Thursday 5 May 2016

NDM

Votes being counted in the 2014 local electionsOur online efforts to boost local democracy


There is no easily accessible online information about local elections, candidates and subsequent results, leaving many voters in the dark when it comes to who they are electing locally and the political makeup of their councils. We believe that voters should have as much information, as transparently as possible, to help them make these decisions and understand their potential consequences. That’s when democracy works best.

Local democracy is at its strongest when people have all the information they need about who makes decisions in their area. Right now, that information is simply not good enough. We urgently need to improve it.


Media Monkey: Martin Sorrell, Rupert Murdoch and Jeremy Irons


WPP boss Martin Sorrell

According to the “Rules of Engagement” small print at the back, “we exclude Rupert Murdoch”, the chairman of the paper’s parent company, “as he is a US citizen and based in America”, although these rules also state that even foreigners who merely possess “strong links to Britain” are included. Turn to the top of the chart and you oddly find at No 3 music-to-metals magnate Len Blavatnik, likewise a “US citizen”, likewise an owner of luxury residences in New York and London, and someone – like other non-Brits on the list – with less strong links to Britain than the ultimate owner of three of its national newspapers and Sky. Among those also deemed eligible, with real or theoretical residence abroad evidently not disqualifying them, are the Monaco-based Barclay brothers at No 12 and Viscount Rothermere (who reportedly has non-dom status) at a surely disappointing No 117. Richard Desmond, a rare instance of a British and British-based press baron, comes between them in 48th spot, his £2.25bn estimated fortune more than twice Rothermere’s £1bn.

NDM

NUJ accuses Vice UK of 'old-fashioned union-busting ruse'


Josh Homme and Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal are interviewed by Vice founder Shane Smith.

Vice had offered to set up an internal committee rather than recognise a union for its staff members. “Rejecting calls for union recognition from their own journalists and then trying to fob them off with a Rupert Murdoch-style staff association is a pretty old-fashioned union-busting ruse that misses the point,” said Stanistreet in a statement. “It’s a shame that the company has proven so resistant to listening to its own staff and facilitating what they want: a collective voice at work.”

Is mainstream media being led astray by social media? I don't think so


But he did make make much of an alleged “drift to desensitisation, coarseness even, as the boundaries between conventional media and ‘social’ media break down”. Note those redundant apostrophes, with more to come. He wrote:
“It was shocking to hear [at the women in media event] speaker after speaker describe the offensiveness and abusiveness they encounter on social media and the sense of helplessness at being unable to prevent it or respond effectively.
At the same time, it was striking to hear so much emphasis from editors and journalists working in social media on the speed of their responsiveness as well as the volumes of ‘hits’ and ‘impressions’ they rack up, but with little focus on the value or the importance of what is being said.
News is increasingly about the instant and the urgent, and not so much about the important or the enduring.
In this climate it is inevitable there will be poor judgment calls, with perhaps unintended hurt and sometimes unfair characterisation of people and organisations that come into the news agenda.
And it is not possible to ring-fence these new media in such a way that they don’t influence more traditional media. All, from newspapers to radio programmes to television stations, are finding themselves caught up in the whirlwind that demands instant reaction, allowing virtually no time for reflection or application of critical judgment...
The internet and social media cannot be uninvented. However, if journalists and programme-makers allow the urgent and the trivial to drive out the important, and if they frequently sacrifice judgment to speed, there will be a breakdown in trust and respect for the media.”
I would guess that some critics of the mainstream press would counter that its questionable ethics - including plenty of “instant reaction”, a failure to apply “critical judgment” and the “unfair characterisation of people” - existed well before the arrival of the internet.
Misbehaviour by newspapers in particular has a long history and all of the sins he visits on social media have featured in countless analyses of ink-on-paper editorial output.
So he may be wide of the mark by blaming digital technology for journalistic misdemeanours. It is pushing it to suggest that mainstream media is being led astray by social media.
That said, he surely has a point about the need for newspapers and TV newsrooms to resist the temptation to react too hastily to online postings.
More importantly, it cannot be denied that Brady is right to point the “offensiveness and abusiveness” encountered by women. That was a major finding of the Guardian’s recent series about online harassment.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/apr/25/is-mainstream-media-being-led-astray-by-social-media-i-dont-think-so

NDM

Corbyn: Labour must use social media to fight rightwing press attacks

Jeremy Corbyn

''It is a way of reaching past the censorship of the rightwing media in this country that has so constrained political debate for so long.'' CORBYN 

“And so we begin to reframe political debate. I’ll tell you this: some of the more traditional media in this country find it very hard to understand, when they frame all political debate around rumours that abound in the Palace of Westminster and the discussion that takes place between journalists who have very much the same ideas, same outlook, same backgrounds and same attitudes towards society. We are doing things very differently.”

