1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: how news consumption has changed
3) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
4) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
5) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions
11) Full NDM essay including paragraphs on Marxism and Pluralism
12) Globalisation and news: cultural imperialism
13) Globalisation: taking it further (Google Glass case study and capitalism)
14) Fake news and globalisation - Guardian and New York Times articles
15) News on the Tweet
Monday 12 December 2016
Sunday 11 December 2016
Globalisation: taking it further
1.Why was Google Glass controversial?
It simply eroded their privacy. This is a major issue as the development in new and digital media has meant that our lives are being exposed to anyone and everyone whether we decide to do this or not. There are always third parties ready to pounce of people (customers) to understand their tastes and preferences so these businesses can market to a wider range of people. So people are afraid that the Google Glasses will record them in the privacy of their own homes revealing certain things that other businesses like Samsung or Nike would want to know about their customers. Therefore, this information would then be sold onto other institutions (third parties) giving them more power over audiences.
2. What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?
It has given audiences more power when considering the resources they have. The internet is the main element that has helped increased globalisation because of the resources on there that audiences can access for free. The famous search engine 'Google' has certainly been a significant factor for the rise in globalisation as it brings all information popular sites together and usually on the first page which makes it user friendly.
3. What are potential negatives to globalisation?
Americanisation. Cultural imperialism has been a factor that people are worried about in their society. They don't want other cultures changing their own ones just like how the American culture is being forced upon the World. This is because of the development in digital media which has given many people from America the power to share their views, values and behaviour through social media specifically. As English is the most spoken language and America has a bigger population than those countries who dominantly speak English its much easier for them to communicate more of their ideologies to the whole World.
4. What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?
Techno panic is where people are worried at the prospect of technology invading their privacy. This links to moral panic because people are concerned on the impact technology will have on society.
5. What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?
I believe this is the consequence we have to accept if we want the internet to continue to develop. It will constantly be requesting our personal details as we decide to make transactions online rather than in store which means our details are threat of hackers or businesses.
Media factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism
1. Who continued the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?
Marshall McLuhan was the person who created the idea that we have a global village. The idea tells us that countries become interconnected and independent when considering the economy (BBC).
2. What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony?
First of all capitalism is where the country is controlled by private institutions and tend to exclude themselves from other countries. Slavoj suggests that globalisation has effected the media as countries are being less strict with the news, views and ideologies they receive from other countries.
3. What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean?
The idea that the goods or services we buy can reflect our lifestyles, personalities and values.
4. What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign?
A private sector company that works as a charity to help those in Africa suffering from aids. An institution like Nike is working in Africa which would not only help the country but the brand image of Nike as they are seen as moral as they are doing ethical work.
5. Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are?
At the end of the day, Africa are benefiting from the investments Nike and other firms are making whilst they increase their brand image. So both of them are benefiting from (PRODUCT) RED. I do believe these firms are doing this to help their brand images for sure because they are facing high costs doing this in the short term.
It simply eroded their privacy. This is a major issue as the development in new and digital media has meant that our lives are being exposed to anyone and everyone whether we decide to do this or not. There are always third parties ready to pounce of people (customers) to understand their tastes and preferences so these businesses can market to a wider range of people. So people are afraid that the Google Glasses will record them in the privacy of their own homes revealing certain things that other businesses like Samsung or Nike would want to know about their customers. Therefore, this information would then be sold onto other institutions (third parties) giving them more power over audiences.
2. What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?
It has given audiences more power when considering the resources they have. The internet is the main element that has helped increased globalisation because of the resources on there that audiences can access for free. The famous search engine 'Google' has certainly been a significant factor for the rise in globalisation as it brings all information popular sites together and usually on the first page which makes it user friendly.
3. What are potential negatives to globalisation?
Americanisation. Cultural imperialism has been a factor that people are worried about in their society. They don't want other cultures changing their own ones just like how the American culture is being forced upon the World. This is because of the development in digital media which has given many people from America the power to share their views, values and behaviour through social media specifically. As English is the most spoken language and America has a bigger population than those countries who dominantly speak English its much easier for them to communicate more of their ideologies to the whole World.
4. What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?
Techno panic is where people are worried at the prospect of technology invading their privacy. This links to moral panic because people are concerned on the impact technology will have on society.
5. What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?
I believe this is the consequence we have to accept if we want the internet to continue to develop. It will constantly be requesting our personal details as we decide to make transactions online rather than in store which means our details are threat of hackers or businesses.
Media factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism
1. Who continued the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?
Marshall McLuhan was the person who created the idea that we have a global village. The idea tells us that countries become interconnected and independent when considering the economy (BBC).
2. What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony?
First of all capitalism is where the country is controlled by private institutions and tend to exclude themselves from other countries. Slavoj suggests that globalisation has effected the media as countries are being less strict with the news, views and ideologies they receive from other countries.
3. What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean?
The idea that the goods or services we buy can reflect our lifestyles, personalities and values.
4. What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign?
A private sector company that works as a charity to help those in Africa suffering from aids. An institution like Nike is working in Africa which would not only help the country but the brand image of Nike as they are seen as moral as they are doing ethical work.
5. Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are?
At the end of the day, Africa are benefiting from the investments Nike and other firms are making whilst they increase their brand image. So both of them are benefiting from (PRODUCT) RED. I do believe these firms are doing this to help their brand images for sure because they are facing high costs doing this in the short term.
Friday 9 December 2016
LR: essay
The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.
WWW: There is some absolutely brilliant content in this essay – I really enjoyed reading it. Marxism and Pluralism are obviously strengths here but it’s great to see a variety of examples and also you’ve attempted to use some quotes. There are a few areas to work on but overall this should provide the platform for an excellent A2 grade!
WWW: There is some absolutely brilliant content in this essay – I really enjoyed reading it. Marxism and Pluralism are obviously strengths here but it’s great to see a variety of examples and also you’ve attempted to use some quotes. There are a few areas to work on but overall this should provide the platform for an excellent A2 grade!
EBI: The absolutely crucial feedback is to always answer
the question. You discuss empowerment throughout but you hardly ever use the
key words from the question: consumption and production. You need to make sure
every paragraph begins with a topic sentence that uses the wording from the
question – show the examiner that ‘sharp focus’ on the question demanded by the
mark scheme.
Although you raise lots of interesting points, there’s
also a huge amount we’ve learned this term that you’ve missed: the decline of
newspapers, how news consumption has changed (Ofcom report), paywalls and the
future of journalism, hyperreality and UGC, news values etc. There is so much
more you can do!
As above, your introduction does not clearly answer the
question (use the wording from the question here). You also need to clearly
introduce your case study in your introduction (impact of NDM on news).
In terms of your essay writing, Written English still
needs to improve. Did you proofread this essay? Too many errors in written
communication and this will cost you at the top level. In addition, you need to
learn how to clearly introduce or embed quotes to support your views.
