Mail Online's 10th birthday: from the sidelines to the sidebar. The UK's most popular newspaper website is a decade old this week – we look at how the site and its rivals looked in 2004...
Mail Online in 2004: true blue branding. Photograph: Wayback Machine - Internet Archive
The UK's most popular newspaper website, Mail Online, celebrates its 10th birthday this week. When it launched in May 2004, it had a staff of six and was branded as DailyMail.co.uk. Now, it has nearly 500 staff and is a global behemoth that attracts more than 179.8 million monthly unique browsers. Media Week reported that the Mail's publisher plugged the launch as one of the “most eagerly anticipated events in the UK media industry”, commenting "Associated New Media knows that positioning DailyMail.co.uk towards its readership stereotype is not a good idea. ANM is not trying to encourage a historically reticent audience to switch onto the web. It is optimistic that DailyMail.co.uk will attract the younger, more affluent audience usually associated with the internet." Mail Online's front page from May 2004 (above) has a clean, functional look with little to make it stand out from rival sites of the time. Although it tells readers that "Brad [Pitt] is out of the doghouse with Jennifer [Aniston]", there is no sign of the "sidebar of shame" that has helped power its growth, particularly in the US. Today's site, in contrast, boasts big pictures, long headlines, large ads – and lots of celebrity stories. Headlines include "OMG there's a SPIDER': Series of selfies catch the hilarious moment teenage girl plants fake arachnid to trick terrified friend into thinking they've been photo-bombed".
Mail Online in 2014: another banner year
The Mail Online of 2004 certainly lacks the visual appeal of the Guardian website of the time, with its distinctive "Brody block" trails under the masthead.
Guardian Unlimited in April 2004: top site on the block.
Telegraph.co.uk had a more content-packed layout than DailyMail.co.uk – but its bland branding (here in a page from January 2004) looks out of step with the paper.
Telegraph.co.uk in 2004: gives little flavour of the paper.
Times Online has a more graphic look, with a layout that works better to draw in readers – this is from October 2004, some six years before the paywall came down at the paper.
Times Online in 2004: black-and-white vision.
- Mail Online launched in May 2004.
- Attracts more than 179.8 million monthly unique browsers.
Cuban blogger to launch island's first independent digital newspaper. Yoani Sánchez's online publication called 14ymedio will challenge communist-ruled country's state-controlled media...
Yoani Sánchez will use online journalism to voice her criticism of Cuba’s one-party system.
Cuba's prize-winning blogger, Yoani Sánchez, is launching the island's first independent digital newspaper next week to challenge the communist-ruled country's state-controlled media. Sánchez said the online publication will be named 14ymedio, in honour of the year of its launch and the 14th-floor Havana apartment where she writes her popular Generation Y blog on daily life and politics in Cuba. Going up against Cuba's heavy media restrictions will not be easy, she admitted in an announcement on her blog on Wednesday."It will be a difficult road. In recent weeks we have seen a preview of how official propaganda will demonize us for creating this medium," Sánchez wrote, adding that several of her online team have already received warning calls from Cuban state security officials prior to the official launch on 21 May. Public criticism of Cuba's communist system can be considered enemy propaganda, punishable by jail sentences. Vowing to be totally independent and transparent, Sánchez said she opted for online journalism to voice her criticism of Cuba's one-party system, rather than becoming an opposition politician.
- "It will be a difficult road. In recent weeks we have seen a preview of how official propaganda will demonize us for creating this medium".
- Sánchez, 38, has won several prestigious media awards in the United States and Europe and has been included on Time magazine's annual list of 100 most influential people.
- "A reporter should not have any kind of militancy," she said.
I think this would be a good oppurtunity for audiences to user generate and interact with each other via the digital newspapers. It would give a chance for audiences to also create their own news such as citizen journalism and post them up on blogs for others to view.
New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching audiences. Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques. (48 marks)
New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching the audiences such as using paywalls to get more subscribers, newspapers increasing their costs, on demand, and many more. Print Newspapers are on decline due to new and digital media as audiences can now access the news online on their smartphones, tablets and etc, it is easy and quick for them as they have the device on the go. As print newspapers have been impacted by an large middle class demographic audience, revenues have decreased causing companies to increase their prices, for example 'The Sun' used to be 20p now it is 40p. However as the new audience decide to answer to online content, their is still a traditional audience who still buy print newspapers as it is something they prefer rather than going online as they would be a resigned older age. On the other hand some newspapers do not get effected by the income of new and digital media as they take advantage of it by creating online news where middle class, working audiences would pay to access this content on the go, increasing paywalls and audiences to interact. Moreover another media institution would be on demand, audiences are now entitled to time shift their programmes to a time when suits them therefore programmes such as watershed would not be exactly at the watershed time as audiences will be able to view it at any time they want including younger audiences so their is no regulations. Scheduling is no more in today's society as new and digital media has changed this all including advertisements to be mostly viewed online rather than television as audiences hardly watch TV any more.
The print media also gives an opportunity to target a younger audience, as print newspapers include sports, which most young male audiences are attracted too. Sports is a big topic which attracts a large audience including younger demographics, it has become easier for younger audiences to access online newspapers now by using the latest devices introduced such as tablets, smartphones and more. The new and digital media may impact a younger audiences by using technologies for educational purposes and learning in school, however there could also be disadvantages such as less concentration, access to pornography and more that is not related to education. The biggest concern is pornography as there is no restrictions for these sites and anyone can access it, causing distraction for young audiences.
Audience now create their own content such as recording live events and uploading them onto social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and more for others to view. This is usually called Citizen Journalism as audiences are now creating the live news, a good example to this would be the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was a huge impact to new and digital media as trapped civilians found using their smartphones to record live events and post up online to raise awareness of what is really happening in western countries. Citizen journalism allows audiences to find news reliable as it is live events whereas the actual News would be believed to be exaggerated therefore audiences are brainwashed. Moreover user generated content is a big advantage to citizen journalism too as audiences share their opinions and by making the content popular on social sites therefore it would be recognized by governments and news. User generated content allows audiences to share and interact with others about their opinions.
Pluralists could argue that it is their choice when to watch programmes as they are in control however a Marxists could still argue back that audiences use iPlayer, Sky+ and many more to watch their content as these players also include advertisement which is mostly viewed online more than television now, persuading or attracting audiences to products.
Section 2: Focus on News Corporation
Section 6+: Something from your independent case study
Katie Price's Twitter putdown packs a punch in 92 characters. As an example of how to say so much with so few words, Katie Price's tweet is in a class of its own...
There is no contest for tweet of the week, which comes courtesy of the erroneously hasbeened Katie Price, to whom genuine commiserations are clearly due. But if you're one of those people currently considering tweeting a picture of a dish you have just been served in a restaurant – or, like me, labouring under the misapprehension that people might give a toss about something you might shortly have to say about Richard Littlejohn – then I hope we can agree that now is the time to take the most unsparing of looks at our work, and remind ourselves of what something actually worth the bandwidth looks like. And so: "Jane Pountney is 50 next year cloned into me with my help she is a whore, home wrecker slut". It's fair to say there's a helluva lot packed into the above. In fact, in those 92 characters is distilled a dark psychological novel, volume six of an autobiography, a potted history of early 21st-century fame culture, and at least two forthcoming reality series. Like I say, a snap of your endive probably isn't going to cut it from here on in.
