Week 14 :Story 28 Facebook doesn't need to ban fake news to fight it

Facebook doesn't need to ban fake news to fight it 

 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/25/facebook-fake-news-fight-mark-zuckerberg

 Mark Zuckerberg’s social media site doesn’t have to become a censor to help tackle false stories. It can do a lot by helping its own users with context

•  Zuckerberg’s message was slightly undercut for some users by the fact that it was accompanied by adverts for fake news. Ev Williams, the co-founder of Twitter, Blogger and Medium, posted his own example a few days later: links, claiming to be from ESPN and CNN, to stories that implying that Tiger Woods had died and Donald Trump had been “disqualified”, right next to the Facebook chief executive’s post.

  I believe that audiences should always be lively in terms of what they read and share, we should all check twice if the information is real by going on other sources and seeing if similar information has been said.

   

Week 14- Story 27- Samsung set to remove headphone jack on Galaxy S8

 

Samsung set to remove headphone jack on Galaxy S8

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/12/07/samsung-set-remove-headphone-jack-galaxy-s8/

Samsung have now started to copy their rivals with their innovative idea to remove the headphone jack on their next phone which is the galaxy s8. 

•  Samsung may also be able to make the phone thinner than its predecessor by getting rid of the jack. SamMobile also reported that the Galaxy S8 may have stereo speakers to improve the external audio quality.

I think that Samsung should try something innovative to try and gain the consumers that they lost to other brands due to their failure to the Note 7. The phone should allow people to communicate with each other more efficiently.

NDM News: Globalisation

NDM News: Globalisation

1) Is our news influenced by American cultural imperialism? Give some examples arguing for or against this perspective.

I believe that our news is influenced by’ American cultural imperialism ‘. An example of this is that the American news started to use the Malaysian plane when it went missing to generate more views because the story was of Interest to a lot of people so it was covered a lot more during the time.

2) Has the increased globalisation of news improved the audience experience? How? Why?

I believe that it has improved the audience experience due to the fact that people are now able to access news from around the world which is to do with other cultures. This allows us to have a greater knowledge of what's going on around the world. However, this has caused a decline in local news over the years because people want to find out things about cultures that there is only limited news about their own area.

3) Has globalisation benefited or damaged major news institutions? How? Why?

Due to this institutions are becoming bigger and this is also causing a decline in traditional media platforms such as the newspaper. I believe that the negative aspects overweigh the positives due to the terminal decline

Media Magazine: Globalisation case study

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?
The reason why Google glass was controversial was because of the ability to record anyone. People felt afraid that their privacy would be taken advantage of , this was the case as the glasses were able to record and people saw this as a threat where it was seen that it would potentially gain insight to their whole lifestyle and everyday life.

2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?

I believe that one big factor was that more people would be getting access to the internet and this would allow them to get more information which is beneficial to them. Google has also allowed there to be internet access in certain parts of New Zealand with balloons which have antennas to provide them with internet.

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?

 A negative would be that If this happens then there will be less institutions who are in control but also it would influence peoples ideology as there would be access to information whenever they go online but it might not be true if it circulates which people then start to believe that it is real.

4) What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?
By extension, a “techno-panic” is simply a moral panic that centers on societal fears about a specific contemporary technology (or technological activity) instead of merely the content flowing over that technology or medium. People are scared that the technology is going to invade their privacy which creates a moral panic because people are worried about this actually happening.

5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?

I personally think that Google should be allowed to access large amounts of data from the consumer unless they know about it but also have to give consent. Even though the intentions were positive I believe negatives overweigh the good intentions.

Media Factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism

1) Who coined the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?

The person who coined the phrase ‘global phrase’ was Marshall McLuhan created the idea. It is the idea that countries become interconnected and independent especially in economic terms. BBC is an example of this.

2) What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony?
I believe that Capitalism is where the country is controlled by private institutions and everything that happens in the country stays within it such as the exchange for goods and services. This links to Marxism and Hegemony because countries become interconnected and independent especially in economic terms.

