Media Convergence

Henry Jenkins (2006) defines media convergence well, “By convergence, I mean the flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries and the migratory behavior of media audiences who will go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of entertainment experiences they want.” The video below also gives a good description of media convergence.

Media convergence has made our lives easier. One excellent example of this is the smart phone. It is a phone, computer, camera, radio, music player, speaker, audio recorder, video camera, GPS and much more in one. Previously we would have required different products to achieve all of these things, but the media convergence into the smart phone has made it so this is all bundled into one. Many people’s lives revolve around their phones. I know that I spend a lot of my day on my phone for different reasons. Playing music in the car, chatting to friends, checking emails, doing banking, getting directions and making purchases. This one small device does the job of many others and it fits inside my hand.

The rise of media convergence has had a big effect on legacy media. One major effect is on that of print journalism. The fact that most people possess a phone with a camera and access to the internet means that they can report on events and upload images and videos seconds after it happens. Through platforms such as twitter, these ‘citizen journalists’ can report on news much quicker than journalists employed by legacy media outlets and many of these outlets are now choosing to use twitter updates and reports as their sources. This has led to many lost jobs in the print journalism industry, with Fairfax recently planning to cut 120 editorial jobs.

The television and film industry has also been effected by media convergence. The ability of users to now stream television shows and films has led to a reduction in viewership through traditional means of watching television and going to the cinema. This has led to the industries having to adapt and embrace these changes. Many channels now have a streaming ability, which allows the audience to watch the shows online at their own leisure. These legacy media industries will need to keep evolving to keep up with media convergence or risk being left behind.

 

Sources:

Henry Jenkins – http://henryjenkins.org/2006/06/welcome_to_convergence_culture.html

Media Convergence YouTube Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCQmspwy4OY

Fairfax Jobs – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-17/fairfax-staff-strike-in-solidarity-over-job-cuts/7254372

 

Media Ownership

Australia has several major players in the media ownership market as shown in the picture below. Between them, The Murdoch’s, Rupert and Lachlan, James Packer, John Singleton, Gina Rinehart, Bruce Gordon and Kerry Stokes own a very large share of the Australian media market. They cover most of the major papers, Television stations and radio stations in Australia, which means this small group of people control what we hear and see in the media. This can become a problem as most people will have an agenda of some from, and as most of these people are extremely wealthy, their agenda and interest usually revolve around maintaining and increasing their wealth. This can skew the angle at which they report an event which means we are unable to get mostly unbiased media.

The biggest of this group is Rupert Murdoch. He controls News Ltd which has a large number of newspapers and radio stations. It also has a 50% stake in Foxtel, which gives him a 13.84% share in Channel 10. Add to this his sons 7.68% share in Channel Ten and 100% control of Nova Radio and that is a very broad coverage of the media landscape. The problem with one person having this much control is many of his organisations have a less than great record for being unbiased, objective and ethical.

One major example would be the News of the World phone hacking scandal in 2011. The phones of many celebrities, soldiers and victims of crime as well as members of the royal family were hacked and messages from the phones were taken to help investigate stories. This gross abuse of ethics and journalistic standards led to a public outcry and the eventual shutdown of the publication. More about the scandal can be seen in the video below.

While the problem of media ownership diversity is still a big issue, the continuing rise of the internet is slowly making it less of an issue. The internet allows anyone to post content, which means we get access to a wider range of sources and opinions. This means that the audience are starting to become the content producers and through mediums such as Twitter for news and YouTube for video creation, we are seeing the legacy media owners begin to slowly lose power and this will hopefully lead to a more diverse ownership of the media market.

 

Sources:

ACMA Picture – http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/media-interests-snapshot

Phone Hacking Youtube Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT0X1mMUpNo

Media Texts

This image is an advertisement from American Apparel, a clothing retailer in America. The image immediately attracts attention due to the model wearing nothing but knee high socks. This grabs the interest of the viewer as it is something controversial. The name of the model, Lauren Phoenix, is listed in the bottom right corner and a description which says she is an actor and director. The text also tells the viewer to google the model, not even hiding the fact that she is a pornographic actress. This is furthered by the three boxes on the left which clearly depict the model is in a scene from one of her films, albeit only her face.

While other advertisers try to subtly add in adult themes, American Apparel makes no attempt to hide this. The point of the image is clearly to provoke a reaction and bring attention to the brand. American Apparel has a history of edgy advertisements like this, some of the more controversial ones you can see in the video below.

They do this as it differentiates them from other clothing retailers and causes their market to recognise the name and associate the brand with the advertisements. American Apparel is one of the most well know proponents of this, there are others that do this as well. Another example would be some of the PETA advertisements such as the one below featuring Pamela Anderson.

 

 

The advertisement is about animal rights and raising awareness in regards to that. This one features Pamela Anderson wearing very little clothing in a tactic to grab attention from the audience in a similar way to the American Apparel advertisement. PETA uses controversial images in a lot of their advertisements, some of the most controversial of which you can see here. While many feature celebrities with little clothing, others feature confronting images such as animal cruelty and violence which can be shocking for the viewer.

Both of these examples are both overtly controversial and don’t try to hide their controversial images. However this has a hidden motive as it means both a memorable and stick in the audiences mine. For American Apparel this differentiates them from their competitors and for PETA this means their cause sticks in the public’s mind.

 

Sources

American Apparel Advertisement – http://www.celebitchy.com/10496/woody_allen_sues_american_apparel_for_10_million_for_using_unathorized_image_from_film/

American Apparel YouTube Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NQGAAnMexE&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6NQGAAnMexE&has_verified=1

PETA Advertisement – http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/pamela-anderson-sexy-body-baring-peta-ad-banned-canada-article-1.463753

PETA Link – http://www.businessinsider.com.au/peta-shocking-controversial-ads-2011-10#peta-often-gets-celebs-to-pose-nude-but-this-ad-featuring-joanna-krupa-with-a-crucifix-hit-a-nerve-the-catholic-church-was-outraged-1

About Me

Hi, my name is Hayden and I am studying a Bachelor of Communication & Media Studies at the University of Wollongong.

Why am I here? For the last five years I have worked in an accounting firm in my hometown of Goulburn. I studied while working and got my Bachelor of Commerce from ANU. However one day last year while sitting at my desk at work it dawned on me, I couldn’t do this for the rest of my life. Accounting wasn’t for me. After thinking long and hard about where I wanted to be I decided to follow my biggest passion in life, sport. Knowing that my sporting abilities will not allow me to progress beyond the local leagues, looking for something in sports media seemed like the next best thing. So I packed up and left little old Goulburn, prepared to take a chance on my dream.

My first week at Uni has been an interesting experience. Moving to Wollongong having lived in a small rural town my whole life has taken a bit of getting used to. But the transition has been reasonably smooth as Wollongong is such a lovely area.

Having worked in an Accounting firm for the last five years, these concepts of blogging and digital artifacts are very foreign to me and while I’m nervous about moving into a completely new field, I’m excited to learn and to challenge myself to keep progressing!