Use and Gratification

Bulmer and Katz -> A series of possible reasons why audience members might consume a media text:

• Diverson - escapes from everyday problems
  
  As You already know i like Bollywood films these films are known to be very mythical which adds to this idea of escapism. Even though i wasnt born in India it allows the western audience to enter the mind of people back in India.
  
• Personal relationships - using media for emotional interactions
  
  Soaps nowadays are becomming very predictable and almost repetitive. I never use to face that many problems shown in soaps however it did make me emotionally involved with the characters i sympathised with.
  
• Personal Identity - constructing their own identity from characters.
  
  Personally i dont aspire to be like any celebrities i like the idea of fame and money. when i watch films i tend to place myself in the protagonists shoes although after watching the film that idea is gone. on to the next film... type of thing.
  
• Surveillance - Information gathering.
  
  Obviously as a media student i have to look at news and the world we live in today. Therefore i do check the newspapers via internet and regularly watch the news and weather on tv.

Denis McQuial suggests a more detailed breakdown of audience motivation:

• Information
  Finding out about relavant events and conditions - surfing the net. widening my Knowlegde by researching things i feel interested in.
  Seeking advice: I dont really rely on media to give me personal advice i mean. how do they know whats going on in my life lol
  Satisfying curiosity and general interest: general information of life and the world around me. issues such as global warming, peace protests etc...
  
• Learning:
  Self-education:

Effects Theory

The Frankfurt school - concerned with the rise in media industeries in society. the term they used was 'Culture industry'. under capitalism, society controls almost everything and even culture is processed through the mass media. The mass audience is seen as a passive ' thing', and not a group of active consumers. we are conditioned to watch tv, not because we want to.

The hypodermic needle model - to injetc the passive audience with ideologies. ' Triumph of the will'. media was controlling its population and the audience are seen as passive.

Violence in the media - The effects theory has triggered off violence. the 'majority' suggest that the media portray is explicit, sexually and violently. This again assumes that the audience is passive. Although most people generally accept that todays audience are more media litterate. moral panics are generated from this, issues such as pornograghy and computer games allegedly damaging literacy skills and contributing to violent behaviour.

Cultivatoin theory - it is difficult to prove the effects of the individual 'cultivation model' repeated expose will make the audience less sensitive. critics call is becoming 'desensitised'.

my opinion : i do agree with these pionts. although i wouldnt say that over the other theories i agree with this one more. i do believe that after watching violent clips DO make people even think about it but they need to be aware of it because its the world we live in today. However its another issues for the punishements, people should be aware of the results of doing something bad.

BBC moves closer to online ads

Jemima KissWednesday November 15, 2006MediaGuardian.co.uk

Controversial proposals to put advertising on the BBC's international websites have been approved by the corporation's executive direction group, the most senior level of management before the BBC governors.

In an email obtained by MediaGuardian.co.uk, staff at BBC News Interactive were told this morning that the board has agreed that "both the UK and international sites will carry advertising when viewed from abroad".

The News Interactive head, Pete Clifton, emailed staff stating that ads will fit around the current site design, as outlined in a BBC online article published in April.

The corporation will avoid "more ambitious, intrusive advertising" until it has carried out further audience research.

Last week, the BBC's journalism board also "agreed to the principle of commercialisation". The final decision is due to be taken by the board of governors on December 13.

Mr Clifton wants to meet "interested parties" in the department, along with the global news director, Richard Sambrook, and the deputy director of news, Adrian Van-Klaveren.

He also wants Sian Kevill, the editorial director for the commercial BBC World TV channel, to brief staff on commercial propositions for text and video.

The proposals have been masterminded by David Moody, the director of strategy at BBC Worldwide and managing director of the digital media division.

Mr Moody said that he couldn't prejudge the decision of the BBC governors but that if the plans are approved, the ad-supported BBC.com site would be launched next year.

"We have some implementation and technical challenges but broadly speaking these issues have been dealt. It is time to move from this long and correct internal debate into implementation."

More than 170 staff have put their names to a campaign against the proposals. Mr Moody said the concerns of staff have been understood and broadly dealt with at journalism board level, though he acknowledged that some staff were likely to still reject the principle of an ad-supported site.

"To some degree people have concerns in principle with this which I don't think are going to be addressed by protections. It's a matter of principle rather than practice."

