The Voice CSP: case study blog tasks

The Voice CSP: case study blog tasks

Language and contexts

Homepage

Go to the Voice homepage and answer the following:

1) What news website key conventions can you find on the Voice homepage?

- Menu bar

- Subscription button

- Search bar

- Brand logo

- Links to social media at the bottom

2) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values and ideologies of the Voice?

News, Sports, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Opinion etc - I think it shows a mixture of hard and soft news and it tries to eliminate bias by voicing multiple opinions in that section as well as providing personal identity and diversion throughout the menu bar options.

3) Look at the news stories on the Voice homepage. Pick two stories and explain why they might appeal to the Voice's target audience. 

- NHS chief challenges unequal opportunities- This tries to examine unfairness towards the community and challenges it by pointing it out online in a protestful way for change.

-  Appeal launched to restore Caribbean memorial- This also identifies harms and challenges towards the black community and attempts to face them by challenging them to protect the history of their cultures.

4) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage and how they encourage audiences to click through to them.

The captions of each of thew stories on the homepage are left short in order to provide enigma codes that can lead audiences to be interested in clicking on the stories and reading more about them.

Lifestyle section

Now analyse the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:

1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?

Fashion & Beauty, Food, Health & Well-being, Relationships and Travel: They all are soft news examples and they provide personal identity, options for surveillance and also entertainment/ diversion for the audience, suggesting they are all interested in lifestyle topics.

2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?

Most of the stories are celebrating the achievements of the black community e.g. a black beauty brand collaborating with Harrods as they have their own pop up and also A black woman receiving an award at a L'Oreal event, as well as promotion of Caribbean food in London etc.

3) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?

They challenge traditional stereotypes by promoting brands created by black people and also identifying and celebrating their wins and achievements in support of the community.

4) Choose two stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?

- Big loss: Chef Dom passes away - This news was a celebration piece of the chef's achievements and passion for food throughout his life as he provided amazing Caribbean food and the Voice also passed on their condolences to the man's family.

- Real talk: Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness - Expresses continuous Jamaican diaspora and this shows how the Voice identify problems that challenge the achievements of the community and they go against them on their platforms.

Feature focus

1) Read this Voice opinion piece on black representation in the tech industry. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?

It awareness of racial inequality and promoting positive representations of Black British people. The article highlights the lack of Black representation in the British tech industry, with Black British people making up only 4% of the workforce.

2) Read this feature on The Black Pound campaign. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?

The Black Pound campaign reflects The Voice’s ideology of empowering Black British communities by encouraging people to support Black-owned businesses and improve economic independence. This promotes unity, representation and resistance to racial inequality.

3) Read this Voice news story on Grenfell tower and Doreen Lawrence. How might this story reflect the Voice’s values and ideologies? What do the comments below suggest about how readers responded to the article? Can you link this to Gilroy’s work on the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?

The Grenfell Tower story reflects The Voice’s commitment to challenging racial inequality and giving Black voices a platform. The comments suggest readers engage with and share concerns about injustice, linking to Gilroy’s Black Atlantic theory, which explores shared Black identities and experiences of racism across different countries and cultures.

Social and cultural contexts - 40 Year of Black British Lives

Read this extract from The Voice: 40 Years of Black British Lives on rapper Swiss creating Black Pound Day (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access the document). Answer the following questions:

1) What is Black Pound Day?

Black Pound Day is a monthly event launched in June 2020 by Swiss to encourage people to buy from Black-owned businesses and improve economic empowerment within the Black community.

2) How did Black Pound Day utilise social media to generate coverage and support? 

Black Pound Day used social media, particularly Twitter, to raise awareness, trend nationally and encourage people to support Black-owned businesses, generating publicity and increasing sales.

3) How do events such as Black Pound Day and the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards link to wider social, cultural and economic contexts regarding power in British society?  

These events celebrate Black achievement and challenge the underrepresentation of Black people in positions of power. They promote economic independence, cultural pride and greater visibility in British society, where Black communities have historically faced racial discrimination and economic disadvantage.

Audience

1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.

The Voice website targets Black British adults, particularly those of African-Caribbean heritage, interested in Black culture, politics, community issues and news.

2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).

The website provides information about news and current affairs, personal identity through representation of Black British culture, and social interaction by connecting readers through shared experiences and community issues.

