Personal assignment #3: Analyse Eurovision Song Contest

This assignment is preparation for our second and last team research project. Our second research project studies the use of Social Media by Eurovision Song Contest artists and fan communities around Europe. It does not matter whether we are Eurovision friends or not - Eurovision offers along with UEFA football cups the best selection of material for European studies of Social Media communication and community building.

The ESC 2014 countries. Time to choose the one you will follow with
your team soon!

To prepare we need some insight in what Eurovision is about:
Have a look at all the Eurovision Song Contest artists and winners. Analyse how they reflect developments in media culture and communication.

Try to find at least six landmarks on Eurovision timeline 1956-2013 where you can see that changes in European politics and/or Civil Society and/or technology and/or performance have changed the way Eurovision reflects societal change and/or communication/media culture.

If you don't want to spend hours watching and listening to the winners, then have a look at the collections showing short versions of all in e.g. 30 minutes - just go to Youtube and search for "eurovision winners".
(Some of those winners are really worth watching entirely. Which song is your all time favourite?)

Wonder what Eurovision has to do with social media in communication and community building? Don't worry, you will find out. (And it is not required to be a Eurovision fan to pass this course. But ability to do some media culture analysis is.)

There is a sheet in our course folder named "Eurovision timeline 1956-2013." Scroll it down to find your name and produce input to at least six cells.

Are you unsure what I'm expecting? Here's some hints what you may observe:
- audiovisual technology (example: introduction of colour TV)
- relationship to audience
- new trend in music style
- new trend in lyrics
- change on European political scene

And the length of input?
Short is beautiful, and content in at least in six time slots (the more the better in this case)
You write short observations like:
- reggae became popular
- the peace movement influenced the lyrics
- ladies started to perform in underwear instead of evening dresses - and they looked hungry

Deadline: April 14