Monograph Explores Cultural Politics of Colorism in India
Magazine advertisements and television commercials for cosmetics and personal hygiene products in India illustrate a cultural bias toward lighter skin, according to the findings of a study published in the fall 2009 issue of Journalism and Communication Monographs.
In their monograph, “Melanin on the Margins: Advertising and the Cultural Politics of Fair/Light/White Beauty in India,” Radhika Parameswaran and Kavitha Cardoza first provide context for “colorism,” or skin color discrimination, in India. They explain that the nineteenth century colonial attitudes that considered the science of race looked at physical characteristics of natives in order to prove their inferiority. Likewise, colorism has roots in the caste system of India, as well as in the country’s ancient history when lighter-skinned tribes invaded around 1500 B.C.
The authors argue that colorism affects women more than men, and non-white women consider light-colored skin to be an asset that can improve one’s social and economic status. Magazine advertisements, matrimonial classified advertisements, film and music industries, and fashion magazine editorials promote skin-lightening cosmetics and personal products by taking advantage of this cultural perspective.
In their study, Parameswaran and Cardoza identify the themes of transformation, scientific authority and heterosexual romance in the rhetoric of the advertisements they analyze. These themes suggest that a woman can change her skin color; that she should trust the products developed by western science; and that she can gain a successful, fulfilling relationship with a man as a result of having lighter skin.
Parameswaran is an associate professor in the School of Journalism at Indiana University, Bloomington, and Cardoza is a senior reporter at WAMU Public Radio in Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: Dr. Parameswaran at the School of Journalism, Indiana University. Phone: (812) 855-8569. Email: rparames@indiana.edu
- “Melanin on the Margins: Advertising and the Cultural Politics of Fair/Light/White Beauty in India” by Radhika Parameswaran and Kavitha Cardoza. View the title page, abstract (PDF).
- Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs
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Misdiagnosed: Why Newspapers will Build Bad Business Models
By Brad King, Assistant Professor, Ball State University
From the Series: Tech Meme
Rupert Murdoch raised quite a stir in the publishing world when he announced last month that he would, in the near future, remove his company’s news content from Google. His reasoning: Google is stealing, making money off headlines, decks and images, which ultimately hurts his bottom line since people aren’t viewing that content on his company’s sites.
In December, the news industry fired another salvo when Murdoch’s News Corp. and four other media conglomerates announced the formation of a joint venture to develop a digital publishing platform for the Web and the emerging e-Reader market. This followed the Hearst Corp., one of the companies involved in Murdoch’s conglomerate, attempting to push its Skiff e-Reader software to e-Reader devices in 2010.
That Google — and the rest of the technology world — didn’t blink any of these ideas is telling. Google, in fact, quickly unveiled an easy solution that would allow any publisher to remove its content immediately from search. So far, none have.
Clearly the publishers, who are hemorrhaging money, have to do something. Fast. A looming cloud of doom hovers above every news organization, fueled by all manner of demons, some real and some imagined. And in this chaotic time it’s difficult to suss out which is which.
In uncertain times, people want easy answers. Increasingly that looks to mean a showdown between news companies and technology companies.
Yet as Murdoch and his news brethren prepare, this all seems eerily familiar. And wrong. Read more
Discussing JMC with Charles Davis
Inspired by the series on social media by Danny Brown, “Discussing JMC with…” features a collection of interviews with academics from across the U.S. and abroad discussing current topics and trends in journalism and mass communication.
Charles N. Davis is an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and the executive director for the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), headquartered at the School.
Davis’ scholarly research focuses on access to governmental information and media law. He has published in law reviews and scholarly journals on issues ranging from federal and state freedom of information laws to libel law, privacy and broadcast regulation. He has earned a Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work in furthering freedom of information and the University of Missouri-Columbia Provost’s Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching, as well as the Faculty-Alumni Award. In 2009, Davis was named the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Davis has been a primary investigator for a research grant from the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation for NFOIC and another from the Rockefeller Family Fund for the study of homeland security and freedom of information issues. He was a co-investigator for an award from the U.S. Department of State for a curriculum reform project for Moscow State University in Russia.
