The Impact of New MediaThe Impact of New MediaA Level Media StudiesA Level Media Studies

Key QuestionsKey Questions

Has new media democratised the production of media texts Has new media democratised the production of media texts by shifting the control of media content away from large by shifting the control of media content away from large media institutions?media institutions?

Has new media changed the way media texts are Has new media changed the way media texts are consumed and what are the social implications for this?consumed and what are the social implications for this?

Has new media technology provided new cross-cultural, Has new media technology provided new cross-cultural, global media texts that communicate across national and global media texts that communicate across national and social boundaries?social boundaries?

How active or interactive are consumers of new media and How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power?how significant is this in terms of power?

How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption?productions and consumption?

To what extent does new media escape some of the To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters?constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters?

How is new media interacting with, using and changing How is new media interacting with, using and changing traditional media platforms?traditional media platforms?

The Digital Revolution

Video and DVD

Portable camcorders

Home computer & games consoles

Cable, satellite & digital TV

Mobile phones & their convergence with other media photography & video

The world wide web

Email MP3

podcasts webcams

blogs

Social networking

New/Digital MediaNew/Digital MediaUTOPIANUTOPIAN

Del Sola Polle (1977)Del Sola Polle (1977) Suggests new media will Suggests new media will

facilitate a positive media facilitate a positive media worldworld

A wider range of media A wider range of media texts can be produced that texts can be produced that meet the needs of many meet the needs of many more groups in society.more groups in society.

Provides individual citizens Provides individual citizens with the capacity to with the capacity to produce/publicise texts produce/publicise texts themselves.themselves.

This facilitates the growth This facilitates the growth of different media of different media representations.representations.

DYSTOPIANDYSTOPIAN

Habermas (1991)Habermas (1991) Argues that media texts Argues that media texts

should provide a space for should provide a space for citizens to debate and citizens to debate and criticise government criticise government actions & form public actions & form public opinion.opinion.

Suggests new media Suggests new media outlets produce similar outlets produce similar sorts of representations sorts of representations that focus primarily on that focus primarily on celebrity and trivia.celebrity and trivia.

Has new media Has new media democratised the democratised the production of media production of media texts by shifting the texts by shifting the control of media content control of media content away from large media away from large media institutions?institutions?

Alternative Media FormsAlternative Media Forms New media technologies facilitate small-scale New media technologies facilitate small-scale

media productions.media productions. This provides for alternative views that challenge This provides for alternative views that challenge

dominant ideologies/values of society.dominant ideologies/values of society.

The Royal Commission on the Press (1977) defined The Royal Commission on the Press (1977) defined alternative media as:alternative media as:

Dealing with the opinion of small minoritiesDealing with the opinion of small minorities Expressing attitudes hostile to widely held beliefsExpressing attitudes hostile to widely held beliefs Espousing views or dealing with subjects not Espousing views or dealing with subjects not

given regular coverage by publications generally given regular coverage by publications generally available at newsagents.available at newsagents.

Look at the homepages of the three websites below. In what ways do they provide an alternative media space for those wanting to challenge dominant ideologies in contemporary society?

Alternative media formsAlternative media forms Some critical perspectives suggest that alternative media Some critical perspectives suggest that alternative media

are run in a more egalitarian & democratic way.are run in a more egalitarian & democratic way. They reduce the cost of media production.They reduce the cost of media production. New media texts can challenge the consumerist norms of a New media texts can challenge the consumerist norms of a

capitalist society.capitalist society. They may create ideological disruption & disturbance in They may create ideological disruption & disturbance in

relation to values and ideas about areas such as relation to values and ideas about areas such as gender/sexuality, religion etc.gender/sexuality, religion etc.

Alternative websites provide ‘citizen journalism’ – allowing Alternative websites provide ‘citizen journalism’ – allowing ordinary people to give their own alternative versions of ordinary people to give their own alternative versions of dominant news stories.dominant news stories.

In doing so, they politicise the repression of events & In doing so, they politicise the repression of events & information produced in mainstream news, drawing information produced in mainstream news, drawing attention to its selectivity.attention to its selectivity.

