Core Response #1 - Sabrina

 

Though it may be slightly adjacent to the essay’s main ideas, throughout reading the Newcomb and Hirsch piece I found myself curious about where the writers would place the responsibility of the television creator. The paper itself discusses television from a cultural perspective, focusing on its ability to create spaces for multiple interpretations of meaning and conversations, writing, “television does not present firm ideological conclusions – despite its formal conclusions – so much as it comments on ideological problems” (565-566). Their analysis mainly considers the audiences consuming television and the multiplicity of meanings they find.

 

The paper’s consideration of television producers comes up near its end, though it moves quickly onto considering why viewers would choose to consume or not consume certain producer’s work. They write, “the goal of every producer is to create the difference that makes a difference, to maintain an audience… but to move ahead into something that distinguishes his show,” and go onto discuss the way that producers want to include personal ideas and expression in their work. The writers explain this variance as it affects an audience, who will agree or disagree with these producers’ ideas and respond accordingly. This essay, which focuses on the audience, places the responsibility on them in terms of responding and shaping television. If they don’t like something, they’ll speak out, and if enough people don’t like something, presumably it would affect change. This isn’t dissimilar from how viewing practices happen today; if anything this practice has grown with the ease of social media to make causes go viral. Where I struggle with this, is where it feels close to a “don’t like it, then don’t watch it” mentality, which I feel doesn’t solve the ultimate problems. While much of the power ultimately rests in the audience to watch and respond to things, as Newcomb and Hirsch advocate for, I feel the allowance of producers to create whatever they like leaves the responsibility in the hands of the audience and potentially reduces the quality of the media being created by discouraging critical thought in its creators.