1 Voice and Representation in Participatory Media Mark Dunford a Document Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements O
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Voice and representation in participatory media Mark Dunford A document submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University of Brighton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (by Publication) June 2016 1 Abstract This submission draws on research and practice completed over a twelve-year period (2003-2015). It explores changes within the media economy, considers the historical development of participatory media and then interrogates practice within it by using two key periods of action research (Inclusion Through Media, 2004- 2008; Digital Storytelling with older people in their communities across two major projects – Extending Creative Practice and Silver Stories, 2009-2015) as fields of enquiry. Three supporting documents (Building the Knowledge Economy: A Strategy for the Media and Related Creative Industries in the Channel Corridor, 2003; Digital Science: A Collaboration between the Wellcome Trust and Nesta, 2006; The Power of Youth Media to Change Lives, 2012) set out the changing nature of media from 2003 to 2010. The first adopts a strategic approach to economic development and, in doing this, shows the particularity of the media economy. Taken together, the second explores the use of media within a new market and the third reviews the growth and importance of youth media. The three reports examine the impact of digitalization on the media landscape. This combination of diverse research sources enables the submission to draw on an evidential richness transcending different worlds of policy, practice and theory. In doing this it is able to join dots to provide a clearer picture of voice and representation within participatory media. The submission argues that the development of new forms of media activity enabled by digitalization led directly to new modes of community-based media which, in turn, created spaces for community based practitioners that emphasized the importance of the voice of the participant. It uses three concepts of voice, namely opportunities for new voices to speak and be heard, an increased mutual awareness flowing from a greater influence over distribution and exhibition and the potential for new intensities of listening as a means to interrogate the notion that digitalization has increased the range and number of voices across the media. The thesis argues that these changes have shifted the dynamics of participatory media away from a model dependent on the patronage of broadcasters to a more varied landscape with lower costs and a greater range of funding opportunities. This has led directly to an increase in the amount and range of media. New forms of media, such as Digital Storytelling, have acquired an international standing. The thesis considers the extent to which these changes have created a space for the voices of participants to be expressed and heard. It goes on to argue that the representative components of these new forms of media are partly illusory as the participant voice 2 is frequently distorted and curtailed by the need to meet an explicit requirement set by the funding agencies, the longer term needs of the producer or by the inability of the work to reach and engage an audience. Examples to illustrate these points are taken from Digital Storytelling work completed over the past six years. 3 Voice and representation within participatory media Introductory Note This submission is divided into two parts. The primary document is titled Voice and representation in participatory media. The second part consists of eight supporting documents; these are ordered chronologically to illustrate my research journey and provide the broad range of supporting evidence needed to anchor a full understanding of the issues raised throughout the submission. Mark Dunford June 2016 4 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 Section One – What is contemporary participatory media? ..... 9 The Roots of contemporary Participatory Media Practice ................... 9 Positioning participatory media: Growth of the Creative Economy and the concept of Cultural Industries ........................................................... 13 Section Two: Understanding Voice in Participatory Media ..... 19 Public Voices ....................................................................................................................... 20 Distributing Voices ......................................................................................................... 24 Listening to different Voices ................................................................................... 29 Concluding Commentary ................................................................................... 33 Methodological Note and Guide to Supporting Research Documents ................................................................................................................... 38 A: Policy Analysis .................................................................................................................... 39 Document One: Building the Knowledge Economy: A strategy for the Media and Related Creative Industries in Channel Corridor (2003) .................................................... 39 Document Two: Digital Science: A collaboration between Wellcome Trust and NESTA (2004-2006) ............................................................................................................................ 39 Document Three: The Power of Youth Media to Change Lives (2012) ......................... 40 B: Action Research .................................................................................................................. 40 Document Four: Dunford, M. (2007). About Inclusion Through Media. In: Dowmunt, T, Dunford, M and van Hemert, N. Inclusion Through Media. London: Open Mute. Pg 25-39. ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Document Five: Dunford, M. (2007). Successful Fundraising in the UK. In: Coyer, Dowmunt and Fountain The Alternative Media Handbook. London: Routledge. 309- 314. ............................................................................................................................................................. 41 C: Academic Publications about Digital Storytelling ................................................... 42 Document Six: Dunford, M, Rooke, A. (2014). Extending Creative Practice. In: Gregori-Signes, C, Brigido-Corachan, A. Digital Storytelling: Appraising Digital Stories across Disciplines and Cultural Contexts. Valencia: Servei Publicacions ..... 42 Document Seven: Crisan, C. Dunford, M. (2014). Understanding Inclusion through Digital Storytelling: A Case Study assessing the impact and effectiveness of workshops across Romania. In: Ivan L, Buzoianu, C and Gray, B Mapping Heterogeneity: Qualitative Research in Communication. Bucharest: Tritonic .......... 42 Document Eight: Dunford, M, Jenkins, T. (2015). Understanding the Media Literacy of Digital Storytelling. Media Education Research Journal. Volume 5 Number 2 Pg 26-42 .......................................................................................................................................................... 42 Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 43 5 Introduction The development and growth of new forms of media activity enabled by digitalization has led directly to new modes of community-based media, which have, in turn, created spaces for community-based practitioners to undertake innovative work showcasing the voice of the participant. This submission uses the term participatory media to describe a specific mode of media production based within communities that draws together community groups and professional or skilled media-makers to create different forms of media. It argues that the dynamics of participatory media have shifted away from a model dependent on the patronage of broadcasters to a more varied landscape characterised by lower costs with a greater range of funding opportunities and outputs. This has led directly to an increase in the quality, amount and range of participatory media. The submission explores the extent to which these changes have created a space for the voices of participants to be expressed and heard. It proposes that it is utopian to think digitalization provides unprecedented possibilities for participatory media and argues that the participant’s voice is frequently distorted and curtailed by either the need to meet an explicit requirement set by the funding agencies or by the longer-term needs of the producer or commissioning agency. The dynamics of mediation may have shifted, yet the marginalized voice remains on the periphery. The primary evidence within this submission is from research and practice completed over a twelve-year period (2003-2015). This material identifies and explores changes within the media economy, considers the historical development of participatory media and then explores practice within it by using two key periods of action research as fields of enquiry, namely Inclusion Through Media, (2004-2008) and Digital Storytelling with older people in their communities across two major projects – (Extending Creative Practice and Silver Stories, 2009-2015). Three supporting documents (Building the Knowledge Economy: A Strategy for the