1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Audience and Institution: how news consumption has changed
3) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
4) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
5) Citizen journalism: Media Magazine article and questions
6) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
7) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
8) Media Conference: notes from speakers
9) Marxism and Pluralism: views and values question
10) NDM Section B essay on blog - consumption and production question
11) Marxism and Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news - lecture and questions
12) Globalisation: questions and blog task
13) Globalisation: Media Magazine - Google Glass, techno-panics and data mining
14) News on the Tweet report and questions
15) Audience and Institution article and questions
16) Institution case study: NDM and News Corporation
Tuesday 15 December 2015
News Values
Immediacy: has it happened recently?
Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?
Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people?
Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?
Unambiguity: is it clear and definite?
Predictability: did we expect it to happen?
Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?
Continuity: has this story already been defined as news?
Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people?
Negativity: is it bad news?
Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death.
Immediacy: It is very important to today's society as people expect the news to be accessible as soon as it happens therefore platforms such as Twitter are key to providing news to the public. However this results in a decline in traditional newspapers as they are only relevant at the time they are published, within the next few hours of it going on sale a new news story will become more important.
Familiarity: News stories which relate to British culture are likely to get more attention from the audience as they affect the lives of British people. For example a war in England would effect us much more than a news story on a war in Iraq as we are not geographically there and it won't harm them particularly. News stories that revolve around the political party are more likely to create topics of discussion amongst the audience resulting in more popularity in the news article.
Amplitude: News stories about protests or riots generally create a lot of media attention and are widely talked about therefore reporting these stories is likely to appeal to the audience as it is always an interesting topic.
Frequency: Some stories from a specific category are always in the news as they generate a lot of attention from the audience because people are interested in this type of content. For example rape or murder cases are always a major news story when they occur as they are seen as inhumane and typically create the same response every time but still manage to remain popular.
Unambiguity: Sometimes newspaper articles can be unclear, using videos makes them much clearer especially for the younger generation meaning they're more likely to finish the story. If information on a news cooperation's website doesn't make sense and someone comments saying this, they are able to change it unlike with printed newspapers which would remain the same.
Predictability: New and digital media has made news stories a lot more predictable as they tend to post similar stories to the past. It is predictable that Google will take over advertising as they are such a huge institution however it is much easier to piece parts of this story together using different news providers than it would be by using a physical newspaper.
Surprise: Having news stories that are unpredictable tends to create a social media uproar especially on Twitter which wouldn't be possible without the developments in technology. It allows various users to share their views on unexpected events and for this news to travel very quickly worldwide.
Continuity: It is much easier to continue a news story online than it would be in a physical newspaper as journalists publish a story the next day they may find more information on it which will result in the story being continued. This is much harder to do with paper newspapers as once it is printed it cannot be changed and readers may not be consistent so will be confused if you leave out details when the story is continued without previous background.
Elite nations and people: Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow elite people to portray themselves in the way they want but the things they post and tweet can form a news story if it is significant. This is less possible with printed newspapers as the articles are formed by these people's actions rather than words meaning social media allows scope for these "elite" people to be judged.
Negativity: Bad news is the easiest kind of news to deliver whether it is online or paper based as audiences seem to be majorly interested in it- it creates a topic for discussion. It can be easily delivered on a channels main news bulletin or online and create a worldwide response much faster for example the Madeline Macann case.
Balance: It is easier to balance out negative stories with a positive one through television or for tabloid newspapers as they can compliment the person for broadsheet it is much harder unless something significantly important happens such a female MP is elected or running.
Update for 2015:
I would get rid of unambiguity as nobody tries to figure out what a news story means if it doesn't make proper sense and I would add in a positive news value as positive news stories aren't only used to balance out the bad news, they deliver information to the audience too.
Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?
Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people?
Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?
Unambiguity: is it clear and definite?
Predictability: did we expect it to happen?
Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?
Continuity: has this story already been defined as news?
Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people?
Negativity: is it bad news?
Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death.
