(32) The Daily Telegraph fined £30,000 for email instructing readers to vote Conservative

Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-daily-telegraph-fined-30000-for-email-instructing-readers-to-vote-conservative-a6781326.html

 

 

Summary:

 

The Daily Telegraph has been fined £30,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after it sent hundreds of thousands of emails on the day of the general election urging readers to vote Conservative. The ICO found that Telegraph Media Group broke direct marketing rules when it issued the letter from Chris Evans, Daily Telegraph editor, which was attached to the paper’s usual morning e-bulletin. Steve Eckersley, ICO head of enforcement, said the paper had been negligent when it decided to send the campaign letter as part of the legitimate daily email.

Key data/statistical information:

• Mr Evans described the May 7 general election as the “most important since 1979.” He wrote: “The Daily Telegraph urges its readers to vote Conservative.”
• These circumstances, along with the small number of complaints (17), were factors when deciding the £30,000 fine, imposed on the Telegraph’s parent company.

What's my view?

I think that newspapers do try and promote and push their views to the people especially when it comes to politics. However, I'm not sure whether this "fine" is going to affect The Daily Telegraph's future conduct. One way or another newspapers will find ways to persuade people to believe what they think is right which supports the hypodermic needle theory. The audience is usually persuaded by celebrities or what they read in the news.



(31) Facebook and Uber team up to offer Messenger users taxi trips

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/12054819/Facebook-and-Uber-team-up-to-offer-Messenger-users-taxi-trips.html

 

Summary:

 

Facebook Messenger users can now order taxis from Uber via the social network. The social network revealed on Wednesday that it has launched a Transportation option on its messaging service. This will allow people to hail a cab from Uber without them having to download and use the taxi-hailing app's own site. Uber will also provide updates on waiting times via Messenger. Facebook said its Uber service is "currently in testing" and will only be available in areas where Uber already operates in the US.

Key data/statistical information:

• With more than 1.4bn people using Facebook every month, the deal could unlock a huge revenue stream for both firms.
• Uber's last funding round valued the private company at $50bn, and linking up with the world's largest social network could also make it more socially acceptable.
• TfL is consulting on 25 proposals for private hire companies - several of which could seriously affect Uber

What's my view?

I think that this would help to make Uber more popular as Facebook is one of the popular social networking sites that people use today and would find it an easy access for them is they could call for an Uber driver through the use of this. This shows that social media is definitely making things easier for todays generation which encourages the pluralistic view.



(30) Can Donald Trump's social media genius take him all the way to the White House?

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/donald-trump-social-media-strategy-internet-republican-nomination-president

 

Summary:

 

Donald Trump is still riding high in the polls as part of his bid to be the next President of the United States. If there’s anything that goes some way to explaining Trump’s popularity in the midst of his quasi-fascistic views that reached a nadir with his call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, it is his social media prowess. Trump is fond of posting short clips to Instagram, as well as Vine, Twitter and Facebook. The brief videos evolved from his presence on YouTube (the Trump channel now has upwards of 1.3m views). Most of the clips consist of him yelling into a camera, flecks of spittle hitting the lens.

Key data/statistical information:

• Trump has more than 5.5 million Twitter followers and 4.5 million Facebook fans.
• Donald Trump, in many ways, is carrying the baton from Barack Obama’s successful 2008 election campaign, which some called the Facebook election.

What's my view?

I think it is funny that what used to be something controlled by the elite people is now being used by them to gain power. Social media is now a key way to get the audience's votes and attention. This shows the pluralistic view point because through social media, the audience go get a say. We can decide to follow Trump on social media and increase his chances of becoming president or decrease it by using social media to go against his views.



(29) Sun website traffic rises by a quarter – but it is eclipsed by the Mirror

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/17/sun-website-traffic-mirror

 

 

 

Summary:

The Sun’s website traffic rose by more than a quarter in November – but it was not enough to close the gap with rival Trinity Mirror. Mirror.co.uk editiorial director Pete Picton said the the site’s rolling coverage of last month’s Paris terror attacks had helped it bring in a record 77.99m unique browsers over the whole month. “The Paris terror attacks was a major contributory factor, accounting for more than 14m unique browsers alone,” he said.

