Women's Hour Flashcards
1
Q
Product context
A
- Long running BBC Radio 4 daily magazine programme
- Programme has evolved to cover hard-hitting topics
2
Q
Social and cultural contexts
A
- Role of programme in reflecting the changing roles of women in the UK
- Woman’s Hour was originally broadcast in the 1940s, so it is relevant to consider how different life in the UK is for women now
- Changes to a male’s role in society and their representation in the media
- The impact of the #MeToo campaign, along with other social media campaigns highlighting sexism, and the popularity of women’s podcasts show there is a diverse and engaged audience for ‘women’s media’
3
Q
Economic contexts
A
- Reflects the ethos of the BBC as a public service broadcaster
- How the BBC’s not-for- profit, licence fee-funded model influences how its products are produced, distributed and consumed by audiences
4
Q
Significance of economic characters to media industries and their products
A
- The BBC is a public service broadcaster (PSB) and has a remit to inform, educate and entertain
- BBC is funded by a licence fee
- ## The BBC is considered by many to be a pillar of British life – a reliable and trustworthy source, particularly in the days of ‘fake news’, whose high-quality products are exported globally
5
Q
Historical contexts
A
- Woman’s Hour was first broadcast in the 1940s,
so it’s worth considering the historical and social shifts that have occurred since the show’s inception - The original show could be said to reflect tokenism (a show set aside for women might imply all other radio content was oriented towards men)
- However, this format has continued and has developed into an important part of Radio 4’s schedule.
6
Q
Recent technological change and impact of digitally convergent platforms
A
- Offers a number of ways to explore recent changes to the radio industry in relation to digital technology
- Switching from analogue FM radio to digital audio broadcasting (DAB), and the boom in downloading and streaming
- Podcasting and listening to broadcasts on digitally convergent platforms such as computers and smartphones
7
Q
How media producers maintain varieties of audiences: Emma Barnett
A
- Journalist and broadcaster who previously presented the BBC Radio 5 Live late morning show and BBC Newsnight
- Written the ‘Tough Love’ ‘Agony Aunt’ advice column in the Sunday Times Magazine, where she explored extremes of peoples’ personal lives
- Her style is light-hearted yet unafraid to explore emotionally sensitive and controversial issues
8
Q
How media producers maintain varieties of audiences: Anita Rani
A
- Established and popular presenter
on television - She is one of the lead presenters on BBC One’s Countryfile and has become a familiar face on British television, presenting a range of explorative documentaries for the BBC including Bollywood: The World’s Biggest Film Industry and My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947
- The choice of Anita Rani addresses one of the key purposes in the creative remit
of the BBC
9
Q
How media producers maintain varieties of audiences: Topics
A
- Topics discussed on Woman’s Hour are
not strictly based around female experiences - Although subjects like IVF, mastectomy and women’s safety are female-centric, other discussions about grief, adult literacy and disaster planning offer a female perspective on issues that would also interest male listeners
10
Q
Power and Media Industries, Curran and Seaton
A
- Woman’s hour challenges the idea
- The significance of the licence fee is that it frees BBC producers from the pressure to generate profit which in turn impacts the content of their broadcasts
- The fact that this programme continues to be an important part of the channel’s schedule illustrates the broadcaster’s willingness to produce a programme targeting a specific social group
- Low production costs of this medium and the inexpensive hosting/digital distribution costs offer producers opportunities to take risks
11
Q
Regulation, Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt
A
- The BBC is regulated by Ofcom as established in the Communication Act of 2003
- The BBC operates both a consumer-based regulatory model offering choice for audiences and a citizen-based one, taking responsibility to self- regulate its content
- Follow the ‘Watershed’
- Challenges the assumption that ‘new media’ is hard to regulate
12
Q
How audiences interpret the media: Male response
A
- How many other media texts are composed of only female members (Loose Women, for instance, has male guests) and how this might be unsettling or alienating for male listeners
13
Q
How audiences interpret the media: Female response
A
- Same gender composition might be appealing to some female audiences who feel their concerns are underrepresented
14
Q
How audiences interpret the media: interaction
A
- Woman’s Hour encourages an interactive relationship with their listeners
- Audiences can respond to Woman’s Hour on Twitter, through the website and on other social media platforms
- Broadcast designed to invite audience members to enter the discussion through social media platforms
15
Q
How media organisations reflect the different needs of mass and specialised audiences
A
- As a PSB, the BBC has a remit to produce content for all audience demographics
- Specialised audiences contribute to the diversity of the BBC and enhance the profile of Radio 4 as a station that caters for a broader demographic
- In the case of Woman’s Hour, it is through the choice of presenters, guests and topics selected
- range of serious and
more light-hearted stories to appeal to the demographic - Advances in technology have enabled radio audiences to access content across a range
of digital platforms to suit their needs
