NDM 12

Mobile giant Three to block online advertising

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/02/18/mobile-giant-three-to-block-online-advertising/

- The Telegraph

Three is poised to become the first major European mobile operator to block online advertising on its network, signalling a clash with digital publishers and advertising companies. Three, which runs operators in half a dozen European countries including the UK, will next week announce a deal with Shine, a controversial Israeli technology company that specialises in blocking mobile advertising.

• "The operator’s announcementwill be seen as a watershed in the mobile industry."

I think that this is a good thing in the sense that by implementing Shine's technology they can demand web giants such as Google and Facebook to share their revenue which could prove to be a positive thing. however, this development is going to be worrying for digital publisers who depend on mobile advertising for a small but growing share of their revenues.

NDM 11

Are mobiles changing how we shop?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/12172230/Are-mobiles-changing-how-we-shop.html

- The Telegraph

This article talks about how nowadays people have resorted to buying items through there smartphones rather than using a computer. however although they use their phones to view the items, most purchases are made using a tablet as it is more simple than using a computer and more accessible than the tiny screen of a phone.

• Overall, according to the IMRG figures, 49 per cent of online sales came through traditional computers, whether desktops or laptops, with 51 per cent on hand-held devices. That breaks down as 33 per cent through tablet computers and 18 per cent on smartphones.
• According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, which tracks trends in internet shopping, 66 per cent of visits to retail websites between November and January came through mobile devices. That compares with 53 per cent in the same period a year earlier
• According to IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), the trade body for internet retailers, 51 per cent of online sales between November and January in the UK involved hand-held devices rather than traditional computers or laptops.

In my opinion I think that this is very useful and expected as technology grows. This allows people to access their shopping on the go and if they see something they like they can get it within the comfort of their home at more ease. However, there are cons with shopping online and that is whether or not the website is trustworthy or not. As it is very easy to falsify pictures and therefore people may not be getting their moneys worth as their item is not what they expected it to be. Although when it comes to food, there isn't much that could go wrong. 

NDM: the effect of online technology on newspapers

Based on the handout you've read and the links provided, answer these questions on your blog with detailed, in-depth paragraphs. Remember, critical autonomy means forming your own opinions on these issues.

1) Do you agree with James Murdoch that the BBC should not be allowed to provide free news online? Why?
- I think that the BBC should be allowed to give out free news since they in a sense already get the people who watch the BBC to pay for the content. So in that sense it would not make sense as they are already profiting with people who have TV's in their room. Also, it would not benefit those who cannot afford to will miss out on the opportunity to be able to access the news and in result they will look for a different news outlet to read news as they offer it for free.

2) Read this blog on the Times paywall three years on (note this is the UK Times - not the New York Times!)
- 'The digital subscription model is not a solution to those existential problems. To convince people to "pay for news" does not remove a £28 million loss overnight or even in five years.'
3) Was Rupert Murdoch right to put his news content (The Times, The Sunday Times) behind a paywall?
- I think that Rupert Murdoch was right to put his content behind a paywall as it seemed to work well. Within the first half of 2013 they had gained 13,000 new subscribers which means a monthly acquisition of 2,100. In total they amassed 140,000 paying subscribers. Which goes to show that there are people who are willing to pay for their news and this adds to the quality of news the news.

4) Choose two comments from below the Times paywall article - one that argues in favour of the paywall and one that argues against. Copy a quote from each and explain which YOU agree with and why.


I'd put my money on The Times when it comes to UK-based newspapers. The Times, more than any other paper, is more ready for a printless future, should it arise, as they just need to migrate users, in relatively low numbers. to the digital subscription. And it is having an almighty practice run to get it right. It doesn't need to create the vast volumes of (crap) content that the Mail does and it has a very strong brand argument to ad buyers."
+
"It is so ridiculous if these mainstream newspapers believe that they can "force readership of fee-based news. One can get the same "news" for free almost anywhere on the internet. I'd take a hint from the alternative free weeklies that survive just off their local advertising. I don't think anyone would read them otherwise. These papers are full of paid advertising. The fee model will never work."


