Media Index

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions
2) Media consumption audit
3) Language: Reading an image - advert analyses
4) Reception theory
5) Semiotics: icons, indexes and symbols
6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions
7) Narrative: Factsheet questions
8) Audience: classification - psychographics presentation notes
9) October assessment learner response
10) Audience theory 1 - Hypodermic needle/Two-step flow/U&G
11) Audience theory 2 - Bandura and Cohen - moral panic
12) Audience theory: Media Effects factsheet
13) Industries: Ownership and Control
14) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries
15) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting
16) Industries: Regulation

17) Industries: Brand Values and Lines of Appeal

Cultural Industries: blog task

1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

Cultural industries refer to the creation, production of a cultural or artistic nature.
2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

Hesmondhalgh has stated that cultural industries are highly profitable in societies that support conditions for large companies to make money. These societies tend to have audiences that want a constant stream of products.
3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?

Variety and difference are important, media products of this nature support that difference, that and the fact that these media products do support the views and ideologies of certain audience members 
4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?

• it's a risky business
• creativity versus commerce
• it's high production costs and low reproduction costs
• the semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity

5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

There is no guarantee of success due to multiple reasons:

• Audiences perceive content differently (reception theory) to what the creator intended 
• The industry is volatile, what audiences want change often 
• Often dependent on other cultural industries to 

6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?

I believe that there should be a fair balance between the two, creativity is needed in order to keep content interesting, while the commodification of the media in order to make the industry viable
7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here) 

They minimize their risk by using well-known actors and genres. They maximize their profits through verticle and horizontal integration 
8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?

I think the cultural industries profit from the inequality and injustice as they exploit creators through underpaid work, lack of representation and lack of recognition.
9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?

Visual effect industries are having difficulties due to both financial issues and political forces
10) What is commodification? 

The process of changing products and services into means of trade
11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?

I believe that with time there is a clear increase in niche opinions and issues being represented in modern media, these newer opinions do definitely represent a more diverse point of view 

12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.

Availability:
Cultural products can now be shared across national borders. This allows there to be more hybrid genres which helps to decrease the cultural influence of america.
Digitisation:
The digitisation of the media helps millions of people view the content of small time cultural industries.
Advertisement:
There has been a crazy amount of advertisement used to help increase the popularity of cultura

MIGRAIN: Industries - Public service broadcasting

Public service broadcasting: blog task

Create a new blogpost called 'Public service broadcasting' and complete the following tasks:

Ofcom report

Read the first few pages of this Ofcom report into Public Service Broadcasting in 2017.

1) How does the report suggest that TV viewing is changing?

Suggests that TV viewing habits have changed significantly especially within the younger generations and the 45 year old age group.
2) What differences are highlighted between younger and older viewers?

States that younger generations are watching significantly less than before and that older generations are viewing TV far more than before.

3) Does the report suggest audiences are satisfied with public service broadcasting TV channels?

The report states that PSB's are still watched extensively and are quite popular.

4) Public service broadcasting channels are a major aspect of the UK cultural industries. How much money did PSB channels spend on UK-originated content in 2016? 

PSB'S spent a total of $2.6 billion on UL-originated content in 2016



Goldsmiths report

Read this report from Goldsmiths University - A future for public service television: content and platforms in a digital world.

1) What does the report state has changed in the UK television market in the last 20 years?

The report states that PSB's are losing their market share and is being taken up by more on-demand providers and private providers.

2) Look at page 4. What are the principles that the report suggests need to be embedded in regulation of public service broadcasting in future?

1. In return for public service broadcasters meeting the obligations of their licences, their content should be guaranteed prominence on electronic programme guides, smart TVs and on the interfaces of on-demand 
players as they emerge.

 2. Retransmission fees should be paid by pay-TV platforms to public service television operators to address the current undervaluation of public service content by these distributors. 

3. Ofcom should supplement its occasional reviews of public service broadcasting with a regular qualitative audit of public service content in order to ensure that audiences are being served with high-quality and diverse programming. This should include detailed data on the representation and employment of minority groups and a comprehensive account of the changing consumption patterns of younger audiences. 

4. Ofcom should continue to monitor the independent production sector and take action, where necessary, if consolidation continues to increase and if diversity of supply is affected

3) What does the report say about the BBC?

The report states that the BBC is important and that it provides valuable diverse content, but the report also acknowledges the fact that the BBC need to put more effort when it comes to making their content more modern.

4) According to the report, how should the BBC be funded in future?

