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DAY

By Stephanie Trembath

ustainable growth and
S community involvement

have never been issues for
mass media; the blogosphere and
mediums like Twitter and YouTube
have created platforms for political
debate, constant entertainment,
and a universal exchange in
information. However, with the
World Wide Web transforming our
media systems, the field of student
journalism has been called into
question. Media Democracy Days
Vancouver is an annual public
event that answers these questions
and allows for discussions on the
rapidly transforming field of media
relations and journalism.

“The future of journalism
depends on the ability of journalists
to come together nationally, and
internationally, to defend their
interests” says Vincent Mosco, who
acts as Canada Research Chair
in Communication and Society
at Queen’s University. Mosco
is well-known for his studies
in in the Political Economy of
Communications, and his published
works, The Digital Sublime, where
he discusses myths surrounding
the digital age and how this
expansion of networked media
systems have altered our means
of social interaction, development,
and political engagement. Mosco’s
studies elaborate on the political
economy through the study of
social philosophy, social totality,
historical change, and praxis; which
he terms the study of societal
values.

A popular speaker for Media
Democracy Days Vancouver, Mosco
was one of many guest speakers
who were warmly welcomed by
hundreds of supportive citizens
and students from all over the
Lower Mainland. The weekend
kicked off with a film screening of
War Made Easy and a lecture from
cultural studies expert Sut Jhally,

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a communications professor from
the University of Massachusetts.
Jhally also made a guest appearance
at Simon Fraser University the
following Monday to wrap-up

the weekend, lending his cultural
expertise in the media industry and
advertising.

“Social media does not facilitate
social movements,” says Jhally,
“social media should be used as a
tool for change, but is not change
itself. The media we live in today is

Opinions

advertisers pay for space through
this medium—the largest known
social media system in our history
to date—which is a very influential
and powerful advertising space.
Jhally referred to advertisers
as Harry Potter’s “Dementors”
in relation to our social media
systems, “they suck the life right
out of you, and in some cases, you
don’t even realize it.”

Elaborating on current affairs,
Jhally commented on China’s mass

“Shally suggested that media is not in the message-producing
industry, rather, it is how media transforms and influences the
human consciousness—the very behaviours that produce and
consume commodities presented by the advertising industry.’

more like a Matrix, with little bits
and pieces that all come together
to create a big picture. The political
economy shaped from our media
systems today is created and
sustained by the consumer, and it is
only the consumer—you guys—that
has the power to influence change.”

Jhally’s lecture highlighted the
effects of the advertising industry
as a key component in our media
systems today, through print media,
television, radio broadcasting, and
online networks. Jhally suggested
that media is not in the message-
producing industry, rather, it is how
media transforms and influences
the human consciousness—the
very behaviours that produce and
consume commodities presented by
the advertising industry.

“The greatest production

value is in the audience—who is
the audience? This is the question
of every organization, which is
what the audience should be doing,
questioning everything.”

Jhally used Facebook as
the most recent example of
media consuming the human
subconsiousness, asking the lecture
hall of students why Facebook was
worth millions of dollars if it was
free to sign up. His answer: because

political economy, as it was noted as
being the second-largest economy
in the world according to The New
York Times, and gave credit to
none other than the proud United
States of America. Regardless of
the trillions of dollars that America
owes to the Chinese government,
Jhally remained unconcerned and
declared that it is thanks to the
consumer attitude and neglect
for the country’s increasing debt
problems that China’s economy
has flourished; Jhally asserted
that China needs this wealth of
consumer consciousness in order to
sustain their economy, and without
it they have nothing.

“Capitalism loves difference,
you can always further exploit
it!” were the words Jhally left
his audience with, after drawing
comparisons between the
sweatshop factories used to exploit
workers in China, and the “Factory
of the living room” constructed
by television advertisers. Like
sweatshops that instill horrible
working conditions, longer
workdays, and child labour,
Jhally insists that with our current
media systems and values, there is
systematic abuse of advertisements
and a consumer attitude that

MEDIA DEMOCRACY DAYS
Manage QUESTION | CREATE | CHANGE

NOV 11-13 VANCOUVER 2011

Vancouver gives sustainable options to the future of journalism

 

Teel

creates “work” by the audience.
“Consuming commercials and ads
is work” said Jhally, which is aimed
and created not only for adults but
also children with younger, more
vulnerable mindsets.

“We need to take the factory
back-—take the media back, and
reform our social values and social
media systems today, for the health
of our future and the continuity
of journalism as a democratic
practice.”

Media Democracy Days
Vancouver was held from
November 11 to 13 and promoted
the democratization of mass media
through media systems to support
a media reform in order to allow
for a systematic change where
our media is more accessible,
accountable, and representative of
public demand. With three days
of open panels for discussion, film
screenings, and workshops, Media
Democracy Days works to bring
Vancouver’s community together
with all supporting citizens, artists,
journalists, scholars, and political
leaders to assist in revolutionizing
our Canadian media systems.

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