- Tweet of the week.
- "Jane Pountney is 50 next year cloned into me with my help she is a whore, home wrecker slut".
Celebrities using Twitter has become a big disadvantage, as content by celebrities are take more serious than normal audiences interacting. Social sites entertain the audiences especially from celebrities as they are most likely to be seen as ideologies. However it also can be an advantage to celebrities to interact with their fans and share content if wanted with others, informing and entertaining audiences.
Netflix announces immediate fee increase for new UK subscribers, Streaming service hopes to limit loss of customers to rivals such as Amazon/Lovefilm...
Netflix is increasing its monthly fee for streaming movies and television shows from £5.99 to £6.99, hoping that the "House of Cards effect" will keep subscribers from deserting to the rival Amazon/Lovefilm service. The price increase will take effect immediately for new subscribers but will be delayed for two years for existing members. The decision to raise prices comes amid the commercial and critical success of House of Cards, where Netflix invested €100m in the drama starring Kevin Spacey and made the entire series available for immediate streaming. It has also enjoyed a ratings hit with Orange is the New Black and plans further original content from documentaries to children's programmes. But it makes Netflix £1 a month pricier than Amazon Instant Video (the new name for Lovefilm) which charges £5.99 a month. Netflix will allow subscribers to continue paying £5.99 a month if they opt for a lower-resolution "SD" quality service. It also has a multiple-users service for £8.99 a month which allows four users to view programmes at the same time on a single monthly account. Netflix is raising prices not just in the UK but almost across the board for its 48 million global subscriber. With the huge audiences achieved through House of Cards – and a pilot price increase in Ireland which showed "limited impact" in subscriber losses – it is gambling on more subscribers retaining their membership this time.
- Streaming movies and television shows from £5.99 to £6.99.
- Netflix invested €100m in the drama starring Kevin Spacey and made the entire series available for immediate streaming.
- In an email to subscribers this morning, Netflix said: "In order to continue adding more films and TV programmes, we are increasing our price from £5.99 to £6.99 for new members. As a thank you for being a member of Netflix already, we guarantee that your plan and price will not change for two years."
- Profits at the streaming service jumped to $53m (£32m) in the first quarter of 2014, while subscriber numbers rose 2.25 million.
- Netflix has set itself the target of overhauling cable channel HBO in the US, which has 130 million subscribers.
I personally think Netflix would not lose a large audience due to the monthly subscription increase. As netflix has become one of the most popular catch up television and film site, audiences are more likely to pay an extra pound for the service. The server attracts an large demographic audiences who are interested in TV programmes and movies to be watched on the go with a subscriptions at a time convenient for them. Moreover consumers would continue paying the monthly fee for the entertainment Netflix provides.
The best TV of 2013: Phil Hogan's choice. If not quite a vintage year, 2013 will be remembered for Netflix's innovation and a succession of bleakly engrossing crime dramas...
Who killed Danny Latimer? 10 million of us tuned into Broadchurch to find out.
Netflix arrived and turned TV watching on its head with House of Cards… but that's enough milestones. Two of the best were quite ancient – chemistry thriller Breaking Bad (another coup for Netflix) and scatterbrain comedy Parks and Recreation, both US imports that took off over here after several seasons over there. And, still on US comedy, the second season of Lena Dunham's Girls was funny, sharp and full of surprising nudity. Returning successes Downton Abbey and Homeland stuttered rather than soared, though Call the Midwife – another Sunday hit – shone with good writing and performances. Borgen and Mad Men were well up to scratch. One of the more original British dramas was Utopia (Channel 4), a cultish adventure noted for its violence, likable characters, byzantine storyline and Day-Glo visuals – not to mention one of the most memorable psychopaths of recent years in the knuckle-dragging Arby (Neil Maskell). I'll mention the popular Peaky Blinders – the inter-war gang drama set in sooty Birmingham and featuring the excellent Sam Neill as an ass-kicking police chief – though only to say I didn't take to its swaggering tone, its "bold" use of rock music, its flattering Guinness ad cinematography, melodramatic script and choreographed brawls.
Elisabeth Moss in Jane Campion's Top of the Lake.
Emmy-nominated The Returned, an unusually naturalistic story of people coming back from the dead, was the best French-language TV offering since grubby flics-and-lawyers show Spiral (also back, and as strong as ever). Top of the Lake, Jane Campion's story of New Zealand lowlife, starring Peter Mullan and Elisabeth Moss, was slow but had a chilling ending. As usual, there was no shortage of detectives.
Top 10
- Breaking Bad Netflix
- Mad Men Sky Atlantic
- Borgen BBC4
- Utopia C4
- Educating Yorkshire C4
- The Fall BBC2
- The Returned C4
- Broadchurch ITV
- Parks and Recreation BBC4
- Homeland C4
Channels like ITV, BBC and Channel four are expanding there shows and bringing back old programmes to attract the audience. The programmes are now becoming available on social sites such as Netflix, LoveFilm and are popular most viewed shows. The top 10 shows mostly watched by audiences is mentioned above.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is expanding its book empire with the £246 million acquisition of a romantic publisher. Canadian-based Harlequin, whose many titles include Her Cowboy Hero and 10 Ways to Handle the Best Man, will become part of the HarperCollins book publishing operation. Thomson, who presides over a group that also owns the Sun and the Wall Street Journal, described readers of Harlequin novels as a "devoted audience" and its subject matter as providing an "empathetic insight into contemporary cultures". Harlequin is a prolific publisher, with more than 1,300 authors churning out 110 new steamy novels each month, and is popular in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in particular. Approximately 40% of Harlequin's revenues come from books published in languages other than English – the company publishes in 34 languages – while 99% of HarperCollins books are published in English. Brian Murray, the chief executive of HarperCollins, said the acquisition would give the company "an immediate foothold in 11 new countries".
"We are excited to be joining HarperCollins publishers," said Craig Swinwood, publisher and chief executive of Harlequin. "This transaction will allow Harlequin to continue to operate as a distinct and successful brand within a larger publishing company. We're excited to be able to take full advantage of HarperCollins' robust resources, scale and capabilities to expand the reach of our books and grow our business."
- £246 million acquisition of a romantic publisher.
- Murdoch to make Canadian-based romantic publisher part of HarperCollins in bid to expand digital platform internationally.
- "Harlequin is the perfect fit for the new News Corp," said Robert Thomson, News Corp's chief executive. "It vastly expands our digital platform, extending our reach across borders and languages, and is expected to provide an immediate lift to earnings."
- Harlequin, which is being sold by Torstar Corporation in an all-cash deal, had revenues of $C398m (£215m) and profits of $C56m last year.
- Approximately 40% of Harlequin's revenues come from books published in languages other than English.
- "This acquisition will broaden the boundaries of both HarperCollins and Harlequin, and is a significant step in our strategy to establish a network of digital properties in the growth regions of the world," said Thomson.
