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.






Friday 18 November 2016

NDM: new and old media


Pressing problems for media old and new

Mark Zuckerberg.

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

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

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

Among the accounts Twitter removed were those of the National Policy Institute, its magazine, Radix, and its founder Richard Spencer.

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.  










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

Progress: triumph;achievement

Disaster: defeat;destruction
Consequences: effects on individuals;community
Prominence: the well known;famous
Novelty: the usual;emotional
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?

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?
People are more willing to share significant events they have captured with their device through Twitter compared to giving it to news institutes like Sky news.
  • What does it say about how news is being produced?
People would argue that journalists are at risk because people are slightly doing their jobs. This is because we have citizen journalists capturing events and reporting on what they have witnessed which audiences would prefer to see as they want the most realistic perspective of these stories. 
  • What role does the audience have in this process?
Audiences would have the choice of watching a journalist report an event they haven't witnessed or watch raw footage of the event taking place with the person reporting it live. 
  • Why might this be a problem for journalistic standards?
Journalism would take a decrease in quality because people are content with viewing unprofessional footage of an event.
“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

Picture shows Facebook logo on a beach chair at Facebook office in Berlin

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:

  • 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?


Close up of silhouetted male hand typing on laptop keyboard

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
I believe the Government are abusing their power and people shouldn't be okay with this. It erodes our privacy and this isn't right. However, it could prevent crimes and evidence.

NDM: Cross media ownership



Cross media ownership: Xenophon bloc likely to support scrapping diversity rules

Rupert Murdoch

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.