Marxism & Pluralism - homework 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.

The development of new and digital media has transformed the abilities of audiences in terms of consumption and production. It could be argued that audiences have gained more power since the creation of the internet and the various platforms it provides, yet on the other hand this statement can also be defied.

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.

On the other hand, a Pluralist would claim that audiences are in fact much more powerful in terms of consumption and production than they have ever been. The audience are not, as a Marxist would argue, subordinate to the indoctrination and control of the status quo in the news, but instead the audience have the ability to “conform, accommodate and reject” (Gurvich) anything they consume through the media. The power of the audience can be reflected through citizen journalism and the UGC we can create. An example of this is the case of Rodney King, who was a victim of police brutality. The event was filmed by an onlooker from their apartment window and made it to prime-time news, and led to the charges of four police officers. This indicates at the power of the audience in terms of production, as we now have the capability as an audience to produce our own content and reach lengths that can bring justice or awareness to society.

The internet has been a major source in providing audiences with the ability to assert their freedoms of speech. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook has allowed users to express their views and opinions, while sites such as Youtube have allowed audiences to take part in the production of media’s.  The development of new and digital media has not only provided us a platform in which we can form personal relationships and identify ourselves (Katz and Blumer), but it has also allowed us to voice our opinions, which a pluralist would argue is one of the freedoms that the development of new/digital media technology has established.

The introduction of the internet has also allowed news institutions to widen the platforms they are on, making their news more accessible. Majority of the apps we use today have some form of news available such as Facebook or Snapchat due to this convergence that is taking place on mobile devices and apps, this gives the news industry a better opportunity to get their news to everyone, while also being an advantage for the audiences. Six in ten (59%) UK adults aged 16-24 say they use the internet or apps for news, compared to just under a quarter (23%) of those aged 55+ (Ofcom). The development of online and tailor-made news on apps such as Flipboard and Facebook suggests that audiences are more powerful in terms of consumption, as they have the capability to choose what news they want to read about and when.  

Recent world events such as Brexit and Donald Trump’s election suggest that dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged, which is an indication of the audience’s new found power within the development of digital media. The development of social media as a platform, for example Twitter, has allowed the oppressed to voice their opinions on Donald Trump, and the discontent at his election, which wouldn't have been possible at an election taking place in the 40's or 50's. Yet on the other hand, events such as Brexit can be used as an example to suggest that hegemonic values are still continuing to be reinforced. A portion of those who have voted to leave the EU regretted their choice after the votes came in, feeling as if they have been misled by the ruling class with false promises. A Marxist would say that this demonstrates the existence of hegemony within the media and the influence it can have on our opinions and even votes. What we perceive to be as "common sense" may not always be right choice, we just think it is. Therefore, there may be a limit to the internet as audiences can effectively still be subordinate to the elite despite the changes in consumption.

Overall, the development of new and digital media has greatly empowered audiences through providing them with greater platforms to express their opinions and assert their freedoms. However, the lengths of these freedoms can be argued as represented through the views of Marxists and Pluralists. 

Weekly news articles

Index on Censorship: journalists now under 'unprecedented' attack (23)

This article discusses the “unprecedented” wave of attacks that journalists around the world are facing, and the increasing hostility to the media which has led to assaults on individuals as well as press freedom. According to the article a series of crackdowns on media workers and news outlets in Europe and elsewhere has confirmed 2016 as one of the most dangerous times to be a journalist, according to the latest figures compiled by Index on Censorship. “Hostility to the media is increasing globally,” says senior advocacy officer at Index, Patry. “When the credibility and legitimacy of media outlets starts to be questioned it can easily spread and the sentiment easily becomes one of distrust.” 

The article also mentions the anti-press freedom laws introduced, in particular the recent Investigatory Powers Act in the UK, , which legalises a whole range of tools for snooping and hacking by the security services and allows the authorities to in effective identify journalists’ anonymous sources.

