IDM yr 1

Media Representation I very much enjoyed and resonated with video 1 this week; 'Why representation matters'. Mo Rodman at the beginning of the video discusses how validating it can be for minorities to see themselves represented in the digital and fictional world, it gives those people something to resonate with, to see themselves in. I found the quote if one 'cannot be represented, cannot be remembered' particularly striking as it shows the harsh reality of erasure and its devastating effects. No culture, difference, or minority should be pushed into the shadows. Media should portray the real world and everyone in it, not just what is deemed the social norm. I found myself very interested in the second video, covering Stuart Hall's representation theory. Hall rejects the idea that anyone event has a single fixed meaning or implication. We are shown the example of Trump, how liberal media portrays him negatively while conservative media paints him in a more positiv...

Before watching the three videos I defined digital media as merely any data being encoded digitally, I suppose I held the subconscious idea that media is 'art' making digital media digital 'artwork' in a way. After watching these videos I understand it is exponentially larger than that. Digital media is the online framework within our devices. As I stated prior, I associated media with artwork, something to be viewed and consumed, however media is entirely interactive. I thoroughly enjoyed Doug Belshaw's TED Talk video and found it really opened my eyes on the real life uses of digital media. I found his discussion of 'memes' particularly engaging. I never realized how much these light hearted funny images actually guide our beliefs. Memes spread like wildfire and people are much more likely to interpret a humorous image on a serious topic as opposed to reading a full articile about. This is fascinating, we can keep the public informed on issues more than we...