Agenda Shifting
How might identity groups use media to react to, reshape, or even control the narrative being constructed about them in mainstream media? We are seeing many of the groups we study -- but especially the DREAM activists and the American Muslim networks respond quickly to news stories or popular culture programming that they feel places them in a negative light. They are using their collective capacities to pull together information, critique representation, construct alternative narratives, and get them into circulation, often in ways that commands the attention of major news organizations. In part, these strategies work because of the ways they are able to quickly mobilize dispersed and decentralized networks that are invested in helping them spread content.
Real World Example:
The video about the Sikh temple shooting addresses a serious issue related to a marginalized population while also complicating national definitions of “Islamic” identity.
Hasan Minhaj opens the piece with “this is the truth”. He uses logical reasoning and explicit examples to construct an argument for how the shooting is doubly tragic: not just in the deaths but also in the complete lack of national attention. He says the only people responding are “brown, social Asian community” and then identifies specific names to make it more relatable and then generalizes it by claiming “black community has been talking about this for years”. He addresses both minorities and the white population.
For the former he calls on them to Mobilize, stop the hate, address the fact that white, racist domestic terrorist are more of an issue that islamic terrorism. For the later population, he calls on them to be open and talked with Sikh members of the community to learn the nuances of culture and not assume they’re Muslim. Stylistically he uses classical music, costume, and settings to create an aire of a cultured individual and lend credibility (doubled through a layer of parody) to his perspective.
Ask Some Conversation Starter Questions.
Here are some questions you can ask to get a conversation about remix started in your community.
Thinking back on media you have made in the past, did you have a particular agenda (or reason behind making it)? What were you trying to achieve?
How do you determine whether media you encounter has a particular agenda? Does this affect how you react to it? Can you think of examples?
How you react if the agenda is explicit vs. implicit to the media you encounter? Can you think of an example of each of these?
Looking to Start Your Own Conversation?
If the HitRecord Agenda Shifting video and information contained here inspired you to action, you may want reach to the original call for submissions that inspired this video to be made in the first place. While the deadline for submissions has expired, you are always free to create your own responses to it!