I think this would be a good idea for News Corp to expand its company worldwide. News Corp as become on of the most successful companies by Rupert Murdock, therefore increasing the company to other countries and bringing new content would attract a wider audience and rise revenues too.
- Twitter has become the most dominant source worldwide.
- Twitter arises political issues such as the Arab Spring were consumers were able to interact with each other.
- Audiences are relying on Twitter more, such as believing whatever news consumers Tweet (Privacy).
- Audiences are able to socialise with people, also by using the famous Twitter icon '#' hashtag it brings consumers more connected and relate to what they are interested in.
- 'Discover Page' is a source connected with Twitter were audiences are able to access the news and other activities as they are most likely to stay on Twitter and not use any other providers.
Navneet - Facebook Democracy
- 'Global Village' audiences are able to interact more.
- The largest demographics that use Facebook are 25-34 year olds.
- There are many dominant ideologies on Facebook encouraging activists to create groups and socialise more worldwide.
- Citizen journalism (UGC) such as the Arab Spring, connected consumers in a positive way however there could be negative points to having a Facebook account such as bullying etc.
- China's government had blocked Facebook and western county sites in 2009, society became more fragmented (censorship policy).
Harpal - Music Industry (Spotify)
- Spotify has more than 20 million songs to stream free convenient to audiences, it was introduced in 2008.
- Apple has introduced iTunes and now have iTune Radio another provider.
- Privacy has become a problem as consumers are illegally downloading music.
- Consumers could also be producers, however downloading illegally makes it harder for artists as they get very little income.
- Empowerment, user generated content mostly on music websites such as YouTube, Daily Motion etc, allows unknown artists to become successful such as Justin Bieber, Connar Maynard, Rebecca Black etc.
Gagandeep - Music Industry
- The Music Industry is not making profit as the younger generation download music illegally.
- The CD revenues have dropped 11.7%.
- Moral Panic is created amongst society.
- 'Digital economy act' (DEA).
- Google don't protect content therefore are not responsible for privacy.
Jinan - Smartphones
- Traditional audiences would use smartphones for work purposes, however younger audiences now have smartphones as they are the new gadgets.
- Online shopping and interacting with others on social media websites such as Facebook.
- Moral Panics such as the Arab Spring was a impact in smartphones as audiences recorded content and uploaded it instantly onto social sites.
- Citizen Journalism and user generated content.
- More democracy as there are less gate keepers now.
Zulq - Sky
- Sky Go, Sky+, and Sky on Demand.
- There are more active audiences who are mostly interested in sports.
- Pre-watershed is no more as audiences are able to record and watch it whenever they like.
- Catch up services are provided to suit audiences when convenient for them.
- Time shifting impact (Time scheduling changed).
Samuel - Music Industry
- Technology has changed as audiences don't listen or buy music in the traditional ways anymore.
- Audiences are download music illegally, this is impacting the music industry causing them to lose profit as well as the artists who create the music.
- Audiences have more power as they share user generated content on social media sites such as YouTube.
- Examples; Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston, Connar Maynard, Rebecca Black etc.
- The industry has been disruptive and TV has become passive.
Stefan - Instagram
- Huge active audiences created accounts since 2012.
- The social site allows videos and pictures to be posted up (selfie and '#' hashtag).
- Facebook bought instagram for £629 million which kept the most two popular social sites active.
- Young audiences however may be impacted by the disruptive take over of new and digital media and effect their education.
- Social medias are all connected now, synergy (Facebook & Instagram) attracting a larger audience.
Harvey - Digital Cameras
- Digital cameras now save money for high quality box office movies.
- The time processing is much effective.
- User generated content of audiences making their own footage and posting it on social media sites.
- Audiences have access to the production aspects.
- There is a huge difference in quality.
Hargio - Gangnam Style
- User generated content and interactivity.
- Gangnam Style a popular music video created by a Korean artist, a parody targeted towards middle class Korean's.
-Global music video.
- 'Meme' viral video that audiences copy such as the Harlem Shake.
- Online communities and societies created on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter etc.
Gagan - BBC iPlayer
- Control and ownership controlled by the BBC such as the licence fee.
- It is a flexible lifestyle as audiences can Time shift programmes by recording them or watching it on demand and iplayer.
- Online have more commercials than TV now.
- Marxist's still have control however as it's still BBC content.
- A pluralism's point of view would be having pull power in when they want to watch iplayer.
New York Times launches data journalism site The Upshot. Publisher's 'conversational' replacement for Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight takes on Vox and Washington Post's Wonkblog...
The New York Times has launched a new site featuring a combination of data-driven and explanatory reporting. The Upshot combines analysis of the news with data visualisations. It faces competition from other high profile rivals including the Washington Post's Wonkblog and Vox Media and Ezra Klein’s explanatory journalism site Vox. The paper first announced the project in March and has been working on it since Nate Silver left the paper and took his FiveThirtyEight blog to ESPN. The Upshot's editor, David Leonhardt, a former Washington bureau chief and economics columnist at the New York Times, wrote on its Facebook page on Monday that the site's main goal is help people to better understand big, complex stories like Obamacare, inequality and the real-estate and stock markets.
The Upshot will do this, he wrote, "by writing in a direct, plain-spoken way, the same voice we might use when writing an email to a friend. We’ll be conversational without being dumbed down. "We will build on all of the excellent journalism the New York Times is already producing, by helping readers make connections among different stories and understand how those stories fit together."
- Washington Post's Wonkblog and Vox Media and Ezra Klein’s explanatory journalism site Vox.
- The Upshot's editor, David Leonhardt.
- The site will use graphics and interactives to help non-experts understand the news.
- "I don’t think this is about a competition between these sites to see which will emerge victorious. There is more than enough room for any site that is providing journalism of this kind to succeed. Given there’s a hunger for conversational journalism and database journalism, as long you’re giving people reporting that’s good, you’re going to succeed."
- The Upshot, according to Leonhardt. He wrote: "One of our highest priorities will be unearthing data sets and analysing existing ones — in ways that illuminate and, yes, explain the news. As with our written articles, we aspire to present our data in the clearest, most engaging way possible."
I think the New York Times would benefit a lot from The Upshot new site as a larger demographic audience would be attracted to it encouraging others to interact as well. The site would help many individuals to understand the news which visuals and easier ways to understand content. Allowing the company to annouce this on Facebook a social media site is an advantage as it would spread across attracting new audiences and appeal to consumers to subscribe with The New York Times.
Netflix announces $1 billion revenues and higher prices for new subscribers. Movie and TV service says $1-2 increase in monthly rate will not affect current customers and will go towards buying more content...
The Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos, California.
Netflix announced Monday that it would raise prices for new subscribers and use the new funds to buy more content. Netflix said revenues had passed $1 billion and its subscriber base had grown to 48 million members worldwide. The price increase will go into effect later this quarter and will add between $1 and $2 more per month, depending on the country subscribers live in. In the US Netflix subscriptions currently cost $7.99 per month for unlimited streaming. Current subscribers will not be affected by this price increase. The company has been testing a price increase in Ireland and said it had experienced “limited impact” from the January increase from €6.99 to €7.99.