Finally, organisation and paragraph construction are two
other areas to work on. Make sure you have a clear topic sentence at the start
of every paragraph that uses the wording from the question (“consumption and
production”) and tells the reader what specific aspect the paragraph will be
focusing on.
LR: Create a list of key revision topics from our new/digital
case study work this term based on your essay and feedback above. Revise these
topics over Christmas for your January MEST3 Section B assessment.
Write at least one more well-developed paragraph on the
question above as part of your revision.
Key topics for revision:
- The decline in newspapers
- The decline in journalism
- The changes in consumption of news (refer back to articles and notes from lesson)
- Paywalls and the future of journalism
- User Generated Content (thoroughly discuss its impact - link to as many threats as possible)
- News values (for example the internet has allowed for quicker news - immediacy)
- Globalisation (Americanisation of media)
- Fake news
- Refer back to New and Digital Media
Key points of reflection:
- Proof read
- Answer the question
- Always start a new paragraph with the topic question
- Need to improve on embedding quotes in the right places
- Need more media terminology
The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.
A Marxist's perspective of would argue that audiences have been made to believe they are in control of what they view when in fact, institutions are the real ones with the authority and its the journalists who able to carefully construct news stories to reinforce dominant ideologies of dominant classes in society. Its the mass media who 'reproduce the status quo' and constantly produce and force their ideologies upon all audiences which would ensure that the powerful people remain in this position whilst those in lower classes aren't able to speak for themselves. This would mean that dominant cultures are being being firmly positioned in more countries of the methods they use to get a wider range of audiences. So long as audiences continue to consume news from these large news corporates, they will be able to have power over audiences. For example, The Sun's registration as an official leave campaign group for Brexit would have definitely influenced votes of the public especially because some of the news was fake meaning it would be more likely to reinforce certain ideologies (usually dominant). The internet is an example where news institutions can expand their dominance when considering how they influence people's ideologies because it used across different countries. This links to globalisation as news institutions consider operating in other countries to force their views and values on others (cultural imperialism).Therefore journalism may not be at risk in the future as people will still be relying on news institutions to get their news as it provides them with news being told from the perspective they want it from. Despite this I don't believe Marxists would be blind of the profitable opportunity they could pounce on with paywalls for online articles as long as 'a fair price can be charged' (Rupert Murdoch) I believe audiences would be willing to pay for these subscriptions.
A Marxist's perspective of would argue that audiences have been made to believe they are in control of what they view when in fact, institutions are the real ones with the authority and its the journalists who able to carefully construct news stories to reinforce dominant ideologies of dominant classes in society. Its the mass media who 'reproduce the status quo' and constantly produce and force their ideologies upon all audiences which would ensure that the powerful people remain in this position whilst those in lower classes aren't able to speak for themselves. This would mean that dominant cultures are being being firmly positioned in more countries of the methods they use to get a wider range of audiences. So long as audiences continue to consume news from these large news corporates, they will be able to have power over audiences. For example, The Sun's registration as an official leave campaign group for Brexit would have definitely influenced votes of the public especially because some of the news was fake meaning it would be more likely to reinforce certain ideologies (usually dominant). The internet is an example where news institutions can expand their dominance when considering how they influence people's ideologies because it used across different countries. This links to globalisation as news institutions consider operating in other countries to force their views and values on others (cultural imperialism).Therefore journalism may not be at risk in the future as people will still be relying on news institutions to get their news as it provides them with news being told from the perspective they want it from. Despite this I don't believe Marxists would be blind of the profitable opportunity they could pounce on with paywalls for online articles as long as 'a fair price can be charged' (Rupert Murdoch) I believe audiences would be willing to pay for these subscriptions.
NDM: Facebook copying Snapchat
This is getting silly now: Facebook is copying another Snapchat feature
Facebook has copied another feature from Snapchat. This hasn't been the first time they have tried this because we have seen them have two clones of the Snapchat stories, two attempted acquisitions, four standalone apps, two ephemeral messaging implementations and three cameras with AR lenses. Facebook has now tried its attack again on the ephemeral messaging app: custom geofilters. Thye have called it 'frames'. It allows the user to implement their geographical location using funky texts.
I believe Facebook are abusing their power in the market because they can be seen as a monopoly in the industry. Instagram (Facebook controlled) has also got some features in its application which has be stolen from Snapchat. It seems Snapchat are being victimised without them being able to fight back. They are just hoping their audience won't get bored with their app otherwise they will be in trouble of losing the business as a whole.
NDM: The Sun and Brexit
The Sun registered as an official Leave campaign group and spent £96,000 on Brexit campaigning
The article discusses The Sun's operation to support Britain of leaving the EU. The institution spent £90,000 campaigning as a leave group during the EU referendum electoral spending documents have suggested. This was discovered back in June a week before polling day. The rest of the article briefly discusses Rupert Murdoch and his influence on news.
I believe that news institutions can have a significant influence on its audience and it could be argued that it some results could have changed because of the different ideologies being portrayed to its audience. It doesn't specify the platform their audience had obtained news so we can't conclude whether newspapers are still in effect.
Monday 5 December 2016
NDM news: Globalisation
Is our news influenced by American cultural imperialism? Give some examples arguing for or against this perspective.
British culture, to be precise, along with the other cultures has certainly been 'Americanised'. This is because of the ways America portray their culture with the media content they constantly produce which includes films television shows and the news. If we consider the US election and the reactions of people around the World, it can be suggested that people have become fond of their culture. The UK's reaction on social media supports this as they expressed their emotions as the result of the election was announced in November. Unlike the decision for the UK to leave the EU, the World didn't act surprised in any way. This is evident through the activity in social media through the days and weeks of the announcement where only Europeans reacted even-though it could affect the World (e.g trade). Therefore, I do believe America's culture has definitely been forced upon us without our consent and people have accepted it and are mimicking their behaviours. However, we could argue that audiences are active uses of media so they aren't as brain-dead as the effects theory implies. Audiences may now have a better understanding of the American culture because of the content of theirs being transferred to other countries but it doesn't mean they will completely adapt/consume their behaviours and values.
Has the increased globalisation of news improved the audience experience? How? Why?
We could argue that moral panics have been increased as audiences are able to unravel more surprising news stories from around the World. The development in digital media has meant that audiences have easier access to news so can challenge their views and values with the numerous news stories there are online. For example, for British audiences watching/reading news about the immigrants fleeing their deprived countries may be concerned about their position in the country and the effect an increase in the population will have on the nation's politics, economics and social lifestyles. Therefore, the experience the audience receives here may be a shock to them but it would give them more information and a reality check of the situation in Europe now. News that would be able to go global would be on social media and foreign news websites. This would give them more access to all types of news from a different perspective on the immigrant issue which would be a better experience for audiences as they are able to form an opinion based on a balanced story. However, it would all depend on the amount of research audiences are willing to do to be able to reinforce and/or challenge ideologies.