I agree with the second comment as it talks about how people can receive the same news for free anywhere else, which readers are more likely to go to than having to pay. So despite getting some money from a paywall, there will always be the problem of people not reading because there is news still accessible for free elsewhere.

5) Read this article from the Media Briefing on the continuing decline of the newspaper industry.
6) Why do you think the Evening Standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years?
- The evening standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years by increasing their circulation from 700,000 to 900,000 however during that time the Standard actually lost 83,000 of their readers (5% of its readers) over that period of that time.

7) Is there any hope for the newspaper industry or will it eventually die out? Provide a detailed response to this question explaining and justifying your opinion.
- I think that the newspaper industry will eventually die out as the people who used to enjoy the news are slowly not going to be a part of the target market. The world is changing increasingly as it becomes more technology based and the people are accessing everything through things like their mobile phones and tablets etc. There are ways in which they can maintain their business for a while longer but eventually they will become pointless. News will turn to online publishing and will have to rely more on advertising companies.  

NDM: The decline in newspapers - MM case studies

The New Day
The New Day was a brand new newspaper launched by institution Trinity Mirror in 2016 - but it folded after just two months.  

Read the feature: 'A New Day for British journalism' on page 6 of Media Magazine 57 (our Media Magazine archive is here) and complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) What was the New Day trying to achieve?
- The New Day was launched to tap into a new market, not specifically to pinch readers from other newspapers. This is due to the fact that people are not buying newspapers as they have fallen out of love with it.

2) List the key statistics on the first page: how many people buy newspapers in the UK? How has this declined in the last year?
- 'Today' lasted only for the best part of 10 years 
- 'the European' 1990-1998 
- Over a million people have stopped buying a newspaper in the past two years which is a very large amount in a small period of time.

3) What audience were the New Day trying to attract?
- They were trying to attract people aged 35-55 both men and women and aimed to be a more modern approach to news but instead they seem to attract a younger audience around their twenties or parents with young children, specifically young women.

4) Why do you think the New Day failed so spectacularly? There are several possible reasons listed in the article but do develop your own opinion here as well.
- I think they failed because they increased the price from 25p to 50p within 2 weeks which made them lose their audience to 40,000 when their goal was to reach 200,000. The research may have been flawed in the sense that people may not have answered questions honestly. Also, it is argued that there was no place for a new kind of newspaper when the print media is a dying medium.


The Guardian
The Guardian is another British newspaper struggling with a steep decline in print sales. However, the Guardian's survival strategy has been built around a global online approach to digital content. 

Read the feature: 'Can The Guardian survive in a changing media landscape?' on page 9 of Media Magazine 57 and complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) List the key statistics on page 10: How many unique digital browsers used the Guardian website in June 2016? What are The Guardian's latest print sales figures? How does this compare to the Telegraph? In terms of finances, how much did the Guardian lose in 2015? 

Guradian website is the 3rd most read in the world (120 million + monthly unique bowsers)

Feb 2016: 9 million daily average browsers - way behind mailonline with 14 million ahead of the telegraph who has 4 million

print circulation of gurdian is only 161,000

print dailytelegraph is 472,000

independent (before closing had) 54,000

throughout 2015; guardian lost '£70 million' and digital ad sales falling to offset the effect of decreased revenue of print, leading to a 20% cut in their shelving plans

print news sales has steadily declined since explosive growth of internet in 1990s

2) What has been The Guardian's strategy for reversing this decline?
- Over the past two years they have developed the ability to deliver 24hour live rolling news coverage of world news such as the Paris attacks. This is changing the way people access The Guardian on their mobile phones as during the attacks the victims were using the news as they hid to keep updated and as a guide to safety.