Netflix last tried to introduce a price hike in 2011 in an attempt to separate its DVD-renting customers from digital only subscribers. But the plan proved a disaster and Netflix’s customers quit the service in droves. This quarter, the company announced a net profit of $53 million or $0.86 per share, for the quarter, beating analysts' estimates of 83 cents. Revenue jumped 24% to $1.27. Internationally membership grew by 1.75 million, bringing the total to 12.7 million. International revenues now account for 25% of Netflix’s total streaming revenue and the company said it expected international revenues to eventually surpass those in the US.
- House of Cards drama had attracted a “huge audience that would make any cable or broadcast network happy.”
- Netflix’s US streaming service added 2.25 million members to reach a total of 35.7 million.
- Internationally membership grew by 1.75 million.
- US Netflix subscriptions currently cost $7.99 per month for unlimited streaming.
- Netflix said revenues had passed $1 billion and its subscriber base had grown to 48 million members worldwide.
I think Netflix is a huge provider for many demographic audiences, it allows audiences to watch movies and programmes at any time. The provider also allows a thirty day free trail for audiences to experience the site therefore they could be subscribers in the future. I think raising up the revenues will not impact a large audience as the provider is very popular and targeted at many demographics such as nuclear families and young audiences. Furthermore as to new and digital media, the provider is available more on new devices attracting a larger audience to subscribe.
BBC to extend time programmes are available on iPlayer. Video-on-demand service will host shows for 30 days, up from current seven, but ends 'series stacking' option...
The BBC has announced changes to iPlayer which mean programmes will be available for viewing for 30 days, up from the current seven
BBC shows including Sherlock, Doctor Who and Top Gear will soon be available to watch for up to 30 days after first transmission on online video service iPlayer, giving viewers an extra three weeks to catch up with their favourite shows. The BBC will extend the amount of time its programmes are available on its iPlayer video-on-demand service from seven to 30 days after the proposals were approved by the BBC Trust, effectively quadrupling the amount of content on offer. iPlayer, which had a record 3 billion requests for TV and radio programmes last year, with a top 20 dominated by BBC2's Top Gear, will make the change to its catch-up window in the summer. However, a further change will mean some programmes are actually available for less time, with an end to the "series stacking" option that enable viewers to download all episodes of a series retrospectively.While the amount of TV programmes available on the iPlayer will increase fourfold, the total amount of radio content will increase around two and a half times.
Diane Coyle, vice chairman of the BBC Trust, said: "With an average of 10.7 million programme requests every day, BBC iPlayer is highly valued by audiences and has been a phenomenal success since it launched six years ago. "It is important that iPlayer continues to evolve and meet the expectations of users. We have conducted a thorough assessment of these proposals, including taking independent advice from Ofcom, and concluded that this is a sensible move that will benefit audiences and provide a clearer and more consistent catch-up service."
In a statement, the BBC said: "People keep telling us they want programmes to be available on BBC iPlayer for longer – so extending availability from seven to 30 days will make iPlayer even better. "New iPlayer already has downloads, better recommendations, HD, live restart, favourites and collections, and extending the catch-up window to 30 days gives people even longer to enjoy their favourite BBC programmes. We will now set about making this happen with the aim to roll this out from the summer."
- Giving viewers an extra three weeks to catch up with their favourite shows.
- Some programmes are actually available for less time.
- Amount of radio content will increase around two and a half times.
- "People keep telling us they want programmes to be available on BBC iPlayer for longer – so extending availability from seven to 30 days will make iPlayer even better.
I personally think BBC iPlayer is trying to satisfy the audiences needs as they have previously requested to allow programmes to be shown on iPlayer longer. Therefore increasing the days of the programme allow the audience to watch their favourite programmes whenever they are available.
Peaches Geldof – was the coverage by newspapers, and TV, over the top? The majority of national newspapers in the UK carried news of the death of Bob Geldof's daughter on their front pages...
The Guardian was one of several national newspapers that featured the death of Peaches Geldof on its front page. Photograph: Guardian
The sudden death of a young woman, especially the daughter of a man as famous as Bob Geldof and with a history of family tragedy, was bound to be a headline event. When news broke that Peaches Geldof had died, aged 25, the Sky News presenter momentarily floundered. Similarly, the BBC's news channel had some unusually nervous moments. What followed was a couple of hours of vacuous, and sometimes embarrassing, interviews with "commentators" who endlessly repeated that it was a tragedy, that it echoed the early death of her mother, Paula Yates, and that Peaches had led an unconventional life. Twitter was scanned for quotable quotes. She was variously described as a journalist, TV presenter, DJ, model, "fashion icon", mother of two, twice-married. There were also vague references to her being "too thin".
The story led the main evening news programmes, pushing down the order developments in Ukraine, the Maria Miller controversy and the Oscar Pistorius trial. It also garnered much more coverage than the death of 93-year-old "legendary" film star Mickey Rooney. Meanwhile, newspapers were able to prepare their news reports, analyses, picture research and tributes without the difficulty of sitting in front of a camera. Most editors decided that the TV news shows were right to give the Peaches Geldof story top billing. Some devoted their entire front page to it, such as the Daily Mail, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star and Metro. In so doing, they overturned their previous plans to give pictorial pride of place to the Duchess of Cambridge and her son in Australia. Almost every other paper (with the notable exceptions of The Independent and the Financial Times) carried front page pictures and articles about Peaches. Every editor, I noted, avoided the temptation to speculate on the cause of her death, respectfully repeating the statement issued by the police.
Most of the articles nosed off on Bob Geldof's statement, and the headline writers (at the Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian and Daily Mail) also relied on his words: "We are beyond pain." I thought Metro's front page bordered on tastelessness. It used the picture Peaches had posted on Twitter of herself, as a baby, in her mother's arms with the headline, "Together again." The Sun did roughly the same inside, using the same picture and the headline, "With mum." The Sun, with seven pages, devoted most space to the story. But its main articles were readable and, in the circumstances, reasonable pieces of work. It stuck, in the main, to facts. Elsewhere, there were instances of speculation about her state of mind, such as the Mail's piece, ""She never got over losing Paula at 11", but it was a sensible assessment of what Peaches had said and written about the subject.
I think the news headlines did over react to the death of Geldof's daughter Peaches who was only 24 years old. As most of the news sources covered her story, it seemed a bit to much as many people die unexpectedly also celebrities. The impact of her being a celebrity could be the reason to the high coverage of her death therefore resulting in every news provider. Most of the newspapers have used the iconic image of her mother Paula Yates who died in 2000 for overdosing heroine and herself as a baby with head title saying 'With mother' or 'Mum'.
The Daily Mail has conceded that the picture manipulation reported yesterday was "an editorial mistake", according to Press Gazette. The image showed Tottenham footballer Emmanuel Adebayor saluting manager Tim Sherwood after he had scored a goal during Tottenham's 5-1 defeat of Sunderland. But the Mail - unlike The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph - deleted the man standing next to Sherwood, a member of Spurs' coaching squad, Chris Ramsey. A spokesman for the Daily Mail quoted by Press Gazette said it was not the paper's policy to manipulate news images and that it had been a "mistake". An internal investigation is underway. The original picture was taken by Kirsty Wigglesworth and distributed to newspapers by Associated Press, which prohibits digital manipulation of its photographs.