SoundCloud to introduce advertising and subscriptions in UK

soundcloud go



SoundCloud, which with 175 million users claims to be the second biggest streaming service in the world behind YouTube, will launch a range of advertising to its service.
This will include audio ads, promoted tracks, creator partnerships as well as a deal with Global Radio, the UK’s biggest commercial radio group, for its DAX audio exchange to sell ads across the SoundCloud service.
SoundCloud, which introduced advertising to US users in 2014, will handle native advertising partnerships in-house.
The SoundCloud Go subscription service, which was launched in the US earlier this year, will allow users to opt out of receiving ads, as well as accessing an expanded catalogue of music, offline listening and other features.
''Subscriptions put SoundCloud in competition with the paid-for services offered by Spotify, which has 30 million paying subscribers, and Apple Music’s 11 million-plus.''


Friday 29 April 2016

section B exam Answer

New and Digital media offers media institutions a different way of reaching audiences. 
Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques?

New and Digital media has had a huge impact the way audiences consume different media texts. Techniques in which the media is conveyed to audiences, has changed significantly over the years because of the dramatic upgrade in technology.

Social media networking sites have had an immense impression on the way people consume the news, in comparison to the traditional way of receiving news. Social media networking sites such as twitter allow media institutions to generate a greater interaction and collaboration with the institution and its audiences through the use of the comments section, where discussions may be held to controversial issues. This heavily displays democratisation, as people from of all backgrounds, religion, beliefs, sexuality, gender, high or working class and ethnicities can take part in the discussions and voice their opinion on there.

Conversely, traditional platforms such as newspapers and the TV, people are more passive when receiving the media. This taps into the hypodermic needle theory as it suggests that audiences are injected with hegemonic social, political and economic ideologies and opinions that the institution/ media conglomerates and other people in power may have. (Two step flow).

Furthermore, other social media examples such as Instagram also allow media institutions to reach out to audiences about the news. This is through the regular updates on the news and allow for hash tags such as #prayforParis, during the recent attacks. It helps people engage with the news corporations such as sky news or the BBC, as programmes are regularly updated on them, Instagram too includes a comments section underneath the picture/poster they post. Similarly, news corporations also use Facebook to update its audiences with the latest or breaking news. Facebook allows you to repost posts about the news which also helps promote the institution as well as the breaking news to audiences.

However, some may argue that institutions that use this technique to convey their content to audiences may be under threat by social media as news nowadays is likely to be exposed on social networking sites before the news. This can be done through citizen journalism and user generated content posted by members of the audience. A well-known example of successful user generate content is displayed though the video of Eric Garner which gained a lot of public attention. After the video was posted online police brutality was taken more seriously and even a campaign called black lives matter was organised by the general public, voicing their opinions on some of the injustices that had been marginalised by traditional media. Social media such as Twitter and Instagram also contributed to raising awareness on this matter though the increasing hashtags #ICANTBREATHE which symbolises the death if Eric Garner.

Additionally, websites are also used quite frequently by institutions to provide audience’s with up to date digitalised print news. This also allows space for comments in the comments section usually at the bottom of the page, an example of this is The Guardian a left wing hard news corporation who believes that ‘newspapers have to adapt’ just like Murdoch says. However, in order to increase revenue, some online papers have created a pay wall. This is evident though the Times going online and creating a pay wall in in order to receive the news making a huge increase to their revenue. However some corporations may fail to capitalise this technique and may find a dramatic decrease in their economy such the Sun whose audience were from the demographic of C2, D and E category.


On the other hand some news corporations may use technology negatively, this is apparent through the phone hacking scandal. Murdoch’s news of the world corporation which was involved in a phone hacking scandal. 

Friday 22 April 2016

Monday 11 April 2016

LR

www: some critical vocabulary htrough the use of your case study
ebi: lacks enough of a NDM focus and dont talk about news

Read the Examiner's Report in full. For each question, would you classify your response as one of the stronger answers or one of the weaker answers the Chief Examiner discusses? Why? What could you do differently next time? Write a reflection for EACH question in the paper.

I didn't talk about the news and the effects of new and digital media. I just spoke about my independent case study.Examiners  stress to focus on the question.

5) Choose your weakest question in Section A and re-write an answer in full based on the suggested content from the Examiner's Report. This answer needs to be comprehensive and meet the criteria for Level 4 of the mark scheme. This will be somewhere between 3-6 well-developed paragraphs (depending on the number of marks).
• Key to advertising/marketing revenue

• Growth of e-Media economy

• Illusion of empowerment

• Direct audience feedback

• Demographic targeting


• Cross media promotion

it is highly essential for media producers to generate a positive attitude to the audience, this is because it has a huge impact on the increase of revenue. This is allows a greater interaction involvement with the audience and this engagement increases revenue as it creates a greater fan base. Moreover, through new and digital media the media producers attain direct feedback from the consumers of the company. This also allows a the promoters to target a specific demographic target. Furthermore, there is an illusionment of empowerment as  

Case study research tasks


The basics

Your chosen industry: music

Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Beyonce/lilly Allen

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?