3) Give examples of sections or content from the website that tells you this is aimed at a specialised

or niche audience.

Sections covering Black British news, African-Caribbean culture, racism, politics and Black-owned businesses suggest a specialised, niche audience with particular cultural interests and experiences.

4) Studying the themes of politics, history and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?

These themes resonate with Black British audiences because they reflect shared experiences of racism, discrimination and struggles for equality, while providing representation often missing from mainstream media.

5) Can you find any examples of content on the Voice website created or driven by the audience or citizen journalism? How does this reflect Clay Shirky’s work on the ‘end of audience’ and the era of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Audience comments and opportunities for readers to contribute content can demonstrate citizen journalism, as ordinary people help produce and share media. This links to Clay Shirky’s end of audience theory, where audiences become active producers rather than simply consuming content, enabled by digital technology.

Representations

1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?

The Voice positions its audience to view Black Britons positively by celebrating their achievements, highlighting cultural identity and challenging negative stereotypes and racial discrimination.

2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?

The Voice could be seen as challenging Gilroy’s concept of double consciousness, as it provides a space where Black Britons can celebrate their identity without viewing themselves through the dominant white British perspective.

3) What kind of black British identity is promoted on the Voice website? Can you find any examples of Gilroy’s “liquidity of culture” or “unruly multiculturalism” here?

The Voice promotes a diverse Black British identity that combines African-Caribbean heritage with British culture. Its coverage of Black-owned businesses and cultural events reflects Gilroy’s liquidity of culture, showing how identities evolve through cultural exchange.

4) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?

Using Hall’s constructivist approach, representations are constructed through media language and reflect particular viewpoints; Black audiences may feel represented and empowered, while some other audiences may interpret the content differently depending on their beliefs and experiences.

5) Do you notice any other interesting representations in the Voice website? For example, representations or people, places or groups (e.g. gender, age, Britishness, other countries etc.)

The Voice represents Black women and men as successful, diverse and influential, challenging stereotypical mainstream representations. Its coverage of Britain alongside African-Caribbean culture also presents British identity as multicultural rather than exclusively white.

Industries

1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand? 

The Voice was founded to give Black British communities a voice in mainstream media, challenge racism and address their underrepresentation. Its original ideology focused on community empowerment, racial equality and positive representation.

2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today? 

Issues such as racial inequality, underrepresentation of Black journalists and competition from mainstream media remain relevant today. The growth of digital media has also created new challenges for traditional newspapers trying to maintain audiences and revenue.

3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice? You'll need to research this using Google/Wikipedia or look at this Guardian article when Gleaner first acquired The Voice.

The Gleaner Group owns brands including The Gleaner, The Star, Power 106 FM and Music 99 FM. It acquired The Voice to expand internationally and reach the African-Caribbean diaspora in Britain and North America.

4) How does the Voice website make money?

The Voice website generates income through digital advertising, sponsored content and promotions, alongside revenue from its print publication and commercial partnerships.

5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?

Adverts and sponsored promotions help generate revenue from businesses targeting Black British audiences. Whether adverts are personalised using cookies or fixed placements depends on the advert and website settings; advertising supports the site commercially.

6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?

The Voice has a public-service role because it reports on racism, inequality and issues affecting Black British communities, providing representation often missing from mainstream media. However, it must also generate revenue to remain financially sustainable.

7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content?

Technological convergence is shown through the combination of written articles, photographs, videos and links to social media on one website. This allows audiences to access different forms of media through a single digital platform.

8) How has the growth of digital distribution through the internet changed the potential for niche products like the Voice?

The internet allows The Voice to reach niche audiences across Britain and internationally without relying solely on print distribution. Digital publishing also enables faster updates, wider reach and interaction with readers.

9) Analyse The Voice’s X feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as Taylor Swift)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?

The Voice’s X feed focuses on news, Black British issues, culture and community stories, whereas a celebrity feed such as Taylor Swift’s may focus more on personal branding and fan engagement. The Voice may use attention-grabbing headlines to attract clicks, but its emphasis is more on community news and representation.

10) Study a selection of videos from The Voice’s YouTube channel. What are the production values of their video content?

The Voice’s YouTube videos generally use digital video production, including interviews, event footage and news-style reporting. Production values may vary, with some content appearing more professionally edited than other, more informal videos.