Katy Perry's 'Thinking of You' is a narrative based music video, presenting the lyrics within the video. The lyrics talk about a couple torn apart by war and the female lead trying to move on but not quite feeling right with her new partner. The video features a past and present insight into the woman's life, showing her new failed attempt at a relationship and the funeral of her ex boyfriend the soldier, this is coupled with flashbacks of the couple before the war, including them going on dates such as dancing and picnics.
At one point the video cuts to a panning shot of the female's new lover as the line 'I guess second best is all I will know' is sung, this clearly reflects the woman's feelings about her new relationship and that she has to settle for someone who will never truly replace her first love. Similar to this, when Katy sings 'I am thinking of you' the video cuts to a flashback clip of her and the soldier having fun, symbolising exactly who she is thinking of. The line 'and bust in the door' is sung as the female protagonist closes the door, this creates a direct link between the lyrics and the visuals. It also amplifies the tragic nature of the video as she is wishing for the soldier to return home, we re actually seeing her close the door to attend the same soldier's funeral.
There is a strong connection between the music and the visuals shown through the order and timing of the cuts, that work perfectly in time with the beat of the track. The cuts are smooth and run evenly, without becoming jumpy or unnatural in the slightest because they are guided by the beat of the song. There are a range of close-ups of Katy perry singing the song, this helps establish Katy as both the artist but as the female lead, separated from her lover by the war. This promotes Katy as a singer but also an actress, and fans love it when their favourite musician isn't just as musician. The close-ups also bring the audience closer to the artist, they also enable us to see the raw emotion in this song, which gives the music and visuals an even more coherent link.
Within the music video, the male gaze of the new lover is used a fair few times, this is to encourage the audience to indulge in similar behaviour. the character looks at Katy in a very sensual and predatory manner, this results in the sexualisation of the artist and makes her more appealing to the audience. The mise-en-scene, regarding clothes, backs this up in that it is very scant, aside form her funeral outfit, Katy is seen in either her underwear or very little clothes, this has probably been done to portray Katy as sexually desirable, which would promote her as an artist, especially to male viewers, but it also makes her seem a little elegant as although she is dressed scantily clad, she is still presented as a classy woman. Although, she is presented in very little clothes and the camera does take on a voyeuristic approach, the main focus is on Katy's eyes and lips rather than breasts, legs or bottom. This is probably due to the nature of the music video being very tragic and the over sexualisation of Katy would ruin this, so the filming technique and style creates an impression of elegance and attractiveness but certainly not promiscuity.
There are slight bits of footage featuring Katy and her new lover having sex, but they are short and modest, so as not to make it a highlight of the video, but rather presenting it as sad and emotive, particularly as it is evident that Katy is not truly interested. 'Thinking Of You' is primarily narrative based because the footage does follow a storyline; a soldier and his girlfriend torn apart by war, her attempt at replacing him but failing and also the revelation of his death in her preparing for his funeral, coupled with shots of their time together pre-war. However, the music is also partly performance based because it features Katy singing snippets of the song in character whilst also acting as the female lead in the video.
Friday 14 November 2014
Friday 7 November 2014
Research Findings (500 Words)
The research of my production consisted of a questionnaire
on Survey Monkey and the textual analysis of some music videos. This has helped
me with what I should be aiming for when making my music video. Following the
release of my survey I collected thirty-five responses, most of these being
female. This means I will have to be targeting my video slightly towards
females. I found that my music video should be aimed at the 14-24 year old
demographic and between three and five minutes this is because the majority of
the people who answered my survey fell into this age category and would only
watch a music video of a maximum of five minutes.
The majority of people who took my survey listened to rock
the mot, so I will be incorporating this into my music video. The other
responses included alternative, indie, metal and grunge, again all
sub-divisions of rock. Therefore the track I shall be choosing for my music
video will be a rock due to popular demand. The majority of people would like a
storyline alongside the music as part of the music video which is
understandable as a just music would be boring, I will have to try to create a
short story that works with the music and the rest of the shots in my video. A
narrative based music video shouldn’t be too hard to achieve and it would be a
lot more enjoyable than one without any narrative in the slightest.