Key data/statistical information:

• News UK’s website, which began offering most online articles for free this summer and had completely abolished its paywall by the end of November, posted a 25.6% rise in daily unique browsers to 1.6 million.
• Trinity’s national newspaper sites, which include mirror.co.uk, enjoyed a 28.1% rise in average daily unique browsers to 4.7 million last month compared with October, according to the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
• The Independent was up 24.4% compared with October to 3.27 million daily unique browsers, Telegraph.co.uk jumped 17.2% to just over 5 million, theguardian.com rose 13.7% to 9.27 million and MailOnline added 10.5% to 14.6 million.
• The Evening Standard posted the biggest rise of 29.2% to almost 520,000 daily unique browsers.

What's my view?

I think it is normal that website traffic has increased during the period of the Paris terror attacks due to the fact that people want to find out what has happened and get the inside story- even the younger ones. Therefore most would turn to on-line newspapers to get their information.

(28) Daily Mail is cruel and childish about the Duchess of Cambridge

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/dec/14/daily-mail-is-cruel-and-childish-about-the-duchess-of-cambridge

 

Summary: 

The Daily Mail has made absurd claims about the Duchess of Cambridge (the former Kate Middleton) based on a couple of photographs of her taken in a London street.

Key data/statistical information:

• Some online critics unkindly suggested that Kate - wrapped up in a £325 houndstooth coat from Reiss – looked closer to 40 than 30.

What's my view?

It was one of the most risible and childish pieces of journalism ever read, even by the low standards of royal “reporting”. But it was also unnecessarily personal and nasty. Sometimes the news industry can go over the top when talking about celebrities just to get readers. Personally, I think being famous comes with a price but journalists should watch what they say about celebrities especially in the royal family.

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

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/14/twitter-warns-users-hacked-state-sponsored-actors

Summary:

Twitter has warned a number of users that they may have been the target of a state-sponsored attack. 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.” Twitter’s specific warning has sparked criticism from those who received it, however.

Key data/statistical information:

• Social media company emails more than 20 users, warning them they may have been targeted by hackers ‘possibly associated with a government’
• Google’s warnings were introduced in 2012, while Facebook began sending its own in October this year.

What's my view?

It's interesting to see that twitter has included the detail to their users that the hackers could have been associated with a government. Even though we are not sure why they would want to hack people's users accounts, I think it is good that twitter did not leave out the specific detail of who has hacked into people's accounts. It shows that twitter is uncensored and not biased.

NDM: The key concepts of audience and institution

our Media Magazine archive MM52 page 9
Read the article and complete the following tasks:

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

 In the pre-digital age, media products were produced by economically powerful organisations which packaged and sold them to carefully defined audiences. They had a relationship which allowed them to become connected and powerful.
 

 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.

  

The BBC: Due to the fact it is funded by a licence fee and it has a public service remit, it is more likely to screen programmes with a regional interest than other broadcasters.

 

The MailOnline: It receives more income the longer a reader stays on the site, so stories will feature lots of images and videos, and sensationalised or controversial headlines will be constructed to ‘tempt’ readers to ‘click through’.

 ITV: It 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

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

 

It is still to early in the digital age so its a very uncertain time for media institutions. However it is clear that not all traditional media forms, outlets or institutions will be able to maintain their place in the media marketplace. As audiences reject traditional TV programming,newspapers and cinema exhibition, the only thing we know for sure about the future is that institutions will continue to come up with increasingly sophisticated and creative ways to try to find and attract an audience.

 

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?

 

At the moment audiences have more freedom to access media products when they choose, rather than when they are told. Mobile technology allows audiences to carry TV programmes, films, 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. In the future, I see audiences having more control. They will have even more power as technology evolves every year. Institutions are going to have to adapt to what the audience prefers and wants.

 

 

(26) The Independent’s blog site hit by ransomware attack

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/09/independent-blog-site-ransomware-hackers-viruses

 

 

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. It appears that an advert appearing on that blogsite may have included malware. The malware would only affect users who did not have the most up-to-date version of the Flash software which is used to deliver complex content such as videos, animations and browser based apps. It is not the first time hackers have used ads – which are often served through complex networks of third-party companies – to target visitors to newspaper websites. In October, the BBC reported that visitors to the Mail Online site were “briefly” exposed to ads that linked to malware.

Key data/statistical information:

 

• The malware threat was first highlighted on a blog run by internet security firm Trend Micro, which said people visiting affected pages on Independent Blogs since 21 November could have been exposed to the malware.
• 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.

