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Cohen's Moral Panic



Stanley Cohen wrote 'Folk Devils and Moral Panics' in 1972. In which he suggested that a moral panic happens when a 'condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests', leading to people who threaten the social order being described as 'folk devils'.
             Cohen believed that the media has a huge influence on moral panic. He used this to describe the presses reporting of the ‘mods and rockers’ behaviour. Cohen’s Moral Panic has been used within the media to lure a audience ever since. For example, this picture of Kurt Cobain shows a trend of smoking and drinking alcohol which the public wanted to be involved in, as it was believed to look 'cool'. However, some societies would not have agreed with this, but this photo was still shown in the media.
               


 Moral Panic has said to have several features:

• Concern- There must be awareness that the group is likely to have a negative effect on society.
• Hostility- There is a clear line between society and the group in question, who are then known as 'folk devils'.
• Consensus- There must be a wide acceptance that the group is a real threat, making the 'folk devils' seem weak.
• Disproportionality- The action taken towards the accused group is unbalanced.
• Volatility- Moral panics disappear quickly, as they're no longer in the public interest, leading to the media then focusing on another group.

Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs, analogy, symbolism and communication; including words, sounds and body language.
            Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure was one of the founders of semiotics, recognised in his ‘Course in General Linguistics’ in 1916. He established that a sign is divided into two parts: the signifier, which is the form of the sign- and the signified, what the sign represents.
            He produced the process: sign > signifier > signified. For example: red lipstick > subject of lust > desire. The media use semiotics to attract a audience, as people respond to certain images, colours and patterns.
            I will be using semiotics within my music magazine, as I want to attract the widest audience as possible. This means I will use certain colours, fonts and images to lure customers in and reinforce the indie rock genre. For example, my artist repeatedly had red lipstick on during the photo shoot to highlight the male gaze. A range of fonts were also used to stop my magazine becoming tedious to look at.

Magazine Double Page Spread Flatplan

Magazine Contents Flatplan

Magazine Front Cover Flatplan

Photo Shoot Plan

I have to produce several of my own photographs for my music magazine, therefore I will be holding a photo shoot for my artist. My artist will be Elizabeth Bailey. The photo shoot will be held in several locations; including the Albert Docks and outside the Liver-buildings.
       The photo for my front cover will be a mid shot of Elizabeth; showing that she is wearing a shirt under a dress with an over sized Levi denim jacket. This has a mise en scene of the indie rock genre. She will have her arm up on a ledge, creating a 'no nonsense' portrayal of my artist which is frequently used within the rock genre. Also, she will have a large cross earring on show, and will be wearing red lipstick to contrast with her Auburn hair and attract the male gaze.
        The photo for my contents page will be similar to the front cover. It will also be a mid shot; however it will be from a high angle. She will also have her middle finger up, reinforcing Cohen’s Moral Panic as it will intrigue the audience to read the article. The background will show some water and an ocean safety traditional life buoy, emphasising how she is on the coast on a summer’s day. Yet again, she will have her cross earring on show and she’ll be wearing red lipstick.
         For the double page spread, I will choose three photos; one of Elizabeth standing in front of the Liver Buildings, and another of her posing infront of a white wall. The photo of Elizabeth in front of the Liver Buildings will highlight her hometown and upbringing. She will be wearing red nail varnish and lipstick, which is clearly visable, to yet again highlight her Auburn hair and contrast with her green dress. The sun will be shining against her hair to to increase the visablitiy of the colour. I have also made sure that one of the Liverbirds' is on show, to strongly portray her background.
         Moreover, the photo of Elizabeth posing against a white wall will be a medium close up, with the white background clearly highlighting her Auburn hair. Yet again, she will have red lipstick on to reinforce the male gaze. Her mouth will be open, as if she's about to bite, creating a seductive image of herself. The lighting will be quite dim, representing the dark stereotype of rock music. However she will be wearing a cream shirt to contrast with the darkness, as it will emphasise how she also fits in with the acoustic indie genre.
          Additionally, I will take a photo to Elizabeth to create my own album cover for her. It will have some of her Auburn hair covering her eye, conforming with the normal rock image. She will be wearing a white shirt, and a green jumper. This will portray the indie and acoustic genre she is also expressing. Her cross earring will clearly be on show as the image will be a close up, supporting Dyers' Star Theory.