• As well as four murders, the Index report verified 54 incidents of physical assault, 107 arrests, 150 detentions and 112 reports of intimidation, which includes psychological abuse, sexual harassment, trolling or cyberbullying and defamation. 
• The work of journalists was censored or altered 29 times and media professionals were blocked from covering a story in 89 cases.
• More than 2,400 incidents threatening media freedom since the MMF launch in May 2014, which was launched mid concern over rising attacks on the media (Mapping media freedom)

I personally believe that the increase in attacks on journalists is a threat to freedom of press, and that we should encourage the population to value the news industry for what it is doing which is providing us with news and coverage on many issues that would otherwise go undetected.

What the latest sales figures tell us about the state of newsprint (24)

This article analyses the new statistics released by Audit Bureau of Circulations on newsprint circulation. For example the Guardian, may be at risk if it continues to lose 5% year-on-year. But, like the Financial Times, it has long been planning for a digital-only future. The gap between the Daily Mail and the Sun has also narrowed over the years and is now standing at 140,003. Similarly, there is also a struggle between the Sun on Sunday and the Mail on Sunday with the margin between them, 89,621.

Headline sales; (bulks); =total without bulks; year-on-year percentage differences

THE DAILIES

• Daily Telegraph 456,999 (20,901) =436,098 -3.79%
• The Times 437,352 (74,060) =363,292 +10.94%
• i 278,843 (68,501) =210,342 +1.53%
• Financial Times 194,152 (21,562) =172,590 -7.16%
• Guardian 157,778 -5.5%
• Daily Mail 1,510,824 (73,882) =1,436,942 -5.2%
• Daily Express 397,236 -3.4%
• The Sun 1,672,217 (95,272) =1,576,945 -7.38%
• Daily Mirror 756,142 (45,000) =711,142 -10.17%
• Daily Star 462,306 +7%

THE SUNDAYS

• Sunday Times 781,237 (75,992) =705,245 +1.96 %
• Sunday Telegraph 364,785 (24,913) = 339,872 +0.77%
• The Observer 188,65 -0.17%
• Mail on Sunday 1,315,977 (66,602) =1,249,375 -6.44%
• Sunday Express 349,220 -3.48%
• Sun on Sunday 1,437,208 (98,212) =1,338,996 -5.09%
• Sunday People 263,011 (7,000) =256,011 -12.72%
• Sunday Mirror 680,497 (45,000) =635,497 -15.03%
• Daily Star, Sunday 274,796 +1.43%

I generally do not find it surprising that there is a continuing downfall in newsprint readership as more users are opting for online news. However, the rises and falls in certain newspapers is quite interesting and something to look out for. 

Gone too far review and arguement

Review

Gone too far is an exciting, thought provoking and engaging film by Destiny Ekaragha’s which explores the intersections of black identity through the characters of British-Nigerian teenager Yemi (Malachi Kirby) and his naïve immigrant brother Ikuadyisi (OC Ukeje). The film is fast-paced and packed with schadenfreud, being set on a day around the estates and high streets of Peckham. Yemi’s brother, Ikuadyisi, gets into all sorts of trouble upon his arrival when they go by some Okra, a staple food of Nigeria, and Yemi’s attempts to impress loud mouthed local diva Armani (Shanika Warren Markland) leads to Ikuadyisi fending for himself on the streets of Peckham. The problems they face with the local gang, their mother and Armani highlights several racial issues while also providing slapstick humour for the audience. This low-key niche comedy explores the racial tensions and manners within the black community, where Yemi is torn between his Nigerian identity and his false identity. The degradation of African identities and the need for a West Indies identity to be socially accepted in the community are explored throughout several exhilarating scenes, and the character of Ikuadyisi epitomises the need for pride of African identities in the UK. As a whole, Gone too far is an insightful look into the misidentification within the black community, packaged to be full of excitement, pace and good humour, 

"This house believes that films featuring ethnic minorities should only be produced by those who have the ethnic identity being represented."

