New Media

The New Media:

New media: refers to the screen-based, digital technology involving the integration of images, text and sound as well as the distribution and consumption of the new digitalised media content which has emerged in the late 20th and early 21st century.

8 characteristics of the new media:

• Digitalisation - using computers, where all data is converted into numbers and can be stored and distributed by screen-based products
• Technological convergence: selection has changed the way people use or consume media
• Economic convergence
• Cultural convergence: the way new media users engage with a range of media content like sharing and making connections.
• Interactivity: consumers have the opportunity to engage or interact with a variety of media because of convergence
• Choice
• Participatory culture: consumers produce media content and have become prosumers. Jenkins suggests this gives consumers more control over media content
• Collective intelligence: using the new media has become a collective process with interactivity creating a buzz among users.

Sociologists disagree about whether new media is revolutionary

• Some sociologists argue that cultures, economies and even individual personalities are all transformed by new media

• Cornford and Robins disagreed with this and argued that they were evolutionary because they evolved from technology that already existed Digital divide - people who can't access the new media are part of the digital underclass:

• In 2017, 90% of UK households had internet access, an increase from 89% in 2016 and 57% in 2006.

• In terms of access, 73% of adults accessed the internet "on the go" using a mobile phone or smartphone, more than double the 2011 rate of 36%.

• In terms of purchases, 77% of adults bought goods or services online, up from 53% in 2008.

• In 2017, 93% of adults who had bought online in the last 12 months, had done so from online sellers in the UK, while 31% had bought from sellers in other EU countries and 31% had bought from the rest of the world. Digital divide: refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don't or have restricted access.

• Lack of internet access can be a major barrier to accessing these kinds of services

• People who are living in poverty are often excluded from new media - they can't afford to pay for broadband or new media devices

• They form a digital underclass - they can't fully take part in society because they lack access to digital services

• Some people in rural communities also have limited internet access - wires capable of transmitting modern broadband might not be installed in remote areas. Curran and Seaton divided attitudes to new media into two types:

• People disagree over whether the development of new media is good or bad for society

• Curran and Seaton divided people into two groups - cultural pessimists and Neophiliacs Neophiliacs:

1) Revitalising Democracy:

• Provides information and education

• Makes elected representatives more accountable

• The Internet can report on what the big companies don't - citizen journalism

• Public sphere - few restrictions/news values/agendas

• More people can access it, giving all a voice

• Helps organise new social movements

• Affects real change Itzoe: the internet is a "loose and anarchic confederation of millions of users around the world who communicate in perhaps the most free form of speech in history"

• Activists have used it to:

  1. Monitor illegal or immoral activities of big businesses
  2. Harness mass support for causes such as Make Poverty History
  3. Coordinate protestors and activists, ranging from anti-austerity protests and those disrupting the G8 meetings

• Hacktivists: In Internet activism, hacktivism is the rebellious use of computers and computer networks to promote a political agenda or social change.

• With roots in hacker culture and hacker ethics, its ends are often related to free speech, human rights, or freedom of information movements

A02 - Case study: The Arab Spring was a revolutionary wave of both violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East that began on 17 December 2010 in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution. -According to experts, social media played a significant role during the Arab Spring because it facilitated communication and interaction among participants of political protests.

• Protesters used social media to organise demonstrations (both pro and anti-governmental), disseminate information about their activities, and raise local and global awareness of ongoing events.

• Online revolutionary conversations often preceded mass protests on the ground, and social media also played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring.

• Seaton: "Internet technology converts the desk into a printing press, broadcasting station and place of assembly.

• This enables 'many to many communication', which allegedly is changing the way we do politics.

• In this view, the net is rejuvenating civil society, generating political activism and launching exciting experiments of popular participation in government.

• Established centres of power and monopolies of communication are being bypassed… and a process of progressive, mobilisation is underway that will empower the people". -The internet is clearly advancing progressive politics. 2) Increased Consumer Choice:

• The growth of online shopping means you can find the best deal

• Companies use global websites like "facebook" to advertise their products, so consumers can buy products from multiple countries.

• Inventions like satellite TV means that viewers can access TV content from many countries - some shows like Game of Thrones and Doctor Who have become a global phenomenon. This creates a shared culture. A02 link: as functionalists say this is key to social life, as without shared culture, norms or values it wouldn't exist.

• Increased convergence and interactivity have improved and increased the choices consumers have.

• TV/radio/web/podcasts etc – vast choice for people to access.

• Choose a product but also a platform… giving people power - A02: Shirky's 'end of audience' A03: Pluralists believe that the competition between this diversity of media will improve the quality of media output

3) E-commerce revolution:

• The internet has led to an e-commerce revolution – completely changed the way we consume / shop …

• E-retailers such as Amazon and eBay have been great economic successes and have undermined the high street sellers of books, films and music.

• Most commercial companies now have their own websites.

