The Voice - background and notes
The Voice, founded in 1982, is the only British national black weekly newspaper operating in the United Kingdom. It is owned by GV Media Group Limited, and is aimed at the British African-Caribbean community. The paper is based in London and is published every Thursday.
The first issue of The Voice was printed to coincide with the Notting Hill Carnival in August 1982. Its cover price was 54 pence, and was only sold in London.
The Voice was launched to cater for the interests of British-born black people. Applying Gilroy’s work on “double consciousness”, it could be argued that the Voice was launched to give black audiences an opportunity to see the world through their own eyes rather than through the prism of white, often-racist mainstream British media.
The Voice, founded in 1982, is the only British national black weekly newspaper operating in the United Kingdom. It is owned by GV Media Group Limited, and is aimed at the British African-Caribbean community. The paper is based in London and is published every Thursday.
The first issue of The Voice was printed to coincide with the Notting Hill Carnival in August 1982. Its cover price was 54 pence, and was only sold in London.
The Voice: social and historical context
In 1981, the Brixton race riots shone a spotlight on race relations in Britain.
The Voice emerged in 1982 partly as a result of these riots – both due to the need to offer a voice and representation to black Britons and also due to a business loan from Barclays Bank. The bank was keen at the time to improve their reputation with the black community due to investments in Apartheid South Africa.
The Voice analysis: production values
The Voice offers a strong contrast to Teen Vogue with significantly lower production values across its digital operations – website design, video content and social media. However, the growth of digital technology means that the Voice can effectively compete on the same playing field as Teen Vogue, albeit targeting a niche audience.
The Voice offers a strong contrast to Teen Vogue with significantly lower production values across its digital operations – website design, video content and social media. However, the growth of digital technology means that the Voice can effectively compete on the same playing field as Teen Vogue, albeit targeting a niche audience.
The Voice: representation
The Voice was launched to cater for the interests of British-born black people. Applying Gilroy’s work on “double consciousness”, it could be argued that the Voice was launched to give black audiences an opportunity to see the world through their own eyes rather than through the prism of white, often-racist mainstream British media.
The Voice: industries
The Voice is owned by Jamaican media organising the Gleaner company and published in Britain by GV Media Group. It is a significant contrast to Teen Vogue and the international giant Conde Nast.
The Voice is owned by Jamaican media organising the Gleaner company and published in Britain by GV Media Group. It is a significant contrast to Teen Vogue and the international giant Conde Nast.
The Voice: case study blog tasks
Language and textual analysis
1) What news website key conventions can you find on the Voice homepage?
Menu bar - depicts the range of topics that the newspaper covers (from Sports to education)
2) How does the page design differ from Teen Vogue?
It is different in the sense that while Teen Vogue adopts a more minimalist approach, The Voice seems to have a homepage that is a more saturated with information. There are more news stories organised in a more "montage" style format, which allows a range of news to be communicated to the reader in a short period of time.
3) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values and ideologies of the Voice?
The menu bar includes:
Sports
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Careers and Education
The diverse range of content covered in the menu bar highlights The Voice's ability to cover a wide selection of news to provide their readership with a well-rounded perception of current affairs. Also, the fact that they also provide updates on careers and education is indicative of the fact that The Voice encourage their target audience to engage with the world around them and use it to their advantage - to better improve their lifestyle in the long run.
4) Look at the news stories in the Voice. To what extent does the selection of news stories fit Galtung and Ruge’s News Values theory?
Elite nations/people - does cover some celebrity news (e.g. news relating to Cardi B's split from Offset). Using celebrity-based news stories acts as clickbait, but is also relatively relevant because it educates the audience about the celebrities that they may be intetrested in
Continuity - the ongoing news coverage of the progress of black communities and how they are attempting to overcome the racial prejudices that are still present in society today.
Balance - covering hard news alongside soft news - for example, information relating to university and future careers directly next to articles about Cardi B and other celebrities.
5) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage.
