NDM News: Globalisation

Globalisation and news

1) Is our news influenced by American cultural imperialism? Give some examples arguing for or against this perspective.

• Agree: News and institutions are owned by a few billionaires (influencing their ideologies/values)
• Disagree: British news is world wide coverage whereas American is national
• Agree: Stories such Brexit being similar to American election (in terms of value and significance)
• Agree: The way news is presented e.g. 24 hour news (first developed by CNN)
• Disagree: American T.V has ratings whereas British TV doesn't
• Disagree: Clickbait is being adopted by British institutions such as the BBC (celebrity articles)

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

• Agree: People can get more news stories (from around the world)
• Disagree: Create moral panics (Donald Trump)= American politics is world politics (affects everyone)
• Disagree: Come at the cost of local news e.g. Ealing Gazette 

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

• Negative: citizen journalism is the loss of control
• Benefit: Can get content online (no need for staff). They can cover the world cheaper due to technological advances
• Negative: Google/Facebook has tarnished news institutions, taking their revenue
• Benefit: Free content for institutions= citizen journalism
• Negative: citizen journalism can be fake

Globalisation

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?

It is said that the device has the capability to record the user's conversation, meaning it can record conversations (can be without the user's consent) which will be breaching privacy policies that it would potentially gain insight to their whole lifestyle and everyday life. 

Furthermore, The major thing that made Google Glass controversial was the fact that users/customers were afraid that the glass's (due to their 5 megapixel camera) were recording everything they were looking at, their locations and invading their privacy. 

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

One big element was that more people would be getting access to the internet and this would allow them to get more information which is beneficial to them. Google has also allowed there to be internet access in certain parts of New Zealand with balloons which have antennas to provide them with internet. Another positive factor is that it will allow individuals to make informed decisions.

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?

The potential is If this happens then there will be less institutions who are in control but also it would influence peoples ideology as there would be access to information whenever they go online but it might not be true if it circulates which people then start to believe that it is real. There will be way too much competition on the online servers, that smaller companies who have the intention to break that barrier, cannot simply do so due to the more dominant firms taking majority of the market share. For example, companies such as Amazon or Ebay are businesses that dominate the shoping market in the online world, making it nearly impossible for smaller firms to compete with them due to the stronger branding and powerful publicity the internet can offer.

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

The Issues with the privacy of the device has risen some concerns. The device has the ability to record ones voice and sound nearby as well as record the movement of the user. What is worrying, is that firms such as Google are now trying to invade peoples privacy with the new products their create. This is clearly evident with the Google Glass product, as it has the camera qualities and sound recording mode. Techno panic is created because people are scared that the technology is going to invade their privacy which creates a moral panic because people are worried about this actually happening.

5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large 

quantities of personal data?

In my opinion I believe that us consumers have to be aware of this technological crisis and need to tackle it in a suitable manor. For example, boycotting the product (and has seen to be quite successful in the past) where the business is inclined to listen to the views of the users and take that forward. Its quote common that privacy invasion has occurred ever since the internet was born, and with every new and fresh technology device, comes a new way of breaching privacy policy for example, finger print scanning.

Media Factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism

1) Who coined the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?

The Global Village concept was developed Marshall McLuhan it is the idea that  countries become interconnected  and independent especially in economic terms. BBC is an example of this.

2) What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony? 

Capitalism is when there is no free movement of gods and service's with other countries, and 'only' occurs within the country keeping its domestic businesses safe and money within the economy. The reason this links to Marxism is the fact that big named institutions are exploiting the liberal classes in the West by drawing up a perception of helping the 'endangered world' through their brand image. This is clearly linked to Marxism as the powerful ones at the top of the chain want to control the minds of the lower class and gain revenue from it.

3) What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean? 

Global media has raised awareness about social issues, but in order to sustain (to keep hold of) Western capitalist dominance, institutions have created a marketing campaign that construct this idea of 'capitalism with a conscience'.

4) What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign? 

it was created to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

The RED Brand is not a product in itself, rather it is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express (UK), Apple Inc, Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics (UK & International), Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark (US) and Dell.

5) Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are? 

I think that it is a positive thing that is being done because people are now more aware of the cause and if they see a brand which is promoting it that they are associated with they'll be more inclined to go and support it and help create awareness as well on social media websites. It is a private sector company that is trying the eliminate aids in Africa and it came together with lots of other firms such as Nike to raise awareness about this through advertisement.

