The Impact of New Media A Level Media Studies

Key Questions Has new media democratised the production of media texts by shifting the control of media content away from large media institutions? Has new media democratised the production of media texts by shifting the control of media content away from large media institutions? Has new media changed the way media texts are consumed and what are the social implications for this? Has new media changed the way media texts are consumed and what are the social implications for this? Has new media technology provided new cross-cultural, global media texts that communicate across national and social boundaries? Has new media technology provided new cross-cultural, global media texts that communicate across national and social boundaries? How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power? How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power? How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption? How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption? To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters? To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters? How is new media interacting with, using and changing traditional media platforms? How is new media interacting with, using and changing 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 MP3 podcasts webcams blogs Social networking

New/Digital Media UTOPIAN Del Sola Polle (1977) Del Sola Polle (1977) Suggests new media will facilitate a positive media world Suggests new media will facilitate a positive media world A wider range of media texts can be produced that meet the needs of many more groups in society. A wider range of media texts can be produced that meet the needs of many more groups in society. Provides individual citizens with the capacity to produce/publicise texts themselves. Provides individual citizens with the capacity to produce/publicise texts themselves. This facilitates the growth of different media representations. This facilitates the growth of different media representations.DYSTOPIAN Habermas (1991) Habermas (1991) Argues that media texts should provide a space for citizens to debate and criticise government actions & form public opinion. Argues that media texts should provide a space for citizens to debate and criticise government actions & form public opinion. Suggests new media outlets produce similar sorts of representations that focus primarily on celebrity and trivia. Suggests new media outlets produce similar sorts of representations that focus primarily on celebrity and trivia.

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

Alternative Media Forms New media technologies facilitate small-scale media productions. New media technologies facilitate small-scale media productions. This provides for alternative views that challenge dominant ideologies/values of society. This provides for alternative views that challenge dominant ideologies/values of society. The Royal Commission on the Press (1977) defined alternative media as: Dealing with the opinion of small minorities Dealing with the opinion of small minorities Expressing attitudes hostile to widely held beliefs Expressing attitudes hostile to widely held beliefs Espousing views or dealing with subjects not given regular coverage by publications generally available at newsagents. Espousing views or dealing with subjects not given regular coverage by publications generally 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 forms Some critical perspectives suggest that alternative media are run in a more egalitarian & democratic way. Some critical perspectives suggest that alternative media 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 capitalist society. New media texts can challenge the consumerist norms of a capitalist society. They may create ideological disruption & disturbance in relation to values and ideas about areas such as gender/sexuality, religion etc. They may create ideological disruption & disturbance in relation to values and ideas about areas such as gender/sexuality, religion etc. Alternative websites provide ‘citizen journalism’ – allowing ordinary people to give their own alternative versions of dominant news stories. Alternative websites provide ‘citizen journalism’ – allowing ordinary people to give their own alternative versions of dominant news stories. In doing so, they politicise the repression of events & information produced in mainstream news, drawing attention to its selectivity. In doing so, they politicise the repression of events & information produced in mainstream news, drawing attention to its selectivity. However, ‘citizen journalists’ are not necessarily restrained by professional or institutional codes of conduct. However, ‘citizen journalists’ are not necessarily restrained by professional or institutional codes of conduct.

7/bbc-mark-thompson-murdoch-mactaggart 7/bbc-mark-thompson-murdoch-mactaggart Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB “BSkyB is too powerful and threatens to "dwarf" the BBC and its competitors.” “BSkyB is too powerful and threatens to "dwarf" the BBC and its competitors.”BSkyB “News Corp, in effect controlled by the Murdoch family, now enjoys unprecedented industry power in the UK. News Corp owns 39% of Sky and is in the process of buying the part of the broadcaster it does not already own.” “News Corp, in effect controlled by the Murdoch family, now enjoys unprecedented industry power in the UK. News Corp owns 39% of Sky and is in the process of buying the part of the broadcaster it does not already own.” "a concentration of cross-media ownership that would not be allowed in the United States or Australia". "a concentration of cross-media ownership that would not be allowed in the United States or Australia". us-digital-newspaper us-digital-newspaper us-digital-newspaper us-digital-newspaper Murdoch sees the iPad as a potential lifesaver in terms of its reach among the young and its ability to attract subscriptions. Murdoch sees the iPad as a potential lifesaver in terms of its reach among the young and its ability to attract subscriptions.

