CA 351 Final

Emotional Labor

'reality stars' who play themselves with a maximum of emotional and physical expressiveness. 'reality stars' feel the need to not be boring, so they amplify their emotions in order to lose stress and remain relevant. producers engage in emotion-work in order to orchestrate potentially dramatic situations. The producers had to constantly monitor and manage their own feelings and emotional displays in order to manage the feelings and emotional displays of others. The 'best' guests were not only forthcoming about the personal details of their lives, but also willing to 'play' themselves with a maximum of emotional and physical expressiveness in ways that reinforced prevailing class-based cultural stereotypes. *exploitation manipulation of feelings/emotion with management commodifying emotional work done by producers hierarchies (usually low level people dealing/managing relationships) when feelings are commodified and exchanged as an aspect of labor in the workplace expansion of emotion work, or the act of changing the degree of an emotion according to social guidelines strategy producers use for reality TV to make the programs more interesting to get more viewers and ultimately make more money

three types of deep texts

(Caldwell Reading): 1. Fully embedded deep texts: inside the industry. Facilitates intra-group relations. Ex: Demo tapes, pitch session, How-To manuals for equipment 2. Semi-embedded deep texts: How industries communicate across industries. Not private, directed at more informed people. Inter-group relations Ex: (variety, hollywood reporter, conventions expos) Trade shows, press kits, licensing Expos 3. Publicly disclosed deep texts: Professional exchanges for explicit public consumption. Access to the way the industry/companies talk/go about their work. Facilitates extra-group relations. Ex: Making of documentaries, DVD commentaries tracks, Panel, Interviews

insulated funding

(funding that was insulated by the government) Guaranteed set amount of national budget set aside exclusively for TV, promoted by Carnegie Commission, but never happened. Importance: Could help keep PBS stable and allow them to focus more on production rather than sponsorship and fundraising.

Para-Industry

-a shadow economy designed to support TV workers

Semiotic Labor

-audience making meaning of content

Cultural Imperialism

-the notion that one culture colonizes another, such that the dominant culture replaces the native culture and extracts its money/resources in a one-way flow

Transformative Work

-work that transcends or places in a new light the underlying works on which they are based fans take kind of work and by participating in culture they transform work/TV Community video game and Breaking Bad remake with laugh tracks semiotic meaning and materiality of video circulating online changing work, artifact generated by viewers potential to disrupt industry strategies outside industry authorization potential to subvert industry intentions example: Sesame Street and Count challenge industry ownership making and selling something from series (Jayne hat thinkgeek.com partner with 20th century fox to have official licensed one)

transformative work example

1) Clip about Sesame Street 2) "The Count Censored" - youtube clip of the vampire puppet cursing-- replaces the word "count" with "f**k"

industry lore example

1) From Variety Trade Press: "How to Successfully Sell Yourself" Video - Simple techniques you can learn to make it in the TV industry - If you learn them, you will be able to succeed - They don't highlight unpaid internships in this industry (brings hope to people wanting to be in this industry) 2) "Breaking Into the Business": Clip of a man that tells you exactly how to do it: --> Develop a "unique" POV --> Go to LA, network, find someone willing to mentor you (FOR $) --> Talent will be recognized if you work hard enough... (Function of these stories: a lot of people interested in the TV world, but it is not as plentiful as many think)

Three types of decoding

1) Preferred or dominant: Draw on same sorts of codes as producers, Acceptance of the intended message EX: commercial for febreze saying it is wonderful, and you agree 2) Oppositional: Reading rejecting codes and positions, Opposing preferred meaning, Resistant interpretation, drawing on your own competing worldview EX: one completely rejects, one does not 3) Negotiated: Fall in biblically between preferred and oppositional, Most of the ways in which people read texts are in this mode of negotiation Agree with some, negotiate others

"quality" discourse example

1) The Good Wife and Game of Thrones (think of when we put certain tv shows in order based on their "quality") - changes over time - rests in people's perception 2) Westworld (screening episode)→Serialized, large scale production, directs its programming at an affluent audience

para-industry example

1) membership agreement for joining Broadcast members 2) Seminars, conferences, books on how to succeed in Hollywood 3) IEEE Broadcast Membership: (The field of interest of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) shall encompass devices, equipment, techniques, and systems related to broadcast technology,...)

mediation example

1) portrayal of gayness in Modern Family (lecture) 2) Editing. There's always a different way to cut, shoot... that can bring different meanings. There's always an element of shifting perspective to reality

mediation

1. Process of selection, ordering, and organizing 2. Reality is only partially represented, constructed 3. Lots of decisions are made in shaping it, with many perspectives left out - Affects how we frame things or see them as important Subject to: - Formal and institutional constraint - Depends on who has power of the TV industry Importance: Reality is only partially constructed on its own. To reflect it in a way that makes a clearer message, Reality is mediated through the work of TV producers

formatting example

1. The Bridge (from the tv show Broen that was produced in Denmark/Sweden) 2. The office 3. America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, Survivor, American Idol, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

insulated funding

A manner in which public television receives funds from sources other than Congress; The Carnegie Commission recommended this route of funding to protect the public television system from being influenced by political shifts; However, PBS ended up not being insulated, meaning it was held accountable to Congress for renewal; Lecture 11/3--Public TV in America _____ is a safeguard against corporate and government influences into public TV. Meant to protect Public TV from political shifts and ensure that it remains unbiased and democratic. However much of the insulated funding has been challenged if not removed so public TV must find their own way of getting funding - through donors, whom they must please through programming that caters or pleases the donors through acknoledgements such as enhanced underwritings. Funding that is guaranteed to public and public access television from the government. Has decreased steeply in recent years because public outlets have found it increasingly difficult to make a case for how they serve the community in a way that is different from the commercial system. Guaranteed set amount of national budget set aside exclusively for TV could help to keep PBS stable and allow them to focus more on production rather than on sponsorship and fundraising ID: original prop was for public access to get a set amount of money each year no matter what, no influence from lawmakers was not accepted and each year debated part of federal budget - less than 20% of funds from feds; more from corp. underwriters and viewers like you -Mitt Romney hates Big Bird, example from lecture, he wanted to cut funding *: important because if it was implemented it would be a way for TV to be made without the interest of corps and pol parties in mind Guaranteed set amount of national budget set aside exclusively for tv. Promoted by Carnegie Commission, but never actually happened.