Films featuring ethnic minorities should only be produced by those who have the ethnic identity being represented, as they understand the cultural aspects and struggles of an ethnic group more than a producer who does not hold this identity. Ethnic minorities have often faced some form of discrimination, which is an experience that can be portrayed more efficiently through first hand experience rather than research. As much as a producer who is outside of this ethnic group may study and research on issues or stereotypes, they may not be able to reproduce this as accurately or portray the emotional factors as well as one who has been through it. Research may also not be 100% accurate, and their portrayal of ethnic minorities may come under negative light if it is not parallel to reality. A producer who believes they have been exposed to the struggles or cultural aspects of a certain ethnic minority can to some extent reproduce this, and this may appeal to the general audience, but I believe that this will not have greatest potential to grasp the ethnic minority audience as well as it could. Lastly, the industry is dominated by Caucasian ethnic groups, and by leaving certain ethnic identities to be presented by ethnic minorities the industry can grow to become more diverse. 

Weekly news articles

When bias is patently clear (22)

This article discusses the patent bias of many journalists and opinion piece writers when it came to the US election. The writer of the article states that the press are supposed to retain some impartiality and balance, yet in the US that wasn’t the case. Many media outlets carried their support for Clinton to delusional excess – such as the Huffingpost, which on the eve of the vote it eagerly boasted that the chances of a Clinton victory were a exaggerated to 98 per cent. Conrad Black, a newspaper publisher made a similar point about CNN. "For any disinterested observer it looked as though there was a deliberate editorial policy to favour Clinton in every way imaginable". According to the article the media has taken to being so left-leaning that its patent bias has become self-defeating for its own ‘help the left win’ goals. Wikileaks helped expose the 96 per cent or so bias towards Clinton of journalists, and polls revealed that the vast preponderance of Americans thought the media clearly favoured Clinton. The writer of the article also mentions the influence of celebrities, who were mainly in favour of voting for clinton "my guess is that every time a big star urged ‘the deplorables’ to vote Clinton the opposite happened and Trump gained a few thousand more votes.

I believe this article highlights the disillusionment within the media and the bias that is also taking place. Although many media outlets endorsed Clinton, which is percieved as a positive thing, it is simply just another form of bias it has only made the audience more oblivious to the real politics that is taking place. Social media and celebrities have also had a similar impact, due to social media simply being another echo chamber

Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news

1) I agree with Alain de Botton's view that we aren't taught how to ingest the news, and that there is an excess of news. This view is quite relevant in today's society as the majority of the population cannot distinguish between important news and soft new. we also have become quite desensitised as a society to hard news, in particular world news. As Botton as mentioned we lack empathy towards news which are related to disaster, and this is a result of the excess of news blurring the real priorities, and the lack of reporting on these countries prior to their crisis. I also agree with the fact that we as an audience are indoctrinated to see the status quo as common sense, this is a sign of the impact that the news agenda and news bias can have on the audience. 

2) Marxism and hegemony can both be linked to to de Bottons criticisms of the news. Botton criticises the news for breaking down the hierachy of news. The lack of distinction between soft news and hard news can be linked to the theory hegemony and how the ruling class are now imposing this soft news to "dumb us down". The news also disuades us from thinking that these stories keep coming round to make it seem fresh so it can continue getting money, which links to the marxist view of the news being run by the elite so they can continue to get richer and impose the status qou. The relationship between media and politics, can also be seen as having a negative impact, politics can easily manipulate the news agenda.

3)De Bottons views on the news can be challenged against the concept of pluralism. De Bottons claim that there is a lack of distinction between soft news and hard news can be challenged through the pluralistic idea of audiences having the free will choose what they want to watch and what they want to believe. A pluralistic would also disagree with Botton's belief that the news is continuing release the same archetypal stories to make money, and instead argue that the elite control the news to allow for there to be a flexibility in the news hence the reason for all types of news, whether soft or hard being published. 

