ALICE WASS
Exploring Media
Cabinet of Curiosity
The task was to create and present a collection of interesting media. I decided to try something new so designed a blog on WordPress: https://alicewass.wordpress.com/ My blog was created through trial and error, but each article increased my ability by adding photographs, gifs and videos. I assumed that making a blog would be difficult but this task has given me confidence in using WordPress. I had a positive attitude throughout the process and enjoyed researching different media platforms and finding interesting ways to convey the information. On reflection I could have explained what a cabinet of curiosity was and shared how I was using this blog to create a modern version.
I was surprised how difficult it was to select content for my blog. On reflection I let my personal preferences limit what I included. My decision to stick to current media topics also limited me as I did not include past media debates. I could also have explored a wider selection of media topics including films, radio and advertising. Instead of posting only when I found an interesting item, I should have planned regular postings.
In this process I explored how media theory may link to debates. I followed the news values themes of Galting and Ruge when selecting my topics, looking at whether they had cultural proximity to my audience, whether they involved elite people and whether or not they were unexpected. I discovered that media texts never have a sole meaning and can be explored in multiple ways. For example, the burkini ban in France is an ethical debate but also a feminist issue, linked to Islamophobia and governmental control. I will aim to apply this in future work by considering how I can give a text multiple meanings and remind myself to consider how different audiences may react.
