PPE Learner Response

1. Feedback

Question 1:

• Not enough focus on the Q

Question 2:

• Clumsy organisation 
• Good focus on Ill manors but no clear focus on Q
• Interesting examples but where is Marxism + hegemony

Question 3:

• Good intro
• Good first paragraph
• Second paragraph needs more depth and specific examples
• Also another paragraph

Question 6:

• Must intro your case studies + answers the Q
• Question is about institution must answer the question
• No focus on institution 

Overall:

• There's some great content here, particularly on journalism 
• However, you don't focus on the question! You lack the focus on institutions that the Q demands, always drifting to audiences

2. Grade

I had achieved a C grade of 46 marks which means I was 9 marks off of my target grade for media. In both sections I had scored a C. 

3. Section A points from mark scheme

Question 1: focus on analysis, concepts and reference to products

• Use of narrative voice-over
• Use of soundtrack to establish tone
• Use of self contained narrative that resembles a Hollywood film
• Use of differing production values
• Use of direct address 
• Use of hand held camera to suggest immediacy 
• Use of interviews involving residents in New Era estate 
• Role of Russell Brand as celebrity figure

LR:
Section A Question 1

Product 1 uses a voiceover which makes it seem authoritative because it suggests that the character is successful and is informing the audience on the luxurious lifestyle he is now living. This is obvious with the tone he uses which is calm and collected suggesting he is educated and articulate as he can demonstrate his power of being successful with words. Also the fact that he talks about himself shares similar conventions of the introduction of a film. This is because he narrates about his life almost boasting about the lifestyle he has which is associated with being part of the Redrow brand. Therefore, it seems trustworthy because the city of London has similar connotations of the fantasy of fame which films have so audiences may buy into this portrayal.

In contrast, product 2 has been used to create a more realistic viewing to make it seem trustworthy. An example of this is the fact that the show uses a handheld camera suggesting the low production value of the show. This means that Russel Brand isn't collaborating with a large production institution who may create false and dominant ideological representations but is producing the show with a few people with limited equipment who don't have anot agenda. Also, the product is more direct as the characters used are talking directly to the camera/audience displaying their authority as audiences feel they must listen. Therefore, the media language techniques used here are cinematography and mise en scene as the camera focuses on the characters who focus on the audience. 

NDM: Independent case study - new/digital media

Case study research tasks

The basics

Your chosen industry: TV 

Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Sport - BT Sport 

Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes


Research and answer the following tasks on your MEST3 exam blog:

Audience

1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry?

• Audiences now have many more sources to gain up to date news on sports (through apps)
• Social media allows audience to discuss sports as its happening
• Social media allows audiences to get snippets/highlights of sports (goals or misses) 

2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product?

• Yes, as they are able to view content from BT Sport through online

3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media?

• The audience for sport as a whole has changed significantly. For BT it could be argued that their audience has increased because of the introduction of 'BT Sport'

4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.)

• I don't believe BT Sport has created greater choice because they are broadcasting games that other channels would have
• However, BT Sport does broadcast a variety of sport which a competitor like SkySport doesn't so there has been a greater choice of sport only if audiences are willing to pay for both services

5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.)

A negative effect has been that the introduction of BT Sport has hindered ITV's revenues as it has taken the licence to broadcast the sports ITV used to. For example, football's Champions League which has mean that audiences who use freeview and don't have access to SkySports or BT sport won't be able to watch these games. This is where the issue of illegal streaming develops as people attempt to watch sports for free

6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media?

• Audience's pleasures haven't really changed as they still expect and experience the same things before NDM took over
• However, the development of new and digital media has allowed audiences to get a closer experience to the players through something like social media 

7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile.

• Male dominated: 85% males probably consuming the sports on the channel
• Age varies: 6 and over. Sports in general is in most people's lives and these audiences would want to see their favourite sports which BT Sport broadcasts.

Institution

1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry?

• As mentioned BT Sport has definitely had an impact on the industry because of ownership and control. We have seen ITV being eliminated from the broadcast of sporting events/matches because of the introduction of BT Sports

2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study?

• It has meant that audiences now have to pay to watch their favourite sports which they wouldn't have had to previously. This would increase the amount of people avoiding the monthly payments for SkySport/BT sport services as they would want to continue illegally streaming games

3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts?