The music videos I analysed were very different from one
another. The first being Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood, this was a very
intricate music video, it didn’t really contain much narrative but more focused
on the use of camera work to make the everyday things such as driving and
sitting around more interesting. The best thing about the music video and what
probably makes it a popular one was the editing used perfectly in time with the
music. This will be something I will be trying to replicate, as I really liked
the way it was executed in this video.
The second music video, What I’ve Done by Linkin Park, had
elements of a plot, but it was more of a general plot stretched across the
video, the whole video is about pollution and man’s relationship with nature.
It is a very symbolic music video, containing very little exposition; this is
designed for much more of an active audience. This could be because Linkin Park
both wanted to get across their view on pollution but have done it in a subtle
way because they know that only true fans will actually pay attention and
interpret it correctly. These subtle signs, in my opinion, are an interesting
concept used in music videos and one that again I will be trying to replicate.
Summarising my research I have decided my music video should
be aimed at 14-24 year olds, the genre of music should be rock; my video should
be between three and five minutes long and contain a little narrative. I also
wish to use some editing in time with the music and possible include some
subtle messages too.
Saturday 25 October 2014
Linkin Park Music Video Analysis
This music video is shot in the Californian desert. The idea that this video wants to portray through this song is the sins of humanity
or what they define as a 'bad things' humans have done such as war, world hunger, stem cell
research, terrorism, etc. Emphasis on life
is shown in various parts of this video by using colors of life such as
blue and green as shown right at the beginning of the video, with the
grass reversing into the mud, while this aspect is reinforced at the end
with the grass growing out of the mud itself. Elements of
plot advancement or otherwise create a sense of motion is used through
time scheduled movements such as the appearance of clouds over time, or
in a pollution clip, the movement of cars.
A sense of slow motion is created after the instrumental segment after the second chorus by slowing down the movement of the band members while implementing the collapse of the World Trade Center. A small amount of ocean of life is used when Chester Bennington sings "and wash away..." Another interesting thing I noticed was how camera angles were used, the camera is almost always shot from underneath the band members to give them a sense of importance. The sun is always behind to create a washed out/shadow scene, possibly the way the band sees the world today in general.
The beginning with the grass effects and time-movement scenes were nicely implemented, but things such as a binary opposition of world hunger and the fat individual chomping down a burger, show that this is very literal music video. The way how everything was literally put into the video to give an image of this and that is something that Linkin Park has not previously done; and in an artistic point of view something more symbolic would be better than this, but perhaps the band considered this and thought lets cuts to the metaphors and just show them the truth, delivering a much harder hitting message. All in all, Linkin Park have a good mix of performance and narrative within this music video, which is all that can be really asked of any music video.
A sense of slow motion is created after the instrumental segment after the second chorus by slowing down the movement of the band members while implementing the collapse of the World Trade Center. A small amount of ocean of life is used when Chester Bennington sings "and wash away..." Another interesting thing I noticed was how camera angles were used, the camera is almost always shot from underneath the band members to give them a sense of importance. The sun is always behind to create a washed out/shadow scene, possibly the way the band sees the world today in general.
The beginning with the grass effects and time-movement scenes were nicely implemented, but things such as a binary opposition of world hunger and the fat individual chomping down a burger, show that this is very literal music video. The way how everything was literally put into the video to give an image of this and that is something that Linkin Park has not previously done; and in an artistic point of view something more symbolic would be better than this, but perhaps the band considered this and thought lets cuts to the metaphors and just show them the truth, delivering a much harder hitting message. All in all, Linkin Park have a good mix of performance and narrative within this music video, which is all that can be really asked of any music video.
The Neighbourhood Video Analysis
The start of the music video is of a blank screen with the letters THE NBHD, clearly meaning The Neighbourhood, this fades out and we are presented with the band sat in their house, before the title of the song is shown on screen there are various cuts that all happen at the same time as the drum beats. The first shot is that of the sky and palm trees whilst the car moves, this quickly cuts back to the original shot, cuts again to a vinyl record, back to the original shot and then to a close-up of a girl's face, not particularly in focus, this again cuts back to the original image, cuts to a shot of the band silhouetted against a city skyline, these simple and quick cuts create an enigma code, we gain more interest in the video and want to know what all these shots mean.
