Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

The internet allows people freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of press in just one connection. The internet also has political, educational and economic advantages.

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

It's hard to filter and control which allows for the spread of hate and illegal content such as child abuse which can be accessed via the 'dark web'. Another danger to consider is the online abuse and bullying which many people face through social media and chat rooms. 

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

Open technology can be interpreted in different ways, it could mean: computers being able to run any program without the need for it to be checked, end to end encryption or the ability to access or change software without payment or permission. I believe openness is good but only to a certain extent as there are challenges with illegal and immoral use of technology when not being monitored. 

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

Bill Thompson says that the future of the internet could have challenges relating to safety and rule/law enforcement as in order to get the full experience and benefit from it, it has to be as open as possible.

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I believe the internet should be controlled more as people are using it to do illegal things anonymously which could lead to real life harm and it makes it harder for the police to track criminals who are protected by encrypted chats. 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession is when specialisation is used to solve a difficult problem regarding managing a scarce resource. This links to the newspaper industry as when resources are scarce journalists must decide what news is worthy of being printed and published.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

What happens when publishing is no longer unique, this is because the internet has made it so that everyone is capable of publishing whatever they want which means there is no longer any scarcity. 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

Traditional media chose to ignore the story but online bloggers decided to post criticising it which made it gain popularity and forced the news to discuss it. 

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

Mass amateurisation refers to the rise of the internet giving people access to the tools they need to publish whereas in the past only professionals had access to these tools. 

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

This idea links to the current media landscape as fake news being spread online and going viral is more likely to gain attention and be believed by people than news from traditional outlets. 

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky discusses how technology has changed the way people consume and share information and how people are now able to access multiple sources from around the world. This means we’re currently experience revolution. 

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

Everyone who has access to technology and the internet is now able to publish whatever they want onto the internet, this is important because the media we consume is no longer being controlled by a small group.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution? 

The internet revolution has lead to the spread of fake news and misinformation, clear examples of this can be seen when looking at global events such as COVID where people were spreading misinformation and conspiracies.  

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

In the past only a photographer could take a photo as it required expensive equipment which wasn’t easily found but the introduction of smartphones meant everyone had a device in their pocket with the ability to take a photo whenever they wanted with no experience whatsoever. 

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

In my opinion mass amateurisation has had both positive and negative impacts. It means that people have more freedom due to having access to free information on the internet and it has improved the lives of many but it also comes with the risk of spreading of misinformation as people post first and filter later. People are being fed large amounts of information which makes it harder for them to look into and verify which can lead to people not believing things they see online or even believing things that they shouldn’t. This can also have impacts on politics which is similar to the chaos seen after the printing press revolution. 

Magazines: final index

 

1) Magazines: Front cover practical task

2) Magazines: GQ - Language and Representation

3) Magazines: GQ - Audience & Industry

4) Magazines: Front cover practical task LR

5) Magazines: The Gentlewoman - Language and Representations

6) Magazines: The Gentlewoman - Audience and Industries

7) Magazines: Industries - the appeal of print and independent magazines

Magazines: Industries - the appeal of print and independent magazines

 1) Writer's Edit journal article

Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industry and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?

An independent print magazine is one that is published without the financial support of a large corporation. 

2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?

They suggest that despite the decline of print, independent magazines have been quietly thriving due to their niche market.

3) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?

The article suggests that the reason independent magazines have been successful is because they have a strong online presence and have taken advantage of developments in technology.

4) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?

They use tools such as social media to target audiences based on their interests and form an online community of people with shared interests while simultaneously recruiting new readers. 

5) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?

It means they’re free from commercial pressure as they don’t have to listen to advertisers/larger corporation owners that fund mainstream magazines. This allows them to create more genuine and niche content. 

6) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?

It gives publishers creative freedom and encourages collaboration. 

7) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?

Having a print copy of a magazine has become increasingly appealing to a niche audience due to reasons such as nostalgia, the experience of holding an actual magazine infront of you rather than your device and some may use these as a form of decoration to show people who visit their homes their personality. 

8) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?

They rely on crowdfunding and high cover prices which makes it hard for them to compete with mainstream magazines who can afford to pay professional rates while keeping costs low for the end user. 


2) Irish Times feature on independent magazines

Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:

1) Why are independent magazines so popular?