Index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: 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) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions
11) Full NDM essay including paragraphs on Marxism and Pluralism
12) Globalisation and news: cultural imperialism
13) Globalisation: taking it further (Google Glass case study and capitalism)
14) Fake news and globalisation - Guardian and New York Times articles
15) News on the Tweet

Marxism & Pluralism Essay

Marxism & Pluralism Essay

In this essay I'll be exploring the different ways that the development of new digital media has changed the power that the audience has but also the consumption and production of information that audiences consume. 

Nowadays consumers have now become more powerful in terms of the consumption of news that they intake. The institutions that we have are losing the power that they had. This can be seen with the decline with the newspaper industry. It has brought not only media potential, by togetherness within the world. Audiences have become more powerful in terms of consumption and production to a large extent. Since the news has become something that we can access online more and more people have drifted away from accessing the content from a traditional platform such as the newspaper. This can be because of the convenience of accessing it online because of the advances in technology and people want to get the news for free rather than going out and paying for it. 

Institutions such as businesses and media organisations are used to manipulate audience members to purchase a product or consume a piece of news without having the time to challenge them. For example, a news institution like The Sun could have their own ideologies regarding politics and it will simply be consumed by consumers.Things have changed to such an extent, that there has essentially be the opposite. Audience members now have the ability to speak out, In fact institutions who abused their power by inflicting their ideologies upon their consumer base has left a huge impact on their survival as an industry as a whole. Audience's are trying to gain news about the outside world seemed to be a necessity, something that they must obtain, now they can access news for free and can essentially continue to get what they want without even demanding for it. This has lead to a decline in power from institutions in to the hands of the audience member and a Marxist would argue that there would have been at the top of the chain and who were the ones trying to dumb-down audience members in order to attain their power. And to and it is true. We have now become more greedy to getting everything quickly people want news faster so they'll be more advances in technology. Marxists would say that this revolution has done not much benefit the audience.

In addition , The audience have now gotten more news for free online and the institutions need to bring a pay wall so that the journalists don't lose their jobs for example James Murdoch quotes "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it". What has happened is that customers want to receive their news by a certain institution because they have built a strong relation with it for years and the brand loyalty can take control of them than the Internet can. Institutions such as The Daily Mail have created a strong brand and image to customers, that over the years they will have so many loyal customers they cant really be challenged due to this loyalty. 

Overall, I think that consumers are in power more now because of the advances in technology have meant that they have more freedom and can do exactly what institutions do and new and digital media has brought more power towards the people rather than institutions.

NDM: YouTube Star Casey Neistat has been bought by CNN

YouTube Sensation Bought by CNN for $25 Million 

 http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/11/28/casey-neistat-cnn-partner-project/

Summary

Casey Neistat is really popular on YouTube he had previously created his own social media-esk app, called BEME. It is essentially an app where followers (and the general public) could share a video for a certain amount of time, by simply holding down the censor on the phone to record. Since Casey had reached a large audience that institutions (to this day) still cant get a grip of; the youth. Casey's prime audience is the young generation and CNN- in order to attract this audience has partnered up with Casey by buying his social media business for $25 million in hope that they will create their own media brand which will target and attract the young demographic.

Statistics

• Sold BEME for $25 million
• Has over 5 million YouTube subscribers

Own view

There have been many partnership's with You Tuber's by big named institutions in order to help them gain the audience that these 'figure heads' have. Another example, is Fouseytube. Yousef has had the pleasure of starring in his own Hollywood film. This wasn't simple a random pick. The institution looked at his audience with under 10 million subscribers. I believe this seems like the future for institutions. New and digital media platforms has created the gap in the market to obtain the young generation; something that can grasp hold of their attention and actually entertain them rather than giving them something that they should watch. 

NDM case study: News on the Tweet

NDM case study: News on the Tweet

1.

Respected newsbrands are good for Twitter since it means that the social network, as well as having content coming from citizen journalists and just ordinary citizens in general, there is also things coming from trusted organisations too. With the lack of gatekeeping that takes place on the internet, this goes a long way in boosting the accuracy of information that there is and also helps the network stretch its audience even wider since people will be willing to join it to get up-to-date stories from the newsbrand - increasing ad revenue for Twitter.

2.