When the title of the song appears, we are given a shot of the band in a car, this is probably the longest shot of the video so far, this allows us to see who the band is and is also a shot that the video comes back to. the basic premise of the music video is that the band are traveling through the city, aiming to have a good time, it follows them however both at night and during the day, suggesting, their lives are pretty much a cycle and that everything do is a repeat of something they've done before. There is also a lot of shots of a particular women, whenever she is seen the lighting is very low-key, adding a sense of mystery to the women, perhaps a hint at why Jesse Rutherford is interested in this girl. Another interesting point is that the whole video is shot in black and white, which adds quite a gloomy feel to the whole thing, which makes sense as the song is about it being incredibly cold outside, this could also be why the every time the girl is seen, she is seen indoors.
We are also presented with The Neighbourhood's logo an upside down house, we first see it the right way round but then the whole shot is flipped upside down, probably a statement from the band meaning that they are going to reinvent the music industry or perhaps it is simply the band claiming that since their success their world has been turned upside down and they don't know what to make of it. The camera slowly zooms into the house as we see various shots similar to the ones seen before but of course instead being upside down, once the house takes up the majority of the frame, a quick cut and the video now cuts between upside down and normality causing even more of an enigma code, I interpreted this as it meaning the band really don't care, they're hear to have fun and make music if you can get down with this, you'll enjoy The Neighbourhood. At the end of the music video, we are presented with the opening shot of the band sat down in their house, as we zoom towards them, the screen fades to a white background with the logo present once more, this then fades to black as the video ends. This is simply the band making the best use of the end of the song which is simply instrumental, nothing needs to be seen here, show the logo, make a statement, be remembered, The Neighbourhood have got this covered.
Thursday 23 October 2014
Survey Monkey Analysis
Due to these results, my music video should be aimed at the 14-24 demographic, this is about the right age category I was looking for, it is at this age that people would really bother to watch a music video.
The majority of people who took my survey listened to rock the most, there was also a high demand for stoner music, which is technically a sub-genre of rock music, so I can incorporate this into my music video. The other responses included alternative, indie, metal and grunge, again all sub-divisions of rock. Therefore the track I shall be choosing for my music video will be a rock due to popular demand.
The majority of people would like a storyline alongside the music as part of the music video which is understandable as a just music would be boring, I will have to try to create a short story that works with the music and the rest of the shots in my video.
Thursday 16 October 2014
Arctic Monkeys Video Analysis
The start of the music video is of a medium long shot, showing the pub in which Alex resides in, he is framed at the centre of each shot, regardless of it being the medium-long, medium or close-up, this then cuts to a close-up of Alex's phone, showing the time and who he is texting, this is key to the song and this why a close-up has been shown. Following this, there is a close-up point of view shot of the clock, this transforms into a smiley face, showing Alex's mind clearly isn't functioning properly. During this opening of the song, another Arctic Monkey's song is playing in the background, this is done by many bands. He then has another shot, breathes a fireball, the room starts morphing and shifting around him, again this reinforces that Alex is heavily intoxicated, this ties in heavily with the song title 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?'
Following this, Alex leave the pub and the song actually starts playing, a tracking mid-shot is used for this part of the video, to follow Alex as he tries to make his way to his 'girlfriends' house. Throughout, close-ups are shown of rare occurrences, that aren't really happening but Alex thinks are.
Friday 10 October 2014
Signs and Signifier
The type of representation we were aiming for was within the category of age, specifically looking at the dominant representation of teenagers being party animals involved in a lot of drugs and sex. We decided to picture teenagers within a grimy tunnel with a pizza box containing drugs paraphernalia and condoms. We felt this visual code clearly showed the main things in a teenagers life. This is a fairly negative representation of teenagers but I believe it is a stereotypical one.
