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.