• The text is still produced in a fairly similar way because they are broadcast on television as always but the ways sport can be streamed has changed; for example sport institutions broadcast sport on different media platforms like through their apps which can be accessed on smartphone, tablet devices
• Most things in the media today are usually linked with social media. These sport institutions have recently been promoting the 'memes' online in their coverage of sport

4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product?

• Sport institutions have changed the way they distribute their product for example:  these institutions have used the internet to change the way they broadcast their sport. BT Sport allows audiences to watch The Champions League final on YouTube for free.

5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry?

• New and digital media is already negatively effecting BT Sport and other sport broadcasting institutions across the World. This is because of illegal streaming of sport which is free.

6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated? 

• The industry is facing issues of audiences being able to view live sport for free. This has been a major issue for all streaming services as people have created websites which contain links to movies, shows or live sport. Its free but the quality is poor which still hasn't persuaded people to pay monthly for the use of BT Sport, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Netflix etc.
• BT Sport has an app for all audiences to download. But its those who have signed up with the institution that can use all the features of the app. For example, customers who are signed up with BT Sport would be able to watch highlights of a events from a live football match (a goal or a missed chance)

UGC

1) What examples of user-generated content can you find in your case study?

• Audiences are using their own digital devices to produce content from the live sport they watch. For instance, some people would record a goal from their television and post it on social media for others to see. This is free for the people recording the goal and for the audiences watching it which would mean that social media is indirectly competing with the BT Sport app as they both are pleasuring the same target market with the same content. Social media aren't doing anything about it which means that they could see this a possible benefit for them as audiences may prefer to watch the highlights on their app where audiences can interact unlike the BT Sport or Sky Sports app
• Snapchat - decided to operate in the sport industry by gaining the rights to broadcast live sport in 'Our Story'. This is where audiences would record events from a sports match and snapchat could use it to post on 'Our Story' which would have a compilation of events from different perspectives

2) How has UGC changed things for audiences or institutions in your chosen case study?

• Audiences are using their own digital devices to produce content from the live sport they watch. For instance, some people would record a goal from their television and post it on social media for others to see. This is free for the people recording the goal and for the audiences watching it which would mean that social media is indirectly competing with the BT Sport app as they both are pleasuring the same target market with the same content. Social media aren't doing anything about it which means that they could see this a possible benefit for them as audiences may prefer to watch the highlights on their app where audiences can interact unlike the BT Sport or Sky Sports app
• Snapchat - decided to operate in the sport industry by gaining the rights to broadcast live sport in 'Our Story'. This is where audiences would record events from a sports match and snapchat could use it to post on 'Our Story' which would have a compilation of events from different perspectives

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study?

• A Marxist would believe that the sport institutions like BT Sport still have control over audiences because we still rely on them for content
• They would be seen as more trustworthy than audiences on social media. For example, audiences would be more incline to believing the transfer rumours from BT Sport than ordinary audiences online who don't have anywhere near the amount of resources an institution like BT Sport has

2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen industry?

• A pluralist would argue that audiences have been given more control as they have more to choose from in terms of where they gain information about the sports they are watching. So audiences don't rely on sports institutions for news as they can find out the latest rumours on social media. This conforms to Galtung and Ruge's theory of news values with the concept of immediacy as audience want constant up dates.

3) Are there any examples of hegemony in your chosen industry or case study?

• 
  

Globalisation

1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study?

• Yes it has because BT Sport has increased the amount of sports they broadcast. It has expanded into to the American market with the rights they have gained to broadcast the NBA (basketball)

2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why?

• 
  

3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world)


Social media

1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products?

2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences.

3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study?


Statistics

1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m.

• 60% of smartphone users use their phone when watching the television 
• 65% of tablet users use their phones when watching the television
• 2003: over 500 UK programmes generated +10 million viewers
• 5% were sports programs
• 2015: 30 programmes had +10 million viewers 
• 25% were sport programs 

2) Looking at these statistics, what impact has new/digital media had on institutions in your chosen industry? 

