1. CCT 300:Critical Analysis of Media Class 7: Digital Comics Examples/ Objectivity in the News

2. Administrivia • Groups for final assignment to be set today in lab – be in the right place

3. Issues with Micropayments • “Nickeled and dimed” vs. subscription services - other services • “bike shed” effect - smaller purchases are more rational than large, strangely enough • Stability of micropayment services • Transaction handling costs

4. Digital Comics • Can include immersive and interactive environments • May even include games (e.g. Myst as interactive picture-dependent webcomic?) • Not as bound to page requirements (e.g., I Can’t Stop Thinking scrolling example) but many web comics are still traditionally framed (Manovich’s notion of cultural conventions – things stick around…) • Diversity of genres, explosion of options (http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/)

5. Related Direction: Flash-based Animation • Why are Flash-like animations comic-like in nature? • Examples: Weebl’s Stuff, Homestar Runner

6. Promotion and Financing • Often become Internet memes (http://www.dipity.com/user/tatercakes/timeline/Internet_Memes/embed_tl?fs=1) • Alternative financing strategies used – free content supported by ads, merchandise • Niche media that may not work in mass culture (e.g., Quizno’s use of Spongemonkeys in mainstream ads…)

7. Objectivity in Mass Media • Early history of news - localized press, often blatantly biased and controlled by power • Objectivity emerges as journalistic imperative - “just the facts” reporting

8. Why objectivity? • Response to corporate or government censorship • Democratization of access - “fair access” efforts • Economic incentive - just the facts reporting offends less people, broadening market base • Increases perceived truth

9. Problems with Objectivity • Neutral vs. investigative; fair vs. pointed - a hard balance • An excuse for lazy reporting - one side, other side, no fact-checking or attempt at synthesis • If one side is considerably more powerful (e.g., government, corporation) - they can hide or obfuscate facts • Big problems have multiple opinions - reduction to false dichotomy does not help

10. Example: Stewart on Crossfire • Crossfire: left/right dichotomy - often devolves into screaming talking heads • Jon Stewart’s opinion and its ramifications

11. Ex: Investigative Reporting • Transparent subjectivity - biases and framing known and part of dialogue • Encourage not just factual regurgitation but analysis, argument and expertise • Can be popular - but also can be expensive

12. Ex: Al-Jazeera • Satellite television based in Qatar • Broke through traditional Arab language TV, much of which was centrally controlled • Managed to alienate both Middle Eastern and American power bases - but very popular on the ground • Caused considerable change and innovation in Arab-language TV because of its strident commitment to objectivity

13. Opinion Journalism • Move to news with particular point of view • Ex: Lou Dobbs on CNN - all anti-immigration, all the time? • Opinion talk shows (radio and TV) - related to hard news, but bias is clear and unfiltered

14. News as Entertainment • News no longer as loss leader but as driving economic force • News must be compelling, hold interest, entertaining • Effect on set design (e.g., CNN’s Situation Room, others?) • Effect on news quality and choice?

15. Example: Network (1976) • Film predicted the takeover of “hard news” by entertainment concerns • Changes in fictional Howard Beale show disturbingly representative of today’s cable news networks in particular • FYI: following clips do contain cursing…

16. Next week… • Formation of groups - be in the right lab! • Work time on comic creation, finishing off media genre analysis, etc.