Immediacy: It is very important to today's society as people expect the news to be accessible as soon as it happens therefore platforms such as Twitter are key to providing news to the public. However this results in a decline in traditional newspapers as they are only relevant at the time they are published, within the next few hours of it going on sale a new news story will become more important.
Familiarity: News stories which relate to British culture are likely to get more attention from the audience as they affect the lives of British people. For example a war in England would effect us much more than a news story on a war in Iraq as we are not geographically there and it won't harm them particularly. News stories that revolve around the political party are more likely to create topics of discussion amongst the audience resulting in more popularity in the news article.
Amplitude: News stories about protests or riots generally create a lot of media attention and are widely talked about therefore reporting these stories is likely to appeal to the audience as it is always an interesting topic.
Frequency: Some stories from a specific category are always in the news as they generate a lot of attention from the audience because people are interested in this type of content. For example rape or murder cases are always a major news story when they occur as they are seen as inhumane and typically create the same response every time but still manage to remain popular.
Unambiguity: Sometimes newspaper articles can be unclear, using videos makes them much clearer especially for the younger generation meaning they're more likely to finish the story. If information on a news cooperation's website doesn't make sense and someone comments saying this, they are able to change it unlike with printed newspapers which would remain the same.
Predictability: New and digital media has made news stories a lot more predictable as they tend to post similar stories to the past. It is predictable that Google will take over advertising as they are such a huge institution however it is much easier to piece parts of this story together using different news providers than it would be by using a physical newspaper.
Surprise: Having news stories that are unpredictable tends to create a social media uproar especially on Twitter which wouldn't be possible without the developments in technology. It allows various users to share their views on unexpected events and for this news to travel very quickly worldwide.
Continuity: It is much easier to continue a news story online than it would be in a physical newspaper as journalists publish a story the next day they may find more information on it which will result in the story being continued. This is much harder to do with paper newspapers as once it is printed it cannot be changed and readers may not be consistent so will be confused if you leave out details when the story is continued without previous background.
Elite nations and people: Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow elite people to portray themselves in the way they want but the things they post and tweet can form a news story if it is significant. This is less possible with printed newspapers as the articles are formed by these people's actions rather than words meaning social media allows scope for these "elite" people to be judged.
Negativity: Bad news is the easiest kind of news to deliver whether it is online or paper based as audiences seem to be majorly interested in it- it creates a topic for discussion. It can be easily delivered on a channels main news bulletin or online and create a worldwide response much faster for example the Madeline Macann case.
Balance: It is easier to balance out negative stories with a positive one through television or for tabloid newspapers as they can compliment the person for broadsheet it is much harder unless something significantly important happens such a female MP is elected or running.
Update for 2015:
I would get rid of unambiguity as nobody tries to figure out what a news story means if it doesn't make proper sense and I would add in a positive news value as positive news stories aren't only used to balance out the bad news, they deliver information to the audience too.
The key concepts of audience and institution
1) What was the relationship between audience and institution in the pre-digital age?
The two concepts are inseparably connected. While their business models and products might differ, all institutions need audiences if they are to generate profit.But whilst every institution needs an audience, contemporary audiences are increasingly able to access media in ways which bypass traditional media institutions.
2) The article gives a lot of examples of major media institutions. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them.
ITV - relies on income generated by advertisers. This means that appeal to a large audience are seen as more valuable than ones with smaller niche audiences
Sky One - needs an income from subscribers and may well invest in programming that attracts a loyal audience, who are more likely to invest in a long term subscription to guarantee early access to the shows they enjoy.
The MailOnline - receives more income the longer a reader stays on the site, so stories will feature lots of images and videos, and sensationalised or controversial
3) The article ends with a section on the digital age
In today's society, 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. The ability to download and/or stream films and music on demand has led to a change of attitudes regarding media products; contemporary audiences do not see them as having much monetary value, since they are so widely and freely available.
4) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media institutions hold sway?