3) What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean?
This means the idea that when we buy something we aren't just buying the product but we are also buying the lifestyle and stereotypes that come with it.

4) What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign?

This is a private sector company that is trying the eliminate aids in Africa and it came together with lots of other firms such as Nike to raise awareness about this through advertisement.

5) Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are? 
I believe that this is a massive benefit for those affected as people are now more aware of the cause and if they see a brand which is promoting it that they are associated with they'll be more inclined to go and support it and help create awareness as well on social media websites. 

Globalisation and fake news

The Guardian & the global problem of fake news

1) What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?
One thing that I have noticed is that many different countries have experienced fake news. In Italy where they wanted women to stop getting abortions so they produced fake news so that it would persuade them not to get an abortion.

2) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?

I believe that the internet enables users to produce whatever they want which is sometimes hard to regulate for example fake new. This then makes it harder for consumers who are viewing the article to distinguish what's real and what's fake.

New York Times and the creation of fake news

1) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump? 

Fake news was first brought into light around US Presidential elections. There were articles shared on social media sites such as Facebook in favour of Donald Trump were more popular than those in favour of Hillary Clinton. A website was created discussing this topic and because of this generated revenue.

2) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?
I personally believe these massive companies Google and Facebook can only be blamed for the stories that have only been published on their site.

Week 13 :Story 26 - Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft team up to tackle extremist content

Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft team up to tackle extremist content

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/05/facebook-twitter-google-microsoft-terrorist-extremist-content

This story is about how Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have pledged to work together to identify and remove extremist content on their platforms through an information-sharing initiative.

• “We are interested in exploring all options with you for how to deal with the growing threat of terrorists and other malicious actors using technology, including encrypted technology,” said a briefing document released before the secretive summit.
• “Are there technologies that could make it harder for terrorists to use the internet to mobilize, facilitate, and operationalize?”
• We are happy to see this development. It’s long overdue,” he said, explaining that he has been in conversations with Facebook and Microsoft since January.

I believe that it is a good idea for these massive institutions to team up as they all have a common goal which is to make their content safe for their users.

Week 13 :Story 25-Just Eat delivery robot to replace human drivers

Just Eat delivery robot to replace human drivers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/12/01/justeat-replacing-delivery-drivers-robots/

Just Eat has plans to expand the use of robotic delivery drivers in the capital in a move that could long term see the number of human drivers employed by restaurants cut back.

• The futuristic courier, created by two former co-founders of Skype who launched Starship Technologies in 2014, is a six-wheeled automated trolley that travels at speeds of up to 4mph. 
• It can carry up to 10 kilograms or three shopping bags and has a range of 10 miles, meaning it can transport food within a two to three mile radius, which takes 15 to 30 minutes. The robot can direct itself and avoid obstacles using a GPS signal and nine cameras, but it is also monitored remotely at all times. 

I believe that this is a smart way but also ambitious way in delivering food. This change could cause some problems for example it could mean that  people are more likely to lose their jobs because they're being placed by robots. 

Index

NDM Index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: how news consumption has changed
3) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
4) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
5) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions
 11) Full NDM essay including paragraphs on Marxism and Pluralism
12) Globalisation and news: cultural imperialism
13) Globalisation: taking it further (Google Glass case study and capitalism)
14) Fake news and globalisation - Guardian and New York Times articles
15) News on the Tweet

Week 12 :Story 24- What does the future of Android look like in a world with the Pixel?

What does the future of Android look like in a world with the Pixel?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/01/future-android-pixel-google

From this article I can gather that Google have now created their own phone which is called the pixel phone. 

• Android, the world’s most used mobile operating system, is going through a step change. For years, its creator, Google, only made a small number of own-brand devices running it for developers and enthusiasts. That changed with the release of the Pixel.
• “That gives everyone else much more creative freedom, because before we’ve had the purists complaining that every time you made a small tweak that ‘this is not pure Android’, but now even the Pixel is not pure Android so that gives you more creative freedom to realise your vision.”