Enigma codes are created through the way that the main headlines are written on the homepage. The direct questioning (e.g. "What's the Play?" - Young Dolph article) encourages the reader to question what the article could be about - which in turn makes them more likely to read the article.
Todorov's theory of equilibrium can also be applied to some articles - for example, the articles praising the black community ("Hundreds turn out to support lack businesses at The Voice fair") may act as The Voice attempting to restore a new equilibrium in society where black people can be viewed as equal to other social demographics in society.
Lifestyle section
Now analyse the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:
1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?
Health
Food
Fostering and Adoption
Female
Travel
Relationships
Competitions
These items in the sub-menu bar reflect the various interests of the Afro-Caribbean community that this publication is aimed towards. The fact that the lifestyle section also includes news on "fostering and adoption" suggests that The Voice community are not only invested in improving their own lifestyles, but are also encouraged to improve the lifestyles of others around them.
2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?
10-year-old cooking sensation recognised by PETA
World Aids Day: why women's lives matter
Usain Bolt: "I don't think that London has proper Jamaican food"
Will Smith opens up about relationship with eldest son
3) How does the Lifestyle section of the Voice differ from Teen Vogue?
The Teen Vogue Lifestyle section seems to have more general news such as technology related news and updates as well as decorating ideas and then more relevant news stories such as advice on campus life etc. On the other hand, The Voice appears to have a wide range of posts in the Lifestyle section to suit their audience's different views on what their lifestyles boil down to.
4) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?
Challenge
Reflecting black youth in a positive light rather than as aggressive individuals - e.g. the 10-year-old boy who was recognised by PETA for his cooking skills/talents
Black men and women taking on significant leadership roles - interviews with Michelle Obama and Amandla Stenberg.
5) Choose three stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?
Usain Bolt: "I don't think that London has proper Jamaican food"
This is a simple news story but I think that it covers the idea that for a long time, black communities have often been underrepresented - in the media and in the areas where they may live. For example, not having access to the food and home-cooking that they are used to may actually emphasise how little they feel they fit into their society.
Tips on Taking Control Of Your Life
Encouraging the black community to adopt a positive attitude and create positive changes in their lives, regardless of any negativity that they may be surrounded by. Encouraging their readership to engage with a healthy lifestyle rather than settling for a lifestyle full of bad habits.
Black Panther Star appointed UN Goodwill ambassador
Again, this article is indicative of the Voice's attempts to represent the black community in a positive light. Also, by having black celebrities such as Danai Gurira being recognised and given important (leadership) roles in the society encourages the more local black communities that they too can do impressive things to better the community.
Feature focus
1) Read this Voice Lifestyle feature on the first black photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue magazine. Why would this appeal to the Voice’s audience?
I think that this article would appeal to the Voice's audience because it reflects the progress that the black community has made since the Voice was initially established in 1982. The Fact that a black woman from South-east London has been given the opportunity to photograph such well-established celebrities for a traditional magazine such as Vogue also reflects the fact that a traditionally white magazine is becoming more accepting and inclusive of other ethnic groups.
I think it's interesting that this photographer's work is typically focused on identity ad diversity, and is "informed bu her own personal experiences." Again, the fact that Vogue has taken this particular approach to photographing their front covers, shows that they are attempting to represent a wider demographic and show a range of perspectives rather than a single conservative one.
2) Read/watch this Lifestyle interview with The Hate U Give star Amandla Stenberg. How does the interview reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice? What do you notice about the production values of the interview?
The production values of this video are of a higher standard compared to some of the other videos that The Voice have produced. There are basic cuts and the sound quality is better compared to their previous videos, but again the production values aren't as professional or high-quality compared to Teen Vogue.
The interview covers content such as the Black Lives Matter Campaign, natural hair and finding your voice - things that I think that the Voice audience would be able to identify with well. Finding your voice fits with the Voice's ideologies as it was set up during a time where black people in Britain were oppressed and felt as though they were isolated and couldn't celebrate their ethnicity and express their opinions freely - the Voice newspaper dispels this idea of double consciousness by allowing black people to listen to their narratives through their own voices rather than via another person.