An institution’s economic success is still dependent on the behaviour and preferences of the audience; but traditional media institutions do not always respond quickly to change. I believe audiences will have more increasing power over the next few years, however major global media institutions will always be the main forefront as audiences use those institutions to conform whether news is accurate or not.
2) The article gives a lot of examples of major media institutions. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them.
ITV - relies on income generated by advertisers. This means that appeal to a large audience are seen as more valuable than ones with smaller niche audiences
Sky One - needs an income from subscribers and may well invest in programming that attracts a loyal audience, who are more likely to invest in a long term subscription to guarantee early access to the shows they enjoy.
The MailOnline - receives more income the longer a reader stays on the site, so stories will feature lots of images and videos, and sensationalised or controversial
3) The article ends with a section on the digital age
In today's society, 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. The ability to download and/or stream films and music on demand has led to a change of attitudes regarding media products; contemporary audiences do not see them as having much monetary value, since they are so widely and freely available.
4) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media institutions hold sway?
An institution’s economic success is still dependent on the behaviour and preferences of the audience; but traditional media institutions do not always respond quickly to change. I believe audiences will have more increasing power over the next few years, however major global media institutions will always be the main forefront as audiences use those institutions to conform whether news is accurate or not.
Weekly Homework
Amazon releases video of new 'octocopter' delivery drone prototype
The article is about how Amazon is creating a new way to deliver parcels to customers, through a drone that will land on a special pad a deliver the package in your garden. it has a 15 mile radius and delivers as soon as you order. The drone will be delivering packages into the customers garden using a pad supplied through Amazon.
- shows the drone flying between 55-58 mph
- Amazon is going to deliver on its promise of getting packages to customers in 30 minutes.
- only that its drones weigh less than 55 pounds
- The larger the yard and the less tree cover, the easier the landing will be
In my opinion this is a good prototype but will have a lot of kinks in it and needs those problems sorted out before the idea is actually launched. For example on a day of bad weather the drone may not be able to fly and also not all customers have a garden for the drone to land in. Also this will put a lot of people out of jobs.
Google’s new quantum computer is '100 million times faster than your PC'
The article is about how Google has created a quantum computer that is faster than any other computer on the market by a big margin. The computer is said to be 100 million times faster than any other computer in 2013. However the computer is in early stages and can be beat by some algorithms.
- It is more than 108 times faster than simulated annealing running on a single core
- the D-Wave X2 quantum computer, which they say is 100 million times faster than a conventional computer chip, in 2013
- proof-of-concept problem we achieve a 100-million-fold speed-up
- We found that for problem instances involving nearly 1,000 binary variables
In my opinion this kind of computer going on sales to the public is a waste of time and money because no one is going to need this kind of computer to browse the web or check Twitter. It also shows that technology is moving along very fast and we are being taken along with it.
news on the tweet
Why are respected news brands good news for Twitter?
Respected brands are very important for news on twitters as links to headlines from a unverified account may not be as accurate, where as a headline tweeted by the BBC is more likely to be accurate as the BBC is a respected brand and will have investigated the headline themselves to find out if it is true or not.
The role of news in all of this became apparent when we asked the Twitter sample how much they agreed or disagreed with a range of statements about their interest in news content. They like to follow the news as it happens; like to see it breaking on Twitter; and enjoy the combination of Twitter and news content. They also enjoy the personalisation, debate and finding communities of like-minded people, which are all elements of their news experience.
Why in turn is Twitter good for respected news brands?
Twitter is good for respected news brands as it gives them the chance have greater views and values. This is because twitter is a massive organisation and have millions of users therefore gives the audience a chance to share each others opinions. Twitter has also been affective in the advertisement of news brands through things like "click bay" which is a type of headline that makes you want to click on it.
"Twitter gives me the opportunity to engage with newspaper brands I would not normally read in print format" - 60%
"Twitter helps me feel more connected to newspaper brands I like" - 53%
The report suggests that old and new 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 you agree with it?