4) 

News story that supports de Button's views 

Harry revisits paradise island he visited with Diana months before her death

News story that challenges his belief that the news is used for social control 

Tony Blair wonders what’s gone wrong with politics. How sad he can’t see it

This news story can be argued to challenge Bottons belief that the news is used for social control in particular by politics as this article is clearly criticizing a politician, which would be highly unlikely if the news was solely used for social control. 

Weekly news articles

City University students vote for campus ban on Sun, Mail and Express (21)

This article discusses the Student union at City of London University, which is known for its journalism school, vote to ban the newspapers in a motion titled "opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK Media" i.e. The Sun, The Daily Mail, and The Express. According to the writer of the article this motion is perceived as "embarassing". Less than 200 of the university’s 19,500 student population attended the meeting where the motion was passed to ban the newspapers “in their current form”. The motion added that the ban could be extended to other media organisations with the Sun, Daily Mail and Express titles “merely used as high-profile examples”.According to Index on Censorship chief executive, Jodie Ginsberg, the union should not be trying to dictate what students could read. “People should be free to choose what they read. Rather than banning things, we should be encouraging people to voice their objections to views and opinions they don’t like.

• In January, online publication Spiked released its latest free speech rankings for universities, finding that 90% of institutions were carrying out some form of censorship, up from 80% a year earlier.
• A survey in April found that almost two-thirds of UK students back the National Union of Students’ no platforming policy, which covers speakers from six groups including the BNP and Al-Muhajiroun, but allows individual unions to choose which speakers to bar.

As much as I agree with the students view on opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK I believe that banning these newspapers won't have the impact they are looking for, and that if one wants to boycott a newspaper they should do it individually. By banning newspapers the purpose of freedom of speech is breached, which is the purpose of journalism whether one agrees or not. It will also prevent readers from forming opinions and coming into contact with different views, which limits one's consciousness.

NDM Index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: how news consumption has changed
3) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
4) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
5) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions

NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) In regards to the Ian Tomlinson case, the traditional hegemonic view of the police would be that they have manipulated the values system of their roles as protectors of the population. New and digital media interpreted this case in several different manners, with the main being that the police were in the wrong for abusing their authority, The police officers subsequent acquittal suggests that new and digital media does have some significance in bringing justice, and that more and more people including traditional media outlets are depending on ordinary citizens to creating news.

2) The author argues that hegemony is being challenged by web 2.0 to an extent. In terms of the political aspects, the internet has given the people a potentially powerful tool to communicate with each other, and so to challenge their rulers. This was not possible a couple of decades ago. However, as governments can exert a large degree of control over the internet, the 'we media' concept on its own is not established to the degree where it can allow ‘people power’ to succeed. The internet has loosened official control, but not eradicated it.It has instead shifted the balance of power between Web 2.0 and the producers.

3) I believe that new and digital media in some form does reinforce dominant hegemonic views, but that there now more opportunities for the audience to challenge them through social media platforms such as Twitter and come in contact with alternative views. The majority of traditional forms of media reinforce the views of the dominant higher class, as they are owned by large conglomerates that are run by the elite. Therefore, it could be argued that the population are under hegemonic rule, and that the news maintains status quo.

4) Recent world events such as Brexit and Donald Trumps election do suggest that dominant hegemonic ideologies are slightly being challenged. Social media has allowed the oppressed to voice their opinions on Donald Trump, and the discontent at his election, which wouldn't have been possible at an election taking place in the 40's or 50's. Yet on the other hand, events such as Brexit suggest that hegemonic values are still continuing to be reinforced. A portion of those who have voted to leave the EU regretted their choice after the votes came in, feeling as if they have been mislead by the ruling class with false promises. This demonstrates the existence of hegemony within our society, as what we perceive to be as "common sense" may not always be right choice, we just think it is.

