NDM institution case study: News Corporation

1) Research News Corporation’s response to the growth of new and digital media by listing each of the institution’s brands (Sky News, Times etc.) Have any closed, changed or been in the news in the last 10 years for any reason?

* The Sun - got rid of pay walls 

* The Times

* Sunday Times

* Fox Entertainment

* News International

2) Develop examples of the impact that new and digital media has had on News Corp’s brands (paywalls, readership figures, audience share etc.)

New and digital media has been negative to the news brands due to factors such as having a decline in the newspaper industry due to access of news online or on your smart phone via an Internet connection. This has therefore had an decline in newspapers as audiences are more likely to view news online rather then on paper especially the younger audience.

3) Use what you have found out about News Corp to answer the following question:

Why and with what success are traditional media institutions adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media?

New and digital media is a popular platform and that traditional media institutions have fell down in their position on the hierarchy. Traditional media institutions are making less profit due factors such as having news to be accessed online on a much easier and faster platform. Also social network sights such as Twitter make it easier for audiences to stay on track with the news which is why traditional media had fallen massively. Also money raises an issue as accesses news online is free for audiences however newspapers could cost, however it could be argued that to view news online they would therefore need an Internet connection which could stop them from viewing news online.

Why and with what success are traditional media institutions adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media?

Traditional media institutions are adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media as they are now going down and more of the new media are taking over.Traditional media institutions are adjusting to the challenge given by new countless people are now declining to read newspapers because of new and digital media being available to them, so they can read their news on their mobile phone or online, there is also a decline in people reading books as they are now reading it online or on their kindle. 

An example of how newspapers have led to a decline is the sun. The Sun learned that no one is now willing to pay a fee to read the news considering the fact that people can go on other news corporations and read news for free. By adapting to the audience's wishes and removing the pay wall, The Sun was able to successfully boost their number of browsers. The Sun have also successfully adapted to the new developments by the use of their app that can be accessed on smartphones and tablets which maintains the audiences interest seeing as it is based around the new digital media platform.

DM News: index

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

NEWS 13

Phone-hacking victims expected to challenge CPS decision to end inquiry

SUMMARY:

Phone-hacking victims are expected to demand a review of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to cease pursuing criminal investigations against Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, Piers Morgan and other former editors at Mirror Group Newspapers.Lawyers representing public figures and others who received payouts from the now closed News of the World or the Sunday Mirror or People said they intended to exercise the victims’ formal right to review after the director of prosecutions (DPP), Alison Saunders, said she had wound up the four-year operation.

FACTS:

• An investigation into hacking at the Mirror Group titles began subsequently, and the overall investigation into newspaper phone hacking and other corrupt practices led to 154 arrests, 45 convictions, at a cost to the police of £41.3m.
•  Ex-footballer Gascoigne and the actor and designer, Sadie Frost, were among those who received a share of £1.2m in compensation from Trinity Mirror

Twitter warns users they may have been hacked by 'state-sponsored actors'

SUMMARY:

Twitter has warned a number of users that they may have been the target of a state-sponsored attack. The company has apparently sent the warnings by email to more than twenty users, all of which contain the same details.The warning begins: “As a precaution, we are alerting you that your Twitter account is one of a small group of accounts that may have been targeted by state-sponsored actors. We believe that these actors (possibly associated with a government) may have been trying to obtain information such as email addresses, IP addresses, and/or phone numbers.”

FACTS:

• Twitter is following both Google and Facebook in sending out warnings to perceived targets of state-sponsored hacking
• Google’s warnings were introduced in 2012, while Facebook began sending its own in October this year

NDM case study: News on the Tweet

1) Why are respected news brands good news for Twitter?

The news brands are good for Twitter as it helps to keep the people in the hierarchy position  informed and opinionated, which helps to increase the audiences and the influences on news. Twitter and news have a link where Twitter uploads all the latest news headlines. Also news users follow Twitter which make it more significant and reasonable to why news should be on Twitter as Twitter is a high leading social network sight.

2) Why in turn is Twitter good for respected news brands?