para-industry

A shadow economy designed to support TV workers - Mentors you pay to help - Industry who has come to the floor to promise strategies of success --> turns this into profit for themselves Emergence of an industry to make money on how to be successful in the industry

Public Broadcasting Service

Abbreviated = PBS - Created in 1967 under Public Broadcast Act of 1967 - It's a system of national distribution for programs made by individual stations. PBS was called on to bring "excellence and diversity" to the airwaves Ex→ Frontline Episode (from screening) good fit for PBS because... - Diversity of voices - Detail, investigative journalism

consumer activism

Active audiences versus activist audiences - Participates, does work in our culture to try to change representations in television, limit kinds of programming aimed at children - Lobbying industry for change

Cultural Capital

An accumulation of knowledge and skills from an industry that one can tap into to demonstrate social status. Cultural capital can be a key component in the value of post network television, as people need to watch to gain knowledge of shows

Deep Texts

An industry text targeting towards a niche audience. Three types of deep texts. Fully embedded: people within a profession talking to others about that job, not intended for public use. Semi embedded: non private but intelligent information that facilitates inter-group relations between media professionals. Publicly disclosed: Professional information meant for public consumption that facilitates extra-group relations.

imagined communities

Any community where you feel you have an identity even though you won't meet everyone in the group. You have a shared identity with the other fans in the community. Facebook, Twitter, often facilitates these communities providing a platform for this fandom to take place. Importance: Relates to idea of inclusion/exclusion → who is/isn't part of this community... drawing boundaries around who is to be valued. Reinforces hierarchical structures.

Consumer Activism

Audience interventions that contradict the original intent of a shows producers, changing the narrative of a program. Can be seen as a form of culture jamming, reflecting anti corporate sentiments.

audience function example

Brony culture→ My Little Pony was not intended for a young adult male subculture How does the audience participate in interpreting content

below-the-line labor example

Cinematographers, extras, editors, art directors; support for creatives, recognized as skilled tradespeople, wagers → shaped by collectively bargained union contracts (scale) → Skilled traits people, but not considered creative contributors to the TV process (even though they are)

Flexible Microcasting

Combines historical, over-the-air, cable, satellite, and flow with computer technologies to reconfigure the meanings and practices of TV. By using multiple platforms on and off of television, the networks can expand viewing and engagement levels. Can be used to personalize/localize content to a viewer.

parents TV council

Conservative advocacy group concerned with "family values" Creates viewer resources like "Family Guide to Prime Time TV" Enables citizens to file FCC complaints Proponents of "a la carte" cable to keep "bad" channels out Equal aim is consumer pressure on networks, advertisers Goal = better industry self-regulation to serve family values market Grants "seals of approval" to accommodating programs Identifies offenders as potential sources of consumer boycott Family values have limited consumer power in context of "edge" Definition: Conservative advocacy group concerned with "family values" in order to establish better industry self-regulation to serve family values market. Importance: it enables citizens to file FCC complaints and becomes proponents of "a la carte" cable to keep "bad" channels out. They Identify offenders as potential sources of consumer boycott. Citizen group organized in 1995 to protect conservative family values on television. Strong proponents of "a la carte" cable systems to keep the "bad" channels out and away from their children. Goal is to better industry self-regulation to serve family values. Grants "seal of approval" for primetime programming and is a potential source of consumer boycott. ____ is the conservative advocacy group concerned with family values. They create viewer resources like "family guide to prime time TV," and enables citizens to file complaints to FCC. Grants "seals of approval" to accommodating programs. Family values have limited consumer power in context of "edge." Their goal is for their to exist better industry self regulation to serve Family Values.

corporation for public broadcasting

Created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Nonprofit organization that distributes money to PBS channels to create programming. Supports production made by public systems. Definitions: created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967; an independent company used to manage and distribute public funds; supports program production by local public stations Importance: used to fund public television while the public broadcasting system (PBS) is used to distribute the programs made by public stations; public broadcast stations can apply for/use Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds to make their programs and can buy programs made by other PBS station Mandating public tv in US in result of act of 67. Ind't company to manage & distribute public funds Supports program production by local public stations.