3) Read this feature on ‘buying black’ for Black Friday. What does this feature tell you about the values and ideologies behind the Voice? Does this viewpoint reflect Gilroy’s theory of the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?
This feature is all about supporting black businesses, rather than just buying from the large chains. This article links to the idea of Black Atlantic identity because it's about helping black business-owners to earn a living for themselves in a place where it may be difficult for them to do so. It also suggests that buying from/supporting black homegrown businesses will actually prove more satisfying for both the owner and buyer as you'll be directly helping someone to grow their business etc.
Audience
1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.
I think that the target audience for The Voice mainly consists of Black British people - typically of Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. This is clear through the content covered as well as the adverts - e.g. advertisements relating to sending money across the world (i.e. to Ghana, South Africa etc). This highlights the fact that a lot of the The Voice audience would be part of the wind rush generation and also parallels to Gilroy's theory relating to the black Atlantic and diaspora. Also, the fact that the layout of the website appears less sleek and modern in design could indicate that The Voice has a typically older target audience compared to Teen Vogue.
2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).
Surveillance (Uses & Gratifications, Blumler & Katz) - learning about the community around them and how the black community is progressing as a whole, for example flourishing in sport; politics; film etc.
Personal Identification (Uses & Gratifications, Blumler & Katz) - being able to relate to some of the content expressed in the stories on The voice website - for example, content relating to victims of gang violence/the coverage on Sterling's commentary on racism in football and his endurance of racist remarks being made towards him.
Continuity (News Values, Galtung & Ruge) - the fact that there's a tab for the Windrush generation highlights that The Voice covers news stories relating to this topic on a fairly regular basis and that they often link/have a common thread between them.
3) Give examples of content from the website that tells you this is aimed at a specialised or niche audience.
The Windrush 70 tab - shows that it's aimed towards those who have experienced the issues of immigration and being forced to leave Britain despite working here for years - isn't something that the entire readership would be able to relate to, it's very specific.
The banner advertisements - "Africa from London & Manchester" - again showing that The Voice audience are likely to have family in other countries and are also likely to have moved to Britain from regions such as South Africa.
4) Studying the themes of politics, history and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?
This content may resonate with the Voice's audience as it is likely to be somewhat relatable/reminiscent of some of their past experiences. For example, for those who were involved in the Brixton riots/witnessed the injustices present during this time period would be able to make parallels between these current events (i.e. Raheem Sterling reporting on racism in sport/the narrative of The Hate U Give) and what they have experienced in the past.
5) Can you find any examples of content on the Voice website created or driven by the audience or citizen journalism? How does this reflect Clay Shirky’s work on the ‘end of audience’ and the era of ‘mass amateurisation’?
I think that the quality of the Voice's content and their production values is reflective of this idea of mass amatuerisation. Because of the increased availability and access to digital media/the software necessary to produce content, no real training or professionalism is required to make videos - this allows more content to be produced but also decreases the quality of it. For example, the video interviews held by the Voice are of a lower standard compared to Teen Vogue's. While this is reflective of the differences in the money behind each institution, I think it's also indicative of how mass amateurisation is becoming more prominent.
Representations
1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?
Positioned to view the representations of black people in the Voice website as refreshing and positive - an attempt to dispel the once dominant representation that Black Britons were "estranged and external from the imagined community that is the nation." Audiences are encouraged to view the Voice as a means of promoting the idea of community, rather than the idea of viewing black people as a helpless minority - for example, highlighting the successes of Black people across the globe (from Amandla Stenberg starring in The Hate U give, to Nadine Ijewere being the first black female to shoot a cover for Vogue Magazine).
2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?
3) What kind of black British identity is promoted on the Voice website? Can you find any examples of Gilroy’s “liquidity of culture” or “unruly multiculturalism” here?