Twitter is good for these brands since as said above, it's a way of expanding/widening their audiences even further. As said in the report, 60% of newsbrand followers say that twitter gives them the opportunity to engage with newspaper brands they wouldn't normally read in print format, representative of how the social network even helps these papers increase their readership.

3.

Personally I do feel that old and new media are in direct competition. With the large number of closures and downsizing of newspaper institutions that have gone in this year alone due to the reduction in print revenue being received, partly due to digital giants like Facebook and Google, new and digital media can be viewed sometimes as something of a slow killer to old media. This coexistence can also be said to not really be there as we're now seeing what could be referred to as a 'death of journalism' due to new media, which as a public good is a matter of huge concern within the newspaper industry.

4.

• Neil Ashton - Arsenal are toast: In all seriousness now, what are the sales figures like for this kind of stuff?
• Camilla Long - Favourite story all weekend has been Del Boy killing the British sheepskin coat industry. LOL
• Tom Newton Dunn - Biggest cheer at the Emirates tonight by #AFC? To an announcement for the MUFC away fans that no more trains leaving Euston.

5.

It can generally be said that the reputation of news and journalists isn't really harmed that much by their use of banter, however to a minimal extent it could be thought to damage it. Audience members may end up perceiving posts by journalists like this as being representative of a lack of seriousness and real inclination for journalism amongst them.

6.

The report essentially represents that trust in news stories on Twitter emanates from verification. With this being confirmation that the account is of an authentic nature shown through a blue badge, when users see this then they can be sure that they can trust things being posted from that journalist's account. This means that there isn't any uncertainty on behalf of readers when seeing this content.

7.

New and digital media developments like Twitter can be thought to have had a positive impact on traditional newspapers in the sense that for one, the citizen journalism that is prevalent through it can become part of the stories in these papers. In cases where there aren't journalists on the field able to report on an event, using things like images that come from ordinary citizens on Twitter can be very helpful in forming news stories. However of course, an issue creeps up in that these same new and digital media developments are contributing heavily to the ongoing death of print media (newspapers) through factors such as the immediacy they have in getting stories across and also easier accessibility.

8.

With the influx of fake news that's been coming through Facebook, perhaps what needs to be done which has already been suggested, is clearly marking out stories that have been published by respected newsbrands. By separating these articles from all the others then it'll be clear to audiences that they need to be more wary when reading stories that aren't actually from these brands. A system like this could be compared to how Twitter has its 'verified' system which was described above.

NDM Index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: 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) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions

Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the new

1) To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?

I strongly agree on Alain's view of the news. The fact that the two possibilities of keeping control of the population is very fascinating. People aren't being informed of how the content has developed and established itself over the years which means we would neglect its legacy and take it for granted. The news give the audience so much news that they will forget about it. This is something that still is in use today, as there will be so many news headlines the audience member will find it hard to keep track of what they just read a few hours later.

2) How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?

Most news corporations are very much trying to control and influence the consumers by the content they give out. This links in with the Hegemony theory as the news tires to inflict its power amongst those below it, be it the lower class etc. Alain says particularly in economic news, people aren't listening to more ideas and opinions through news because news institutions like BBC want to have balance and sugarcoat some panics in society. This is because of people in power controlling what should be news (ruling classes) so preferred readings can be met.

3) How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?

We could argue that new technology has lead to audiences having more control on what news they want to view. Alain de Botton believes that news is constantly publishing/presenting news of any scale which audiences aren't too worried about. However, there wasn't a lot of reflection on the other side of the argument. That digital media has allowed audience members to challenge those views.Things like blogs and comment sections allow the audience to give their opinion on a news story and if a particular issue is found, it can quickly raise awareness than it previously wouldn't have had.

4) Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control.

News story: US election
This is a story that again that made the consumers sick and tired if learning more about it. News coverage of the candidates for the election was non-stop for the last 6 months leading up to election day. so much coverage, although it got people knowing about the event, it made people (including US citizens) uninterested in learning more about the election as they had been fed too much of it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/us2016

News story: De-railed train
This news story of a train that de-railed in England was a story that was quite significant locally, but was a story that the majority of society had forgotten. Stories such as Andy Murray's number 1 ranking was one of many stores that week that overflowed this stories significance. Even as a consumer myself, I had completely forgotten that this story even existed as there was so much news being pumped out that it was hard to remember what had even happened yesterday. So much news is being reported, that there will only be 30% that we will remember the next day and will probably forget the next week entirely.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-165524/London-train-carriage-derailed.html