Homework Has new media changed the way media texts are consumed? What are the social implications for this?

Web 2.0 A second generation of web based material which facilitates mobile broadband and wireless connections. A second generation of web based material which facilitates mobile broadband and wireless connections. Web based communities such as social networking sites and wikis. Web based communities such as social networking sites and wikis. These facilitate collaboration and sharing of user generated content. These facilitate collaboration and sharing of user generated content. Posting comments on websites, uploading videos, photos and music and commenting on others’ contributions. Posting comments on websites, uploading videos, photos and music and commenting on others’ contributions.

Web 2.0 Web 2.0’s emphasis was on... Web 2.0’s emphasis was on... Interactivity Interactivity User participation User participation Dynamic content – content that is not fixed but shifting, changing and constantly reconstructed. Dynamic content – content that is not fixed but shifting, changing and constantly reconstructed. Freedom – for audiences and individuals to produce, consume & engage with a wide range of new texts. Freedom – for audiences and individuals to produce, consume & engage with a wide range of new texts. To allow audiences to produce their own content. To allow audiences to produce their own content. MySpace, Friends Reunited, Facebook, YouTube MySpace, Friends Reunited, Facebook, YouTube

Convergence Convergence Interconnectivity of media platforms Interconnectivity of media platforms Greater levels of interactivity Greater levels of interactivity Opening boundaries between producers and consumers Opening boundaries between producers and consumers Social networking Social networking 3D TV 3D TV

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

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

Globalisation According to Giddens (2003) we live in a ‘runaway world’ where cultures, economies and politics appear to merge across national boundaries. According to Giddens (2003) we live in a ‘runaway world’ where cultures, economies and politics appear to merge across national boundaries. Significantly, TV consumption merges, so that TV programmes such as Friends, Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy etc and channels such as MTV and CNN are watched all over the world. Significantly, TV consumption merges, so that TV programmes such as Friends, Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy etc and channels such as MTV and CNN are 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)

Homework How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power? How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power? How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption? How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and consumption?

How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in terms of power? How active or interactive are consumers of new media and how significant is this in 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 impacted on traditional media productions and consumption? How has new/digital media impacted on traditional media productions and 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 with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand service. The next generation iplayer (Sept 2010) brings integration with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand service. Deals with Facebook, Twitter, and Bebo are already in place, with more likely to follow. Deals with Facebook, Twitter, and Bebo are already in place, with more likely to follow. iPlayer users will be asked to integrate their accounts with the BBC Online site. iPlayer users will be asked to integrate their accounts with the BBC Online site. Then every time they sign in and use the iPlayer, they will also be connected to the social networks they use. Then every time they sign in and use the iPlayer, they will also be connected to the social networks they use. This will enable the BBC to see what they and their friends are watching or listening to. This will enable the BBC to see what they and their friends are watching or listening to.

3View Virgin media Fetch TV BT Vision Freesat Freeview Wii Playstation 3 X-box 360 Mobile phones

Iplayer controversy The BBC iplayer and its website are funded by money obtained from TV owner’s licence fees The BBC iplayer and its website are funded by money obtained from TV owner’s licence fees Some argue that this gives them an unfair advantage over commercial producers of online material who have to seek advertising to fund themselves. Some argue that this gives them an unfair advantage over commercial producers of online material who have to seek advertising to fund themselves. The BBC – “web content must be free from advertising in order to be consistent with our public service remit.” The BBC – “web content must be free from advertising in order to be consistent with our public service remit.” Others argue it is unfair that television users are paying for content that web-users can access for free. Others argue it is unfair that television users are paying for content that web-users can access for free.

Homework To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters? To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters? How is new media interacting with, using and changing traditional media platforms? How is new media interacting with, using and changing traditional media platforms?

To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that traditional media encounters? To what extent does new media escape some of the constraints of censorship that 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 with, using and changing traditional media platforms? How is new media interacting with, using and changing traditional media platforms?

Mobile Phones