MEdia HW Essay.

Firstly, with developments in technology, there is an increase of user generated content therefore empowering audiences in terms of the production of media. With the smartphone being embedded in our lives, there is the rise of citizen journalism. An example of this is seen with Paul Ronzheimer when he was able to broadcast refugees talking about their experiences and get inside stories. This especially fascinating because he filmed on his iPhone camera. He said that he was able to get footage that a camera crew wouldn't get. This is a prime example of how user generated content is something that is very powerful because it allows news that would often be concealed to be put out for everyone to see thus showing that audiences are able empowered especially with the production of media. Furthermore, with the rise of citizen journalism, crimes that would have previously gone unreported would now be reported. This is seen in the case of Ian Tomlinson. The initial statement that the police gave was, "The police was alerted that a man had collapsed, and were attacked by 'a number of missiles' as they tried to save his life."  However, through the advancements in digital technology, fellow protestors were able to capture the episode where Tomlinson was assaulted on their mobile exposing the truth of his death. This example amplifies that with the advancements of technology, audiences are able to bring justice and to expose the reality therefore demonstrating that audiences are empowered by the enhancing of digital media. 

Moreover, through the developments in digital media, the internet has given audiences a new freedom, thus empowering them. Online, there is often the ability to comment, like and repost. These services allow audiences to 'conform, accommodate or reject' therefore showing that audiences are empowered. Moreover, through social media services such as Twitter and Facebook, users can choose who's content they want to reader as well as block the content that they don't want to see through following and blocking. This furthers the notion that audiences can 'reject' and are able to mediate their content to which ever suits them. This exhibits that these developments cultivate a "culture of freedom" therefore portraying that audiences are empowered. Also, social media allows users to post whats on their mind. With this function, audiences are able to express their freedom of speech thus showing that they are given the ability to influence and to pressure certain people such as politicians. This shows how these developments in digital media have in fact empowered audiences.

However, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that content online is mediated by authorities therefore showing that audiences are given an illusion of freedom. An example of this is seen with Brazilian blogger, Italo Eduardo Diniz. On Friday 13 November, he was shot dead after receiving threats about his work. On his blog he often criticised local authorities and on his programme, he dealt with alleged corruption by politicians and police. This challenges the notion that "Rebellion is encapsulated in the internet" and freedom of speech. With Diniz' assassination because of his critiques of the government and authority, it shows that there is only so much one can say and once the boundaries have been crossed, there will be punishment. Moreover, it shows that the Marxian ideology is predominant as in this example, it shows the elite keeping those who are in the middle class in their place. Another example of this is CNN suspending a journalist because she published a tweet disapproving of the House of Representatives passing a bill regarding Syrian refugees. This accentuates that ultimately, if the authorities don't like what were saying, they'll will punish us. This therefore argues that developments are not empowering because audiences still have people to answer to and are not granted their freedom of speech.   

Finally, through the increased popularity of the internet due to the developments in digital media, numerous broadcasts online could be false and misleading therefore showing that developments are not empowering for audiences. Information online isn't subject to proofreading which could therefore lead to instances where users are misled. Prime examples of this are the numerous celebrity deaths that were hoaxed on Twitter. A cluster of big names were involved with this scandal for example, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Morgan Freeman and many more. Through the frequency of people being tricked into believing that certain celebrities have passed away shows how easily susceptible people are online, thus showing how because of the lack of gatekeepers, people are deceived into believing the wrong information. Study in 2005 also suggests that '38% of UK pupils aged 9-19 never question the accuracy of online information'. This statistic shows that younger audiences are dumbing down as they believe blindly in information online. This therefore argues that developments in digital media have not empowered audiences.

NDM News

Brazilian blogger murdered after receiving death threats

Brazilian blogger Ítalo Eduardo Diniz Barros was shot dead last Friday 13 November after receiving threats about his work. Three days before his murder he told colleagues of one such threat. Diniz, who also worked as a press officer for a mayor in the state of Maranhão, often criticised local authorities in his blog. One of his friends who was also shot in the attack by two men on a motorcyle survived. His death came four days after radio reporter Israel Gonçalves Silva was killed in the eastern state of Pernambuco. His programme dealt with alleged corruption by politicians and police.

