Youth Media

ATS 2439 Youth Media
Assessment 1

This essay will address the reasons behind why global entertainment shows targeted at young audiences are significant on a political level and illustrates that why do these reality TV shows attract such a wide range of audiences, particularly aimed at young people. And the case study of Zhejiang Television’s 2012 reality talent show The Voice of China will be introduced to analyse how the ‘entertainment’ factor has been infused into the political process. The interactions of the Chinese youth towards the specific show and media as a whole will be explored. Furthermore, discussing how ordinary young people interact with reality media will reveal the dynamics of this relationship between global popular culture and politics.
“Reality shows differ from classical documentaries in regard to their main intention: instead of stressing journalistic inquiry or intending to stimulate political debates, they are primarily made for entertainment and diversion.” (Beck, Hellmueller & Aeschbacher 2012) Along with the development of reality TV shows, media organisations such as some local television stations, they became interested in reality TV to attract a wide range of viewers instead of suit their mandate and quality standards. Hunan Satellite Television (HSTV) has got a great success in talent show Super Girls while Yong Zhong (2007) stated in his article, these commercial activities caused fears amongst the “ailing empire”. Yong (2007) explains that HSTV’s alternative content and its aims to attract large audiences were primarily fuelled by the pressures of commercialisation to survive in the media industry. He points out that the “course of commercialisation will eventually clash with the existing political use of media as the government mouthpiece” (Yong 2007) Underlying this decision is the existence of complex negotiations between media industries, businesses and the government which are demanded by global popular culture. “Super Girl were enthusiastically received by young Chinese audience, they also triggered a set of longstanding fears about the power of Western media content to undermine national identities in other parts of the world.” (Ruddock 2013)
Because of the high amount of population and the growing needs for entertainment, China becomes to a large television market for media industries to develop more TV shows. “The media and entertainment business is facing new opportunities and challenges, as it markets its products and services to the 1.3 billion people that make up the most populated country in the world” (Ernst& Young 2012) During the time of economic growth in China, civilization demand steadily rise up in recent years (Liu, 2009) Increasingly co-produced reality shows that air in China for example American Idol, in China it called Chinese Idol. Although such reality shows have large and diverse audiences in original countries, their air mode, production format and audience market are totally different in China. According to Waisbord (2004) “the commercialisation and homogenisation of media systems served as the bases for successful exports and imports of formats across the globe.” Such as Idol is "more than just another trend in an industry perennially hungry for hit shows and eager to follow them" (Waisbord 2004). It is a trend geared by the globalization of the business model of television.
However, some of Chinese scholars argue that reality talent shows can be seen as part of a series of measures to tighten up control of the media before the Communist Party’s Congress (McCabe 2007). Dreyer (2009) suggests that “casual viewers likely do not often make connections between the politics of reality television and the politics of national state, and local government.” China’s open reforms have led to alternating media ideologies and practices, with a shift in treating the receivers of media content as “masses” to the imported concept of “audience”. (Zhang 2000 cited in Wu 2001)
The reality talent show “The Voice of China” won a great popularity among the young audience and tended to be the most favourite program amid audiences in 2012. The show is the franchise of The Voice of Holland which was commented as “foreseeable profitable project, successful mode, detailed plan and perfect integration” (Zhang, 2012). This case study will discuss how the “politics” of entertainment are masked into the relationship between global popular culture and politics. In researching youths’ media interactions through their daily habits, preferences and motivations, one can see how the process of politics is emerging with popular culture today. Ordinary young people are often perceived as vulnerable to media influences because they are one of the largest groups of users, according to statistics. Young audiences are perceived to be ignorant as they fail to realise that their consumption of popular culture might be more significant than just mere “entertainment”. In a research survey conducted by Shanghai International Studies University to investigate Chinese urban youth and their relationship with media, the most important motivation for their consumption was for relaxation and fun while “personal needs and social environment are listed as two key factors” in understanding the relationship between media consumption patterns and global visions amongst urban Chinese youth (Guo & Wu 2009). The popularity of reality shows amongst youths has been linked to the “capturing of the individualistic mood of modern China”. (Hewitt 2012) The “cursing while viewing” paradox seen amongst talent show audiences has been linked with the rich aesthetic perception of contemporary Chinese audiences, increased tolerance and self-confidence of the youth.
The Voice of China uses blind audition to separate it from other similar talent shows. Super Girl provided an opportunity for audiences to experience being actively involved in deciding the contestants’ fates through SMS voting. This form of interaction was highly supported by audiences as seen in the top ratings of the programme which can be seen as a unified political opinion amongst this group of single children. But many analysts have understood the authorities’ decision in banning Super Girl as fears of the show’s influence on young people with the taste of democracy through unprecedented direct voting. (Wu 2011) The Voice of China invited four well-known and professional singing artists as judges. Their decisions were based only on voice instead of looks through blind audition. The coaches hear the contestants’ performance when they cannot see their face because of their rotating chairs. Once the coaches feel impressed by the voice, they can push the button on their chairs to choose the contestant. Blind audition is the key and special characteristics of the show. And it focuses on professional training with their coaches after blind audition. It makes the show to become more transparent and people believe it is a way to be a star when performing their talent in the reality television. People become willing to show themselves in the TV shows.
To sum up, this essay examined the underlying political notions infused into global media today. Refer to Benson and Hallin’s (2007) statement: “Distinctive media traditions developed because of the dependencies of the media field on economic and political pressures.” It is inevitable to have “the clash of commercialisation through the use of political media” (Yong 2007) because complex negotiations between audiences, media industries and governments are seen through the use of global popular culture. Despite the fact that most young audience might not realised the underlying political significance of popular culture through their consumption, their choices and reactions to these television shows have indicated that they have started to hold identities of individuality.