3) What global event did The Guardian's digital coverage win awards for?
- The Guardian won an award for a digital coverage on the reporting on the Paris attacks. They were praised and acknowledged by readers from the Society of Editors.

4) In your opinion, will the global website strategy be enough to save The Guardian?
- I think for now the global website strategy will be enough to maintain The Guardian however with the constant change that the internet provides and the change in how the audiences view things will make it even more difficult than it is already for the website to survive.

NDM 10

Google and Facebook to be asked to pay to help UK tackle cyberbullying

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/11/google-and-facebook-to-be-asked-to-pay-to-help-tackle-cyberbullying

- The Guardian

This article talks about a green paper that will intend to make or try to make the internet a safer place especially for young children/teens that are easily exposed to disturbing parts of the internet very often. This is due to the rise in cyberbullying and online intimidation that has caused the government to question how safe the internet is. They want to make this voluntary and to have the companies work with the government instead of legislating it which would be the more difficult route.

• Research carried out by a team of academics for the green paper found that almost 20% of 12- to 15-year-olds had in the last year encountered something online that they found “worrying or nasty in some way”.

a quote that I liked from this article is ''She said: “Behaviour that is unacceptable in real life is unacceptable on a computer screen. We need an approach to the internet that protects everyone without restricting growth and innovation in the digital economy'' This is because it acknowledges the fact that the internet is a growing platform and is growing at a fast paced where people are more creative in the way they spread information or receive information. Therefore, they do not want to stop this change but want to make sure that people are not harmed in the process due to the lack of control of the information being spread.

NDM 9

Fake News: improved critical literacy skills are key to telling fact from fiction

https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/oct/17/fake-news-improved-critical-literacy-skills-teaching-young-people

- The Guardian

This article talks about how fake news is a growing problem especially within kids who are now increasingly influences by the internet. They have found that children have started to cite false information that they have found online within the work and in class. Fake news has made it increasingly difficult for children to establish what sources can be trusted therefore it has become a necessity for them to have the skill to tell fact from fiction as children use the internet as the main source for information. The Commission into Fake News and the Teaching of Critical Literacy Skills will look at the impact fake news has on children and young people, and how the skills needed to identify it are being taught. The commission will make a series of recommendations to the government and the education sector in 2018 that will put critical literacy at the heart of the national curriculum

•  a new report from the National Literacy Trust shows that children are not retaining what they’ve been taught. Some 20% of children aged between eight and 15 believe everything they read online is true, and 35% of UK teachers say pupils have cited fake news or false information found online as fact in their work.

I think that it is a good idea to introduce this as fake news decreases the accuracy in the children's work which could affect them in the future. Having a set of skills that help them identify what is fake and what isn't will improve their work and further improve what they can use and believe further in life.

NDM: The decline of the newspaper industry

The future of newspapers

Read this article from the Economist on the future of newspapers.

On your blog, write a paragraph summarising the argument the article makes. Then answer the following questions:

This article talks about Newspapers as a dying media as it is boldly stated in the title "Who killed the newspaper?" It goes into how it is becoming less about 'word to readers' and  more 'readers to advertisers' Although newspapers as a whole haven't started to shut down there has been a decrease in jobs and investments. Which has triggered a change in newspapers in the sense that there has been a cut in costs and a change in who they are trying to attract.

1) Do you agree with its view that it is ‘a cause for concern, but not for panic’?
- I agree with the view that it is a cause for concern, but not for panic. This is because Newspapers need only to adjust to the changing times. This is highlighted by he fact that he guardians have a whole new audience that they can appeal to abroad in the USA due to the fact that there is an online website. This could open up new opportunities and means the journalism can survive it this new form instead of the traditional print newspapers.

2) The article is 10 years old - an eternity in digital media terms. Have the writer's predictions come to pass? Use statistics from your Ofcom research to support or challenge the writer's argument.
- Print is a dying medium. That I believe is correct and that the writers predictions are right. Due to the Internet the pace at which print has been in decline has hastened even more. The fact that an increasing platform that is being used for news in the internet that has been growing steadily from 32% in 2013 to 48% last year. Whereas, Print has been decreasing from 40% in 2013 to 29% last year.