I agree that the old and new media are not in direct competition however they do work better together and have a positive impact on the audience. This is because they provide all four key benefits in a variety of ways. Firstly, it gives everyone a chance to have a little gossip and banter, as the public can create trends and debates on social as well as political debates. Secondly, it gives the opportunity to be the first one to know. It provides instant knowledge on the latest news where as before you had to wait the next day for latest news to be printed in the newspapers.
Thirdly, twitter has given the public a chance to become a community. What I mean by this is the now like-minded people can connect via twitter and share ideas. This is very important as it is bring everyone together as a group and helps them to connect amongst themselves.
Lastly, twitter has given the audience an opportunity to have their own say on any type of debate going on all over the world. Giving people the chance to be a part of the wider debates happening around the world.
On page 24/25 of the report, the focus turns to 'gossip' or 'banter'. What example tweets from journalists are used to illustrate this?
There are several different types of tweets from journalists have been used to illustrate the focus on gossip and banter on twitter. One example use is from the Daily Mail Celebrity asking "Do these pants make Kim Kardashains bum look big?" and another tweet from Dan Wootton saying "Red carpet awks moment from last night as my microphone cord gets stuck to @KlassMyleenes dress!"
Do you think the increasing amount of 'gossip' or 'banter' is harming the reputation of news and journalists?
I think in a way the increasing amount of 'gossip' and 'banter' is harming the reputation of news and journalists as it gives the audience the idea of them taking their job as a joke.
“I love a good laugh and tweeters will often take the mickey when a story appears. A light-hearted approach is refreshing”
The quote above is supportive in my view as it clearly states the most twitter users often laugh and take the mickey out of the news which appears on their timeline. This proves that the reputation of the news and journalists is going down.
What does the report say about trust in Twitter and journalists (look at pages 34-39)?
When it comes to news content, trust is an important part of the process. 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.
“It is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand” - 45%
Finally, do you think new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive or negative impact on traditional newspapers?
Overall, I think that new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive impact on traditional newspapers. This is because of several reasons where NDM has improved the way news is now interpreted by its audience. An example of this would that a labour party audience would follow conservative news papers in order to understand the other side of the argument and the conservative audience ultimately does the same thing with the labour party to understand that side of the debate. It has also given audiences the chance to create their own opinions with in these different newsbrands and even follows newsbrands they may not be interested in as well as following institutions they are interested in.
Tuesday 8 December 2015
Globalisation and the media: wider issues
1) Why was Google Glass controversial?
Google glass created a moral panic as consumers saw it as a threat that the Glass may encourage people to become "less engaged" in conversations with each other.
2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?
Globalisation allows people to make more informed decisions, enhances the democratic process and offers a better understanding of the world as they are surrounded by opinions from fellow public members from around the globe.
3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?
In terms of ownership: smaller companies dominate the market and only distribute the wealth amongst themselves.
4) What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?
A techno-panic is a type of moral panic that centres on fears regarding specific contemporary technology or technological activity. Moral panics are often related to a change that some have viewed as a threat to the rest of us as a whole. Often the threat is exaggerated, and done with the intent of selling newspapers or other similar media texts.
5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?
In my opinion, it has its advantages and disadvantages. The fact that corporations can use this information to aim specific items to us means that it is a good idea as we can get various benefits from this however you don't know 100% what is done with this information so can cause an unease among audiences not know what it being done with their data.
Friday 4 December 2015
Weekly Homework
No, your Instagram account wasn't hacked - it was only a bug
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/instagram-hacked-changed-password-a6759046.html
Instagram the popular social media account allowing users to post videos and pictures online had a bug a couple days ago and was assumed by the audience to be a hack as the error message stated that the password may have been changed worrying a lot of the users. However it was just a bug in the system and no passwords were compromised.
- The bug turned out to be harmless and was fixed by Instagram
- Fortunately, the whole thing was down to an error. No passwords were compromised, and the fault was corrected
- t's an easy mistake to make - when the app gives you an error message which says 'the account owner may have changed the password', it makes sense to assume that someone else has changed your password.