• TV broadcast is in decline as the viewing numbers are significantly decreasing 
• Audiences are more interested in using their pocket/portable devices for streaming/watching shows and sports
• BT and other sport institutions have adapted to cater for audiences
• Therefore audiences are thought to be reliant upon these institutions for the latest information and most trustworthy information 

3) What has the impact been for audiences? These may be positive and negative.

• The impact has been positive for audiences as their choices for watching sport has varied 
• Audiences can now view their favourite sports through legitimate institutions like BT Sport and SkySports 
• or they could use illegal streaming sites to watch the same sports at the cost of poor quality

Theories

1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13.


Issues/debates

1) What media issues and debates can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media issues/debates and explain how they are relevant to your case study.

• One major issue is illegal streaming. It has allowed the audience avoid monthly payments
• User generated content - audiences are capable of recording games as they happen and post it on social media. This is usually a short clip of an evento in a game like a goal. This would allow audiences to watch highlights of games on social media for free instead of paying for BT Sports where they show highlights 
• BT Sport then encourage this behaviour by using their social media accounts to post similar events so audiences don't feel the need to pay the monthly fee for what BT SPORT are already broadcasting online for free

Wider examples and secondary texts

1) What other texts or institutions are also relevant to your case study? What would be good secondary texts or examples to use to support the findings of your independent case study?

Statistics

Notes and quotes

Media factsheet

Introduction

‘In recent years, it has become widely accepted that audiences for live broadcast TV are in permanent decline...’

‘… The increased popularity and ubiquity of SKY+, DVD, video on demand, internet streaming, BBC’s iPlayer, amongst other new media and technological developments, has enabled audiences to consume across many institutions and platforms.’

‘These platforms also offer audiences to “time shift” their viewing and construct their own TV schedule.’

‘Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are having a big impact on the way audiences consume and relate to television programmes, especially in the reality TV genre.’

Primary vs Secondary vs Tertiary consumption:

·         ‘Primary consumption can be said to occur when the audience gives a media text their undivided and total attention’ (getting absorbed into a good book or film)

·         ‘Secondary consumption is characterised by an audience that is paying some attention to a text but is not giving it their full attention’ (Perhaps because they are engaged in another activity) – using a phone

·         ‘Tertiary consumption occurs when an audience consumes a text perhaps without even consciously engaging with it; being exposed to an in-store radio station while out shopping or driving past a billboard which barely registers with the viewer’

Time shifting

‘Time shifting is the idea that people can choose to watch a TV show at a time of their choosing, rather than at the time dictated by the TV schedule.’

·         ‘1978: first VCR goes on sale in UK (time shift began here)’

·         ‘2000: TiVo allowed viewers to record shows (SKY took over 2002)’

·         ‘2007: BBC iPlayer launched’

·         ‘2012: Netflix launches in the UK’

·         ‘2012: However, according to figures from OFCOM 90% of TV is viewed live as it is being broadcast’

TV – a Social Experience

‘Figures tell us that 60% of smartphone owners and 65% of tablet computer owners use their devices while watching TV’

‘40% of all Twitter traffic during peak times is about TV’ (‘clearly a very close relationship between Twitter and television)

‘By using a hashtag (#), Twitter users can categorise their tweets and send messages that other people that are also watching the show can read, building a real time discussion of the show as it is broadcast’

‘Dual screening refers to the way viewers watch both the TV screen and the screen of their phone while tweeting about the show’

Who are SecondSync

‘SecondSync is a company providing a service analysing Twitter discussions about TV. They provide information to broadcasters and advertisers about what audiences are saying on Twitter about TV as well as who is saying it’

‘The company is able to separate the viewer’s Tweeting by demographics’

Media magazine: painting tele editing factual TV

Andy Barker worked as staff for the BBC for 27 years; he speaks about the development of his career as an editor:

·         TV industry was different then with only 4 channels to choose from

·         Difficult to find work in the industry on TV as a whole because of well-trained graduates

·          

Section B

Does your case study suggest that new and digital media have had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies? (48 marks)

The case studies I have studied are news and the sport industry which I believe has had both a positive and negative impact on audiences by diversifying their values and ideologies. Audiences have been able to explore a variety of perspectives on particular news through the development of the internet which has allowed them to challenge their ideologies and the essay will look to depict how the impact has been positive and negative.

