First shots

Wix Website Link

I am aware that I have a lot of work to do on the website - I have simply decided on the name that I, the interviewer will use and the title of my media product. I have lots of ideas in my head that I will utilise, and I have been attempting to create my own logos.

https://cassimac02.wixsite.com/websi

Branding: Logo planning/first drafts

Own general research: A failure to regulate?

A Failure to Regulate? The Demands and Dilemmas of Tackling Illegal Content and Behavior on Social Media
'The proliferation and user uptake of social media applications has brought in its wake a growing problem of illegal and harmful interactions and content online. In the UK context, concern has focused in particular upon (a) sexually-oriented content about or directed to children, and (b) content that is racially or religiously hateful, incites violence, and promotes or celebrates terrorist violence. (I will take this into account, and use this to focus my points and ideologies on) Legal innovation has sought to make specific provision for such online offences, and offenders have been subject to prosecution in some widely-publicized cases. Nevertheless, as a whole, the business of regulating (identifying, blocking, removing, and reporting) offending content has been left largely to social media providers themselves. This has been sustained by concerns both practical (the amount of public resource that would be required to police social media) and political (concerns about excessive state surveillance and curtailment of free speech in liberal democracies). However, growing evidence about providers’ unwillingness and/or inability to effectively stem the flow of illegal and harmful content has created a crisis for the existing self-regulatory model. Consequently, we now see a range of proposals that would take a much more coercive and punitive stance toward media platforms, so as to compel them into taking more concerted action. Taking the UK as a primary focus, these proposals are considered, with a view to charting possible future configurations for tackling illegal social media content.'

Own general research: Internet regulation

February, 2020

'The government is to outline new powers for the media regulator Ofcom to police social media.

It is supposed to make the companies protect users from content involving things like violence, terrorism, cyber-bullying and child abuse.

Companies will have to ensure that harmful content is removed quickly and take steps to prevent it appearing in the first place.

They had previously relied largely on self-governance. Sites such as YouTube and Facebook have their own rules about what is unacceptable and the way that users are expected to behave towards one another.'

This is interesting for me, as this sets guidelines for social media sites that I am not going to be touching on in much detail. This regulation applies more to streaming sites such as Youtube and less to the more popular sites, such as Twitter and Instagram, which are the most popular within my demographic. Therefore, this article tells me that not much is being done towards the censorship of the particular sites I will focus on, which is an idea that I can incorporate into my website/documentary.

Own general research: Illegal activities on social media

Illegal or restricted content

Like other media, content placed on the internet may be illegal, infringing or prohibited content under various state or Commonwealth laws. Certain online content may also be classified as 'prohibited' such as: Child pornography. Instructions in Crime, violence or drug use. - These are the main topics that I will be touching on in my doscumentary, as I personally find it incredible how easily these things can be accessed, especially on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, which are the top-used social media sites of my target audience.

Twitter, I believe, is the most problematic. I find it too easy to access content that should be restricted, but users have found loopholes and way to get past the rules and regulations. 

Twitter rules/guidelines/policies:

Safety

Violence: You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence. Learn more about our violent threat and glorification of violence policies. 

Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism or violent extremism. 

Child sexual exploitation: We have zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation on Twitter. 

Abuse/harassment: You may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite other people to do so. This includes wishing or hoping that someone experiences physical harm. 

Hateful conduct: You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.

Suicide or self-harm: You may not promote or encourage suicide or self-harm. 

Sensitive media, including graphic violence and adult content: You may not post media that is excessively gory or share violent or adult content within live video or in profile or header images. Media depicting sexual violence and/or assault is also not permitted. 

Illegal or certain regulated goods or services: You may not use our service for any unlawful purpose or in furtherance of illegal activities. This includes selling, buying, or facilitating transactions in illegal goods or services, as well as certain types of regulated goods or services. 

Privacy

Private information: You may not publish or post other people's private information (such as home phone number and address) without their express authorization and permission. We also prohibit threatening to expose private information or incentivizing others to do so. 

Non-consensual nudity: You may not post or share intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent.

I have, using the information above, conducted a poll on my social media to see how many Twitter users have been subjected to viewing any of the activities listed above. I will share the results when I have put them altogether.

Statement of Intent: Second draft

Website

I have chosen to base my media products on the issue of social media and whether content needs to be, in the modern day, more closely monitored and filtered, therefore reducing the amount of harmful material that audiences are exposed to. I intend to construct a unique and[VC1]  fresh-idea[VC2]  brand, through use of an edgy, distinctive website and a highly realistic, dramatic but short documentary clip. I found it extremely difficult to find suitable websites to use as research, as websites and documentaries rarely accompany each other. However, I overcame this error by looking extensively at BBC websites that accompany documentaries, such as the Stacey Dooley webpage. I intend to use a close-up establishing shot of the interviewer as an establishing shot, archived on the home page, as this appeared to be a common theme throughout the websites I looked at. As you scroll down. the page will be full of links to other ‘media texts’ featuring the same interviewer, all accompanied with thumbnails to entice audience engagement. The interviewer will therefore be represented as someone with an increased cultural competency and someone as they have a widened knowledge on global issues, therefore upkeeping the adventurous representation of the BBC industry. The dramatic element of my website will be furthered through use of visual icons and codes, such as pop-up questionnaires, to give the audience some extra information on the topic and to gain what their opinion is on. This is interesting in terms of Clay Shirky’s End of audience theory, as it could give an insight into whether audiences seize the opportunity to ‘speak back’ to producers.

Video

In my video, I will depict, through a range of camera angles, shots, low and high-key lighting and additional visual codes, a female interviewee who discovers and brings to light issues on social media, adhering to BBC Three’s remit to ‘introduce new talent’; her. In 2017, 95% of UK citizens aged 16-24 used some form of social network. Due to this, I have casted the interviewer as a female, aged around twenty years old, who will fit perfectly within the target demographic, therefore representing the interviewer as approachable and down to the earth, aiding audience engagement. I would like my video to have high levels of authenticity and realism and I will attempt to adhere to Bill Nichols’ participatory documentary theory – which is when the encounter between filmmaker and subject is recorded and the filmmaker actively engages with the situation they are documenting. I would like to depict multiple situations of confrontation between street on-goers and the interviewer, which not only is a common convention of BBC Three documentaries, but involves audience participatory, allowing the interviewer to be seen as any other person and allowing the audience to engage and relate with them more. I will also use visual codes such as drawings/illustrations, accompanied by texts/facts and figures to get across some of the dangers of the internet, to entice the audience to think individually about the social media topic I have chosen. I would like to expose the audience to as much information as possible which’ll make them think – ‘Should social media sites be more monitored?’ but I would still like to execute this in an engaging manner.

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words) 

It is extremely important that I utilise convergence and synergy in order to successfully engage and maintain the audience’s interest. To do this, I must create a strong brand identity through use of an interesting three-colour palette of orange, green and grey colour, hidden easter eggs leading to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the main character(s) (an interviewer) in my documentary, and more common codes and conventions that run throughout all platforms, all media texts and is successful in differentiating my brand from other brands. Throughout both media products, I intend to utilise pop-ups which when clicked, will take the audience to an extra tab where they can purchase online merchandise or access exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of out-takes of the interviewer.