Topic 6 : New Media Flashcards
Features of new media - interactivity
Choice of what media to interact with
This has LED TO:
1. Participatory culture - information production from consumer
= Jenkins - gives consumer more control
2. Collective intelligence - we can combine our knowledge to gain an understanding of the world
Features of new media - hypertextuality
We can make links across different media and connect pieces of information together
Features of new media - democratisation
More people have the power to create and distribute media
Features of new media - virtuality
Virtual world and create imaginary identities
What does new media mean for traditional media
Having to move online to get advertising revenue
Class inequalities in internet use
Differences in access to internet (based on income) means there is a divide in the number of people able to access information
Lower-income HH with lower education lack confidence of how to navigate internet and making the most of its opportunities - creates a digital underclass
Class inequalities in internet use - livingstone and wang
Those who lack internet skills may be held back (as now it is normal) and can LEAD to social exclusion
Different social networks for different classes
MC use LinkedIn - connections, money etc.
Stratification of New Media - old people
75 years and over using the internet doubled since 2013 (29% -> 54% 2020)
Global divide
Underdeveloped countries have got less access to the internet - internet is dominated by developed countries
Impact of new media on traditional media
Traditional media is in a huge decline
= newspapers and news channels have now increased their presence online - more readership
WHY has this happened?
Everyone has a phone - easier access
Producers can tailor experiences and increase retention of consumers
Feature of new media and its impact on traditional media
People more likely to see news that align with their views as we now access news via social media
TM have to appeal to more of a mass audience without offending people - they provide dumbed down infotainment OR impartial news (BBC)
Some TM choose to be less impartial to meet the views of their readers (Daily mail, the guardian etc. right wing)
This LEADS to more power being with new media sites (google, TikTok)
= they will adjust their algorithms to favour certain types of news so the world view of people is more impacted by these companies
Feature of new media and its impact on traditional media
News can be created quicker and by more people (democratisation)
TM cannot control the news in the same way - they must respond to breaking news from twitter etc. (EG George Floyd)
Media owners have less ability to agenda set
AO2: Aaron Bushnell
Feature of new media and its impact on traditional media
Traditional media are able to be criticised by more people and platforms
More accountability, TM must ensure they’re being impartial and objective
Feature of new media and its impact on traditional media
Has increased competition - greater emphasis on immediacy of news
People will give their attention to whichever media organisation can meet their needs the quickest
TM must get their stories out asap
Must use images to entice viewers
Can LEAD to more inaccuracy and less detailed analysis - keeping it simple to keep consumer interest
Democracy and new media - cultural optimists
New media = greater democracy (holding powerful people to account, greater access to information, protests)
EG Sheffield united fans were able to petition their club using an online petition to refuse to play a convicted rapist. They were successful
EG post office scandal
Democracy and new media - cultural pessimists
Sovereigns of cyberspace
MacKinnon - media companies have become the sovereigns of cyberspace - google, facebook etc. have a lot of power but aren’t officially elected
This means they can censor and control
= new media has given governments more power to spy on us - we do not consent to this (targeting brexit adverts to labour people)
Democracy and new media - cultural pessimists
Lack of choice
Newman and Levy - majority of news consumed online was from mainstream broadcasting companies
Algorithms - less likely to see stuff you didn’t know you wanted to see
Preston - new media offers choice but doesn’t bring attention to stories that people didn’t know they wanted to be informed about
Information and new media - cultural optimists
We can access information that is beneficial - life hacks, health advice (NHS website)
Creates greater awareness of global issues - EG climate change
AI
This MEANS citizen have access to information to help them make informed decisions - EG political decisions
Information and new media - cultural pessimists
Allows for the mass distribution of fake content - scale means governments can’t control
More people can produce information and their ability to do so is not influenced by their necessity of it being accurate
We can’t trust information
These can influence elections
More consumer choice - cultural optimists
Access to millions of websites
Choose from hundreds of products
Blogs, reviews allows consumers to make informed decisions
Lack of consumer choice - cultural pessimists
Newman and Levy - majority of news consumed online was from mainstream broadcasting companies
Algorithms - less likely to see stuff you didn’t know you wanted to see
Preston - new media offers choice but doesn’t bring attention to stories that people didn’t know they wanted to be informed about
Lack of regulation online - cultural pessimists
Nobody like Ofcom can check for harmful content. This enables:
Child pornography
Pedophilia
Drug smuggling
Lack of barriers to expression online - cultural optimists
Individuals are free to express themselves without government interference
Technolibertarians - you can avoid government control of ideas and can have access to things which would otherwise be hard to obtain through the dark web