Davis worked for newspapers and as a national correspondent for Lafferty Publications, a Dublin-based news wire service for financial publications, Davis reported on banking, e-commerce and regulatory issues for seven years before leaving full-time journalism in 1993.
How do you define mass communication?
Hmmm…..I wonder whether the question is whether the very nature of mass communication is changing in real time, with emphasis on the “mass.” Blogs, listservs, Twitter feeds – all can achieve what a decade ago required mass distribution. What that does to the relationship between the audience and the content mean these days, and how it works with and without interpersonal media – those are real questions worth pursuing.
How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?
If a student is not excited, or at the very least intrigued, by the chaotic state of the field these days, then they lack the kind of thrill-seeking spirit that will be requisite in the industry these days anyway! That said, I hope that I keep students excited by demonstrating, through lots and lots of examples, just how amazing journalism can be, the good that it does and its centrality to the democracy.
If we demonstrate passion, daily, for what we do, the students get that — immediately and profoundly.
What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?
If I knew what changes that we needed to male to stay relevant — if I, or anyone else held the keys to that riddle — they could set themselves up in a sweet consulting deal and retire to a lovely island somewhere in no time. Truth is, none of us knows precisely where all of this is headed, certainly not economically, but can we agree that students at the very least expect to be trained in a variety of media distribution platforms? To be conversant in a variety of platforms, while retaining our core skills and theoretical training seems, to me, to be the tension here. How do we do all of this simultaneously, and do we risk become dependent on the ever-changing technology and taking our eyes off the bottom-line mission of teaching our students how to report and write and edit at a professional level? I often feel we need twice as much time as we have just to accomplish some measure of professionalism on that front.
If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be and why?
Well, this is incredibly selfish, but I’d save the media law course, because disruptive technologies have a way of challenging legal assumptions, and the basis of First Amendment protection for expression is certainly no exception. We must create a new generation of mass communicators with a deep appreciation for First Amendment rights — many of which will face renewed challenges in this era of “new” threats posed by new technologies.
What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?
I am a laggard in terms of technology, but I find myself working to close the gap between myself and my students, who are always introducing me to new applications. I am a FaceBook and Twitter user of some renown — I find them to be the only ways in which I can effectively communicate quickly with students. I am experimenting with some podcasting, e-books and other things as well.
If you could offer a piece of advice to both your fellow educators and media professionals in the field, what would it be?
One piece of advice? Wow. That’s pressure!
I guess one piece of advice I seem to tell someone, either a current or former student, seemingly weekly, is that journalists of this era must be willing to embrace the change inherent in technologies, and not give in to the powerful temptation to throw up their hands and yield it to the kids! Students need — indeed, they crave — direction in terms of reportage and writing. That doesn’t change. It never will. So embrace that which is changing, and you’ll get much better at doing the stuff that hasn’t changed, and won’t. It sounds cliché, I know, but really doing that is a brave thing. I have not yet done it as completely as I should, I know that!
What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?
In terms of both journalism education and higher education in general, what I see is an age of greater entrepreneurial impetus, independence and disintermediation than ever before. The institutions that once brought us all the journalism, and provided us J-Schools with all the jobs, are in the midst of evolutionary change. Higher education is a bit more insulated from those effects — for now. But the university I retire from will look very, very different from the university that today’s retiree is leaving.
- You can find more “Discussing JMC with…” interviews here.
Vampires
by Kelley Crowley, West Virginia University
ENTERTAINMENT STUDIES – I’m sick of vampires. I’m tired of their brooding, their sparkle and their stranglehold on current popular culture. So powerful is the ability of vampires to ‘glamor’ their victims that even Burger King has used the popularity of the Twilight movies as an opportunity to talk about fast food. When a society feels comfortable enough to put vampires and cheeseburgers together we can admit that the creatures of the night have become passé?