- The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph - deleted the man standing next to Sherwood.
- A spokesman for the Daily Mail quoted by Press Gazette said it was not the paper's policy to manipulate news images and that it had been a "mistake".
- The original picture was taken by Kirsty Wigglesworth.
I personally think the newspapers sometimes exaggerate to attract a audience. However this shows how the audiences are engaged to the news and believe whatever they hear as its a reliable source however due to citizen journalists there are also other news providers which are more reliable as there is footage provided from a live stream (Marxists theory and User generated content).
Google looking to turn Chromecast into an at-a-glance TV dashboard. Streaming stick could turn TV into an info centre showing weather and news when not streaming content...
Google could turn the Chromecast into an instant info screen for dormant TVs.
Google is looking at enhancing its Chromecast streaming stick with an information dashboard for the weather, local news and personal photos. Examination of the code of a recent update to Google’s Chromecast by asjmcguire on Reddit has revealed dormant components geared up for pulling data about the local weather from the internet and displaying it in simple icon form, as well as other at-a-glance information. The current Chromecast screen, which is displayed when not streaming media or using other apps via a smartphone or computer, shows a rotating selection of images predefined by Google as well as a clock.
Slideshows, weather and news?
- Other snippets of dormant code in the Chromecast software hints that Google will allow users to display their own photos from their online libraries instead of the Google preselected photos.
- The update also brought the ability to stream YouTube live broadcasts via the Chromecast, as well as improvements to Netflix streaming.
- Chromecast could see Google leverage its services such a Google News, Google Now and Calendar on a larger screen.
- Chromecast app developers have already started experimenting successfully with dashboard-like information screens, replacing the simplistic default Chromecast screen showing news tickers, weather and other information.
- “We’re always experimenting with new features, but have nothing new to announce,” said a Google spokesperson in response.
I think this would be a great idea of improving the technology of the new device to a more advanced media product as new and digital products are challenged by many companies therefore Google improving this device would attract a larger audiences also by different demographics. The news provides our audiences an update of what is happening around our society therefore the audiences would want to know what the news is about. It allows audiences to interact as they would be able to upload personal images without using a smartphone or tablet.
Mail Online grew advertising revenue by 51% year on year in the five months to the end of February, pulling in £23 million, putting it just behind the £5 million-a-month average needed to hit its target of £60 million in revenue this financial year. Mail Online made an average of £4.6 million a month in revenue in the five-month period covered by a trading update published on Thursday, short of the £5 million-a-month run rate required across the year to hit the target. Mail Online missed its £45 million revenue target in the last financial year – hitting £41 million – and requires an average of 46% growth on that figure across 2014 to hit £60 million. Mail Online grew digital ad revenues by £8 million, from £15 million to £23 million, while the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday saw print ad revenues fall £2 million from £86 million to £84 million. The newspaper operations form part of DMG Media, the division which also includes operations such as recruitment business Evenbase and deals service Wowcher, DMG Media reported an overall revenues fall of 1% in the five months to the end of February. Within this, advertising revenues rose 3% year on year, while circulation income fell 4%. In the four weeks since 23 February, total underlying ad revenue fell 7% year on year. DMGT said this is in part due to the fact that Easter falls three weeks later in 2014 than in 2013.
- Mail Online grew advertising revenue by 51% year on year.
- Mail Online made an average of £4.6 million a month in revenue.
- Mail Online missed its £45 million revenue target in the last financial year.
- Mail Online grew digital ad revenues by £8 million, from £15 million to £23 million, while the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday saw print ad revenues fall £2 million from £86 million to £84 million.
- In the four weeks since 23 February, total underlying ad revenue fell 7% year on year.
I think the Mail Online has decided to increase their revenues because their Daily Mail print advertising is decreasing. This is due to the fact many audiences are accessing the news online therefore would be using smartphones, tablets, android devices to read the mail online using apps and the Daily Mail's website. This could benefit the Mail online as they would have an increase of online users therefore increasing subscribers however their print advertisement would be in jeopardy as audiences would hardly be buying newspapers any more.
The oldest UK online film service is now owned by Amazon but its roots are more pedestrian. In the early 2000s Paul Gardner and Graham Bosher launched Online Rentals, trading as DVDsOnTap in Harlow, Essex, while William Reeve and Alex Chesterman founded ScreenSelect in Acton, London. The two competed fiercely, their customers ordering DVDs via the internet that would then be sent to them by post. After a string of small acquisitions, ScreenSelect bought its rival, now rebranded as LoveFilm, and adopted its name. Two years later Amazon merged its DVD rental business with LoveFilm and became its biggest shareholder, and in 2011 the US company bought LoveFilm outright. Though LoveFilm still sends discs out in the post, it started streaming films in 2010. With more than two million subscribers, LoveFilm is Netflix's biggest direct competitor in Britain. It has more, and more recent, films than its rival but less impressive TV offerings. The LoveFilm Instant streaming service costs £5.99 a month but those who still like a physical DVD can pay £7.99 for three discs a month, or combine the two from £9.99 a month.
NOW TV
BSkyB's entry into the streaming market launched in July 2012 and is available on computers, mobile devices, some games consoles and set-top boxes. It has been available on Sky services since last year, but you do not have to be a Sky subscriber to join. The service offers live streaming and content on demand, covering movies, entertainment and sport. One of Now's big advantages is that thanks to Sky's existing movie rights, it can show the latest blockbusters months before its rivals. This comes at a higher price, though: £8.99 a month for films and £4.99 a month for TV programmes. Those who want to watch a particular football match or other Sky-only event without signing up for the channel's full package can pay £9.99 for a 24-hour "day pass" to all Sky's sports channels. LikeApple TV, it offers a set-top box that lets you stream your Now TV purchases to a TV as well as BBC iPlayer and other catch-up services.
BLINKBOX
Blinkbox is Tesco's rival to iTunes, allowing customers to rent or buy films online. It was founded by former Channel 4 and Vodafone executives Michael Comish and Adrian Letts, backed by venture capital firms. Tesco bought 80% of Blinkbox nearly three years ago and Comish became head of the retailer's digital operations, which also include the free Clubcard TV for cardholders. Blinkbox started with movies and TV shows, but it has used Tesco's cash to expand into books and a music service to rival Spotify. Its services can be viewed on consoles, tablets, smart TVs, computers, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes. Blinkbox charges £3.49 for a recent release. It no longer carries free films on the service – these have been migrated to Clubcard TV. Blinkbox has rentals starting from 99p. Its big marketing advantage is its ability to tap Tesco's vast customer base, which may be less tech-savvy than iTunes' but is catching up fast. Another selling point is that customers can buy what they want instead of committing to a Netflix or LoveFilm subscription.
