Beyonce - Formation (Black Lives Matter) 'I Can't Breathe'

You can use this text along with others for a question about representation for the BTEC exam and it is a set text for A level.

At the start of the course we looked at music videos and the messages encoded within them. We struggled with this one as there was a lot of context to learn. In particular, the amount of knowledge about American history, culture and politics needed to understand this 'rich' text. It is an ideal time to revisit this text in light of current events which I expect you are following in the media. Firstly, watch the video again and revisit your analysis. Maybe try explaining it to a parent,friend or sibling.

You have written an analysis of this text so this post will allow you to revise your understanding and further your analysis by gaining a deeper understanding of the issues that the music video engages with. It will also provide a good entry point for studying media in the online age when we return.

If you have not been following the news then here is an outline of the event that sparked the riots and protests that are happening across the USA. Click here to see a BBC explanation of the death of George Floyd

I won't post images but the footage went viral. For most British audiences this level of police brutality is shocking. In the US, and indeed across the world, the approach to policing is very different.  Police carry guns and are much more forceful. Some would say that police in the UK are not strict enough whilst others would say that the issue of police brutality is universal. It is essential that policing is consensual for a society to function. If there is a suggestion that power is being abused then it makes a population more difficult to police. We have seen this in the UK recently with the Dominic Cummings episode reducing the government's authority over lock-down rules.

Protests in America have gained momentum and spread across the world. Some follow slogans like 'I can't breathe' which encapsulate a range of issues in a succinct, multi-faceted phrase. Most are non-violent and follow the precedent set by civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King. In the 1960's Dr King led marches and gave speeches challenging the systemic racism in American society. Segregation was very real, particularly in Southern states where African Americans has to use separate facilities and were treated as second class citizens with diminished rights and less access to the economic fortunes of an increasingly prosperous America.

 You will have looked at this movement before in secondary school and possibly studied some emotive speeches such as 'I Have a Dream' addressing a million marchers in Washington DC.

 It is this legacy which informs the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. Progress in establishing equal rights for people of colour in America has taken a backward step under the present Republican government.   The death of George Floyd has instigated protest. Initially this was in the city of Minneapolis.

It has since spread to many other cities.

Much of the reporting is sensationalised but most protests are calm, orderly events. They are often the ones that are not newsworthy as camera crews race around looking for action. You need to explore news stories from a variety of sources to gain an objective understanding of the events. For example, the President is attributing blame for protests to 'left wing' agitators and anarchists. He has added ANTIFA , an anti-fascist movement to a list of terrorist organisations. Depending on your political outlook you will either support his view or react against it.  You can apply Stuart Hall's theory of encoding/ decoding to ascertain how different audiences are receiving these messages.

The protests have now spread to other cities around the world such as London and Berlin

One danger is that peaceful protest can become violent. In many cities protest has led to rioting and looting. Some even exploit the unrest for a chance to cause mayhem which can then be used as justification to use further force. Whilst there are peaceful protests with strong messages there are also people using righteous indignation as an excuse for gratuitous violence. Some reports even suggests that mobs have instigated violence to discredit protesters. Violence, arson and anti-social activity justifies further repression so is self defeating. This happened in the London riots.  It appeared in most media outlets that rioters were more interested in trainers than any unified protest. Leaders from Gandhi to Dr Martin Luther King espoused peaceful protest but there is always a chance that this can be hijacked or quickly become inflamed to something more serious. Other leaders suggest that at some point, peaceful protest is not enough when injustice is too great. Malcolm X was more militant than MLK but before their untimely deaths they were becoming closer to understanding each others philosophies and finding a balance. In other countries like South Africa, Nelson Mandela was leading an armed revolt against a regime of apartheid.  Much of American history is littered with leaders whose popularity was allowing them to lead the country toward real change.  John F Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were all shot in the 1960's by shadowy figures wanted to preserve the status quo. It is against this historic backdrop that many Americans feel that their voice is unheard once again. However, there are many more conservative Americans who are outraged by the wanton violence and abuse of property.

John Lennon was also shot dead in America in 1980 and the country has a history of violence. Like many musicians he realised his responsibility as an artist to protest and promote peace, love and understanding. America has a rich tradition of musicians using their voice to challenge the inequities in society. In this song Bob Dylan tells the story of the boxer 'Hurricane' Carter.

What has developed in popular culture are powerful protest movements and a democratic right to voice opinion. In times of increasing inequity popular culture becomes more politicised.  We are even seeing corporate giants like Nike linking advertising campaigns with protest movements. We have looked at this campaign in detail elsewhere so reference it in your answer.

Celebrities, sportspeople and entertainers who were once happy to avoid politics are now lending their considerable influence toward campaigning against injustice. Footballer, Jadon Sancho revealed a t-shirt supporting the movement after his first hat-trick at the weekend. If you have been watching the excellent NETFLIX documentary 'The Last Dance' you will be aware of the sportsperson with the highest profile ever, Micheal Jordan. He was accused of not speaking out in support of social issues at the height of his fame. He famously  said 'Republicans buy sneakers too.'  He is now willing to use his platform to speak out.

In this context we can understand how this applies to the Queen Bee, the Beyonce. She has the profile to raise the level of awareness and increase debate about social issues. 

It is a difficult time to be a police officer in the USA at present and the pressures must be great.

In this clip a police chief explains how irresponsible leadership can have a detrimental effect on policing and put police in danger. Being a leader is not a game as it has a huge impact on real life. He advises  solidarity with the police and to leave the politics for the voting booth and advises people to use the democratic process rather than focus on policing.