This death supports a Marxists view on media. This is because this article demonstrates that there is some sort of censorship. Furthermore, as he was allegedly murder for his comments regarding the corruption of politicians, it further accentuates the Marxist ideology that audience are only meant to receive information and the elite have total control because he was killed as his comments were against priority.  

CNN suspends journalist over tweet disapproving of bill to keep out Syrian refugees

CNN has suspended a journalist after she sent a disapproving tweet about the House of Representatives passing a bill seeking to halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the US.Global affairs correspondent Elise Labott has been stood down for two weeks after tweeting out a CNN story written by Deirdre Walsh and Ted Barrett with the comment: “Statue of Liberty bows head in anguish.”



Likewise, this article questions whether freedom of speech is relevant in our society. By this journalist being suspended because she expressed disapproval about the House of Representatives, it further shows that there is some sort of censorship because later on that day she deleted the tweet. This therefore portrays that the Marxian ideology is very relevant in today's culture.   

NDM News

Sun website traffic recovers as Mirror slips back

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. In July the site began allowing readers to access a large portion of content for free, and from the end of November it will ditch the paywall completely.

MailOnline 13,246,053 (-0.89)
theguardian.com 8,153,603 (-2.59)
Telegraph 4,285,687 (-3.03)
Mirror Group nationals 3,702,001 (-4.93)
The Independent 2,634,560 (-5.25)
The Sun 1,286,605 (16.03)
express.co.uk 1,209,801 (-0.27)
Metro 1,159,637 (25.29)
dailystar.co.uk 623,977 (9.35)

This article tells the audience that because of the increased content that has been made free on The Sun newspaper, it has risen in the number of its readership. This argues that the paywall doesn't in fact work and shows how people aren't willing to pay a subscription to access news online. This really accentuates the expectation of modern day society that news should be free. Also, the top 5 sites with the most readership don't have a paywall to access their content. This definitely shows how people aren't willing to pay a subscription because of the multiple services that freely give their content. 

Playboy magazine's new direction will 'bridge the gap' between men and women's 'understanding' of sex, says CEO

Playboy’s CEO has said the decision to remove full nudity from the magazine was partly because the publication instead “bridge the gap” between men and women’s understanding of sex. Scott Flanders also said he felt the availability of porn online “has substituted for intimacy in personal relationships” and his magazine could help “bridge the gap between sex, and understanding of sex between men and women.” Playboy, founded by Hugh Hefner in 1953, announced last month that from March of next year the magazine will drop full nudity from its pages. The decision was greeted with delight in some quarters, although many queried the significance of the change. 

This change that the CEO of playboy has professed shows how there is slowly becoming an equality between both men and women. This choice to remove nudity is a slow change in representation of women. 

NDM News Stories

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

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. Indeed, it tended to frustrate non-paying visitors to the website who were uncertain what was, and was not, freely available. 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. Mail Online kept growing apace and the Daily Mirror, despite a somewhat clunky site, began to attract an impressively increasing audience. 

This story really exhibits this expectation that news should be free. In this current generation, majority of people don't see the value in forking out £7.99 per month to access news sites such as, Rupert Murdoch's the Sun, where they are able to access sites such as BBC news where the standard of journalism is equally has high. In my opinion, Murdoch's paywall on the Sun restricts his audience to familiar the Sun readers thus not expanding his audience. This restriction really jeopardises Murdoch's revenue with the paywall.  

Surveillance, privacy, and the British press

In June 2013, the Guardian newspaper began to publish Edward Snowden’s account of mass data collection by the British and American governments. The revelations which followed led to public and political outcry across the world. But the reaction from the British press was almost more extraordinary than the leaks themselves. the liberal left tends to be more suspicious of the security state than the right. But right-wing newspapers are quite capable of speaking out against state surveillance when it touches on their own interests. Witness the Save our Sources campaign, which–rightly–questioned the use of police powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to gather data on journalists’ sources. The Sun was a vocal supporter of the campaign – but welcomed state surveillance of the general public. 

