NDM News: MEST3 essay on blog
NDM News: MEST3 essay on blog
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.
There is substantial evidence to why the development of new/digital media means that audiences may be deemed as more powerful in terms of consumption and production and also why they aren't. New/digital media has allowed there to be an advance throughout eras as content, focusing on the news, had to be accessed on multiple different platforms, such as print and broadcast, but has now converged and is available on one device - smartphones. In some ways, a rise in technology has lead there to be more of a digital age and has included advantages in the news such as variety and prosumerisation, however, included some disadvantages such as restrictions and lack of regulation.
One advantage of the development of new/digital media in terms of consumption is that there is a variety of content and opinions available to audiences and this array of choice gives them power. The digital revolution has meant that information online is tailored to consumer needs causing a major shift in generations where instant gratification and multiple institutions are available when viewing content such as the news. From this, consumers have acclimatised to freedom and alternative news causing "...newspapers to adapt"(Rupert Murdoch, Newscorp) and proving that they conduct much more power in the way that news is constructed in order to keep costumer satisfaction. This ideology supports a pluralist view which is a political philosophy that recognises a particular diversion within politics, interests, lifestyles and media organisations which are deemed to be responsive to an audience in addition to being economically determined. Pluralism and new digital media may be seen as complimentary towards each other as the consumption of news has differentiated due to consumer trends from purchasing a print newspaper to increasingly viewing it online. "Newspapers in Britain are "managing a decline" (Greenslade, Guardian) is an idea that has been evidently reinforced through some newspapers such as Independent News&Media who lost £4.2 million in 2014 and proceeded to stop their printed newspapers in 2016 and move content online. This has proven that "The internet has given readers much more power..." (Rupert Murdoch, Newscorp) and that media organisations are responsive to an audience. Newspapers are also arguably positioning their products to appeal to consumers in order to keep their market and revenue at a satisfactory level and to allow them to gain profit/recognition.
On the other hand, it could be argued that Krotoski's 'great leveller' (2012) is in fact a myth and the status quo is still maintained by the industries therefore allowing the audiences only a false sense of power. It is somewhat evident that news monopolies are still able to dominate mass audiences not only politically and economically but to control their mindset. "Top 5% of all websites accounted for almost 75% of user volume" (Lin&Webster,2002) statistically supports this ideology as comScore’s News/Information category shows that 68% of the total digital audience in April 2017 accessed the Mail Online/the Daily Mail. It is notable that the Mail Online takes a right-winged approach and arguably has lead 74% of Daily Mail readers to vote conservative. Audiences could have been influenced from reading the Daily Mail due to news reports on religion, gender, ethnicity and sexuality being portrayed in a negative light in order to accommodate the dominant class's viewpoint and to shift a passive and willing audience to accept this as a norm/value in society. From this, there is significance in demonstrating that authorities are set out to maintain control over mass audiences and a class divided society, supporting, Gramsci's marxist theory of 'hegemony'. An illusion of freedom can somewhat be drilled into audiences making them believe that they have power, however, they are blinded by the truth of hegemony.
One advantage of the development of new/digital media in terms of consumption is that there is a variety of content and opinions available to audiences and this array of choice gives them power. The digital revolution has meant that information online is tailored to consumer needs causing a major shift in generations where instant gratification and multiple institutions are available when viewing content such as the news. From this, consumers have acclimatised to freedom and alternative news causing "...newspapers to adapt"(Rupert Murdoch, Newscorp) and proving that they conduct much more power in the way that news is constructed in order to keep costumer satisfaction. This ideology supports a pluralist view which is a political philosophy that recognises a particular diversion within politics, interests, lifestyles and media organisations which are deemed to be responsive to an audience in addition to being economically determined. Pluralism and new digital media may be seen as complimentary towards each other as the consumption of news has differentiated due to consumer trends from purchasing a print newspaper to increasingly viewing it online. "Newspapers in Britain are "managing a decline" (Greenslade, Guardian) is an idea that has been evidently reinforced through some newspapers such as Independent News&Media who lost £4.2 million in 2014 and proceeded to stop their printed newspapers in 2016 and move content online. This has proven that "The internet has given readers much more power..." (Rupert Murdoch, Newscorp) and that media organisations are responsive to an audience. Newspapers are also arguably positioning their products to appeal to consumers in order to keep their market and revenue at a satisfactory level and to allow them to gain profit/recognition.
On the other hand, it could be argued that Krotoski's 'great leveller' (2012) is in fact a myth and the status quo is still maintained by the industries therefore allowing the audiences only a false sense of power. It is somewhat evident that news monopolies are still able to dominate mass audiences not only politically and economically but to control their mindset. "Top 5% of all websites accounted for almost 75% of user volume" (Lin&Webster,2002) statistically supports this ideology as comScore’s News/Information category shows that 68% of the total digital audience in April 2017 accessed the Mail Online/the Daily Mail. It is notable that the Mail Online takes a right-winged approach and arguably has lead 74% of Daily Mail readers to vote conservative. Audiences could have been influenced from reading the Daily Mail due to news reports on religion, gender, ethnicity and sexuality being portrayed in a negative light in order to accommodate the dominant class's viewpoint and to shift a passive and willing audience to accept this as a norm/value in society. From this, there is significance in demonstrating that authorities are set out to maintain control over mass audiences and a class divided society, supporting, Gramsci's marxist theory of 'hegemony'. An illusion of freedom can somewhat be drilled into audiences making them believe that they have power, however, they are blinded by the truth of hegemony.