The digital revolution has enabled audiences to move from passive to active, leading to a participatory culture as audiences get more of a say in what music is produced and which music 

By embracing social network media platforms, musicians and record labels are able to utilise an interactive relationship with fans that is beneficial to both producers and audiences. 


The growth and popularity of the internet has challenged the power of conglomerate control within the industry in a number of ways. The music industry has had to respond to the advent of the digital revolution due to its impact on production, distribution, artists and audiences.
 VIRAL MARKETING

Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. 

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


  • Decline in CD's 
  • However, this has the potential to increase music piracy and illegal downloading of music which in turn can contribute to massive financial losses for record labels as users are able to download or stream music for free rather than purchase a physical copy.


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

yes it has grown

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.)

easy access
larger variety of genres 

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

cant access newly released songs as quick 

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


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

teenagers/early twnties
in  full time education or part time working


Institution

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

  • The growth and popularity of the internet has challenged the power of conglomerate control within the industry in a number of ways. The music industry has had to respond to the advent of the digital revolution due to its impact on production, distribution, artists and audiences.

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

  • Gaga exists across numerous media platforms, combining art, fashion, music, film and technology through her creative brand ‘Haus of Gaga’. This refers to the collaborative team who work with Gaga on her videos, stage shows and creative vision. The Gaga ‘brand’ is further promoted through her business activity off stage. She has her own high street fashion range in shops such as River Island and Topshop, a make-up range for MAC and is the face of many product endorsements including Polaroid.

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

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

  • Lady Gaga offers a new business model by successfully combining traditional industry practices (being signed to and financed by a major record label) with new media forms. She utilises the power of a major conglomerate whilst embracing the development of digital technology. Since the Gaga phenomenon began, her music has been available to access for free via streaming on her many online profiles, including those on Vevo and Myspace. Rather than reduce record sales, this move has proved financially beneficial for the institution as fans are also paying to download the music via iTunes.

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


  • The rapidly increasing trend of internet file-sharing has resulted in both positive and negative outcomes for both artists and fans. Artists are rewarded with free ‘viral marketing’ where word of mouth spreads ‘like a virus’ amongst users, generating free publicity and ‘buzz’ around an artist, video, album or single. 
  • However, this has the potential to increase music piracy and illegal downloading of music which in turn can contribute to massive financial losses for record labels as users are able to download or stream music for free rather than purchase a physical copy. 

6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated? 
  • Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. Artists have taken ownership of key industry processes such as marketing and distribution, processes usually carried out by the record labels themselves. Artists are now able to take ownership of their own marketing and distribution online using sites such as MySpace, working independently of conglomerate support
  • As conglomerates becomes less dominant, audiences gain more choice over the types of music they want to hear and access, rather than being restricted by the type of music distributed by record labels. If high levels of interest for an artist are established online, indicated by the number of ‘adds’ or ‘friends’ an artist has acquired, then a record deal may be offered to an artist, putting them under conglomerate control. 
  • The digital revolution has enabled audiences to move from passive to active, leading to a participatory culture as audiences get more of a say in what music is produced and which music succeeds. The fan-run ‘Rage Against the X Factor’ Campaign is an example of how consumer power won in the battle to challenge conglomerate control.

UGC

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


  • Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. Artists have taken ownership of key industry processes such as marketing and distribution, processes usually carried out by the record labels themselves. Artists are now able to take ownership of their own marketing and distribution online using sites such as MySpace, working independently of conglomerate support
people can comment and give feed back to music artists via social media and comments

and can aslo produce their own music without a company backing them up

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

audineces are more interactvie with the music artsists follwing them on insta twitter and snap chat, follow up there daily activites and give a closer insight to thier fans supporters 

  • Para-social relationships – Psychologists use the term “parasocial relationship” to describe the connection people get from celebrities and other famous people but which an illusion is.

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

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

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

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?

Available on youtube variety of music from diff cultures gangnam style global

“In 2015, we have continued to expand our artist ticketing business, with more than three times growth across Europe. We are now ticketing one out of every three concerts in London and have helped artists sell tickets across 48 countries in 2015,” wrote co-chief executives Ian Hogarth and Matt Jones in a blogpost. (Globalisation)
  • According to the Institute for Policy Innovation global music piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year. In order to combat this music streaming services such as Spotify have worked in conjunction with the industry to try offer audiences the opportunity to listen to music but not actually download it, which means it is not being shared YouTube has also placed ID content censorship on videos to stop music being downloaded. However, these are only temporary measures and the industry has had to find more ways to prevent this.

Pandora is a streaming-radio service with the vast majority of its listeners in the US, but it has ambitions to expand globally, with Spotify-style fully on-demand streaming.

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

Positive, 

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.

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

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


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.

feminism 
gate keeping
global village 
empowering dis-empowering Andrew keen
gramsci hegemonic
butler-gender performance
mc robbie challanges tradish feminism
4th wave




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.

representation of women
adgendas
UGC
liberation/exploitation




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?