They’re popular due to the rise of social media allowing publishers to reach audiences worldwide and the appeal of newspapers being collectibles also adds to their popularity. 

2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?

Big global conglomerates have the upper hand as they’re economies of scale and rely on advertising revenue rather than cover costs which means they can charge a much lower price. 

3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?

If the target audience is too broad they’ll get lost but if it’s too narrow then there won’t be as many buyers. This means they have to be specific but not too niche in order to survive. 

4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?

They need to find an audience before publishing as the cost of shipping magazines and returning unsold magazines is a huge risk for publishers.

5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?

They make money by creating additional revenue streams through things such as merchandise and events. The examples given  for the League of Ireland fan culture magazine being that you can “host events, sell graphic prints, T-shirts and maybe set up a Patreon account where you can host football podcasts.”

The Gentlewoman: Audience and Industries

1) Media Magazine feature: Pleasures of The Gentlewoman

1) What does the article suggest is different about the Gentlewoman compared to traditional women's magazines? 

The gentlewoman doesn't follow conventions of traditional women's magazines but instead follows a very minimalist approach with no crazy cover lines and the only text being the brand name in lower case.

2) What representations are offered in the Gentlewoman?  

The gentlewoman presents a wide variety of representations of women.

3) List the key statistics in the article on the average reader of the magazine. 

85% Female readers 

61% Aged 28-46

47% A or B 

Average Income £87000

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club? 

Society of sophisticated men and women who demand quality and originality from their agenda of cultural happenings.

5) What theorists does it suggest we can apply to the Gentlewoman's club?

Shirky - end of passive audiences 

Jenkins - fandom 

Gauntlett - identity 

Baudilard - Hyperreality

6) What does the writer of article suggest they are getting out of their relationship with the magazine?

They suggest that the readers are getting a 'glimpse into the world of high fashion' and good value for money.

7) Who are the team behind the magazine?

Jonkers and van Bennekom - publishers

Penny Martin - editor in chief 

8) How does the Gentlewoman use their website and social media to promote the magazine? 

They use these platforms to post teasers of the magazine and engage with their readers.

9) What are the 'creative collaborations' in the magazine? How do they 'spill over into real life'?

They collaborate with brands who use their magazine to promote their products and also sometimes use their editors/photographers to market their products. This 'spills over' into real life at the events they host together in collaboration with these brands.

10) How does the article sum up the audience pleasures of the Gentlewoman? 

It summarises the audience pleasures through the use of words such as 'Inclusive, diverse,community', it also talks about the exclusivity being a factor as the club is only available to select readers.

2) The Gentlewoman Media kit

1) How does the Media Kit introduce the magazine?

It was introduced as the 'definitive style title for the modern woman'.

2) On the 'Digital' page, what different sections of the website are there and how do these offer opportunities for audience engagement and interaction? 

Library, Club, Magazine, Collaborations, and Shop

3) What are the audience demographics for The Gentlewoman?

85% female 15% male 

median age: 32

47% A/B

average income £87255

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club and what does it offer readers?

International society of readers who demand quality and originality. It offers them access to events and special content.

5) What Creative Collaborations

Delfina Delettrez: The Cocktail Needle

COS: Glimpses of the Future architectural tours of London and Los Angeles.

Chanel: a six-page portrait series with Lucia Pica

3) D&AD Award Winner feature

1) How is the magazine described?

'The Gentlewoman celebrates modern women of style and purpose, offering an intelligent perspective on fashion through ambitious journalism and photography'

2) What does it say about the content and design of The Gentlewoman?

It offers an intelligent perspective on fashion and treats readers a intellectual participants not consumers. Its design consists of high quality photography and innovative editorial design.

3) How are the readers described?

Readers are described as confident intelligent and stylish.

4) Business of Fashion website feature

1) What events are listed as part of The Gentlewoman Club?

Club card night at saville club and Durslade farm trip

2) Why does it suggest the magazine has managed to 'cut through the clutter'?

Focuses on taking an intelligent approach to fashion rather than throwing in whatever brand pays them the most.

3) How are Gentlewoman Club tickets given out? 

They're distributed by invite only.

4) What does the article say about The Gentlewoman's relationship with its audience? 

The Gentlewoman has a strong relationship with its audience through its events and social media.

5) Why are Club events valuable from a digital perspective? 