Caldwell

Cultures of Production: Studying Industry's deep Texts, Reflexive Rituals, and Managed Self-Disclosures All types of deep texts Industry labor, above and below line Connect with sreenings of the week: 30 Rock and The Comeback

imagined communities

Definitions: Any community where you feel you have an identity even though you won't meet everyone in group. Shared identity and belonging with community of fans. Media often creates these communities because everyone is accessing it. Importance: relates to the idea of exclusion vs inclusion; who is/isn't part of this community? Drawing boundaries around who is to be It shows the power of the television industry to create communities and experiences The understanding of what it means to belong to a certain group. Ex. what it means to "be an American." Even though you're never going to meet everyone in a large group, there is a general understanding that everyone in that group holds the same values and ideals that producers can the "hail" to elicit a certain response from the audience. Creates nationalistic norms. Reinforces mainly hegemonic ideals - white, heterosexual, etc. Nations have to be "imagined" into being; Sharing an identity w/ people we have never met; Socially constructed feeling of belonging, yet very real; A nation is essentially a socially constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group; These communities depend on exclusion as much as inclusion--TV industry draws boundaries around who is to be valued and for what reasons; Industries, just like audience/consumers, are imagined communities as well; Lecture 10/29--Public TV as Transnational Context & 11/19--The Viewer in the TV Factory

production culture

Definitions: industry behaviors/norms formed through shared texts, identities, communities (Caldwell Reading) Importance: within the culture lies struggles over authority, cultural power. Power dynamics between BTL and ATL. Below the Line and Above the Line labor have different visibility in this culture, ATL workers are more exposed and reflect more on themselves and industry.

formatting

Definitions: the idea that some TV shows can be used as templates for local remade to fit certain cultures. So it's a process of turning one show, which has certain format, into another show for foreign audience, by changing some parts of it to make it fit into local context, but remaining the general format of the show. General format enables ideas for show to be locally remade (ex. Big Brother); Allows TV to travel internationally; Formatting is a form of adaptations. It helps global programming serve local needs. template that guides TV programming and can be for the people; operates via cable and is supported by cable subscriptions importance: increase overseas viewership format programming is devised, produced, and broadcast in one territory format is made available as a set of services or franchised knowledges, allowing a program to be adapted and produced for broadcast in another territory mainstay of TV output in many different territories across the world, so it can be related to global convergence depends on linquistic, intertextual, and cultural codes of each territory, and these local codes can be compared globally TV production where a de-nationalized production can be developed for a nationalized audience. Allows a creator to sell the idea of their show to different national audiences. This is often done with game shows and reality shows, as they are the easiest to accommodate for a local audience.

legitimation

Discussed in Newman and Levine's article "Legitimating Television and Another Golden Age" → Certain forms of television in our current era of convergence seek a rise in status, and are now viewed as respectable culture → Ongoing process to elevate television, rooted in discourses of progress and improvement → Issue Newman and Levine see is that for some forms of TV to be considered "art" other must be denigrated in inadequacy, reinforcing social hierarchies and prevailing structures of status (refers to the process of TV producers making a claim of "quality". Since TV has long been considered an artless medium, producers often attempt to legitimate their content by comparing it to established art forms (Cinema, theater, novels) and by delegitimizing other content on TV (such as soaps or reality TV), which becomes problematic, since that involves making a value judgment on what is "quality" that may not be shared by all audiences)

Quality Discourse

Discussion of what is and is not "quality" constructed beyond the text. Places audiences in cultural and market hierarchies of value. Constructed by sanctioned "knowers" from the industry, or critics. It is a claim that enforces dominant taste culture. It increases opportunities for direct programming at affluent, sophisticated niche audiences.

connected viewing

Doing more than one thing while you are watching a program - Use of phones while watching television Commenting about shows in real time on social media - Distracted and fragmented audiences, not watching the ads - Encouragement by broadcasters to watch show live and post on social media during the fact

audience function

Encoding and decoding, how determinative is how the authors value our intentions How do the audience's values and interpretation govern programming? Importance of this to the tv industry: subculture (unintended) can legitimize a show (ex: my little pony might not fit quality tv description, but this young male adult subculture interested in the program gives it a higher status) - could legitimate a program that is de-legitimated

Andrejevic

Exploiting YouTube: Contradictions of User-Generated Labor Exploitation of labor - free? The objective is data-driven control: the channeling of users' own activity to further a goal arrived at neither through shared participation nor conscious deliberation: that of increasingly accelerated consumption Connect with screenings of the week: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and Insecure

types of decoding example

Ex→ Clip about voting (shown in class) Preferred-- People will vote for him Oppositional-- People will not vote for him Negotiated-- Like the people, don't want to vote for him

Transformative Work

Fan culture changing the original work to the point where they can claim ownership. Could include fan made edits of certain characters, highlighting their plot lines or relationships. Form of cultural convergence, shows audience interaction and interest.

production culture

Formed through shared texts, identities, communities. Within these cultures are struggles over authority and cultural power. Manifests: 1. Generates meaningful texts/rituals 2. Establishes/reinforces labor identities 3. Makes some workers/labor visible/invisible

Becker

From High Culture to Hip Culture: Transforming the BBC into BBC America Discuss how particular marketing and programming choices made by BBC America in inaugural half-decade separated new channel from traditional BBC brand identity in US Argue this reorientation was result of 2 primary goals for BBC America's parent corporation: Succeed on American TV and thus generate revenue for BBC, necessary for survival in competitive multichannel global TV marketplace Help BBC maintain current operational and funding structure in anticipation of potential 2006 Royal Charter renewal, fighting off attempts to drastically alter corporation BBC America one exception in US to American TV made in America but GOOD

transmedia storytelling

From a production standpoint→ involves creating content that engages an audience using various techniques to permeate their daily lives. - The development of content across multiple channels → Encouraged by cultural convergence In order to achieve this engagement, a transmedia production will develop stories across multiple forms of media in order to deliver unique pieces of content in each channel. → converts passive viewers into active participants, and promotes them to engage in the media unlike before

Insulated Funding

Funding for public television with a source other than congress. Recommended because its a way for public TV to resist the influence of political shifts. This did not work out however, and PBS is insulated, it depends on congress for renewal.