What's my view?

 The increased popularity of using ads on websites has given hackers a easy access. Since most sites now have ads, hackers have probably been trying to find ways to get to users as they know that numerous of people visit these websites and click the ads. This act could be just the beginning as the Mail Online claimed to be briefly exposed to malware being linked to the ads on their site.



(25) Time Out to cut about 40 staff in UK and US

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/08/time-out-to-cut-about-40-staff-in-uk-and-us

Summary:

Time Out is to cut about 40 staff at its UK and US operations as part of a strategic refocus of the listings magazine into a global multimedia business. “We continue to transform the Time Out Group from a traditional media company to a global multimedia business to take advantage of the new landscape,” said a spokeswoman for publisher. “As a result of this transformation and to reflect the new mix of skills required by the business, a number of jobs in our UK and US teams will be impacted, and some jobs will sadly be lost. The exact number of impacted roles and job losses are currently being finalised as we work through this news with our staff.”

Key data/statistical information:

• The group, which has expanded its brand into 107 cities across 38 countries, is thought to be cutting about 10% of its estimated 400 global workforce.
• A global reach of 95 million monthly users across print and digital platforms
• Time Out’s flagship London edition was relaunched as a free title in 2012.

What's my view?

I think that its good that the business its trying to globalise itself and join the globalisation movement. There are many advantages that comes with it which can be good for both the company and the audience. However, it is disappointing that some people had to loose their jobs during this process.

NDM case study: News on the Tweet

Read the report and answer the questions on your blog.

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

The combination of news brands and Twitter helps keep people like chief executives informed and opinionated. Each helps the other to grow its audiences and influence. 62% of newspaper followers think it’s important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand. The insights from this study show that Twitter and news brands are most definitely stronger together. This collaboration between News works and Twitter really captures that special connection. 59% of Twitter users follow newspaper brands. People like to follow the news as it happens; like to see it breaking on Twitter; and enjoy the combination of Twitter and news content

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

The relationship between news brands and Twitter is perfectly balanced: 64% of newspaper followers say Twitter helps ensure that established news brands continue to resonate with new audiences. Critically for the industry Twitter brings new readers: 60% of UK news brand followers say they follow newspaper brands that normally they wouldn't read in print. Almost 60% of all Twitter users in the UK follow some form of news brand content. On top of this, most of the remaining users will access news brand generated content via posts, retweets and general debate and discussion. Overall, more than a third of Twitter users follow one or more main news brand titles, around half this number follow a sub brand or special interest handle, and half of them follow one or more newspaper journalists.

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?

Today, news brands make a good partner with Twitter because they are both together able to cope with the demands that the audience provide for example, we expect news faster, more frequently and with immediate accuracy. News titles are expected to herald stories the moment they arrive and then live blog them as they unfold. 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. News brands also increase traffic as four in 10 agree they check Twitter frequently to see what is going on with their favourite newspaper brands. News brands drive Twitter activity and this is what helps make news brand followers such a valuable audience for Twitter. They are three times more likely to retweet than non-followers; four times more likely to post links to articles and three times more likely to tweet about trending news topics. They are also far more likely to share their thoughts and reply to opinion about the news. This means that news brand followers visit Twitter more often - they are 60% more likely to visit on a daily basis than non-followers and more than twice as likely to post on a daily basis. As we can clearly see, this provides excellent promotion for the newspaper brands, driving readership to both on-line and print.
I agree that the old and new media are working well together to enhance both the media eco-system and the consumer experience. As we can see from twitter and news brands, they are both helping each to gain popularity and to consumers. They work well to keep the audience engaged on what they provide and are helping each other out to a certain extent.

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"
• Caitlin Moran @caitlinmoran • Jan 11 "The most amazing thing about the story of President Hollande having an affair is that he apparently only has one pair of shoes."

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

No. Gossip and banter about celebrities, sports or political scandals are all part of the entertainment and are often turned to when news brand followers want to relax. They are looking for both humour as well as ‘backstage access’ into the lives of the people and things they are interested in. Individual journalists are key contributors to the humorous content on Twitter. At the end of the day, when people tend to be in relaxation mode, there is a greater role for gossip, banter and other entertainment-led activities. “The comments section on The Mail is a treasure trove for comedy. There are Twitter accounts dedicated to the comments section."