However, ‘citizen journalists’ are not necessarily restrained However, ‘citizen journalists’ are not necessarily restrained by professional or institutional codes of conduct.by professional or institutional codes of conduct.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/27/bbc-mark-thompson-murdoch-aug/27/bbc-mark-thompson-murdoch-

mactaggartmactaggart Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB ““BSkyB is too powerful and threatens to "dwarf" the BBC and its BSkyB is too powerful and threatens to "dwarf" the BBC and its

competitors.”competitors.” ““News Corp, in effect controlled by the Murdoch family, now News Corp, in effect controlled by the Murdoch family, now

enjoys unprecedented industry power in the UK. News Corp owns enjoys unprecedented industry power in the UK. News Corp owns 39% of Sky and is in the process of buying the part of the 39% of Sky and is in the process of buying the part of the broadcaster it does not already own.” broadcaster it does not already own.”

"a concentration of cross-media ownership that would not be "a concentration of cross-media ownership that would not be

allowed in the United States or Australia".allowed in the United States or Australia".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/13/rupert-murdoch-us-http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/13/rupert-murdoch-us-digital-newspaperdigital-newspaper

Murdoch sees the iPad as a potential lifesaver in terms of Murdoch sees the iPad as a potential lifesaver in terms of its reach among the young and its ability to attract its reach among the young and its ability to attract

subscriptions.subscriptions.

HomeworkHomework

Has new media changed the way media texts are consumed?

What are the social implications for this?

Web 2.0Web 2.0 A second generation of web based A second generation of web based

material which facilitates mobile material which facilitates mobile broadband and wireless connections.broadband and wireless connections.

Web based communities such as social Web based communities such as social networking sites and wikis.networking sites and wikis.

These facilitate collaboration and These facilitate collaboration and sharing of user generated content.sharing of user generated content.

Posting comments on websites, Posting comments on websites, uploading videos, photos and music and uploading videos, photos and music and commenting on others’ contributions.commenting on others’ contributions.

Web 2.0Web 2.0

Web 2.0’s emphasis was on...Web 2.0’s emphasis was on...

InteractivityInteractivity User participationUser participation Dynamic contentDynamic content – content that is not fixed but – content that is not fixed but

shifting, changing and constantly reconstructed.shifting, changing and constantly reconstructed. FreedomFreedom – for audiences and individuals to – for audiences and individuals to

produce, consume & engage with a wide range of produce, consume & engage with a wide range of new texts.new texts.

To allow audiences to To allow audiences to produceproduce their own their own content.content.

MySpace, Friends Reunited, Facebook, YouTubeMySpace, Friends Reunited, Facebook, YouTube

ConvergenceConvergence Interconnectivity of media platforms Interconnectivity of media platforms Greater levels of interactivityGreater levels of interactivity Opening boundaries between Opening boundaries between

producers and consumersproducers and consumers Social networkingSocial networking 3D TV3D TV

HomeworkHomework

Has new media technology provided new cross-cultural, global media texts that communicate across national and social boundaries?

GlobalisationGlobalisationAn important factor in the age of communication An important factor in the age of communication when the global sales of film, TV and media when the global sales of film, TV and media products, along with the internet, bring people in products, along with the internet, bring people in developing countries into direct contact with developing countries into direct contact with Western media products.Western media products.Distribution is facilitated by satellite and the Distribution is facilitated by satellite and the internet, enabling communications to travel from internet, enabling communications to travel from one side of the globe to the other instantaneously.one side of the globe to the other instantaneously.It enables events that are taking place in distant It enables events that are taking place in distant countries to be presented to us on our TVs and the countries to be presented to us on our TVs and the internet live (9/11 coverage)internet live (9/11 coverage)

GlobalisationGlobalisation

According to Giddens (2003) we live in a According to Giddens (2003) we live in a ‘runaway world’ where cultures, ‘runaway world’ where cultures, economies and politics appear to merge economies and politics appear to merge across national boundaries.across national boundaries.

Significantly, TV consumption merges, Significantly, TV consumption merges, so that TV programmes such as Friends, so that TV programmes such as Friends, Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy etc Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy etc and channels such as MTV and CNN are and channels such as MTV and CNN are watched all over the world.watched all over the world.

Cultural Imperialism The USA dominates world media with 85% of the global film

market and 68% of the television market.

A cultural-imperialism perspective argues therefore that American values and ideologies are imposed upon the rest of the world through media texts.

Putnam (1997) suggests that the US government prioritised media for support as an important export industry that promotes both US values and US goods.

In 2007, Apple computers were not just advertised in trailers preceding films but also through product placement in films such as ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’, ‘Night at the Museum’ and ‘Transformers’.

Challenge to cultural imperialism…

The success of the Indian film & TV industries that have taken advantage of the Asian Diaspora

India’s biggest media conglomerate – Zee TV (now available on 4 continents)

HomeworkHomework

How active or interactive are How active or interactive are consumers of new media and consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms how significant is this in terms of power?of power?