Thursday 9 October 2014
Kerrang magazine analysis
The masthead of this magazine is Kerrang, this is fairly recognisable and I would also say it is unique to Kerrang magazine, this is at the top of the magazine and so is probably what would get read first. Therefore Kerrang have done a good job by making it their own, this means it is recognisable as their branding and so people will look out for this masthead.
The main image is of a Kurt Cobain, who looks very plain, the only major part of him we can see is his face and the cigarette, he looks pretty relaxed and content and this ties in with with the main cover line, 'Hugs Not Drugs' This particular cover line is in white and is fairly bold and large, this draws attention to the magazine and Kurt's face. Following reading this, we would see the secondary cover line saying 'Kurt gets happy! Exclusive!' This is an enigma code and makes the audience want to read more about this Kurt Cobain exclusive.
The other cover lines surround the image making the most out of the space provided, not much information is given with these cover lines and so they add to the enigma code that the front cover presents. The cover lines are small but are varying colours which make them stand out against the background, this draws our attention to them, and the two at the bottom of the page that would be read last also feature a photo and a little more information, showing these are probably the second most important stories in the magazine.
The audience for this magazine are 16-25 year olds, falling under the D/E category of the socio-economic model, who obviously like rock music, either male or female would buy this magazine but I believe it is aimed more at males. The cover lines are mainly band names and stories about that band, all of the bands featured are rock bands and so this ties in well with the audience. The representation of this magazine is actually fairly positive with the main cover line being about hugs instead of drugs, although rock is seen as fairly negative, being all about drugs and sex, this magazine cover has tried to change that perspective.
Thursday 2 October 2014
Textual Analysis Charli XCX Break the Rules
The video makes use of diegetic noise to establish the setting, this can be seen at the start of the video which features the sound of a school bell ringing this is accompanied by a bunch of school kids running down the corridor, this fits in with the theme of the song, which is about not attending school.
The start of the song has Charli and her friends in some sort of mock school uniform, walking towards the camera, trying to look cool, it then cuts to a shot of the same girls walking down the race track and then on school bus showing various different places all associated with school. The back of the bus also has Charli XCX spray painted on it. This all enforces the message of the song, basically saying they are supposedly rebels, not wanting to go to school just wanting to break the rules.
Whilst they are on the race track, the camera is in front of them, movie backwards and tracking the as they walk forward. During this it cuts to Charli standing on the bus in a completely different outfit, one that she might use on a night out rather than go to school in, this shows she is embracing the fact that they don't like school and she is ready to have fun. Just before they get on the bus, a close-up of one of the girl's arse is shown, this is tracked for about two seconds. This soon cuts to the friends on the bus, this includes various close-ups of Charli and her friends on the bus, showing how gleeful they are that they have finished school.
It then cuts to a long shot, showing the bus arrive at a shop called 'Trashy Lingerie' this reflects the vibe of the school girls because they appear pretty trashy, there is even a close-up of the sign, emphasising just how trashy this shop is. Once inside the shop, there is a mid-shot of the man behind the counter who's eyes follows the girls' arses as they walk past, this clearly shows the male gaze, as we are supposed to be attracted to these girls, even they're in school uniform they are being sexualised constantly throughout the video.
After this, the main scene is the prom, this cuts between various different shots including close-ups of Charli, to show how much fun she is having, mid-shots to show her interaction with other people and also long-shots to show the whole room. All of these shots emphasise the party vibe, showing how much fun Charli is having, that she is dancing with other people and also that the room is packed, this emphasises the fun that Charli is having, if we see her interacting with other people we can tell that she is actually enjoying herself. The end of the video cuts again to a long-shot of Charli walking away from the bus on top of the school bus again as this happens the screen fades to black showing the end of the video and that Charli is still just as lively as ever.
This video follows the basic design of a music video nowadays, sexualising women and supporting partying, what more could be wanted by the audience. The video is clearly made for teenagers and as such uses things they can relate to in the mise-en-scene such as the school bus, school uniform and the whole party scene, near the end of the video it even features some girls kissing, showing the strong sexuality amongst teenagers today.
Tuesday 23 September 2014
X-Factor Mediation
Ella Henderson is represented here as a strong female contestant with a sad history.
