The Use of Different Theories in the Media Issues - Assignment Example

Question 1 In the article titled “Tamils offered deal to leave boat,” there are different standpoints from the parties involved. The government of Australia has offered to resettle some Sri Lankan refugees aboard the Ocean Viking in a period of six weeks as a strategy to convince them to go ashore in the Indonesian territory. Indonesia is in agreement with Australia to allow the Ocean Viking to remain anchored near one of its islands as the matter is resolved. Australia promises to help the Sri Lankan refugees to be resettled within four to six weeks only if they disembark the vessel. Indonesia insists that since the talks over the refuges have not been finalised, once the refugees disembark the vessel they will be taken to a detention centre that is funded by Australia in Tanjung Pinang. Australia supports this option because the detention centre is a modern one. Another player, the Government of New Zealand, has chosen not to be involved in the issue. Two important theories are relevant in the issues mentioned in the article: the Standpoint Theory and Invitational Rhetoric Theory. The standpoint theory focuses on the differing roles or groups or standings within a given culture as a way of empowering oppressed groups. It can be seen that both Australia and Indonesia have offered to help the Sri Lankan refugees, but only if the refugees agree to disembark the vessel. The Invitational Rhetoric Theory involves conquest, conversion, advice, as well as invitation and this can be seen in the way the two governments are dealing with the issue. The two theories thus focus on empowering oppressed groups as well as convincing them to act in a particular way. Both the Standpoint Theory and Invitational Rhetoric Theory clarify the need for various parties to be involved in helpful talks when resolving any conflicts. The Standpoint Theory clarifies the aspect of convincing and helping an oppressed group, whereas the Invitational Rhetoric Theory shows some form of conquest or domination over a given party. As seen in the article, Indonesia and Australia are willing to help the refugees, but on condition that the refugees disembark the vessel. The Standpoint Theory and Invitational Rhetoric Theory lead us to observe various aspects of communication such as persuasion, invitation and conquest. In any given communication there is usually persuasion, and when the party being persuaded complies, the persuader can be said to have made a conquest. The ultimate move is for the persuaded party to be invited to act according to the will of the persuader. By understanding the Standpoint Theory and Invitational Rhetoric Theory, we can make prediction that an agreement is often likely to be reached since persuasion rather than coercion is used to attract one party in the communication process. Thus we can see from the article that given the offers provided by Indonesia and Australia, the Sri Lankan refugees are likely to disembark the Ocean Viking in order to enjoy the resettlement process as stipulated by the two concerned governments. Question 2 The article “That’s the end of our tale” suggests that “Storytelling is drowned out by Internet noise ands chatter.” This can be related two theories: the Narrative Theory and the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) theory. According to the Narrative Theory, a narrative is present in a variety of genre including myths, legends, fables, tales, drama, comedy, mimes and so on. The Narrative Theory revolves around studying a narrative, whether it is in a written form or any other form. On the other hand, the Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory deals with understanding who as well as what we are and what we do in communication. CMM also implies that different cultures in the world are comparable and this can be done through the use of narratives. Most importantly, the CMM theory seeks to create and analyze various cultural practices as they are reflected in different ways as well as a researchers’ own perspective. Storytelling is important because it facilitates socialization. As noted in the article, storytelling is the bedrock of civilization. This is because through it, different generations are told of what happened in the past, and through this, the past can be compared with the present. This is the essence of civilization. In addition, storytelling enables the old generations to interact with young people and through this, the young generations can learn of the events of the past. The problem with the advent of the Internet as regards storytelling is that the kinds of stories posted on Internet sites do not contain the real elements of a true narrative. According to the article, stories demand time and concentration since a narrative does not just transmit information – it has to be welcoming to the reader so that he or she can visualize the unfolding events that are highlighted. But what is posted on popular sites such as Facebook cannot be said to be meeting this requirement. This is why the author of the article says that Facebook can be a place for tell-tales (that is spreading rumours) but not for telling real tales. The Narrative theory and the CMM theory remind us the essence of narratives in communication. The message passed by any narrative will be determined by the narrative’s contents. It is for this reason that what is posted on the Internet cannot be said to match the requirements of a true narrative. The writers simply have no time to compile ideas of the required standards in terms of plot. Even though there are no good narratives on the Internet we can use the Narrative theory and the CMM theory to realize that today people have more Interests in other people’s stories than ever before. Hence, there is hope given that it is possible to have thumb novels that can be uploaded on internet enabled phones as it has been done in Japan. Such materials are written using Internet language but can be likened to real narratives as highlighted by the Narrative Theory and supported by the CMM Theory. Question 3 Issues surrounding Schapelle Corby Schapelle Corby is an Australian woman who was convicted of an imprisoned for smuggling drugs while in Indonesia. An Indonesian court determined her sentence although she pleaded innocent to the offence. Even while in prison she still says she was imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. The controversy behind the case is that Schapelle Corby was found in possession of a bag that contained cannabis as she arrived in Bali from Australia. Even then, she claimed that she was not aware of having the dugs and that someone could have planted them into her travel bag. She initially earned a hefty sentence but her appeal led to a reduction of the sentence, which she now has to serve until 2024. She exhausted all her clemency claims, and now she has only one option, to be pardoned by the president of Indonesia - but this is only possible if she pleads guilty to the offence. The critical media theory can be related to Corby’s case. The media plays an important role in creating cultural images and symbols that can be used to oppress or redeem people’s images in the society. The Australian media was particularly instrumental in seeking Corby’s release from Indonesia as opposed to many Indonesians who wanted her to be handed a death sentence for the “serious crime.” Different photos of Corby shown in the media depict her differently. There is one that shows her behind bars with a beaming face, with a caption “Schapelle Leigh Corby in prison.” To the Australians who sympathize with her, this photo is a reminder of the long struggle by Corby to be set free as well as her pleas of innocence. This is supported by the second photo that shows her in handcuffs with the caption “Indonesian justice? The misnomer?” the two photos show the oppression Corby is subjected to in Indonesia. Any reader who believes Corby’s side of the story can shed tears by glancing at the photos. However, Indonesians who wanted her to be killed would detest seeing images of her in jail. The third image is the front cover of the book written by Corby while prison. The book is titled “The Truth about Me” in which Corby answers the lies about her. The image is captioned “Schapelle Corby book sorts fact from fiction.” Anyone interested in the Corby’s case would be interested in reading this book in order to have the details presented by Corby. The fourth image with the caption “Schapelle Corby in her room at Kerobokan Prison” depicts the kind of life in prison in Indonesia as well as Corby’s suffering, bearing in mind that she might have been imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. The fifth image shows Corby being handled by security officials and is captioned “Australia’s Ganja Queen.” This shows the position of the media in Indonesia and depicts Corby as a drug baron in spite of her claims of innocence. The importance of the media can be noted as shown by the five photos. In particular, the critical media theory can be used to establish how a reader or viewer will perceive the photos, and this determines the reader’s or viewer’s perception of the plight of Schapelle Corby. Read More