The media that I chose for this weeks analysis is a video titled J.K. Rowling | ContraPoints and discusses the anomaly that has been the discussion of J.K. Rowling in recent years. ContraPoints is created by Natalie Wynn, and boasts a large 1.55M followers on YouTube. It works to combat the far-right online and open conversation challenging social and political issues.

This piece of content was created in regard to the controversial comments that have been made by J.K. Rowling about trans women over the years. She has spoken about opposing gender recognition reform legislation in Scotland, and rightfully so, was met with criticism online. While these tweets started in 2019, she has continued with this narrative even now in 2022. This video by ContraPoints was made in 2021, so the context of this creation is still relevant. Natalie Wynn is a transgender woman, so the motivation behind this content may be personal, but also opens important discussion about these hurtful words from a loved author. This discussion is important, and Wynn uses her platforms to discuss this in a playful way.

This video is very direct in its argument about the transphobia from J.K Rowling. Wynn’s discourse about this social justice issue does it in a way that is not attacking, but well balances facts with empathy. There is not much to imply when it comes to this video, as Wynn is very direct about her critique of Rowling. However, this topic does bring up the issue of transgender identity is overshadowed by JK Rowling being cancelled.

Having this content in this form was very useful, as a lot of people are looking for more long form content online, and this video is very descriptive and entertaining. This video has a high production value, and uses the Harry Potter theme which is a great selling point for viewers. Wynn’s offers lots of details, and easily breaks down the tweets, as well her content is easy to digest, and doesn’t require prior knowledge of the issue to interact with it. This content was published on an already well received channel with a large audience.

This piece of media inspires me to create content that is clean, well written and just genuinely looks good. For my final content creation, this can be applied by good editing, organizing, and preparation for my podcast episode. This medium was very appropriate for this social change issue. Wynn does a great job of connecting different platforms (i.e. connecting twitter to youtube) and creates content in a way that is entertaining and informative.

Photo by Melike Benli

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