The report suggests that the BBC should scrap the flat service fee and should work to integrate the fee into council tax 

5) What does the report say about Channel 4?

The report aknowledges that Channel 4 has an important role to play when it comes to PSB's but needs to work harder on providing content for older kids; the report also states that Channel 4 has cut programme spending. When talking about the possible privatization of Channel 4 seriously risks its Channel remit.

6) How should Channel 4 operate in future?

Channel 4 should remain a PSB and should aspire to invest more resources into providing content catered for an older audience

7) Look at page 10 - new kids on the block. What does the report say about new digital content providers and their link to public service broadcasting?

The report states that there are new broadcasters are taking elements from PSB's and taking them out of the public system. The report also states that the new broadcasters should receive help from the government.

Final questions - your opinion on public service broadcasting

1) Should the BBC retain its position as the UK’s public service broadcaster?

The BBC has remained as a reliable source of information and I believe it should stay like that. It's important to have an unbiased media giant be present in the current media climate.

2) Is there a role for the BBC in the 21st century digital world?

The BBC needs to aim at producing new, more modern content. As of right now their contributions have been valuable, but in the 21st century, their confirmed income safety net needs makes them comfortable, and if they're comfortable, a newer and more prepared/researched media provider will overtake them in the future

3) Should the BBC funding model (license fee) change? How?

As mentioned before in the report, I do think to scrap their license fee and trading it for a progressive integration within our council tax would be a good idea. 

MIGRAIN: Industries - Regulation

1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?

Regulation is the process of prohibiting or reducing a certain type of content or content that does not meet certain regulation standards from a type of audience. Media needs to be regulated due to the fact that certain content should not be shown to certain age groups.

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

The OFice of COMunication (OFCOM) is responsible for regulating television, radio, telephone services and some aspects of the internet, although the areas most relevant to media students are TV and radio

3) Look at the section on the OFCOM broadcasting code. Which do you think are the three most important sections of the broadcasting code and why?

Section 1: Protecting the Under-Eighteens:

Small censorship to controversial, possibly harmful content is important for easily influenced under 18's

Section 5: Impartiality and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions:

All views should be respected and discussed in a balanced manner.

Section 2: Harm and Offence:

Copy cat crimes are quiet common with under 18's

4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?

I believe that they were in the right as the content within wolverine can be quite aggressive 

5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice. 

Section 1: Accuracy
Section 2: Opportunity to Reply
Section 3: Privacy*
Section 4: Harassment*

Section 5: Intrusion Into Grief and Shock

6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?

It was criticised due to its lack of statuary power 

7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?

The leveson enquiry was set up due to the fact that a company was found our to be hacking phone calls connected to the royal family

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

IPSO

9) What is your opinion on press regulation? Is a free press an important part of living in a democracy or should newspapers face statutory regulation like TV and radio?

I believe that press regulation should be used until freedom of speech and biases are involved e.g. If individuals wish to criticises the government, it should not be censored

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

The internet is a global network with many loopholes that can prove difficult to patch up.

MIGRAIN: Audience theory 2

1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

I believe it can effect but I don't believe that it should be blamed, The lack of supervision of parents when it comes to accessing this media should be blamed.


2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Today I believe that social media is educating the younger generations more than their own parents (depending on the extent of media usage)

3) Research five examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

Terrorism:
High responsibility, Led to increased western Islamaphobia

Opioid crisis:
High responsibility, Increased prison sentences and increased fear within parents

Video Game violence:
High responsibility, not much has changed in result

Fear of Heavy metal and hip hop:
High responsibility, not much of an impact or change

School shootings:

High responsibility, increased the number of people talking about the issue, other than that no effect.



4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society?

Some of the technopanics given as examples include child safety online, digitalprivacy and cybersecurity 

5) How does the author suggest that technopanics should be addressed - rather than through government regulation?

The exact words used in the article are:

"to the extent that these concerns are valid, they are best addressed by ongoing societal learning, experimentation, resiliency, and coping strategies rather than by regulation." What this means is that instead of choosing to regulate online usage and technological advancements by introducing regulations, but instead should educate the public to understand how to effectively use the online and technological resources and how to avoid any possible dangerous situations."

6) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

I believe that the internet should be regulated, but not the extent where freedom of expression and freedom of speech are not snuffed out, the main targeted goal of the government is to try and stop online bullying, online privacy and security, and hate speech (I personally do not classify that as freedom of speech) 

7) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse?