APPLE TV
With Apple's iTunes, customers can stream and download films and TV shows as well as music It costs £4.49 to rent a recent film and in the region of £10 to buy it. TV shows must be bought rather than rented, either as individual episodes or for a whole series using a "season pass". Like Blinkbox, iTunes gets films earlier than Netflix or LoveFilm but later than Now TV. Now, with the Apple TV set-top box, customers can stream material on to their TV screens. Steve Jobs, the late Apple founder, unveiled an early version of Apple TV, then called iTV, in 2006; the name was changed after British broadcaster ITV threatened legal action. The first version simply allowed customers to sync material on iTunes on to a TV. By the third generation, launched in 2012, viewers could stream direct from iTunes to their TV and get internet access to YouTube, Netflix and other providers.
- 2011 the US company bought LoveFilm outright.
- LoveFilm Instant streaming service costs £5.99 a month.
- DVD can pay £7.99 for three discs a month, or combine the two from £9.99 a month.
- BSkyB's entry into the streaming market launched in July 2012.
- £8.99 a month for films and £4.99 a month for TV programmes.
- Tesco bought 80% of Blinkbox.
- Blinkbox charges £3.49 for a recent release.
- £4.49 to rent a recent film and in the region of £10 to buy it.
- Steve Jobs, the late Apple founder, unveiled an early version of Apple TV, then called iTV, in 2006.
I think there are many rivals when it comes to online streaming as new media social networks are launched almost every year which become successful for different types of media's such as music, films, and TV programmes. The social networks attract a large demographic audience therefore increasing revenues for the company. However as new social networks do launch the older networks have an impact on revenues as they decrease hence the new ones are getting the audiences.
The Impact of New & Digital Media in the Film Industry...
1. Has new and digital media had an impact upon ownership and control of the media institution(s) involved in your case study area? Explain in detail any impact and what exactly has changed.
The campaign above features a range of films to watch, suggesting Netflix has all films available on the site for different demographic audiences to watch. The website is available to anyone subscribed to the network allowing them to watch as many films they wish. The film industry has developed it's technology by making block buster films to be watched at home rather than cinema's which is in good quality too. Furthermore Netflix has a one month free subscription for audiences to see how the network works therefore the audiences would have an insight and would like to pay the following month to carry on this subscription. Most of the Netflix adverts feature previous block buster films to attract the audiences attention so that they could be interested in the network.
Moreover there are also other film providers such as LoveFilm another network were audience would have to subscribe to, to watch as many films they would want. Also the film industry has changed a lot over the years as DVD and Blu Rays were popular, audiences used to buy these products after a film was released onto DVD however now most audiences rather wait now for it to become available on networks like Netflix and LoveFilm, saving them more money as it's quite cheap too.
2. What impact has there been on the way in which the audience now consume the media products/ texts involved in your case study? How does it differ from what went before? Consider (SHEP)
Success often breeds copycats, and the rapid ascent of Netflix is no exception. Its initial model of sharing products by mail has attracted a wave of startups and big retailers hoping to be the Netflix of toys (Spark Box Toys), books (Booksfree), fashion (CoutureSqd, Le Tote, Rent the Runway), designer jewelry (RocksBox) and more. Some of these companies charge a membership fee, just like Netflix, while others offer pay-per-use online rentals. All are part of the sharing economy: they make money by sharing the same products instead of by selling more products. The sharing economy also includes Airbnb, which rents private rooms, apartments and homes; and Zipcar, which charges a monthly fee to members who share cars instead of owning them. Without doing credible lifecycle analyses, many of these companies that embrace the model are banking on the intuitive belief that it’s more environmentally friendly to reuse the same stuff over and over, by different people, rather than to sell new products that will most likely sit unused in a closet corner. The idea, simplified, is “less stuff is better.”
That is certainly a philosophy to which Max Gover, owner of Spark Box Toys in Newark, New Jersey, subscribes. The company, founded in 2012, charges members a fee for a box of toys designed for children under the age of four. A box arrives every four, six or eight weeks, and parents can opt to buy the toys.
“Educational toys have a short life because children develop so quickly, so what happens is you have this incredible amount of waste by accumulating them,“ Gover said. “A child could get attached to a teddy bear. But a toy that teaches scales will serve very little purpose after that [skill] has been acquired.“ A study by the University of Massachusetts found that streaming a movie requires 78% of the energy needed to ship a DVD, but accumulates a carbon footprint that’s roughly 100% higher. The higher carbon impact comes from the intensive energy use – caused by inefficient equipment – of data centers that store movies and pipe them into homes.
The study focused only on Netflix, however, which ships thin, lightweight DVDs or sends content electronically. But some entrepreneurs attracted to the Netflix model are often offering larger products, some of which come in odd, harder-to-ship shapes and sizes. Shipping goods over longer distances would certainly seem to require more energy, and a bigger carbon footprint, than driving to a local video store.
The Guardian Article: Social impact
Aside from environmental impact, there’s also social impact to consider. The Netflix model does lead eliminate jobs, if it’s successful, Clinton said. In Netflix’s case, the company first beat competitors who operate retail outlets and then embraced streaming services that reduced the number of video distribution centers, she said. “It loses social sustainability on that front,“ she said.
3. What impact has there been on how the media institution now has to produce the texts and the way in which the texts/ products are distributed and exhibited? This should involve a detailed textual analysis of at least 3 texts to demonstrate the point.
Text One: Netflix
Netflix has been one of the most successful Film/TV product over the past year as the revenue for this product has increased by subscribers. Netflix was founded in 1997 an American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media available to viewers to watch as many films they would like. The provider is available to large demographic audiences targeting film fanatics and nuclear families, as it provides over five hundred films. Film used to be watched on normal television as scheduled and also available on DVD and Blu Ray CD's were audience would buy it, however in today's society there has been many servers/products created to entertain audiences like Netflix being available on TV by subscriptions. Moreover most film providers do not give the opportunity to watch as many films on one provider however this provider allows this therefore attracts a large audience. LoveFilm vs Netflix:
Text two: LoveFilm
LoveFilm is another film provider which allows audiences to subscribe and watch as many films too, it also has the one month free service for the audiences to see an insight of the provider and consider whether they should or not continue with the subscription however paying. It's provider of DVD-by-mail and streaming video on demand in the UK and Germany. The company has started a "watch online" service which offers over 4,700 films available to watch as part of a subscription. This online viewing is available free for subscribers who have opted for one of their unlimited monthly rental plans or the unlimited streaming-only account. In February 2014, Amazon announced that it would add LoveFilm's streaming service to its Instant Video service on 26 February 2014.
Text Three: Blinkbox
Blinkbox is a UK-based video-on-demand (VoD) service available on Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers, games consoles, tablet computers and Smart TVs. On 20 April 2011, Tesco acquired an 80% stake in Blinkbox from Eden Ventures and Nordic Venture Partners. It intends to use the company to boost its digital entertainment offering. The service has around 2.8 million users a month according to comScore. Blinkbox has content deals with studios including Warner Bros., Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox and 16 independent producers including Fremantle Media, All 3 Media, Revolver Entertainment and Aardman Animations.
LoveFilm vs Blinkbox:
4. Is the size of the audience any different now than before the impact of new and digital media (or has the pattern of usage changed)? E.G. consider for the impact of new and digital media on TV broadcasting the change in audience ratings for programmes as a consequence of the deregulation of TV. (Prior to deregulation audience figures could be 20m+ for Eastenders etc to a situation today where, due to the massive number of channels now available, audiences are vastly reduced and fragmented).
