Case study research tasks

Audience

1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry?

Digital media has provided more choice in terms of how and when media products are accessed. Live TV viewing and attendance at cinemas is in decline. iPlayer allows BBC television programmes to be downloaded to a mobile device which can then be viewed anywhere and at any time. Viewers are no longer tied to schedules or locations.

2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product?

I believe so as allowed audiences to have a more proactive relationship with institutions and they can be seen to be much more active than in the past.

3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media?

4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.)

Audiences can be seen to have more of an impact on production and can even be part of the production process themselves. Some see this as a positive move that reduces the amount of power held by institutions.

5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.)
When watching any BBC product you have had to pay the TV license required. However some audiences have found a loophole in avoiding paying the fee and watching BBC content. Failure to obey the new law will result in a fine of up to £1,000, but just how the BBC will be able to tell if your device is plugged into the mains or not remains to be seen.

6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media? 

The main audience pleasures people receive from the iPlayer format is a sense of immediacy this is the case as once a person misses a show they can immediately catch up on that particular show and also the format allows people who are out and cant access there TV the opportunity to watch the programmes such as BBC One live.

7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile.

The BBC has different channels in which have their own target audience for example BBC THREE channel is disciplined in its focus on young audiences and 16-34 year-olds are its centre of gravity: people who are young in spirit and mind-set. BBC One attracts a wide, naturally diverse audience and we need to ensure that we continue to offer a broad range of drama so that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Six or eight part dramas have a place alongside shorter serials, singles and established long-runners like EastEnders and Casualty. The iPlayer in general targets everyone in the country as they have content for each and every age group.

Institution

1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry?

The way that in which digital media has impacted the BBC is that it has forced them to introduce their purpose remit. This is BBC viewers, listeners and users can expect the BBC to help everyone in the UK to get the best out of emerging media technologies now and in the future.

2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study?

The BBC aid that they will invest in research and innovation and work with the industry to develop emerging technology standards and new content formats along with new BBC services which exploit them. The BBC Trust also said that will offer interesting and enjoyable programmes and services that can be received through many different devices such as digital television, digital radio, mobile phones and the internet. This has changed BBC’s perspective which has made them change their aims.

·         Commission innovative multi-platform content.

·         Deliver the technology which allows the content to be played out on multiple platforms.

·         Secure partnerships to increase distribution on emerging platforms

3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts?
Has allowed audiences to have a more proactive relationship with institutions and they can be seen to be much more active than in the past. Audiences can be seen to have more of an impact on production and can even be part of the production process themselves. Some see this as a positive move that reduces the amount of power held by institutions
4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product?

5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry?

6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated? 

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study?
 A Marxist would on the other argue that the impact of new and digital media isn’t democratic. This is case as they believe that audiences don’t have as much power as some media institutions do. They believe that new and digital media is far from krotick saying that the internet is a ‘great leveller’.
2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen industry?
A pluralist would say that media such as BBC I Playerr has provided audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies. 

Globalisation

1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study?

Globalisation I would say hasn’t really impacted BBC iplayer streaming service as it can only be accessed by citizens in the United Kingdom.

2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why?

3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world)


Social media

1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products?

2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences.
The growing level of engagement on Twitter shows that audiences still value the communal experience of watching TV. Whereas people used to discuss TV at school or work the next day, those conversations are happening in real time as the programmes are being shown. This interaction also means that people will continue to watch TV live to air rather than relying on time shifting for much of their viewing.

3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study?


Statistics

1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m.

·         Recent figures tell us that 60% of smartphone owners and 65% of tablet computer owners use their devices while watching TV. Furthermore, 40% of all Twitter traffic during peak times is about TV. There is clearly a very close relationship between Twitter and television.

·         Fewer than 2% of households only watch catch-up – and only those watching BBC iPlayer as part of their catch-up and on-demand viewing will need to buy a licence from September

2) Looking at these statistics, what impact has new/digital media had on institutions in your chosen industry? 

These statistics allows the BBC to have an idea of which one of their content they can improve on. For example the fact that only 2 % of the household watch only catch up showcases they need to do more to ensure more do.

• Internet advertising spend surged above £10bn in the UK last year as companies more than doubled the amount they spent on mobile video ads.
• The year-on-year increase of 17% on 2015 comes as many advertisers have pulled campaigns from Google and YouTube after it emerged that some ads have been running around inappropriate content such as extremist videos. 
• “People are increasingly using their smartphones to watch more clips, programmes and films,” said James Chandler, the chief marketing officer at the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, 

Theories

1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13.

As we discussed earlier, watching TV is far from a passive activity with viewers quietly consuming what is screened in front of them. Far from bringing in a radical change to the way we watch TV, social media could be said to build on existing audience behaviours. Recent figures tell us that 60% of smartphone owners and 65% of tablet computer owners use their devices while watching TV. Furthermore, 40% of all Twitter traffic during peak times is about TV. There is clearly a very close relationship between Twitter and television.

The phenomenon of the tweet-along is an interesting development in the way audiences consume TV. Fans of shows such as The X-Factor are able to exchange views about the show in real time as it is broadcast by using social networking tools, especially Twitter. By using a hashtag (#), Twitter users can categorise their tweets and send messages that other people that are also watching the show can read, building a real time discussion of the show as it is broadcast. Far from being a modern distraction that prevents people from concentrating on the show, twitter takes discussions that are already going on in the room amongst the family and broadens them out across the country. Opinions that viewers hundreds of miles away are tweeting about the show can be introduced to the family discussion and form part of their conversation