Moran

Global franchising, local customizing: The cultural economy of TV program formats This process of localization is examined on three levels using a model derived from translation theory. The article finds that the localization which occurs in such processes primarily involves the development of content that is nationally unexceptional through which audiences in a national territory can be addressed as a collective 'we'. Even beyond this detail, format adaptation raises crucial issues concerning globalization and nationalization, and these are addressed in the final part of the analysis. Format programming: Program devised, produced, and broadcast in one territory Format made available as a set of services or franchised knowledges, which allow program to be adapted and produced for broadcast in another territory Only successful, popula programs become adapted and involves local production labor which can count as local content Flexible template or empty mould awaiting particular social inflection and accent in other TV territories to appeal to home audiences in that place Unbounded and universal, offering self as possible evidence of emerging global TV system Program modified to seem local or national in origin Adaptations Link to screenings of the week: Broen/Bron and The Bridge

Linder

History of Public Access Television Public access TV: Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable TV specialty channels. ... PEG channels are typically only available on cable television systems.

Banet-Weiser

Home is Where the Brand Is: Children's TV in a Post-Network Era The cable industry: the first stage of post-network TV Brand culture: the second stage of post-network TV Kids in brand culture: victims or savvy consumers? Television in the space of the brand Brand culture functions as kind of lifestyle politics for kids - something one is or does rather than pointing to a particular consumer good one purchases Connect to screening for the week: iCarly

Quality Discourse

ID: -the way you talk about the way TV is legitimated and delegitimated -the way in which particular shows are talked about by particular people -male shows considered more legit and quality -a delimitation of a field of objects -we have to define our "sanctioned" knowers (critics, producers, privileged quality viewers, writers) -establish the norms for the elaboration of the field (getting jobs in industry, trade press, New Yorker) *: -comedy gets devalued -soap people are out of work or move to reality television -putting labels on people depending on what they watch quality audience vs. not a quality audience Definitions: Quality TV is a discourse, not a self-evident concept. A system of thought that regulates/organizes practices and bodies made for increased opportunities to direct programming at sophisticated, affluent niches; compared to "non-televisuals" (beyond television) like film and art. Constructed by sanctioned "knowers": industry, critics, some audiences. "Quality" TV for kids = educational and commercial free Importance: Quality TV doesn't stop us watching, but organized our thoughts as viewers. Quality shows provides programming with more aesthetic and cultural value so they are legitimated to a higher level and could associate with higher value audiences. We still talk about TV as the "boob tube" and these notions devalue taste and the intelligence of audiences → "trash" TV remains a point of distinction among fragmented audiences Conversations that distinguish the "good" from the "bad" on television. Based strongly off of cultural capital, societal ideals that are considered more or less valuable based largely off of factors such as education, race, sexuality, etc. Production budgets also strongly affect the perceived quality of a show, the higher the production value, the higher the quality. For this reason, it is generally agreed that quality television tends to be more "cinematic" in nature. Because there is more money in the commercial industry than ever before, production value is higher and there is therefor more "quality television" than there has ever been before. Not a self-evident concept; A system of thought that regulates/organizes practices and bodies; Constructed by sanctioned "knowers" (critics, TV Academy members who have the power to arbitrate "quality"); Seems most obvious when we look at texts; Construction of quality happens in industrial and social contexts--look at audiences, branding, and criticisms; Some audiences are thus valued over others (educated, high income), and cultural hierarchies persist; The idea, promoted through cultural hierarchies and traditional notions of art and creativity, that some TV is markedly better than others, due primarily to production value, content, performance, and authorial visibility; Wrestling with Value in Soaps and Sports; Newman and Levine--Legitimating Television higher production shows made for an affluent audience producers make claims of quality when considering TV programs as art in an attempt to legitimate their content inorder to do this, other content must be delegitimized, or considered a lesser quality, which can be problematic because making these value judgements of "quality" may not be shared by all audiences

audience function

ID: Audience participates in a program · user-generated websites and content How industry looks at an audience and adjusts accordingly · Economic value, matters to producers, exploitation, derive money · Culture, recognizes kids market, social · Empowerment to self, engagement, Jenkins · Participatory culture, fandom · Encoding, decoding *: Regardless of what side of it you look at, they play a major role in TV ______ is what some television intellects refer to as the responsibility of the audience to give meaning to practitioner's creative work mostly from cultural hierarchies outlaid by society, but also from audience participation and polysemic readings that may shape how producers produce TV texts later.

Neoliberalism

Ideology favoring the private sector of business and economy for society over public business. Believes that a free market will provide the best solutions for public needs. Embraces deregulation and privatization at a policy level. As neoliberalism gains support, PBS loses legitimacy as people rethink its creation.

neoliberalism

Ideology that believes that privatization of lots of different things than public investment. Trying to lessen public investment and push privatization - Belief that free market will provide best solutions to public needs - Embrace of deregulation, austerity, and privatization at policy level - "We don't need public TV, free market can control it all"

Production Culture

Industry behaviors and norms formed through deep texts. Conceptualizes the TV industry as a cultural, political, and economic space. Within the culture there is a struggle for authority and power amongst workers. Above the line workers are often more exposed, and greater reflect themselves and the industry to the public eye for criticism. Not immune to society's ideas about gender, race, class ethnicity, etc.

Decoding

It is the audience's job to decode meaning from their own interpretative frameworks. Preferred readings draw on same ideological codes as producers, while oppositional readings reject codes and conventions. Negotiated readings fall in between with ambivalence.