• This has resulted in more choices for consumers as it increased competition, leading to lower prices from a high range of products and services. Global village: time and space collapsed

• Opportunities to connect instantly

• Cultural diversity

• National barriers reduced

• Boundaries between local and national blurred

• Leads to more choice and awareness of diversity

• Great understanding between people – more peace!? Social life and interaction:

PostModern idea

• They see the new media as contributing to social diversity and enabling people to share globalised cultures - hybridised
• Sharing of globalised cultures – hybridised
• Build and shape identities like never before CAGE is less important – opened up boundaries and groups that would have otherwise not connected
• The internet has enabled oppressed groups and people to express their own views Pessimists - see the rise of the new media in a negative way:

1. Problems with validity of the new media:

• It is often difficult to know the source of messages in the media - who they come from and who is sending them.
• It is therefore often hard to validate information - to know whether or not the reports are true, and whether videos or photos are faked or doctored.
• Rise of 'fake news' – how do we really know who created the news and media messages?
• Similarly, so-called 'factual' public information on the internet is often little more than disguised advertising for products, such material is often recycled without checking the information or sources.
• Social media - not regulated/checked / monitored.
• Protest movements using social media to raise their voice might appear good (Egypt Revolution) but how do we know these are not fake themselves?
• It is free for anyone, to upload and use, little regulated A02 - Livingstone and Lunt - due to the vast nature of the internet it has become harder to regulate the media.

Kony 2012: America produced a documentary about war criminals (Kony).

• After it spread virally it was the main news – however, criticised for not telling the full truth and oversimplifying events.

2. Cultural and media imperialism:

• The imposing of American and Western ideals, values and cultures.
• 'We are all becoming westernised'.
• This leads to the undermining of traditional and indigenous traditions, customs and values.
• Large MNCs and the 'American lifestyle and dream' are spread throughout the world. Hollywood dominates and through this American ideals are spread. -Erosion of cultures, diversity, homogenisation…. Good for democracy?
• The new media facilitates the spread of American values and brands destroying traditional cultures - capitalism greed forcing certain behaviours - encouraging greed/competition/commodity fetishism A02: McDonald's

A03: Cohen – people do not abandon their own local and traditional and folk cultures – they 'fuse' them together – 'hybridise' them.

3. Threat to Democracy:

• Not as the neophiliacs think - the new media doesn't give power to the powerless but threatens our democracy: Power of the companies that provide us with the internet grows – Social Dilemma – we are being controlled and through this, our voting is determined.

• Algorithms will control information flow and therefore will shape our opinions.

• Echo chambers? The media are owned by the already powerful and they control the messages that are sent out.

• McKinnon: 'Sovereigns of cyberspace' - describes the power of Google, Amazon, FB, Samsung etc - they control social media, mobile tech and internet access, not the people (like Pluralists suggest). A03: The digital divide means that not all can access mass media.

4. Censorship and control:

• Oppressive regimes limit and control mass media usage - Iran and China.
• Use tech to filter and block content (often provided by Western companies) to control what the people see.
• China's social media is controlled and any messages that may destabilise the government are withdrawn - often people prosecuted - HK currently.
• UK is following suit to an extent - laws that allow more monitoring of emails, Skype traffic and social networks allowed.

5. Lack of regulation:

• The global nature of the new media, such as the internet and satellite broadcasting means there is a lack of regulation by national bodies like Ofcom.
• Very difficult to regulate like domestic TV - Ofcom cannot realistically monitor the web.
• All the bad stuff on the web from child pornography, extremism, racism, cybercrime and terrorism and all the illegal activity that the dark web brings goes unchecked.
• ISIS was highly skilled in using social media like Youtube, Twitter, Instagram to advertise.
• Cybercrime - has come in a lot of criticism as individuals have faced vitriolic abuse, death threats etc.
• Cybercrime - phishing scams etc - link to crime.

6. Commercialisation and limited consumer choice:

• It is not driven by the people (pluralists) it is the advertisers and the manufacturers of the tech that drive it.
• The advertisers gather vast amounts of data that people give freely away - cookies and this is a form of economic surveillance.
• Feeding the consumerism that drives big companies.
• This is a form of commercial surveillance, storing information about consumer preferences through cookies left on their computers or mobiles to bombard them with ads A03: the digital divide is still prevalent in the UK and worldwide

7. Choice is an illusion - there is no real consumer choice

• We think we are getting a broad and varied media but there is material out there that people are blind to and if they were exposed to it they would be interested. People connect with people similar to them - the same values and ideals and so therefore they share the same tastes, the same media and this reinforces their values and thinking.
• In addition, media content has become 'tabloidised' and dumbed down - celebrity culture and infotainment have taken over without us realising.
• Celebrity culture has replaced hard news reporting to encourage people to consume the media

8. Increasing Surveillance:

• Not just through advertising but through being filmed and scrutinised often without us knowing - often this can be used for good - fighting crime, sharing the content of London riots 📝(eg) - link to crime

• But this tech is being used for facial recognition which in turn is monitoring us and controlling us. Location services are a powerful way of keeping an eye on where we are.

• In America a teacher lost her job after her parents spotted a Facebook picture of her with a glass of wine and a bottle of bear in her hands A02 - Snowden

• Ed Snowden revealed government surveillance agencies were in fact monitoring peoples' use of media and for many, this was a huge invasion of privacy. Although there is a choice on the web the websites that do get the most hits and advertising are the ones that carry mainstream messages - in line with the dominant ideology.

• The majority of news consumed online still comes from major newspapers and broadcasting companies.

• A lot of social media conversation is driven by journalists anyway.

• The web is swamped with large media corporations and their values and their views on the world - this filters through to consumers' psyche.

• They set the agenda and control how people consume the news and this in turn shapes our own values - hegemonic values - ruling class ideals and values dominate without us knowing!

• The news is socially constructed - it is a product of a number of decisions and filters by people in powerful and influential positions.

9. The undermining of human relationships and communities:

• There is an increase in social isolation with people losing the ability to communicate in the real world
• People spend less time in the real world and more time alone, the art of conversation is lost and people live solitary lives, they are 'Alone Together' - Turkle - watch the ted talk.
• Leading to a loss of social capital those human connections that bind people.