Introduction to the article

The article "the populace and the police: models of social control in reality based crime television" by Jessica Fishman. The author talks about how people use a narrative of myth to understand the world. since myth contain the fundamental symbols and values which bind a group together. Such as myths about authority, power and social conflict. Fishman focuses on reality based crime TV shows, com parring two types of ideologies,progressive and populist.

Progressive myth supports is the ideology that authority, power and property is given to an elite few.

Populism myth devalues the political culture of centralized government, it facilitates a diffusing of property and power.

Fishman uses this framework to compare to crime reality shows, "cops" and America's most wanted"

The process of research

Fish man uses a method of coding to do her research. The first thing to do so is to come up with categories in which she will compare both shows. Then she will watch an episode of the first show, checking off the number of times her catergory is present in that episode, then she will do the same for the next show. She does this with a number of episodes until she was statisitical analysys of the ideals. Some examples of her catergories are the number of suspects taken into custody, how many times photos were shown of victims etc. Fishman then uses her data to compare, suport or deny her idelogies of the shows.

The national and the hour:Two News Program Styles; Two Ideologies:

The National and The Hour are two very different styles of news programming presented by the CBC, and as such present two very different ideologies. The National presents an ideology that places emphasis on the content of the show, along with ideologies of authenticity, validity, and neutrality; The Hour, on the other hand, fits and ideology of efficiency, along with those of entertainment and social concern through personal opinion as well as the cult of celebrity.

Following the Fishman article, it is possible to apply the progressive ideology to The National, with its message of authentic, reliable news cast as relayed by professional journalists. The populace ideology discussed in the article can be applied to The Hour in relation to its message of stories and personal opinions and views as relayed by George Strombolopolous to help make sense of the world.



Content and efficiency - coding of 20 min segments for 3 episodes of The Hour and The National:

Opening of "The Hour"

Opening of "The National"

The National

Hosted by Peter Mansbridge, The National is CBC's flagship news and current affairs show. It is an hour-long broadcast featuring national and international news and stories that are “important to Canadians”, and runs Monday-Friday. Its general format consists of approximately 20 minutes of news, a short (about 15-20 minutes) documentary or political panel, and then about another 20 minutes of news reporting. The host generally introduces the stories that are covered on the program, which are then turned over to a reporter for further in-depth coverage. A few shorter stories, which are covered by the host, appear amongst the longer reports.

Intro of today's stories on "the National"

The National and its Ideologies: Content, Authenticity, and Validity:

Generally, it is assumed that the ideology of traditional news programming will be concerned with valid content that is representative of important current events in our society as well as the delivery of this content in a neutral style characterized by unbiased reporting. Typical news programming also generally attempts to convey a sense of authenticity in its reporting, delivering “real news” and “in-depth” reports on issues that would be of concern to its demographic audience.

When beginning to code The National, it was assumed that it would be consistent with an ideology based on content, authenticity and validity; the findings listed in the table below confirm this assumption. Assumptions can also be made in regard to the type of individual that watches the national; one who is concerned with authenticity in news reporting, relevant issues, and both quality and quantity in the delivery of news reports would be assumed to consume such a form of news programming.

The vast majority of the stories reported on during The National can be placed in the “relevant issue stories” category; they are generally political, social, or environmental in nature, and generally concern issues that would be important to most Canadians. Reporting is conducted on issues at both the international (i.e.: the war in Afghanistan, British soldiers held in Iran), and the national level (i.e.: Canadian politics, environmental issues in BC). In 3 episodes that were coded, 35 “relevant” issue stories were presented, and only one “entertainment” story appeared, this story concerned a Canadian artist, rather than a Hollywood or international celebrity, so even this could be possibly placed with stories that are relevant to Canadians.

Stories on The National are also generally more in depth and well over 60 seconds in length (stories using reporters other than the host range from 2-4 minutes in length, stories reported on by the host are just under 60 seconds, and longer documentary-style stories and political panels rang from 10-20 minutes in length). Reporters are generally used to convey adequate information in regard to the issue in question- the majority of stories are not just “news blurbs” or simple a headlines with no other information to back them up. For example, reporters place the story in its context, comment on those involved and the politics of the issue, how Canadians and local people could be affected, and where the story might go next.

