NDM: The key concepts of audience and institution

1)What was the relationship between audience and institution in the pre-digital age?

In our digital era, the rules of the game are changing, and the balance of power between institutions and audiences – two key media concepts – is shifting' The relationship between audiences and institutions were, a lot simpler than what it is now. There was a one way flow of media where the economically powerful institutions, distribute packaged media products to carefully defined audience members. This accentuates the strong dominance that institutions held in comparison to the audience, who had not much opportunity for democracy in terms of media production and conveyed ideologies. 'In the last century, media products were produced by economically powerful organisations which packaged and sold them to carefully defined audiences. 

2)The article was the relationship between audience and institutions. Choose three examples from the article and summaries what the writer is saying about each of them.

• Sky one: needs income from subscribers and results in longer lasting consumers.
• ITV: the income comes from advertisers. Institutions appeal to much bigger audiences.
• The mail online: It receives more income the loner a reader stays on the site, so stories will feature lots of images and videos, and sensationalised or controversial headlines will be constructed to temp readers to click on it. 

3)The article ends with a section on the digital age. Summarise this section in 50 words

Audiences now have more freedom to access media products when they choose, rather than when they are told. Mobile technology allows audiences to carry TV programmes, films, music and all that is on offer on the internet on tablets and smartphones. Modern audiences now expect to be able to communicate directly with institutions, and to be able to construct their own media products for themselves.

4)How do you see the relationship between audience and institutions in the future? Will audience gain increasing power or will the major global media institutions hold sway?

At the moment audiences have more freedom to access media products when they choose, rather than when they are told. Mobile technology allows audiences to carry TV programmes, films, musicand all that is on offer on the internet on tablets and smartphones. Modern audiences now expect to be able to communicate directly with institutions, and to be able to construct their own media products for themselves. In the future, I see audiences having more control. They will have even more power as technology evolves every year. Institutions are going to have to adapt to what the audience prefers and wants.

NDM case study: News on the Tweet

Why are the respected news brands good news for Twitter?

Respected news brands are good news for Twitter as they have become inter-dependent and mutually beneficial. We are immersed in news. We want to be the first to know and also to be guided by expert insight and interpretation. The combination of news brands and Twitter helps keep us informed and opinionated. Each helps the other to grow its audiences and influence. The relationship between news brands and Twitter is perfectly balanced: 64% of newspaper followers say Twitter helps ensure that established news brands continue to resonate with new audiences.


Why in turn is Twitter good for respected news brands?

We expect news to come quickly and frequently and with instant accuracy. These demands on news brands, make it such a good partner with Twitter. This is advantageous for the industry as Twitter brings new readers: 60% of UK news brand followers say they follow newspaper brands that normally they wouldn't read in print. Furthermore, news titles are expected to summarise what the whole story is about, the moment they arrive people live blog about them.

 The report suggests that old and new digital media "are not, in fact, in direct competition, but often work extremely well together to enhance both the media eco-system and the consumer experience". What evidence do they provide to support this idea? Do yo agree with it? 

They say that enhancement comes in four different ways. These include: Knowledge, opinion, community and gossip and banter.
Gossip and Banter: Having a bit of banter or gossip about celebrities, sports or political scandals are all part of the entertainment and are often turned to when news brand followers want to relax. They are looking for both humour as well as ‘backstage access’ into the lives of the people and things they are interested in. They are responsible for some of the most popular individual tweeters.
Knowledge: Being the first to know - immediate knowledge (“I want to be the first to know”) – and then insight and analysis as the story develops.
Community: Connecting with like-minded people - Twitter and news brands together provide a real sense of community – “discovering people with shared interests I wouldn't otherwise meet”.
Opinion: Being part of the wider debate - having your say - The knowledge helps shape and reflect opinions, by giving immediate access to opinion, from friends, the general public and most importantly the tweeters they follow as well as access to the debate from a variety of sources

On page 24/25 of the report, the focus turns to 'gossip' or 'banter'. What example tweets from journalists are used to illustrate this?

