The Impact of YouTube on US Military Narratives in Iraq: Propaganda vs. Grassroots Journalism

1. Uploading Dissonance

2. Overview • YouTube and the US occupation of Iraq – Christensen • Propaganda vs. public diplomacy • Noopolitik • Amateur Photojournalism and the Myth of Media Democracy – Nemanic • Grassroots journalism • Media democracy—does it exist? • Examples • Questions/Areas of exploration

3. Christensen: YouTube and the US Occupation of Iraq • MNFIRAQ – what is it? • YouTube channel by US Defense Department • “boots on ground perspective”

4. 3 Types of Videos • Street fighting • Surgical warfare • Good deeds

5. Steetfighting

6. Surgical Warfare

7. “Good Deeds”

8. Good deeds? – Opposing Content

9. Good deeds? – Apache Kills

10. Traditional Propaganda

11. Propaganda vs. public diplomacy

12. Propagandistic Dissonance • Realpolitik and noopolitik • What we see here is noopolitik— • Control over thought • “deliberate, regulated decontrol • Noopolitik may ultimately be about whose story wins 159

13. In what other ways are we exposed to “noopolitik” propaganda?

14. Magazines and Advertising • For corporate gain • We’re more sensitive to government propaganda but advertising is just as prominent • Bernays—propaganda vs. public relations, sound familiar?

15. “Must-haves”, “Perfect dresses” etc VS

16. Media dissonance

18. Media myths: Good Girl vs. Bad Girl VS

19. Militainment

21. TV Shows • Glorified view of government organizations

22. “But in the war over public opinion, video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Google video have, it appears, begun to restructure the balance of story-telling power” • Christensen 173 Has it really?

23. “Amateur Photojournalism and the Myth of the Media Democracy”

24. Question for the class Is photojournalism dead?

25. Yes? Because: • Professional photojournalists push corporate agenda • Biased • Fake/staged images

26. But Nemanic says No… • Digital Divide • Photojournalism requires education, talent, experience • Professional images= superior quality • Photojournalist more willing to take risks for greater images • Civilian journalism is short lived—edges on sensationalism

27. G20 – citizen perspective

28. G20 – CTV perspective

29. Grass roots – “ involving the common people” • Princeton Wordnet • Media democracy • global social movement developed to open up mass media to a range of ideas and diverse voices that are repressed through media ownership • But these are two separate things! • Idea of authenticity

30. Occupy Wall Street

33. Are these images more authentic than…

37. Culture and Citizen Journalism • Audience appropriation and modification of media texts • John Fiske culture—“an active process of generating and circulating meanings and pleasures within the social system” • Audience interests are short lived

38. Discussion: Is this citizen journalism? Bed Intruder Song – audience appropriation Bed Intruder- original news report

39. Media democracy?

40. Media democracy?

41. Censorship?

42. Further questions • Do you agree with Nemanic? • Can citizen and professional journalists work together? • How does/can one complement the other?

43. Final conclusions?