Weekly news articles

Donald Trump: How the media created the president (19)

This article discusses whether Donald Trumps candidacy is evidence of the failure of journalism, and the impact that the news industry may have on audiences. Large parts of the audience liked watching Donald Trump due to the shock and controversy he brought with him, rather than being appalled. According to the article, journalism failed to tell the real story, thus putting Trump at a greater advantage.Furthermore, the increase of headlines that bring clicks i.e. clickbait and stories that get shared has had a huge impact, Trump was simply more entertaining and generating more passion, therefore this has aided him in gaining more support and appreciation from the audience due to there being more entertaining articles on him. Regardless of these views, it is evident that the news industry has a moral purpose, and that TV is still the most powerful medium.

I believe there is some truth in this article as audiences were too consumed in social media to get a real understanding of Donald Trump and his proposals. Trump's entertaining image on social media has led to some- ridicule, but this hasn't stopped actual voters from voting for him, the echo-chamber of social media has hidden the actual amount of true supporters for Trump. Additionally, some news institutions have not taken Trump as a candidate seriously, and did not report real news on him as they have had on Hilary.

Campaigners claim victory after Lego stops Daily Mail promotions (20)

This article discusses Lego's decision to not run any more promotional giveaways with the Daily Mail. This marks the first success for a campaign to stop companies advertising in newspapers that run “divisive hate campaigns”. Lego has been running toy giveaways for the past three years with the Daily Mail, one of several newspapers the campaigners want businesses to stop funding through advertising, claiming it promotes “hatred, discrimination and demonisation”. This has led to open discussions on the responsibilities of newspapers and whether advertising companies have the right to comment on a newspapers content 

• Hate crimes have surged by 42% in England and Wales since Brexit result

Personally I believe that Lego has made the right choice in pulling out of the Daily Mail as they do not deserve to be funded for spewing hatred. I believe there is a difference between being a rightwing newspaper, and the Daily Mail is unprofessional for going beyond it.

NDM: News values

Galtung and Ruge (1981) defined a set of news values to explain how journalists and editors decided that certain stories and photographs were accepted as newsworthy, while others were not. 

Immediacy: has it happened recently? 

Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?

Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people? 

Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly? 

Unambiguity: is it clear and definite? 

Predictability: did we expect it to happen? 

Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event? 

Continuity: has this story already been defined as news? 

Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people? 

Negativity: is it bad news? 

Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death. 

Weekly news articles

Telegraph paywall initiative is an interesting strategic shift (17)

This article discusses the Telegraph Media Group (TMG) move to introduce a paywall for “premium content”. This move suggests to audiences that news industries are now implying that they should pay for its journalism and, more importantly, that its journalism is worth paying for. In the past, the Telegraphs metered model, which allowed eight free items to be read each week, was relatively easy to circumvent (by clearing cookies). But the new hard paywall will prevent any circumvention and it shows a determination by TMG to persuade its audience that they must pay a subscription. The Telegraph website also saw the restoration of the below-the-line comments, which can be seen as a way of helping to build a community. The columnist of this article believes that innovation is essential and that the key to journalism’s future lies in finding a funding model that works.

• 82% of the Telegraphs digital readers access content through mobile devices, a huge increase on the situation a year ago when it is thought the total was not much more than 50%.

I believe this is a new interesting scheme that may work for the Telegraph as the entire website isn't under a paywall, only the premium section is. It could possible work as the readers of the Telegraph mostly consist of the higher socio-economic groups, therefore paying for a paywall won't be such an issue for them.

Attorney general defends judges criticised over Brexit ruling (18)

This article discusses Wright’s statement in which he has defended the judges in the Brexit case. This statement comes after the negative media coverage by the Daily Mail and other newspapers, which labelled the three judges in the high court article 50 case “enemies of the people”. The implications of media coverage is highlighted, as some believe that political leaders have a duty to stand up to the sectors of the media that are stirring up hatred. The health minister, Jeremy Hunt, who appeared on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, defended the right of newspapers to criticise the judges involved in the high court ruling. “There are plenty of times when I haven’t liked the tone of the Daily Mail, there are plenty of times I don’t like the tone of the BBC but that is democracy,” he said. “I would defend to the hilt the right of newspapers within the law to write what they like and to criticise politicians.”