Has globalisation benefited or damaged major news institutions? How? Why?
I would argue that it has mainly damaged large news institutions as audience's power is gradually increasing because of the development in new and digital media. An example of where audiences have become powerful is with citizen journalism which is where audiences can report on news events which they have witnessed or recorded using photos or video. This evidence of an event would not be able to be recorded by news institutions because they would be less likely to witness something occur compared to the rest of the World. Once its recorded it would make its way onto the internet where it would become viral. Therefore, audiences view it on social media and wouldn't care to read the actual journalists report of the event as the live raw footage would have been enough. This is why journalism is at risk of becoming extinct because the public are able to do the most important parts of their job. However, it provides these institutions with footage for their audience to watch on television which makes them feel more connected to the story because its an actual recording of an event. Despite this, the person who recorded the event could have manipulated the content or audiences may look past certain things in the footage to reinforce their ideologies. The decline in newspapers could both benefit and damage news institutions. It could damage them because audiences may go to people on social media or blogs for news. But the institutions could evaluate and assess these committed bloggers and could offer them jobs for online journalism which would improve recruitment. So costs could be lowered especially because some of the bloggers may not have a degree for journalism and the audience from the blogger can be transferred to the news institution.
British culture, to be precise, along with the other cultures has certainly been 'Americanised'. This is because of the ways America portray their culture with the media content they constantly produce which includes films television shows and the news. If we consider the US election and the reactions of people around the World, it can be suggested that people have become fond of their culture. The UK's reaction on social media supports this as they expressed their emotions as the result of the election was announced in November. Unlike the decision for the UK to leave the EU, the World didn't act surprised in any way. This is evident through the activity in social media through the days and weeks of the announcement where only Europeans reacted even-though it could affect the World (e.g trade). Therefore, I do believe America's culture has definitely been forced upon us without our consent and people have accepted it and are mimicking their behaviours. However, we could argue that audiences are active uses of media so they aren't as brain-dead as the effects theory implies. Audiences may now have a better understanding of the American culture because of the content of theirs being transferred to other countries but it doesn't mean they will completely adapt/consume their behaviours and values.
Has the increased globalisation of news improved the audience experience? How? Why?
We could argue that moral panics have been increased as audiences are able to unravel more surprising news stories from around the World. The development in digital media has meant that audiences have easier access to news so can challenge their views and values with the numerous news stories there are online. For example, for British audiences watching/reading news about the immigrants fleeing their deprived countries may be concerned about their position in the country and the effect an increase in the population will have on the nation's politics, economics and social lifestyles. Therefore, the experience the audience receives here may be a shock to them but it would give them more information and a reality check of the situation in Europe now. News that would be able to go global would be on social media and foreign news websites. This would give them more access to all types of news from a different perspective on the immigrant issue which would be a better experience for audiences as they are able to form an opinion based on a balanced story. However, it would all depend on the amount of research audiences are willing to do to be able to reinforce and/or challenge ideologies.
Has globalisation benefited or damaged major news institutions? How? Why?
I would argue that it has mainly damaged large news institutions as audience's power is gradually increasing because of the development in new and digital media. An example of where audiences have become powerful is with citizen journalism which is where audiences can report on news events which they have witnessed or recorded using photos or video. This evidence of an event would not be able to be recorded by news institutions because they would be less likely to witness something occur compared to the rest of the World. Once its recorded it would make its way onto the internet where it would become viral. Therefore, audiences view it on social media and wouldn't care to read the actual journalists report of the event as the live raw footage would have been enough. This is why journalism is at risk of becoming extinct because the public are able to do the most important parts of their job. However, it provides these institutions with footage for their audience to watch on television which makes them feel more connected to the story because its an actual recording of an event. Despite this, the person who recorded the event could have manipulated the content or audiences may look past certain things in the footage to reinforce their ideologies. The decline in newspapers could both benefit and damage news institutions. It could damage them because audiences may go to people on social media or blogs for news. But the institutions could evaluate and assess these committed bloggers and could offer them jobs for online journalism which would improve recruitment. So costs could be lowered especially because some of the bloggers may not have a degree for journalism and the audience from the blogger can be transferred to the news institution.
Friday 2 December 2016
NDM: regulating teens online
No Jeremy Hunt, you can't use tech to ban sexting for the under 18s
This article is about the action Jeremy Hunt wants to take in order to reduce cyber-bullying. They want social media and tech companies to ban sexting as a whole which could potentially reduce some part of cyber-bullying. He would rather the responsibility of our children's well-being would be in the hands of IT professionals in America instead of the British Government. He says, 'There is a lot of evidence that the technology industry, if they put their mind to it, can do really smart things'. The article does understand the views of Jeremy Hunt but it is a bit wild to consider how anyone would be able to spy on young people of Britain for 24 hours. Also, it would be difficult to regulate some of the pictures not only may it not be accurate but it would need to analyse the picture taken quickly so the immediacy isn't taken away from certain websites (snapchat or Twitter).
I agree with Jeremy Hunt to an extent as a regulation system used on social media could reduce cyber-bullying by a bit because wouldn't be seen naked. However, this would be difficult for organisations to do as there are millions of people in the country so it babysitting the nation will take time. real time regulation specifically is the hardest as people want to communicate as quick as possible and this 'gatekeeping' system will slow down communication.
Thursday 1 December 2016
Essay
The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful
in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against
this view.
The development of new and digital media could be argued
that audiences are becoming less reliant on news institutions and more dependent
on other sources of obtaining news. People are sharing their opinions and
values through social media and blogs which have blossomed in the past few
years but it’s where they get their information from and who influences them to
become public figures. It’s the perspective of pluralists and Marxists that I
will decipher in the essay to understand the difference in ideologies when arguing
for or against the amount of power audiences have.
This statement would certainly be approved by pluralists as
audiences have now been given the opportunity to choose the media content they
want to view rather than news institutes forcing particular mediated news
stories to them. As James Halloran suggested audiences now have the ability to
subvert their views and values ‘conform, accommodate, challenge or reject’ with
the wide range of news sources at disposal which new/digital technologies have
provided them. For example, the development of social media over the years has
allowed audiences to interact with one another by posting footage of events and
challenge ideologies which would give people a different perspective of political
stories like police brutality instead of right wing news institutions (Daily
Mail) portraying these unfortunate black victims as criminals when that may not
be the case. Pluralists would argue that social media has allowed groups of
people to form as a unit to begin public announces and awareness like the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign which has
definitely given audiences power amongst the giant media institutes as it has
influenced people’s ideologies and their confidence to stand up for their
rights/freedom of speech ‘the internet is an empowering tool’ – Rupert Murdoch.