The Voice seems to capitalise on the fact that the majority of its readership/audience would originate from another country - particularly places in Africa/the Caribbean. This is highlighted through the use of banner advertisements promoting sending money to other countries. This directly relates to Gilroy's theory about "liquidity of culture" as it emphasises the sense of displacement that some Black Britons may feel as their families are likely to still be in their countries of origin despite them being in Britain - their identity has come from travelling to multiple countries rather than it solely being based on where they originate from.
4) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?
- Constructivist approach: isn't one specific meaning as concepts do haveshared meanings that can be open to interpretation.
Preferred
The Voice is highlighting black british people, the struggles they face and the success stories that they have come across.
Negotiated
Typically positive representations of the black community but there is a lack of political news - a lot more clickbait; raises questions as to whether or not the Voice is actually effecting change.
Counter-Hegemonic
By solely focusing on the Black community, the Voice is actually singling out black people and making them more externalised rather than making them included in the community around them - still heavily focused on the negatives
5) Do you notice any other interesting representations in the Voice website? For example, representations or people, places or groups (e.g. gender, age, Britishness, other countries etc.)
Gender
Females are highlighted in a positive way - portrayed as professional individuals attempting to become involved in a variety of career paths
Age
Portraying the black youth as creative individuals attempting to make a difference in their community rather than the typically negative portrayal of young black males (aggressive,violent etc) - i.e. a 10 year old boy being recognised by PETA for his talents in cooking
Health
Discusses sexual health, general health issues, diet/lifestyle related content on things that are usually not covered in as much detail - i.e. Women with AIDS etc.
Industries
1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand?
2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today?
3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice?
Youthlink
Western Focus
The Flair Magazine
The Financial Gleaner
The Weekly Gleaner (UK)
4) How does the Voice website make money?
Through advertisements - they sell space on their website to promoters who need the advertising space.
5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?
They are typically fixed adverts. This shows that the Voice has quite a basic level of technology and that compared to most modern websites, the Voice is a lot less sophisticated. The fact that they don't use the consumer data to create specific/personalised advertisements suggests that the Voice are unable to operate at a technology level that high/they do not have the funds to do so.
6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?
I think the Voice was originally designed as a public service tool - a means of giving those in the black community a platform to express themselves and be represented through (dispelling this concept of double consciousness).
7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content?
The interviews offered with different influencers - i.e. the Amandla Stenberg interview surrounding her role in The Hate U Give
8) How has the growth of digital distribution through the internet changed the potential for niche products like the Voice?
I think that it has increased the potential outreach for products like the Voice. I think this is because people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gaining an insight on multiple perspectives, and because they can access the content easier now it makes it easier for niche products like the Voice to receive more recognition
9) Analyse the Voice’s Twitter feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as MailOnline or Teen Vogue)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?
The Voice's twitter feed has a lot more clickbait compared to the twitter feed for Teen Vogue
Does have a lot less text in the actual tweets - very image/video based
10) Study a selection of videos from the Voice’s YouTube channel. How does this content differ from Teen Vogue? What are the production values of their video content?
Production values are of a lower quality compared to the videos of Teen Vogue
More simply shot/edited
They receive a fewer views (some videos have less than 100 views).
Menu bar - depicts the range of topics that the newspaper covers (from Sports to education)
2) How does the page design differ from Teen Vogue?
It is different in the sense that while Teen Vogue adopts a more minimalist approach, The Voice seems to have a homepage that is a more saturated with information. There are more news stories organised in a more "montage" style format, which allows a range of news to be communicated to the reader in a short period of time.
3) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values and ideologies of the Voice?
The menu bar includes:
Sports
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Careers and Education
The diverse range of content covered in the menu bar highlights The Voice's ability to cover a wide selection of news to provide their readership with a well-rounded perception of current affairs. Also, the fact that they also provide updates on careers and education is indicative of the fact that The Voice encourage their target audience to engage with the world around them and use it to their advantage - to better improve their lifestyle in the long run.