I personally do believe that newspapers have a right to criticise politicians and in this case certain rulings as it is a form of freedom of spech. However, this has to be done in a considerable manner as there is a difference between fuelling and influencing hatred from the the general public and criticising.

NDM News: Citizen journalism and hyper-reality

examples

• The case of Rodney King, who was a victim of police brutality. The event was filmed by an onlooker from their apartment window and made it to prime-time news, and led to the charges of four police officers.
• The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 is another example. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists
• who provided on-the-spot witness accounts of events as they unfolded.
• The London bombings, the people who were caught up in this attack provided the majority of footage from this event
• The Hudson river plane crash made it into the news due to a twitpic of the plane crash

theory (audience reception etc.)

• Uses and Gratifications theory - Personal identifcation

benefits to institutions

• Free access to potential news content through social media, they can also engage with the audience more easily

benefits to audience

• They now become the producers of content, also makes the news more interesting as there is first-hand footage which is appealing to the audience.
• Access to news on a wider scale, it is now available through social media sites

wider issues and debates


Without moderation sites could be overrun by bigots. The risk of being dominated by defamatory or racist or other hate-fuelled content may increase with unmoderated content

SHEP

1. Historical - By 1991, video cameras have become more common and more people could afford them
2. Social - Audiences now take footage of almost everything that is happening, more engagement between the institutions and audiences
3. Economical - news companies do not need to spend as much on gathering footage and instead focus on the aftermath, most of the action is recorded by the audience
4. Political - News is less biased, raw footage of the action usually shows all perspectives but this could be challenged

3) A citizen journalist is someone who plays an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. This can be done through footage collected by a citizen journalist and the distribution of it on social media.

4) One of the first examples of news being generated by 'ordinary people' is the case of Rodney King, who was a victim of police brutality. The event was filmed by an onlooker from their apartment window and made it to prime-time news, and led to the charges of four police officers.

5) Most news organisations now include formats for participation such as message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled. Social media sites are also built around UGC.

6) The main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand is firstly the quality. Professionally shot footage has clarity whereas first-hand footage is usually shakey and not of the greatest quality. Professionally shot footage can easily be biased due to editors cutting out parts they don't want and changing the narrative, although first-hand footage can also have the potential for this it is unlikely. First-hand footage tends to have more action and nothing is censored whereas professionally shot footage can be censored. 

7) A gatekeeper is someone who processes information so it can filtered for the mass audience, whether for publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication.

8) The role of the gatekeeper has changed due to the audience's becoming producers of the news, leading to a smaller amount of gatekeepers to process UGC. Additionally, bigger institutions have been buying up social networking sites for the last few years, meaning they can have access to UGC content more easily, making the use of gatekeepers almost irrelevant.

9) One of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC is the fact that there may be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations. Some also believe that the mediators and moderators of news might eventually disappear too, leaving a world where the media is unmediated. This can also lead to the risk of news dominated by unprofessionals or other hate-fuelled journalists.

news stories

New and digital media is having an impact on news stories due to the engagement between audiences and the news industry. The audience have a role in producing stories i.e. citizen journalism, for example viral tweets that have the potential to be breaking news has led to the increase of journalists who are now on social media to find stories such as these. Furthermore, with the shift to news online, audiences can share and comment on stories.

the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)

I believe there has been a change in the news agenda. To bring in larger audiences many news companies are attempting to provide stories that induce moral panic and more shocking content. This brings in a larger audience due to bad news selling the most rather than good news.

the role of professionals in news

The roles of professionals in the news is decreasing due to the reliance on the audience producing the news. Majority of the footage in the news is citizen based.

