The Poverty of Television

Jonathan Corpus Ong

Description

The first book to take an ethnographic approach in the study of distant suffering and the media

Based on a 20-month ethnographic study of television and audiences in class-divided Philippines, this is the first book to take a bottom-up approach in considering how people respond to images and narratives of suffering and poverty on television. The book aims to contribute to the broader project of de-Westernizing media studies and explore the tension between ethical prescription and anthropological description in the social sciences and humanities. Winner of the 2016 Philippine Social Science Council Excellence in Research Award.

Acknowledgements; Introduction: The Poverty of Television; 1. The Moral Turn: From First Principles to Lay Moralities; 2. Theorizing Mediated Suffering: Ethics of Media Texts, Audiences and Ecologies; 3. Audience Ethics: Mediating Suffering in Everyday Life; 4. Entertainment: Playing with Pity; 5. News: Recognizing Calls to Action; Conclusions: Mediating Suffering, Dividing Class; Appendix; Notes; References; Index

Sujets

• PHILOSOPHY
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Social sciences
• Anthropology

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 15 mai 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783084449
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Poverty of Television
ANTHEM GLOBAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Anthem Global Media and Communication Studies aims to advance the understandings of the continuously changing global media and communication environment. The series publishes critical scholarly studies and high-quality edited volumes on key issues and debates in the field (as well as the occasional trade book and the more practical ‘how-to’ guide) on all aspects of media, culture and communication studies. We invite work that examines not only recent phenomena in this field but also studies which theorize the continuities between different technologies, topics, eras and methodologies. Saliently, building on the interdisciplinary strengths of this field, we particularly welcome cutting edge research in and at the intersection of communication and media studies, anthropology, cultural studies, sociology, telecommunications, public policy, migration and diasporic studies, gender studies, transnational politics and international relations.
Series Editors
Shakuntala Banaji – London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK Terhi Rantanen – London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK
Editorial Board
Aaron Barlow – New York City College of Technology, USA Martin Barker – Aberystwyth University, UK David Buckingham – Loughborough University, UK John Downey – Loughborough University, UK Jacqui Ewart – Griffith University, Australia Bob Franklin – Cardiff University, UK Christian Fuchs – Uppsala University, Sweden Radhika Gajjala – Bowling Green State University, USA Fadi Hirzalla – University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Koichi Iwabuchi – Monash University, Australia Jack Lule – Lehigh University, USA Karen Lury – University of Glasgow, UK Mary Celeste Kearney – University of Texas at Austin, USA Linje Manyozo – London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK Dina Matar – School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), UK Purnima Mankekar – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA Donald Matheson – University of Canterbury, New Zealand Britta Ohm – University of Bern, Switzerland Rita Rahoi-Gilchrest – Winona University, USA Arvind Rajagopal – New York University, USA Erik Ringmar – Shanghai Jiaotong University, China Thomas Tufte – Roskilde University, Denmark Silvio Waisbord – George Washington University, USA
The Poverty of Television
The Mediation of Suffering in Class-Divided Philippines
Jonathan Corpus Ong
Anthem Press An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company www.anthempress.com
This edition first published in UK and USA 2015 by ANTHEM PRESS 75–76 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK and 244 Madison Ave #116, New York, NY 10016, USA
Copyright © Jonathan Corpus Ong 2015
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ong, Jonathan Corpus. The poverty of television : the mediation of suffering in class-divided Philippines/ Jonathan Corpus Ong. pages cm. – (Anthem global media and communication studies) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-78308-406-7 (hard back : alk. paper) 1. Television viewers–Philippines–Attitudes. 2. Television programs–Social aspects– Philippines. 3. Suffering on television. 4. Television–Psychological aspects–Philippines. I. Title. PN1992.3.P5O54 2015 302.23’4509599–dc23 2015004782
ISBN-13 978 1 78308 406 7 (Hbk) ISBN-10 1 78308 406 5 (Hbk)
CONTENTS
List of Figures and Tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Poverty of Television
1. The Moral Turn: From First Principles to Lay Moralities
2. Theorizing Mediated Suffering: Ethics of Media Texts, Audiences and Ecologies
3. Audience Ethics: Mediating Suffering in Everyday Life
