(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