This article demonstrates how peoples rights of privacy is being impeded. This shows how people's lives are being monitored however what's most shocking is how the Sun "welcomed state surveillance of the general public." This really calls to question the agenda of news institutions. By welcoming surveillance, it shows the lack of safety and security people have online. 

News values

Immediacy: has it happened recently?

Immediacy has changed dramatically in terms of news online because news is constantly updating which would also signify the way in which news is consumed. With news constantly being published online newspapers aren't able to provide breaking news but rather they provide yesterdays news. This would mean that the way in which newspapers provide their news have to include interesting debates and opinions of certain stories in order for them to have an appeal.

Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?

With the effects of new and digital media, worldwide news is available with such convenience. However, in news I think that happenings nationally gain more of a priority in terms of news being reported especially in television news bulletins. This is because the audience of these television bulletins (ABC1) would most likely want to be informed about what is most likely to be affecting them and not so much news internationally therefore showing how news nationally still has a priority. 


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

How big an event is also still very relevant in deciding which news is newsworthy even in the 21st century. Through new and digital media, the more people involved, the bigger the news becomes. This is because through the advancing in citizen journalism, the more people involved and affected, the more people will post the story thus making the story bigger.

Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?

Unambiguity: is it clear and definite?

The clarity of news that is consumed online on social networks is damaged. This is because majority of the news that is posted online isn't subject to proof reading as there is no gatekeeper online. This therefore means that because of the changes in news because of new and digital media, the reliability of news is compromised.

  Predictability: did we expect it to happen?

The more predictable the news the less likely the news is to be newsworthy. This is still very applicable to this day and age. However, because of the platforms on social media, this news that is predictable will still get reported whereas before the developments in new and digital media, this news wouldn't be reported. 

Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?

The more unpredictable the news the more likely the news is to be newsworthy. Although this is still applicable, the way in which especially the newspapers provide the news has changed. Breaking news in this day and age is reported instantly online through apps and streaming. This would mean that in order for newspapers to still have an appeal they'd have to include more than just the news but expert opinions and interesting debates. 

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?

This is defiantly very relevant now. However, especially with news concerning celebrity gossip. In this current generation, 16-32 year olds are very interested in celebrity gossip. This is therefore changes the news that is published. Online, there are numerous links to numerous different celebrities lives which was very different to the standard of news that was in the newspapers back then.    

Negativity: is it bad news?

Bad news is good news. This is still applicable even through the advancing in digital media.

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

NDM News: Citizen Journalism

• Examples

Rodney King assaulted by police, 1992
Asian Tsunami, December 26 2004 
London Bombings, July 5 2005
Hudson Plane Crash, January 15 2009
Mumbai Bombings, 2008

• Theory (audience reception etc.) 

• Benefits to institutions

With fewer trained journalists, institutions can cut costs thus possibly increasing profits.

Institutions are able to get 'bigger' stories which will therefore increase the number of views on their service thus increasing revenue. 

• Benefits to audience 

As news such as the London Bombings was reported first-hand by survivors, it makes the story more 'hard-hitting and emotive'. 

• Wider issues and debates

The lack of gatekeeping and professional journalism because of the rise in USG could affect the standard of news because the cut in trained journalists would mean that institutions relying more heavily on citizen journalism.

If there isn't a mediator there is a risk of racist or other hate-filled content taking dominance. 

• SHEP

Next, answer the following questions in the same blogpost:

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’? Based on public citizen playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting and analysing news as well as news information. 

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’? The first examples of news generated by ordinary people was in the case of Rodney King in 1992. George Holiday got 4 police officers on video surrounding him and beating him which lead to international coverage and social unrest. 

3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations. Message boards, chatrooms, Q&A, polls, blogs with comments section. 

