Putting A "Face" On ISIS

       Mohammed Emwazi, otherwise known as "Jihadi John," is a masked fighter from extremist group ISIS, who notoriously appears in many of their propaganda videos, demanding ransoms and beheading journalists. How does putting a name to this lead ISIS figure affect the way we view the group? Journalists have gained insight in some of Mr. Emwazi's motives, such as what ultimately lead him towards his radicalization: "describing harassment by police officers at airports, pressure on Kuwait to cancel a visa and on one occasion, Mr. Emwazi being “roughed up” and “strangled by a police officer” before being sent home." So how does finding out interior motives and underlying causes affect our views towards this Jihadi John and inevitably towards ISIS as a whole? Many would agree that police harassment is not an excuse to go about beheading people. “Malcolm X and Martin Luther King got a lot more pressure from police, and neither decided that decapitating people is the right response,” However, these news stories covering interviews with Mr. Emwazi might stir up sympathy in certain alienable audiences, which could, in extreme cases, lead to some wanting to join in the ISIS effort.  (On multiple occasions) 

      Pros to identifying the lead figure in ISIS, Jihadi John, are that we, as viewers, are able to hear the voice of ISIS. This voice can lead us to a better understanding of ISIS's goals, especially if they are dangerous in nature and let us become aware that their goals are much more closer to home than we thought: "To Obama, the dog of Rome, today we’re slaughtering the soldiers of Bashar, and tomorrow we’ll be slaughtering your soldiers. And with our last mission, we’ll bring this final and last crusade and the Islamic Sate will soon, like your puppet David Cameron said, we’ll begin to slaughter your people on your streets." Inspiring fear in some, and even illuminating in others the determination to battle ISIS before gaining global expansion, this personal and intimate coverage of Mr. Emwazi has served to further form a binding representation towards the extremist group. 

       Cons to putting a face on ISIS could be that if Jihadi John is ever exterminated, many would assume that the war on terrorism in the Middle East is over. However, that could not be farther from the truth. Surely another figure would take Jihadi John's place, and with ISIS's tens of thousands of followers, the extremist group would continue and with the same threat level as before.  

       The media should be meticulous on how it chooses to present Jihadi John, making sure to use his willingness to speak as an asset in discovering information on ISIS. They should also make sure not to paint him as an as their ultimate leader, as him being the only popular extremist figure identified with a nickname, it could cause some to draw some false assumptions. Overall, we should be wary of how the media covers ISIS and make sure we are meticulous in the media coverage process. 

Erlanger, S. (2015, February 26). ‘Jihadi John,’ Executioner in ISIS Videos, Had Early Encounter With British Intelligence. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/world/europe/british-intelligence-services-had-early-encounter-with-man-identified-as-isis-fighter.html

With The Threat of ISIS Growing Every Day, Why Are We Not More Concerned?

    Just recently, the extremist group known as ISIS, released a video of the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians to the public. These public executions are not new to the extremist group, as displayed before with the capture of the Jordanian pilot and the recent death of an American captive, supposedly by airstrike. It's not uncommon for hundreds to go missing by the hands of ISIS, and though it is covered in western media, it seems as if we are not as concerned as we should be.
    A big reason for the capture of many, mainly Christians, is because the Islamic extremists view western religious beliefs as a direct opposition to theirs. This ongoing jihad has caused many to go under captivity by ISIS. Not only this, but many held captive are also held for ransom. So the captives, who mainly belong to other foreign countries, will be released under a large amount of money given to the group by the foreign country, Though the United States has stated that exchanges with terrorist groups by foreign countries should be resisted at all costs, there is no denying that some exchanges have been made under the table in order to save the lives of captives. This is a big reason how ISIS has been able to expand to tens of thousands of members, and being able to split Libya's government in half, with one faction being controlled by ISIS. With ISIS planning to gain control of more countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and many others, our lack of concern becomes questionable. Countries such as Egypt, the United States, and Jordan have been pushing back the ISIS strongholds through the use of military force and military assistance, However, we cannot ignore the major goals of ISIS.
     A reason for the lack of concern could be the very way contemporary media is presenting the information. It seems as if the articles on ISIS blow up whenever a public execution video gets release, but ISIS is more than a group who executes by the hundreds. They are trying to instill fear into their viewers and use propaganda to get more foreign militants on their side. "At least three militant groups in Libya have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, announcing “provinces” of the caliphate in the south, east and around the capital, Tripoli, in the west." It's important to bring up the alarming amount of foreign fighters joining ISIS. ISIS knows how to present themselves in media such as Twitter and YouTube in order to encourage others to join in their cause. This is an example of how the media shown by ISIS varies when juxtaposed with the media presented about ISIS from western media. In videos released by ISIS, they will commonly dispute claims made towards the group from western media and then proceed to reveal "the truth." By convincing others that western media is trying to present ISIS in a negative light, rather than being a righteous group who's purpose is justified, they are able to gain the stunning amount of foreign recruits they handle. It seems as if western media is trying to distance the U.S. from ISIS. "We must be cautious, as the Americans say, of putting boots on the ground.” With common reference to drones and military aid, it will be a while before western media consumers see this as a global issue rather than just a middle eastern issue.


