Throughout the years, technology has expanded to the point where audiences no longer consume media texts in the same way. New and digital media have made it easier for audiences to consume certain products. Convergence and other technological advances have increased accessibility and made consuming the media more convenient for audiences. As well as audiences, producers have also been affected by new and digital media. Web 2.0 means that audiences can now be producers too, and ever changing media means that producers have to adapt to compete with other companies. The impact of new and digital media is evident in both the news and TV broadcasting as both are now consumed differently to before the rise of digital media.
New and digital media has considerably changed the way that we consume the news. Online news means that the news is more accessible as audiences can read about it whenever they want. Not only is this convenient for audiences as they can decide when and how to consume the news, but it is also free, so new and digital media benefits audiences as the news is more accessible. Rupert Murdoch has recently released a new newspaper that is only available on an iPad, called The Daily. Also, audiences are able to read the news on a smart phone, which adds to the convenience as they can carry the news around with them. Social networking has also changed the way that audiences consume the news as people now rely on finding out about the news through social networking websites such as Facebook. The impact of new and digital media on the news benefits audiences as it makes accessing the news more convenient for them. However, it can be seen as a moral panic that people rely on technology for anything, even receiving the news.
New and digital media has also had an impact of the producers of the news. Free online news, as well as the competition created by the plurality of more news sources, has led to a decline in newspapers, so producers have had to think of new ways to gain audiences. Newspapers such as The Times have tried to make newspapers more convenient for audience by publishing in tabloid format so they are easier to read. Some newspapers also have a lot of content, as The Sunday Times includes many newspapers and magazines in one. Some news websites have had to introduce paywalls as a way of charging for news now that less people are prepared to pay for newspapers. However, citizen journalists are competition for online news as the user-generated content is more reliable as they will publish news that big companies may not want to publish, such as controversial news stories. Therefore, new and digital media has had a mainly negative impact of the producers of the news. However, producers of other media, such as smart phones, have benefited as they now provide audiences with free news, making their services more sought after.
TV broadcasting has also been affected by new and digital media. New technology, such as 3D TV and HD TV, has made TV viewing a more cinematic experience for audiences as the content is now of a higher quality. TV broadcasting now also offers more plurality as audiences don't have to pay as much attention to scheduling. Catch-up services, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 allow audiences to watch TV in their own time, as well as timeshifting, such as Channel 4+1. Also, with technology such as Sky +, audiences can record TV, so scheduling is no longer as important. The amount of channels that digital TV offers is also pluralistic as there are more channels to choose rather than just five terrestrial channels. Like the news, new and digital media has made TV broadcasting more convenient for audiences today.
Producers of TV broadcasting have to adapt to keep up with the changing media landscape. To compete with other companies, such as News Corp, most digital TV companies now offer audiences the opportunity to record TV. However, new and digital media has had a negative impact on producers as they can no longer target the right audiences through scheduling as less people watch TV at the scheduled time. Also, online TV cannot be regulated, so audiences may be watching content that is not suitable for them as there is no watershed and post-watershed.
Overall, new and digital media has had a large impact on the way that media products are consumed. Society has become more immediate, and this is reflected in both the news and TV broadcasting. Both are now more convenient for audiences as audiences can decide when, where and how to consume them. The plurality has given audiences more power, meaning that new and digital media has had a positive impact on audiences in relation to the news and TV broadcasting. However, producers of these products have been disadvantaged as they can no longer target the right audience. With TV broadcasting, scheduling is no longer important to audience as new technology allows them to choose their own viewing times, so producers cannot target the right audiences. Also, advertisers can no longer make sure that the right people are watching their adverts as audience watch at different times. Producers of the news are also at a disadvantage as free news means that audiences are less likely to pay as much for newspapers. Also, citizen journalists can be considered to be more reliable than big institutions, so journalists have less of a job.
Level 2
ReplyDelete-Because it met points of the criteria such as :
1)referencing some examples
2)debates and information about digital media
and its advantages and disadvantages
3)simple personal response
WWW:
1)talked about both producers and consumers in both topics - broadcasting and news.
EBI:
1)write a conlusion, answering the question. who actually benefits the most?
2)bring in figures- about the decline of newspapers. see how producers are effected
3)talk about new technologies such as the apple ipad, smartphones. apps- producers still benefit alongside consumers.
NEXT STEP: to look at the new technolgies in detail and bringing in facts and figures that have been published to push the essay into level 3.