers) committed by Joseph Kony, the leader of Ugandan guerrilla warfare, Lord’s Resistance Army. Kony 2012 went viral, garnering 10 million views in the first 6 days, mainly due to widespread sharing on Facebook and Twitter (#Kony2012). The video successfully spread awareness and convinced people that the situation in Uganda was important and accessible and their actions could make a real impact there. However, the video began to receive negative press and led to the ultimate failure of their highly anticipated campaign, ‘Cover the Night’. According to Jones (2013), the shortcoming of the otherwise successful online activism campaign was inhibited by the failures of its real-world sponsoring organisation.

In conclusion, clicktivism can have a positive effect in promoting awareness for an organisation and a cause due to the proliferation of technology and social media. There are still doubts on the extent of clicktivism’s effectiveness in generating actual impact and change and the criticisms of slacktivism. However, it is undeniable that the Internet and social media are becoming more pervasive in today’s society and has become an important tool for organisations to promote their cause and engage activists.

Reference List
1. Jones, C, 2013, Activism or Slacktivism? The Role of Social Media in Effecting Social Change, School of Engineering and Applied Science – University of Virginia, 3 March, viewed 12 May 2014, <http://chris-m-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/activism_slacktivism_report.pdf>
2. Park, A, 2013, Clicktivism: Why social media is not good for charity, SBS, 18 November, viewed 12 May 2014, <http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/11/18/clicktivism-why-social-media-not-good-charity>
3. Techopedia, 2014, What is Slacktivism?, viewed 12 May 2014, <http://www.techopedia.com/definition/28252/slacktivism>
4. Williams, A, 2012, Kony 2012 – A Lesson in Online Activism, The Stanley Foundation, viewed 12 May 2014, <http://www.stanleyfoundation.org/resources.cfm?id=725&article=1>