I believe that this is a good idea by the company as the new technology gives consumers more innovative goods which will change the way they use new digital media.

Week 12 :Story 23- How to solve Facebook's fake news problem: experts pitch their ideas

How to solve Facebook's fake news problem: experts pitch their ideas

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/29/facebook-fake-news-problem-experts-pitch-ideas-algorithms

Facebook are now trying to get rid of fake news that is being posted on their social media website so that people do not get the wrong idea of what is going on in society which could change their ideology and impact them in a negative way. 

• “The biggest challenge is who wants to be the arbiter of truth and what truth is,” said Claire Wardle, research director for the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. “The way that people receive information now is increasingly via social networks, so any solution that anybody comes up with, the social networks have to be on board.”

I believe that this is indeed a good idea as this has become a problem in the last couple of months especially during the US election. People need to be informed with the right information

Alain de Botton

1) To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?

I believe that what he says is logical as people are now finding news that isn't important to be more interesting which is being published into newspapers and other stories which are important are being pushed away.

2) How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?
There are many way in which you can link to Marxism and Hegemony. One way is through the abuse of power to promote a certain ideology for the consumers of the news. This is the case the powerful are in control.

3) How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?

One way in which you can challenge de Button’s views is by looking at through a pluralists view. A pluralist would say that the news that audiences receive will most likely not change this is the case they have a specific target audience that they reach out to but with the use of new technology, it is now easier to explore the other side to the story because we now have access to more platforms which gives us a better understanding of everything.

4) Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38146394

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38151669

Gone Too Far

An energetic, witty drama set in the heart of  South London, takes after the story of Peckham raised youngster Yemi (played by Malachi Kirby) and his recently arriving sibling from Nigeria, Ikudayis. Strains emerge when social, social standards and belief systems conflict between the two as they are compelled to spend the day together looking for Okra. Yemi must defy neighborhood spooks; his own African legacy and attempting to charm the young lady he had always wanted. Essayist Bola Agbaje makes a wonderful showing with regards to of displaying a current Shakespearean comic drama as a film with articulately three dimensional characters. Joined with humorously quick paced and breaking exchange abandoning you with part sides; the author's aspiration and enthusiasm for her way of life is clear through her vision and knowledge into the social conflict amongst transients and life molded by London city. Agbaje presents a much needed refresher in the frequently firm universe of British social authenticity movies, by blending social editorial with that of energetic drama in regards to race and ethnicity that can be relatable to anybody. In spite of the fact that the film is about the life of Africans living in South London, and draws upon this social character to create amusingness, it will leave any moviegoer wiping tears of chuckling from their cheeks.

Debate

Ethnic minorities should have the right to represent anyone, as it is a subjective representation view, and instead should create to express and not impress. It is also however objectively true that movies should be made regardless of the subjective opinions that disagree with it, as it is undoubtedly made for monetary reasons more than for the ethos of film making, as with mainstream Hollywood nowadays, example, Fast and Furious franchises. In other examples however, there is the slightly deragotry representation of certain groups such as the Muslim community, who is subject to discrimination and prejudicism, predominantly set catalyst by events such as the Twin Tower 9/11 bombings. Films such as American Sniper, United-93, create a sense of moral panic as people have been "fed" this kind of information although they may not necessarily be true. The realism aspect to it is what is the most affecting, hence the audience can relate more to it. Example, a south-east Londoner may feel more attached and have a significant impact simply because they're able to relate more, just as the relation between an American audience and American Sniper, United-93, audiences that feel that they're in the category. 

Marxism & Pluralism Essay

The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.

In this essay I will be discussing the way in with the development of new digital media has changed the power that the audience has but also the consumption and production of information that audiences consume.

