Posts filed under ‘Media’
Will we ever hear a sermon on rape culture?
[Trigger Warning: Contains discussion of rape culture and attitudes to rape, but not historical or theoretical examples.]
With the sexual moralising that has gone on over the same sex marriage debate, yet again many churches are discussing the kind of relationships they think are commendable, or even acceptable, within society. Whilst same-sex relationships have been dividing the church for years, the church is often silent on the scandal of sexual violence and rape culture that characterises much of how our culture talks about different-sex relationships.
Tax Star Distraction
Read all about it: People You’ve Heard Of undertaking Massive Tax Fraud. We’ve had Jimmy Carr and a bunch of other stage figures out-ed as tax avoiders, or maybe even evaders. The problem was right on the end of our noses – our TV screens – all along. Is this a real story? Yes. Is it the real story? No. Its barely significant.
Science: its a stereotype thing
The current gender-outrage doing the rounds right now is brought to you by those wonderful chaps at the EU who are trying to ‘solve’ the ‘problem’ of a lack of women in science. For those who haven’t already, spend a minute watching this advert and observe (oh, that’s a sciencey word, isn’t it?) all that is cringeworthy about the latest attempt.
#RadFem2012: Exposure doesn’t make the media your friends
Its possible that far too much has already been said on the issue of the RadFem conference to possibly contribute anything more. Too many things have been taken and twisted beyond recognition and too few have said anything that really adds to what is becoming a very entrenched shouting match (though here lies a brilliant exception). But I think the analysis of this situation has lacked one critical perspective: the role of the media. (more…)
Phone Hacking: a crisis of agency for the rest of us
The unearthing of a hacking scandal at NewsCorp and the massive media circus of Murdoch ‘on trial’ before the commons select committee provided a spectacle that held what felt like the whole population in some sort of trance. It felt as if the whole of the establishment was just about to cave in on itself. The problem, and the reason I found the whole episode so difficult to deal with, was the impossible task of finding a way to do anything.
Why David Starkey’s career will get better
I must apologise before I start – this is pure Grumble territory. Forget the upbeat bits, this is depressing me as much as all the rest of the news. Last night, the BBC hosted historian David Starkey on Newsnight, during which he made various patently racist statements, which can be viewed here. That the BBC has cut out the segment and made it available should hint at how they’re feeling about it all.
Church of England: Apart of the Establishment?
These have been very bizarre days. A friend suggested this had been the most stressful week for consumers of the news in some months – perhaps they’re right. The British establishment is suffering a wholesale loss of credibility before our eyes; bizarrely, the church is for once doing better than any other area of the British Establishment.
Activists are interesting humans too!
To understand why I’m writing this now, you could go read something by Laurie Penny and then something written in opposition to Penny’s writing, but as the combined total is clear of 5000 words, lets just say this: some activists really don’t like Human Interest stories. Which is a shame, because activists usually make good human interest stories, and these stories tend to relate activism to the public much much better than political rambles.
Why did I pick up the Sun today?
I’m travelling today, and so I get the excuse of having a large number of newspapers around me to tempt my curiosity. I rather wish they hadn’t. There are days when I swear at the news for what is happening, and there are those days when I get angry because what is written totally misses the point, or is so clearly written with an agenda of injustice.
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