Industry and audience power essay

Essay question: “The internet has given audiences much more power than ever before.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

From my perspective, The Internet has given more power to audiences to an extent, however it has also given us less power: people can connect with other people from around the world via social media and make interact with new people, Having said that the internet is also full of bad people (predators,catfishes, paedophiles etc).Everything is accessible through the internet (shopping, listening to music, new shows etc). People go on many websites without checking if it's trustworthy or not which leads to scams and hacking. 

What changes have happened to the music industry since the rise of the internet?

Positive and negative changes have happened to the music industry since the rise of the internet such as: One positive change is that musicians have more control over their own fates, you are now able to produce music, upload it to the internet and promote it to a wider audience, this could potentially lead you into a life of success. Sales of physical product have decreased and digital music has increased phenomenally since the rise of the internet (we now have Spotify/Youtube Music etc.), this is because we can now access music from anywhere such as our phones/tablets/laptops/computers so it isn't necessary for us to go to a shop and buy devices to play music on such as the Phonograph (record player which was made in 1877), this is bad for the people who sell physical music in stores but good for musicians who release their music online. Streaming is the main reason of massive changes in the music industry. Social media has also had a great impact on the music industry since musicians now have the capability of reaching out/contacting and interacting with their fans, which helps them create a closer community with their fans (positive). Twenty years ago, consumers relied more heavily on CD's/cassettes, people would take CD's/cassettes to parties etc. and now that has completely vanished because of the internet (negative). Consumers illegally use programmes (Napster, Limewire) to pirate music, waiting many hours to download a single track, this has become a widespread problem in which not everyone is aware of and producers lose out on money. Another negative change is the internet has made it more difficult for artists (and their labels, when applicable) to make a decent amount of money from music sales (negative).

What changes have happened to the film and television industry since the rise of the internet?

The positive changes of film and television since the rise of the internet include: we can now access movies/shows from anywhere. We as an audience can now find new movies/TV shows that we never knew about and so we start watching that. Another positive change of the film and television industry since the rise of the internet is producers can now spread upcoming movies/TV shows to a wider audience, more people are able to see movies/TV shows that will be coming soon because producers create multiple social media accounts for new upcoming movies which creates a hype for us as an audience. A couple of negative changes of film and television since the rise of the internet include: People are illegally leaking out films that haven't been released yet in the Cinema therefore companies are loosing a lot of money since people may have already watched it via leaked movies. Since people can write reviews on social media, they can post negative reviews which results in people taking their word for it and the company behind that film/tv show could lose out on money. 

What changes have happened to the news industry since the rise of the internet?

An advantage that has happened to the news industry since the rise of the internet is: We can access news online without having to go in stores to get a newspaper print. We hear about the latest news stories via notifications on our phones. Social media has become the main source of news online with more than a million users of the internet, a high amount of people receive breaking news from many social media platforms. Disadvantages of news since the rise of the internet consist of: A decrease in how much of an article people actually read. Most people will just scroll through their news feed and just read the Headline or watch a video attached to that article, that takes roughly 15-20 seconds then people will carry on scrolling. An article needs to be "liked" or "shared" before it can appear in your feed so therefore producers and our social media friends have control over what we see and what we don't see. Masses of 'fake news' is spread across the internet and it is easy for producers to get people that read their articles to believe what they are seeing, this is a negative change of news since the rise of the internet. 

                                 Conclusion: 

To conclude, The internet has given more power and less power to the audience because (examples) we can now access things from wherever, that could be our laptops, phones, tablets etc. although this leads people into doing things like leaking music that hasn't yet been released. The internet has given us the power to watch newly released films and TV shows from different video streaming platforms which is a positive change but people also illegally record movies from Cinema's and upload it to illegal video streaming websites which you could get into a lot of trouble for (negative) etc. 

Industries: Ownership and control

1) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn in 2012?

It proved that Facebook could buy multiple products at the same time, and also sent a message to other entrepreneurs that Facebook was the best place in Silicon Valley to drive massive growth.

2) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration?

The benefits for media companies of vertical integration is that Media Companies can make more money and can gain more users which leads to bigger profit.

3) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

The benefits for media companies of horizontal integration is that if media industries buy companies at the same level of distribution then their profit will go up at an extremely high price because the company they're buying makes the same amount of money as them.

4) What is a subsidiary?

A subsidiary is a small company bought by bigger companies ( conglomerate) with more profit.

5) Give three examples of media companies that have used synergy to maximise the profit from a brand (there is one above to help you).

• Disney - Frozen/ has toys, cushions, mugs, plates, cups etc. Disney can make much more money from this because it is spread across different platforms.           

• Friends - Have mugs, t - shirts, hoodies, backpacks, phone cases and much more.

• Mean girls - Bracelets, Key rings, bags, makeup bags, Notebook (Burn Book), pins, makeup palettes, clothing etc. The producers of this Movie will make a lot of money as it is a well known, famous movie. 

6) Read this BBC article on Disney buying 21st Century Fox. List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire. This graphic may help you:

• Marvel entertainment
• Pixar
• Maker studios
• The Muppets Studio
• Hulu
• ABC Entertainment
• Lucusfilm
• ESPN Books 
• Marvel press
• Dreamworks II

7) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits?

Disney bought fox because it expands Disney's offerings with the Fx and National Geographic cable channels, and Fox's regional sports in the US. 

The purchase also extends Disney's global reach, adding media company Star India and Fox's interests in Sky plc and Tata Sky to its portfolio.

Audience: Effects theory

1) Write a definition of a passive audience: 
                   
This is the view  that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.        

 2) Write a definition of an active audience:

This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume. 

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory:   

This is the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members.     

4) Write down a media product for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification:

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE:

(Black Mirror) Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it teaches us that our addiction to our cellphones could break us apart. Us as people do not realise the consequences of using our phones for social media etc. This show teaches us a valuable lesson of what may happen to you if you carry on using your phone too often. 

IDENTITY:

(Avatar: The last airbender) Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it is about a boy who just wants to make friends but then has loads of responsibilities which he tries to run away from, some people can relate to this because their life may be similar to the life this boy is living. 

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: 
(Mean girls) Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it lures us into this world of teens in High School and how mean people can be in High School as well as the fact that it is quite enjoyable to watch and the audience is easily tempted to watch more. 

RELATIONSHIPS:

(After) Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it is about 2 teens who fall in love with each other after claiming to dislike each other but then they just can't deny their love for each other and so we as an audience care deeply about where they take their journey and if it will last. We as an audience get pulled into this world of tenderness, love and affection which appeals to us.
 
5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above).


(Blue Planet) Blumler and Katz's Information/Surveillance Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it teaches us about Wildlife and what is threatening to them and their habitat, this teaches us new things that we didn't already know. Blumler and Katz's Diversion/entertainment Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it helps us escape from the real world and go deep into the depths of the ocean and all we focus on is what the speaker in the background is saying which helps reality go away. Blumler and Katz's Relationships Uses and Gratifications theory fits this particular audience use/gratification because it helps us build a strong bond with the animals and we start to care about what will happen to the animals if we don't do something about it and also it makes us happy to see the creatures/animals happy. If we take interest in this TV show we may experience Vicarious Pleasure, this is because we begin to see things from the animals view and try to imagine how they feel living life the way they do (good or bad). 

Reception theory

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

The preferred reading of the Harry Brown trailer is that young adults/teens are a part of gangs, producers are clearly trying to indicate that the stereotypical belief of teens/young adults is that they play a part in violence, cruelty, brutality etc. Teens/young adults are believed to involve themselves in crimes and murder so I think this is what the producers were trying to convey to us as the audience. 

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

The oppositional reading for the Harry Brown trailer is that young people are hauled into this life of violence, crime etc. and aren't really given a choice, as an audience we may believe that some teens/young adults put themselves in a position of crime/violence which is what causes seriousness like this. 


3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The Harry Brown trailer positions the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film as shocking, dreadful, horrifying etc. this is because as said in my first point, the teens in this trailer are targeted as extremely violent and aggressive which has a strong effect on the audience. 