However, in terms of the production of new/digital media, audiences have possessed a level of power over media organisations through prosumerisation. The advantage of smartphones being multi-functional has allowed consumers to produce user-generated content as a means of interaction and inter-connectivity. Castells (1996) argues that "technological blossoming of the culture of freedom, individual innovation and entrepreneurialism" reinforces the progression of the new generation to lead to newspapers such as the Guardian to 'deal with the fast-changing relationship with readers'. Strict production of news from media institutions has developed to a reformation in consumers being a part of the production of news; citizen journalism has performed an important role. News institutions have prioritised citizen videos to capture 'in the moment' footage of incidents such as the fire at Grenfell Tower in order to provide more realism and substance towards news reports for audiences, making it "the most important medium of the twentieth century" (Briggs and Burke). Clay Shirky quotes that "journalism can be used for social good" which is obvious as citizen journalism has "inserted a new level of accountability into our world"(Paul Lewis). Evidence towards this is the murder of Eric Garner. The video that captured the incident was made 'viral' through social-media platforms such as Twitter as consumers shared it with each-other. This has lead/provided evidence towards justice and multiple campaigns against police brutality such as the Black Lives Matter movement. In effect, the increase of prosumerisation has allowed audiences to have much more power towards changing representations in the news. This has also made it harder for institutions to maintain an audience due to consumers adapting to the increase of accessibility of the news and causing institutions such as The Guardian to have the largest decline among the quality titles, with sales falling 9.5% to 174,941.
Although, the rise in the production of new/digital media has simultaneously increased the uncertainty level between reality and fallacious news. The development of new/digital media has meant that audiences are able to gain access to a wider variety of views and values which exposes them to fake and unregulated news. The idea that "web pages and blogs are like million monkeys typing nonsense" (Andrew Keen: 'The Cult of the Ameateur - How Today's Internet is Killing our Culture') is in some way proven as in certain circumstances, citizen journalism adopts gratuity or is manipulated in a way that removes culpability and brainwashes the populace to be interested in news stories that are not important/true. Numerous consumers read articles that are scaremongers either through the content they hold or through click-bait without knowing whether it is actual news and therefore, equating to moral panic but satisfying the producer's objective of gaining views and likes. This outcome is the cause of the internet being unregulated and "38% of UK pupils aged 9 to 19 never question the accuracy of online information"(Livingstone/Bober 2005). USA's first postmodern president Donald Trump can be seen as a pawn for this ideology as 'he's the culmination of our epoch of unreality'. Donald Trump has penetrated the term "fake news" in his tweets regarding news institutions such as CNN whom have reported scandalous evidence towards his personality flaws in which contradicts to the conventions of a president. The significance of Donald Trump being derogatory towards women in a video and then deeming it as "fake news" has lead there to be moral ambiguity regarding new/digital media leaving its utility to remain questionable.
In conclusion, I believe that the development of new/digital media has perhaps lead audiences to become more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Taking into consideration that institutions somewhat capitalise society and distribute the ideas and world views of the ruling class whilst denying or defusing alternative ideas, 'knowledge is power' and audience are capable of receiving a wide amount news if used in the right manner. Content for free, alternative news, user-generated content and instant gratification has left audiences to be more at an advantage in being able to construct their own viewpoint and forcing news institutions to position their products and respond to consumers. Where news institutions may be at a disadvantage as this has lead their to be difficulty when attempting to introduce a paywall scheme in order to keep their organisation a float and gain profit, audiences have been able to utilise democratisation and become more powerful in "manipulating the media and having access to 'the plural values of society' enabling them to 'conform, accomodate or reject.'" (Halloran).
Although, the rise in the production of new/digital media has simultaneously increased the uncertainty level between reality and fallacious news. The development of new/digital media has meant that audiences are able to gain access to a wider variety of views and values which exposes them to fake and unregulated news. The idea that "web pages and blogs are like million monkeys typing nonsense" (Andrew Keen: 'The Cult of the Ameateur - How Today's Internet is Killing our Culture') is in some way proven as in certain circumstances, citizen journalism adopts gratuity or is manipulated in a way that removes culpability and brainwashes the populace to be interested in news stories that are not important/true. Numerous consumers read articles that are scaremongers either through the content they hold or through click-bait without knowing whether it is actual news and therefore, equating to moral panic but satisfying the producer's objective of gaining views and likes. This outcome is the cause of the internet being unregulated and "38% of UK pupils aged 9 to 19 never question the accuracy of online information"(Livingstone/Bober 2005). USA's first postmodern president Donald Trump can be seen as a pawn for this ideology as 'he's the culmination of our epoch of unreality'. Donald Trump has penetrated the term "fake news" in his tweets regarding news institutions such as CNN whom have reported scandalous evidence towards his personality flaws in which contradicts to the conventions of a president. The significance of Donald Trump being derogatory towards women in a video and then deeming it as "fake news" has lead there to be moral ambiguity regarding new/digital media leaving its utility to remain questionable.
In conclusion, I believe that the development of new/digital media has perhaps lead audiences to become more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Taking into consideration that institutions somewhat capitalise society and distribute the ideas and world views of the ruling class whilst denying or defusing alternative ideas, 'knowledge is power' and audience are capable of receiving a wide amount news if used in the right manner. Content for free, alternative news, user-generated content and instant gratification has left audiences to be more at an advantage in being able to construct their own viewpoint and forcing news institutions to position their products and respond to consumers. Where news institutions may be at a disadvantage as this has lead their to be difficulty when attempting to introduce a paywall scheme in order to keep their organisation a float and gain profit, audiences have been able to utilise democratisation and become more powerful in "manipulating the media and having access to 'the plural values of society' enabling them to 'conform, accomodate or reject.'" (Halloran).
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