Vampires, of course, won’t ever fall out of fashion, but the role that they currently occupy in popular culture has changed significantly from the Anne Rice vision as a reflection of our desires (living forever) and fears (having to drink blood to do it) to a this era reflection of passivity and general ennui. Vampires are no longer creatures of mystery and terror wrapped in seduction and eroticism; this new vampirism is more like a disability — a complexity that keeps humans and vampires apart.
What happens to a classic genre when it is diluted by too much media and producers with more money than imagination? The recent influx of vampire culture: the True Blood HBO series, the Twilight books and the Vampire Diaries; toothless portrayals of the undead and the women who love them. The current crop of bloodsuckers and their damsels in distress are trying how to figure out how to live and love together — how very postmodern. We are no longer concerned about how to eradicate evil proper, in the black and white Platonic sense. Instead, teenage girls and middle-aged cougars alike swoon over ‘Bill’ and ‘Edward’ and if they need to suck a little blood, so be it. It is interesting how this new vampire vision includes a world where the female characters are willing to give up her life to be with their vamp man. I can’t live without you; even if you are dead. Read more
Discussing JMC with Ted Spiker
Inspired by the series on social media by Danny Brown, “Discussing JMC with…” features a collection of interviews with academics from across the U.S. and abroad discussing current topics and trends in journalism and mass communication.
Ted Spiker, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Florida, teaches Magazine Management, Magazine & Feature Writing, Advanced Magazine & Feature Writing, Finding Your Voice, Journalism as Literature, Health & Fitness Writing, and Applied Magazines—the course that produces the campus magazine, Orange & Blue. Spiker, a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine, is also a freelance writer who specializes in health and fitness writing.
His work has also been published in Outside; O, The Oprah Magazine; Fortune; Women’s Health; Best Life; Prevention; Runner’s World; Reader’s Digest; Sports Illustrated Women; AARP The Magazine; and more. Spiker is also co-author of about a dozen books, including the national bestselling YOU: The Owner’s Manual series with Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen. Spiker is currently serving as the head of the AEJMC Magazine Division.
How do you define mass communication?
I think anytime we’re sending out messages to a group of people, that’s mass comm. But I tend to make a distinction depending on the audience. I think of mass communication as a form of media that sends a message to an audience that the sender doesn’t necessarily know personally. So to me, the traditional Facebook status updates (as opposed to fan pages) is merely talking to a group of friends electronically, but a Twitter update where you have followers you don’t know, that’s mass communication. The size doesn’t matter as much as the relationship.
How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?
I just heard a great talk by one of our UF alums who has a big role at a major cable network. We talked about this issue and one of the things that came up is that media companies aren’t the only place for journalists and communicators. Every company (big or small) is a media company, and every company needs people who can communicate effectively in all forms, whether it’s telling a story, brand development, or 140-character teases about a message the company wants to send. It may be a changing industry, but I think there are going to be lots of spots for good communicators and good storytellers.
What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?
We need to strike that balance between our traditional principles, but also being able to adapt to new forms of delivery, new kinds of storytelling, and even new ethics. But in this age of unending info, doesn’t it come down to the fact that best content (delivered creatively and compellingly) will win? J-schools should still be teaching those skills—being creative, generating unique ideas, and then figuring out cool ways to deliver on those unique ideas.
If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be and why?
We’ve got to keep basic reporting courses because in the era when anyone can publish anything, we’re going to need (and will value) those people who can find good information, no matter the field. But I also think that with the change in media, we’re going to need to change, too. I’ve been lucky enough to teach an elective called Finding your Voice a few times—it’s a non-fiction writing class that tries to help students develop their own style and distinct voice as writers. In this age of blogs, POV and personality, the thing that really makes people stand out—besides good content—is a strong and unique voice. We’re doing this in writing classes anyway, but more and more, this will become a core principle that we’ll use when we teach fundamentals—know the rules, then find ways to twist them upside their head, smack ‘em silly and go back for seconds.