The reporting style used on The National is also very neutral in its tone, this lends to a conveyance of authenticity and validity in the content of the program. Reporters and Host do not give their opinion on the issues they are covering, allowing the viewed to develop their own ideas and opinions on the story at hand. Tone of voice also does not change, sarcasm, for example, is never detected, emotion is not shown and tone of voice is generally quite flat- generally it is impossible to tell how the reporter or host feels about the issues they are reporting on. It any form of bias does appear in a story it is in the form of quotes taken from individuals with whom the story concerns (e.g.: quotes from politicians, activists, etc). Mode of dress for both host and reporters is rather conservative, aiding in the neutrality put forth by the program. When graphics are used in a story, they generally as a way to provide viewers with additional information, they are generally conservative in their appearance (black, white, grey, and red), yet bold enough to convey importance without being flashy; this can also be seen as a continuance of an image of relevant content, authenticity, validity, and neutrality of reporting.

Sarah

Intro of todays stories on "The Hour"

Ideology of "The Hour"

Ideologies of The Hour:
~Efficiency
~Entertainment
~Social Concern

Efficiency:
The Hour is efficient because it presents the news in a fast, efficient manner. It fills its allotted 60minute slot with current news. The graphics are an efficient way to introduce a new idea, or move to a new segment. When a guest comes on the show George Stroumboulopoulos introduces them by showing their biography, in the form of an easy to read, concise graphic. This is a quick and efficient way to keep the viewer up to date on his next interviewee. Segments are quick – as is indicated in the small number of stories over sixty seconds in length - efficiently allowing more topics to be discussed.
In terms of content, when compared to The National, The Hour is not as efficient in reporting relevant news stories, as is indicated in our chart. Traditionally, the purpose of a news program is to report relevant news, and The Hour is not nearly as efficient as is The National in this area. The stories are short, but very vague, therefore rendering them inefficient.

Entertainment:
This ideology of The Hour is evident through the use of graphics to keep the viewer watching and amused. The National displays its understanding that having these aesthetically pleasing graphics will keep people watching, however, The Hour uses this technique more frequently. Celebrities are brought on the show, as they are the face of entertainment in our society. Watching these celebrities and listening to them is entertaining to the viewers, and keeps them watching night after night.
George, himself has been in the entertainment business for many years. We have all seen him on Much Music and automatically connect him with entertainment. George’s history and laid-back approach to presenting the news reflects entertainment, not the strictly informative scenario evident within The National.

Social Concern:
George talks about social issues, a main one being the environment. He puts his personal opinion in the show frequently, as is indicated when we compared this show to another news show. On the website they claim, “The Hour is a different take on the news through the lens of George and company,” overtly stating that George’s opinion is a large part of the show. He projects his ideologies into the show, however he does re-iterate his goal is not to command the viewer, but to challenge them with his viewpoint. On Thursday, January 19th, George says “Write a letter! Well, do what you want. Merely a suggestion.” He initiates conversation about social concerns. He asks celebrities about things that are not directly related to their profession, things that are of social concern. He will ask them questions about the environment, for example, and get them talking about their stand point on various social issues. The Hour has a blog site where people van voice their opinion, creating space for a social sphere where people can critique, analyze and discuss current issues within our society. ]


Chart
Number of stories… The National The Hour
longer than 60 seconds 22 13
using reporter other than host 10 0
using graphics as filler 16 28
on relevant issues 29 8
on entertainment issues 1 12
with personal interjections 0 33

In Conclusion

Intro to "McDonaldization"

"McDonaldization...is the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world" (Ritzer 2000, 7). McDonaldization is present in nearly every aspect of society from Toys R Us, to USA Today. The late-night news program The Hour is a part of this McDonalized society, and we will further explore how and why this show is McDonalidized. The success of a McDonalized system lies in it's ability to produce these four components: efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through nonhuman technology.
_Efficiency
_Predictability
-Calculability,
-Control through nonhuman technology
"can be thought of as the basic components of a rational system. However, rational systems inevitably spawn irrationalities" (Ritzer 2000, 20). In this presentation we will outline the irrationalities of rationality within the McDonalized television show The Hour, through the use of the four components of McDonaldization (efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through nonhuman technology).