Index

#1 NDM one: NHS legalise cannabis
#2 NDM two: NDM Drug Enforcement Administration 
#3 NDM three: NDM- What is Malia Obama smoking?
#4 NDM four: NDM: Teenagers need to be better educated on sexting
#5 DNM five: NDM: Slug spotted with cigarette in east London #5
#6 NDM six: NDM: Fake news clampdown: Google gives €150,000 to fact-checking project #6
#7 NDM seven: NDM: Snapchat TV #7
#8 NDM eight: NDM story: 14/10/16- Netflix and corporation tax #8
#9 NDM nine: 
#10 NDM ten: 

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

Research the Ian Tomlinson case. What would the traditional, hegemonic view of the police be in a case like this? How did new and digital media create a different story? What does the police officer's subsequent acquittal suggest about the power of new and digital media?

The family of Ian Tomlinson, who died after being pushed to the ground by PC Simon Harwood during the G20 protests in 2009, has received an unreserved apology and out-of-court settlement from the Metropolitan Police. Mr Harwood was found not guilty of manslaughter last year.

Here are details of Mr Tomlinson's death and the subsequent events that led up to his inquest and the court case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10728685

People have started to video tape the encounters that they have with police officers, and while this is not particularly a bad thing, it is being used in a bad way. The videos that we see on the media are strictly the videos that people are treated negatively by police officers. Most People believe that the police is 'good' and unlaw-breakers who enforce the law and it is seen as 'common sense'. People would deem the death to have been a 'natural' event, as the police stated that 'they believed him to be part of the protest', which in turn makes the viewer believe them without challenging the opposition. The Hegemonic view of this (without the cell phone footage) would be that it was absurd to blame the police for committing such a crime. During that time, there hasn't been any major police brutalities being seen in England ever, and therefore to here of it during then would have been absurd. 

In your opinion, does new and digital media reinforce dominant hegemonic views or give the audience a platform to challenge them?

I believe there is some form of hegemony seen across news papers, but it isn't as used, or seen often than it previously was. This was because before the digital age where consumers could have the voice and ability to challenge stories, they were passive readers. The news was something far more than information, it was a way of life. It was the only way to know what was actually happening on the other side of the world, and since there was no media platform to challenge this, readers grew passive and believed (consumed) every peace of news given to them. This had lead to news  organisations obviously noticing such patterns in their consumers and would therefore use this to their advantage. Since their content has essentially paved a way for news organisations and the media to spread their views and ideologies for the people lower down to consume and believe it. Consumers had fallen blind in to believing that any news stories presented to them is for their best interest and nothing else. However, since the birth of the digital age and that the internet has allowed more accessibility for audience members across the world to challenge these views, hegemony through-out the media has come to a stand still, if not, then to a decline. This is largely because the ability to control the audiences minds and give them what they need rather than what they want has been broken due to the internet breaking down this wall.

Do recent world events such as Brexit or Donald Trump's election in the US suggest dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged or reinforced? There are arguments for both sides here - explain your opinion and why.

I also believe that the media will find any possible event or news story to attempt to use hegemonic ideologies in their piece. This is because it is something that the whole world 'cares' about and that they will consume every piece of news to benefit their interest. Since demand for news stories such as the ones above were so big across the world, this gave the media the ability to try regain their power and influence amongst its audience. News stories by The Sun did this to a large extent where they shared their views on the US election showing who they believe to be better and focusing their entire article slamming the other candidate. Why?. Because they know how passive their audience members will be, and internet is of no power when it comes to stories such as this. Broadcast and newspapers are the ones that gain the most power during events like these.

NDM: News Values

Galtung and Ruge (1981) defined a set of news values to explain how journalists and editors decided that certain stories and photographs were accepted as newsworthy, while others were not. 