4) Look at the news stories in the Voice. To what extent does the selection of news stories fit Galtung and Ruge’s News Values theory?
Elite nations/people - does cover some celebrity news (e.g. news relating to Cardi B's split from Offset). Using celebrity-based news stories acts as clickbait, but is also relatively relevant because it educates the audience about the celebrities that they may be intetrested in
Continuity - the ongoing news coverage of the progress of black communities and how they are attempting to overcome the racial prejudices that are still present in society today.
Balance - covering hard news alongside soft news - for example, information relating to university and future careers directly next to articles about Cardi B and other celebrities.
5) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage.
Enigma codes are created through the way that the main headlines are written on the homepage. The direct questioning (e.g. "What's the Play?" - Young Dolph article) encourages the reader to question what the article could be about - which in turn makes them more likely to read the article.
Todorov's theory of equilibrium can also be applied to some articles - for example, the articles praising the black community ("Hundreds turn out to support lack businesses at The Voice fair") may act as The Voice attempting to restore a new equilibrium in society where black people can be viewed as equal to other social demographics in society.
Lifestyle section
Now analyse the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:
1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?
Health
Food
Fostering and Adoption
Female
Travel
Relationships
Competitions
These items in the sub-menu bar reflect the various interests of the Afro-Caribbean community that this publication is aimed towards. The fact that the lifestyle section also includes news on "fostering and adoption" suggests that The Voice community are not only invested in improving their own lifestyles, but are also encouraged to improve the lifestyles of others around them.
2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?
10-year-old cooking sensation recognised by PETA
World Aids Day: why women's lives matter
Usain Bolt: "I don't think that London has proper Jamaican food"
Will Smith opens up about relationship with eldest son
3) How does the Lifestyle section of the Voice differ from Teen Vogue?
The Teen Vogue Lifestyle section seems to have more general news such as technology related news and updates as well as decorating ideas and then more relevant news stories such as advice on campus life etc. On the other hand, The Voice appears to have a wide range of posts in the Lifestyle section to suit their audience's different views on what their lifestyles boil down to.
4) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?
Challenge
Reflecting black youth in a positive light rather than as aggressive individuals - e.g. the 10-year-old boy who was recognised by PETA for his cooking skills/talents
Black men and women taking on significant leadership roles - interviews with Michelle Obama and Amandla Stenberg.
5) Choose three stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?
Usain Bolt: "I don't think that London has proper Jamaican food"
This is a simple news story but I think that it covers the idea that for a long time, black communities have often been underrepresented - in the media and in the areas where they may live. For example, not having access to the food and home-cooking that they are used to may actually emphasise how little they feel they fit into their society.
Tips on Taking Control Of Your Life
Encouraging the black community to adopt a positive attitude and create positive changes in their lives, regardless of any negativity that they may be surrounded by. Encouraging their readership to engage with a healthy lifestyle rather than settling for a lifestyle full of bad habits.
Black Panther Star appointed UN Goodwill ambassador
Again, this article is indicative of the Voice's attempts to represent the black community in a positive light. Also, by having black celebrities such as Danai Gurira being recognised and given important (leadership) roles in the society encourages the more local black communities that they too can do impressive things to better the community.
Feature focus
1) Read this Voice Lifestyle feature on the first black photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue magazine. Why would this appeal to the Voice’s audience?
I think that this article would appeal to the Voice's audience because it reflects the progress that the black community has made since the Voice was initially established in 1982. The Fact that a black woman from South-east London has been given the opportunity to photograph such well-established celebrities for a traditional magazine such as Vogue also reflects the fact that a traditionally white magazine is becoming more accepting and inclusive of other ethnic groups.
I think it's interesting that this photographer's work is typically focused on identity ad diversity, and is "informed bu her own personal experiences." Again, the fact that Vogue has taken this particular approach to photographing their front covers, shows that they are attempting to represent a wider demographic and show a range of perspectives rather than a single conservative one.
