2 Article Summaries (24)

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/22/facebook-social-virtual-reality-beyond-games-mark-zuckerberg

Facebook sets up 'social VR' team to explore virtual reality beyond games

Summary:
Facebook has created a “social VR” team to explore virtual-reality technology’s potential beyond games, as it prepares for the consumer launch of its Oculus Rift VR headset. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg revealed the plans in a surprise appearance at Samsung’s Mobile World Congress press conference, while talking up the popularity of 360-degree videos on Facebook, and on Samsung’s Gear VR headset – which uses technology from Oculus.

Key Data:

• “People have already watched more than a million hours of video in Gear VR,”explained a blog post from Facebook following the event. “Already, millions of people watch 360 videos on Facebook every day. More than 20,000 have been uploaded, with hundreds more added daily.”
• HTC has confirmed that its Vive headset will cost $799, with pre-orders opening at the end of February. Meanwhile, LG is launching its own headset, designed to work with its new G5 Android smartphone.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/new-day-trinity-mirrors-new-national-newspaper-to-go-on-sale-next-monday-a6888546.html

New Day: Trinity Mirror's national newspaper to be aimed mainly at women

Summary:

Trinity Mirror has confirmed it will launch an "upbeat" and "optimistic" national newspaper called New Day on 29 February. The media giant said the tabloid "will be an entirely new newspaper" and not a "light version" of their flagship newspaper the Daily Mirror. "It will report with an upbeat, optimistic approach and will be politically neutral. It will cover important stories in a balanced way, without telling the reader what to think." 

Key Data:

• Simon Fox, the chief executive of Trinity Mirror, told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme the new paper will have an emphasis on reporting for women but will not have an online arm.
• In a statement on the company's website, Mr Fox said: "The New Day will cover news and topical content but with a modern style and tone, aimed at a wide audience of women and men who want something different from what is currently available.
• The newspaper will be available for free from over 40,000 retailers on its first day, 29 February, and then will be sold at 25p for two weeks before going up to 50p after that. 

MEST3 NDM/Identity: updated indexes

1) Reading the riots

2) Post-colonialism: Destiny Ekaragwa film analysis

3) Post-colonialism: theory and clip task

4) Feminism: post-feminism article and No More Page 3 research
5) Feminism: Feminist theory and Beyonce video analysis

6) Feminism: waves and feminism and online activism
7) Identity and Film - Media Factsheet task

8) Collective identity and the media

New/digital media story index - Updated.

1) 16/09/15 - Facebook is working on a 'dislike' button

2) 16/09/15 - Social media is harming the mental health of teenagers.
3) 24/09/15 - Emojis and quizzes led the way at Social Media Week 2015
4) 17/09/15 - TV must push back against Apple and Netflix, says Discovery boss
5) 29/09/15 - Twitter considers allowing posts longer than 140 characters
6) 23/09/15 - E-book sales suffer record slump
7) 28/09/15 - Facebook down for second time in a week..
8) 08/10/15 - Mobile ad spend hits new high as consumers remain glued to smartphones
9) 14/10/15 - Ofcom to take on regulation of video-on-demand services
10) 14/10/15 - The Weekly Beast: tough questions for News Corp hacks going for ABC job
11) 20/10/15 - Sony to pay staff $8m over 'The Interview' hack.
12) 28/09/15 - Jeremy Corbyn just gave his first big interview – and people loved it.
13) 05/11/15 - BBC says public back its online journalism even if it hurts papers
14) 04/11/15 - Facebook reveals 1.5bn people use the site every month
15) 05/11/15 - News Corp first quarter 2015 earnings fall 15% as advertising revenue tumbles
16) 05/11/15 - Parents, is it OK to spy on your child's online search history?