Come up with a news story from the last 12 months for each of the categories suggested by Harriss, Leiter and Johnson:

• Conflict- Former Irish altar boy joined ISIS as suicide bomber but only killed himself in botched attack. This links well with conflict as its about war. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/former-irish-altar-boy-joined-9211994
• Progress- Andy Murray: World number one 'may be his greatest achievement'. This is an example of progress as it links to achievement or triumph as Andy Murray finally achieves what he wanted after the long wait hard work and struggles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/37886422
• Disaster- Nearly 900 people are known to have been killed by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, with aid officials saying up to 90% of some areas have been destroyed. This is an example of disaster news as it links to Defeat or destruction. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37596222
• Consequence- Thousands enjoy Littleborough bonfire and firework display. This is a example of community news as bonfire night is and event that is shared by the community. https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/138/community-news/106070/thousands-enjoy-littleborough-bonfire-and-firework-display
• Prominence- Beyoncé Used A Famous Hillary Clinton Quote To Make A Big Feminist Statement. Beyoncé and Jay Z performed at Hillary Clinton’s big get-out-the-vote rally in Cleveland Friday night. But it was a few words that flashed on the screen during Beyoncé’s performance that made the most interesting statement of the night. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/beyonce-clinton-feminism_us_581d5b3ae4b0d9ce6fbc4b2f
• Novelty- Slug spotted with cigarette in east London- This is an example of unusual or weird news. the fact that they spotted a slug out of all animals spotted with a cigarette. As funny as this sounds this was one of the top headlines on the telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/29/slug-spotted-with-cigarette-in-east-london/

What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?

Considering the majority of the new papers being from the UK, they tend to report news that is local, or in association with the country. The core story that the factsheet illustrates is the death of the British soldier against the conflict arisen in Afghanistan. Furthermore, it was the first death of a 'female' officer to have been killed and therefore, the news believed it to have been a more heartfelt and shocking story as this even doesn't occur often.   

What is gatekeeping? 

Gatekeeping is the process through which information is filtered from the internet and other forms of communication.

What are the six ways bias can be created in news?

Media uses/photos videos

Titles

Section/mediation

Placement of content

Headline (what run's the story/defines it)

Wording (that editors use instead of another)

How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?

These media outlets allow the audience/people gain access and freedom over news they want to here from, that may have been mediated for censored prior. This is because news used to be the dominant factor over its audience, whatever they produces their audience consumed. However, the digital ages has allowed news that was censored to give that freedom t the audience who deem it important compared to mediated version. In other words, it gives the audience the true perspective of the story rather than being edited and been shown a specific angle.

Give an example of a news story from the last 12 months that was reported as a result of online technology - Twitter, Wikileaks or similar.

There was a video that was captured using Facebook's latest feature 'Facebook live' which allowed a black woman to record her husband being shot in a car by a police officer. She captured the entire scene and it was used as evidence in court. This was a coverage that wouldn't have been world news as it would have likely to have been sealed in American doors and the whole world would have forgotten about police brutality.

What does this reveal about how Sky views Twitter as a news source?

It shows how dominant the social media platforms are on the audience. If news were to ever break, we (the audience) view it on a social media site like Twitter as that is the most convenient and efficient way of receiving news than compared to Sky as they have to spend hours of filing and checking their facts before publishing their articles, and audience acknowledge that. 

What does it say about how news is being produced?

This effect in tern has changed the role of journalists. In the 21st century we (the audience) are now experiencing a range of citizen journalism being reported to news. Citizens who report the news are effectively replacing the journalists in the news industry as the news is being solved before someone has to go out and solve it themselves. 

What role does the audience have in this process?

The audience have gained a more significant role ever since the digital age rose. It has given the audience the most power, and the institutions have lower power. There is a power reversal where it is no longer the audience being passive and consuming the news, but institutions are the ones consuming the audiences news and reporting it.  

Why might this be a problem for journalistic standards?

Quality. It is said that citizen journalism brings with it a lot of pros to the industry and to news in  general. However, it seems to have brought along many cons, many of which is the loss of quality for news. Previously, news was very top quality report, file checks and numerous hours of source checking to ensure that all data is accurate for the audiences to consume. However this 'new' story telling has lost that quality, shaky footage and screaming really draws the attention away from news as it is not what news is.

Final tasks

In your opinion, how has new and digital media technology changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values?

The introduction of the digital age upon news industries is something that has effected the news values to a great extent. The way in which audiences receive these stories effects every one of the factors that contribute to news story-telling. Things like, immediacy has become irrelevant (to a somewhat large extent). This is because as soon as news is broken by a citizen, social media and the WWW all con tribute to help deliver this piece to as many audiences as possible and it generally comes across really fast. Audiences don't have to look for news, news will be given to them like that.

How would you update them for 2016? Choose SIX of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how each one has been affected by the growth of new and digital technology.