A Marxist perspective would argue that the so-called “information revolution” has done little to benefit audiences or to subvert the established power structures in society. Far from being a “great leveller” (Krotoski, 2012) as many have claimed, it has merely helped to reinforce the status quo by promoting dominant ideologies. The most popular news website in the UK by a considerable margin is the ‘Mail Online’, which receives more than 8 million hits every month and is continuing to expand rapidly – with forecasts that it will make £100 million or more in digital revenues in the next three years. Similar to its tabloid print edition, the website takes a Conservative, right-wing perspective on key issues around gender, sexuality and race and audiences appear to passively accept what the Marxist theorist, Gramsci, called a hegemonic view. When one of their chief columnists, Jan Moir, wrote a homophobic article about the death of Stephen Gately in 2009 there were Twitter and Facebook protests but, ultimately, they did not change the editorial direction of the gatekeepers controlling the newspaper.

On the other hand a pluralist would claim that new and digital media such as e-media is a powerful tool for those who want set up business in their homes. The vice president under Clinton, Al Gore has stated "The internet is an empowering tool... an exciting and revolutionary prospect." This is evident as the internet allows people to start posting their own news online citizen journalism; this is another example of how the audience has gained more control over the years because there is nothing to restrict them from posting online. Citizen journalism allows people to post news online which can be accessed from all around the world on social media websites and even news programmes like BBC news, channel 4 ect. use citizen journalism as well for their news stories. This illustrates how advances in technology have affected traditional media as they incorporate online sources on their news bulletins. One of the first cases of this was Rodney King who was a black man which was beaten up by the police and recorded by a man which gave the video to local news stations to be aired.

Marxists would say that the institutions still have most of the power. Due to the rise of new and digital media audiences have now been able to consume their news on many different social outlets in particular free online papers. The institutions have to think about how they are going to make money whether that’s on advertising or introducing a pay wall. As print media is in terminal decline institutions need to bring a pay wall so that the journalists don't lose their jobs and news becomes unreliable. James Murdoch quotes "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it". The journalists are losing their jobs because people aren't paying for news anymore they're going online and getting news for free. This changes the accuracy of the news that people are receiving because it can be bias due to one person sharing their view whereas the BBC has to be impartial. 

Pluralists believe that people in society are now gaining more power because of their power that new technology has given them such as being on social media websites; this gives people more access to more information which gives the consumers more control. This is evident when Negroponte (1997) says "the monolithic empires of mass media are dissolving into an array of cottage industries." People are communicating more online now and having an increase in power.

From this essay I can conclude that I believe that people are indeed in power more now because of the advances in technology have meant that they have more freedom and can do exactly what institutions do. This is evident due to the advances and introduction user generated sites such as YouTube and blogs.

Week 11 :Story 22- Apple stops making wireless routers and shuts division

Apple stops making wireless routers and shuts division

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/22/apple-stops-making-wireless-airport-routers-shuts-division

Apple has closed the division responsible for designing its wireless routers, reassigning the employees within the company and putting an end to its 17-year-old AirPort product line, sources close to the company have confirmed.

• Every single other piece of hardware, including the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and all of Apple’s accessories, is bundled into an “Other Products” category, which brings in less than 5% of Apple’s overall revenue – less than the amount Apple makes from “services” like the iTunes Store and iCloud.
• attempt to “sharpen the company’s focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its revenue”, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Apple began shutting down the wireless router team over the past year, dispersing engineers to other product development groups.” Beneficiaries include the Apple TV division

Week 11 :Story 21- Elon Musk wants to cover the world with internet from space

Elon Musk wants to cover the world with internet from space 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/17/elon-musk-satellites-internet-spacex

The story talks about how Elon Musks company Tesla is planning to employ 4,000 satellites in space. 

• Musk said in January 2015 that the plan would cost at least $10bn.
• Measuring 4m by 1.8 by 1.2m and weighing 386kg. 
• US government to operate a massive network of 4,425 satellites

I believe that this innovation will be very beneficial to the world due to the fact that people will have access to the internet when they need it which is useful as any information people are restricted from obtaining are able to do so because they now have access.The world we live in can have internet where ever you are. There's been no date for the release of the satellite itself but it is said to be that it would orbit in a range between 714 miles and 823 miles above the Earth

NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1)Research the Ian Tomlinson case. What would the traditional, hegemonic view of the police be in a case like this? How did new and digital media create a different story? What does the police officer's subsequent acquittal suggest about the power of new and digital media?