3) The Economist suggests that high-quality journalism in the future will be backed by non-profit organisations rather than profit-seeking media corporations. Is there any evidence for this? How is the Guardian funded? What do major stories from the last year such as the Panama Papers suggest about how investigative journalism is conducted in the digital age?
- There are some newspapers backed by non-profit organisations such as the Guardian, the Christian Science Monitor and National Public Radio. The guardian is funded by The Scott's Trust. Major stories like the Panama papers suggest that investigative journalism is becoming less important and less of a priority and this could be due to the fact that not only is it too expensive but the act that this story was only released due to information being leaked online through anonymous sources. This could highlight the fact that citizen journalism is increasing.

Build The Wall analysis

The article, Build The Wall, is available here on the Columbia Journalism Review website.

Your tasks are as follows:


1) Summarise each section in one sentence:

• Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)

- That content matters and that we should make people pay for it.

• Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)

- People May not pay for something they have accepted to be free.

• Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)

- Subscriptions for online newspaper is required to make a profit.

• Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)

- It may be late to start making a chnge but beginning the change will make some difference

2) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.
- His overall argument is basically that newspaper should start thinking about making people pay somehow for their news, like online subscriptions in order to save the currently rapidly dying media. Readers are less likely to pay for something that they have accepted as free. There has been cuts in regional/chain-owned newspapers and also there are more people reading American newspaper. Television place importance on content in the fact that you pay more, you get more. His main argument is the fact that newspapers should all put forth the paywall in order to ensure a change in their revenues and see some change for the better.

3) The New York Times added a paywall in 2011 - two years after David Simon's essay. Read this summary of the New York Times's paywall - why does the writer suggest the NYT's paywall was successful?
- The writer suggests that the NYT's paywall was successful because of the fact that they offer quality content and that this is what their readers are now looking at subscribing to the news outlet. To continue to grow this subscriber based reader is to maybe start looking into niche subscriptions so that audiences can pay smaller figures for specific news.

4) The Washington Post followed with its own paywall in 2013. Read this article about the launch of the Post's paywall. List one strength and one weaknesses of newspaper paywalls that the article discusses.  
FOR - 'those willing to pay for content are a more valuable audience to advertisers.'
AGAINST - after a wall goes up, pageviews and uniques go down

5) Read this Guardian comment by AC Grayling piece on the state of journalism that was published the year before David Simon's essay. What references to new and digital media can you find in AC Grayling's argument? Overall, do you feel the comment piece is positive or negative about the influence of new/digital media on the newspaper industry?
- references to new and digital media can be seen when they talk about blogging and the comment threads. There are some negative comment on the piece on the sense that it talks about how a lot of information gets spread around the world that gets spread around very quickly sometimes it being private information that doesn't need to be spread. However, it isn't entirely negative and that a positive is that it allows a lot of opinions and debates to be spoken more freely.

6) Finally, what is your own opinion? Do you agree that newspapers need to put online content behind a paywall in order for the journalism industry to survive? Would you be willing to pay for news online? Critical autonomy is the key skill in A2 Media - you need to be able form opinions on these issues.
- I think that it is a good idea in order for the journalism industry to survive. In my opinion I think that if people can pay a subscription fee for things like Netflix then there is no harm in getting people to pay for news. Since everything is becoming more digital, it is important for the journalism industry to adapt to the changes in order to be able to make a profit and in order to continue further on in the future.

NDM 8

How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/oct/07/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-everything-you-need-to-know

- The Guardian

This article simply explains how to use a podcast and the fact that it is available on iTunes. If not iTunes then often on platforms such as Spotify, AudioBoom, Mixcloud and Acast. It explains the different devices you can listen to podcasts on which is things like a smartphone and tablets.