Egypt bombs Islamic State targets in Libya after beheading video. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/egypt-bombs-islamic-state-targets-in-libya-after-brutal-beheading-video/2015/02/16/3b32c50c-b5b6-11e4-9423-f3d0a1ec335c_story.html

We Needed The Daily Show To Talk About Boko Haram

   

 Exactly 2 weeks ago, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show did a segment with South African comedian, Trevor Noah, on Boko Haram, "From time to time, we like to get an international perspective on current events, mainly to confirm that we really don't know anything about current events." Jon Stewart introduced the segment with this, which consisted of Trevor Noah talking about the lack of media coverage on Boko Haram despite their massacre at the Nigerian town of Baga at the same time period that the Charlie Hebdo attacks occurred. The difference? The Charlie Hebdo attacks were widely covered, Baga was not. This is mentioned in the video. "Sometimes, it just feels like Africa's the Vegas of Islamic terror. What happens in Africa stays in Africa." Though the audience laughed, Boko Haram's under-coverage in western media is anything but funny. However, the lack of contribution is not entirely to blame on western media. When the Baga town massacre happened, it was reported by local officials that the death toll may have been as high as 2,000. However, other sources say it could have only been a couple hundred. It's hard to tell for sure because of sometimes unreliable Nigerian militia in the area that even deny the massacre ever happened when questioned. Also, the town is in a remote war-zone area and the president, Goodluck Jonathan, did not comment when posed questions on the massacre. (Similar to his lack of response to the capture of the 200+ Nigerian school girls). In the video it is also mentioned that another reason that the Baga town massacre was barely covered is because the attack was not "a direct attack on western values, free speech and expression." However, "Boko Haram" literally means "western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language. The extremist group sees western education as a corruption to Muslims.
     When coverage of Nigeria and it's now controlled regions by Boko Haram are presented in the media, the results seem to be about the numbers. When casually reading western news on Boko Haram's killings, it's easy to find the extent of the atrocities the extremist group is committing. However, it seems as if one has to actively search for coverage that mentions the goals of Boko Haram and why they are committing the actions they are currently committing in Nigeria. A reason for the lack of mentions in the media of Boko Haram's purpose could be to secure North American security. The citizens don't want to suppose that Boko Haram is attacking western educational values or western anything. It seems as if Boko Haram's under-coverage is a way for North Americans to be able to distance themselves from the extremist group, so that they can feel it has nothing to do with them and that their lack of coverage is justified.
     In The Daily Show video, Boko Haram's previous action of abducting 200+ Nigerian schoolgirls was mentioned. Social media helped to bring this event to western media's attention through the twitter hash tag "#BringBackOurGirls," where donations where set up and even Ellen mentioned the trending hash tag on her show. The extent of how recognized this action became in order to bring light on Boko Haram showed how social media can help to spread international news and ultimately shape the identity of an extremist group in the media.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Political Comedy | Comedy Central. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://thedailyshow.cc.com/