It allows them to meet with like minded wealthy people.

5) Website and social media research

1) Visit The Gentlewoman's website. How does it promote the magazine? 

It promotes it by posting sneak peeks of the cover.

2) Visit the magazine page of the website. How much of the magazine is available to view online? Is this a smart marketing technique to sell print copies or is it giving content away for free? 

On the magazine page it shows all the past covers and provides some information about the magazine. 

3) Look at The Gentlewoman's Twitter feed. What content from the magazine or Club events can you find on there? 

They’ve posted fashion shoots and pictures from the club events.

4) Go to The Gentlewoman's Instagram page. How does it encourage the audience to engage with the magazine? 

They encourage comments by posting and adding captions which invite conversation in the comments. 

5) What representations of fashion and gender can you find on their Instagram page? 

They mainly post women and these women are being represented as strong rather than objectified as many brands often do. 

The Gentlewoman - Language and Representations

 Gentlewoman front cover 

1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?

Lower case sans serif text communicates the elegance and modernity of the magazine.

2) How does the cover subvert conventional magazine cover design?

The cover subverts from conventional magazine covers by having a close up as the main image, no cover lines and the overall design makes the cover look more like a book cover than a magazine cover. 

3) Write an analysis of the central image.

The central image is a close up of a celebrities face with a lot of unnatural makeup (red lipstick and purple eyeshadow) which shows the magazines goal of not objectifying women by not showing her body. The image could also be empowering her in a way through the use of a low angle shot and having her look down at the camera. 

4) What representations of gender and celebrity can be found on this front cover?

The cover challenges traditional feminine representations by not sexualising the actress. However I believe the cover follows celebrity representations by trying to make her stand out and give her an abstract look which many celebrities are seen to do. 

5) What gender and representation theories can we apply to this cover of the Gentlewoman? 

Mulvey, Male Gaze - The cover resists the male gaze 

Butler, Gender as a performance - The cover shows how gender is not natural but rather performed through the use of exaggerated makeup. 

Feature: Modern Punches

1) How does the feature on Ramla Ali use narrative to engage the audience? Apply narrative theories here.

It uses her story as an enigma code to create questions about her past and make the reader want to find out more about her life. 

2) What representations can you find in this feature - both interview and image?

It goes against stereotypical representation of women as we see her boxing which subverts from ideas of women being innocent and fragile. 

This feature also shows positive representation of cultural diversity by celebrating her Somali heritage.  

3) What representation theories can we apply to the Modern Punches feature? 

Hall, representation - Ramla challenges dominant stereotypes of women in media 

hooks, intersectionality - Discusses how her experiences cone as a result of her gender, race and religion not just one thing 

Feature: Isabella Tree interview

1) Why is this feature unconventional for a women's lifestyle and fashion magazine? Comment on the use media language in these pages. 

This feature contains a picture of a tree rather than a person or clothing which are more likely to be featured in a fashion magazine and rather than talking about fashion they talk about her rewilding projects. 

2) How does the Isabella Tree feature reflect the social and cultural contexts of contemporary Britain? Think about AQA's discussion of lifestyle, environmental issues and ethical movements.

It reflects growing concerns about climate change and its effects as readers are making lifestyle changes to live more sustainable lifestyles. 

3) What representations of nature can be found in this feature?

Representation of nature as powerful and respected.

Feature: Stella McCartney and vegan fashion

1) How does this feature reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts?

Cultural shift towards ethical fashion, people desire vegan fashion as they become more conscious consumers.

2) Comment on the typography and page design in this feature.

Minimalist fonts with a modern layout where there’s large spaces between words and changes in font size.

3) What representations can be found in the image accompanying this feature? 

The photo doesn’t look like a regular fashion shoot, it doesn’t focus on her appearance but rather depicts her doing something and focuses on her achievements which is Penny Martins goal. 

Representations

Read this Business of Fashion interview with The Gentlewoman editor Penny Martin. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions: 

1) What type of magazine did Penny Martin, Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom want to create? 

They wanted to create a magazine that readers actually read rather than just looking at things that were supposedly interesting to women as they believed there was a death of intelligent perspectives in fashion. 

2) What representations of modern women did they try to construct for the magazine?

They wanted to represent women as intelligent, capable and stylish by focusing on how women actually live not only celebrity glamour.  