Especially because of the citizen journalism we see on social networking sites
like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook which news institutes would revert back to
so they can obtain footage of the news story depending on their target
audience’s political views. This challenges the views of Marxists as Herman and
Mchesney’s views on the internet are utterly different ‘the internet and
digital revolution do not pose an immediate or even foreseeable threat to the
market power of the media giants’ as it seems some audiences have overcome the
feeling of being prisoners of these news organisations as they are gradually
becoming more dependent on news on social media. So this is where a moral panic has been created with the threat of journalism becoming extinct as citizen journalism's popularity rises.
Marxists would believe pluralists overestimate the
significance of technology as it hasn’t really affected the position of giant
news institutes who want to reinforce their audience’s ideologies. Although
digital media has been introduced, it hasn’t (completely) reduced the power of
elite news institutes as Pareto’s Law informs us ‘a minority of (media)
producers always serve a majority of consumers’. So audiences are still more dependent on news
institutes over other sources on the internet which could be because they have
more trust with news because they are organisations with pledges which are
regulated by gatekeepers. However, the ability to identify what is real or fake
could depend on the age of the audience as Livingston/Bober states ‘38% of UK
pupils aged 9-19 never question the accuracy of online information’. The fact
that some ‘never’ challenge the information online could be manipulated by news
institutes like Fox or Daily Mail to suggest audiences would be better off
obtaining news from them. Therefore, giant news institutions can maintain their
power and forward their hegemonic views amongst audiences and as the hypodermic
needle model suggests audiences believe what they are told by the media
(surprisingly similar to young audience with information online). Considering the thoughts of
Mark Zuckerberg he believes fake news is becoming a problem with people and
their values and has pledged to do his most to cut down on the issue on
Facebook. So as long as people view the internet as a place full of jargon news
then media giants will always be positioned at number one with audiences being
fully dependent on them for daily news (effects theory – spoon feeding
audience). Therefore, it would seem journalism in the future may not be at risk because the public will still demand stories from them as they provide more important and relevant news like accountability journalism with the Washington post.
A pluralist’s perspective would argue that new and digital
media has given/increased people’s ‘freedom of speech’ which can be used to
challenge each other’s views and values. When considering the production of
media content, we can see the amount of ways any ordinary person can create and/or
publish news on the internet. The use of blogs is a method used by many
individuals who care to share their opinions and videos of recent events. This
covers the uses and gratification theory when considering the ways audiences
have been able to utilise the elements of the theory to construct news. For
example, audiences may produce it as they want to educate people on certain
news stories but people who consume it will use it to be educated – both of
which are surveillance element. This means that audiences are active users of
the media so have some influence with the content they will view which is
evident with Brexit and the US election with the use of social media and blogs holding
numerous rants and debates. Furthermore, audiences aren’t seen as powerless because
of the fact that they are now showing their ability to form opinions and
discussions randomly so aren’t as gullible or reliant on the media as Marxists
and effects theory suggests. ‘audiences are seen as capable of manipulating the
media in an infinite variety of ways’ which emphasises the
views of pluralists because it implies audiences are now able to unravel more
information about a particular news story because of the development in new and
digital media.
In conclusion, it seems evident that audiences are still
heavily reliant on news institutions (especially large ones) when obtaining
news. Although they do have some control of the media and the content they want
to view, it is the media that make people believe they have power. So once
giant media institutions get hold of media content, it can be mediated first
and then given to audiences on the internet making them believe they have authority
of what they want to see when surfacing online for information. Therefore, I
side with Marxists as giant news institutions are still the most powerful and
will overcome audiences as people are too dependent on them and won’t ever
neglect them.
Possible
consideration:
Fake news is gradually getting regulated
News on social media may be abstracted from news websites or
links
Media giants still controlling what is really revealed even
when there is footage sometimes
Sunday 20 November 2016
Marxism and Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news
1. To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?
I do side with Alain de Botton's views to an extent especially when he discusses our use of technology now compared to before. People aren't being informed of how the content has developed and established itself over the years which means we would neglect its legacy and take it for granted. This could be why people take the news for a joke including the news institutions publishing news like 'Osama Bin Wankin' which could be used as a strategy by the Government/country to distract audiences from the real story - what else did they find Osama? Furthermore, audiences are being flooded with news daily which makes it hard for people to be able to make sense of whats going on around the world. These news stories are mainly irrelevant and won't impact our lives in any way and important news based politics and economy is being foreseen.
2. How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?
Alain de Botton showed a link between his views of the news and marxism and hegemony. This is evident when he discusses the bias in news because he believes we need it in news to show a more realistic perspective of two sides of stories. He says particularly in economic news, people aren't listening to more ideas and opinions through news because news institutions like BBC want to have balance and sugarcoat some panics in society. This is because of people in power controlling what should be news (ruling classes) so preferred readings can be met.
3. How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?
We could argue that new technology has lead to audiences having more control on what news they want to view. Alain de Botton believes that news is constantly publishing/presenting news of any scale which audiences aren't too worried about. So the fact that news has many ways of being accessed certainly affects the amount of news people can view. Therefore, audience's ideologies and values can be challenged because the same news stories can have a number of different perspectives.
4. Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2224956/quality-street-bosses-risk-chocolate-lovers-wrath-by-refusing-to-bring-back-beloved-toffee-deluxe-sweet-other-than-in-limited-edition-christmas-tins/
The Sun has an article on the changes of chocolates that will be exported to the UK being of Brexit.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3953518/Nigel-Farage-vows-fight-Commons-seat-Thanet-South-backed-Donald-Trump.html
Ukip leader in discussion with Donald Trump.
I do side with Alain de Botton's views to an extent especially when he discusses our use of technology now compared to before. People aren't being informed of how the content has developed and established itself over the years which means we would neglect its legacy and take it for granted. This could be why people take the news for a joke including the news institutions publishing news like 'Osama Bin Wankin' which could be used as a strategy by the Government/country to distract audiences from the real story - what else did they find Osama? Furthermore, audiences are being flooded with news daily which makes it hard for people to be able to make sense of whats going on around the world. These news stories are mainly irrelevant and won't impact our lives in any way and important news based politics and economy is being foreseen.
2. How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?
Alain de Botton showed a link between his views of the news and marxism and hegemony. This is evident when he discusses the bias in news because he believes we need it in news to show a more realistic perspective of two sides of stories. He says particularly in economic news, people aren't listening to more ideas and opinions through news because news institutions like BBC want to have balance and sugarcoat some panics in society. This is because of people in power controlling what should be news (ruling classes) so preferred readings can be met.
3. How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?
We could argue that new technology has lead to audiences having more control on what news they want to view. Alain de Botton believes that news is constantly publishing/presenting news of any scale which audiences aren't too worried about. So the fact that news has many ways of being accessed certainly affects the amount of news people can view. Therefore, audience's ideologies and values can be challenged because the same news stories can have a number of different perspectives.
4. Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2224956/quality-street-bosses-risk-chocolate-lovers-wrath-by-refusing-to-bring-back-beloved-toffee-deluxe-sweet-other-than-in-limited-edition-christmas-tins/
The Sun has an article on the changes of chocolates that will be exported to the UK being of Brexit.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3953518/Nigel-Farage-vows-fight-Commons-seat-Thanet-South-backed-Donald-Trump.html
Ukip leader in discussion with Donald Trump.
Friday 18 November 2016
NDM: new and old media
Pressing problems for media old and new
The article discusses how fake news could have influenced the US election because of misinformation on Facebook but the article believes this is only tinkering around the edges of a major problem. It is possible to police the publishing and broadcasting industry if nations are willing to do it. Sufficient staff (not artificial intelligence) need to be employed to fact check before publishing or broadcasting. Facebook has the power to influence on a macro scale, so it should also come under the same regulation and the social networking site shouldn't be too concerned on costs as they certainly would be able to afford the cost of editorial teams to manage its publications. A policy like 'if in doubt, don't publish' can be used by news institutions which would ensure truthful news is being published allowing audiences to be reliant on news.
I do believe this would be a positive move for news institutions but convincing audiences that their news is now truthful compared to before may be difficult. Audiences have become accustomed to what they would expect to see from specific news institutes in particular views and values. For example, audiences may believe that a newspaper like the Daily Mail (right wing) is slightly bias towards conservatives and middle upper class citizens so may not be inclined to read those newspapers if they don't share the same ideologies. So even if the Daily Mail were to announce that they are taking a more balanced viewpoint of news stories, audiences probably wouldn't be influenced or incentivise to read from this newspaper or article online. However, this wouldn't stop them from going forward with the plan to be more truthful on news stories because audiences have the availability of digital media and so can do more research on news stories else where. Therefore, Daily Mail would know this and wouldn't want to get caught out for not exploring the whole of a news story.
NDM: digital giants impacting news
Support new news providers via a levy on digital giants like Google and Facebook
Digital giants such as Google and Facebook are finding ways of amassing eye watering profits and paying minimal tax in the UK. They are bleeding the newspaper industry dry by sucking up advertising revenue. National and local newspapers try to cut their way out of trouble by slashing editorial budgets and shedding staff, journalistic quality is becoming a casualty. News institutes need to find gaps in media to diversify news and attract different news audiences.
I believe news stories need to offer their audiences more options of news because they will always be relying on Google and Facebook to get their news. This is vital because if the next few generations become too reliant on news and don't respect or appreciate the work of news institutes, then it will be easy for audiences to be lied to.
NDM: Twitter take action
Twitter suspends American far right activists' accounts
The article explains the decision Twitter has made to suspends a number of American 'alt-right' activists hours after announcing a renewed push to crack down on the hate speech. Among the accounts removed were those of the self described white nationalist National Policy Institute which includes its magazine, Radix and its head Richard Spencer. Spencer has called for peaceful ethnic cleansing to halt the deconstruction of European culture. A Twitter spokesperson has said 'the Twitter rules prohibit violent threats, harassment, hateful conduct and multiple account abuse and we will take action on accounts violating those policies'. The move came the same day that the social networking site announced the push against hate speech and harassment on the site.
- New features giving users more control of what they view
- Training process has changed for moderators of the site
- In relation with the US election, the move was certainly too late
I believe social media have been way too laid back on moderating the content on social media because users have been able to post abusive, racial and harassing tweets or pictures without much them being removed and punished. This is why people have just become adaptable when they enter the electronic World on social media because they expect to see discriminative posts unlike in real life where we would report the things we see online to police but the fact that its online people don't seem to care. However, there are people who do use the 'report' option besides posts which moderators would be able to see and take further action.
Thursday 17 November 2016
NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony
1. Research the Ian Tomlinson case. What would the traditional, hegemonic view of the police be in a case like this? How did new and digital media create a different story? What does the police officer's subsequent acquittal suggest about the power of new and digital media?
The police would be viewed as criminals with badges giving them authority to abuse their power. These views would certainly be reinforced through the death of Ian Tomlinson because he was struck by a police officer without a justifiable reason and fortunately for the people the event was captured on video camera. This provided us with a real perspective of the 'murder' because its actual footage of Ian getting hit by Simon Harwood (officer). It also challenged what the police had original told the news because police were definitely involved with the manslaughter. The fact that the someone had recorded it meant that the verdict of the police officer committing manslaughter is more justifiable.
2.What does the author argue regarding whether hegemony is being challenged by Web 2.0?
They argue that because the internet does offer a diversity of viewpoints, both amateur and professional, it is much more difficult for establishment discourses to structure how meaning is created and so it is less hegemonic.
3. In your opinion, does new and digital media reinforce dominant hegemonic views or give the audience a platform to challenge them?
I believe that digital media has weakened hegemonic views that the media portray. This is because audiences are able to access any type of news which gives them control of what they want to view. Despite this I believe when audiences decide to read or watch news through particular institutions, they will still only see stories being told from one perspective. The rise in digital media has only meant that these institutions can't exaggerate news stories like they once could because audiences are able to do more research into these stories.
4. Do recent world events such as Brexit or Donald Trump's election in the US suggest dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged or reinforced? There are arguments for both sides here - explain your opinion and why.
With the decision of Britain to leave the European Union I believe hegemonic ideologies were reinforced because Nigel Farage promised the nation that they will 'make Britain great again'. This would appeal to the majority and it definitely influenced a lot of the nation into voting out. For example, people were questioned on why they approved of brexit and their answers were very discriminative against ethnic minority. In contrast with the US election, it seems Donald Trump used similar tactics to Nigel Farage in trying to convince the majority and it has worked. Overall, I believe dominant hegemonic views were strategically used by both candidates in their campaigns and the audience still weren't able to use digital media to enhance their decision making.
The police would be viewed as criminals with badges giving them authority to abuse their power. These views would certainly be reinforced through the death of Ian Tomlinson because he was struck by a police officer without a justifiable reason and fortunately for the people the event was captured on video camera. This provided us with a real perspective of the 'murder' because its actual footage of Ian getting hit by Simon Harwood (officer). It also challenged what the police had original told the news because police were definitely involved with the manslaughter. The fact that the someone had recorded it meant that the verdict of the police officer committing manslaughter is more justifiable.
2.What does the author argue regarding whether hegemony is being challenged by Web 2.0?
They argue that because the internet does offer a diversity of viewpoints, both amateur and professional, it is much more difficult for establishment discourses to structure how meaning is created and so it is less hegemonic.
3. In your opinion, does new and digital media reinforce dominant hegemonic views or give the audience a platform to challenge them?