In my opinion this is an example of how easy it is for technology to go wrong and also how much people depend on their social media and when it is taken they go crazy. it shows that technology is an amazing thing when it runs properly but it can go wrong very fast and cause a lot of problems for the companies and users.
Surf the internet in virtual reality with Samsung's new browser for the Gear VR headset
The article is about how Samsung are releasing a virtual reality piece of equipment that works with most Samsung smartphones to allow user to search the web in virtual reality with the head piece. The technology is however in its very early stages and still has a lot of complications like a lower resolution and a keypad that is very hard to use.
- the lower resolution of the headset will make text difficult to read
- and having to use voice recognition or a tricky VR on-screen keyboard rather than a physical one will prove difficult.
- The headset allows people to put their phone into it and use it as a virtual reality screen
In my opinion this is an example of how technology can be used to do amazing things but at the same time is becoming a reality that 5 years ago we didn't think would be possible for 100 years but it is here in 2015. It shows how fast technology is moving along in the world.
Weekly Homework
Spotify to offer staff six months' parental leave on full pay
- Spotify is to offer staff up to six months’ parental leave with 100% pay as part of a global policy it says recognises the importance of “a healthy work-family balance”.
- The Swedish company, which launched its music streaming service in 2008 and now has 75 million users, will backdate the policy so that every one of its 1,600 worldwide employees with a child born after 1 January 2013 will be eligible.
- The promise to pay 100% pay for six months is a huge step up from the legal requirement on UK companies. Legislation introduced in April allows parents in the UK to enjoy shared leave for up to 50 weeks but only 39 weeks are paid. Firms are required to pay 90% of a worker’s average weekly earnings before tax for the first six weeks only, then a minimum of £139.58 for the next 33 weeks.
- Spotify said it will guarantee a “retaliation-free environment” to ensure parents take time off without negative consequences at work. It said generous parental leave only works if there is a culture in which employees are encouraged to take time off.
- The Swedish company, which launched its music streaming service in 2008 and now has 75 million users, will backdate the policy so that every one of its 1,600 worldwide employees with a child born after 1 January 2013 will be eligible.
- The promise to pay 100% pay for six months is a huge step up from the legal requirement on UK companies. Legislation introduced in April allows parents in the UK to enjoy shared leave for up to 50 weeks but only 39 weeks are paid. Firms are required to pay 90% of a worker’s average weekly earnings before tax for the first six weeks only, then a minimum of £139.58 for the next 33 weeks.
- Spotify said it will guarantee a “retaliation-free environment” to ensure parents take time off without negative consequences at work. It said generous parental leave only works if there is a culture in which employees are encouraged to take time off.
Muslim Council of Britain takes out advert denouncing Paris attack
- Council places advert in Daily Telegraph and Mail Online condemning the terrorist attacks ‘unreservedly’
- Hundreds of British Muslims have taken out an advert to highlight their “united condemnation” of terrorism after the attacks in Paris.
- The advert, issued by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and endorsed by more than 300 of the body’s affiliates, features an image of the Eiffel Tower
Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the MCB, said: “The reaction has been hugely positive. Others have picked up on the hard copy and have re-circulated it. It has been a really good message to us.
- The advert was also a reaction to examples of anti-Muslim behaviour which have surfaced since the attacks. On Monday, a 43-year-old woman was arrested by Thames Valley police after she wrote on Facebook that Muslims were no longer welcome in a beauty salon.
In my opinion i think that
- Hundreds of British Muslims have taken out an advert to highlight their “united condemnation” of terrorism after the attacks in Paris.
- The advert, issued by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and endorsed by more than 300 of the body’s affiliates, features an image of the Eiffel Tower
Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the MCB, said: “The reaction has been hugely positive. Others have picked up on the hard copy and have re-circulated it. It has been a really good message to us.
- The advert was also a reaction to examples of anti-Muslim behaviour which have surfaced since the attacks. On Monday, a 43-year-old woman was arrested by Thames Valley police after she wrote on Facebook that Muslims were no longer welcome in a beauty salon.
In my opinion i think that
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