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)? The main difference between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand is the level of authenticity both footage holds. With professionally shot footage, the footage is certainly not a hoax whereas with user generated content, the footage could be misleading.  

5) What is a gatekeeper? The gatekeeping role is used to dictate the newsworthiness of an event in terms of importance and validity. 

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed? The role of the gatekeeper has changed because majority of online articles aren't subject to proofreading and gatekeeping thus compromising the trustworthiness and reliability of information posted online. 

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC? The possible loss of jobs because of a smaller core staff who manage and process USG from citizen journalists. Some even say that mediators and moderators will even eventually disappear too. 

Finally, consider the following questions and answer each bullet point in the same blogpost:

What impact is new/digital media having on the following:

• news stories

With the rise in user generated content with the advance in new/digital media, the standard of news will certainly drop. This 

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

With the advances in new/digital media, citizen journalists are able to influence the news agenda, this was seen in London Bombings, 2005, because no-one was closer to the events than the survivors with footage on their mobile phones. 

• the role of professionals in news

The role of professionals will become more insignificant because it is predicted that in the future, there will be fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations. Also, with the few journalists left in the industry, it would make the practice of journalism more exceptional.

Frans Unsworth Qs

1. How do you feel about the BBC supposedly cutting 1,000 jobs?
2. What sort of decisions and complications do you have to face as deputy director of news and current affairs?
3. Whats a typical day at work for you like?
4. Whats the favourite part of your job?
5. What is the current goal of your department?

NDM Stories

Video shows woman shouting abuse at two Muslims on London bus

Video shot by a fellow passenger shows a woman, who is accompanied by a child in a pushchair, shouting abuse at two Muslim women. She repeatedly calls the Muslim women “Isis bitches”, telling them to “go back to your country”. She shouts at the Muslim passengers: “Talk your fucking language. Keep laughing. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. With your bombs hiding underneath your clothes. I don’t fucking like you people because you’re fucking rude. You come to England and you have no fucking manners. Go back to your fucking country where they are bombing every day, don’t come here where we are free.” A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police confirmed that transport officers were investigating allegations of a racist incident on a bus as it travelled through the north London borough of Brent on Tuesday morning. She said: “We are aware of it and are looking into it.” 

This article shows how citizen journalism is becoming embedded in peoples lives. This is as it shows how if there is a problem or injustice, people are compelled to get their smartphones out and record or photograph the situation. In this case, there is footage of a woman shouting racial abuse towards the couple of muslim women. If citizen journalism and user generated content was not available, this incident wouldn't have been investigated by the police. This therefore shows how citizen journalism helps bring justice in everyday lives. But also it also shows how society has taken this responsibility to record or photograph events that are newsworthy or examples of injustice. 

Can Twitter reinvent itself with packaged news before it gets sold?

Is Twitter too relevant to fail? Last week Twitter’s announcement that it would be making 336 employees redundant, about 8% of its workforce, prompted many to ask this question. The catatonic share price, and the reappearance of founder Jack Dorsey as CEO, are hallmarks of a corporate crisis even without the inevitable job cuts. A world without Twitter or with a radically changed Twitter is now unimaginable, as if television went off air in 1963 and never came back. There is journalism before Twitter and journalism after Twitter. No single company has ever had the power to report and disseminate events with the speed and geographic reach of the network. America holds its first television debate for Democratic candidates, Donald Trump livetweets it. If London Bridge is closing down, Twitter provides the eyewitness reports and pictures ahead of the broadcast news media. Journalists when they wake in the morning don’t first switch on the radio, they reach for their smartphones and scroll through Twitter. 

Personally, I don't have a Twitter account but I totally understand how it can be a very convenient medium in accessing the latest news. As well as the instantaneous news updates, Twitter provides users to connect with people with the same beliefs, interests and opinions just as easily. Twitter can update users with just about any news from sport results to political debates so there is no doubt that Twitter is a very useful tool for news. However, in terms of sociability, Twitter is often disregarded and Facebook is much more favoured as said in the comments of this article.