presentation notes

The growth of Spotify 

• 100 million users (2016)
• Based on an access rather than own model - easier
• However, it threatens CD/DVD sales, which saw revenue fall by £8.7m
• Theories: Paeretos law, only the top artists get listened to the most
• Cultural imperialism - there is the promotion of predominately American music

Instagram

• 150 million users
• 59% of users are 18-29 years old
• UGC based - we construct our own identities
• Americanisation is prominent on instagram
• Marxists argue that Instagram encourages capitalism

Gaming industry

• Consumption has essentially stayed the same
• UGC not prominent in industry
• Theories that can be applied: techno panic/ katz and blumler escapism
• Social media is used to promote the games E.g twitter to post daily updates
• GTAV fastest selling game ever, $1bn in 3 days

Donald Trump and the media

• Elections focused on narratives than actual information
• Social media is argued to have diluted politics
• Main issues that have been raised during elections - Fake news, Russian intervention
• Opinion leaders were prominent in elections

The documentary genre

• Audience - transformed from cinema to domestic viewing
• Documentaries have to trend to get an audience reach
• Docu-dramas - easier narrative
• Youtube is endangering the documentary genre as audiences create their own documentaries
• Modern documentaries go straight to netflix rather than cinemas and dvd 

Film viewing/distribution

• Netflix is cheaper: 1 cinema trip = 7 months of netflix
• Older generations are not familar with VoD so dont mind going cinema
• But there is a lower quality, issue of internets
• Marxist would argue power lays with the distributors
• Streaming industry is taking over industry wide

Netflix streaming

• Company founded in 1999
• Profile system makes it more personalised
• Americanisation is accelerated as most shows from netflix are influenced by American culture
• Social media is used to promote shows on Netflix
• Audience are mainly C1C2DE

Snapchat

• Snapchat is the third most popular social network
• Had a positive impact as its a new method of communication
• Snapchat and news merging, stories feature
• "Snapchat will be bigger than Twitter, Yahoo and AOL with advertisers"
• However has flaws such as dangerous to use, health and safety risks come with it if people are not aware of surroundings

Weekly articles

Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales creates news service Wikitribune (65)

This article discusses Jimmy Wales plan of a new news service that combines the work of professional journalists and volunteers. "Wikitribune" aims to have "factual and neutral" articles that help combat the problem of "fake news". Wikitribune will be ad-free and free-to-read, but will rely on supporters making regular donations.Mr Wales believes that the advertising-based model used by most of the media had led it to "chase clicks", which affected standards, thus the reason to why he decided to go for an entirely new model. This however isnt only reinventing the commercial model for journalism but also its reinventing the editorial one too. Wikitribune will be based on the work of both journalists and volunteers. News has traditionally been selected by editors, who are gatekeepers and curators. But Wales, who is the founding editor of this publication, doesn't see it like that. "It's more a management role than editorial vision or pursuing an agenda," The fact that people are willing to pay for high-quality news highlights the potential of Wikitribune. Wales cited New York Times subscriptions and Guardian membership as examples, suggesting that Wikitribune may be a success if done right.

I find the concept of Wikitribune interesting as it is innovative and different to traditional forms of media outlets, I am not sure if Wikitribune will be able to conquer the issue of fake news, but believe it highlights a new era for media outlets due to the new model it is based on. 

US government drops effort to unmask anti-Trump Twitter account (66)

This article discusses how the US government has backed down from its attempt to unmask an anonymous Twitter account that criticized the Trump administration, which was a victory for free speech advocates. Twitter sued the Department of Homeland Security to block its effort to gain identifying information about an anonymous account which a day later saw the attorneys from the justice department withdraw their disputes. This was seen as a victory by free speech advocates who had reacted with outrage to the fact that government officials were targeting anonymous dissidents, which could be argued to be a breach to rights, as we should all have the rights to criticise whether it is anonymously or not. The account is one of dozens of “alternative” Twitter accounts that have sprung up since Trump’s inauguration. The accounts express the views of dissenting civil servants within various federal agencies, but they are generally anonymous and unverifiable. The president’s ongoing hostility to both the press and his critics, alongside this case continue to raise concerns for free speech advocates, as some see the future as threatened due to Trumps presidency. 

