Wednesday 24 September 2014

Image Issues: Miliband's big speech

We will be exploring the issue of image in politics, how reportage and perception of personality can predominate, leaving actual policy as a secondary matter.

Here's how (traditionally pro-Labour, left-wing) The Guardian's cartoonist Steve Bell reflected Miliband's September 2014 Labour Party Conference speech - seen as a key step on the way to the 2015 general election:


C4 News produced multiple packages to reflect his speech. This one is relatively 'unvarnished', and presents Miliband's 6 policy pledges in a fairly straightforward fashion:


This second C4 News package precedes any word from Miliband with correspondent commentary which frames Miliband and his speech in a largely negative light, which continues with the manner in which his actual speech is presented. It is worth reflecting on the point that while newspapers are not prohibited from being biased (although their own self-regulation Editor's Code includes a clause on 'Accuracy'), it is strictly illegal for broadcast news media to be biased. OfCom can remove the license to broadcast from offenders - and indeed has done just that to some cable/satellite news stations:


According to these young writers, Milliband appeals to young voters.

Wednesday 10 September 2014

GitBo

We will watch this video at the end of the lesson:


Some links:

For any picture galleries, you may have to skip through ads; do not click on any ads.
Q+A or GENERAL GUIDES:
BBC (2013)
The Wiki.
Guardian (2008) [quality UK newspaper]

LATEST NEWS STORIES:
Guardian (quality UK newspaper)
VIDEO: C4 News 2013 report (7mins)

PICTURE GALLERY:
Daily Telegraph (UK quality newspaper). 20+ images.
New York Post (USA tabloid), a pro-GitBo view?
Huffington Post (a major politics blog). It may be easier to copy pictures from this one.
Time magazine (global news mag.)
BBC.

YOUNG ADULT NOVEL:
Guantanomo Boy [Amazon link]: you can read the brief description and user reviews, but you can also click LOOK INSIDE and read the start of the book! Can you find the quote from Gandhi?
Publisher description.

STUDENT PROTEST:
Daily News (US college students)

DEFENDING G. BAY: ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR:
Guardian (UK quality newspaper) report on US government defence.

HOW YOUNG/OLD ARE PRISONERS?
Guardian (UK quality newspaper) report. NB: the video with this story is disturbing.

THE BRITISH PRISONERS:
Guardian interview with inmate [please don't watch the video; we will watch it together later]
VIDEO: Moazzem Begg speaks about his experience as a detainee

HUMAN RIGHTS VIEW:
AUDIO: UK lawyer Clive Stafford Smith puts forward the human rights argument against G.Bay
UN condemns G.Bay practices (Guardian report)

COMEDIAN ON HUNGER STRIKE:
Daily Mail: (UK mid-market/tabloid; may be blocked) Frankie Boyle pledges to use libel award to campaign for last UK GitBo prisoner
Guardian (UK quality newspaper) report: Boyle goes on hunger strike and tweets updates.
Huffington Post (major US right-wing politics blog) on Boyle's hunger strike tweets.
Digital Spy (celebrity blog): short report on Boyle's hunger strike.
Wiki on Shaker Aamer.

US PRESIDENT OBAMA ON G.BAY:
VIDEO: I will close it...
VIDEO: Woman heckles Obama over failing to close G.Bay