Are BTS and ARMY Represented Well In Media?
If ARMY wants something done right, we have to do it ourselves.
Are BTS and ARMY Well-Represented?
As BTS continues to soar high in the global music industry, media coverage concerning the boy group and their fans (ARMY) also continues to increase. If we think about it, getting increased media coverage is a good thing! It means that the general public’s awareness of BTS spreads like wildfire, and who wouldn’t love that? However, this also leaves us with a question: How are BTS and ARMY usually represented in the media?
If we analyze BTS’ media coverage during one of their recent stays in Los Angeles, it is fitting to say that it was shallow. Numerous articles have incorrect information about the boy group, others were obviously only copy/paste content generated for clicks, and the rest use BTS as a front to serve other agendas, usually unfavorably. Although there are articles and media outlets showcasing genuine interest for BTS, they are only a handful.
Because of the general public’s lack of understanding and erroneous coverage on BTS and ARMY, several groups of ARMYs formed their own media organizations and academic journals that aim to produce high-quality content about the Korean pop group and their fans through their magazines and journals. In this article, let’s run through some of these organizations.
Revolution Magazine
Inspired by a YouTube live of Elliot Sang’s and armed with some extra cash, Revolution Magazine was conceived to pay ARMY to write about BTS and ARMY with respect, intelligence, and accuracy. Who knows more about BTS, ARMY and the music industry than us!
Revolution Magazine believes that the voices of ARMY should be the new voices leading the discussions in the music industry, rejecting the shallow clickbait nature that music journalism has become.
Borasaek Vision Magazine
The idea of forming Borasaek Vision (which means “Purple Vision”, inspired by Taehyung’s take on the color purple) was born out of the determination to have a non-sensationalized and well-represented media coverage about BTS. The current media coverage BTS receives could be better, and given that ARMY from different places in the world are making BTS-related content such as informational videos, analysis works, and translations, ARMY has the capacity to be BTS’ own media entity.
The ultimate goal of Borasaek Vision is to spread love and trust to ARMY, BTS, and beyond — meaning the general public who will need a reliable source as to who BTS and ARMY are. Aside from becoming one of ARMY’s reliable sources about BTS and the fandom, Borasaek Vision has the tenacity to tackle even the most sensitive of topics surrounding BTS and ARMY. Just like what was mentioned in the organization’s first blog, “we’ll write about the unpleasant side of ARMY as much as the amazing one.” Inspired by SUGA’s question on Billboard, “If we don’t talk about these issues, who will?”, Borasaek Vision not only entertains their readers but also informs them of controversial topics that should be addressed.
ARMY Magazine
For ARMY. By ARMY. ARMY Magazine is the first digital magazine about BTS and ARMY, formed in 2018. The publication aims to be the source of reliable information and a safe place for BTS and ARMY through their magazines and blogs.
ARMY Magazine has already released 17 issues that focus on each era of BTS, along with special editions for each member’s birthday. They also provided ARMY with high-quality blogs that show recaps of BTS’ week and reviews of the boy group’s new releases. Through these releases, ARMY Magazine centers its content around BTS and ARMY, their milestones, and projects.
Revolutionaries & Bulletproof
An ARMY owned and operated publishing house which started in 2020, Revolutionaries publishes books such as Idol Limerence by Wallea Eaglehawk and an online monthly journal on Medium going deep into philosophical experiences.
Bulletproof is an imprint of Revolutionaries catering to curated BTS content, exploring in essays how ARMY relate to the world through BTS. Including color theory, song lyric breakdowns, and personal journeys into ARMY.
Rhizomatic Revolution Review
The Rhizomatic Revolution Review (also known as R³) is a “rigorous, interdisciplinary examination and exploration of the art, fandom, economic effects, and sociocultural forces of and surrounding BTS.” R³ is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal releasing and accepting content about BTS. This journal accepts academic articles, creative collections, and supplemental stories. The astounding thing about R³ is how it brings together ARMYs from various disciplines.
One might wonder, what does “rhizomatic” mean? R³’s journal name was inspired by the concept of the rhizome. Rhizome refers to plants, such as ginger, whose roots emerge from nodes and fuse with other rootstocks as they grow horizontally to form a complicated and intertwined subterranean network. R³, therefore, welcome submissions from all fields, and encourage the study of the “BTS phenomenon” and their “network-image.”
R³ has an upcoming virtual event for ARMY, check out more details here.
ARMY as BTS’ Own Media and Academic Entities
In a time where BTS does not fully receive proper media coverage, leave it to the ARMY fandom to establish their own.
Serving as a space ARMY can lean on regarding BTS and ARMY information without fearing sensationalism and misrepresentation, these media and academic entities are established names the fandom looks up to. It’s not easy to put together magazine issues, blogs, and academic journals, yet these many dedicated fan publications manage and successfully release timely and relevant content for BTS and ARMY.