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

The report explains 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 think such developments have had a positive impact on traditional newspapers as now more and more people are reading the news. Journalist are still able to break stories, offer an insider view and include their personal views. Twitter is helping to make news brands more accessible, more influential and more connected than ever before. 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

our Media Magazine archive MM47
You need to find page 31 and the Google Glass feature: a case study in Globalisation.

Read the article and answer the following questions:

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?

 

The article highlights that 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?

Potential negatives to Globalisation are highlighted in the article and shows 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?

Personally, I think that the privacy debate should be continued to an extent because there are many ways we can question our privacy being invaded for example privacy. If people using Glass are effectively able to walk around and film everything that they’re looking at, how are the public to know if they’re being filmed without having given their permission? There is also the factor that Glass can record all the sound that it picks up, and will also come with facial recognition software – meaning that individuals could be picked out from a crowd of faces with ease. Dialogue around these concerns has led to the coining of the term ‘Google agent’ to embody the panic that all we say and do may soon be being recorded by headset. This can potentially be a complete invasion of our privacy which I think should be carefully thought about

NDM News: Globalisation

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

Our news is influenced by American cultural imperialism because we are constantly hearing about America and their culture in the news. The current US media domination amounts to cultural imperialism because it forces US culture on us through our media consumption. For example, when it comes to elite nations and elections for the next president, the British news make sure that it is one of the main news stories. Celebrities are also a key news story in the British news such as Kim Kardashian. Any thing that Americans seem to consider as celebrity news, it will be covered in the news in most countries. Natural disasters is also another big news story that we would hear about if anything happened in America. Even though other countries have natural disasters, we are not notified about it as much due to familiarity. However, since America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, and is ruled by elite people, their cultural imperialism has a big influence on our news.

 

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

The increased globalisation of news as improved the audiences experience as people can now gain much more information then before on the internet. There is also a sense in immediacy in the news now due to globalisation as people can hear as well as watch news as it arises. As we live in a "global village" (McLuhan) we can view events live as they happen and many people around the world can share the same moment. For example, with the Paris attacks, people were able to watch footage of what was happening that same night. However, it can be said that we've been "dumbed down" (Keen) due to the increased globalisation of news because the media reflect and create the social and cultural world we live in because the media producers construct our views of all these global events and therefore construct our values and ideologies.

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

Globalisation benefits the main providers of news. Due to globalisation, major news institutions, such as AOL Time Warner and Vivendi Universal, are able to reach increasing audiences and expand globally to become global players. The largest media organisations are supplying progressively more of the media we consume. This, however, effects the small local institutions as they have less power. Global brands will have more influence and often pushes home-grown media organisations out of business and replacing them.

(24) YouTube Kids: campaigners criticise app for its 'junk food' videos

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/25/youtube-kids-campaigners-attack-junk-food

 

 

Summary:

US groups found promotional videos for Coca-Cola, Oreos and other products in children’s app, and want regulators to investigate. The YouTube Kids app is supposed to make watching YouTube videos a more child-friendly experience, but two US campaigning groups claim that it is not filtering out promotional videos for “junk food”. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) have filed new complaints with regulator the Federal Trade Commission, following objections lodged in April when YouTube Kids launched in the US. The groups claim to have found promotional videos for products from 17 food and drinks manufacturers, including 47 TV ads and 11 longer videos for Coke and Coke Zero; as well as 31 ads and 21 promotional placements for biscuit brand Oreos. Their complaints note that both companies have promised not to market their products to children, and call for the FTC to investigate the 17 companies alongside YouTube.

Key data/statistical information:

• 47 TV ads and 11 longer videos for Coke and Coke Zero
• 31 ads and 21 promotional placements for biscuit brand Oreos
• It cites the example of a video published by the popular EvanTubeHD channel where its young stars – who have more than 2.2 million subscribers on YouTube – taste 12 varieties of Oreo biscuits while blindfolded, and try to guess their flavours.

What's my view?

I think that such companies like Oreo's are trying to promote their business through youtube and their prime target is young children who enjoy watching videos on YouTube. Since it has one of the most powerful social networking sites, businesses are trying to their audiences by promoting themselves on things such as YouTube.