Personally I find it quite surprising that a lawsuit was opened, and that this foreshadows the threats to come towards social media and freedom of speech. However, this is a victory for not only free speech advocates but also technological companies and the press, which are under threat as demonstrated by Trumps criticisms. 

Powerpoint

weekly articles

Facebook killing video puts moderation policies under the microscope, again (63)

This article discusses the recent murder of a 74 year old grandfather, Mr.Godwin, that was livestreamed on Facebook. The case has raised questions about the social networking site’s ability to moderate content, particularly when there is an active crime unfolding. Within the manifesto posted by Zuckerberg around 2 months ago, he explained how that his company is researching systems that use artificial intelligence to look at photos and videos to flag content for review. Perhaps this software may be useful in the future to tackle this issue. However, this is not the first time that Facebook has amplified a crime in real time. Last month a 15-year-old girl was raped by multiple people in Chicago, an attack that was streamed on Facebook Live. In January three men were arrested in relation to a similar incident involving the live-streamed rape of a woman in Sweden. Last year 23-year-old Korryn Gaines used Facebook to broadcast a standoff with police in Baltimore, which ended in the mother of one being shot and killed. This highlights how the social media site can easily be manipulated for dangerous uses. Essentially, social media removes the gatekeepers between performance and distribution.

I believe that more should be done about crimes taking place while livestreaming, as the platform is constantly being manipulated in a dangerous manner. Hopefully, the software that Facebook are developing will be useful, but I personally believe there should be some form of traditional gatekeeping. 

Journalism faces a crisis worldwide – we might be entering a new dark age (64)

This article discusses the threats that journalism faces in the age of new and digital media, and issues such as fake news and opposition from figures such as Trump. According to the article, traditional newsrooms which provided most original journalism are declining, news media in the past was much more simpler: gather an audience by providing content, including news. However, with the internet becoming the new dominant force how we consume our news has changed. The audience no longer assemble in the same concentrations. The family no longer gathers around the news on television. Most homes have multiple screens and news is absorbed as it happens. As the writer calls it “Appointment television” is nearly dead, at least for those under 50. The article continues to go on about how publishers and broadcasters have moved online, but how the advertising model had failed. Ads on websites earn a fraction of the amount that used to be charged for the equivalent in a newspaper or during a program break. Fake news is another issue, which seems to be damaging journalism. The article suggests that the nature of journalistic work has changed due to many journalists now work aggregating or producing digital content, never leaving their desks. Overall, the article suggests that social media companies will begin to invest in quality content, while traditional forms of media continue to decline. 

• It is now estimated that of every dollar spent on advertising in the western world, 90 cents ends up in the pockets of Google and Facebook.

I agree with the article in terms of how traditional forms of news are declining, and how we are entering a new era where news is much more experimental. I do believe that good journalism is under threat and more should be done to preserve it. 

weekly articles

Facebook and Twitter could pay the price for hate speech (61)

According to this article, the German government has recently published a draft law that will impos fines of up to €50m on social network sites that fail to remove hate speech, fake news and other undesirable content from their platforms. The German government have decided that social media companies will have to explain rules and complaint procedures clearly to their users and follow up on each complaint. Content that is illegal will also have to be taken down within 24 hours, while other law-breaking content must be taken down or blocked within seven days. The draft law comes after the belief that the big internet companies aren’t taking their responsibilities seriously. This signifies the evolving struggle between democracy and digital technology, where social network platforms determine what people read, see and hear. With the growing powers of social media, the article suggests that there is a sense of responsibility that should come with it, for example research has found that the majority of Americans said they get news via social media, and half of the public turned to social media to learn about the 2016 presidential election. This doesn’t mean that people get all of their news from Facebook and Twitter, but it does highlight how owners of big internet platforms have acquired some of the power that has traditionally been ascribed to print and broadcasters.