The relationship between Twitter and news brands balanced; it is said that Twitter helps news brands to allow them to continue to resonate with audiences. Overall, many people such as Twitter users follow newspaper pages to stay updated by social media regularly.

3) 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?

News brands and Twitter have. Strong bond as they both help their audiences and give them their pleasures at the same time, for example the idea of immediacy can be emphasised as Twitter news profiles would update news more regularly and faster. More than one in 10 of the news brand followers on Twitter claim they were first introduced to it by their newspaper brand – that amounts to hundreds of thousands of Twitter users. 

Also the idea of reposting or re tweeting the stories give other audiences more chance to be aware of it, for example if an opinion leader re tweeted the tweet there would be much more audiences to have read the tweet and share it.

I agree with how the new and old media work together to make the experience for consumers better. They are both gaining consumers and getting more popular 

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

* Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn • Feb 12 "Biggest cheer at the Emirates tonight by #AFC? To an announcement for the MUFC away fans that no more trains leaving Euston"

* Grace Dent @gracedent • Nov 6 "I reveal the shocking truth behind Jennifer Aniston’s new hair http://ind.pn/HJXtV9"

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

I believe that gossip and banter makes the news stands out more as they are getting more consumers due to the news the journalists provide therefore making them look more powerful as they have gained the gossip or banter from the celebrity.

However, it could harm the reputation of the journalists, as if the gossip is negative it could have an effect where the fans of the particular celebrity could get offended and therefore create hate between each other which therefore makes it viral and more individuals start disliking the journalist.

6) What does the report say about trust in Twitter and journalists (look at pages 34-39)?

The report shows that in the large part, the relationship between Twitter and news brands and how it impacts on the relationships both have with their readers and users - is founded on trust.

 “It is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand”. Most twitter and news brand users say that it is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand as this helps build trust in the content.

7) Finally, do you think new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive or negative impact on traditional newspapers?

I believe that the developments have had a positive impact on traditional newspapers as there are now more consumers reading the newspaper. Also the immediacy and accessibility of Twitter brings valuable readers to newspaper brands that they would not normally read in print or directly on-line. Even though people are not reading newspapers as much, news is still being provided to the audience through this virtuous circle.

Globalisation and the media: wider issues

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?

It was controversial because Google would be advancing in terms of technology but it wouldn't be such a good thing as it can cause privacy problems as they would be monitoring other people and  'tracking' their every move. There are potential benefits to do with Globalisation however there are also limitations that should be considered carefully.
2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?

In a sense the world becomes more accessible, and people are enriched by getting to know and understand it better. Increased choice and opportunities empower people, while access to information can enhance not only the ability to make informed decisions but even the democratic process.

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?

However, if we consider that all of these benefits are provided by one of just a small number corporations, this leads to a discussion about the concentration of ownership, and the possibility that smaller companies have little or no hope of staking a claim on the global market as they won’t be able to compete. This means that the previously mentioned ‘choice’ we talked about so positively is in effect provided by a limited number of companies who  dominate the global market, and, in the main, only distribute the majority of the world’s wealth amongst themselves.

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

A techno-panic is a moral panic that centres on fears 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: The key concepts of audience and institution

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

The relationship between audience and institution in the pre digital age is that they are both connected. It is necessary that all institutions needs audiences to make profit, however every institution also needs audiences who can access media in a traditional form such as newspapers or radios.

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 - itv relies on the income from the advertisers which shows that they appeal to a larger audiences

Sky One - need their income from subscribers to attract a higher audience and would gain quicker access to their shows 

The MailOnline - gain a higher income so they keep the images and videos on longer for the audience to read

3) The article ends with a section on the digital age

Audiences now have more freedom to media products, in today's society the developments of new and digital media allow audiences to access tv programmes, films and music on their smartphones. Also the ability to download files has changed and therefore has made it easier for audiences to view the media.

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?

I believe that audiences will continue having more power as the years go by, however the hierarchy will still remain the same where the major media institutions will still have the most power.