Wilson

Jamming Big Brother: Webcasting, Audience Intervention, and Narrative Activism Culture jamming: Media activism rooted in intersections of countercultural and anti capitalist social movement Seeking to disrupt and subvert intentions of corporate producers as well as to influence outcome of the story (Big Brother) Appropriation of new media technologies and information systems to invade, intercept, and disrupt corporate systems and their products Counter Messages that hack into corporation's own method of communication to send a message starkly at odds with the one that was intended Narative activism: Form of media/culture jamming Purposefully playful and subversive activity that reflects both postmodern condition as well as anti corporate and antiglobalization sentiments Fun reading

Christopherson

Labor: The Effects of Media Concentration on the Film and Television Workforce Sense of crisis felt by many members of the entertainment media industry is different from that experienced by manufacturing workers upon restructuring of industries in 70s and 80s Most significant about changes in film and TV work is link that can be drawn between politics and policies (deregulation) and changing fortunes of labor force

precarity

Lack of predictability in the industry. Creates exploitation - a lot of people cannot afford to brave the harsh conditions of entering the industry. (Post-Fordism) These conditions promise workers greater "freedom" Idea of "creative work" makes precarity more attractive But weakens collective bargaining positions State of uncertainty. Attractive to those wanting creative freedom, but limits collective bargaining positions for workers. You may have a job today but you don't necessarily know where your next job might be coming from. Steers people without a safety net away from the industry. ______ is the lack of predictably or material security for the laborers in the television industry, especially below-the-line workers who have to make them selves appealing to others through industry lore and public deep texts, making people their own contractor in this way. The lack of predictability or material security; These conditions promise workers greater "freedom"; Idea of "creative work" makes precarity more attractive, but also weakens collective bargaining positions and limits the power of unions to protect TV workers; Creates an opening for para-industry (shadow economy designed to support TV workers)

Newman & Levine

Legitimating Television/Another Golden Age (Convergence Era) Legitimation: Produces bifurcation of medium into good and bad TVs, but this denaturalized logic of this legitimation and by doing so reveals implications of Tv's shifting areas Elevation from ordinary culture of people to refined sphere of upper class culture in holiday - art world arises around forms to legitimate them Art forms rising in status history Quality and actual Golden Age rn? Connect with screenings of the week: Westworld and Days of Our Lives

Legitimation

Legitimation refers to the process of TV producers making a claim of "quality". Since TV has long been considered an artless medium, producers often attempt to legitimate their content by comparing it to established art forms (Cinema, theater, novels) and by delegitimizing other content on TV (such as soaps or reality TV), which becomes problematic, since that involves making a value judgment on what is "quality" that may not be shared by all audiences. Who deicdes quality? - critics, award givers, usually middle-aged higher class white men - also deep texts how we factor others opinions into own other mediums come into discourse (similar to movies = what we consider quality) (if movies are just like TV= meh) in order to put one thing up, gotta put something else down -how do gender, race, and class fator into this (things that are good are hings for middle aged upperclass white ment) is this golden age? Distinctions of quality in TV. Leans towards masculine, upper class, and new content over the opposites. Television is simultaneously legitimized and delegitimized. Does not account for personal taste, but some tastes hold more cultural capital.

Levine

Like Sands Through the Hourglass: The Changing Fortunes of the Daytime Soap Opera Future of genre that has been immensely meaningful to wide range of individuals and institutions throughout US broadcast history is in doubt Soaps' effort at survival in post-network era and explaining decline in soap ratings Shows powerful community bonds around soaps with criticism of recent shifts in storytelling and production by invested viewers and industry workers

deep texts

Meant to be understood by certain people. Fully-embedded: coming from inside industry. Bounded professional exchanges; facilitates intra-group relations (Circulated by production personnel within the relatively bounded, proprietary worlds of work.) (ex: Demo tapes, pitch sessions, corporate retreats) semi-embedded: not private, directed at informed people. Professional exchanges with ancillary public viewing; facilitates inter-group relations (between media professionals) (ex: Trade publications, internship programs) publicly-disclosed: Professional exchanges for explicit public consumption; facilitates extra-group relations (public) (interviews, ex: Making-ofs, extras, q and as) This is how meaning is being made of the industry. Shows how industry is representing themselves. EX: 30 rock, the comeback are fictional representations of how the TV industry works behind the scenes ID: 3 layers of this: -Fully Embedded- within community, only people producing will understand and get text, amongst producers, round table of Breaking Bad -Semi Embedded- trade show- of that type of work, not everything is fully disclosed, more public than fully but members only element still evident, not televised -Publicly Disclosed-interviews from actors, etc. tells the public. People filling in the public sphere 30 rock is fiction of what happens in the industry *: It's significant because publicly disclosed text allows the everyday person to take a peek into the industry but the other two are what it really looks like...might not be the same as what they say Definitions: Meant to be understood by certain people. Fully-embedded: coming from inside industry. Bounded professional exchanges; facilitates intra-group relations (Circulated by production personnel within the relatively bounded, proprietary worlds of work.)(ex: Demo tapes, pitch sessions, corporate retreats) semi-embedded: not private, directed at informed people. Professional exchanges with ancillary public viewing; facilitates inter-group relations (between media professionals) (ex: Trade publications, internship programs) publicly-disclosed: Professional exchanges for explicit public consumption;Access to the way that practitioner work, think, and talk about how they work and think. facilitates extra-group relations (public) (interviews, social media, ex: Making-ofs, extras, q and as) Importance: This is how meaning is being made of the industry. Shows how industry is representing themselves and wants to be represented. EX: 30 rock, the comeback are fictional representations of how the TV industry works behind the scenes.