He also explains that this issue is part of a wider discontent in American society. In a time of social media such video footage can be highly inflammatory. It is not 'mediated' through gatekeepers who can try to control the message. It is tweeted and shared without context. Audiences will receive the message undiluted or through an 'influencer' who has their own reading of the text.

The volatility in American society has been fuelled by a partisan President elected on a right wing ticket. You can learn more about his policies but for now look at his recent tweets to gain a sense of his political stance. He came to prominence through the American version of 'The Apprentice' and is a 'populist' politician.

In this clip, Trump explains his use of an inflammatory phrase in a tweet claiming he was not not aware of its provenance.  Note that this in the 'Telegraph' a right wing publication which is more sympathetic to Trump. Gatekeepers can edit news and mediate to ensure that a certain reading is gained. For example, another news outlet might focus on the insensitivity of the tweet and its crassness in a time when the President should unify a country at boiling point.

Trump has used the medium of Twitter extremely effectively to bypass the power of traditional media and control the message. His many followers receive the news through him without a filter and he has the power to influence. With power comes responsibility and many of the protocols and checks and balances are removed through these new forms of media. It can lead to 'fake news' and misinformation. Even Twitter is now actively concerned about the spread of fake news and is beginning to challenge dissemination of false stories.Facebook is less keen to become 'an arbiter of the truth'. The question for these new tech giants is how responsible should they be for news spread on their platform in the online age.

 Often these events are a catalyst as we have seen in the UK with the Dominic Cummings situation. In times of extremity societies are less willing to accept injustice and resentments find a focal point which acts as a catalyst for change or protest. America has a President who has divided his country.He has a lot of support but his ethos is to divide and rule.  Many Americans feel disenfranchised and under represented. It is a society of haves and have nots and the disparities and inequities are becoming more stark. For example, Trump's headline policy is to build a wall between America and Mexico. This is a symbolic act of division following a policy of isolationism and protectionism. Mexican-American citizens and ethnic minorities feel threatened by Trump's policies. He is also willing to use the power of the state to oppress his own people. Hence the 'Black Lives Matter' movement is indicative of a wide discontent across American society.

 If you have a twitter account then you will see that the clip or the news item often comes with 'anchorage'. This allows the distributor to influence their audience through explanation. This affects the way we receive the news. In the past the footage of a police officer killing a black male suspect would have been suppressed. Traditional news media would be under pressure to follow codes of conduct in how they represent sensitive information. This happens on both sides of the political divide. Sins of omission in the media are as common as those of commission. For example, a local MP broke the rules of lock-down by attending a funeral in the Midlands with around a hundred mourners. We will look at why this story did not receive much coverage whereas other breaches of lock-down did. Newspapers may choose to completely ignore certain stories that don't fit their political standpoint.  The press is known as the 'fifth estate' and their role in mediating news was important in controlling the populace. This was possible in the post war era when a collective effort was needed to rebuild society. We can now see that traditional institutions such as the monarchy are struggling to control their carefully constructed image in the online age.   Virality is the new method of dispersal and is much harder to control the message.  Citizens may have more power to share news that may have been hidden before but it also allows for people to control the message to further their own agenda or political viewpoint..

The difference between the 1960's and now is that the gatekeepers that controlled the message are losing the power to manipulate the message. This has negative and positive results. In the online age views are increasingly polarised depending on the fragmented sources we get our news from. Platforms are numerous and disparate and audiences have more sources than ever before. This poses the problem of who to believe and the rise of fake news. If you receive your news from certain sources dictated by algorithms on social media then it is likely that you will believe the traffic directed toward you. In a way this is more insidious and dangerous than a controlled media guided by laws such as libel. It is easier to disseminate falsehoods and incite audiences which poses a risk to stability and democracy. One way to counter this is with censorship and control or by controlling the internet.

We live in unprecedented times when the media is as volatile as ever. It can easily be manipulated to divide opinion and communities. Gil Scott Heron may yet be correct 'the revolution may indeed not be televised but tweeted!'

Protests have spread across the world in solidarity with Americans who feel that their human rights are being abused by institutions which no longer serve or represent them.  This increasing sense of disconnection and dis-empowerment is what we are studying in some of our texts. We are exploring how media texts influence audiences and re-inforce structures of power and vested interest in society. This knowledge and the practical skills that you are developing will allow you to become an informed and engaged citizen journalist!

Follow this story closely across all media and collect sources and evidence that will inform your understanding of the issues and allow you to become informed enough to join the debate. Overall, in the words of Jules, 'you gotta have an opinion.'

Some questions that you can try to answer are below. Use these to structure your notes;

• How have the riots in America been represented in the news media?
• What is your opinion about policing in the UK? 
• Is 'virality' good for society?
• Should 'gatekeepers' control the message?
• Is unrestrained access to the news through social media helpful for society or damaging?
• Can you compare the events in America with the UK?
• How does this news help you to understand the messages in the 'Formation' music video
• Is Twitter right to begin taking down 'fake news' ?
• How can companies such as Twitter and Facebook regulate their platform?
• Why should British students be studying American texts?
• What are the positive aspects of social media?
• What are the negative aspects of social media?
• Should advertisers use protest movements to sell brands and products?
• How will different audiences receive this news?
• Should people be gathering to protest during a pandemic?
• Should celebrities, sportspeople and entertainers get involved in politics?
• Are younger audiences more likely to support the 'I Can't Breathe' protests?