I believe that digital media has weakened hegemonic views that the media portray. This is because audiences are able to access any type of news which gives them control of what they want to view. Despite this I believe when audiences decide to read or watch news through particular institutions, they will still only see stories being told from one perspective. The rise in digital media has only meant that these institutions can't exaggerate news stories like they once could because audiences are able to do more research into these stories.
4. Do recent world events such as Brexit or Donald Trump's election in the US suggest dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged or reinforced? There are arguments for both sides here - explain your opinion and why.
With the decision of Britain to leave the European Union I believe hegemonic ideologies were reinforced because Nigel Farage promised the nation that they will 'make Britain great again'. This would appeal to the majority and it definitely influenced a lot of the nation into voting out. For example, people were questioned on why they approved of brexit and their answers were very discriminative against ethnic minority. In contrast with the US election, it seems Donald Trump used similar tactics to Nigel Farage in trying to convince the majority and it has worked. Overall, I believe dominant hegemonic views were strategically used by both candidates in their campaigns and the audience still weren't able to use digital media to enhance their decision making.
Sunday 13 November 2016
NDM: News Values
1. Come up with a news story from the last 12 months for each of the categories suggested by Harriss, Leiter and Johnson:
Conflict: tension;surprise
The Factsheet uses the example of the war in Afghanistan and the unfortunate death of a young British soldier. The point they make is that although the war is taking place far away from Britain, we would still feel connected with updates because our nation is putting their lives at risk and the audience would feel the fallen solider because he is 'one of their own'. In contrast with the news story of the first female officer being killed its not as unusual. This is why it would have prominent coverage because audiences would want more news on the story. Especially because it is much closer and the its the first female officer to die, people want to know the background to it and also if the officer behaved in a masculine manor in the event.
3. What is gatekeeping?
The police brutality that has occurred the whole of this year has been captured through social media. We have seen many black people specifically in America being beaten and killed by police because of excessive aggressiveness. These videos have been posted on social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc.
7. Complete the task on the last page of the Factsheet regarding Sky News and Twitter:
8. In your opinion, how has new and digital media technology changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values?
Technology has changed Galtung and Ruge's news values because there are no gatekeepers deciding what is news and the scale of each news story. This is because social media gives audiences the ability to post whatever they want and so any type of story can be constructed which can be dangerous as moral panics can be developed or created. For example, police brutality is nothing new but the captured footage of police beating black people constantly has caused people to retaliate.
9. How would you update them for 2016? Choose SIX of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how each one has been affected by the growth of new and digital technology.
Familiarity - this doesn't matter that much because news from all over the globe is posted on social media. This means that all audiences will view different news stories
Amplitude - if the news story isn't significant and its posted on social media, then it won't go viral. This means that the news story will only have a small viewing.
Surprise - social media provides audiences with wild and sometimes disturbing news stories. This is because there are no gatekeepers on these networks controlling and restricting the news posted so audiences would be able to share any type of video.
Elite nations and people - one way social media is used is for audiences to get closer to celebrities and their lives. So whenever there is news about famous people, people on social media like to speculate and instigate at times which can be dangerous. Also, political events can be shared amongst audiences who the politics doesn't directly effect like the US election
Negativity - news posted on social media isn't always bad. Social media unlike news institutes has ordinary people with a variety of views and values so the news posted on social networking sites vary. In addition, these people don't show bias when considering a video of a certain event that is being used as evidence because they are less likely to edit it. So there isn't as much bias here with the evidence.
Balance - this is similar to the point I have made on negativity. People can choose what they want to post on social media and they usually want to discuss topics of an event and don't really challenge each other on social media. Therefore, people only publish things on they are interested in and don't consider the type of news they post. So the type of news being published varies when considering an individual's social media activity.
Conflict: tension;surprise
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu_referendum
- This news story is about the EU Referendum and the Prime minister's decision to quit
- http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/lewis-hamilton-focused-job-bids-9117664
- British Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is trailing in the championship but is rapidly closing the gap. Gives the British people hope and belief in him to bring another trophy home for the nation
Disaster: defeat;destruction
- http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/haiti-one-month-later-n678491
- Haitian Americans help their people get through the devastation of hurricane Matthew
- http://abcnews.go.com/US/police-officers-shot-killed-ambush-attack-iowa/story?id=43238960
- Killing of two officers can have a direct impact on the community as police may be more likely to overuse their authority
Prominence: the well known;famous
- http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/im-a-celebrity-2016-line-up-revealed-ola-jordan-carol-vorderman-danny-baker-a7401356.html
- The Independent news institution want to speculate the possible candidates of the well known series 'I'm a Celebrity get me outta here'
Novelty: the usual;emotional
- http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/hook-ups-break-ups/brangelina-sell-off-louisiana-home-amid-divorce/news-story/b16c81f8bcfbd2fc1785041a2ae45634
- Famous actor Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie divorce and are now sorting out arrangements
2. What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?
The Factsheet uses the example of the war in Afghanistan and the unfortunate death of a young British soldier. The point they make is that although the war is taking place far away from Britain, we would still feel connected with updates because our nation is putting their lives at risk and the audience would feel the fallen solider because he is 'one of their own'. In contrast with the news story of the first female officer being killed its not as unusual. This is why it would have prominent coverage because audiences would want more news on the story. Especially because it is much closer and the its the first female officer to die, people want to know the background to it and also if the officer behaved in a masculine manor in the event.
3. What is gatekeeping?
Gatekeeping is the process of filtering information prior to dissemination. It is done to determine what is news and what scale the news reaches and it could be an editor deciding to choose one story over another or a journalists asking specific type of questions to reveal a side of story.
4. What are the six ways bias can be created in news?
4. What are the six ways bias can be created in news?
The six ways are:
- Bias through selection and omission
- Bias through placement
- Bias by headline
- Bias by photos, captions and camera angles
- Bias through use of names and titles
- Bias by choice of words
5. How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?
Some critics argue that the rise of e-media and the developments in technology are challenging the way media institutions 'gatekeep' news. Some bloggers have high profiles but are still not trusted with the news they publish because its not reliable. Many mainstream media outlets criticise the unprofessional practices of bloggers and the example of blogger, Ana Marie Cox, is used. She released exit poll results during the Obama presidential election campaign which is something mainstream press wouldn't do as it could affect the outcome.
6. Give an example of a news story from the last 12 months that was reported as a result of online technology - Twitter, Wikileaks or similar.
The police brutality that has occurred the whole of this year has been captured through social media. We have seen many black people specifically in America being beaten and killed by police because of excessive aggressiveness. These videos have been posted on social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc.
7. Complete the task on the last page of the Factsheet regarding Sky News and Twitter:
- What does this reveal about how Sky views Twitter as a news source?
- What does it say about how news is being produced?
- What role does the audience have in this process?
