T3FB. Recognizing and Analysing P

Well, we have been talking about Power, trying to define it, contain it, make sense of it and feel our way forward towards some sense of:

• how to recognise it and
• how to analyse and evaluate it

in such a way as to be capable of explaining, interpreting and utilising it in the context of representations of power in the English and US media.

In this respect we suggested the use of sets of criteria which might help with a structure for and tools with which to undertake analysis and evaluation.  These included:

• Nature of Power derived from:-
  • Knowledge and the ability to control information and its communication (incl: programming / propaganda / censorship etc)
  • Position
  • Wealth
  • Violence and/or the threat thereof
  • Personal charisma
  • Integrity: faith and unshakable belief  in the self or ‘something greater’. *

* Added this as an afterthought…. because it appears to me that ‘faith’ and an unimpeachable self-honesty can set one free from fear and influence….. as such, it is a liberating power itself. 

• Motivation for the use of power
  • self-serving (the ultimate minority!).     Autocracy / dictatorship / abuse/misuse
  • serving the interests of the ‘few’ (minority)   Potentially misuse….
  • utilitarian  (greatest good for the greatest number)/ egalitarian: i.e. ‘service’ (majority).  Benign/positive

• Stage in the life-cycle of power 

• seeking power
• coming to / imbued with / taking / seizing / usurping/ winning power
• wielding: exuding/ displaying /employing / directing / misusing /abusing power
• Losing power
• Out of power

 

• Ways and means via which power is exercised: 
  • agencies through which power is directed and compliance enforced
    • ‘carrots’ and/or
    • ‘sticks’
• is the power being demonstrated employed fairly?

•  Impact of exerted power in Hierarchy of Needs terms (A. Maslow).  Represented here as an inverted triangle listing with the ‘base’ at the head of the list.  It goes without saying that power that attacks the very basest needs is both very strong and likely to be utterly evil and alien to any sense of humanity..
  • fundamental physiological needs for survival: food + water etc
  • security needs: shelter and safety: freedom
  • need for love and belonging
  • need for esteem from others and self-respect
  • realising inner potential and need for self-expression

• The role of Media Representation.    Nothing is necessarily as it seems: everything we see in the media has come to us by via ‘lens’ or another that has the potential to distort, be it innocently, negligently or fraudulently.   Everything in the media is representation, literally RE – PRESENTATION: a second, after-the-fact attempt to faithfully record and recreate a moment in time and space.   I could draw a ‘stick-man’ representation of you…. but it will not be you or look like you: it is a representation through the lens of my ideas and limited artistic capabilities.  In the same way your ‘avatars’ in cyberspace games represent you, yet they are not you: they tell a limited, one-dimensional story.  So the question is what ‘distance/difference’ might there be between the event as it happened in time and space (and is no more) and the media representation thereof…..and why?  This may be a function of posing questions such as:
  • Does the media agent have a visible or hidden ‘agenda’ (i.e. it may deliberately introduce a lens/filter to serve its own ends).
    • media ownership and political leaning
    • editorial ‘line’ v neutrality of reporting
    • Sensationalism for sales?
  • Is the representation targeted to a particular audience?
    • does it use archytypes / stereotypes which are easily recognised
    • how does it ‘play’ to our past experiences, knowledge and fears: are there ‘connotations’ being used which are used to link and imply?
    • can one feel a ‘call to action’ or to take a particular opinion/perspective upon the matter: are we being invited to ‘buy-in’?

Let’s try it out on some of these illustrations from the media…. (Yes, I know not all are American or UK or current, but bear with me – for the moment I am wanting to see to what extent you are capable of analysis in some good illustrative contexts: first things first!)

1. That Tianenmen square photograph: by Jeff Widener
2. Vietnam Napalm girl photo
3. Twin Towers Burning video
4. Audi Logo
5. Ukraine limepit WW2.
6. Queen Under Pressure
   
7. Obama Victory Speech video and folio
   
8. The Queen
9. The Prince of Wales
   
10. The CIA
11. Wikileaks
    
12. Mark Zuckerberg
13. The Cross
14. The Dollar Bill:  one side / the other side
    
15. My Space
16. Wikipedia (and, not that you have to look at it…. wikip on ‘power’)
17. Rosa Parks
18. Hello Boys! and the ‘Package’ Holiday (top line 5th image)

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