story #68

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-voters-deluge-fake-news-stories-facebook-twitter-russian-influence-days-before-election-a7696506.html

story #68 "French social media awash with fake news stories from sources ‘exposed to Russian influence’ ahead of presidential election"

As the article states, French voters have been deluged with fake news stories on their social media feeds ahead of the country's presidential election, many from sources "exposed to Russian influence", new research has found.  

Researchers from Oxford University found up to a quarter of the political links shared on Twitter in France were based on misinformation. They were identified as deliberately false and expressed “ideologically extreme, hyper-partisan or conspiratorial" views with logical flaws and opinions presented as facts.

Another study published this week from the private research group Bakamo shows many of the fake news reports came from sources "exposed to Russian influence”. Facebook recently suspended 30,000 suspected automated accounts in France with many of the profiles distributing politically driven misinformation and propaganda. On Twitter, where automated accounts are allowed, many accounts that were used to promote Donald Trump have now turned their attention to pushing conspiracy theories and far-right ideas, according to Kevin Limonier, who is studying the manipulation of social media in the French election and and Clinton Watts, a former FBI agent and now a senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security.

story #67

https://tribuneonlineng.com/media-icon-tasks-stakeholders-collaboration-save-print-media/

story #67 Media icon tasks stakeholders on collaboration, to save print media

As the article states, Malam Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman, Daily Trust Newspapers, on Saturday called on editors, journalists and media owners to work together  to bring  the nation and the media  out of recession.

Yusuf made the call at the Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Lagos. The Convention Chairman said that the media industry began to experience recession long before it hit the nation’s economy.

He lamented that newspaper readership was on the decline and called on stakeholders to adopt strategies to save the print media.

Yusuf, however, noted that the social media was not responsible for the decline, as according to him, the decline started long before the advent of the social media.

He urged the stakeholders to collaborate to rekindle the interest to read newspapers again in Nigerians, in order for the media to continue to remain relevant.

He said that due to the decline in the purchasing power of the Naira, Publishers now published fewer copies and scrambled for adverts to survive.

story #66

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/apr/15/journalism-faces-a-crisis-worldwide-we-might-be-entering-a-new-dark-age

Story #66 Journalism faces a crisis worldwide – we might be entering a new dark age

As the article states, Australia’s two largest legacy media organisations recently announced big cuts to their journalistic staff. Many editorial positions, perhaps up to 120, will disappear at Fairfax Media, publisher of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and News Corporation announced the sacking of most of its photographers and editorial production staff.
Both announcements were accompanied by corporate spin voicing a continuing commitment to quality journalism. Nobody in the know believes it. This is the latest local lurch in a crisis that is engulfing journalism worldwide.
Now, partly thanks to Donald Trump, many more people are turning their mind to the future of news, including “fake” news and its opposite.
News media for most of the last century appeared to be one relatively simple business. Gather an audience by providing content, including news. Sell the attention of the audience to advertisers. The internet and its applications have brought that business undone. As any householder can attest, the audience no longer assembles in the same concentrations. The family no longer gathers around the news on television. Most homes have multiple screens and news is absorbed as it happens.

story #65

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/apr/11/tiny-newspaper-in-us-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-taking-on-big-business

Story #65 Tiny newspaper in US wins Pulitzer prize for taking on big business

As the article states, a number of important local stories were leading the website of the Storm Lake Times, circulation 3,000, on Tuesday morning. Second-grader Alejandra Gonzales found a four-leaf clover in the field behind her school. A local woman had bought and renovated a building to house 25 elderly cats.

And in a modest announcement of just a sentence, another notable local happening: on Monday, Art Cullen, the paper’s owner and editor, was awarded a Pulitzer prize, the most prestigious award in global journalism, for his editorial writing. Fellow honorees for 2017 include the rather better read New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Miami Herald. The twice-weekly newspaper, serving a town of a little over 10,000 people, may not previously have been widely read outside Buena Vista county, north-west Iowa, but Cullen’s editorials – “fuelled by tenacious reporting, impressive expertise and engaging writing that successfully challenged powerful corporate agricultural interests in Iowa” – certainly caught the attention of the Pulitzer committee. He beat writers from the Washington Post and Houston Chronicle to the award.

Case study research tasks

MEST3 Independent case study: New/Digital Media

Case study research tasks

The basics

1.) My chosen industry is the music industry

2.) My chosen case study is Apple Music

The audience

1.) The new and digital media has changed people's experience as it gives them convenient access to music from the use of the Internet and electronics. 
2.) New and digital media has also changed the way in how consumers actually consume music, and in this way they can access music anywhere with an Internet connection via YouTube, Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music, etc
3.) New and digital media has also increased the audience size given that music can be uploaded anywhere onto the Internet, therefore the audience number grows with their presence on the Internet
4.) With Apple Music, audiences have now an alternative to music streaming other than using it's competitor Spotify.
5.) New and digital media means that streaming services offered by Spotify and Apple Music for example could be rejected in the sense that audiences could find an alternative that is free
6.) New and digital media has definitely influenced audience pleasures as they can access services through several ways
7.) The target audience for my case study are preferably teenagers to young adults, therefore ranging from the ages of 13-35. 