3) What examples of cover stars reflect the diversity in the magazine's content? 

Angela Lansbury, 88 years old which shows the age diversity of the magazines content. 

Beyoncé, shows racial diversity and the cover is authentic and empowering by her doing it without makeup which is unconventional for a magazine cover shoot. 

They also represent people from non fashion professions such as gardeners, boxers and entrepreneurs.  

4) What is Penny Martin's view on feminism and whether the magazine is feminist?

She doesn’t label the magazine as a feminist magazine as she doesn’t want to make feminism an aesthetic but she does say that the people behind it are all feminists so the magazine naturally conveys feminist ideas. 

5) Look at the end of the article. How does the Gentlewoman help readers construct or reflect their identity by engaging with events and spaces beyond the magazine? 

The Gentlewoman helps readers do this through the use of their Gentlewoman Club which they use to hold events for their readers in person to allow engagement between both the editors and readers but also other readers so they can meet like minded people and express themselves. 

Media Paper 1 learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

WWW: There is a lot of good wok here and just a couple areas to push up to B+

EBI: Q6 Blinded by the light 

Grade: C (1 mark off a B)

2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. This is some of the best analysis you can do as it gives you an idea of what the exam board is expecting. For your LR blogpost, identify ONE point you could have added for the first three questions in Section A:

Q1: This advertisement makes heavy use of what Neale describes as ‘instances of repetition’, where
familiar tropes and imagery are used to engage with audience expectations around media products.
The advert works by explicitly connecting the watch to these well-worn ideas with the notion of
‘difference’ perhaps coming from the unusual foregrounding of the watch in the image which is
presumably a new model for the audience to desire.

Q2: Both products appear to reinforce Van Zoonen’s notion of patriarchy with men represented as a
dominant force to a greater or lesser extent, reinforcing stereotypical ideas about the nature of male
identity to the audience

Q3: shadowy images of what seem to be young men fighting in the streets reinforce negative
stereotypes of youth built around delinquency and criminality

3) Now focus on Section B. Section B began with two questions testing your knowledge of industry terminology. Make sure you know the answers to these (get the answers from the mark scheme if you have to):

Benefits of horizontal integration: Larger audience, less competition, larger market share

Vertical integration: control over production and distribution, higher profits, faster production

4) The Section B CSP focus was on Blinded By The Light. Look at the mark scheme and write a definition of traditional marketing with examples.

Traditional marketing refers to strategies used before the rise of social media, such as: posters, trailers and print adverts.

5) Finally, identify three things you plan to revise before your next Media assessment or mock exam (e.g. terminology, particular theories or CSPs etc.)

I need to revise theorists and the blinded by the light CSP. 

 

GQ - Audience & Industries blog tasks

 Audience

Look through the GQ Media Kit and answer the following questions: 

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

It described GQ as being the ‘flagship of men’s fashion and style in Britain’ and ‘progressive and cutting edge”.

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity? 

It suggests that masculinity is evolving.

3) Pick out three statistics from the data on page 2 and explain what they suggest about the GQ audience.

61% ABC1: Readers are mainly well educated and successful people.

£138k average HHI: This is considered a high income in the UK which suggests GQ appeals to professionals/other highly paid people. 

£7.7k annual spend on fashion: This suggests the average reader has a high interest in fashion and are likely very conscious of their style.

4) Look at page 3 - brand highlights. What special editions do GQ run and what do these suggest about the GQ audience?

GQ Heroes: panels and live performances bringing together gamechangers, creative radicals, deep thinkers and cultural icons. This suggests the GQ audience are educated and appreciate listening to intelligent discussions.  

GQ Hype: in-depth profiles of stars who are considered opinion leaders in media and cultural discussions. This suggests the audience are engaged in celebrity culture and stay up to date with celebrity’s lives.

Men of the year awards: High profile event attended by popular celebrities and receiving 9.8 billion views. This is an extremely exclusive event with many big names making an appearance with red carpet coverage which suggests the audience are attracted to the glamour and status being represented, possibly due to it being something they chase themselves.

5) Still on page 3, what does the video and social series section suggest about how magazine audiences are changing? 

Audiences are starting to become mainly digital as people expect short form content which they can share with friends at the click of a button.