(23) Mail Online US almost doubles advertising growth

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/25/mail-online-us-almost-doubles-advertising-revenues

Summary:

The popularity of Mail Online’s US site is starting to translate into meaningful revenue with advertising growth of more than 60% in the last eight weeks – almost double the rate it has seen over the last year. “The US is the standout story in terms of growth,” said Stephen Daintith, finance chief at DMGT. “Over the last year there has been a concerted effort to raise the trade profile, the ad agency profile, of Mail Online in the US. There has been lots of TV coverage, much more than we see in the UK, which has raised awareness among media agencies and in their [advertising] buying schedules. The [scale of] audience in the US is now starting to deliver the rewards we expected.” He added that initiatives such as a tie-up with Snapchat’s Discover service, which sees 10 stories carrying ads, and the development of e-commerce revenues have started to pay off.

Key data/statistical information:

• Mail Online derives 40% of its 212 million monthly unique users from US readers, more than view it in its home market in the UK, but to date the site’s scale has not been matched by the potential of advertising revenue generation.
• The US site experienced 38% year-on-year revenue growth in parent company DMGT’s financial year to the end of September, making about £18m in advertising for the period.
• In the first eight weeks of its new financial year, Mail Online US has seen advertising revenue surge by 64%.
• It is perhaps the growth surge of the US-site that leads Daintith to hang on to the possibility of making £100m in ad revenues by the end of September 2016.
• Mail Online missed its 2015 target of £80m, it made £73m in the year to the end of September, as year-on-year growth slowed from 41% to 18%.
• Mail Online derived about 66% of its £73m in total revenues from the UK in the year to the end of September, with 25% coming from the US and 9% the rest of the world.

What's my view?

I think that advertising is a kay part in making money and increasing popularity in todays new and digital media world. I find that it potentially be a unique way in which news can continue to thrive.

(22) Twitter raids Sky for new head of UK news

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/20/twitter-raids-sky-for-new-head-of-uk-news

Summary:

Sky News senior executive Rob Owers joins Twitter to lead UK news team and develop government and industry partnerships. Twitter has appointed Rob Owers, a former senior executive on Sky News’ digital operation and News At Ten bulletin, as its new UK head of news. “Throughout my career as a journalist I’ve seen how Twitter has changed the conversation around news and sparked new ways for people to engage with the stories and events which really matter to them,” said Owers.

Key data/statistical information:

• Owers was Sky News output editor, also responsible for live online coverage of the general election results

• His earlier roles at Sky included building the team that launched Sky News’ iPad app, executive producer of Sky News Digital and editorial lead for News at Ten.

What's my view?

I find that this shows how pluralism is slowly coming into the lime light as twitter was able to appoint Rob Owers as a former senior exectuive. This suggests that social media is slowly allowing the audience to take some sort of power in making decisions within the news industry. 

(21) Two-thirds of Britons will own a smartphone by 2018, research finds

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/23/two-thirds-of-britons-will-own-a-smartphone-by-2018-research-finds

Summary:

Tablet use is also on the rise with half the country’s population expected to own one before New Year as density of mobile devices hit an all time high. By 2018 two-thirds of Britons will own a smartphone and be an avid tablet user, according to new research.“The rapid spread of mobile technology is transforming media consumption and marketing communications across the world,” said Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at ZenithOptimedia. “For more and more people, their smartphone or tablet is the first place they look for information or entertainment. Marketers need a mobile-first approach to communicate with these people effectively.”

Key data/statistical information:

• The report found that by the end of this year 51% of Britons will own a tablet, up from just 3.5% just five years ago, which ranks the UK the seventh highest in the world.

• By 2018, 65% of Britons will own or have regular access to a tablet device, which will rank sixth behind Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.

• The rise of the tablet is mirrored in the smartphone world with 55% of the UK population expected to own one by the end of this year, rising to 69% by 2018.

• The report also found that by 2018 the number of internet users across the 47 countries it monitors globally will break the 2 billion barrier for the first time.

• ZenithOptimedia reckons that its 47 country survey covers 60% of all internet users across the world. However, the rate of growth in internet uptake is slowing from 7.9% in 2011 to 3.9% this year and 2.5% in 2018.

What's my view?

I find that we are in the era of technology and it seems to be evolving each and everyday. Although I don't think its a good thing that everyone, including children, will be involved with phones and ipads by the end of the year, I do think we need to keep up with technology so that we can have a firm control of it.

Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news

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

I agree with Alain de Botton's view on the News to a certain extent because he makes a few valid points. The news is in fact the most powerful force out there and we only seem to concentrate on news that is put into some sort of disastrous imagery. The news "parachutes us to disastrous places" as we are familiar with the area around us. The news only shows us what they view as priorities and, in a way, has replaced the role of religion, as it guides people now. Recently, people feel helpless and manipulated by the news. Some news content is biased and due to the level o negativity thrown at us, people flee to the government and view them as a refuge. The news always sends a moral panic (Cohen). However, I do not 100% agree with the point that we are not told to decode the news as people do analyse the news and news articles. We may not analyse it to an extent to find out where the information is from etc. but we do analyse news to search out the purpose of the news industry and whether or not certain news stories are biased or edited by gatekeepers/elite people.

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

Marxism and hegemony can clearly be linked to de Botton's criticism of the News as Marxism view capitalist society as being one of class domination and that the media are seen to promote hegemonic ideology and ensure the dominance of certain classes as de Botton argues that the elite people drown us with news in order for us to accept the status quo. The news controls and guides people's lives now without knowing it and this is what a Marxist would argue that we enjoy the illusion of autonomy and socialise into and internalise the norms of the dominant culture. Despite the fact we feel as if we have freedom, in reality we are suffering from false consciousness.

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

A pluralist sees the control of media in the hands o an autonomous managerial elite who allow a considerable degree of flexibility to media professionals. Therefore, a pluralist could challenge de Botton's view by saying that we get to choose what news we want to consume. We have the option of either watching the news offered to us or producing our own news through citizen journalism. Pluralism goes against the hyperdermic needle model which is what de Botton seems to be explaining.

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.

SUPPORTS: Why the future of newspapers is not all doom and gloom/ Female technology journalists report abuse is still the name of the game

CHALLANGES: Sun website to scrap paywall

Marxism and Pluralism essay

The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.

Recently, there has been a sudden up rise in the developments of new/digital media which has started to affect the way in which the audience responds to the media. Two different views has been suggested against the view that the developments is making the audience more powerful in terms of consumption and production. A Marxist and pluralist view is presented.

A Marxist perspective would argue that the so-called "information revolution" has done little to benefit audiences or to subvert the established power structures in society. Far from being a “great leveller” (Krotoski, 2012) as many have claimed, it has merely helped to reinforce the status quo by promoting dominant ideologies. The most popular news website in the UK by a considerable margin is the ‘Mail Online’, which receives more than 8 million hits every month and is continuing to expand rapidly – with forecasts that it will make £100 million or more in digital revenues in the next three years. Similar to its tabloid print edition, the website takes a Conservative, right-wing perspective on key issues around gender, sexuality and race and audiences appear to passively accept what the Marxist theorist, Gramsci, called a hegemonic view. When one of their chief columnists, Jan Moir, wrote a homophobic article about the death of Stephen Gately in 2009 there were Twitter and Facebook protests but, ultimately, they did not change the editorial direction of the gatekeepers controlling the newspaper.

In a pluralist view, the development of new and digital media means the audience is more powerful especially in terms of consumption and production. Pluralists believe in an active audience who chose what media to consume and they don't have to swallow what the media feeds them. In a sense, they get to conform, accommodate or reject the media that they are shown. New and digital media has given the audience the possibility to do so much hence why it is described as "the most important medium of the twentieth century" (Briggs and Burke). In fact the audience is capable of manipulating the media and producing their opinions on-line. A good example of this is the Arab spring; the democratic uprising that arose independently & spread across the Arab world in 2011. The movement originated in Tunisia in December 2010 and quickly took hold in places such as Egypt and Libiya due to the effective use of social media to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and Internet censorship. Facebook and Twitter were tools people in Egypt used to exchange information globally. The Facebook group helped organize over 100,000 people to protest on Egypt's police day, originally the Facebook page aimed for 50,000 people to protest. The protest overall led to political changes in the several countries, a change to a more democratic political regime. Therefore, the audience was able to cause democratization due to the powerful help of social media.

In contrast Marxists, argue that the audience have an illusion of autonomy and believe they have freedom when they are actually being told what to do. The audience suffer from false consciousness as it is the norm to indirectly follow the status quo. Keen suggests that "rebellion is encapsulated in the internet" as the news industry challenges and dares us to go against them. Since 1979, no government has been elected without the aid of Rupert Murdoch showing that we are influenced to vote what the media presents us. As Lin & Webster suggested in 2002 "Top 5% of all websites accounted for almost 75% of user volume" insisting that most of the audience go for the same media. It is also important to note that 50% of newspapers are controlled by Rupert Murdoch. He encouraged his viewpoint through the newspaper to "vote Cameron".