Reference
Beck, D. Hellmueller,L.& Aeschbacher, N. 2012, ‘Factual entertainment and reality TV’. Communication Research Trends. 1 June.
Yong, Z 2007, ‘Competition is getting real in Chinese TV: A moment of confrontation between CCTV and HSTV’, Media International Australia, pp.68-81
Ruddock, A. 2013, ‘Youth and media’. Sage Publications, pp. 68
Ernst & Young. 2012, ‘China Media and Entertainment Industry Continues to Experience
Exponential Growth as Consumer Spending Rises and Technologies Converge’. Viewed 10th April 2014. From http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Newsroom/News-releases/News_China-media-and-entertainment-industry-continues-to-experience-exponential-growth Liu, W. & Cai, Z. 2009, ‘China’s Economic Development Under the Global Recession Climate’.
Waisbord, S. 2004, ‘Mc TV: Understanding the global popularity of television formats’. Television & New Media, 5(4), pp.359-383.
Dreyer, D R, 2011, ‘Learning from Popular Culture: The “Politics” of Competitive Reality Television Programs’, PS: Political Science & Politics, 44(2), pp.409-413.
McCabe,A, 2007 ‘China’s party bosses crack down on ‘low taste’ reality television; Authorities concerned such shows offer the masses a taste of democracy’, Edmonton Journal,26 September,(ProQuest).
Wu, J 2011,’Enlightenment or Entertainment: The Nurturance of an Aesthetic Public Sphere through a Popular Talent Show in China’, The Communication Review, no.14, pp.46-67, viewed 11th April 2014.
Guo, K, & Wu, Y. 2009, 'Media Consumption and Global Visions Among Urban Chinese Youth', China Media Research, 5, 4, pp. 80-94, Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11TH April 2014.
Hewitt, D. 2012, ‘Chinese AUTHORITIES Crack Down On Reality Telvision’, Newsweek, viewed 11th April 2014. From: http://www.newsweek.com/chinese-authorities-crack-down-reality-television-63995
Benson, R., & Hallin, D. C. 2007, ‘How states, markets and globalization shape the news’. The French and US national press. European Journal of Communication, 22(1), pp.27-48.