McDonaldization in brief

George Ritzer defines the phenomenon of McDonaldization as "the process by which the principle of the fast-food industry are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world" (Ritzer, p. 7). Four components are essential to the McDonaldization theory, and are as follows; efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control through non human technology (Ritzer, p.16). McDonaldization can occur in varying degrees, and a McDonaldized service or commodity may or may not exhibit all four components in full (Ritzer, p.23).

George Ritzer, ed. "An Introduction to McDonaldization," McDonaldization: The Reader (Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge, 2002), 7-23.

Intro to "The Hour"

"The Hour is a national current affairs show on CBC television hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. It’s not a newscast. It’s not a magazine show. The Hour is a different take on the news through the lens of George and company. While news shows cover the issues of the day, The Hour dissects the issues within the issues. Always unconventional. Often controversial. Never predictable."

The show is a great example of "Mcdonalization" because of its entertaining delivery of news, the show delivers its stories in snippets with flashy graphics and multi media. The format is very quick, and the host speaks quickly through out the segments trying to get a lot of information to the viewer in a small frame of time. There for most news stories are mentioned but the issues are not delved into. George delieveres a quick over view of the top stories that are in the spot light for the day, adding his own style of news delivery with of sarcasim and a reminder of his own political view on the subject.

From politics to pop-culture

"The Hour is Canada's only late-night national tv show that covers everything from politics to pop culture. Every night host George Stroumboulopoulos reaches up to five million people. Over two seasons George has interviewed Al Gore, Bono, Noam Chomsky, Coldplay, Jesse Jackson,Martin Short, Ben Harper. The Hour invades your screen with the unconventional, quirky stories, new perspectives, and a vivid approach to issues of the day."
In his style of interviewing he is not affraid to ask tough questions of political figures and voice his opinion on th eissues at hand.

"McDonaldized" segments

The show is broken into bite size segments. Segments include:
News:

The panel van: A van drives around toronto armed with a tv and chairs, it grabs people off the street to interview them on a topic in today news, they show them a video clip and ask them to comment.


Closers: A over view of the days episode.

The list: A list of top five, this is the top five how to survive a breakup on valentines day, by one of the writters of the hour.


Bio: A short biography on a person in the show, in this case a bio from a themed episode on good verses evil. The bio of Satan.


Best story ever: Originally claimed to be an interview with an average person asking them to share "the best story ever", then turned into only celebrities giving their own versions of their best stories.

Interviews: A segment of interviews from politicians, to muscians.

Mile a minute: A very fast clip of a story in the news were George speaks very fast to cover the topic.


News stand: George takes the interview to the local store and inteviews in front of magazines using them to launch into the interview and allowing for spur of the moment questions.

Efficency- the optimum method from getting from one point to another

Efficency in the "Mcdonaldization" model is the optimum method from getting from one point to another(pg 17). Most people in todays society would agree that this is the ideal way to function in everyday life, there is less wasting of time. In theory this leaves the consumer with extra time in the day for more leisurely activities. The problem with a McDonaldized society is that efficiency is thrust upon a person so instead of choosing your own methods of efficiency, you are forced to accept the efficiency of the surrounding institutions.

"Ritzer uses the examples of salad bars: in essence, with a salad bar, you buy an empty plate, go to the bar and create the salad yourself. This is very efficient for the restaurant, but makes more work for the consumer. In other words you have to pay for the privilege of making your own salad."

Most would argue that in some cases this is more efficient, when you create your salad at the sald bar you recieve exactly what it is you want, there will be no mix up in your order and it will be done in the a timely manner of your choosing. Yet keep in mind, that this a reduction in the level of human interaction. Consumers are forced to deal with computers or salad bars and not people, training them to be better workers for the McDonaldized society.

How efficent is "The Hour"?

The hour delievers it's news in a very efficent manner. Short to the point topics, each with a heading so the viewer is aware of what is about to be discused. The segments are quick to allow more information to be projected to the viewer so there is little waste of air time.

So what is predictability anyway?

George Ritzer, in "An Introduction to McDonaldization" describes predictability as “the assurance that products and services will be the same over time” (Ritzer, p.17). The predictability component of McDonaldization allows the consumer to know exactly what to expect, no matter where they go particular products and services will be the same. Predictability offers the consumer a sense of comfort as it offers no surprises and well as a continuity that transcends a multitude of locations, not only nationally but on a global level.