How has new/digital media How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption?productions and consumption?

How active or interactive are How active or interactive are consumers of new media and consumers of new media and how significant is this in how significant is this in terms of power?terms of power?

Social Networking - Facebook Launched 2004 Has taken social networking to another level. Turned it into an interactive platform Allows its page creators to interact with other

online users.. But also, play games, raise funds, organise

events, post videos etc etc. In America – myhomeworkNOW.com accounts are

being linked with facebook accounts. Students will be able to see school

announcements, alerts, and classroom assignments directly through their facebook account.

Homework!

Make a list of all the facebook tools and applications available to you.

How interactive is your facebook experience?

How has new/digital media How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media impacted on traditional media productions and productions and consumption?consumption?

Technological Determinist argument

Technology influences and dictates the nature of society. The impact of new/digital media is so profound that is has

changed the historical, social, economical and political context of the society in which it was produced.

Castells (1999) emphasises that the contemporary internet society is focused around networks and flows of information that disregard the constraints of time and space.

Eg. Social network sites provide a network over which information flows between groups of friends.

The information flows without friends actually meeting. The social networking website provides an imagined

community of participants who are not restrained by time and space.

Similarly, players in an online internet game are not restricted to players who live near them, but can play with people in other countries, unregulated by time restraints.

On the other hand… Technological determinist arguments are often

challenged. MacKay (2001) stresses the importance of the

way in which technology is utilised & incorporated into society.

Eg. The way in which the personal computer and internet have been incorporated into home and family life.

Although internet and social networking phenomenon offer global interaction, they often have a strong local focus.

MySpace still has regional networks However…

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, 2009

“the site is growing beyond regional networks and networks will no longer be part of the privacy settings.”

“As Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we've concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy.”

“The plan we've come up with is to remove regional networks completely and create a simpler model for privacy control where you can set content to be available to only your friends, friends of your friends, or everyone.”

“We're adding something that many of you have asked for — the ability to control who sees each individual piece of content you create or upload. In addition, we'll also be fulfilling a request made by many of you to make the privacy settings page simpler by combining some settings.”

The BBC iplayer

An internet radio television service Went live December 2007, updated 2008 and again in 2010 The next generation iplayer (Sept 2010) brings integration The next generation iplayer (Sept 2010) brings integration

with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand service. service.

Deals with Facebook, Twitter, and Bebo are already in place, Deals with Facebook, Twitter, and Bebo are already in place, with more likely to follow.with more likely to follow.

iPlayer users will be asked to integrate their accounts with the iPlayer users will be asked to integrate their accounts with the BBC Online site. BBC Online site.

Then every time they sign in and use the iPlayer, they will Then every time they sign in and use the iPlayer, they will also be connected to the social networks they use. also be connected to the social networks they use.

This will enable the BBC to see what they and their friends This will enable the BBC to see what they and their friends are watching or listening to.are watching or listening to.

3View

Virgin mediaFetch TV

BT VisionFreesat

Freeview Wii

Playstation 3

X-box 360

Mobile phones

Iplayer controversyIplayer controversy

The BBC iplayer and its website are funded by The BBC iplayer and its website are funded by money obtained from TV owner’s licence feesmoney obtained from TV owner’s licence fees

Some argue that this gives them an unfair Some argue that this gives them an unfair advantage over commercial producers of online advantage over commercial producers of online material who have to seek advertising to fund material who have to seek advertising to fund themselves.themselves.

The BBC – “web content must be free from The BBC – “web content must be free from advertising in order to be consistent with our advertising in order to be consistent with our public service remit.”public service remit.”

Others argue it is unfair that television users are Others argue it is unfair that television users are paying for content that web-users can access for paying for content that web-users can access for free.free.

HomeworkHomework

To what extent does new To what extent does new media escape some of the media escape some of the constraints of censorship that constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters?traditional media encounters?

How is new media interacting How is new media interacting with, using and changing with, using and changing traditional media platforms?traditional media platforms?

To what extent does new To what extent does new media escape some of the media escape some of the constraints of censorship that constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters?traditional media encounters?

Censorship

GossipReport on the internet Changing media landscape – what

was once private is now in the public sphere of the internet

Facebook MySpace Privacy & censorship The above three sites operate

different levels of control

How is new media interacting How is new media interacting with, using and changing with, using and changing traditional media platforms?traditional media platforms?

Mobile Phones