Since the rise of the internet, the brand new generation of people are becoming both fearful and desensitised in a variety of ways. In one aspect we as an audience are no longer surprised of hearing of a genocide in a third world country; while simultaneously the rise of moral panics that are being spread by social media. 

8) Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? How would you define 'heavy internet use'?  

I don't believe that heavy use of social media is an issue, it just depends on how the internet is used; if the internet is used in order to keep updated on situations and keeping yourself aware of whats going on around you, along with using it as a source of entertainment is completely fine.

Industries: Ownership and control blog task

1) Type up your research notes from the lesson - what did you find out about your allocated media conglomerate? Selection of companies: Alphabet, The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Facebook, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner. If you were absent or don't have the notes, research any of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.

2) Do you agree that governments should prevent media conglomerates from becoming too dominant? Write an argument that looks at both sides of this debate.

I believe that media conglomerates becoming too dominant in the media would have an adverse effect on smaller competing media companies who are trying to make their name in the industry. On the other hand, when multiple large media conglomerates are competing for market share, it could become an incentive to become more competitive and to produce content better than their competitors, this could prove beneficial for audiences 

Media Magazine 52 has a good feature on the changing relationship between audiences and institutions in the digital age. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM52 and scroll to page 9 to read the article 'Two Key Concepts: The Relationship Between Audience and Institution'.

3) Briefly describe the production, promotion and distribution process for media companies.

Production companies produce the content, from there promotion companies promote the said content through different mediums, from there the distribution companies get the content to the audiences.

4) What are the different funding models for media institutions?

Some funding models include:

Licensing Rights

shareholders

Views

5) The article gives a lot of examples of major media brands and companies. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them. 

Marvel:

The article states that Marvel films contain violence and also support typical societal values e.g. Protecting the weak, sacrifice, responsibility etc.

Disney:

Family-friendly well-known media conglomerate who have managed to create a cinematic universe; which allowed mass production of merchandise and different diversifications.

ITV:

Main income source is advertisers, means that their main focus is on appealing mass audiences rather than niche ones.

6) What examples are provided of the new business models media companies have had to adopt due to changes in technology and distribution?

Music:

Musicians can no longer make money through the selling of their music so they've turned to sponsorships, live shows, and merchandise.

Film/Tv:

Mass investments into CGI technology to try and convince audiences to watch their films/shows.

7) Re-read the section on 'The Future'. What examples are discussed of technology companies becoming major media institutions?

Google:

Bought Youtube and changed how we listen to music and view media texts 

Amazon, Netflix and Yahoo:

Three major business who now all own their own TV show streaming sights

Facebook:

Have purchased the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality device.

8) Do you agree with the view that traditional media institutions are struggling to survive?

With the continuous growth of social media and the internet as a primary source of entertainment, traditional media institutes are struggling to compete.

9) How might diversification or vertical integration help companies to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape? 

With the decrease of traditional income for large corporations, diversification and verticle integration can both be incredibly important to ensure the profitable growth of large businesses.

10) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media conglomerates maintain their control?

Social media has become the voice of the people and businesses have learned to respect the wants of the people due to it. In the past international boycotts have become a common practice against large corporations who ignore what their consumers want, and in teh future that power is bound to increase 

Audience theory: blog tasks

Audience theory: blog tasks

Hypodermic needle model

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model?

The article states that the video games that the child was playing violent and that the videos games are directly responsible to why the youth tends to be more violent.

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case (see Daily Mail front page below) link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 

The article blames violent video games and lack of socialization for the actions of a child that targeted a large corporation. As like with the previous question, it suggests that the media he had access too was a direct causation to his actions without taking into account that other factors would have an effect. The cover supports very typical right-wing ideologies e.g. "single mother was brought up as a reason, this represents the right wings idea of a typical family needing a male in order to function, right-wing mentalities are often in support of an uncontrolled private economy, this is shown by slightly making Talk Talk seem like a victim. 

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

I believe that the two-step flow model is especially relevant today. In today's society, fake news has become rampant due to the population's dependence on opinion leaders who shape the news to fit their agenda. With news being so easily available and with so many opinion leaders becoming bigger and bigger due to the vastness of social media the spread of biased, deformed news and media becomes even more available.

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

Totalbiscuit acts as an opinion leader.

3) How this this Telegraph feature on Britain's most popular tweeters fit the two-step flow model? Do you think these accounts genuinely have an influence over their audience?