Ritzer uses the Egg McMuffin as a prime example of predictability in the McDonaldized consumer market; he suggests that no matter where or when the product is purchased it will be the same, in taste, texture, temperature, and appearance (Ritzer, p.17). The behaviour of the McDonald’s employee is described as predictable; they are told how to do their jobs, how to deal with varying types of customers, and what to say to patrons. In many cases they have been taught scripted dialogue to be used when interacting with others (Ritzer, p.18).

It can be seen that predictability is an important aspect of McDonaldization theory, and has been widely applied in our society. Predictability prevails when looking at the McDonaldized commodity and can be observed in many modern consumer products and services; from McDonald’s itself to the modern television program, the predictability component has become rampant in daily consumer life.

What is The Hour & is it Predictable?

The Hour with George Strombolopolus claims to be a new spin on the traditional news show. It runs five nights per week, and is basically a news/talk show featuring interviews, news, pop culture, and political issues. The show covers everything from current and social concern issues to celebrities and music, all with in the span of one hour (minus ad breaks). The Hour displays all four aspects of McDonaldization, with predictability being an important factor of the show. According to the CBC, The Hour is “a national current affairs show on CBC television hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. It’s not a newscast. It’s not a magazine show. The Hour is a different take on the news through the lens of George and company. While news shows cover the issues of the day, The Hour dissects the issues within the issues. Always unconventional. Often controversial. Never predictable.” Despite this claim, when looking more closely it can be seen that the show clearly is predictable in almost every way; from formatting to content to time slot, span, and ad breaks.

http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/

The Hour and The Predictability Factor

The Hour demonstrates predictability in a variety of ways. First of all, the format is highly predictable, each night viewers are treated to a short run through a daily news events, followed by an interview section; another recap of the day’s news is then presented (“Mile a Minute”). Generally, a second interview section follows the second news segment. The show closes with Georges’ “top five” for the day, which is a list of the top five blank. Along with the predictable format, other regular, yet less frequent segments air, such as “best story ever”. The show’s predictability is also demonstrated in the way each segment works; each is lead into with graphics, text, and sound; which unify the show, giving it an entire “look”. In the case of a celebrity interview a short biography is also provided.

The show’s tone is also predictable, as it is supposedly Georges’ take on the day’s news as well as current events; recurring themes such as social concern are presented. Light sarcasm can also be detected when the host is discussing issues that might be seen as flippant, such as celebrity gossip or news events he feels merit ridicule. Predictability can also be observed in the show’s setting; it is always filmed in font of a live audience and the physical set of the show is always the same. Interviews are generally conducted on set, with the exception of celebrity interviews, which are not live and appear to be taped.

Predictability is also demonstrated by the time frame of the show, when it can be viewed, and when ad breaks occur. The show is always one hour, with an approximated total of 10 minutes of ad breaks which occur at regular intervals; and it is always on at the same time of day. One might argue that the fact that it is available for viewing over the internet is a non-predictable aspect, but even this can be considered predictable as it is not available for download, and individuals can only watch entire episodes from the previous day through streaming.

What is Calculability?

Ritzer defines calculability as involving "an emphasis on things that can be calculated, counted, quantified. Quantification refers to a tendancy to emphasize quantity rather than quality. This leads to a sense that quality is equal to certain, usually (but not always) large quantities of things" (Ritzer 1994, 142 ) The title The Hour suggests to viewers that out of the 24 hours in a day, this is the hour of television to be watching. The name of this show has the viewer convinced from the start that if you want up-to-date national and international news, this is the hour to watch. Within this hour of television, George Stroumboulopoulos portrays the image that he is packing in as much information as he can into this hour; after all, quantity is equal to quality in the McDonaldization model. "A lot of something, or the quick delivery of it means it must be good" (Ritzer 2000, 16). In truth, Stroumboulopoulos is tricking the viewer into thinking they are getting a large quantity of news during the show through the use of: multiple graphics that quickly flash on the screen between segments accompanied by music that has a fast beat, segment titles such as "Mile-A-Minute" to emphasize how much information is condensed into a short period of time, and Stroumboulopoulos speaks quickly and uses body language to suggest that he is always on the move and is cramming in as much information as he possibly can into this hour, in order to fully inform the viewer.
Is the viewer being fully informed? Is quality present? No, Stroumboulopoulos touches on various issues (including politics, pop-culture, the environment, and current issues), but does not delve into any real detail. The Hour does, however, try to convince the viewer that they are getting to the bottom of issues and presenting the news in a detailed fashion with their claim "while news shows cover the issues of the day, The Hour dissects the issues within the issues." Stroumboulopoulos does not support this claim in his actions, as his news reports are short, un-analytical segments, knitted together with flashy graphics and fast paced music to delude the viewer, whispering "more is better!"
(show Mile-A-Minute segment)

