New Media Flashcards
1
Q
What is the new media?
A
- refers to screen based, digital tech involving integration of images, text and sound, and to the tech used for the distribution and consumption of digitized media and content
- new media involves technological convergence where a single device can be used to consume a variety of types of media
- argued this technological convergence contributes to blurring of boundaries between trad activities like info searching and other activities such as entertainment as ppl constantly switch between different activities
- Jenkins argues tech convergence leads to cultural convergence which is way new media users interact with a media content and the way new media users interact with other members of society
2
Q
What are the 5 main features distinguishing new media from traditional media suggested by ‘Lister et al’?
A
- DIGITALITY= ‘using computers’-> all data is converted into binary code which can then be stored and distributed via screen based products- allows for technological convergence
- INTERACTIVITY= means consumers have an opportunity to interact with media and custom media for own content- this has been referred to as Web 2.0 distinguishing it from Web 1 where users where limited to the passive content that was created for them- web 2.0 allows users to collab and interact w one another. Jenkins claims this interactivity has led to (1) Participatory culture by which producers and consumers of media interact- consumers produce content which producers consume and incorporate into media texts. Media audiences are involved in in info-production rather than info-reception giving consumers more control and the circulation of new media content depends heavily on consumers active participation. (2) interactivity leads to collective intelligence by which using media becomes collective process- we do not know everything but we all know something- Jenkins thinks this is a new source of media power which potentially represents an alternative to that of media owners. Web 2.0 combines these 2 features.
-HYPERTEXTUALITY= links which form a web of connections to other bits of info. This gives users a way of searching, interacting with and customising the media for their own use
-DISPERSAL= the way new media are less centralised and more adapted to individual choices- has been a huge growth of media products of all kinds which have become a part of everyday life, shown by the fact the new media and related devices are used on an everyday basis- production of media content is now becoming dispersed throughout the population rather than being limited to employees in the media industry- like how ppl upload own vids to the internet - VIRTUALITY= way ppl can now immerse themselves in completely unreal, interactive experiences in virtual worlds created by new tech like computer games. People can also create imaginary identities in online communication and networking sites like Twitter.
3
Q
What are ‘uses’ from this new media?
A
- new media overtake trad media as a means of mass communication
- internet across Europe is now about 24.9 hours(2020) compared to TV views at APPROX 12-14 hrs
-many national newspapers and TV stations have their own websites, enabling them to reach more ppl than their printed papers or TV channels do- BBC
-advertisings importance in income means websites increasingly have to appeal to mass audiences to attract advertisers - spam is becoming a cheap mean for advertising to reach masses of ppl
4
Q
What is the stratification of the new media?
A
- users of new media are not homogenous- new media users are differentiated by class, gender, age and location
- Dutton and Blank found 91% those with higher education had used internet, compared to 34% of those with no formal qualifications
- poorer families, unemployed, ppl physically and socially isolated, elderly, disabled, those living in remote areas and health issues less likely to use internet
5
Q
What is stratification in the new media regarding social class differences/inequality?
A
- middle and upper class are biggest users of new media as they can easily afford it- those in poorest social classes have the least access to the internet and other new media at home- these individuals are digitally excluded
- Helsper showed a digital underclass was forming in Britain- these are ppl who tend to be unemployed, poverty and are less educated who are disadvantaged to those who have full access to digital and nee media, even when these groups gain access to this technology, they lack confidence and skill to make the most of the opportunities to offer
- the internet is now a normal part of life that those who lack access or the skills to use it experience a form of social exclusion
- the class difference extends across all new media- m/c are more likely to have more advanced smartphones, and uses social networks such as LinkedIn
6
Q
What is stratification in the new media regarding age differences?
A
- Boyle-> younger ppl have grown up with the latest developments in the new media and are therefore much more able to use new media than older gens
- younger ppl are more likely to use a range of new media formats like watching TV on their mobiles or tablets rather than just on a TV set
- those aged 16-24 are over 10x more likely to go online via a mobile than those 55+
- according to Ofcom (regarding same ages from above) the younger ppl are greater internet users spending more time online, more likely to own and use smartphone, more likely to get news on mobile devices as opposed to trad media formats
7
Q
What is stratification in the new media regarding gender differences?
A
Ofcom found:
- games and consoles = men
- E-readers = women
- men more likely to use smartphones
- women are more likely to use mobiles to make calls and for texting
- Li and Kirkup suggested there are 2 global gender-based cultures in internet use. They found significant gender differences in internet experience, attitudes, usage and self-confidence. Men are more likely to be positive abt internet, spend more time on it and more confident in their use of it
- women however were more likely to underestimate ability to use internet and used it more for study- a ‘tool’ not a ‘toy’
8
Q
What is stratification in the new media regarding location differences?
A
- most significant digital divide in location is between info-rich and info-poor nations and this lead to global digital underclass
- New media is used most heavily in Western world with many ppl living in poorer countries and lacking access due to poverty
- poorest nations lack the resources to build the digital networks required, and private businesses won’t provide them as they aren’t enough customers willing or able to pay enough for them to make a profit
- language and culture can also cause issues as abt 85% websites are in English
9
Q
What are the effects of new media on trad media with changes influencing trad media?
A
- all trad media are involved in new media part of a horizontal integration and cross media ownership- means there is a form of synergy between trad and new media as support and interact with each other
- changes from growth of new media impacting trad include :
-> decline in newspaper sales and reduced figures of TV news bulletins
-> cheaper more mobile and widely accessible digital technologies
-> newspapers, TV channels etc having own websites and readership of websites often exceed readership of printed format
-> tech expanding live coverage
-> online critism of mainstream news outputs
-> development of online newsrooms in trad media
-> engagement with the interactive aspects of new media
10
Q
What 3 significant changes does Bivens suggest have occurred in trad journalism due to the changes overall?