In my opinion I think that it is strange that there is an article on how to access a podcast despite the fact that this has been around for quite some time now. The fact that many people of this generation are able to work the digital world with ease. This I believe is more aimed towards the older generation who are less familiar with podcasts. There are many things that comes with new and digital media that it could be difficult for them to keep up so this short little guide could be useful for them.

NDM 7

Meet the millennials who are making a living from livestreaming

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/oct/07/millennials-making-a-living-from-livestreaming

-The Guardian

People are now livestreaming their day to day life in hopes that it would gain them some profit. An example Day who is an estate agent, in his free time livestreams his personal life or even him playing games. He gets money from virtual gifts that strangers send him that amount to a certain amount of money, he has attracted 7000 viewers. Livestreaming has become a career for people in the sense that it has become something that has been done by different social media platforms by different social media influencers such as Youtube, Younow etc. Another example is Emma Jacobs who likes to livestream herself with different exotic animals and she talks about how people can get over their fear of certain animals and other interesting facts.

I think it is interesting how simple things like watching someones life can be entertaining to some people. The fact that people use this growing social media platform to find new ways to gain profit and do something that they may find interesting that other people can equally enjoy is quite smart. In the sense that it may - however can be - not be their official job but it is quite free in how you spend your time when livestreaming which is a reason to why it can appeal to people.

NDM 6

Breaking News: Princess Diana’s death in the pre-social media world

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/news-princess-diana-death-pre-social-media-world-a7917366.html

- Independent

This story talks about how different we receive news nowadays compared to the past based on Princess Diana's death. It goes into the fact that back then broadcasting news was not so simple but it was one of the main sources of news. When a BBC reporter who was broadcasting at night received news of the accident and then later on the death of the Princess. There were certain things that had to be taken into consideration such as waiting for the Buckingham Palace to confirm and announce the news before the news outlets were able to. However, in comparison if her death was to be broadcasted now it is assumed to be different in the sense that everything is so instant and with people posting things on social media it is almost difficult to control however some say it still may have been the same. Lastly, the way people would have responded to the news would have been similar in the sense that back then people would pay their respects at different monuments and express their emotions and feelings on different outlets whereas now on social media people would spread hashtags and tweet their respects.

• Today, our media has changed irreversibly. We learn news instantly, and get to see it raw, live and unedited – for better or for worse

 In my opinion, I believe that this is true and the fact that how news is received has changed drastically and rapidly over the years. It can be argued that it has been changed for the better in the sense that we don't have to wait to find out what has been going on around the world and that news travels within seconds. I feel like an event like Princess Diana's death has brought a significant change on the importance on instant news and how we receive our news and has further influenced the fact that later on with the 9/11 attack, news outlets were able to broadcast it live 4 hours after the first plane.

NDM 5

Brevity is the soul of twitter, we don't need 280 characters to say that

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2017/sep/27/brevity-soul-twitter-280-characters

- The Guardian

 

 

 

This story is about how Twitter is changing their 140 character tweet restrictions to 280 characters which is double that amount. Twitter has allowed certain people - mainly celebs or well known people to take advantage of this new perk at first before deciding whether they want to make it permanent. This story goes into the fact that there has been a large backlash on this new development in the sense that the idea of sticking to the point and people are forced to make sure that only relevant things are written in a tweet. 

• Brevity is the soul of wit, as Shakespeare told us
• That’s why whenever big news breaks, Twitter is the best place to go. It’s almost always faster and more efficient than television, radio, newspapers, or any other source

In my opinion I think that the fact that this backlash make sense in the sense that people have gotten so used to making sure their tweet sticks to the 140 character guidelines. That this sudden change is seen as unnecessary and pointless. The fact that people's immediate thought is that President Trump is going to be able to tweet more nonsense seeing that this is his favourite platform to use when addressing issues makes up a large argument which I find quite humorous.