• 'I reveal the shocking truth behind Jennifer Aniston’s new hair'
• 'Red carpet awks moment from last night as my microphone chord gets stuck to @KlassMyleene’s dress!'
• 'Do these pants make Kim Kardashian’s bum look big?'
• 'The most amazing thing about the story of President Hollande having an affair is that he apparently only has one pair of shoes'
• 'Excellent: a University has spent £20,000 building a mock pub for students to investigate why people get drunk'

Do you think the increasing amount of 'gossip' or 'banter' is harming the reputation of news and journalists? 

In my opinion, i think that it is ruining the reputation of the news and journalists. This is due to the fact that large amounts of people are mocking these institutions and so when members of the public see these tweets, they wont take these businesses seriously and may constantly tweet negative things about them, having a huge impact on them.

What does the report say about trust in Twitter and journalists (look at pages 34-39)?
Almost half of all Twitter users, and almost two thirds of newsbrand users, say it is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand. This helps build trust in the content.
Journalists on Twitter are a trustworthy and faster source of news: 39%
I feel I have a more personal connection with journalists: 69%
I follow Twitter gives me access to journalists I wouldn’t otherwise connect with: 48%

Finally, do you think  new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive or negative impact on traditional newspapers?
In my opinion, i think that new and digital media have had a negative impact on traditional newspapers. This is due to the fact that, more and more people are using the internent for information. Its easy, quick and right in front you. Traditional newspapers are going into a decline because of this.

Globalisation and the media: wider issues

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?

Google Glass was controversial as it impending arrival of the new gadget as sparked some outrage and debate. There is a sense of alienation flowing from the arrival of the product that it might just dehumanise us. i.e desensitise us and also make us less social in terms of connecting with people in real life for instance. Its is also very pricey within its thousand pound ranges and it is rumoured that more competition is on its way from Microsoft and apple, which will bring the price down.

2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?

Positives would be that people are more enriched by globalisation and are also better off in term so of being more accessible when it comes to one another. it can help to inform people better and benefit the democratic process particularly. Technological determinism is ought to be one major advantage of the release of the product, that fact that we will be hands free and allowed to do things without the actual need of software reliance. Moreover another term best for this would be the idea of 'technological convergence': the trend of technologies to merge into new technologies that bring together a range of media.

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?

However this said can only occur from a concentration of large MNC's, and so this means that is limited choice for people if we thinking about it. Looking particularly at the fact that only a small amount of large media conglomerates actually rule and decide what we consume, limits us as recipients of the media so those that dominate the market can easily take over us.

4) What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?

'By extension, a techno-panic is therefore a moral panic that centres onfears regarding specific contemporary technology or technological activity.'

5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?

I don't agree with this as I think that MNC's already have so much media power and control over us that for us as consumers to be giving into the temptation of such a new gadget would just be wrong. Its a violation of our privacy and its a way of slyly finding out information that we all would rather chose to keep quite private.

NDM News: Globalisation

1) Is our news influenced by American cultural imperialism? What examples can you think of?

I think that our news is influenced by the American cultural imperialism. This is because most content produced in the UK's news is mainly american based. For example, Obama is very popular in the UK as the news always produce information about him as well as celebrities from the USA are shown on the news and many more. Also, the theme 

2) Has the increased globalisation of news improved the audience experience? How? Why?

I think that it has improved the audiences experiences as they are being able to access a variety of information, which could get out of control as they are seeing and hearing more than they should be. Globalisation allows you to get different views and opinions on situations etc. and this is up to you whether you want to believe if its true or not.

3) Has globalisation benefited or damaged major news institutions? How? Why?