From this research I can gather that Ian Tomlinson was innocently walking home from work during protests. The protest was the G20 in 2009. One of the police officers had anticipated he was a part of the protest where he was then assaulted by the police officer and later killed after being attacked.  One man recorded it and managed to get it published.

2) What does the author argue regarding whether hegemony is being challenged by Web 2.0? 

The author argues that the internet doesn’t showcase one view it also promotes other views and values from sites such as blogs. They also offer professional journalism.

3) In your opinion, do new and digital media reinforce dominant hegemonic views or give the audience a platform to challenge them?
In my opinion I believe that the article does reinforce hegemonic views as people are reading different articles that they find and do not challenge it and when there's a dominant hegemonic view which is being reinforced. People will be more inclined to believe it rather than challenge due to a moral panic being created.

4) Do recent world events such as Brexit or Donald Trump's election in the US suggest dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged or reinforced? There are arguments for both sides here - explain your opinion and why.

I believe that the Brexit issue and Donald Trump election has hegemonic views as there were both promises given by the two campaigns. The reason why these promises were made was because for Donald Trump his promise was to make ‘America Great Again’ this was done so people would vote for him because of the reinforced dominant hegemonic view. 

Week 10 :Story 20- Twitter users to get ability to mute words and conversations

Twitter users to get ability to mute words and conversations

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/15/twitter-users-to-get-ability-to-mute-words-and-conversations

This article talks about bout how users will now be able to mute the names of popular TV shows, for instance, or the teams playing in a match they intend to watch later in the day, from showing up in their notifications, although the mute will not affect a user’s main timeline. 

• After nine years, Twitter users will finally be able to mute specific conversations on the site, as well as filter out all tweets with a particular word or phrase from their notifications.
• “Our hateful conduct policy prohibits specific conduct that targets people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease. Today we’re giving you a more direct way to report this type of conduct for yourself, or for others, whenever you see it happening,” the company said. “This will improve our ability to process these reports, which helps reduce the burden on the person experiencing the abuse.”
• ''The outcome of the US election may create new issues for Twitter with questions over fake news being shared and over far right posters using the service for abuse. Donald Trump is to take Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of far-right news website Breitbart, to the White House as chief strategist. In July this year Twitter enforced its anti-hate speech rules against an editor on Breitbart, first removing his verified status and then deleting his account after he led a hate campaign against Leslie Jones, an actor in the latest Ghostbusters movie.''

Week 10 :Story 19 - 'Telegraph paywall initiative is an interesting strategic shift '

Telegraph paywall initiative is an interesting strategic shift '

https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/nov/03/telegraph-paywall-initiative-is-an-interesting-strategic-shift

This article talks about the Telegraph Media Group move to introduce a paywall for “premium content”.

• Although it will initially involve only 15% of the output of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, it is an acknowledgement that readers should pay for its journalism and, more importantly, that its journalism is worth paying for
• But the hard paywall will prevent any circumvention and it shows a determination by TMG to persuade its audience that they must pay a subscription.

I believe that  this is a new way that works for the Telegraph as there is only some stories that require payment. This could work as the readers of the Telegraph mostly consist of the higher socio-economic groups, however, it could  be a risky move to out some content behind a paywall.

Week 9 :Story 18 - 'Politics has gone wrong. Is digital technology to blame?'

'Politics has gone wrong. Is digital technology to blame?' 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/31/politics-digital-technology-brexit-donald-trump

This story talks about the influence of new and digital media on politics due to Brexit and the US election

• Politicians still have weapons at their disposal that Google and Facebook can't match  
• Digital technologies makes it easier to do a lot of things, it has shaped us to make life easier 

I believe that new and digital media is essential in our daily lives as it allows us to access our news. it has influenced people as we have become reliant of the internet for getting information or doing some online shopping. I believe that the media sometimes creates problematic situations for people, however it also brings people together that share similar views and values.