How Independent Bands Manage

The term "indie" has been used for some time to describe artists of independent music labels. Some very accessible indie-pop bands include Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, and Two Door Cinema Club. However, all are signed to independent music labels. What separates these bands from an actual independent band is that independent bands aren't signed to a music label at all. These bands operate by themselves, figuring out both the musical and financial side of their bands and often having to put in a tremendous amount of work to even be able to continue. An independent band's greatest ally is the internet actually. Being able to use sites like Soundcloud, YouTube, Tumblr, and Bandcamp to be able to release and spread their music for virtually no cost at all. (The real cost is in the production of the actual music the artists are making, which can vary depending on the approach the independent artist takes on recording their music.)
      However, an independent band's greatest challenge is touring. The expenses of touring are massive and more often than not, bands end up having a "tour debt," in which they spend more money than they made during the tour. The tour expenses include production expenses, such as equipment + van rental; living expenses, such as hotel and food; and other miscellaneous expenses, such as gas and parking tolls. These combat with the tour income, which include Ticket sales, merchandise sales, and tour sponsorship. A little sum of money is also gained by digital downloads that may occur during the tour from sites such as iTunes and Amazon, and also streaming fees which amount to very little. Even a band that has planned out every step of a tour will normally end up with a higher tour expense than what they earned during the tour. Smarter & more well known bands will make up for this difference through the money they earn in the side through their music. It's definitely no easy task to manage as a completely independent band, especially since most bands that find themselves unable to manage themselves find it easier to seek the support from perhaps an independent label, or even a major label should they be appealing enough.
        It's safe to say that the effort of completely independent bands tends to go unnoticed, but it's also amazing how the new age of social media has enabled a rise in more independent bands, especially since the distribution of digital music online seems to be much more interactive with today's popular social music media.

Why iTunes Saw Its Largest Drop In Music Sales Last Year

Last year saw the largest drop in digital sales for iTunes, a whopping 14 percent actually. It comes as no surprise that the surging popularity of music streaming accounts for this decline. However, another unexpected reason for the drop in sales is actually the iTunes interface. What iTunes lacks is a simple, easy to use interface that appeals to modern audiences that find convenience in completing tasks, such as making playlists, with just a few clicks. "But many people say they are leaving iTunes simply because it isn't that easy to use." iTunes has lead the market in music for quite a while, but it seems as if they are getting too bold for their own good by thinking they don't have to have their interface adapted for the modern listener. Also, iTunes simply cannot compete with the decline in music downloads and the rise in paid, commercial-free music streaming, which is what Spotify offers. How does iTunes plan to see a revival in the music market? iTunes has bought the streaming service Beats Music, but it still does not compete with Spotify. Basically, iTunes will have to come up with some innovative strategies if they plan to stay relevant in the upcoming years of the digital music age. 

How Moshing and Stage-Diving Got To Be A Common Practice At Shows, and Why It Should Go Away.

   

So what is moshing exactly? Moshing is a dangerous dancing style that is closely associated with heavy/rock music. When concert goers mosh they usually knock into other people and flail their limbs wildly to the music. This practice is mostly common at hardcore and punk shows and when a whole group of people start moshing in one area, it forms something called a "mosh pit." Everyone who has been to a "heavier" concert knows of this style of dancing and knows of its risks, so why is it so popular?


Moshing, a violent style of dance, originated with the rise of punk subculture in the 1970s-1980s. It is the leftovers of a past generation's rebellion, and this might be my slim, lanky self talking, but it needs to go away. Countless stories have been told of people going to concerts and spraining a limb or even getting directly hit in the face during a show. People have even DIED by participating in this violent form of dance during shows. Seriously, just go on YouTube and search up "Mosh Pit Death" and you'll easily find hundreds of videos of people losing their lives in a mosh pit.


I've had personal experience with moshing at shows. I've even participated in them a few times. Almost every show that I've been to, there was a crowd of people moshing. Even at the most recent concert I went to, Modern Baseball, a popular pop-punk band, the moshing and stage-diving (will get into this in the following paragraphs) was outrageous. So if moshing is known to be so dangerous, why do people still do it? Well many "moshers" say that being in the pit (short term for a mosh pit) exhilarates them and makes them enjoy the show even more. They feel like they belong with the rest of the people moshing with them. It is the feeling of belonging that is commonly associated with the hardcore genres of music and is what makes the crowd especially unique. This is all fine, however, to those who aren't as extreme, it prevents concertgoers from fully enjoying the show since they spend most of the time defending themselves and trying to dodge an uppercut to the jaw.


Another common practice at hardcore/punk/pop-punk/rock shows is stage-diving, and it is exactly what is sounds like. Stage-diving is when a member of the crowd climbs up on stage and them jumps onto the crowd, hopefully anticipating being caught while enjoying the thrill of the jump. However, this is even more irksome at shows since it mostly affects people at the front of the stage, since they are the ones being trampled on. In fact, popular pop-punk band, Joyce Manor, has even ignited an anti-stage-diving stance. During a show, the lead singer of Joyce Manor stopped a stage-diver to inspire a few words into him and the rest of the crowd.