Netflix: The provider was founded in 1997, however it did not get recognized a couple of years ago as the audiences impact on films changed. Netflix supplies a wide range of films from New to old for different audience demographics to enjoy watching films at home or wherever they are with their subscription. Cinema revenue's have decreased a large amount due to providers like Netflix as it provides better values towards the audience at an affordable price per month.
For those of us who watch TV online, few irritations compare to the “five most recent episodes” rule. On Hulu and TV-network websites, only the last five episodes to air are typically available for internet streaming. Networks realize this is annoying to viewers, and they want to make binge-watching of current seasons easier. But there’s a surprising source of resistance: Netflix, which would be happy to keep the binge-watching culture it spawned all to itself.The binge-watching is another advantage to Netflix as audiences stated above get annoyed when they can not watch one of the last five programmes aired on television, therefore this would allow audiences to stream and watch previous seasons. The new and digital media has made Netflix a large provider since the new gadgets came out such as tablets, smartphones, anroid and more to allow the network to work of these devices a large audience would be attracted to this. Moreover an example could be a young child would be able to stream cartoons for entertainment and educational programmes through the provider by using their new digital device.
LoveFilm:
Blinkbox: Blinkbox is a UK-based video-on-demand (VoD) service available on Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers, games consoles, tablet computers and Smart TVs. On 20 April 2011, Tesco acquired an 80% stake in Blinkbox from Eden Ventures and Nordic Venture Partners. It intends to use the company to boost its digital entertainment offering. The service has around 2.8 million users a month according to comScore. Blinkbox has content deals with studios including Warner Bros., Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox and 16 independent producers including Fremantle Media, All 3 Media, Revolver Entertainment and Aardman Animations.
5. Who are the primary target audience now and has this changed? Who was it before and how do you know?
The target primary target audience would be the age demographics of 16-25 year olds, as the younger teenagers and young adults would be more likely to be interacted by using these catch up social sites. More over the younger generation would be more interested in watching the latest films, TV programmes as they are more likely on new and digital media's. Furthermore I think there would also be an secondary audience of an age demographics of 26 and older as the older generation would watch catch up sites too for entertainment purposes such as nuclear families watching movies with their children.
British Wrestling Historian John Lister pointed out an intriguing factoid that was published by Mashable on December 5: Netflix Is Almost as Popular as Cable Among Young Adults: Among 18-36 year-old adults, 46% subscribed to Cable TV while 43% subscribed to Netflix.
The inverse directions (by age) for Cable TV versus Netflix/Hulu Plus/Amazon Prime really say a lot about who is (and is not) embracing streaming technology. Combined with the information from Nielsen on how people are watching over-the-top video, the point has really been hammered home about how differently people watch streaming content (for instance, almost half of subscribers were watching Netflix directly on a computer).
- 10.4% of video watched in US homes that subscribe to Netflix is watched on DVRs, compared to 9.2% for homes without Netflix.
6. How have the audience responded to the changes? Is there more customer choice? Is there evidence of a more pluralistic model? What evidence do you have to support this?
The new and digital media has changed how audiences access social networks. Netflix is now access with a wide range of new and digital media's such as smartphones, tablets, iplayer and more. Audiences are able to interact freely at a time that suits them as they are able not to follow the time shifted programmes, moreover user generated content is available for audiences to share their opinions and interact too.
"This past weekend, while many Americans were snowed in their homes, over 5 million of them did the exact same thing (minds out of the gutter, kids) — they watched at least one episode of Netflix’s “House of Cards,” Season 2. Somewhat incredibly, over 1 million of those subscribers watched at least five episodes over the weekend, participating in the modern phenomenon we call “binge watching."
7. What concerns/ considerations are there (if any) for the media institutions involved in your case study as a result of the impact of new and digital media? (e.g. deskilling or multi-skilling of the workforce/ decline in workforce etc)
Netflix Turns a Blind Eye to Illegal Use by School Libraries:
"Schools have been illegally showing videos in schools for educational purposes forever. But now universities are taking advantage of Netflix rentals and streaming video to supplement their media collections. The practice recently gained attention after some first person accounts of the cost-saving wonders of Netflix showed up in a library trade…"Adrianne Jeffries September 20, 2010
Schools have been illegally showing videos in schools for educational purposes forever. But now universities are taking advantage of Netflix rentals and streaming video to supplement their media collections. The practice recently gained attention after some first person accounts of the cost-saving wonders of Netflix showed up in a library trade publication and on a blog. Apparently, letting faculty members rent DVDs to show in the classroom and allowing students to watch streaming video from a library Netflix account can save a school library thousands of dollars.
Scheele Memorial Library Concordia College in New York saved around $3,000 by buying two Netflix subscriptions, which gave the library 16 rentals at a time in addition to being able to stream content online.
"The streaming movies have been a great success; instead of students waiting for the one DVD on reserve, they can go to the computer or into the library's film viewing room, where we have a Roku player set up, and watch the movies on our flat screen TV. The amount we save just having the instant play is significant; it's almost like having multiple copies of the movie on reserve,"librarian Rebecca Fitzgerald said. The Netflix subscription takes care of popular titles that students want so the library can spend its budget on "more acadamic materials," she said. Netflix isn't thrilled about this. The films are protected by copyright against anything but "personal and non-commercial use," and Netflix does not offer institutional subscriptions, a representative told the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Netflix "frowns upon" this type of use, said Steve Swasey, Netflix' vice president of corporate communications, but indicated no plans to enforce the rules. "We just don't want to be pursuing libraries," he said. "We appreciate libraries and we value them, but we expect that they follow the terms of agreement." But the libraries turning to Netflix are not just at small schools. The University of Washington, which has more than 47,000 students, is among schools advertising their Netflix subscriptions on library websites, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported (the page has since been taken down). With so many schools stuck for funding in the current recession, Netflix may feel pressured to act more aggressively to keep this from becoming a widespread trend - and that could end up costing libraries dearly.
Per the Netflix Terms of Use agreed to by any one subscribing to their service, “use of the Netflix service … is solely for your personal and non-commercial use.” This indicates that use of the Netflix service by an institution to circulate videos to their service population is a violation of these terms, which in essence is a breach of contract. Academic copyright expert and attorney Kevin Smith agrees.
- As quoted in theChronicle, Smith states: “My personal opinion is that the risk of a contract problem makes it not worthwhile for us to have a program to lend discs that we borrow from Netflix. It’s not a copyright issue. It’s an issue of the contract between the user and Netflix.” Further, Netflix does not offer institutional subscriptions and “frowns upon” libraries loaning Netflix DVDs or video stream to faculty members to share with students.
The Internet killed the video store?: Netflix came and broke our heart. On-demand tore it apart. In my mind we lost the store. Be kind rewind forever more.
The display obscures the immense impact video rental retailers had in inaugurating a new era of home entertainment and the upheaval they themselves had ignited within the media and entertainment industries.