Flexible Microcasting

Microcasting is marketing towards a singular person (personalization) Individuated, non-broadcast experiences from user-specific market data Sports have expansive economic value in the post network era and are site of experimentation for flexible microcasting usually for websites!! Reading: Johnson article significance: Shows the advancement of the industry and the ability to target a very specific audience. It also demonstrates the way sports have flourished and become very lucrative in the post-network era.

Public Broadcasting System

Nat'l exchange to distribute programs made by public stations States, cities, universities own/operate broadcast stations Stations choose what to show, when to show it Operates more like syndication than network distribution Must keep potential donors happy Sometimes, result = "safely splendid" programming 1995: congressional agenda to defund this "little sandbox for the rich" EX: Sherlock ID: Started from the Carnegie Commission Report in 1967 -system of national distribution for programs made by public stations -PEG IS PART OF PBS -decentralized and networks are centralized -PBS owned by states, universities and cities and each pay a fee for the operating costs and they each make their own programs (and sell them to others) or buy programs from other stations or from syndicators (BBC) -more control over the scheduling -donars are elites Mission= doing what commercial TV cannot must keep potential private donors happy... result = "safely splendid" programming..ex: classical music concert pressure to become more populist not edgy at all National exchange to distribute programs made by public stations; No insulated funding--accountable to Congress for renewal; Decentralized development, scheduling and station releases; A programming exchange that offers a menu of options--stations choose what to show/when to show it, operates more like syndication than network distribution; Distributes content among member stations; Facilitates production and acquisition of programming; Acts as a non-commercial, non-political network; Strives to be diverse, educational, politically challenging and cultural; Recently their mission has faced pressure to be more populist, be acceptable to "family values," demonstrate lack of political bias, and be self-sufficient; Lecture 11/3--Public TV in America & Lecture 11/5--TV and Community Media; Linder--History of Public Access TV

flexible microcasting example

Netflix personalizes homepage, predicts films you would like based on films you have watched and what you have rated.

cultural discount

Notion that people prefer media products that are produced in their own countries (w their/our customs and traditions) - Culturally approximate views have a less of this - Diversity of content might not appeal to specificities of each culture - Trend of run-away culture in the industry - Content that is made to be in the US, but filmed abroad

Emotional Labor

Often seen with reality tv stars, they feel the need to exhaust themselves emotionally for entertainment, because that is whats valued. Producers of reality tv often engage in emotion based work to orchestrate grand/dramatic situations. Producers work to balance and construct an emotional stories for characters on tv, those willing to play the part will find more success on reality tv.

neoliberalism example

PBS loses legitimacy as the current stage of "neoliberalism" rethinks the interventions of the 1960s - such as PBS's creation

consumer activism example

Parents Television Council (organized group of audience members who lobby to change representation) → Conservative media watchdog group that wants to promote family values. → These activists groups can organize individual consumers to participate in the tv industry: Ratings legends, Indicates what shows are suitable for you / your child on that particular evening, Listing each season of the kinds of programs that are most suitable for you Can do most effectively = organize resistance in ways the tv industry doesn't love → Tells us how to complain to the FCC

Johnson

Participation is Magic: Collaboration, Authorial Legitimacy, and the Audience Function Who is an author Toys + TV Lots on authorship cuz bronies made own stuff and added to lady People only cared about potential of show when white men became invested While bronies themselves may be complex subculture defined by networks of social relations and concrete practices, they also function at the level of authorship as a discourse - imaginative nexus where notions of co-creativity and participation with cultural production have been worked through and understood Audience function: Discursively imagined audiences, and the cultural hierarchies in which they are situated, grant meaning and value to the creative practice and identities of authors Authorship reminds us of the need to think about how participation might extend the role of power in imagining the creative Check out lecture on it

Cultural Discount

People prefer media aimed towards their own culture. When media from another culture is imported from another, some of the value is lost. This is the cultural discount.

cultural imperialism example

Pretty Little Liars (so many distribution sites in different countries for this show)

Mediation

Process of ordering, selecting and organizing reality in the production process. Example: Editing. There's always a different way to cut, shoot... that can bring different meanings. There's always an element of shifting perspective to reality Importance: Reality is only partially constructed on its own. To reflect it in a way that makes a clearer message, Reality is mediated through the work of TV producers

Mediation

Process of partly reconstructing reality. TV is a representation of reality that is always mediated, it distorts and reshapes social reality like a fun-house mirror. By appealing to reality, content can be more effective at getting through to an audience. There is however always an element of shifting perspective. Gives producers power to shape media culture. This is why television can be considered a medium in the post network era.

decoding

Producers encode TV with preferred meanings Often based in hegemonic conventions and ideological frameworks But meaning is polysemic - unfixed and multi-layered Producer intent shapes but does not fully control meaning Audiences decode based on their own interpretative frameworks *Preferred readings draw on same ideological codes as producers *Oppositional readings reject hegemonic codes and conventions Drawing on competing/radical worldviews *Negotiated readings fall ambivalently in between Decoding (done by textual poachers) Polysemy refers to a multiplicity of meanings that can be placed into and read from TV texts. Producers often encode certain meanings into texts, but they have no control over the meanings that media consumers decode from those texts. The issue of negotiated readings or deliberate misreading of a text challenge the intentions of the producers and empower the consumers to make their own meanings from media, as exemplified by the 'Bronies', who have subverted the intended meaning of "My Little Ponies" and read it in a different age and gender context that it was intended for.

deep texts

Professional exchanges in which labor identities are reinforced. They are known for reinforcing who is visible as a force behind a production (above the line) and who is invisible (below the line) Importance: Shows how industry meaning is being made. Shows how they represent themselves and what they want to be represented (EX: 30 rock, the comeback - fictional representations of how TV industry works behind the scenes.)

