New Media

Question 1

What characteristics do new media have that are different to printed forms?

Answer 1

• Accessible- the growth of new methods of digital communication, especially the internet, means that digital media can be shared quickly, easily and often for free
• You can use one digital device to access lots of different new media content- this is called convergence. You can listen to music, read and visit news sites on the same device
• user control has increased- there is more hands in the power of the audience. Streaming and catch up services now give viewers control over the programmes they watch and when they want to watch them
• there is more interactivity- the audience is directly engaged with the media. Eg you can use the red button to vote on reality shows and post your opinions on twitter

Question 2

What do some sociologists argue about what new media has transformed?

Answer 2

Our cultures, economies and personalities have been transformed by new media. Eg attitudes to privacy have caged due to social media- its now common to share personal details on the internet- this puts people at risk of losing control over who has access to their identity

Question 3

What did Cornford and Robins argue?

Answer 3

Disagreed with the idea that new media are revolutionary. They argued that they were evolutionary because they evolved from technology that already existed eg most people still have a phone line to access the internet
They also argued that interactivity isn’t exclusive to new media- letter columns in newspapers have allowed people to share their views for years. They believe that the only characteristic of new media that’s entirely new is the speed of communication

Question 4

What did Boyle and Haynes find?

Answer 4

Looked at media coverage of sport after the development of mobile phoebes. Phone manufacturers claimed there would be dramatic, revolutionary changes in football broadcasting and marketing.
They found that intergration of mobile technology and football media was actually an evolutionary process. Mobile technology offered extra options for viewing football, instead of replacing traditional options

Question 5

Who are the biggest users of the new media?

Answer 5

Young people. A 2015 survey found that only 31 people aged 16-24 had never used the internet
Older peoples use of it is increasing

Question 6

What are people who cant access new media part of?

Answer 6

A digital underclass.
Things like getting a passport, registering to vote etc are carried out online.
People who are in poverty are often excluded from new media- they cant afford to pay for broadband or new media devices. They form a digital underclass- they cant take part fully in society
Some people in rural communities also have limited internet access- wires capable of transmitting modern broadband might not be installed in remote areas

Question 7

What did Curran and Seaton do?

Answer 7

They divided people into two groups- cultural pessimists and neophiliacs - according to their attitude towards new media

Question 8

What do cultural pessimists argue?

Answer 8

See the rise of new media in a negative way

• They point out that new media are mainly controlled by powerful multinational corporations like Microsoft and NewsCorp. Increasing globalisation means that they have far reaching influence over consumers
• new media is also controlled by the state. This reduces everyone’s privacy. Eg whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed American State security were hacking the publics emails
• the consumer benefits of new media eg online shopping come at a social cost- online shops avoid taxes and exploit workers
• freedom of information on the internet means that offensive views can be spread eg calling Pink fat on twitter

Question 9

What do neophiliacs argue?

Answer 9

Positive force

• They say the development of technology leads to increased consumer choice- the growth of online shopping means you can shop around for the best deal. Companies use global websites like Facebook to advertise their products, so consumers can buy products from multiple countries
• you can also share more information- this makes society more democratic because people are exposed to lots of different views
• Inventions like satellite TV mean that viewers can access TV content from many countries- some shows become global phenomena eg game of thrones, friends. This creates a sense of shared culture

Question 10

What do some sociologists argue about hegemony?

Answer 10

New media can be used to break down cultural hegemony
Online media platforms make communication less regulated- websites like YouTube etc give you the opportunity to create your own media and present your ideas to a global audience. This means media are more representative of society as a whole because anyone can write or say what they think

Question 11

What does Keen argue?

Answer 11

Cultural pessimist Keen argued that the democratic nature of the internet can harm the quality of media content. Keen says that media like Wikipedia that are crowd produced may be more democratic than other media, but they are filled with badly written, uninformed and unchecked content. These sources are free and easy to access, so they often replace traditional, professional material.