NEWS 12

The Independent’s blog site hit by ransomware attack

SUMMARY:

The Independent’s blog-hosting site has fallen foul of hackers who are using ads to target visitors with virus software that encrypts files and demands a ransom. A spokesperson for Independent owners ESI Media said that as a precaution all ads have been removed from the site, which is separate from Independent.co.uk and hosted on popular blogging software WordPress.

FACTS:

• ESI said that visitors to the legacy site amounted to less than 0.2% of those who visited the Independent during the whole month of November

• Based on the Independent’s most recent published traffic statistics, which cover October, fewer than 5,000 people a day are likely to have visited the site.

My partner is burnt out from his job on a national newspaper in London

SUMMARY:

Twice a week we publish problems that will feature in a forthcoming Dear Jeremy advice column in the Saturday Guardian so that readers can offer their own advice and suggestions. We then print the best of your comments alongside Jeremy’s own insights

FACTS:

ISSUES:

•  There seems to be little in the way of newspaper roles, particularly for someone as experienced as him

• I worry because he is burnt out – his current working environment is terrible and 14-hour days are the norm

• The other issue that has to be considered is salary

NEWS 11

Der Spiegel publisher to cut 20% of staff and launch paywall

SUMMARY:

The publisher of the influential German newsweekly Der Spiegel is to cut about 20% of its staff and start charging for some articles online as it tries to fight a decline in advertising and circulation. One of Europe’s largest news magazines, it has a circulation of about 870,000. Known for its investigative reporting, it is seen as required reading for the German political, business and cultural elite.

FACTS:

• Manager Magazin, said it aims to cut its annual costs for materials and staff by about €16m (£11m) by the end of 2017, which would put about 150 jobs on the line.

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

SUMMARY:

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”.

FACTS:

• US authorities have estimated that several thousand Americans consume Isis propaganda online, the report notes. 
• According to the study, a significant number of American Isis supporters use avatars of black flags, lions, and green birds

YouTube tipped to strike licensing deals for TV shows and films

SUMMARY:

YouTube is preparing to strike deals with Hollywood studios and television firms to bring films and TV shows to its YouTube Red subscription service. 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, according to the Wall Street Journal  report suggests that YouTube is in the “early stages” of these talks, but that it hopes to commission original shows and films rather than simply license existing content.

FACTS:

• 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.
• YouTube is not the only tech giant hoping to strike streaming licensing deals with the TV and film industries for 2016

 

 

Yahoo board 'weighing sale of core business and Marissa Mayer's future

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

The Yahoo board will weigh a sale of its core internet business when it meets this week, according to sources. Its meeting comes amid a broader debate about the future of the company and that of high-profile chief executive Marissa Mayer. The Wall Street Journal first reported the possible sale of the internet business late on Tuesday. People familiar with the matter told the newspaper the board was expected to also discuss during meetings from Wednesday to Friday whether to proceed with a plan to spin off more than $30bn (£20bn) in shares of Alibaba. The company could also pursue both options, the paper said.

 

FACTS:

 

• The company’s shares were up more than 7% in extended trading.
• Yahoo’s core business, which includes popular services such as Yahoo Mail
• Yahoo declined to comment on the report.
• The news comes as Mayer faces growing pressure over the company’s performance.

 

Globalisation

1) Has the news influenced by American cultural imperialism? What examples can you think of?

The concept of familiarity is what explains that our news has been influenced by American cultural imperialism. Our news usually post about American news due to America being a popular country therefore raising the standards of our news. Also how our news largely depends on the entertainment side of American news as well as their political side. This is because our news always focuses on celebrities and gossips as well as their political movement which involves headlines on Barack Obama. This shows why we constantly hear about America in our news.

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

The increase in globalisation of the news benefits the audience as audiences can now gain more experience and information than before. Immediacy is also another reason that has benefited audiences as we are able to hear information quicker. Also we are alerted as soon as possible in terms of incidents that go on around the world which helps us to keep safe and sound. However it could be argued that we are being dumbed down (mcluen). 

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

Globalisation benefits the main providers such as Vivendi, as they are being known around the world due to the work and the type of news they publish. However it could be letting down the smaller productions down due to the popularity of the other productions.