Online, social and participatory media - L2

Audiences

The main section of the print version, consists of news and opinion which is a mix of hard news – traditionally offered by newspapers. These appeal to the news-hungry reader. 
The homepage includes these sections at the top of the page under the different headings.


The ‘New Review’ consists of more comedic opinion piece, interviews and reviews of theatre, dance, music, computer games and TV listings. These appeal to the culture consumer.
The homepage features these towards the bottom of the pages, under ‘reviews’


The sports section covers primarily male sports, with a bias towards football and rugby. This appeals to the sports fan and is written in a stereotypically masculine style.
The homepage carries a ‘sport’ section about two-thirds of the way down the page.


It also contains lots of lifestyle material – fashion, gardening, advice on sex/relationships and serious opinion pieces. This targets women.
The homepage spreads this across several sections, meaning that it’s much more prominent on the website.

-The Observer online follows the structure of the print edition 
-There is a greater prominence for the lifestyle, food and sport sections that are kept out of the main section of the print newspaper 
-There is also a higher proportion of photography and headlines on the homepage compared to the front page




Active vs Passive audiences 


Traditionally, people who read newspapers were passive. They could choose what newspaper to buy and could always write to the editor but would accept the messages.

-Online newspapers attract a far more active audience. The website has little user-generated content and audiences are limited to responding to journalists…although they can do and tend to debate!

-The X(Twitter) and Instagram feeds offer content for response.

-Remember that neither is moderated, there is much more opportunity for trolling on these feeds, but they encourage a shorter audience attention span which can discourage debate.


Regulation - Online

-Online news is not regulated – unless a newspaper’s online site actively signs up to the regulator. Only print editions are regulated.

-X (Twitter) and Facebook are also not regulated. People have free speech to say what they want to.


Why is fake news a problem? - misinformation and confusion = fake information spreads which can confuse people and make it harder to know what’s true or trustworthy. 

Why wouldn’t the guardian/the observer publish fake news online? -  legal risks, reputation and credibility. 


Social and Participatory 

What are the most popular social media platforms? - TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, X, Facebook
Who do they target? - TikTok (short and engaging videos, 12-25, young adults and teens also influencers and content creators) 

Convergence – the merging of previously separate media forms in one entity.
Example – using a smartphone to stream music, take photos, to read


What are the advantages of convergence? - you can access everything (news, videos, social media, music) from one device or app. Business opportunities such as TikTok and shopping = TikTok shop

 

Convergence 


Newspapers existing online is a clear example of convergence.
-They’re not just available online, but content can change in the process and even instantly.
-Online newspapers still use the traditional media language of newspapers (images, quotes, headlines etc)


Positive effect of media convergence = faster, richer news delivery = online newspapers can use videos, images, audio clips and live updates to enhance story telling and keep readers informed in real time 

Negative effect of media convergence = job losses in traditional media = as news moves online, print readership declines, leading to downsizing in print journalism and the cloudier of local or smaller newspapers 


Clickbait 

Clickbait = The use of sensational headlines or images to attract clickthroughs on a website.

Online versions of websites tend to be different from printed newspapers, as they take on more online
attributes (clickbait). For example it tends to be much more celebrity/gossip focused.

The Observer online follows the structure of its print edition, but there is far more prominence on lifestyle, food and sport stories. These areas don’t tend to dominate the front cover of a print edition. There are also more images/use of photography on the homepage.

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