2) Read/watch this Lifestyle interview with The Hate U Give star Amandla Stenberg. How does the interview reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice? What do you notice about the production values of the interview?
The production values of this video are of a higher standard compared to some of the other videos that The Voice have produced. There are basic cuts and the sound quality is better compared to their previous videos, but again the production values aren't as professional or high-quality compared to Teen Vogue.
The interview covers content such as the Black Lives Matter Campaign, natural hair and finding your voice - things that I think that the Voice audience would be able to identify with well. Finding your voice fits with the Voice's ideologies as it was set up during a time where black people in Britain were oppressed and felt as though they were isolated and couldn't celebrate their ethnicity and express their opinions freely - the Voice newspaper dispels this idea of double consciousness by allowing black people to listen to their narratives through their own voices rather than via another person.
3) Read this feature on ‘buying black’ for Black Friday. What does this feature tell you about the values and ideologies behind the Voice? Does this viewpoint reflect Gilroy’s theory of the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?
This feature is all about supporting black businesses, rather than just buying from the large chains. This article links to the idea of Black Atlantic identity because it's about helping black business-owners to earn a living for themselves in a place where it may be difficult for them to do so. It also suggests that buying from/supporting black homegrown businesses will actually prove more satisfying for both the owner and buyer as you'll be directly helping someone to grow their business etc.
Audience
1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.
I think that the target audience for The Voice mainly consists of Black British people - typically of Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. This is clear through the content covered as well as the adverts - e.g. advertisements relating to sending money across the world (i.e. to Ghana, South Africa etc). This highlights the fact that a lot of the The Voice audience would be part of the wind rush generation and also parallels to Gilroy's theory relating to the black Atlantic and diaspora. Also, the fact that the layout of the website appears less sleek and modern in design could indicate that The Voice has a typically older target audience compared to Teen Vogue.
2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).
Surveillance (Uses & Gratifications, Blumler & Katz) - learning about the community around them and how the black community is progressing as a whole, for example flourishing in sport; politics; film etc.
Personal Identification (Uses & Gratifications, Blumler & Katz) - being able to relate to some of the content expressed in the stories on The voice website - for example, content relating to victims of gang violence/the coverage on Sterling's commentary on racism in football and his endurance of racist remarks being made towards him.
Continuity (News Values, Galtung & Ruge) - the fact that there's a tab for the Windrush generation highlights that The Voice covers news stories relating to this topic on a fairly regular basis and that they often link/have a common thread between them.
3) Give examples of content from the website that tells you this is aimed at a specialised or niche audience.
The Windrush 70 tab - shows that it's aimed towards those who have experienced the issues of immigration and being forced to leave Britain despite working here for years - isn't something that the entire readership would be able to relate to, it's very specific.
The banner advertisements - "Africa from London & Manchester" - again showing that The Voice audience are likely to have family in other countries and are also likely to have moved to Britain from regions such as South Africa.
4) Studying the themes of politics, history and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?
This content may resonate with the Voice's audience as it is likely to be somewhat relatable/reminiscent of some of their past experiences. For example, for those who were involved in the Brixton riots/witnessed the injustices present during this time period would be able to make parallels between these current events (i.e. Raheem Sterling reporting on racism in sport/the narrative of The Hate U Give) and what they have experienced in the past.
5) Can you find any examples of content on the Voice website created or driven by the audience or citizen journalism? How does this reflect Clay Shirky’s work on the ‘end of audience’ and the era of ‘mass amateurisation’?
I think that the quality of the Voice's content and their production values is reflective of this idea of mass amatuerisation. Because of the increased availability and access to digital media/the software necessary to produce content, no real training or professionalism is required to make videos - this allows more content to be produced but also decreases the quality of it. For example, the video interviews held by the Voice are of a lower standard compared to Teen Vogue's. While this is reflective of the differences in the money behind each institution, I think it's also indicative of how mass amateurisation is becoming more prominent.
