MEDIA P2 OSP (The voice)

Question 1

When was The Voice founded, and who was its target audience?

Answer 1

Founded in 1982, it targeted British-born African Caribbean readers in Greater London.

Question 2

What was the mission of The Voice newspaper?

Answer 2

To celebrate Black experience and deliver positive change by informing the Black community on key issues.

Question 3

How did The Voice differ from earlier papers like West Indian Gazette?

Answer 3

It shifted focus from Caribbean ‘home’ news to British-born Black experiences in the UK.

Question 4

How has The Voice adapted to technological changes?

Answer 4

It shifted from weekly print to monthly print plus a regularly updated digital website.

Question 5

What online design features encourage user engagement?

Answer 5

Responsive layout, category pages, comment sections, and social media share buttons.

Question 6

How was The Voice originally funded?

Answer 6

Through a bank loan—highlighting the financial challenges of launching niche media.

Question 7

How does The Voice generate revenue today?

Answer 7

Through display ads, advertorials, and targeted digital advertising while complying with regulations.

Question 8

How does The Voice maximise profit?

Answer 8

By selling a book celebrating 40 years, advertising job recruitment, and pushing subscriptions.

Question 9

Who is the primary target audience of The Voice?

Answer 9

Black British individuals aged 18–50 with an interest in the Black British experience.

Question 10

What unique section on The Voice website reflects cultural targeting?

Answer 10

The “Faith” section, predominantly focused on Christianity, aligning with 69% of Black Britons identifying as Christian.

Question 11

How does The Voice use interactivity to engage audiences?

Answer 11

Through voting polls like “Are British Caribbeans losing their cultural identity?” in the Opinion section.

Question 12

What is the “inverted pyramid” structure seen on the site?

Answer 12

Most important info at the top; more detail further down—typical of journalistic writing.

Question 13

What visual signifier dominates the website’s images?

Answer 13

Black individuals—aligning with its Black empowerment focus.

Question 14

How does The Voice empower its audience through media representation?

Answer 14

It highlights successful Black individuals and subverts negative stereotypes.

Question 15

Give an example of an empowering article on The Voice website.

Answer 15

“A Black Captain America? Why not”—highlighting Black success in media.

Question 16

What hashtag-based section challenges media stereotypes?

Answer 16

“#SmashingStereotypes.”

Question 17

How can barthes theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 17

The voice includes signs which connote values such as community, professionalism, and black empowerment, helping to challegnge dominant media myths and reframe black british identity in a positive way.

The article images tend to include black individuals achieving great things, holding hands, or smiling, signifying unity and success in the the black community.

Question 18

How can neales theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 18

The voice repeats several conventions of traditional news websites including navigation bars, headlines, interactivity such as the comment and vote sections.

These repetitions anchor the voice within the news genre giving it credibility and familiarity.

The voice differentiates from mainstream newspapers by including niche content focused on black british experiences, faith sections, and representational differences by providing marginalised groups with a voice ‘vote’

Question 19

How can strauss’ theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 19

The voice creates binary opposition between marginalised groups vs mainstream media. The voice positions itself against mainstream media which often ignores or misrepresents black communities.

‘Britain’s favourite black newspaper’ - defining itself in contrast to white-dominated media. ‘#SmashingStereotypes’ contrast with stereotypical or negative portrayls in the media

Question 20

How can baudrillards theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 20

The website creates a media-constrcuted identity of black britain as being empowering, but this is curated and selectively positive, meaning it could create a heightened reality of real life, as there are still some issues in black british culture.

All images are positive such as the headline ‘A black captain america? Why not’, they do not shine a light on negative news

Question 21

How can halls representation theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 21

The voice costructs meaning through selected representations of the black british community, often challenging mainstream stereotypical representations of black people as criminals or victims.

Articles like ‘#SmashingStereotypes’ aim to directly confront and subvert stereotypical portrayals

Question 22

How can gauntletts theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 22

The empowerment of the black British community offers the audience models to aspire to, reflect on, or connect with, therefore indicating these representations act as identity resources.