These tweeters also act as opinion leaders. Depending on the size of the tweeters I do believe that these opinion leaders do have a major effect on populations as newer generations have an even stronger dependence on having their news spoon fed to them.

4) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model?

Jamal Edwards is also an opinion leader due to two reasons, his online presence gives him an aura of reliability and legitness, the second reason is his position, he is at a position that many people want to be at, due to this success people who wish to be like him will listen to what he says.

Uses and Gratifications theory

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points.

Diversion: 

Lord of the rings:

Lord of the rings is set in a complete fantasy world that viewers get invested and engaged with, this acts as a form of diversion

Personal Relationships:

13 reasons why:

13 reasons why has very relatable and realistic characters, it's also set in a location and contains an atmosphere that helps create nostalgia, these factors help viewers create emotions with the show's characters.

Personal Identity: 

Stranger things are quite similar to 13 reasons when it comes to creating nostalgia, this nostalgia helps to connect with more adult viewers as they see themselves within the characters.

Surveillance: 

 The weather channel is the more direct example of surveillance as it quite literally is just a channel that gives important information.
Dependency theory

1) Do you agree that audiences have become dependent on the media? What evidence or examples can you provide to support your view?

yes, I do believe that audiences have become dependent on the media, in 2018 almost all news is filtered through opinion leaders.

2) How has the growth of new and digital technology in the last 15 years changed people's dependency on the media? Is this a new problem?

These increase on social media intake has led news to be not only more easily available but also more influential. I believe this can be both a poison and antidote to its own issue, while the fake news present can prove dangerous, it can also become a source of truth as a story and have multiple sides brought up due to its easy and vast access to audiences.

3) Reflecting on your own media use, how does your media consumption impact on your emotions? Does the media have an overall positive or negative impact on your health and wellbeing? Why?

defining whether or not the effect social media has on me is positive or negative can be difficult, I believe that social media tends to be positive for me as it helps me maintain a positive attitude and keeps me entertained, that said it could only be positive due to the fact im almost addicted to social media and a loss of social media could have adverse effects on me.

MIGRAIN: October assessment - learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

Grade - C ( 1 mark from B)

Feedback:

WWW: This is a very solid assessment: your knowledge and experience studying media text really comes through. Q2+Q4 are particularly good with detailed and insightful points made.

EBI: You are just off a B grade so you're not too far away from where we want to be but you're not in the top level yet. Written English is a factor: Too many errors for A Level!

- You also lack theory and question focus in Q1 and Q3 (particularly genre). There is clearly an area to revise.

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

Q1)


3) Read this exemplar response from a previous Year 12 (a strong B grade). Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment. 



4) Did you get any media terminology or theory wrong in the assessment? Make a note of it here for future revision, including theories/terminology that you could have used but didn't.

I did not go through genre as much as i should have, I also forgot to link the theory back to the question for question 3.

5) Identify your strongest question. Why did you do better on this question?

Q4 was my best question as I was quite indepth with my thinking and tried to provide examples and evidence with my points for the question. I do still need to work on making sure I use every theory and also need to improve my written English. 

6) Identify your weakest question. Why did you score lower on this particular task?

My weakest question was question 1, I believe that the reason why it was weak is quite general, I needed to add more theory, sort out my written english, and also structuring the question better would have most likely gotten me an extra mark or two.


7) Re-write your weakest answer in full. Use the mark scheme to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure your typed re-draft is a top-level answer.

Q1: 
The reveal magazine cover uses narrative theory in multiple ways, the theory of equilibrium (todorov) is used, but not in a conventional way: while most texts have an equilibrium before a disequilibrium, this text starts off with a disequilibrium. The disequilibrium in this text is the self-consciousness of Reveals readers along with the reader's lack of knowledge of what's going on with their favorite celebrities. The age demographic for Reveal magazine is most likely middle-aged mothers, the magazine has coverlines that imply within the magazine there are diets that can change your life, this is a direct usage of insecurities that the magazine's readers have about their weight, an issue common with middle-aged women, specifically mothers. This is an instance of insecurities being used to attract readers. The new equilibrium could be the advice of information that the magazine gives to the readers and how it affects the reader. Vladimir propps character theory can also be used to an extent, the heroes would be the figures within the text, the readers would be the victim, the magazine company would be the donor/helper as it provides a medium that connects the figures with the audience.



8) Email your re-written answer (7) to the next person below you on the blog list. Ask them to provide a WWW/EBI response before next Friday and then include this underneath your answer on your blog.