Representations
1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?
Positioned to view the representations of black people in the Voice website as refreshing and positive - an attempt to dispel the once dominant representation that Black Britons were "estranged and external from the imagined community that is the nation." Audiences are encouraged to view the Voice as a means of promoting the idea of community, rather than the idea of viewing black people as a helpless minority - for example, highlighting the successes of Black people across the globe (from Amandla Stenberg starring in The Hate U give, to Nadine Ijewere being the first black female to shoot a cover for Vogue Magazine).
2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?
3) What kind of black British identity is promoted on the Voice website? Can you find any examples of Gilroy’s “liquidity of culture” or “unruly multiculturalism” here?
The Voice seems to capitalise on the fact that the majority of its readership/audience would originate from another country - particularly places in Africa/the Caribbean. This is highlighted through the use of banner advertisements promoting sending money to other countries. This directly relates to Gilroy's theory about "liquidity of culture" as it emphasises the sense of displacement that some Black Britons may feel as their families are likely to still be in their countries of origin despite them being in Britain - their identity has come from travelling to multiple countries rather than it solely being based on where they originate from.
4) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?
- Constructivist approach: isn't one specific meaning as concepts do haveshared meanings that can be open to interpretation.
Preferred
The Voice is highlighting black british people, the struggles they face and the success stories that they have come across.
Negotiated
Typically positive representations of the black community but there is a lack of political news - a lot more clickbait; raises questions as to whether or not the Voice is actually effecting change.
Counter-Hegemonic
By solely focusing on the Black community, the Voice is actually singling out black people and making them more externalised rather than making them included in the community around them - still heavily focused on the negatives
5) Do you notice any other interesting representations in the Voice website? For example, representations or people, places or groups (e.g. gender, age, Britishness, other countries etc.)
Gender
Females are highlighted in a positive way - portrayed as professional individuals attempting to become involved in a variety of career paths
Age
Portraying the black youth as creative individuals attempting to make a difference in their community rather than the typically negative portrayal of young black males (aggressive,violent etc) - i.e. a 10 year old boy being recognised by PETA for his talents in cooking
Health
Discusses sexual health, general health issues, diet/lifestyle related content on things that are usually not covered in as much detail - i.e. Women with AIDS etc.
Industries
1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand?
2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today?
3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice?
Youthlink
Western Focus
The Flair Magazine
The Financial Gleaner
The Weekly Gleaner (UK)
4) How does the Voice website make money?
Through advertisements - they sell space on their website to promoters who need the advertising space.
5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?
They are typically fixed adverts. This shows that the Voice has quite a basic level of technology and that compared to most modern websites, the Voice is a lot less sophisticated. The fact that they don't use the consumer data to create specific/personalised advertisements suggests that the Voice are unable to operate at a technology level that high/they do not have the funds to do so.
6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?
I think the Voice was originally designed as a public service tool - a means of giving those in the black community a platform to express themselves and be represented through (dispelling this concept of double consciousness).
7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content?
The interviews offered with different influencers - i.e. the Amandla Stenberg interview surrounding her role in The Hate U Give
8) How has the growth of digital distribution through the internet changed the potential for niche products like the Voice?
I think that it has increased the potential outreach for products like the Voice. I think this is because people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gaining an insight on multiple perspectives, and because they can access the content easier now it makes it easier for niche products like the Voice to receive more recognition
9) Analyse the Voice’s Twitter feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as MailOnline or Teen Vogue)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?
The Voice's twitter feed has a lot more clickbait compared to the twitter feed for Teen Vogue
Does have a lot less text in the actual tweets - very image/video based
10) Study a selection of videos from the Voice’s YouTube channel. How does this content differ from Teen Vogue? What are the production values of their video content?
Production values are of a lower quality compared to the videos of Teen Vogue
More simply shot/edited
They receive a fewer views (some videos have less than 100 views).
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