17) 13/11/15 - A week off from Facebook? Participants in Danish experiment like this
18) 13/11/15 - Sun has most male newsroom of national newspapers
19) 20/11/15 - Why YouTube is the new children’s TV... and why it matters
20) 20/11/15 - BBC to cut entertainment and comedy but plans new Saturday night shows
21) 27/11/15 - American Isis Twitter scene' reveals social media's power to radicalise
22) 27/11/15 - 'BBC won't work with press because it is obsessed with Google and Facebook'
23) 04/12/15 - UK national press airs reservations about Cameron's Syrian mission
24) 04/12/15 - News Corp first quarter 2015 earnings fall 15% as advertising revenue tumbles
25) 11/12/15 - The Independent’s blog site hit by ransomware attack.
26) 11/12/15 - UK and France get best deals for TV, mobile and internet.
27) 18/12/15 - Twitter warns users they may have been hacked by 'state-sponsored actors'
28) 18/12/15 - The Australian defends 'racist' cartoon on freedom of speech grounds
29) 25/12/15 - Banning teenagers from social media would be an attack on their human rights
30) 25/12/15 - Telegraph fined £30,000 over email urging readers to vote Tory
31) 25/12/15 - ABS Wheels: Swedish tyre business doubles sales after dropping ‘sexist’ adverts
32) 25/12/15 - The Sun's Jeremy Corbyn apology provokes outrage with 'tiny' front page mention
33) 25/12/15 - Facebook and Uber team up to offer Messenger users taxi trips
34) 25/12/15 - How ‘talk not tap’ rule at table could save children from smartphone addiction

35) 14/01/16 - Sydney man accused of making rape threats on Facebook pleads not guilty

36) 14/01/16 - HMRC software firm raises £100m to expand in US

37) 22/01/16 - Sun website traffic falls by more than 5% despite axing of paywall

38) 22/01/16 - News Corp denies rumors company wants to buy Twitter

39) 29/01/16 - Apple – losing out on talent and in need of a killer new device

40) 29/01/16 - Twitter's US users fall by a third in two years - report

41) 05/02/16 - Yahoo admits it could sell off its core internet business

42) 05/02/16 - Twitter shares jump over 10pc on talk of Marc Andreessen and Silver Lake takeover

43) 12/02/16 - The Independent becomes the first national newspaper to embrace a global, digital-only future

44) 12/02/16 - Facebook director appointed to digital economy advisory group

45) 19/02/16 - Independent staff condemn closures as owner moves to keep big names

46) 19/02/16 - Viz magazine could be permanently banned from Facebook

47) 26/02/16 - Facebook sets up 'social VR' team to explore virtual reality beyond games

48) 26/02/16 - New Day: Trinity Mirror's national newspaper to be aimed mainly at women

2 Article Summaries (23)

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/16/independent-closes-print-titles-national-union-journalists

Independent staff condemn closures as owner moves to keep big names

Summary:
Staff at the Independent have condemned the closure of its print titles and cast doubt on managers’ promise to improve the quality of the website as the company transfers to a digital-only format. The Independent’s owners have moved fast to ensure that some of the papers’ biggest names – including Robert Fisk, Grace Dent and Patrick Cockburn – will continue to write for its digital-only operation.

Key Data:

• The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the move, which also includes the£25m sale of the i newspaper to Johnston Press, was likely to cost about 100 jobs.
• According to the NUJ, Johnston Press staff also “expressed astonishment that the company, which is making job cuts on its regional and local papers and has not filled vacancies for some time, leaving staff with unmanageable workloads, was able to find £25m ‘down the back of the sofa’ to buy the i”.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/viz-magazine-could-be-permanently-banned-from-facebook-a6877156.html

Viz magazine could be permanently banned from Facebook

Summary:

The comic Viz has had its company page pulled from Facebook for violating the social media site's "welcoming, respectful environment". A message posted on the comic's Twitter stated: "Facebook have taken the Viz page down. We can appeal, but if we get it wrong, we'll be 'permanently deleted'. Oo-er."

Key Data:

• Viz is known for its risque content and black humour, with often graphic and violent content. It was founded in 1979 and parodies conventional comics such as The Beano and The Dandy, as well as tabloids and popular culture. It has a circulation of around 50,000 per issue.
• Facebook's policy of censoring some material has attracted criticism from campaigners who say that the company is unfairly stiffling free speech.

2 Article Summaries (22)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-independent-becomes-the-first-national-newspaper-to-embrace-a-global-digital-only-future-a6869736.html

The Independent becomes the first national newspaper to embrace a global, digital-only future

Summary:

The Independent is to become the first national newspaper title to move to a digital-only future, owners ESI Media have announced. The move will capitalise on The Independent’s position as the fastest growing UK quality newspaper website, and will ensure a sustainable and profitable future. The Independent’s last paper edition is expected to be published in March.

Key Data:

• Its monthly audience has grown 33.3% in the last 12 months to nearly 70 million global unique users. 
• The site is profitable and is expected to see revenue growth of 50% this year. 
• Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent, said: “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital.

