(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. 

(17) BBC shelves plans to shut news channel

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/06/bbc-shelves-plans-to-shut-news-channel

 

 

Summary:

 

The BBC is understood to have shelved plans to potentially shut its 24-hour news channel.

The corporation has been exploring plans to make the BBC News TV channel online-only

and replacing it with a mobile streaming service if further cuts need to be made.

It is understood that director general Tony Hall, who launched BBC News 24 and BBC News Online and went on to hold the post of chief executive of the news operation, was personally involved in the decision process. It is understood that the BBC Trust has also seen the outcome of the review of the cost-benefit analysis of potentially shutting the channel and similarly believe the case is not strong. In September, Hall outlined plans to move towards a mobile-focused streaming news service, called BBC Newstream, which would deliver more video-based stories “complemented by audio, graphics and text live from BBC News”. The BBC declined to comment.

 

Key data/statistical information:

• Corporation review into cost benefits of making channel online-only understood to show savings would only have been around £16m a year
• The total costs associated with running the channel are in excess of £110m a year, including production, newsgathering, content, distribution and infrastructure.
• It is understood a review of the cost benefits of closing the TV channel found that it was likely to only save perhaps £15m to £16m annually, not as big a saving as expected.

What's my view?

I think that it in the future, this potentially could happen due to the increase in new and digital media. The new and upcoming generation would be more intrigued with news being on-line.

NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

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

 The traditional, hegemonic view of the police in this case 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. So when they said that police medics and an ambulance crew tried to save his life after he collapsed but were marred by protesters throwing missiles as first aid was administered, they expected the audience to believe what they said as true. 

However new and digital media created a different story as a New York lawyer sent a video that he had made to the Guardian which was then published on its websites and made available on YouTube. The video showed a different story because it showed that the police's version was not true as the policeman Simon Harwood was seen on the video attacking Tomlinson.

The fact that the police officer got away with it shows that the ruling class has the power over the people 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. 

2) What does the author argue regarding whether hegemony is being challenged by Web 2.0?

The author suggests that Web 2.0 has not switched power from the producers to the audience just yet but the balance has shifted. We no longer have to rely on the token access that traditional media offered us and now we can produce texts ourselves. The author claims that it is to still too early to say that hegemony is being challenged by web 2.0 as it is only the early days of user-generate content. Over the next few years, it may be able to offer a larger impact especially upon the internet. Injustices can be challenged more easily; but the problem of political, and legal, controls will be harder to surmount.

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

Personally, I think that new and digital media gives the audience a platform to challenge them. As seen with the Ian Tomlinson case, the ruling class did not state the truth and even when a user-generated video was posted and viewed by the world, no one was brought to justice. However this was back in 2009. If we take back further we can see that in the case of Blair Peach in April 1979, no one has been charged with his case due to the lack of new and digital media to provide proof. Nowadays it is getting easier to challenge the hegemonic views because more and more user-generated news is being provided. The balance is now shifting as the police are now being forced by the public slightly to compromise and bring justice and truth. Since technology has evolved into something great, user-generated videos are now clear and provide enough evidence to show justice and show the wrongdoings of the dominant view. Due to this, more and more of the audience have the opportunity to challenge the dominant hegemonic view by posting videos on YouTube or sending them to certain newspapers so that that everything that the elite people say is not viewed as the total truth and that the lies that are covered are coming into the light. 

Article Index

(1)- Amazon launches gaming and 4K streaming Fire TV update

(2)- The Media Column: British TV is being bought up and outgunned by the Americans, leaving the BBC with a dilemma

(3)- BuzzFeed to cover more local news as it expands UK editorial team

(4)- Social media 'rehab': Is a 24/7 texting helpline really the best method?

(5)- Music streaming just became a billion-dollar industry

(6)- Forty percent of US millennials still pay for news, poll finds

(7)- Meryl Streep defends feminist credentials as Suffragette opens London film festival

(8)- Richard Desmond boosts Daily Star sales with price cut

(9)- Female technology journalists report abuse is still the name of the game

(10)- News Corp offers Times and WSJ digital bundle for corporate users

(11)- Why the future of newspapers is not all doom and gloom

(12)- Map shows parts of UK most excluded from digital world

(13)- Sun website to scrap paywall

(14)- Freedom of Information Act must be strengthened, says Tom Watson

(15)- Can dropping the paywall and upping the story count boost Sun’s website?

(16)- Kate Winslet says children being harmed by social media

(17)- BBC shelves plans to shut news channel

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

(19)- Sun website traffic recovers as Mirror slips back

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

(16) Kate Winslet says children being harmed by social media

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/01/kate-winslet-says-children-being-harmed-by-social-media

 

 

Summary:

 



Co-star of new Steve Jobs film says she is worried by the addictive qualities of devices Apple has created. Parents are “losing control” of their children to social media, award-winning British actor Kate Winslet has said, adding the she has banned her own from using such sites over fears their self-esteem is being damaged. Winslet said social media made her blood boil and said it has a huge impact on young women’s self-esteem. “Because all they ever do is design themselves for people to like them. And what comes along with that? Eating disorders.” Her harshest criticism was reserved for families who are glued to mobile devices when out together. She said: “You go to a cafe and grown-ups are at one end of the table and children the other, on devices, not looking up.”

Key data/statistical information:

• In an interview with The Sunday Times, the Revolutionary Road star, 40, said parents should confiscate technology from their offspring – who she said may turn to social media for validation from strangers.
• The mother of three called for parents to take mobile devices out of the hands of their young.
• Winslet added she was troubled by the addictive quality of the devices that Jobs created. People “practically kiss them goodnight” she said.

What's my view?

I agree that this generation is to obsessed with social media and technology. Kids no longer play outside as they find it more interesting to stay indoors all day on-line. However, I also think it is too late to try and change things. It will be hard to remove technology and media from the lives of young people today.

(15) Can dropping the paywall and upping the story count boost Sun’s website?

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2015/nov/01/sun-website-paywall-rebekah-brooks-tony-gallagher

 

Summary:

 

Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul previously known for his refusal to give editorial content away free, has bowed to the inevitable by dismantling the Sun’s paywall. It was a flawed decision at its inception in 2013 and has proved to be disastrous ever since. Even a partial lifting of the wall in July made little difference. It was significant the Sun’s digital audience slipped backwards in September compared to August, suggesting opening the odd door in the wall had failed to keep stimulating interest. Meanwhile, the paper’s rivals have continued to prosper. Overall, 2015 has been a momentous year for the Sun. It began with the scrapping of Page 3 girls. By late summer, all but one of its staff charged in connection with payments to public officials had been cleared. Its former chief executive had returned. It gained a new editor. And Murdoch, ever the pragmatist, changed his mind about the efficacy of charging for online access.

Key data/statistical information:

• Although the revenue garnered from the Sun’s £7.99 monthly subscription for website access proved lucrative, it had the effect of locking the paper out from the online national conversation.
• 30 November, the day when the paywall is demolished

What's my view?

I think that the Sun is taking a positive turn especially if they want to have a successful future. It tended to frustrate non-paying visitors to the website who were uncertain what was, and was not, freely available.