Videos on black entrepreneurs, athletes etc all show diverse pathways to success. Collective identity = black British collective audience - ‘Britain’s favourite black newspaper’

Question 23

How can butlers theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 23

Images and stories in the voice often construct gender roles through the portrayal of actions, dress, and language

Images of black men and women holding hands in article photos signal gender equality and unity, but also show gender as something visibly performed in social rituals such as partnership.

Question 24

How can mulveys theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 24

The voice focuses on representing black british experiences authentically so it often resists mainstream stereotypes and sexualisation of women. Instead, it highlights strong black women as entrepreneurs, leaders, and role models, challenging typical media portrayals centred on male desire

‘The windrush midwife who changed thousands of lives’ ‘International womens day; the fight foir gender equality is far from over’

Question 25

How can van zoonens theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 25

Rather than continuosly representing females as victims and in passive positions, the voice aims to shine a light on black female empowerment in the media, subverting gender stereotypes ‘The windrush midwife who changed thousands of lives’ ‘International womens day; the fight foir gender equality is far from over’

Question 26

How can saids theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 26

Unlike western media that marginalises non western identities by representing them as ‘other’, the voice celebrates black british culture on its own terms features like ‘Windrush 70’ centres blacm british history and identity rather than imposing dominant western ideologies

Question 27

How can bell hooks' theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 27

The voice highlights racism, economic inequality, cultural marginalised, which are all factors that interact with gender. By empowering black voices, it resists not just racism or sexism alone but their combined societal impacts.

Question 28

How can gerbners theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 28

Mainstream media often cultivates negative stereotypes of black british communities, relating to crime and victimhood. The voice actively challenges these representations by offering positive stories about black achievement, community, and culture, potentially craeting new beliefs and views for their audience, or reinforcing black british empowerment in a black audience

Question 29

How can banduras theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 29

The voice showcases many positive black british role models, such as entrepreneurs, communtiy leaders, and successful artists. By seeing these figures rewarded and celebrates, young black audiences may be encouraged to emulate positive behaviours and ambitions ‘meet Vee Kativhu, Girls’ education activist and young leader at the united nations’

Question 30

How can girloys theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 30

By highlighting issues in society regarding ethnic and gender inequality, racism etc, the voice shines a light on the impact of colonialism on society and faces the issues. A black british audience may experience double consciousness, as they have a dual identity of black and british culture.

Question 31

How can jenkins theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 31

The voice’s use of social media creates a direct dialogue between the paper and its audience. This two-way interaction reflects jenkins’ idea of media as a participatory culture where producers and fans co-create meaning ‘What does black history mean to you?’

Question 32

How can shirkys theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 32

The voice’s website includes interactive features like opinion polls, comments, and social media links. Audiences can vote, comment, and share opinions, positioning them as engaged active audiences The ‘opinion’ section at the bottom of the website which includes sub-sections such as ‘the voice poll’ section which provides a voice to marginalised groups

Question 33

How can halls reception theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 33

Preffered reading – readers with strong ties to the black british community feeling represented and empowered. Negotiated reading – appreciating the positive focus but also recognising the persistence of societal issues and challenges. Oppositional reading – critics who see the paper as too unrealistic, perhaps those who have racist views

Question 34

How can curran and seatons theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 34

The voice adapts to digital advertising strategies but still has to balance commercialisation with community focus. Funding through a bank loan and the need to generate revenue through advertising reflects the economic pressures the paper faces. They are not profit-driven as they aim to shine a light on marginalised black British communities; however, they need to generate enough profit to continue operating on their website they included a small advertisement bar in the middle of the screen advertising not just products, but things which have more importance such as ‘Durham university – we offer inspiration’

Question 35

How can livingstone and lunts theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 35

The voice must balance between consumer and citizen based regulation, while navigating regulatory standards to avoid harmful content while respecting freedom of expression and providing valuable content Interviews with controversial figures such as Wiley that can spark debates about hate speech and offence

Question 36

How can hesmondhalghs theory be applied to the voice?

Answer 36

The voice may minimise risk through familiar news website formats and conventions including headlines and navigation bars. The voice may maximise profit by having multiple revenue streams. selling phsical newspapers, advertising, selling special edition books ‘40 years of black british lives book’