My View:

I believe the independent newspaper is adapting well to the audiences needs as people would find it to be much more convenient now and also in the digital future. 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/11/facebook-director-appointed-digital-economy-advisory-group
Facebook director appointed to digital economy advisory group

Summary:

The government has appointed a Facebook director and the former head of Amazon UK to a new advisory committee on the digital economy, despite the ongoing row over the amounts such companies have paid in tax to the UK exchequer. The appointments come days after it emerged that the Department for Work and Pensions plans to give a non-executive directorship to Amazon’s boss in China, Doug Gurr. Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock said he had appointed Facebook’s Richard Allan, the director of policy, Europe, to a new advisory board that will help shape the government’s digital services.

Key Data:

• In October last year it emerged that Facebook paid just £4,327 in corporation tax in the UK. 
• Its revenues in the UK were £105m last year but the company declared an operating loss of £28.5m.
• Amazon’s UK business paid just £11.9m in tax in 2014, even though its Luxembourg unit took £5.3bn from internet sales in the UK.

Media and collective identity

Notes and key theories

Collective identity

Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity.

This is closely linked to the key concept of representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity.

Collective identity: theories

Marxism and the Frankfurt School

Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.

This links to the Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists who viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people.

Example: Apple branding

Apple’s branding suggests individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it is a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.

 



Daniel Chandler: CAGE

Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity. 

Does this still apply in the 21st century? Do we construct our own identities along these lines? Think about your presence on social media.

Stuart Hall: media construction

Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back. 

Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.

Constructing our own identities

New technology has changed the way we see ourselves and others. Through social media we can construct identities for ourselves.

Example: Facebook

• How did you choose your profile pic?
• What do you ‘like’?
• What groups have you joined?
• How many friends do you have?

Shared identity online

New technology has also created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity.

Think about the work we have already done on feminism and online activism.

Collective identity in the 21st Century

So, collective identity doesn’t just refer to representations in mainstream media.

It also refers to self-constructed identity by users of social media and communities formed online of shared identity (e.g. Feminism).

Collective identity: blog task

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

-Who are you section : we all construct an image to communicate our identity.  There is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be.

-I think, therefore I am : we present ourselves based on social constructs, constructed outside of our selves; class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles

-The rise of the individual : idea that beneath the surface there was an ‘essential self’ – the core of who you actually are.

-Branding and lifestyle : Branding is the association of a ‘personality’ with a product. Advertisers sell the personality rather than the product, so that people will choose products that match their own self image.

2) List brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

-Apple : as I own multiple apple products, and I use my iPhone constantly. 

-Instagram : This is the social networking site I like to use the most

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

-I agree that modern media is all about style over substance. it seems that people are more concerned with being defined through their sense of style and the materialistic products they possess rather than the authentic human experiences.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

-Baurdrillard's theory of 'media saturation' results in high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion. 

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

-Social media presents a reflection of what the user wants to show themselves as to others. People usually rely heavily on 'likes' and 'comments' to feel good about their appearance. Personally, although I may post pictures of myself onto apps such as instagram, it doesn't give people information of the type of person I am, people construct their own opinions of you through what you post which doesn't affect me as I don't rely on people's opinions to construct my own identity. 

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

-Data mining allows corporations to create products designed to meet the needs we reveal in our personal information and ultimately we end up selling our selves. This is an invasion of privacy as corporations have our personal details and I am against that.

Identities and Film: blog task

The media we choose to watch says a lot about us as people – it helps to construct our identity. 

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets

1) Read Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film.

2) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.

-I am a female
-I am Indian 

-I am a student
-I am the youngest in my house

-I am a feminist
-I am a film lover
-I am a fan of action movies
-I am a caring person
-I am extremely lazy
-I am loud

-I am amazing
-I am a good listener 
-I am violent :) [WARNING: don't mess with me] 
-I am kind
-I am polite
-I am funny 
-I am highly addicted to sweets 
-I am 17
-I am going to turn 18 on the 3rd of August
-I am the best. 

3) Classify your answers into the categories listed  on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

Self-evaluation : I am a caring person -I am extremely lazy -I am loud -I am amazing -I am a good listener -I am violent :) [WARNING: don't mess with me] -I am kind -I am polite -I am funny 
Ideological: I am a feminist
Interests: -I am a film lover -I am a fan of action movies

4) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?
-I love the Harry Potter movies; although they don't contribute to my identity, I just enjoy watching movies like that.