What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?
I’ve had students write blogs for my Health Writing class, and I made students follow me on Twitter (@ProfSpiker) so they can quickly link to appropriate items I think they should read. In my Health Writing class, I’ve also customized the final project—students can pick their medium (print, video, audio), whether it’s an individual or team project, etc… Then I build a grading construct based on the project they want to do. It’s a bit of a challenge to make the grading equitable, but I like that it gives them the flexibility to try and use different storytelling methods and approaches depending on their interests.
What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?
It seems like we’re in this world of customization—something magazines have been doing for a long time. But since we’re going in the direction of giving our audience the ability to customize everything about what content they get and the way they get it, maybe that’s where we’ll go with higher ed, too. It’ll be a challenge to make one classroom experience different for individual students. And maybe that’s not even the right way to go. While I think we ultimately have to lead our students by giving them what they need, I guess I wonder if we can also help them by giving them a little more of what they want.
- You can find more “Discussing JMC with…” interviews here.
Discussing JMC with Francesca Carpentier
Inspired by the series on social media by Danny Brown, “Discussing JMC with…” features a collection of interviews with academics from across the U.S. and abroad discussing current topics and trends in journalism and mass communication.
Francesca Dillman Carpentier is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her teaching interests include television production, telecommunication management and policy, and media effects. Her research questions focus on how we process mass-mediated messages, with additional focus on understanding what motivates us to select certain media offerings over others.
Francesca’s academic work has been published in a number of journals inside and outside of the communication discipline, for example Media Psychology, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, International Journal on Media Management, Journal of School Violence, and Personality and Individual Differences. She has also written television scripts for children’s and educational videos.
How do you define mass communication?
I would broadly define ‘mass communication’ as any message delivered in any number of vehicles (high tech, low tech, or no tech) to an audience consisting of a group of individuals who might or might not share a number of similarities.
How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?
I focus on the idea of doing what you love, and I also emphasize that the skills they learn are not just applicable to employment at a newspaper organization or television news network. There is need for good communicators, good writers, good videographers, and good information packagers in nearly any field, from marketing to medicine to space exploration.
What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?
I think an acknowledgment of amateur information gathering and social media is crucial to understanding what interests people, how people want to be reached, and how people differentiate between non-professional and professional quality work. From here, I think giving students a good overview of the different skill sets is needed to be competitive in our newly-converged environment, as well as challenging them to think about new ways of packaging information and reaching different publics. Ultimately, I believe it’s of the highest importance to get the students to think conceptually about how to use the tools they learn to become leaders in the field, not just good employees.
If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be and why?
Editing. I’m a firm believer that one’s writing cannot really improve unless that person can successfully critique others’ writing, as well as his/her own. I think this is true no matter what style of writing is needed for the job.
What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?
Well, I teach audio/video/multimedia introductory courses, in which the students get to play with the different toys they might encounter on the job, in addition to getting to know various software packages they’d likely use to create radio, television, and online presentations. We’re using digital audio recorders, shooting in HD (with an eye for 4:3, of course), playing around with mics and lighting, editing primarily on Final Cut, having fun with video compression, and demystifying webpage creation by having some light fun with Dreamweaver and Flash.
If you could offer a piece of advice to both your fellow educators and media professionals in the field, what would it be?
I have no idea. Perhaps try to keep up with the technological advancements of the field? Perhaps try not to let the technological advancements overshadow the importance of good storytelling? I feel I need to remind myself of this second point quite often.
What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?
I see the future as bright, especially with the push for interdisciplinary work and with the recognition by other fields, such as public health, that mass communication is integral to the success of their own endeavors. I think the definition of what journalism is will change and perhaps become more broad, and I think we will see continued use of citizen journalists, but I also think the traditional core of fact-checking, objective reporting, etc. will remain hallmarks of good professional-quality communication – hallmarks that will still be recognized by our media-saavy public.
- You can find more “Discussing JMC with…” interviews here.