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Some young people may reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of this trailer because not all young people are a part of crime, so if adults or others portray them like this, it could possibly have an effect on this young person because they don't want their generation to be seen as threatening to our community.

               
                               Look at this McDonald's advert:

The preferred reading of this McDonald's advert is the fact that it is a whole meal, the producers intend to communicate to the audience that the ' Big Mac ' will fill you up because it has many fillings in it so this persuades us  appeals to us to buy this if you are quite hungry. The negotiated reading for this media product is the fact that some people may find this a very cool, different idea to the other foods they sell in restaurants/shops although some people may disagree with this because they do not know 

what is being put in this ' Big Mac ' to make it like that so they may question whether they should try it or not. Some people may also dislike burgers which will result in them not willing to buy this item. The oppositional reading of this McDonald's advert is that although it fills you up and is quite eye catching, it is also quite unhealthy (e.g - the beef) this can have an effect on us as an audience because we may want to maintain a healthy lifestyle without worrying about ourselves so this could lead to people not buying this product.

                                      My advert:

The preferred reading for this Fiji advert is the fact that 

that the flower on the bottle is a very attractive and appealing small detail, this is because it is very bright and it has the colour pink, this connotes tenderness, nice, admiration etc. therefore the 

producers are intending to communicate the fact that this is an incredible and nice drink so it makes us as an audience crave for it.  The negotiated reading for this Fiji Water advert is the fact that some people may want this water because of the design and the shape of the bottle as well as the ' Fit ' sign, this is because it lets us know that it is healthy for us and is fresh water from the mountains but some people may not purchase this product because they may say it is just ' normal ' water, what is so special about it?

The oppositional reading for this Fiji Water is (as mentioned in my above point) just normal water so what is the big deal about it. People may be able to just about guess that because of the shape of the bottle and the print of the flower that this is expensive water therefore they won't buy it and they may think normal water helps you get fit/ in shape as well so there is no need for this water. 

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).


       " Remember that your answers need to be relevant to the                     media context. "

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question:

Q1: 1/1 ( I got 1/1 for this question because the thing you can actually see is the red dress. )

Q2: 1/1 ( I got 1/1 for this question because the connotations of the colour red appeal to the audience as powerful. ) 

Q3: 1/2  (I got 1/2 for this question because I gave 1 definition for consumer not 2 and it is a 2 mark question.)

Q4: 2/2  ( I got 2/2 for this question because I explained what is meant by Target Audience in full detail. ) 

Q5: 1/2 ( I think I got 1/2 for this question because I didn't write a 2nd effect of the placement of the title in the film poster. )

Q6: 2/3 ( I think I didn't get full marks for this question because I didn't add enough information to my last point. )

Q7: 2/2 ( I got 2/2 for this question because I fully explained the boy's facial expression and the background. )

Q8: 0/4 (I got 0/4 for this question because I didn't finish my answer to this question. )

Q9: 1/8( I got 1/8 for this question because I only said one point instead of 4. ) 

 3) Did you get any media terminology wrong in the assessment? Make a note of it here for future revision:

9. Instead of writing audience, I wrote readers. 

4) Identify one of your stronger questions. Why did you do better on this question?

One of my stronger questions was ' 07 ' this is because I added full detail in each of my points and I used media terminology which would result in getting full marks. 

5) Identify one of your weaker questions. Why did you score lower on this particular question?

One of my weaker questions was ' 09 ' this is because I didn't use much Media Terminology and I didn't give much information or detail in my answers.

6) Re-draft your answer to Q9 and type it out 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 of at least three paragraphs.

Charities use pictures of children because children are stereo typically believed to be innocent and endangered so if a person or an audience see this they will feel sympathy for those kids and also the kid in the picture.

An additional reason charities use pictures of children in advertisements is because charities hope that the consumers of this advertisement will notice how sorrowful these kids are in hope the people that come across these adverts will do something about it.

 A further reason charities use pictures of children in advertisements is because when you see a child in an advert, it is immediately recognisable and if the child has a straight face the connotations are unhappy, dejected and cheerless.