He said that income from international advertising would be fed back into the whole budget of the BBC.

"We think BBC.com will be a growing, profitable business that will deliver significant funds to the BBC," he said.

"It's a different set of rules for non-licence fee payers and the BBC has taken a view that it should seek to maximise the revenue back to licence fee payers from international users."

The National Union of Journalists has said that its parliamentary group is to table an early day motion against the BBC's plans, ahead of the BBC governors meeting on December 13

My Comments: i think because of fierce comptetion with sky BBC shouldnt give up without a fight therefore by promoting adverts on their website will not only give profitable business' some recognition but also increase the viewing of BBC.

Women adverts

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWrLxIEtQfE

Shiela wheels - This advert ecourages Laura Mulveys theory as the three women shown are blonde attractive and fulfil the quality of 'to be looked at ness' These women are floaded with the feminine colour pink which also suggests that media constructs the gender in preparation of their future role/behaviour.

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmsttFfimFk

Fragrance for women - This encourages the idea of the Male gaze. As the camera shots emphasize the feminine features. It also assumes that the audience is male. Therefore the young attractive women is there to seduce and enterain the males.

something i came across....

Guardian Student Media Conference: The hacks of tomorrow

By Steve Busfield http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2006/11/guardian_student_media_confere.html

I have just been at the Guardian's Student Media Conference and one message came through loud and clear: the journalists of tomorrow still have a touching faith in the future of newsprint.

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger opened the conference and took the audience on a stroll through the future of newspapers. How journalists will need to be multi-skilled (although not necessarily all of them all of the time). How newspapers used to compete against each other but are now competing against a wide variety of media (the BBC, Reuters, Google, YouTube etc etc etc). How the economic model of newspaper organisations is changing. How newspapers need to stay true to their values: Whether on the web or in print, news organisations need to maintain the trust of their readers.

I then chaired a session about the digital age, featuring Georgina Henry, the editor of Commentisfree, and BBC online political correspondent Nick Assinder.

What most intrigued me was that the students - the supposed Web 2.0 generation - still believe in newspapers and have yet to fully embrace the internet. Some students described their websites as the place they put copy that isn't good enough to get into the paper. They spoke of chill winds blowing through their websites.

When they reach the big wide world, they will find newspaper organisations charging headlong into the digital future. Only time will tell whether the Guardian Media Group, Telegraph Media, the various arms of Daily Mail and General Trust, et al, have got it right.

Further sessions looked at "The future of Sky News", BBC correspondent Fergal Keane on reporting from the world's hotspots, and a host of my Guardian colleagues sharing their experiences. I hope we haven't put the hacks of tomorrow off.

Tonight some of those students will be winners at the Guardian Student Media Awards.

My comments: I think that newspapers are just as important as the internet or any other form of the media. Although the internet allows people to read articles from the newspapers anyway so in a way people are still reading papers just not being a consumer to buy them.

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Pluralism

• Opposite to the marxist perspective - rejects the concept of 'Mass Culture'
• Pluralism takes a more flexible and open view, arguing that for a class to resond to the media it is determined economicaly and by the audience.
  
  Basic Definition of Pluralism:
  
• Competing groups in society and interest. Halloran " the plual values of societyenable the audience to conform, accomidate or reject"
• As we become more media literate we become more demanding and selective as consumers.
• Class is less important now in influencing the chioce made by the indivual.
• High culture ( i.e Ballet and Opera ) reaches a wider audience.
• Individuals have the freedom to make chioces about what text to consume based on personal preferences.
• Pluralism allows for different viewspionts.
  
  The role of the audience:
  
• If the audience dont like the text they will simply not watch itor buy it. Media organisations will resond by changing their output. The audience is seen as active.
  
  The Media as fourth estate:
  
• Pularists argue that it is good that each of their sytem is held by the other two because oeace abd democracy are maintained. Media is the fourth estate - reports politicalevents in the newspaper. Media argues that it is their role to investigate and keep the public informed.
  
  Limits of Pluralism:
  
• Two assumptions - it assume an active audience dictates the text on offer because media orangisations respond to the audience demands but it also assumes an economic base for production.

Marxism

• A theory based on the works of Karl Marx. He argues that the capitalist society is divided into two social classes. Bourgeoisie and proletariat.
  