Public Broadcasting Service

Programming distributor created from the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Good for documentaries and children's programming, PBS has slightly different rules than a private cable company does with broadcasting. Since it is a public service, greater censorship rules are in place for content. Facilitates production and acquisition of programming; Acts as a non-commercial, non-political network; Strives to be diverse, educational, politically challenging and cultural.

Encoding

Putting meaning into a text, often based on hegemonic conventions and ideological frameworks. A producer may have intent for meaning, but it will always be multi layered and unfixed.

Ouelette

Reinventing PBS Good content for public while doing well as a production In 2000, PBS reinvented self: Make public TV more entrepreneurial and competitive in changing cultural marketplace (streamlining business operations, updating PBS programming, rebranding image, forging commercial partnerships, expanding revenue-generating activities across broadcast and new media platforms) Update public TV's non-commercial public service mission for digital era and identify new justifications for public and philanthropic funding This chapter analyzes reinvention of PBS as response to double bind it now faces: loss of place as commercial channels multiply and new media technologies emerge AND loss of legitimacy as current stage of neoliberalism rethinks interventions of the 1960s and advances a privatized approach to the public good Connect to screening of the week: Sherlock

Grindstaff

Self-Serve Celebrity: The Production of Ordinariness and the Ordinariness of Production in Reality Television Ordinariness: TV itself exists in multimedia, multi mediated environment in which participation of real people is increasingly common Case studies provide lens through which to examine social and cultural dynamics of reality programming as understood from perspective of ordinary character-participants, group most neglected by scholars of the genre Reality TV less important for "real" stories it tells about characters and more important for stories it tells about production process itself Concept of celebrity plays increasingly significant role in shaping how we construct our cultural identities Seem pressing concern to explore strategies and practices of those on frontlines of this transformation emotional labor Connect with screenings of the week: The Bachelorette and UnReal

Para-industry

Shadow economy that supports established TV industry workers over new ones. This is a direct response to the precarity of the industry, and aims to protect those with actual experience. The idea of creative expression makes a precarious job more appealing, but diminishes collective bargaining and the power of labor unions to protect workers.

Imagined Communities

Shared identities with people with similar interests that forms a community. Occurs in media often as fans of a show congregate to share their love of a show. These communities can provide a socially constructed feeling of belonging and acceptance amongst fans.

transmedia storytelling example

Star Wars (arguably the most extensive world built across platforms)

Industry Lore

Stories created from the industry, to inspire those both within and outside of it. Gives people hope that they will succeed, but is also used as a clever way to get free labor. "Common sense" way of doing things among media industry executives and workers. Is circulated within deep texts where people can share labor identities and form labor communities. TV labor is shaped by the culture of industry lore.

Transmedia Storytelling

Storytelling that takes place across multiple platforms. Each piece of the media contributes to a deeper, richer narrative. Just one examples of convergence culture in the post network era. A smart creator will work towards the different strengths of each storytelling platform to further strengthen the effects. Also can encourage connected viewing, as audiences can be brought to places like websites and forums for content.

consumer activism

Target of intervention = corporations Limitation = effectiveness dependent on market value of activists boycotts, pressure advertisements to pull sponsorship vote with dollars and apply market pressure also active citizen/public activism level and representational activism level

formatting

Television production where a de-nationalized program template is developed which can be customized and domesticates for local audiences. - Sell the idea of a show to other independent producers in other countries and they remake those shows in their local markets Importance: It is a strategy to combat cultural discount. Proven idea that's worked in other places. TV formats continue to anchor their adaptations in the ongoing reality of the national (because we are in an era of rapidly changing features of television landscape)

emotional labor

The act of trying to change in degree or quality an emotion or feeling according to latent social guideline. When feelings are commodified and exchanged as an aspect of labor power in the workplace, emotional work becomes emotional labor. → Everyday life like skills of emotion-management that production staff bring to their jobs →(Grindstaff)The notion of "self service television" to capture the ways in which these two dimensions intersect: producers engage in emotional work in order to orchestrate potentially dramatic situations -- i.e. they erect the physical and emotional scaffolding out of which "good" performances emerge - so that so-called ordinary people can deliver "good" drama to audiences (how ordinary people are produced)

below-the-line labor

The lower part of the hierarchy of labor in media, consisting of labor that works on the physical elements of production, lacking any control of the creative direction of the production, which is reserved for above-the-line laborers. While these workers can indeed have creative impact on productions, this impact is rarely made visible to audiences and is largely invisible within the industry as all.

cultural imperialism

The notion that one culture is colonizing another, such that the dominant culture replaces the native culture, and extracts resources in one-way flow → Other countries often try to protect their media products when faced with this

Below-the-line labor

The production team of a task. Unlike above the line roles (actors, writers, producers) they often go unnoticed and underappreciated for significantly less pay. Often composed of skilled tradespeople whose wages are constructed through collectively bargained union contracts.