Media Magazine feature: GQ

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on GQ (MM82 - page 12). Answer the following questions:

1) What are the elements that go into choosing a cover stars for GQ? 

The person should be someone that’s: currently in the public eye, has cultural relevance, willing to do something new for the cover, exclusive to GQ and someone the audience aspires to be.

2) How is the magazine constructed to serve the target audience? 

It serves its target audience by having a focus on men’s fashion, trying to be unpredictable and having a good balance of content.

3) What does the article suggest about GQ's advertisers and sponsorships - and what in turn does this tell us about the GQ audience? 

The advertises are mainly luxury brands which sell high end items which tells us the readers of GQ must be wealthy as the advertisers choose to promote their product (which not many can afford) to them. 

4) What is GQ Hype - and how does it reflect the impact of digital media on traditional print media?

GQ Hype is a weekly celebrity cover/profile which is exclusively online. Being digital gives it a higher chance of going viral and being consumed by many more people than a print version would’ve. This reflects how digital media has expanded the possibilities of what audiences have access to. 

5) Finally, what does the article say about additional revenue streams for print magazines like GQ?  

They can earn money from advertising, sponsorship and their in person events where they charge large amounts for tickets to attend.

Industries

Your industries contexts are divided into three areas - Conde Nast, GQ's website and social media content and the impact of digital media on print industries.

Condé Nast

Read this Guardian news article on editorial changes at Condé Nast and answer the following questions: 

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years? 

Dylan Jones

2) What happened to the 'lads' mag' boom magazines such as Nuts, Maxim and Loaded? 

They were closed down or went online due to circulation fails. 

3) What changes have been taking place at Condé Nast in recent years and why? 

They’ve been trying to focus on digital media more in recent years due to the rise in digital products and the decline in magazine readers.

Read this Press Gazette article on Conde Nast. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about Condé Nast's recent strategy? 

They’ve merged global editorial teams to prevent duplication of content as they move towards a digital first approach.

2) How does chief executive Roger Lynch describe Condé Nast and why? 

He believes it’s no longer a magazine company as they have only 70m people reading their magazines each month but they have 300m on their website and 450m interacting with their social media. 

3) What does Adam Baidawi say about Condé Nast, GQ and culture? 

He believes they need to evolve with culture in order to stay relevant and not lose their audience.

Read this FIPP feature on Condé Nast diversifying into video and streaming content. Answer the following questions: 

1) How is Condé Nast moving away from traditional print products?

Conde Nast are investing heavily in streaming content and video instead of traditional print. 

2) What examples are provided of Condé Nast's video and streaming content?

GQ sports (the super bowl) and exclusive access to relaunch the met gala. 

3) What does the end of the article suggest modern media audiences want? 

It suggests that modern audiences want to be actively involved in the media they're consuming rather than just sitting back and absorbing it.

GQ website, video and social media content 

Visit the GQ website, Instagram and YouTube channel. Note that some of these may be blocked in school. Once you have looked over GQ's online content, answer the following questions:

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?

Both the print and magazine have a central image as the cover to do with fashion however the website has a video rather than a still image. They both have designer/luxury adverts such as the rolex advert promoting high end items and they both contain the same type of content. 

2) Analyse the top menu of the GQ website (e.g. Fashion / Grooming / Culture). What do the menu items suggest about GQ's audience?

The menu suggests that the audience are culturally aware, concerned about their appearance and aspire to live a luxury lifestyle/already do . 

3) What does GQ's Instagram feed suggest about the GQ brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

The GQ Instagram features similar images to those on the covers on their magazines (high quality celebrity feature photos) but they also have clips from their online content and events which shows they’re trying to appeal to a wider (probably younger) audience.

4) In your opinion, is GQ's social media content designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

I believe their social media is being used to build a digital audience rather than generate sales for their magazine. This is because they don’t directly promote the magazine but rather just use the platform as a place to engage with their audience and build their brand image.

5) Evaluate the success of the GQ brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

I believe GQs online presence has been a success as they have kept the same brand image from their print which has gained them millions of followers and helped them build a stronger relationship with their audience. I believe they’re not going to entirely replace print but I do think that print will become a lot more niche and they will follow in the steps of the gentlewoman who publish their magazine only twice a year for their more sophisticated audience who prefer print over digital as it means they’ll likely make more profit knowing they have a more exclusive product.