Immediacy- The news no longer creates the sense of 'need' amongst audience member. The internet has taken that immediate need away, and whenever there is a news story to be consumed, it will find its way to the audience.

Unambiguity- nowadays citizen journalism has created the sense of 'the unknown'. We don't quite understand what's going on and why we are being shown this, it is a story that is kept (often) behind closed doors and creates a sense of anonymous.

Balance- Most often when a  news story is to be told, their is a twist and a turn to which and how the story is told. It isn't the original core story and therefore has been mediated to a large extent. Now, thanks to the internet, we have the audiences to argue this change. They may know the bitter truth that audiences are hiding through their titles, their wording or even their views. The digital era has opened to doors for the audiences to fight back and they are no longer passive. 

Citizen journalism and hyper-reality

Examples

The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 is another example. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists/

Citizen journalists use devices e.g phones to record live events and use the internet to post the content. Leading to certain videos becoming viral which can then be used for evidence depending on the scenario of the story

Rodney King. Brutally beaten by four Los Angeles police officers. Rodney King, an African American, who was in a high speed chase was tasered and then beaten with clubs. It was recorded by a onlooker from his apartment window and made prime time news and became and international media sensation. Racism was obviously being portrayed here by the officers and they were all charged. 

The news had dominated its stories at the time, it would create news and deliver it to a passive audience to consume and believe. Now, due to the rise of technology, audience members are no longer passive to news, but creating their own form of content. Audience have become the users, and the users have become the publishers. We are now in the era where UGC has now eroded the dominance of institution over audience members.

Receptive audience= an audience member that receives and consumes the news without having their own opinion and believing what is being shown to them

UGC= content created by audience members and spread around to the public, becoming creators of news content.
Power reversal= institutions have now lost some of the power to dominate the audience, as audience members can now voice their opinion using technological advances.

What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

Citizen journalist is someone who is not doing journalism as a career, and rather captures news/evidence in public and submits it for the whole world to see. The difference is, is that it is the public who do citizen journalism as anyone present at an event can capture moments and key details that can draw up concern for the government such as racism caught on streets etc.

What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?

One of the first examples of news being generated by 'ordinary people' is the case of Rodney King, who was a victim of police brutality. The event was filmed by an onlooker from their apartment window and made it to prime-time news, and led to the charges of four police officers.

List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
One of most news organisations now include formats for participation such as message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled. Social media sites are also built around UGC.

What is a gatekeeper?

A gatekeeper is someone who is in an organisation (preferably a news co-operation) who decides whether or not to publish a form of news that they have seen as well as preventing certain things to be broadcasted. They essentially prevent certain news, regardless of their content, to be viewed by audiences as they have other news that they deem to be more important. 

How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

Independent media on the web is the way to go around gate keepers. This is a system where UGC can be submitted and it can reach a niche audience, and often people who before thought they didn't have a voice, to now feel as if they do. 

What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

One of the primary concerns that journalists have over the rise in UGC content is that news corporations may decide to rely on citizen journalists to do the stories for them, as they don't have to pay them for their work, and it will cut down their costs. Journalists are afraid that their jobs may no longer exist as there are people doing their jobs for them.  

Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:

What impact is new/digital media having on:

news stories

A wider variety of news is available than ever before. People are not restricted to a few pages of content, like traditional news papers did. They can see a whole range of stories and ones that are of best interest to the reader.

the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)

It is having a major impact on the news agenda. This is because online sites such as Twitter and Facebook may own a 'hot' news story that one of their users have broken out. This will become the 'hot' topic of the week, and it will influence news companies to get hold of that information and attempt to do their own news coverage in order to gain more readers.

the role of professionals in news

NDM is having more of a negative impact on professionals. This is because the internet allows their content to be published and shared around for free, and they are not getting paid for the work they done. This will appose a threat to this job position as the company wants to survive and to do so, they must cut down their costs such as employees.

Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance:

The article was written in 2009. Offer three examples of more recent social networking sites or uses of technology that support the idea of a 'digital renaissance'.

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Twitter

This is because, on these sites, users can create there own perception on how they want to be viewed online. These three examples support the idea of the digital renaissance as users have the ability to communicate and interact with people of different cultures and they also develop their perception of cultures and society in the developed world. 

How do live streaming services such as Periscope or Facebook Live fit into the idea of a 'digital renaissance'? Are these a force for good or simply a further blurring of reality?