4. Entertainment: Playing with Pity
5. News: Recognizing Calls to Action
Conclusions: Mediating Suffering, Dividing Class
Appendix
Notes
References
Index
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1. A fisherman on Bantayan Island stands beside his new fishing boat donated by GMA Network in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Photo by the author.
Figure 2. Students and alumni of Ateneo de Manila gather in their sports centre to pack food and other relief goods for affected communities of Typhoon Ondoy. Photo by the author.
Table 1. Q1 2009 Audience Shares by Channel
Table 2. Mapping Moral Responses to Wowowee
Table 3. Mapping Moral Responses to Suffering in the News
Table 4. Respondent Characteristics (Total: 92)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The idea behind this book began during my MSc degree at the LSE, where I studied under the most passionate professors thinking through pressing questions about media morality. Sonia Livingstone, Youna Kim and Terhi Rantanen were among my encouraging mentors. I have to specially thank Shani Orgad, whose lectures seduced me into academia, and introduced me to my eventual PhD supervisor.
This book would not have been possible without Mirca Madianou. Mirca guided me for four years as my supervisor at the University of Cambridge. While Cambridge was an odd place to study television and popular culture (not to mention suffering), Mirca’s intellectual navigation and fierce friendship found me a home and shaped my voice as a writer. She continues to teach me to this day – now as colleagues in the Humanitarian Technologies Project – and by being her own example of humility and empathy as ‘first principles’ of research.
Many ideas in the dissertation are the product of discussions with generous and critical mentors. I am deeply thankful to Lilie Chouliaraki–first, for inspiring me through her lyrical and imaginative writing, and then for always challenging me to write and do better. Danny Miller visited Manila during my fieldwork taught me to be less cautious and think/live more dangerously. Georgina Born’s suggestions at a crucial stage of my project informed its eventual focus. Nick Couldry gave terrific advice during my PhD examination.
During fieldwork, I am thankful for the hospitality extended by ABS-CBN and GMA. Had it not been for materials and insights shared by Tina Monzon-Palma, Lita Montifar, Cookie Bartolome, Ryan Chua, Ayee Macaraig, Mel Tiangco, Jobart Bartolome, Ella Evangelista-Martelino, Angeli Atienza, Cel Amores, and Regie Bautista, important characters and subplots would have gone missing from the story. Melo Esguerra, Bryant Macale, Bea Ledesma, and Roland Tolentino clarified many important points about the Philippine media landscape.
For 16 years now, Jason Cabanes has been like a brother to me. Thank you for always getting me on the comeback trail. I would never have considered getting a PhD without Nicole Curato’s encouragement–what Nicole says or subtly implies, we should always do. violet valdez is my first and remains the staunchest academic mentor. I am very lucky to have a most intuitive ‘lay expert’ friend in Deepa Paul-Plazo, whose proofread was loving, meticulous, and challenging. Pamela Combinido helped and cheered me through the final stages of manuscript preparation. I am grateful for conversations with peers about my work: Megha Amrith, Kristel Acedera, Jayeel Cornelio, Leloy Claudio, Ranjana Das, Helena Patzer, Guanming Low, Lawrence Santiago, Dominic Yeo, Ozan Asik, and Casey Brienza.
My editors and publisher at Anthem Press have been most patient with me through this process. I am thankful to Tej Sood, Brian Stone, and Lori Martinsek for their support. Mano Gonzales’ boundless talent and Raymond Ang’s visual literacy are to thank for the book cover.
I am also in debt to all my students in Leicester, Hong Kong, Cambridge, and Ateneo de Manila who engaged all my examples on suffering and media ethics, and were first to hear – and challenge – my ideas.
My deepest love and affection go out to my family: my mother Susan, my brother Jeri, and my Ate Liza. My mom’s love makes me who I am. It is from her that I first learned the ‘lay moralities’ of resilience and dignity. My father Antonio and grandmother Lourdes were excited and anxious when I began my PhD; unfortunately they did not live to see me finish it. I dedicate this book to them.
Finally, I am grateful to the many people that I met during my research. I thank them for their hospitality, enthusiasm, and sharp wit. I regret that the succeeding pages, in focusing on conflict and antagonism, could not also record the many occasions of warmth and humour that we shared.
Leicester, UK 23 March 2015
INTRODUCTION: THE POVERTY OF TELEVISION
The media may have extended reach, but have they extended understanding?
Roger Silverstone, Media and Morality
This book is about how suffering and poverty are represented on television and how audiences respond to this process of representation. As such, this book situates itself within the current debates in media ethics, such as the question of the m