New and digital media has created citizen journalism which has its positives and negatives on audiences being able to expand their values and ideologies. Citizen journalism is when ordinary people capture an event, usually on electronic device - phone, and share it with others. This has been occurring frequently and is on the up-rise in today's society as more people are recording particular events which they then post onto social media for the world to see. This can be seen as a positive as the footage can be used as evidence or act as a source for audiences to challenge their dominant ideologies which large news corporations have constructed through the news they 'water down' to suit their values. For example, a positive example would be the black lives matter campaign which has given black people a voice through the combination of mobile phones and social media as people record an act of police brutality and post it on the internet for anyone to see. The footage can be utilised by audiences who's views and values are in support of the police as a whole and news institutions to challenge their views and question the objectives of news institutions. This is because the raw footage captured by a citizen acts a evidence for audiences to form new perspectives of the police and they would be more likely to understand the Black Live Matter campaign a little more. Therefore, the rise of NDM has allowed audiences to be less subjective when forming their opinions about police brutality and other soci-political issues because of the answers citizen journalism provides.

The development of new and digital media has increased the methods of distribution and consumption of news which can be seen as both a positive and a negative. A positive of the distribution channel increasing is that news institutions can meet the demand of their consumers as their news can be immediately published which meets Galtung and Ruge's theory of immediacy as news is being produced and published as its happening. This is because of the internet which has connected the world together for news institutions to communicate with audiences universally. An example of immediate news is in the sport industry where audiences can either watch a game live through a legal television channel or an illegal website and they can check minute updates of a live game allowing them to form new values about another league in another country which could be different to the dominant ideology in their country about that foreign league. Specifically, BT Sport has allowed audiences to watch a variety of leagues and sports which would allow them to expand their knowledge about the sports they enjoy to watch. Also, their presence on social media has allowed audiences to watch highlights of the game for free which means that audiences don't actually have to view the game on television which could have its long term disadvantages as revenues could fall. However, a negative of these institutions of putting these features online is that its free which would certainly affect them financially. For example, audiences are consuming news from these news institutions for free which means that journalists would be getting lower pay and the quality of journalism would decrease. This is why the news being produced now is less important because these institutions are more worried about producing news immediacy which reinforces Galtung and Ruge's theory of news values as the news being produced now is only to ensure they have many stories to tell. Therefore, there would be a significant loss in highly skilled journalists as they realise their news stories about the elections are less important than people in Newcastle being fined for feeding swans.

A Marxist would argue that the rise of new and digital media has not had a positive effect offering audiences a more diverse range of views as news institutions are still dominant and have ultimate control. For example, the General Election is constantly being reported by news corporations by journalists who are educated in the election and audiences still and mainly use them to gather truthful information about the votes. As a result it seems that large news corporations have control of its audiences only portraying one or a very little amount of perspectives of the groups in the election ;the Daily Mail would be more likely to producing content convincing their audience to vote right wing. However, a pluralist would argue that audiences have been give an opportunity to diversify their ideologies through the development of new and digital media. This is because social media has provided a variety of perspectives of the General Election where audiences can challenge their views in different ways. It could also educate audiences who don't have much knowledge on the election which could prompt them to do more research on other sources for different opinions eventually allowing them to conclude a more objective opinion. This links with globalisation as audiences can research more about political issues around the world because of the interconnectedness of the internet allowing them to form new opinions.

Lecture notes

Journalism:

• Journalism in Arab countries has been dangerous over many years because of the state the countries are in
• Journalists who visit these countries to report the current situation are seen as brave by some and 'crazy' by others 
• Citizen journalism shows graphic footage like murders and hunts of terrorists

Citizen journalism:

• Immediate news affects the accuracy of news
• Adam Stacey:
• Pictures taken in London underground 
• One of the first instances of citizen journalism 
• Neda Aghal Sutton:
• Protest filmed shootings
• Filmed by bystander 
• Paris attacks 2015:
• Citizen filmed shootings 
• Facebook 'safety check' alerts family and friends about safety 
• Muammar Gaddafi:
• His death was recorded by a rebel
• Shown on some news channels 

Development in NDM:

• Given people a voice in the media 
• Fake news changing the way we view news
• Mistrust in the media