I think that it has not benefited news institutions as there have been a variety of different views and opinions and other resources over the  internet which can cause institutions to go into a decline as the public will be using other sites

2 articles

#23 What would Tanzaia's cost-cutting president do? Twitter responds
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/01/tanzania-cost-cutting-president-john-magufuli-twitter

Tanzania’s newly elected president known as the bulldozer, has become a Twitter sensation across Africa after introducing radical government cost-cutting measures. Immediately after this, he scrapped independent selections, choosing instead to spend money on sanitation, fighting cholera and new beds and equipment for hospitals. Saying that it is shameful to be “spending huge amounts of money to celebrate 54 years of independence when our people are dying of cholera”.

• A state dinner for the official opening of the country’s parliament, for example, was going to cost 300m Tanzanian shillings (£92,500)
• Magufuli slashed the budget to 25m and ordered that the rest of the money be used to buy 300 hospital beds and 600 sheets.

#24 YouTube tipped to strike licensing deals for TV shows and films

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/03/youtube-licensing-deals-tv-shows-films

New service, You Tube Red, is are planning to sign deals with Hollywood studios and television firms to make TV and Films, a paying subscription service. They hope to make many films and TV shows exclusive to You Tube Red  than only gaining licensing rights. As well as this, many You Tube artists are also choosing to make exclusive content for You Tube Red that only subscribers would be able to access. This feature opened in October for the US and will expand globally in 2016. Apple, are also wanting to introduce their sites in the future.

• YouTube is the 12th top-grossing iPhone app in Apple’s US App Store, jostling with Hulu and dating app Tinder on the outskirts of the top 10.
• It’s based on people paying $12.99 for a monthly subscription within the app – YouTube has added $3 to the cost of YouTube Red to account for Apple’s 30% cut of in-app purchases.
• PewDiePie, The Fine Brothers and Lilly Singh are among the YouTubers making new shows that will only be available to YouTube Red’s paying subscribers
• The online video service is keen for its $9.99-a-month service to compete more directly with rivals such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu

2 articles

#21 BBC to cut entertainment

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/18/bbc-entertainment-comedy-tv-the-voice

Comedy, entertainment and factual programming at the BBC will be hit by a £12m spending cut, but the corporation said it would use money saved from dropping The Voice to making homegrown Saturday night shows.The cuts are part of £150m in savings announced by Tony Hall earlier this year as the BBC tries to close the “iPlayer loophole” created by people working out they do not need paying for a licence fee if they only watching catchup programming online.

BBC Online is facing losing more than 5% of its £210m budget

The cuts are part of £150m in savings announced by Tony Hall earlier this year

The BBC’s online services are facing a £12m reduction

 In my opinion, I don't think this is a good idea, as I know many of the public enjoy watching these shows. They're entertaining, and many audience members don't even watch TV, unless for entertainment shows like The Voice and X Factor. If this wasn't true, they BBC wouldn't even have many consumers. As a result I think they shouldn't switch these show 

#22 American Isis Twitter scene reveals social media's power to radicalise

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/01/isis-america-twitter-social-media-radicalisation

Islamic State sympathisers in America prefer Twitter to any other social media platform and use avatars of black flags, green birds and lions – including the Detroit Lions NFL team – in their online propaganda, a study has shown. Having a Twitter account suspended has become a “badge of honour” among US-based Isis supporters, researchers found, and they are adopting increasingly sophisticated techniques to circumvent the authorities in a “never-ending cat-and-mouse game”. It also pointed to a thriving “American Isis Twitter scene”. During the six-month study, researchers monitored almost 300 accounts. The activity showed how social media plays a crucial role in their radicalisation and, at times, mobilisation to fight in Iraq and Syria.

• “As American Isis supporters are continuously suspended from Twitter, creating a new account becomes increasingly difficult, leading some to turn to others for assistance. The user’s first tweet is often an image of the Twitter notification of suspension, proving that they are the owner of the previous account, along with a request for shout-outs. The new accounts are then retweeted by others, allowing the user to regain his or her previous online following.”
• Isis accounts are frequently suspended, but these have become “a badge of honour and a means by which an aspirant can bolster his or her legitimacy.

In my opinion, i think that social networking sites are allowing the Isis to communicate to eachother and should be banned from them.