I believe that the government is taking a big step in protecting the general public while on social media, as many of these companies have found ways to bypass implementing actual strong changes until recently. The fines are quite high, and some do argue that this is breach of many freedoms as what one may consider as hateful is not to another. 

Revealed: the more time that children chat on social media, the less happy they feel (62)

This article discusses a study that has revealed how children who spend more time on online social networks feel less happy in nearly all aspects of their lives. Researchers have found how the more time children spend chatting on social media sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Instagram, the less happy they feel about their school work, the school they attend, their appearance, their family and their overall life. However, the study has found that they do feel happier about their friendships. Social networking has transformed childhoods dramatically in the past decade and is becoming a concern for politicians and organisations which are responsible for safeguarding children. As a whole, the research suggests that going online makes children more likely to make negative social comparisons with others, which results in these insecurities. 

• Economists found that spending just one hour a day on social networks reduces the probability of a child being completely happy with his or her life overall by around 14%.
•  More than 90% of 16- to 24-year-olds use online social networks and while most sites stipulate a minimum user age of 13, few apply any checks. 
• A BBC survey found that more than three-quarters of 10- to 12-year-olds have social media accounts. A report by the media watchdog Ofcom found that more than half of children aged as young as three and four use a tablet while one in seven has their own device.
• The amount of time that children between eight and 11 and those aged 12-15 spend online has more than doubled in a decade

I am not surprised by the result of these statistics as the impact of social media on the youth is known to be negative. However the statistics highlight how grave this issue is and how more should definitely be done to improve the lives of the youth.

weekly articles

Facebook to offer users tips on spotting fake news (59)

This article discusses how millions of Facebook users will soon be offered tips for spotting fake news as part of the social network’s latest attempt to address concerns about its role in the spread of false information. There will be a new “educational tool”, a “signals” tracker for user behaviour and third-party fact checkers to make misinformation less prominent on the social network. Facebook will now be using third-party fact checkers such as Snopes and PolitiFact to limit the spread of stories. However, signals which will affect the ranking of articles in the news feed, such as whether a someone is less likely to share a story after they have read it, could affect legitimate publishers including established newspapers, as well as controversial digital outlets such as rightwing US site Breitbart.  There will be a large post at the top of users feeds with messages such as “it is possible to spot false news” and links to 10 tips for identifying misinformation including checking web addresses and being skeptical about headlines which make shocking claims. According to the article educational measures are necessary to help people evaluate fake news that made it into news feeds while also encouraging a more critical approach towards certain articles, Facebook has defined fake news as "articles that set out to deceive, contain objectively provable falsehoods and pretend to be from a “legitimate” news site". The social networking site has recently been criticised for being slow to take responsibility for its role in spreading misinformation, for example during the US election when fabricated stories about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were read and shared by millions. Governments have also indicated a willingness to ensure technology companies take more responsibility for the what appears on their platforms. For example, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel backed legislation that could lead to fines of up to €50m if social networks refuse to remove illegal content or don’t give users an effective way to report hate speech and fake news.

From reading this article it is clear that Facebook is attempting to defeat their issue of fake news with effective approaches. I believe that by educating users it will have a greater impact and that this would work well alongside with the third party features. 

BBC urged to stand firm against accusations of Brexit bias (60)

This article discusses how 80 senior politicians have written to the BBC urging it to stand against allegations of bias over its Brexit coverage, which has come under scrutiny in the past. According to the article this letter is a response to concerns about political pressure on the broadcaster, after about 70 MPs, who are mostly sympathetic to Brexit, signed a letter published in the Daily Mail and the Telegraph claiming that the BBC was being too pessimistic about Britain’s opportunities once it leaves the the EU. The letter states that they “expect the BBC to defend its independence and report impartially, robustly and fearlessly on all issues relating to Brexit and not succumb to any pressure to skew its coverage one way or another.” The pair of letters, where one attacking the BBC, and another defending it highlight the tense atmosphere in which talks are set to get under way, and also the impact of the news on politics

I believe that the BBC should continue to report impartially and that although politics is inevitably linked to the news it should not have such a great impact on it. The letters are both interesting in demonstrating the impact of the news on Brexit and how it has shaped current events.