However, pluralists state that the control of the media is said to be in the hands of an autonomous managerial elite who allow a considerable degree of flexibility to media professionals. A basic symmetry is seen to exist between media institutions and their audiences. It is said that the new/digital media is allowing the "technological blossoming of the cultural of freedom, individual innovation and entrepreneurialism". (Castells, 1996) There are many ways in which the audience can express their opinions such as on-line blogs and forums. There is also an increase in civil journalism where most user generated content is shown on news. People around the world posted more than 100,000 stories on CNNiReport.com last year. Out of that, 10,789 were vetted for CNN, which means they were fact-checked and approved to be broadcast on CNN TV or featured on CNN.com. For the recent attack on Paris, most videos shown on the news were user generated content produces from the audience.

Marxists, on the other hand, believe that mass media are seen as a way of entertaining the workers while drip feeding them ideologies & beliefs. They create stereotypes and dominant ideologies through the media. "57% of 9-19 year-olds had come into contact with pornographic material online." (Tanya Bryon 2008) This can be taken as a feminist Marxist perspective as it reinforces the portrayal of sexualising women. This is why women are still treated differently in different cases. For instance, a newspaper article on the guardian named 'Female technology journalists report abuse is still the name of the game' explained how women hide their gender on-line and 62% said they had experienced sexist abuse, compared with 50% of female journalists who reported similar attacks to the Women’s Media Foundation. It can be therefore said that whatever we watch the media are seen to promote a hegemonic ideology.

A pluralist could argue that the elite people are no longer powerful as they once were which is digital disruption. Nogroponte stated in 1997 that "the monolithic empires of mass media are dissolving into an array of cottage industries," which can be related to the news industry of today. News industries have been suffering a lot lately due to the audience being more involved with new/ digital media. The Sun recently learned this when they realised the paywall that was set up was making things worse people didn't want to pay for news due to the free content they can receive on-line. The Guardian recently published an article titled 'Sun website to scrap paywall'. The article explained how The Sun is poised to make a major U-turn by scrapping its paywall and offering most of its website content for free. Since relaxing its paywall strategy the Sun has increased its average daily browser numbers to about 1 million. The audience was able to change The Sun's methods in a small amount of time. This is why Rupert Murdoch said "the internet has given readers much more power...The world is changing and newspapers have to adapt".

Another point that a Marxist would make is that the elite people control what the audience consume through censorship and through the use of gatekeepers. They only allow content that they view as acceptable to be shown to the audience. As Marxists view capitalist society as being one of class domination, they insist that the audience don't get much a say on the final decision. An example of this would be the Ian Tomlinson case where, despite having proof of what really happened, the police officer got away with it showing that the ruling class has the power over the audience even when facts and proof are being shown. They have the power to decide what is just and unjust and have the power to control situations like these. It is to note that the traditional, hegemonic view of the police in this case, and overall, would be that they are in control and should project their own way of seeing the world so that those who are controlled by it, the public, must accept what they say as the truth.

A pluralist would bring out the point of social networks and the benefits it provides to the audience which in fact makes the audience more aware of the censorship occurring. Due to social networking sites such as Twitter, the audience can receive news from other people who produce this through citizen journalism 24/7 and it would be news that hasn't been censored in certain areas through broadcasting news. Not only does it give the truth to the people but also helps the audience to be helpful to one another instead of relying on the police's help. Going back to the recent Paris attack, many people were able to find out if friends or family were okay due to the hashtags used and a Facebook page which allowed French citizens to confirm if they were fine. James Murdoch described this as a "threat to the plurality and independence of news" as the audience are less and less relying on the news in order to be up-to-date on what's going on around the world.

Alain de Boton takes a Marxist approach on the news industry as he claims "too much information erodes the real priorities". He is suggesting that the audience is overloaded with so much information that they don't know what do with it; in turn this confuses them preventing them from questioning a specific story for too long. If David Cameron was to announce minimum wage is being reduced further it would create havoc however if they next day a bomb went off in London most of the audience's attention would be directed at this meaning they don't have a chance to question those who are of higher authority- it acts as a diversion technique according to Marxists.