- Why might this be a problem for journalistic standards?
“The Twitter phenomenon continues to explode. A photo with
an eyewitness in Lahore yesterday came to us through Twitter.
Last night’s breaking story on the death of a Briton in the
Alps came to us from Twitter. The first phone on the Buffalo
plane crash came from Twitter. The first photo of the Hudson
River rescue came from Twitter. Convinced?”
8. In your opinion, how has new and digital media technology changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values?
Technology has changed Galtung and Ruge's news values because there are no gatekeepers deciding what is news and the scale of each news story. This is because social media gives audiences the ability to post whatever they want and so any type of story can be constructed which can be dangerous as moral panics can be developed or created. For example, police brutality is nothing new but the captured footage of police beating black people constantly has caused people to retaliate.
9. How would you update them for 2016? Choose SIX of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how each one has been affected by the growth of new and digital technology.
E.g. Immediacy is more important than ever due to news breaking on Twitter or elsewhere online. However, this in turn changes the approach of other news sources such as newspapers as the news will probably already be broken so different angles might be required. Newspapers now contain more comment or opinion rather than the breaking story.
Familiarity - this doesn't matter that much because news from all over the globe is posted on social media. This means that all audiences will view different news stories
Amplitude - if the news story isn't significant and its posted on social media, then it won't go viral. This means that the news story will only have a small viewing.
Surprise - social media provides audiences with wild and sometimes disturbing news stories. This is because there are no gatekeepers on these networks controlling and restricting the news posted so audiences would be able to share any type of video.
Elite nations and people - one way social media is used is for audiences to get closer to celebrities and their lives. So whenever there is news about famous people, people on social media like to speculate and instigate at times which can be dangerous. Also, political events can be shared amongst audiences who the politics doesn't directly effect like the US election
Negativity - news posted on social media isn't always bad. Social media unlike news institutes has ordinary people with a variety of views and values so the news posted on social networking sites vary. In addition, these people don't show bias when considering a video of a certain event that is being used as evidence because they are less likely to edit it. So there isn't as much bias here with the evidence.
Balance - this is similar to the point I have made on negativity. People can choose what they want to post on social media and they usually want to discuss topics of an event and don't really challenge each other on social media. Therefore, people only publish things on they are interested in and don't consider the type of news they post. So the type of news being published varies when considering an individual's social media activity.
Sunday 6 November 2016
NDM: Twitter update
Twitter's direct message chatbots
This article talks about the advantages businesses who use Twitter as a customer service tool. They would be able to setup a 'welcome message' for customers helping them with connecting with the business. The key feature is the chatbot which supplies people with quick responses which provides suggestions on answers/solutions to problems. Pizza Hut are using Twitter DM facility to guiding people into making orders via Twitter. However, the function is very basic so doesn't allow for the order to go through. Other businesses like Tesco have tried this and it woks better than Pizza Hut but are also facing problems.
I believe this method of ordering products through social media is a positive thing for businesses. This is because they wouldn't have to maintain their website so costs would then reduce. It may be more easier for customers to make these purchases especially if they see it as a promotion.
NDM: Fake news
Facebook and Twitter join network to tackle face news
This article states they have done this to improve the quality of information on social media and news as a whole. Facebook has been criticised of its role of stopping fake news and misinformation from spreading on its network. They want to stop people from creating moral panics which is affecting ideologies and values which can be dangerous. Twitter were swift to remove Islamic extremist's tweets about terrorist attacks.
I believe this is important as too many people are gullible when using the internet. These networks have done the right thing to control some of the things that people post on the internet.
NDM news: citizen journalism and hyper reality
1. Create a blogpost where you make notes from the article under the following headings:
Examples:
What impact is new/digital media having on:
Examples:
- Citizen journalists use devices like phones to record live events and use the internet to post the content. Leading to certain videos becoming viral which can then be used for evidence depending on the scenario of the story
- Rodney King. Brutally beaten by four Los Angeles police officers. Rodney King, an African American, who was in a high speed chase was tasered and then beaten with clubs. It was recorded by a onlooker from his apartment window and made prime time news and became and international media sensation. Racism was obviously being portrayed here by the officers and they were all charged. Thanks to the onlooker having a camera to record the footage, the whole World was/is able to see the other side to police and it provided evidence
- The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for user generated content. It was a mix of citizen journalism and accidental journalism as some people saw it waves coming from afar and began to record it. Others were just enjoying the resort and recording the atmosphere so they could treasure the memory of being in the tropical country. However, these people were awoken with the greatest shock as they eventually witnessed nasty waves rapidly approaching the resort.
Theories:
- Levis Strauss' theory of ideologies - user generated content allows audiences to see reality in a recordings or pictures. This is important as it can changes the way people think or could make people act in certain ways. For example the Rodney King story lead to riots for in America and other protests including some currently (Black Live Matter). It provides evidence and usually another side to a story the authority want the public to hear. The police officers involved could have changed people's ideologies of them in night thanks to a bystander recording the footage
- Representations can either be reinforced or subverted slightly because of user generated content. Its not new news that some police in America are criminals with a badge but UGC has helped us identify these criminals and bring justice to whoever they have hurt. Other people in America who believe all police are doing their jobs and shouldn't be punished maybe are considering where they now stand because of the evidence constantly being revealed on a daily basis. Therefore, Tessa Perkins' theory of some stereotypes being true can be applied here
Benefits to institutions:
- News channels can now use the user generated content to show their audiences evidence to a report through television or their website
- Viewings can increase as more people want to see footage from an incident
- Possibly wouldn't have to go to the scene of the event if they have enough footage. Especially if its too dangerous
Benefits to audiences:
- They are able to be citizen journalists so would feel they have provided society with help and evidence to bring justice
- Its easy being a citizen journalist once they are witnessing a irrational event because they would only have to record it with their phone
- More evidence for people to see
- Feels more realistic
Wider issues and debates:
- The UGC doesn't provide any opinions on issues but can answer some questions that we wouldn't have been able to in the past
- It allows us to expose people in positions of power like the police and others
- However justice has been brought upon people without UGC, accountability journalists do their most to bring down people with power
SHEP:
- Journalists could be at risk of losing their jobs if people settle with only viewing the citizen's user generated content and not caring more about a report
- Public would be at risk because Government can cover up stories that affect them if people don't care/research the truth
- Institutions would save money if they make journalists redundant
3. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
Citizen journalist is when anyone (hence citizen) captures an event and would sometimes report on it like a journalist would.
4. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
Rodney King being brutally beaten by the police in LA which was recorded by police.
5. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
- Message rooms
- Chat boards
- Q and A
- Polls
- Have your say
- Blog
6. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
Professional footage is more clear and has better quality than citizen journalists. It requires editing to show a perspective of the story the news institution wants its audience to witness. Therefore, it isn't a realistic report compared to when user generated content is put alongside it. This content seems more realistic as it isn't edited or isn't professional.