When we are first introduced to her, we are told of her back story about her grandfather, who has passed away and how she used to sing for him when she was little.
We are introduced to the whole family who all strongly support her and also tell her not to cry, this shows there is a strong chance she will.
We are also told that the song she is performing was one of her own, which makes us empathise with her even more as a contestant.
During her audition, certain faces from the crowd are seen showing their appreciation of the performance.
After she has finished performing, a shot is shown of the whole crowd giving a standing ovation.
We are also given a lot more of the judge's comments than most auditions simply because she was good and her performance was emotional.
The simple mediation process used here shows X-Factor has big plans for Ella Henderson.
Tuesday 9 September 2014
Representation
Class - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14488486
The general representation of the underclass is rather negative and perhaps unfair, the opening sentence talks of a more menacing underclass, the pictures show teenagers, in hoodies and mainly show black people too which is an unfair representation of this race and class too. The BBC is a very respectable company and they offer coverage of most news stories, they are unbiased in the majority of their reportings and wish only to convey the facts, although it appears to be a negative representation, this is not intentional.
Gender - Family Guy
Family Guy represents women negatively the majority of the time. They are seen as either objects of sexual desire or just as complete idiots in general, this particular scene shows the suffragettes, who are displayed as silly teenage girls having pillow fights and calling boys cute. This is a negative representation but it plays on the stereotypical image of women for humour not because this the view they actually represent.
Age - Harry Brown
Harry Brown represents the elderly very differently to anything seen before, although it shows Harry as a standard pensioner to start with, he soon transforms into the badass that the film focuses on. This is neither a positive or negative representation as there are both aspects, it is positive that it shows not all elderly people just sit at home watching day time TV but it is negative in the fact that harry goes on to kill handful of people. The producer has tried to change the representation of the elderly but he does not necessarily wish for it to be a positive or negative, it is more what you make of it. It is primarily done for the entertainment factor, as it breaks the stereotypes and therefore this draws attention to the film.
Race - Family Guy
This is a very negative representation of the British and Indians, it displays the british as conforming to the stereotypes such as having large teeth and being incredibly well spoken. The Indian woman has been given an incredibly strong indian accent and also has a bindhi spot, this is a religious marking from Hinduism, just because she is indian does not mean she is a Hindu. Again, this is a negative representation but just the same as before, it is done for the humour not because this is what the producer actually believes the British or Indians to be like. It plays on stereotypes because people find this funny, even those who have been given the negative representation.
Sexuality - The Big Bang Theory
Sexuality is represented negatively here, one with the women actually suppressing her homosexual tendencies and everyone assuming Raj is gay because he is incredibly camp. Raj is supposedly the stereotypical gay guy, this is a negative representation as it is saying everyone who is camp is gay, this is a view reflected by a lot of people, however it does not necessarily reflect the views of the producers of the show. This has been probably been done for humour rather than actually trying to represent sexuality in a negative light, and is a joke continued throughout the entirety of the TV show, showing it has been accepted as humour not spite.
The general representation of the underclass is rather negative and perhaps unfair, the opening sentence talks of a more menacing underclass, the pictures show teenagers, in hoodies and mainly show black people too which is an unfair representation of this race and class too. The BBC is a very respectable company and they offer coverage of most news stories, they are unbiased in the majority of their reportings and wish only to convey the facts, although it appears to be a negative representation, this is not intentional.
Gender - Family Guy
Family Guy represents women negatively the majority of the time. They are seen as either objects of sexual desire or just as complete idiots in general, this particular scene shows the suffragettes, who are displayed as silly teenage girls having pillow fights and calling boys cute. This is a negative representation but it plays on the stereotypical image of women for humour not because this the view they actually represent.
Age - Harry Brown
Harry Brown represents the elderly very differently to anything seen before, although it shows Harry as a standard pensioner to start with, he soon transforms into the badass that the film focuses on. This is neither a positive or negative representation as there are both aspects, it is positive that it shows not all elderly people just sit at home watching day time TV but it is negative in the fact that harry goes on to kill handful of people. The producer has tried to change the representation of the elderly but he does not necessarily wish for it to be a positive or negative, it is more what you make of it. It is primarily done for the entertainment factor, as it breaks the stereotypes and therefore this draws attention to the film.