Hyper-reality

examples

• Cinema
• TV
• The internet
• Social networking

theories

• Baudrillards theory on hyper-reality, inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced post-modern society.

positive aspects of new technology

• social networking sites offer the opportunity to enter a hyper-real utopia in which all participants are equal because the signifiers of social belonging and the invocations of prejudice no longer matter.

negative aspects of new technology on audiences and society

• Society is becoming alienated from itself
• New technology can be seen as cause for society's decay

wider issues and debates

• Post-modern culture and the advancement of technology, whether it is a positive aspect of today's society or whether it is actually having an negative impact on society.

3) Snapchat, users can instantly send images and videos to anyone around the world much more easily than through texting
Instagram, a website that is specifically for photos. Audiences can follow each other and focus on photos only
Twitter, users can comment their views, thoughts and ideas very quickly. News can be accessed more easily through twitter and everything is more fast-paced.

4) Live streaming services such as periscope and facebook life fit into the idea of the 'digital renaissance' because it is an advancement in new technology, users can easily record their surroundings to a wide range of audiences efficiently and quickly. As a result the users become producers of the media. However, there can also be a form of hyper-reality which isn't necessarily always a positive concept as audiences won't be able to easily distinguish reality from a simulation of reality.

5) I believe that we can link the 'digital renaissance' to our case study on the news as the emergence of citizen journalism is an advancement to technology. Citizen journalism can be seen as an example of hyper-reality as the footage may possibly not provide all perspectives thus making the audience unable to distinguish the truth over false images, but it can also be argued to making news more accurate and closer to real life as audiences now have more realistic footage on an event.

Weekly news articles

Netflix's glittering Crown could leave BBC looking a little dull (15)

This article discusses about the two-series biopic written by Peter Morgan (the writer of the film The Queen) and how it will not be airing on the BBC; instead it will be on the subscription service Netflix from Friday 4 November. Netflix has been best known for US commissions such as House of Cards and Stranger Things, but its move into British dramas such as these demonstrates the changing nature of the television industry. The article suggests that the BBC faces increasing competition from better resourced, international rivals. Cohen, the BBC’s then head of television, has admitted that the corporation “couldn’t compete with the amount of money that Netflix were prepared to pay” for “a classic BBC subject”. Netflix, by contrast, committed to spending a £100m budget within 40 minutes of sitting down to discuss the drama.

• Netflix is one of the highest growing Online Movie streaming services in the world; The Company has now over 75 Million subscribers from over 190 countries. The financial growth of Netflix is also phenomenal; the Revenue of Netflix for the year 2015 was $6.7Billion.

I believe that the services Netflix provides for its audience will have an impact on the BBC, which depends on the public to provide it with the money needed to buy such films. Netflix doesn't have to follow a charter and can get revenue in several ways unlike the BBC, so this will ultimately lose out on such films that are regarded as BBC classics. This is simply the way the industry works.  

Back to the future: were newspaper publishers wrong to go digital? (16)

This article discusses how the “digital first” strategy has been having a negative impact on newspaper companies and calls for “a critical re-examination of unchecked assumptions about the future of newspapers”. Chyi and Tenenboim studied the online readership of 51 leading US regional newspapers and compared 2011 online readerships with those in 2015.

and have discovered that more than half of them had lost online readers in the course of the four years. However,  according to the article if newspapers change their strategies they will not be completely doomed. According to Shafer, the standard view in the newspaper industry has been that print newspapers will eventually evolve into online editions and reconvene the mass audience newspapers. However this is not happening. Readers continue to leave print newspapers, but they’re not migrating to the online editions. Shafer sees “conventional newspapers as the best source of information about the workings of our government, of industry, and of the major institutions that dominate our lives”

• US newspaper industry digital advertising revenue increased from $3bn to only $3.5bn from 2010 to 2014.
• Although print revenues plunged from $22.8bn to $16.4 bn over the same period, they still represented 82% of total newspaper revenue.

This article has personally changed my viewpoint on the digital first strategy as it outlines the complications that come with it. I believe that newspapers are the best source of information and accountability journalism, and that the digital first strategy may be having an impact on the gatekeepers of journalism who are able to provide us with reliable news.