Institution:
1.) My chosen music industry has had their control impacted by new and digital media as there are other competitors that share the widespread of users 
2.) New and digital media has had an impact on the music industry's ownership as services similar can be accessed elsewhere where it is free 
3.) New and digital media has changed the way institutions produce texts as technology has had a huge influence in the way things are seen, presented, and used by the audience
4.) New and digital media has changed the way in how institutions distribute their product as audiences might tend to use technology to access and find things, therefore an institution for example might create a digital video ad instead of on a billboard.   
5.) New and digital media threatens the music industry as artists may not make profit due to music piracy, given money is the catalyst to music production
6.) New and digital media may offer a synergy of attraction that regulates the music industry, example, social apps such as YouTube for artists' VEVO music videos.

UGC:


Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony:
1.) A Marxist would favour in consumerism and the economy continuing, therefore given that streaming technology helps the music industry a Marxist would have a positive view
2.) A liberal pluralist on the other hand would view different groups with competing interests whilst the media is subject to the wishes of the customer (supply and demand), therefore they would instead favour how consumers are able to listen to music
3.) There are some instances of hegemonic views on the music industry, such as how a music artists are seen to be presenting a lavish lifestyle when in fact in order for them to sustain that they will need sales

Globalisation:
1.) Globalisation has impacted the music industry in an undoubtedly positive way as there is a wider spread of audience to reach out to, therefore increasing their sales and regulating it more
2.) Globalisation has had a positive impact due to more audiences that can access the music industry's services, given that it is on the Internet 
3.) There are some instances of cultural imperialism in the music industry, such as VEVO and their 'Americanisation' where there is rejection of foreign songs being presented in their institution

Social media:
1.) The musc industry has used social medias, such as Twitter and Instagram to each respective artists that use the social platform as a method of reaching out to their fans. It's easily accessible and convenient
2.) Apple Music has both the social networking apps Twitter and Instagram to offer assistance and help to consumers, therefore as a result improving the customer and supplier relationship that improves their brand image
3.) Social media is an opportunity to both the music industry and Apple Music given that certain apps can help raise awareness 

Statistics:
1.) In the UK, about 7.4 billion tracks were streamed on audio services in 2013, twice the total recorded in 2012. While digital accounted for 50% of UK record industry trade revenues last year, streaming brought in 10%, and this figure is rising fast. Spotify, says about 70% of its revenues from advertising and subscriptions goes back to rights holders - the record labels, collecting societies and publishing companies. It says it has paid out more than $1bn (£587m; 735m euros) in royalties since its launch in 2008 to the end of 2013. One 2007 study by the Institute for Policy Innovation estimated that illegal downloading was costing the US economy $12.5bn (£7.3bn; 9.2bn euros) a year.
2.) The impact of new and digital media as a result has made the music industry, specially Apple Music and Spotify the opportunity to expand their regulation.
3.) The impact on audiences is positive given that they're now able to access their favourite artists' newly released albums and music officially through streaming services provided by Spotify and Apple Music, giving them a sense of "premium privilege" 

Theories:
Uses & gratifications - some consumers may use streaming services from Apple Music as a way of getting their "premium privilege" when they are for example, the first ones to listen to an album or song released by a popular artist i.e. Drake. As a result, this may result in a "luxury" lifestyle. 
Two step flow theory - influential for music critics for example, those who listen first and give a review might change people's views prior to buying an album/song and listening to it. If it's a positive review then sales will increase, but vice versa if it's negative.
Surveillance - Similarly, consumers might purchase the top rated, top played, top hits, etc, to introduce themselves to what the social norm of music is nowadays. As a result, there is a cultural transmission.

Issues/debates:
As a result of streaming services introduced with Apple Music and Spotify, the music industry has had an influx and has given artists a chance to regulate and expand their careers.

Wider examples and secondary texts
Social media's influence of a 'two-step flow model'; echo chambers; opinion leaders, etc to create hype

story #64

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/10/fairfax-media-records-8935m-loss-due-to-newspaper-writedowns

story #64 "Fairfax Media records $893.5m loss due to newspaper writedowns"

As the article states, the publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Fairfax Media, has posted a full-year net loss of $893.5m compared with an $82m profit last year after announcing a close to $1bn write-down of assets last week. The media company, which now makes 50% of its profits from online property business Domain, last week separated the profitable website from its struggling newspaper division. Total revenue also declined in the 12 months to 26 June, to $1.83bn, from $1.87bn the previous year, while net operating profit fell 7.6% to $132m. Fairfax announces billion-dollar write-down and plan to split off Domain. Despite an increase in pre-tax profits at Domain and a 20% growth in group digital revenue, Fairfax was hindered by the continued poor performance of its flagship mastheads. Profits in its metro division, which houses the Canberra Times as well as the Herald and The Age, fell nearly 45% to $39m, while profits at local and regional newspapers fell 10% to $110.9m. There are 209,000 paid digital subscribers to the SMH, the Age and the Australian Financial Review, accounting for $38m but it is not enough to offset the losses on the newspapers. With print circulation revenue and print advertising revenue both declining Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood confirmed it was only a matter of time before the Monday to Friday editions of the metropolitan papers ceased publication in line with global trends.

• Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Fairfax Media, has posted a full-year net loss of $893.5m compared with an $82m profit last year after announcing a close to $1bn write-down of assets last week
• the media company, which now makes 50% of its profits from online property business Domain
• Total revenue also declined in the 12 months to 26 June, to $1.83bn, from $1.87bn the previous year, while net operating profit fell 7.6% to $132m
• Canberra Times as well as the Herald and The Age, fell nearly 45% to $39m

story #63

https://www.raconteur.net/culture/tech-trumping-traditional-media

story #63 "Tech trumping traditional media"

As the article states, overall sales of the national titles are falling at a rate of about 10 per cent a year while regional dailies are declining faster. Local papers, which initially bucked the downward trend, have also seen their sales tumble over the past decade.

Yet the digital audience for newspaper content has increased to levels that far exceed the numbers they enjoyed at newsprint’s circulation zenith in the 1960s.

Editors happily point to the millions of people who access their websites. By contrast, their owners and commercial managers sadly point to the financial reality: advertising revenue, the lifeblood of newspapers for more than 150 years, is taking flight. In the jargon of the newspaper trade, newsprint pounds have been replaced by digital pennies. Monetising content has proved more difficult than first appeared because advertisers and their media-buying agencies prefer to seek consumers through social media and, of course, the internet behemoth that is Google.

Their reasoning for the switch from traditional advertising outlets to online alternatives is understandable. In this increasingly connected world, it is easy to track and measure performance. The data is easily available and enables advertisers to target consumers more efficiently, and cheaply, than ever before. They can guarantee that their goods and services reach the right people. This facility is one of the major reasons for the recent prediction by PwC that the UK media and entertainment sector will grow at a rate of 3 per cent a year, making it worth £68.2 billion by 2020.

• ecent prediction by PwC that the UK media and entertainment sector will grow at a rate of 3 per cent a year, making it worth £68.2 billion by 2020.

#62

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1370473/female-journalists-still-taboo-quetta/

#story #62 "Why are female journalists still taboo in Quetta?"

As the article states, a vast majority of families in Quetta look down upon women who work in the media. Even though there are many girls who join journalism school, not many step into the industry for professional work. As a result of this, there is an acute shortage of female journalists in the city, and little to no coverage of women issues is given in the media. According to the records of Directorate General of Public Relations Balochistan, there are 25 news channels and 171 daily newspapers operating in Quetta. Quetta-based journalist Hafeezullah Sherani says there are only three women reporters working with news channels and none associated with newspapers. The three reporters, he adds, don’t have Pakhtun or Baloch background and hence are unaware of local customs and languages.

story #61

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/brexit-concerns-fail-to-stop-uk-advertising-growth-except-for-the-newspaper-and-magazine-industry/

story #61 "Brexit concerns fail to stop UK advertising growth (except for the newspaper and magazine industry)"

As the article states, advertising spending has been forecast to grow across the board in the UK next year with the exception of national and regional newspapers and magazines. In both the newspaper and magazine industry, advertising income is estimated to be declining, according to the AA/Warc Exenditure report. In the national press slight digital growth is failing to cancel out a sharp drop in print advertising. And in the regional press both print and digital advertising are estimated to be declining. National newsbrands (the national press) attracted £1.1bn of advertising last year (down 9.8 per cent), of which digital comprised £224m (up 2.1 per cent) – the report states. Regional newsbrands (the regional press) fell 12 per cent to just over £1bn of which £196m was digital (down 1.7 per cent year on year). The pace of decline for national and regional newsbrands is forecast to slow slightly next year to 7.9 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively. The quarterlyreport found that total UK advertising grew 4.4 per cent to £21.1bn in 2016 and is set to grow by a further 3.2 per cent in 2017. Chief executive of the Advertising Association Stephen Woodford said: “That adspend held up after the referendum is another marker of the strength of the UK’s advertising and media industries. As the Government gears up for Brexit negotiations and a new industrial strategy, it must prioritise protecting this global advantage.”

• National newsbrands (the national press) attracted £1.1bn of advertising last year (down 9.8 per cent), of which digital comprised £224m (up 2.1 per cent)
• Regional newsbrands (the regional press) fell 12 per cent to just over £1bn of which £196m was digital (down 1.7 per cent year on year).
• The quarterlyreport found that total UK advertising grew 4.4 per cent to £21.1bn in 2016 and is set to grow by a further 3.2 per cent in 2017