A
-1. Shifts in trad news flow cycles-> rise inn citizen churnalism has created a huge inc in amount of available info and has inc speed of flow of news- an item posted by a blogger in 1 part of world immediately available to anyone with new media access technology. Trad media no longer controls the flow of info and need to respond regularly to this inc flow of news from citizen journalists - mean journalists have les time to process the news
- 2. Heightened accountability-> citizen journalism has enabled trad media more accountable to public as reports are scrutinised by the public and responded to online. News orgs are aware of their accountability and often use their related websites to offer more interactivity and transparency
-3. Evolving news values-> some important news values include importance, interests, entertainment, proximity and immediacy- in competitive media market, all media need to give impression of being up to date and immediate. The new media enables news orgs to provide more immediacy via instant live coverage. News values may be changing as trad media are incorporating ‘non-professional’ material like citizen reports into the news
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11
Q
Is there a reduced power of ownership due to change to new media?
A
- McNair suggests new media have meant elite groups have less power to influence news agendas. Top down controls by owners, editors etc is replaced by what he calls cultural chaos, means more disruption, dissent, openness and diversity
- citizen journalism have growing power to influence news that is reported by trad media undermining influence of owners and given more power to ordinary ppl
- Agenda setting and gatekeeping can be challenged by citizen journalism. Online reports are potentially viewed by huge global audiences and trad media cannot afford to ignore items which are made newsworthy by citizen journalists
- Bivens does suggest though that shifts in power is only slight and elite groups are adapting and will likely continue to find ways of shaping news outputs- they still have power to limit debate and points to the way opposing views and radical critiques of foreign and domestic policies remain to the way opposing views and radical critiques of foreign and domestic policies remain rare among mainstream news accounts despite their popularity online
12
Q
What effects have occurred regarding changing relationships with media audiences?
A
- new media have forced trad media to be more accountable and responsive to their audiences, allowing more interactive comment and more personalised content
- they have also had to be more responsive in the way content is delivered
- new media tech such as smartphones and tablets are also becoming the preferred way ppl want to consume their media, with smaller but continuous updates throughout the day, rather than fixed newspapers and TV coverage
- this changing way consumers access news was reflected with the launch of Apple News which is a news apps that collects digital news media from 14 UK newspapers and magazine publishers
13
Q
What is the significance of new media in contemporary society?
A
- Curran and Seaton suggest there are 2 general views on the new media’s significance in C society:
-Cultural optimism-> new media as positive role in society help by Neophiliacs embracing new tech- Cultural pessimist-> negative view of new media impact
14
Q
What is the Cultural Optimist/Neophiliac voew?
A
- More informed consumers, wider choices and more user participation: info and shopping etc are all now available online and accessible via different devices. This provides consumers with more info and choices than ever before. Consumers also have the opportunities to participate in using and producing media content.
- Greater democracy: new media have meant there is more info available to all. McNair argues the internet means anyone with a computer/smartphone and internet connection can set up a blog or website. There are greater opportunities to report, critics and comment than ever before. Social movements and campaigns now use the media to spread ideas, build support and coordinate protests. Like BLM and Metoo movements. These movements promote a culture of questioning, challenging and holding induvial and orgs to account. The internet also gives a voice to those who would otherwise be unheard of as trad media would not report
- More access to all kinds of info: social media enables news and info from wide range of sources to be brought to the attention of ppl who have missed them. This potentially gives ppl more power in society as they can gather more info themselves rather than relying on others for it similar to how ppl ca check health conditions through websites like NHS choices.
- The world becomes a global village: the new media promote cultural diversity, nation barriers are reduced, boundaries between global and the local are blurred and different ppl and cultures are brought together promoting greater understanding between different cultures
- Social life and social interaction in enhanced: new media enables ppl to build identities and make lifestyle choices in a media saturated society- new media opened up new channels for communication which ahs enhanced existing face to face interactions- in past some factors like geographical location meant convos impossible- no longer the case
15
Q
What is the Cultural pessimist view in regards to cultural/media imperialism, power of unelected commercial companies, censorship and control?
A
- neophiliacs exaggerate benefits of new media and ignore negative aspects
-Cultural and media imperialism
-Power of unelected commercial companies: as internet is central to our lives, the power of companies providing this technology increases, posing a threat to democracy as more and more of what we know is dominated and controlled by global corporations. MacKinnon uses concept of sovereigns of cyberspace describing the power of multinational corporations like Amazon, Apple etc controlling internet access, satellite channels, social networking and mobile technology, these companies are not elected or accountable to the public and exercise what Curran and Seaton call power w/o responsibility- internet is dominated by these sovereigns of cyberspace. These companies have enormous power to stifle fee expression, FE, 2011 Amazon removed WikiLeaks from its cloud computing servers. Vast majority of websites carry mainstream material and online comments that are within the dominant ideology, also the majority of news consumed online still comes from established newspapers and broadcasting companies - Censorship and control: Mackinnon demonstrates how some undemocratic regimes like China control new media use. Govt censorship and surveillance using filtering, blocking and surveillance tech is often used in these nations. FE, most of China’s social networks use content management teams to censor messages which might cause problems for the govt. Western democracies like the UK are increasingly using same tech, with the govt recently proposing more cyber surveillance with laws to monitor the content of emails, social networks and Skype traffic.