sources:
Ritzer, George, "An Introduction to McDonaldization," pp.1-19 in The
McDonalidization of Society, 3rd ed, Pine Forge Press, 2000
Ritzer, George, Sociological Beginnings: On the Origins of Key Ideas in
Sociology, McGraw Hill, 1994

Dominant Ideology of The Hour

The dominant ideologies of The Hour are those of George Stroumboulopous, as is outlined on the website: "The Hour is a different take on the news through the lens of George and company." Stroumboulopous is passionate in his beliefs and ideologies and he uses his position on television as a "microphone" to voice what he believes. Here is a clip of Stroumboulopous interviewing Ben Harper. Stroumboulopous asks Harper questions which could be turned around and directed back at Stroumboulopous. He has had a respected career in television, and is now the anchor of a news show, he's in a position where people listen to what he says.

(show clip with Ben Harper)

The dominant ideologies present in The Hour as as follows:
-George Bush is not an intelligent man
-The environment is in need of our attention due to Global Warming
-Stroumboulopous is a liberal
-Stroumboulopous invites guests on his show that will be "open" to talking about relevent issues, not only their newest cd release (for example)
-pop-culture news about famous people is to be mocked, and not focused upon as much as our culture is accustomed to

He appears to try and be honest, and as much as his dominant ideologies are present in what he says, and in this show, he does re-itterate that his goal is not to control the viewer, but to challenge them with his view point. On Thursday, Jan. 19th Stroumbouloupous says, "Write a letter! Well, do what you want, merely a suggestion."

Control & Control Through NonHuman Technology

Control through nonhuman technology and control in general is used in the McDonaldization model to exert consistencey in both products and services (Ritzer p, 19). Direct examples of controlling elements can be taken from McDonald's restaurants to support this component of the theory; lines, limited menus, uncomfortable seats and drive-throughs all serve to control customers (Ritzer, p.18). Employees of the establishments are controlled through training, the threat of being replaced by machinery that can do their job more efficiently, and by technology that reduces human error, such as electronic cash registers and automated drink dispensers(Ritzer, p. 18).

When looking at The Hour as a McDonaldized commodity, it can be shown that it too employs a degree of control over its viewers. Viewers are controlled by when and how they can watch the program as it can only be viewed on television during specific time slots. Individuals who view the program via the internet are also controlled, the only episode that can be viewed in its entirety is that from the previous day. Despite the fact that The Hour's website offers numerous clips from the show, control is also exerted here in that viewers only have access to the clips provided, i.e. it is possible that the clip they wish to view is not available.

The Hour also exerts an element of control through its content. Individuals may be able to choose weather or not to watch the program, but those who do choose to watch have to say over the content of the show. Control through content can be compared to buying a Big Mac; a person can choose to go to McDonald's, and can even choose to order the Big Mac, they however have little to no control over what the sandwich contains- leaving off the pickle does not alter the burger that much; it's still the same meat.

Introduction on "McDonaldizaton"

"McDonaldization...is the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world" (Ritzer 2000, 7). McDonaldization is present in nearly every aspect of society from Toys R Us, to USA Today. The late-night news program The Hour is a part of this McDonalized society, and we will further explore how and why this show is McDonalidized. The success of a McDonalized system lies in it's ability to produce these four components: efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through nonhuman technology.
_Efficiency
_Predictability
-Calculability,
-Control through nonhuman technology
"can be thought of as the basic components of a rational system. However, rational systems inevitably spawn irrationalities" (Ritzer 2000, 20). In this presentation we will outline the irrationalities of rationality within the McDonalized television show The Hour, through the use of the four components of McDonaldization (efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through nonhuman technology).