Race - Family Guy
This is a very negative representation of the British and Indians, it displays the british as conforming to the stereotypes such as having large teeth and being incredibly well spoken. The Indian woman has been given an incredibly strong indian accent and also has a bindhi spot, this is a religious marking from Hinduism, just because she is indian does not mean she is a Hindu. Again, this is a negative representation but just the same as before, it is done for the humour not because this is what the producer actually believes the British or Indians to be like. It plays on stereotypes because people find this funny, even those who have been given the negative representation.
Sexuality - The Big Bang Theory
Sexuality is represented negatively here, one with the women actually suppressing her homosexual tendencies and everyone assuming Raj is gay because he is incredibly camp. Raj is supposedly the stereotypical gay guy, this is a negative representation as it is saying everyone who is camp is gay, this is a view reflected by a lot of people, however it does not necessarily reflect the views of the producers of the show. This has been probably been done for humour rather than actually trying to represent sexuality in a negative light, and is a joke continued throughout the entirety of the TV show, showing it has been accepted as humour not spite.
Monday 8 September 2014
Summer Induction Project Research
(Rotherham abuse scandal: Key dates)
(Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual
Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013))
(Action planned for child services)
(Rotherham sex abuse scandal: Victims
seeking millions in compensation)
(Police chief at centre of Rotherham
child sex abuse scandal receives death threats after refusing to quit)
(Pakistani community worker makes
explosive claims on Rotherham's religious leaders who 'talked in mosques but
not to police')
- BBC News
- The Daily Mirror
Summer Induction Project (Rotherham Child Abuse Scandal)
Following a report published on the 26th August by Professor Alexis Jay, revealing over 1,400 cases of child sexual abuse between 1997 and 2013, Rotherham has been plastered over the media for the past two weeks, and rightly so, a story as big as this deserves a lot of attention from the media as everyone tries to figure out exactly what happened and how it wasn't prevented.
The media has mainly focused on those apparently responsible for this scandal such as Rotherham council and the South Yorkshire police department. Rotherham council has been represented as a council of fools who care more about themselves than any of the victims, this has led to a great deal of hatred towards the council as a whole not just to the few members within the council who were particularly responsible such as Martin Kimber who has now stepped down as council chief executive. It seems that the specific council members are being used as ammo to attack the council itself. This is incredibly unfair, as the council as a whole actually does a good job with it's other responsibilities, the representation is somewhat accurate in that it was the council who are responsible for this mess but not the whole council, which the media seems to pushing towards.
Another focus on the media has been on the South Yorkshire police department, they seem to be represented as being terrible at their jobs and not really doing much, they manged only 9 prosecutions of child abuse over the 16 years. This has been a fairer representation by the media as they have made clear the man who is responsible, Shaun Wright, the South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner has been in the spotlight the most. However, Commissioner Wright still refuses to step down despite the fact that he has been represented as incompetent and remorseless, this is a fair representation but perhaps it has gone too far with Wright now receiving death threats.
The Pakistani community has been a focus of the media, with the majority of the acts having been committed by Pakistani males, it has came to light that religious leaders were 'contacted by agencies about the abuse' but they 'discussed it at the mosque' rather than going to the police. Some articles do not mention that the Pakistani community was involved whilst others blame them completely for this scandal. This is an incredibly unfair representation, although the acts have been predominantly committed by Pakistani males, others were involved too and this has not been made clear enough in the media.
I find the issue disgusting and I am actually quite horrified that nothing was done to prevent it regardless of the information the police or Rotherham council received. Over 1,400 children were abused between 1997 and 2013 and more than 30% of these victims were already known to social services. There were 157 reports concerning child sexual exploitation made to police in 2013 alone and yet only 9 prosecutions were made over the entire time. In fact, in autumn of 2009, Rotherham’s child services were rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted because they felt the safety of children cannot be assured. This was met by the mister of state serving the council an improvement notice but this was lifted in January 2011 with no real evidence of improvements. Matters were made worst in 2012 when The Times published an investigation revealing that a confidential 2010 police report had warned thousands of child sexual exploitation crimes were being committed in South Yorkshire each year by networks of Asian men. Yet still in January 2013, Council chief executive Martin Kimber blames "systematic failures" as he apologised to victims and their families, this is simply outrageous and sickening, the fact that a man can stand there and blame systematic errors simply because they have not done their job properly and hundreds of children have been sexually abused due to this.
