NEWS ANALYSIS

BBC News Online.

17th December, 2015

ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST UK MEMBERSHIP OF EU

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35120198

The European Union (EU) is a union of 28 European Countries created after the second world war mainly for economic and political partnerships. The UK does not share the EU currency union and immigration agreement called Schengen.

There have been calls for the UK to stay or leave the EU (Brexit) in recent years, with the two sides deeply divided for various reasons ranging from purely economic and political to social reasons such as immigration. The EU Referendum could be held before the end of 2017; according to the British Prime Minister.

The video is laid out and presented in seven main video clips that can be played in a stand-alone mode by clicking on any of the video clip or as a full 10 minute rolling video short documentary; starting with the first video clip and leaving to play in auto-play mode. Each video clip is rich in text and colour.

This online video news documentary discussed the pros and cons of British membership of the EU; shedding light on the positions of different political parties regarding British membership and exit from the EU. It opened up the debate in the public sphere so that members of the public will get engaged with the debate. This is why members of parliament who represents the people in different constituencies were selected for the interview.

The video documentary also sought to engage openly the ruling class and the working class in the debate, as the interviews were recorded not only on the main streets, but in the factory/workshop. The reporter, the spin doctors of the houses of Parliaments, street interview showing wide video framing, as well as the use of the Radio 4 studio which signifies the UK public sphere is a stark example or show of what Habermas called ‘a representative publicness’ (Habermas, 1989, pp. 9).

This form of video transition and control by the viewer is made possible by digital download capability via the internet. It shows how the television broadcasting has been adapting to the internet media revolution (Stafford and Branston, 2010, pp. 262).

Front Page Image 1.

The picture in front page is set out with a photo showing an un-named street in mainland Europe, dotted with migrant tents. This is a propaganda image that is used deliberately to drive home the message that ‘Europe’s migration crisis is getting worse and needs attention’.

The picture could have been the photograph of David Cameron or any of the European leaders or EU flag or logo, but the choice of the photograph is deliberate, bearing in mind that Europe is facing a massive refugee crisis at this point in time and Britain is being shielded more or less by nature’s vast ocean more than any EU input or effort to curb migration by land. Hence, I will say the image applied to open the documentary is stealthily biased towards the Brexit’s immigrants’ narrative.

Video Clip 1:

This is an appropriate image that matches the issue at hand and the Interviewees.

Suzanne Evans (UKIP) argues that the UK gives away too many powers to the EU. That funding of the EU is a waste and she also raised the issue of immigration without limit putting pressure on public facilities. She argues that British democracy and sovereignty is being undermined by EU having its own flag and national anthem. She wants Britain out of the EU.

Alan Johnson (Labour) argues that organised crime will be difficult to tackle, as arrest warrant will be difficult to get as a non EU state. He argued that workers will be better protected if Britain stays in the EU. He further argued that Britain will be a stronger, more prosperous nation under the EU, warning of isolation not only in Europe; but in the world if Britain leaves.

Video Clip 2.

Alex Forsyth (a BBC Reporter) goes on in the next flip to report Britain’s current re-negotiation effort with EU and she listed four areas David Cameron is negotiating on.

1. Protection of Parliamentary powers by renegotiating the British membership of EU.

2. Make the EU more competitive.

3. More protection and deal for non-Euro denominated member economy.

4. Restrict access to benefits for migrant workers in order to reduce migration.

It is worth noting that the artwork showing the symbolic monument of each EU member state in the open garden gave an illusion of a ‘quick ride’ through Europe as the Reporter walked round the garden – this in itself is a way of spinning messages and images (showing things as if they are real) through the use of artwork, video shots, multi-framing and editing (Chion, 1994, pp. 160-161). For me, it is an attempt at showing a big, strong and powerful Europe, which to me balanced up the earlier image of a mainland Europe dotted with migrants. An image the pro-Europe campaigners will cherish.

Image 2.

The true ability of the internet media to hybridise broadcast and publishing media is visible in image 2. Each of the video clips is placed side by side in a newspaper format and then published online. Each video clip can be accessed independently and a glance at the short texts also tells the story, bringing to fore the true multimedia capabilities of the television (Chandler and Munday, 2011, pp 287).

Clip 7a. Radio 4 Studio Interview.

This video documentary has incorporated Radio 4 (Video Clip 7) into the television broadcast and as a result of over-usage of these capabilities; there is disquiet about the television media, particularly the BBC of incursion into the online publishing space (The Telegraph, 2015) Accessed 29.12.2015

The direction the referendum debate is going seems uncertain. Sir Bill Cash (Conservative MP and spin doctor) said in Video Clip 7; that the British negotiating team has confirmed from EU leaders in Brussels that a treaty change is not on offer. When asked about the mind of the Prime Minister; (being close to him), Lord Bill Cash insisted David Cameron is looking forward to reforming the union by insisting on treaty change, saying David Cameron is in a very difficult situation.

Bibliography:

BBC: The British Broadcasting Corporation

Brexit: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/brexit

Chion, M., 1994. Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. Columbia University Press. New York, Chichester, UK.

Habermas, J., 1989: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. Polity Press, Cambridge. UK.

Stafford, R. and Branston, G., 2010. The Media Students Book. 5th Ed., Routledge Publishers, Oxford. UK,

The Telegraph, 2015: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/types-of-television-or-radio-programme