To conclude, over the years, we cannot deny that the audience has gained some sort of power through the use of new/digital media especially in terms of production. However, consumption can still be argued as more dominant towards the elite people.

(20) Eiffel Tower meets peace sign in show of solidarity after attacks

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/eiffel-tower-peace-sign-solidarity-paris-artwork

Summary:

Arwork believed to by London-based French graphic artist goes viral, with photos posted on social media under slogan Peace for Paris. A simple sketch combing two of the world’s most familiar images – Paris’s Eiffel Tower and the symbol for peace – has been adopted as a sign of solidarity with victims of the terror attacks in Paris. The artwork has gone viral on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Social media has also been used to offer help to those caught up in the crisis. The hashtag #PorteOuverte (open door) was used by residents in the affected areas to offer shelter to those fleeing attacks. Soon the hashtag was trending globally alongside #PriezPourParis (Pray for Paris), #Solidarite and simply the word, #Paris. Facebook was soon offering some comfort by marking all friends in Paris locations “safe” as they checked into their pages.

Key data/statistical information:

• The image is said to have been designed by London-based French graphic artist, Jean Jullien.
• The image has been shared by high-profile users including Sir Elton John, footballer David Beckham, chef Jamie Oliver, One Direction singer Harry Styles, and singers Justin Bieber and Britney Spears.

What's my view?

I think that social media was a great aid in helping people to communicate and make sure friends and family who were in the area were safe. Even though it was not able to stop the disastrous event that took place last Friday, the audience was able to reassure certain people and encourage others who have lost friends or family in the attack through social media. 

(19) Sun website traffic recovers as Mirror slips back

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/12/sun-website-traffic-mirror

Summary:

The Sun website bounced back in October, adding more than 180,000 daily unique browsers to take its total to 1.29 million. This represented an increase of more than 16% after a 14% fall in September, according to the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Sun’s rise came as all five of the most popular national newspaper websites posted small declines, with the Independent and Mirror Group national titles the worst hit with falls of about 5%. Also, last month Trinity announced a £200m deal to buy out local newspaper group Local World, which will give it control of more than 80 further titles.

Key data/statistical information:

• News UK site boosted by 16% rise to 1.29 million daily unique browsers in October, as rival’s national titles fall by 4.9% to 3.7 million
• The Independent and Mirror Group national titles the worst hit with falls of about 5%
• Mirror parent company Trinity Mirror was buoyed slightly by growth from its network of regional newspapers, which saw a 2.6% rise in daily browsers, however the group as a whole was still down 2.2%
• The Guardian was down by 2.6% to 8.15 million daily unique browsers following a record month in September
• The fastest rising national newspaper website was Metro, which posted a 25% increase in daily unique browsers, taking it back up over the 1 million mark after it had shed almost half a million in the previous month
• The Daily Star website also saw a large increase after a bad September, of 9.35% to 623,977 daily browsers.

What's my view?

I think it is normal such changes in the news industry. We are most likely going to keep seeing such jurastic changes where the amount of people reading The Sun or The Guardian, for example, would decrease or increase. 

(18) Marketing 2020: next generation talent will be key to filling digital skills gap

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/nov/05/marketing-2020-generation-talent-digital-skills-gap

Summary:

The ideal marketers five years from now will be tech-savvy creatives with soft skills to deal with both clients and colleagues. Agencies understand the importance of digital skills and that shortages can impact on their sector. As a result, many do offer training to staff in order to stay competitive. This training is also regarded as key for staff retention. But some are going further, engaging with schools to train the next generation of talent. For the past two years, Carat UK has run its Discover Media programme in local schools to introduce GCSE and A-level students to media.

Key data/statistical information:

• UK consumers are the most enthusiastic online shoppers in Europe, with forecasts expecting them to spend more than £50bn this year.
• One of the other main shifts for marketers in the coming years is the increasing importance of mobile and video. Josh Krichefski, chief operating officer at MediaCom UK, said that video watched via mobiles has grown significantly and looks set to continue. The agency recently ran a campaign for Sky featuring Thierry Henry that was shared 21m times.

What's my view?

I think its a good idea to train the upcoming generation about technology and marketing. Its good as they are looking for young talent and they are looking to access larger pools of talent from different backgrounds to broaden the range of perspectives in the business.