"quality" discourse

The ways in which we talk about a certain issue and how we circulate meaning about a certain issue in our culture. A system of thought that regulates and organizes social practices bodies made for increased opportunities to direct programming at sophisticated, affluent niches. 1) Delimiting a field of objects (i.e. quality TV such as pay TV/expensive production costs/rarity) 2) Constructed by sanctioned knowers (i.e. industry, critics, some audiences) 3) Figuring out why people get to be cultural legitimators

semiotic labor

The work you do to make meaning of the program (understand its message and what it is saying to you)-- understood in the same ways as material work

Industry Lore

These are stories that the industry tells about itself to the public; Discourses, regimes of truth that organize behavior within industry; The "lore" of breaking in to the industry; These ideological stories reaffirm industry power structures; Validates the worthiness, status of those who have already made it in the industry; Creates an over supply of labor with expectations of no living wage ___ ___ is the common sense stories that shape expectations. "Breaking in" narratives and "passion" create oversupply of labor. Stories told about the industry by the industry. Can create perceptions about certain positions or dynamics. Reinforces power hierarchies. Creates expectations about what breaking into the industry will be like. Definitions: Common sense stories that shape expectations, story like breaking into the industry. These are stories that are constructed by and circulated throughout the industry; who gets to decide what lore is? Not necessarily self-aware of the stories/narratives that are being perpetuated. Importance: define culture of television work; influences perceptions of television industry; these ideological discourses organize behavior within the industry and reaffirm industry power structures; Creates oversupply of labor with expectations of no living wage. validates the worthiness of those who have already "made it" ID: The story people in the industry tell everyone else about getting into the industry- if you work hard enough and want it bad enough, you'll get there. because they want cheap labor; shows "American dream" rhetoric; consequence is that the people that don't make it very high up are considered lazy.."lore" is a way of talking about things, deep texts and media perpetuate lore *: important because this is not the way it always happens and a lot of the time people don't get credit for their work they do in the industry and fail more than not significant because people bankrupt themselves because they believe in this mythology, relates to the discourse the media presents. This benefits media conglomerates, and results in fewer rights to workers

cultural discount example

US in Canada → culture is not that different so things in Canada are easy to transmit to US

emotional labor example

UnReal episode →The parody of the bachelor and reality television →Workers had conversations with the contestants to manipulate their emotions in causing some sort of reaction

Audience Function

Values and meanings the audience can bring to a media. An example is Brony culture, which actually legitimizes the show more than its intended audience ever could.

transformative work

Way that fan culture can change an original work and make it a parody or satire and safely claim ownership of that work. Changes meaning of content

encoding/decoding

We interpret television in different ways: All messages are constructed (encoded) and received (decoded) Encoding: Producers encode tv with preferred or intended meanings (mostly based on hegemonic ideologies) Decoding: Audiences decode based on their own interpretative frameworks (Importance: this creates polysemy-- Why producers cannot completely control audience reactions. Media having multiple meanings from producers encoding the message to audience decoding it.)

Cultural imperialism

When one culture colonizes another, and the dominant culture's ideologies prevail, replacing native culture and extracting resources in a one way flow. Minimizes cultural differences. This can lead to media distorting images of lesser known cultures at the expense of those misrepresented. Often criticized in the context of neoliberalism for its oppressive approach to cultural differences.

Semiotic Labor

Work done to make meaning of a program. When the audience has to decode meaning from a text, they are actively watching it. This can legitimize the text itself.

below-the-line labor

_______ is the lower part of the hierarchy of labor in media, consisting of labor that works on the physical elements of production, lacking any control of the creative direction of the production, which is reserved for above-the-line laborers. While ______ workers can indeed have creative impact on productions, this impact is rarely made visible to audiences and is largely invisible within the industry at all. Cinematographers, extras, editors, art directors, gaffers, etc. Recognized as skilled tradespeople Wages shaped by collectively bargained union contracts ("scale")

flexible microcasting

a post-broadcasting strategy that combines historical, over-the-air cable and satellite programming and flow with computer technologies to reconfigure the meanings and practices of television →AND using multiple platforms on and off television to expand network viewing and engagement levels

public access television

a way for all citizens to speak through TV TV made by the people Initial FCC mandate demanded that cable operators support it Created space for counter-cultural, unique, local TV Public access operates via cable, supported by cable subscriptions Participants are trained in media literacy Programs can be produced at a local level TV by the people, not just for the people by professionals Funding is no longer required by cable, and often must come from outside sources. Rise of internet video streaming services like YouTube have put the necessity of Public Access into question. Television made by citizens and broadcast over cable. Local governments offered equipment and training for amateur media producers. Has become increasingly difficult to secure funding due to the rise of internet production and the spread of neoliberalism.

industry lore

stories that the industry tells about itself; "common sense" ways of doing things among media industry executives and workers Effects of this term: 1. Organize human behavior within industrial regimes 2. Lubricates the way the industry works 3. Shape expectations of workers and helps create an oversupply of cheap labor Importance: These stories define the culture of television work, influences ideologies, organizes behavior and reaffirms industry power structures - creates oversupply of labor with no expectations of living wage (television labor is shaped by this)

cultural capital

the intangible assets (intellect, education, dress, speech, etc.) that one uses to demonstrate one's social status → demonstrates power in the culture Importance: in relationship to quality audiences, who are quality audiences? How do you assert your cultural capital with respect to TV? defines who quality audiences are -societal ideals that are considered more or less valuable based largely off of factors such as education, race, sexuality, etc. -the intangible assets (intellect, education, dress, speech, etc.) that one uses to demonstrate one's social status

Neoliberalism

to go beyond the government's security of a marketplace and trading and use private markets and direct economic exchange

immaterial labor

○ The activity that produces the cultural content of the commodity ○ Things that construct media, but not common form ○ Labor outside of the pay structure of traditional media industries § Ex: YouTube ○ type of activity that may produce "cultural content" but is not recognized as "work;" is unpaid. ○ the kinds of activities involved in defining and fixing cultural and artistic standards, fashions, tastes, consumer norms and, more strategically, public opinion ○ Represent the aesthetics and values of audience, this can be used as a standard by producers. ○ Importance: § In relation to consumer content, especially YouTube; those who are creating programming - writing, editing, producing, acting, etc. - but don't get credit for their work