"It’s completely unacceptable for him [the stage-diver] to impose himself on top of you [the crowd]. Completely unacceptable, right? Under no circumstances is that acceptable? OK.” Even at the Modern Baseball show, I couldn't fully enjoy the show because I had to constantly watch my head and put up my arms for some jerk falling from the stage. It became such a problem that the band themselves even spoke for a few seconds to cut out the stage-diving. After that comment, no one else had stage-dived for the whole show and I found myself having a much better concert experience, shocking!


As hypocritical as it may sound, I am not 100% anti mosh and anti stage-diving. I actually kinda enjoy and even encourage lighter forms of "extreme" dance at shows. Personally, I find just standing around at shows to be boring. I like to move to the music, and so do moshers. So I understand why they want to keep moshing. However, I stay respectful to those around me, at least most of the times. I jump, I bob my head, I even go into a few push pits and circle pits. (Push pits and circle/skank pits are less extreme forms of mosh pits. Push pits involve simply pushing into one another and mildly bumping into each other. However, no punches are thrown and no one gets hit. Circle pits are when people run around in a large circle following each other like a train, and sometimes some form of dance such as skanking will take place in a circle pit. Again, this is mostly harmless and is a lot less of a threat than mosh pits.) Push pits and circle pits are insanely fun, and I will almost always jump into one when I see them happen. However, the more extreme form, moshing, needs to just go away.


Moshing, in its barebones, is a form of expression towards music. There's a reason why it is so common at hardcore/punk shows. It's a way to "release anger" and inspires closeness between the crowd. It certainly shows how music transfers from the musicians to the listeners and how it might inspire certain emotions. While it should always be encouraged to express one's self with movement to music, it's also important to take caution for one's self and their surroundings when participating in more extreme forms of dance.

Old Music Formats Such As Vinyl and Cassette Tapes Are Making A Comeback

The music industry has seen an astounding rise in streaming and decline in physical music overall. However, for certain genres and indie bands, the audience is a little bit more willing to indulge themselves in physical music purchases. However, it's not likely that the "indie" crowd in music is collecting CDs. In fact, they're collecting older physical formats of music such as vinyl and cassettes, music formats that may be deemed inefficient and inferior by many millennials. It is not so much the quality but the experience of these older formats of music that interest its listeners.
        "Warm, fuzzy and prone to skipping at the slightest knock on the turntable, vinyl demand’s the listeners attention much more than nodding out on the bus journey with the ol’ iPod on shuffle."
  Listening to a vinyl is much different than listening to a CD and especially an mp3 formatted song on a portable music player. It's true that with this generations appeal for instant gratification, vinyl may not be the most convenient to many listeners of this generation. However, those who are willing to overcome their need for instant gratification in order to lay back and truly listen to an album from start to finish may find that vinyl's fuzzy and comforting tone is much more soothing to the ear than listening to music through ear buds. 
   In fact, vinyl sales have risen a considerable amount in the year 2013. The largest percentage-wise anyways. Vinyls appeal more to the indie crowd and indie artists because they stand out. They're nostalgic and retro, yet somehow maintain a sense of hip culture for many of its listeners. Here's a chart of record sales in millions by the year. Nice incline!
   

Along with vinyl, cassettes have making a comeback, but not as big, since cassette tapes still only account for 10% of all physical music sales. However, the revival is not for old cassettes, it's actually for newly made cassettes. Groups such as Wild Nothing, Alvvays, American Football, Mac DeMarco, and Joyce Manor to name a few, have released some of their albums on tape. This has attracted many of these artists' young, indie listeners to want to purchase their tapes. Sure the quality isn't the best, and the listener is required to sit through the whole album, unable to skip songs, but taes simply have a comforting aura about them. Most teens that purchase tapes from up and coming bands don't even have tape players, they simply buy them because they want to support the bands, but don't want to awkwardly just hand the bands money. So they buy tapes, which, coincidentally, are super cheap to make, and super cheap to sell, running at about $2 per tape to make and selling at an average price of $5-$8. And plus, they're just nice to hold and look at.