With the success of this new service, Netflix amassed a subscriber base of more than twenty million, with seven million joining in 2010 alone. This made it one of the largest subscriber services in the country, comparable to cable providers such as Comcast and premium cable networks such as Home Box Office. The company’s size provided it with leverage both as it prepared to expand internationally and as it worked with manufacturers to establish its streaming software as a standard feature on hundreds of consumer electronic devices. The success of the new service also had its drawbacks as Netflix had to negotiate a new and very different set of distribution rights with content producers. The major media and entertainment conglomerates were eager to embrace the benefits of Netflix’s new streaming technology, but they were also extremely wary of the company’s instrumental position at the center of a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive home entertainment market.
The first Blockbuster video store opened in 1985. In 1992, after a period of aggressive expansion, there were over 2000 outlets and Blockbuster was the clear market leader in the rental business. It maintained its dominant position throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Beginning in 2008, Netflix initiated partnerships with several consumer electronics manufacturers to ensure that their devices supported streaming software. Set-top boxes like Roku serve as a digital media receiver, which allow customers to access Internet-based streaming services through their televisions.
In 2010, Netflix announced the launch of a “one-click access” feature whereby a red Netflix button providing direct access to the service would be physically integrated into the remote control for various consumer electronic devices.
By 2010, a growing number of televisions, following Blu-ray players and video game consoles, were able to connect directly to the Internet or to a Wifi signal. This new generation of smart TVs adopted the idea of the “app store” that had been popularized by the proliferation of smartphones and digital tablets.
8. What are the political and social implications of the new technologies and the methods of their consumption? E.g. moral panics etc?
"The motivation could be to get Netflix to pay fees to stop this degradation," the company said.
"Were this draconian scenario to unfold with some, we would vigorously protest and encourage our members to demand the open Internet they are paying their ISP to deliver."
Success often breeds copycats, and the rapid ascent of Netflix is no exception. Its initial model of sharing products by mail has attracted a wave of startups and big retailers hoping to be the Netflix of toys (Spark Box Toys), books (Booksfree), fashion (CoutureSqd, Le Tote, Rent the Runway), designer jewelry (RocksBox) and more. Some of these companies charge a membership fee, just like Netflix, while others offer pay-per-use online rentals. All are part of the sharing economy: they make money by sharing the same products instead of by selling more products. The sharing economy also includes Airbnb, which rents private rooms, apartments and homes; and Zipcar, which charges a monthly fee to members who share cars instead of owning them. Without doing credible lifecycle analyses, many of these companies that embrace the model are banking on the intuitive belief that it’s more environmentally friendly to reuse the same stuff over and over, by different people, rather than to sell new products that will most likely sit unused in a closet corner. The idea, simplified, is “less stuff is better.”
That is certainly a philosophy to which Max Gover, owner of Spark Box Toys in Newark, New Jersey, subscribes. The company, founded in 2012, charges members a fee for a box of toys designed for children under the age of four. A box arrives every four, six or eight weeks, and parents can opt to buy the toys.
“Educational toys have a short life because children develop so quickly, so what happens is you have this incredible amount of waste by accumulating them,“ Gover said. “A child could get attached to a teddy bear. But a toy that teaches scales will serve very little purpose after that [skill] has been acquired.“ A study by the University of Massachusetts found that streaming a movie requires 78% of the energy needed to ship a DVD, but accumulates a carbon footprint that’s roughly 100% higher. The higher carbon impact comes from the intensive energy use – caused by inefficient equipment – of data centres that store movies and pipe them into homes.
9. Consider the effects so far, and possible effects in the future, on media institutions involved in your case study (media production).
A federal appellate court decision on Tuesday raises the prospect that Netflix Inc.NFLX -5.20% and other bandwidth-hogging websites may have to pay tolls to broadband providers to ensure quality service, a change that would throw a wrench into their business models and potentially raise prices for consumers.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down the Federal Communications Commission's so-called "open Internet" rules that had required equal treatment of Internet traffic and prohibited broadband providers from blocking traffic, favoring certain sites or charging special fees to companies that account for the most traffic.
"A year and a half ago, we found out that Walmart.com doesn't want to work withus, but work on us," - Hastings.
Today, about 30 million Netflix accounts exist, serving about a quarter of America. Netflix’s first round of original series won critical plaudits and were the first purely video-on-demand television series to win Emmy awards. The concept of “binge watching” became popular largely because of Netflix. Because it offers a rich library of old and new TV shows for a modest sum per month, the service has even helped grow the number of “cord cutters,” who watch “television” only through the Internet.
10. What issues may there be regarding media effects and /or regulation/ censorship as a result of changes due to new and digital media?
In terms of Regulation and Censorship the BBC are still in control because people pay for the content that the Netflix provides. Netflix has a one month free trail for audiences to experience the provider which allows you to experience the same results as a normal subscriber. In addition after the free trail, you would obviously have to pay every month to access the site to view films whenever, therefore Netflix do charge for their content provided. Netflix is normally targeted for a wide range of audiences to enjoy and watch films at a time that was suitable for them (Time-shifting).
Netflix has warnings as every film has a age certificate alerting audiences what films are suitable, responsibilities such as religious content, violence abuse, and gruesome content etc. would be alerted before films before audiences watch it.
11. Are there any cross-cultural factors and /or effects of globalisation involved in the impact of new technology on your case study? E.g. the internet has been said to be ‘globalising culture’ through its promotion of the English language.
The internet being the new way audiences watch Television means our content has become viral, being able to watch programmes from all around the world. Netflix has become one of the most subscribed film sources across the globalisation, providing entertainment for many demographic audiences.
“Internationally, we’re starting to get better in every country, whether it’s Brazil, Ireland or Sweden, there’s a lot of stuff we’re learning and doing better at as we expand.” - Hastings.
Netflix Instant has more streamable movies available than you could watch in an entire lifetime, but depending on where you are in the world, that selection of movies might only be available in that country or region. Programming on Netflix varies from region to region because of how TV shows and movies are licensed. Organizations that own the rights to different TV shows and movies license the rights by geography, so Netflix has to acquire rights on a territory-by-territory basis. For this reason, what’s available in the U.S. isn’t always the same as what’s available in other countries, and vice-versa.
However, thanks to the technological magic of the Internet, you can easily trick Netflix into thinking you’re in a different part of the world, and thereby gain access to hundreds – if not thousands – of different movies that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. There are a number of different ways to do this, but when you get down to it all they all do the same thing, which is change your IP address so it looks like you’re in another country. Some use proxy servers, others use VPNs, and there are hundreds of different options in each category. But arguably the easiest way to unblock movies on Netflix and take a peek at what’s available in other regions is to install a browser extension called Hola.
12. Consider theoretical perspectives in relation to the impact of new/ digital media in your case study. E.g. Representation of certain groups as a result of changes, Marxism & Hegemony, Liberal Pluralism, colonialism, audience theories etc.
Marxism is a hegemonic leader that has control over the audience, the power of the media and society takes control of different audiences to influence the media is under their control. On the other hand a Pluralist's perspective would be the audiences believing what they want to watch and having full control over the media, allowing them to watch programmes and more at any time they want such as time-shifting. Moreover audiences are able to access media sites Netflix to watch movies of their choice at any time.
.png){kind=logo}