  Marxism and the media

• "Culture Industeries" - Adorno, dumbing down the media to opress the working class.
• Media as an instituion used by the ruling class to entertain the working class whilst feeding them ideologies and beliefs (effects theory)
  
  Althusser
  
• Ideological state apparatus:
  Family
  Religion
  Law
  Media
  Education
  
  Gramsi
  
• Hegemony Theory - dominance of the Ruling class values and ideologie.
• Process is successful as it bcomes 'Common sense' so by continuing these ideologies in the media the ruling class can ensure that they retain hegemonic control.
  
  Eisnteing and montage
  
• Sergei Einstein and other soviet film makers used marxism to justify their film making.
• Structuralist approach - Hollywood cinema is designed to draw audience into believing in capitalism propoganda and ideologies. Einsteins solution = eliminate individual protagonists.
  
  Am i a marxist?
  To some extent...
• Yes i believe that social class has an impact on how far you get in life and wealth seems to determine your intelligence. i.e if you have money you are more likely to have a better educationdue to materials which would normally be deprived from a working class background. Although not only are some discouraged by CLASS but also by GENDER, which infact makes it even harder.
• Media DOES enforce this ruling class idelogies as we are watching and aspriring to materials they have. "keeping up with the jones" is something we all desire and want. The use of media techniques we as the audience are made to believe that these products are nessecities rather than luxuries.
  

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Telegraph: staff are taking action over compulsory redundancies and extra duties Telegraph staff have voted to hold a three-day strike.

Tara ConlanWednesday November 1, 2006MediaGuardian.co.uk
http://media.guardian.co.uk/telegraph/story/0,,1936775,00.html

In a ballot at a chapel meeting today, more than 90 union members voted in favour of the action, with just 12 against.

The strike will begin on November 14.

It follows last week's ballot in which 76% of members voted in favour of industrial action. Today the National Union of Journalists chapel decided what form that action would take.

The announcement of the impending strike coincides with the renaming of the Telegraph Group today. It will now be known as Telegraph Media Group.

John Carey, the Telegraph father of chapel, said the company's refusal to negotiate on the changes it was trying to impose left the union with no alternative but to take action.

"What the Telegraph is undertaking represents the biggest revolution in national newspapers for 20 years - and we are the people who are expected to carry it forward. We think we are entitled to some say in how the changes are implemented and to some reward for making it work," Mr Carey said.

"We have said repeatedly that we are not against what the company is trying to achieve. But we are not prepared to simply be told: 'This is what we want you to do - now just get on with it.'"
The Telegraph chapel voted last week to strike after 54 journalists were made redundant as part of 133 redundancies the group announced before the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph moved to new multimedia premises in Victoria.

Telegraph management's formal response to staff concerns was only given to the chapel committee one hour before the chapel meeting this afternoon.

A lack of consultation over changes to terms and conditions lay at the heart of the strike vote.
"They should have seen this coming months ago and done something to reassure staff rather than high-handedly pushing on with painful and unpopular changes," the NUJ general secretary, Jeremy
Dear, said last week.

"Members of the NUJ chapel repeatedly asked to be properly consulted and repeatedly managers ignored them and went over their heads."

Last week's union ballot found 76% of NUJ members who voted had said yes to possible strike action. But of 276 NUJ members, 114 voted in the ballot, of whom 85 said yes to a possible strike.
Last week a Telegraph spokeswoman said in response to the ballot: "Our move has now been successfully completed, and 465 full-time journalists are now working in one of the most modern newsrooms anywhere in the world. There were 54 job losses in this area as a result of the integration of our business. However, those affected left on generous terms - and there was only one appeal against a decision."

In 2005, after a round of 90 editorial redundancies, the Telegraph Group chapel voted in favour of strike action but elected not to strike after management offered concessions.

A spokesman for the Telegraph Media Group said today: "At this time of massive investment in the future of the Telegraph Media Group and the extensive changes occurring throughout our industry, the union's decision is surprising.

"It is worth noting that barely one in three of the union members voted in favour of a strike and that less than one in five of our total editorial staff are supporting the union's actions.

"We have successfully completed our move to Victoria and are ready to meet the significant challenges that our industry faces in the new digital age.

"Today's vote by some NUJ members is therefore disappointing."