7. What is a gatekeeper?
They decide what is or isn't news and what will or won't be broadcast.
8. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
The role of gatekeepers hasn't really changed but people are finding ways around them. Some people have resorted to blogs where they talk about issues and debates as an independent media so have the choice of blogging what they wish. They are controlling what is and isn't news.
9. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
Their jobs can be lost if user generated content increases. This could be through the number of devices people are using or whether some people believe they are socially responsible to protect society.
10. Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:
What impact is new/digital media having on:
News stories:
It allows institutions to show evidence of news stories to increase trust with audiences.
News agenda:
Forces news institutions to report on more news stories even if it goes against their audiences ideologies. As UGC can be posted on social media without gatekeepers stopping them from doing so.
The role of professionals in news:
This probably refers to journalism. I believe they have a major role in creating reports for news. Not only on criminal events to go alongside citizen journalists but live conferences like sporting events or an election. Journalists would have to ask the right questions to be able to report on powerful people's views.
Hyper reality
1.
Examples:
- Use of social media - this would allow news institutions to provide updated news for people to see
Theories:
- Hypodermic needle model can be used to suggest people are believing what they find on the internet. This means that their views and beliefs can easily be swayed by some significant people on the internet. This could be celebrities or news institutions on social media posting news stories and their opinions.
Positive aspects of new technology:
- Citizen journalism - this is where people are able to capture an event an post it or share with others. Usually posted on social media for everyone to see which is a good thing as it provides evidence
- Has made news institutions more efficient as they can provide updated news through their website or social media
- For example, phone calls on 9/11
Negative aspects of new technology:
- Loss of jobs - journalists are at risk of losing their jobs as people are doing some of what they specialise in through citizen journalism (blog, recordings)
2. The article was written in 2009. Offer three examples of more recent social networking sites or uses of technology that support the idea of a 'digital renaissance'.
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are the three examples.
3. How do live streaming services such as Periscope or Facebook Live fit into the idea of a 'digital renaissance'? Are these a force for good or simply a further blurring of reality?
They provide a more realistic view on some situations. It depends on how its being used, but it gives more people the chance of becoming a citizen journalist. This is a good thing for society as we have a more realistic perspective of events
4. How can we link the 'digital renaissance' to our case study on news? Is citizen journalism a further example of hyper-reality or is it actually making news more accurate and closer to real life?
They both discuss talk about the professionalism of news.
Friday 4 November 2016
NDM: Privacy
Why do we still accept that Governments collect and snoop on our data?
The Hollywood film about Edward Snowden and the movement to pardon the NSA whistleblower have renewed worldwide attention on the cope and substance of Government surveillance programs. This topic usually is associated with the American's abuse of power and the rights of Americans under domestic law but mostly blind the privacy rights of millions. Just last week, a British court held that British intelligence agencies acted unlawfully by concealing bulk spying programs from the public for over a decade.
- Bulk surveillance program violates these fundamental rights
- People outraged
NDM: Cross media ownership
Cross media ownership: Xenophon bloc likely to support scrapping diversity rules
This article discusses the Turnbull Government (Australia) view on the ownership of media. They want media moguls such as Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Stokes to own television, radio and newspaper assets in the same market. NXT senator Stirling Griff who has carriage of the issue for the Xenophon party (Nicholas Xenophon is an Australian senator for South Australisa - team NXT), tolf Guardian Australia he was personally supportive of the Government's proposal. The Government is proposing to dump the media regulations known as the 75% reach rule and the two out of three rule. Reach Rule: prevents nine entertainment, seven west media and ten network from owning their regional affiliates. The Two out of Three rule: restricts cross media ownership, preventing moguls from controlling a free to air TV station, newspapers and radio stations in the same market. They hope that media reform will be back squarely on the political agenda when federal parliament resumes next week (Turnbull and others).
- Griff says 'the real power now is with the web, with social media, with Facebook and Google. I think we have great diversity'.
- Government proposing to dump media regulations
- Labour supportive of scrapping the reach rule
From what I understand the Australian Government want people with power with media institutions to control the media as a whole in the country. This may not be such a bad move because these owners have control of most institutions in the industry.
Sunday 30 October 2016
The decline in newspapers: MM case studies
The New Day
1. What was the New Day trying to achieve?
The New Day wanted to create diversification in the newspaper industry. This means that they wanted to fill a gap in the market with a new/unique type of newspaper which audiences haven't viewed before. They were trying to attract audiences by constructing a newspaper more relevant to modern lifestyles rather than political 'boring' stories that would turn this creative generation of people away from newspapers. Also, they weren't aiming to steal audiences from other newspapers because they were trying to be unique and the way they did this was by forming the newspaper for modern families.
2. List the key statistics on the first page: how many people buy newspapers in the UK? How has this declined in the last year?
- Newspapers have been in decline for over 2 years with a loss of 1 million readers
- Newspaper for new market
- First newspaper to cater for modern lifestyles
- About 6 million people buy a newspaper in Britain every day
- Target audience: 35 - 55 age, for modern approach, opinions and comments but no political line
3. What audience were the New Day trying to attract?
4. Why do you think the New Day failed so spectacularly? There are several possible reasons listed in the article but do develop your own opinion here as well.
From reading the beginning of the article alone, I felt the New Day newspaper was more like a magazine. When considering the features of it: the pictures, the 'modern lifestyles' I instantly thought of a magazine because newspaper are known for having articles with words and words trying to create moral panics and reinforcing ideologies. However, this 'newspaper' has taken a completely different approach to others and some could argue that it isn't even a newspaper.
The Guardian
1. List the key statistics on page 10: How many unique digital browsers used the Guardian website in June 2016? What are The Guardian's latest print sales figures? How does this compare to the Telegraph? In terms of finances, how much did the Guardian lose in 2015?
- Sales of newspapers have been in steady decline since the explosive growth of the internet in the 1990s
- The Guardian's website is the third most read in the World with over 120 million monthly browsers
- But struggling to maintain print audience
- Guardian has nearly 9 million average daily browsers, putting it a long way behind the market leader MailOnline with 14 million
2. What has been The Guardian's strategy for reversing this decline?
The Guardian had decided to set cutbacks of over 20%.They also are relying on investments to keep the newspapers alive - from Scott Trust.
3. What global event did The Guardian's digital coverage win awards for?
Pray for Paris. The terrorists attacks that had taken place in France were the reason that The Guardian won an award for digital coverage. It was significant because it gave people an understanding of the situation the city was in, the people involved both victims and perpetrators.
4. In your opinion, will the global website strategy be enough to save The Guardian?
I don't believe this alone will save The Guardian because it is a long term strategy. This means that the benefits the institution would receive would come too late and their brand image would be under pressure at that point.
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