This means that what people see, is the reality of what is actually happening and there is very little, if any' editing actually being presented. This is more of reality than anything else. This is because the apps and services mentioned all have a key feature; being live. This is the difference that videos and these services have different. Services such as FB Live are showing the reality whereas videos have been edited and are not showing the reality of it.

How can we link the 'digital renaissance' to our case study on news? Is citizen journalism a further example of hyper-reality or is it actually making news more accurate and closer to real life?

Yes, to an extent the footage captured can be showing one side of the argument, however it is content which the viewer can relate to. Citizen journalism if anything, is making us a viewers/audience becoming closer to real life than ever before. It expresses the emotions which current news doesn't have, which is why news needs to be changed. It needs to feel more like 'news'. News is information that is informing the viewer on events and real life issues, however they need to express emotions and power, which is why news isn't as effective as it doesn't succeed in that prospect. Citizen journalism can really change the way news comes across the the audience/viewer. 

The Decline in newspaper: MM and case study

MM 57 Case Study

1) What was the New Day trying to achieve?

 The new day newspaper was designed to help the decline of traditional media print and target a new audience which is more traditional by appealing to them. It was a modern day newspaper but wasn't there to replace the traditional print media that we have.The New Day aimed to reach a different audience, they didn't want to take readers from other news businesses, but to establish a new audience; a new market. They wanted to create a newspaper that would tap in to peoples modern lifestyles, which was something that other newspapers were't doing. They have stated that the decline of readers over the last two years can begin to slow down, as the 'right' product will be given to them. The New Day will use no political line which the other newspapers are very much known for. As well as, giving news on any given day.

2) List the key statistics on the first page: how many people buy newspapers in the UK? How has this declined in the last year?

Roughly about 6 million people buy the newspaper a day and there's been a decline in the amount of people that buy the newspaper over the last two years by over a million.

3) What audience were the New Day trying to attract?

They were trying to attract an equal split of males and females around the ages of 35-55 who are now accustomed to a new modern lifestyle rather than and older traditional one however the majority of the stories they published carried connotations and tones of a much different audience. It didn't keep the promise of a male and female split, rather having stories for one particular gender compared to the other. 

5) Why do you think the New Day failed so spectacularly? There are several possible reasons listed in the article but do develop your own opinion here as well.

One of the reasons that is suggested in the article is the price increase from 25p to 50p and i think this was the main reason that they failed. People who are modern and want to live that lifestyle are already keeping up with the latest technology and with everything becoming free the need for paying for something they can already get is a waste of money. I also think that people would want more content in a shorter space of time and with everything being accessible online it is easier to do this from their phone. The planned to target ages 35-55, however the stories they were printing were more to do with youth culture or young mom's, making its demographic fall out of place. Finally, the stores seemed to attract more of a female audience as there was no mention of sports or any male content that fitted their target of having an equal gender audience base,

The Guardian

1) List the key statistics on page 10: How many unique digital browsers used the Guardian website in June 2016? What are The Guardian's latest print sales figures? How does this compare to the Telegraph? In terms of finances, how much did the Guardian lose in 2015? 

• The Guardian online is the third most read paper on the internet, with over 120 million monthly unique browsers
• In 2015 the Guardian lost £70 million this led to cutbacks of 20% 
• Sales of newspapers have been in steady decline since the explosive growth of the internet in the 1990s
• print circulation of the Guardian was only 161,000.

2) What has been The Guardian's strategy for reversing this decline?

They are relying on people to invest into their business and there were no cutbacks in USA and Australia which kept them going.The Guardian didn't apply the cut backs for Australia and the USA because it had a 'backbone' of the ability for the Guardian to bid news for a global audience.

3) What global event did The Guardian's digital coverage win awards for?

It received awards for the attacks that took place in Paris because it was a way for people to keep updated which helped them survive and allowed them to go towards safety as there was regular updates to help them. People who were caught up in the middle of the attacks, used the Guardian's online site as a way of safety and followed the updates put on their site. 

4) In your opinion, will the global website strategy be enough to save The Guardian?

I believe so. This is because since the Paris attacks it has delivered a powerful message to consumers of the significance for news. People were using a platform that they never quote actually use on a daily basis, and after the attacks, they see truly how powerful and important the newspaper industry is. Therefore, people would have built some loyalty towards The Guardian due to all it has done tin terms of providing intel on the Paris attacks.