The Political Relevance of Food Media and Journalism

Description

Interrogating the intersections of food, journalism, and politics, this book offers a critical examination of food media and journalism, and its political potential against the backdrop of contemporary social challenges. Contributors analyze current and historic examples such as #BlackLivesMatter, COVID-19, climate change, Brexit, food sovereignty, and identity politics, highlighting how food media and journalism reach beyond the commercial imperatives of lifestyle journalism to negotiate nationalism, globalization, and social inequalities. The volume challenges the idea that food media/journalism are trivial and apolitical by drawing attention to the complex ways that storytelling about food has engaged political discourses in the past, and the innovative ways it is doing so today. Bringing together international scholars from a variety of disciplines, the book will be of great interest to scholars and students of journalism, communication, media studies, food studies, sociology, and anthropology. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgements List of Contributors Introduction: From the Racist Sandwich to Civil Eats: How Food Journalism and Media Are Engaging with Politics Food, Journalism, and Lifestyle Media Changing Concepts of Citizenship Questioning Lifestyle Empowerment and Reclaiming the Political Food Journalism/Media Food Media as a Site of Negotiation Outline of the Book The Political Relevance of Food Media and Journalism References Part I: Engaging with Systems of Injustice and Disparity 1. Influencer Activism: Visibility, Strategy, and #BlackLivesMatter Discourse on Food Instagram Food Bloggers, Instagram, and Self-Branding Strategies The Saveur Food Blog Awards Themes of #BlackOutTuesday on Food Instagram Education: Learning, Listening, and "Doing the Work" Personal Experience Amplifying and Muting Content Self-Reflexivity: "Instagram Is Not Real Life" Empty Statements Anger, Self-Promotion, and Self-Care for Black Food Bloggers Protest Language as Brand Strategy Conclusions References 2. Super Bowl Food Politics: On the Menu, on the Screen, and on the Field Not a Day for Salads: Typical Super Bowl Food Rules Super Bowl LV: Small, Cozy, Safe—and Vegetable-Friendly Conclusions Acknowledgments References 3. Agribusiness, Environmental Conflict, and Food in Travel Journalism: Image Work for the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick Travel Journalism, Food, and the Environment Case Study: The Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick New Brunswick, Tourism, and "The King of Game Fish" Excavating Discursive Holes Obstacles to Criticism Reckoning with Discursive Alignments Conclusions Acknowledgment References 4. Who Speaks and Are We Listening? Food Sovereign Voices in a Changing Climate Climate, Food, and Media Coverage The (Media) Politics of Food Resistance Discourses as Cultural Resistance Models and Problems of (Western) Food Journalism Food Sovereign(ty) Voices Transforming Expert Voice in Indigenous Peoples' Food Stories Towards Better (Food) Media References Part II: Raising Questions of Legitimacy, Power, and Good Citizenship 5. From Bad Boys to Heroes: Culinary Philanthropy and Good Citizenship in the Age of COVID-19 From Bad Boys to Heroes: Shifting Pathways to Culinary Capital The Culinary Philanthropist as Masculine Hero Heroic Narratives across the Mediascape Doing Your Part: Heroic Consumption, Good Citizenship, and an Ethics of Care Conclusion References 6. Cooking in the Time of Corona: The Politicized Domesticity of Food Journalism in The New York Times Pandemic as a Media Event Domesticity and Media - The Political Dimension of Home Food Sections and Lifestyle Journalism Themes of Coverage Coping Struggling Sustaining Ideological Spectrum: Neoliberal versus Holistic Positions Popular Journalism, Public Quality, and a Politicized Domesticity References 7. Paleo and Pain Free: Reporting on Scandals of Food Celebrities Locating Food Media and Journalism Navigating Legitimacy Pete Evans Belle Gibson Sensational Narratives and Endearing Personalities Vulnerable Communities Conclusions References Part III: Negotiating Regional, National, and Global Identities 8. Of Clay Stoves and Cooking Pots: "Village Food" Videos and Gastro-Politics in Contemporary India Food and Foodways of India Gastro-Politics in Contemporary India Social Media and Online Food Cultures Indian Food Media and Digital Foodscapes The Visual and Narrative Vocabulary of Village Food Videos Rural Village Setting Traditional Methods and Local Ingredients The Grandmother The Grandfather Spectacle Cooking Intimate Home Cooking Creating Subaltern Culinary Counterpublics Nostalgia and Authenticity Indigenous and Hyper-Local Recipes and Cuisines Upending the Hierarchies of Taste Building Solidarity, Equality, and Intimacy Globalization and Capturing the Diasporic Imaginary Conclusions References 9. How the Bendy Banana Became a Symbol of Anti-EU Sentiment: British Media, Political Mythology, and Populism The Bendy Banana as a Frame: Political Mythology, Media Populism, and Interdiscursivity Methodology "Bendy Banana Journalism": Empire, the European Union, and Euroscepticism EU Regulation in the UK Press: Between Factual Reporting, Mythical Entertainment, and Satire The Bendy Banana as Myth: Constructing EU Madness and British Greatness "'They' Are Crazy Time Wasters": Ridiculing the EU Regulation and Satire: Humorous and Sceptical Britain Conclusion Acknowledgements References 10. Heritage, Belonging, and Promotion: Food Journalism Reconsidered Constructive Journalism and Food Journalism in a Local Context Constructive Journalism in a Local Context Food Journalism The Case: Smoked Cheese and Constructive Journalism at TV2 FYN Case Material and Analysis Analysis: Smoked Cheese between Heritage, Consumption, and Promotion Smoked Cheese, Funen Heritage, and Community Audience Address Social Media Conversations Conclusion References Part IV: Recovering History and (Re)producing Memory 11. Patriotic Hens, Tomato Turbans, and Mock Fish: The Daily Mail Food Bureau and National Identity during the First World War Food and National Identity A Nation Tightens Its Belt The Daily Mail's First World War Food Coverage News and Feature Articles Political Articles Domestic Articles Food Privations in Enemy Countries Recipes Leaders Letters to the Editor Conclusion References 12. Influencer before the Internet: The Extraordinary Career of Chef, Editor, and Food Entrepreneur Alma Lach Home Economics, Women's Pages, and the Development of Food Journalism Lach's Early Years Food Writer, Consultant, and Entrepreneur Conclusion: "Women's Work," Gender Politics, and Archives References 13. Chef's Table and a Collective Past: Netflix, Food Media, and Cultural Memories The Aesthetic and Narrative Framework of Chef's Table Culinary Capital and Negotiations of Class Cultural Memories and Chef's Table Autobiographical, Historical, and Collective Memories Conclusion References Index