Another audience to this scandal would be the Rotherham city council, who have all admitted that there are simply no excuses for the scandal. However, they could have reacted very differently, claiming that it wasn't there fault and that they carried out their job to the best of their abilities despite what has happened. Mr Kimber has also stated no council employees will face disciplinary action, as there is not enough evidence, this shows that if they wanted to the council members could deny anything they are accused of. Some of the members have refused to comment on the matter and some have simply tried to blame other members for their mistakes. Everyone seems to be horrified at the scale of the scandal, the difference between the audiences is where you place the blame.
The media has mainly focused on those apparently responsible for this scandal such as Rotherham council and the South Yorkshire police department. Rotherham council has been represented as a council of fools who care more about themselves than any of the victims, this has led to a great deal of hatred towards the council as a whole not just to the few members within the council who were particularly responsible such as Martin Kimber who has now stepped down as council chief executive. It seems that the specific council members are being used as ammo to attack the council itself. This is incredibly unfair, as the council as a whole actually does a good job with it's other responsibilities, the representation is somewhat accurate in that it was the council who are responsible for this mess but not the whole council, which the media seems to pushing towards.
Another focus on the media has been on the South Yorkshire police department, they seem to be represented as being terrible at their jobs and not really doing much, they manged only 9 prosecutions of child abuse over the 16 years. This has been a fairer representation by the media as they have made clear the man who is responsible, Shaun Wright, the South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner has been in the spotlight the most. However, Commissioner Wright still refuses to step down despite the fact that he has been represented as incompetent and remorseless, this is a fair representation but perhaps it has gone too far with Wright now receiving death threats.
The Pakistani community has been a focus of the media, with the majority of the acts having been committed by Pakistani males, it has came to light that religious leaders were 'contacted by agencies about the abuse' but they 'discussed it at the mosque' rather than going to the police. Some articles do not mention that the Pakistani community was involved whilst others blame them completely for this scandal. This is an incredibly unfair representation, although the acts have been predominantly committed by Pakistani males, others were involved too and this has not been made clear enough in the media.
I find the issue disgusting and I am actually quite horrified that nothing was done to prevent it regardless of the information the police or Rotherham council received. Over 1,400 children were abused between 1997 and 2013 and more than 30% of these victims were already known to social services. There were 157 reports concerning child sexual exploitation made to police in 2013 alone and yet only 9 prosecutions were made over the entire time. In fact, in autumn of 2009, Rotherham’s child services were rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted because they felt the safety of children cannot be assured. This was met by the mister of state serving the council an improvement notice but this was lifted in January 2011 with no real evidence of improvements. Matters were made worst in 2012 when The Times published an investigation revealing that a confidential 2010 police report had warned thousands of child sexual exploitation crimes were being committed in South Yorkshire each year by networks of Asian men. Yet still in January 2013, Council chief executive Martin Kimber blames "systematic failures" as he apologised to victims and their families, this is simply outrageous and sickening, the fact that a man can stand there and blame systematic errors simply because they have not done their job properly and hundreds of children have been sexually abused due to this.
Another audience to this scandal would be the Rotherham city council, who have all admitted that there are simply no excuses for the scandal. However, they could have reacted very differently, claiming that it wasn't there fault and that they carried out their job to the best of their abilities despite what has happened. Mr Kimber has also stated no council employees will face disciplinary action, as there is not enough evidence, this shows that if they wanted to the council members could deny anything they are accused of. Some of the members have refused to comment on the matter and some have simply tried to blame other members for their mistakes. Everyone seems to be horrified at the scale of the scandal, the difference between the audiences is where you place the blame.
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