Pleasures or Gratifications

What audience pleasures or gratifications does online news content offer ? 

Online content offers many pleasures and gratifications towards audiences,  people are able to access online news very easily, there are many features such chat boards, blogs and podcasts. People are able to interact easily with other audience members debating about news. In the Guardian people are able to access 'Weblogs' which they call Teacher blogs, this allows gratifications for Users as they are able to have personal relationships with others. This makes content available online and it is easily accessible. It also gives users the idea of which I spoke about earlier which was 'Personal relationships' the idea of personal relationships gives users a voice online, they are able to speak to others by commenting under a news article and give there view across, this can result into heated debates or friendly agreement. Whichever it does, it allows people to communicate with (usually) unknown users who may share the same opinion as them or oppose them. The Guardian and many other newspaper sites which could or could not be behind a paywall also do this. It is also useful for the institution involved in the news article as it gives them an idea of citizenship journalism where we see peoples comments involved in the article or if they made a mistake or are getting ridiculed, it allows the institution involved to get rid of the article and correct any mistakes if they had not done before. This however is not the only pleasure, the fact that online news is available on demand and is usually current news is one of the many pleasures online news offers, without watching a TV or wasting paper, we are able to read current news on our digital platform weather that is a phone or a laptop, it still does not retract from the fact that we are able to access any news anywhere, it also has an online archive, which allows users to find news articles from whenever they want, rather than going to the shop and asking if they somehow have a news article which mentioned something they were interested in a few months ago. Another audience pleasure offered by online news is the fact that they can not only get pictures of the topic online but they can also get videos too, going back a few months when what happened to Lee Rigby in Greenwich was a viral news article and many news websites showed the video of the assaulter giving forth his views and why he did what he did, the use of new technology such as video recording phones allows citizen journalists to send videos forth to the news websites allowing many to see what has happened and what is going viral at the moment.    

Build The Wall analysis

Section 1 - Only two newspaper executives can rescue this 'imploding industry and thereby achieve an essential civic good for the nation' Simons says hat its up to two people to save the Newspaper industry by making people pay for content. And if anyone asks why this was done blame it on a rant and say no meeting ever happened.

Section 2 - Being the most influential papers, they must make the first move and deliver content online but both need to do it together as the 'newspaper is all but dead'. Just as TV did with Cable, content could help newspapers online.

Section 3 - In 95' the Internet was a mere whisper but 5 years later, it came as a consideration in daily American life. Putting content behind a paywall will lose readers but revenue will grow when online news becomes blocked and you need a subscription. 

Section 4 - Scenarios on what would happen if Times & Post built that Paywall. 3 Scenarios on what would happen if both together went and built that Paywall, both would survive, and maybe lose readers, one where they do not survive, America loses daily newspapers due to not enough online subscriptions. 

David Simons talks about how the Newspaper industry is 'all but dead' and something needs to change, the biggest newspaper industries in America are The New York Times and The Washington Post, both national newspapers are critically acclaimed and the Times even publishes on a Sunday, making its newspaper $6 whereas the normal price is $2.50,both are able to generate profit due to being great newspapers but how long can this carry on for, most newspapers in Simon's eyes are dying and it is up to the two newspaper executives to change this and put there online content behind a Paywall, by doing so, Simon's believes that they will help other newspapers and will not be ridiculed by this decision, but if one puts there online and the other doesn't the one that doesn't will benefit highly due to the fact that they would say to there public that they do not believe in revolutionizing their newspaper to put it online, and the online one whichever it may be will go bust, they must both make a decision together to put there content behind a paywall, they may not receive great subscriptions straight away, but HBO also didn't when they switched to Cable,  they may lose up to 10% of readers but this could be beneficial and profitable, but is has to be done together, if both do not make money and they may have to close down but could America deal without its biggest and most influential newspaper industries. Simon's also gives 3 scenarios where he believes that both will still stay in business and will be acclaimed for there decision to go behind a paywall.

Comment 1:

Newspapers don't make profit nor do they pay journalists with subscription revenue. Subscription revenues pay for printing and distribution.

Online advertising generates less revenue than print advertising because the ad sales folks don't know how to sell it. Or price it.

Revenue generated by cable television is itty-bitty peanuts for cable networks. The real revenue for cable networks is advertising.

Local television news programs realize no meaningful revenue from cable subscribers. Local news programs generate revenue with advertising. Local news programs are delivered free to our televisions. This is stunning in its similarity to the current internet news model.

Folks using the internet pay for access, just like cable viewers.

Here's one item that troubles me: The proposal that newspaper subscription revenue pays for journalism. This is false. Advertising pays salaries. What is it about journalism, and journalists, that makes their words more valuable when printed on a piece of paper than displayed on a screen?

The ideas presented are interesting in their naivete. Go ahead, try the ideas. In time those pay-only news organizations will realize someone has been drinking their milkshake. 

This person does not agree with the fact that Newspapers should put there content behind a paywall, they think that newspapers do not make a profit or pay journalists, they also believe that online advertising generates less profit than print, they even believe that cable doesn't make much of a profit without advertising, they believe that is the idea is put across, another newspaper will come and take the limelight.

Comment 2 : 

This is brilliant. The Post and the Times need to do this.

Anyone who has studied this issue will recognize the boldness of Simon's solution.

John Paterson, wrote a short review saying that he agree's with this and calls it a 'solution' due to him studying the idea, and being one of the few people that agree with it even though he may have studied the issue, John calls it 'brilliant' and agrees that The Post & Times 'need' to do this and put there issues behind a paywall.

Comment 3:

I fully agree with David Simon.

The big dogs of journalism must act soon and decisively if they want to save the virtues and quality that define the very notion of their profession.

I'd really rather pay for a good, interesting, unbiased, informative, product of journalism than read amateur bloggers who jot down a few sentences and then cover half of the screen with screaming advertisements.

The following person went onto comment saying that they 'fully' agree with Simon's, they believe that the big players must act quickly to save the virtues and quality of their profession, saying that he'd rather pay for a good interesting and unbiased product of journalism and he says that this would basically be more beneficial than reading news from amateur bloggers who use most of the space to cover the screen with advertisements.

In my own opinion I believe that Simon's has a valid point, putting content online could probably be more beneficial to the new generation, he speaks greatly about how two of the biggest players in the newspaper industry need to get together and make this decision and even if they are ridiculed by it most would have to accept it, due to the fact that they are the biggest newspaper companies in America, but I do not see a person of my age paying for news, the younger generation can access news very easily on a smartphone or on the internet, in the day and age of applications such as BBC News and social networking sites such as Twitter, why would someone envisage newspapers asking for money to view there news, also, there could only be one age group that prefers this, as the older generation would prefer reading news on print and paying that $2.50 where they can read useless stories which entertain them rather than clicking on a browser finding there scoop of daily news, for the younger generation, many would prefer social networking sites and apps such as BBC News but if Twitter ask for a subscription fee just as BBC News did would we still pay for it, the answer has to be no, because these industries would just open a massive gap in the market for new news applications and new social networking sites, this would not at all be beneficial to the 'big dogs' and could become incriminating towards there annual profits. People will always find a way to get news free, and we have seen that happening when people used to stand outside TV shops without any audio watching the news and seeing short clips of whats happening and in my opinion I believe that our generation is so technologically gifted that finding another way to access news would not be so hard. 

New & Digital Media: Week 8 / Week 3 IN&DM

http://www.joeybarton.com/censoring-twitter-completely-contradict-cause/ - Censoring Twitter would completely contradict its cause 

The football game between Liverpool and Aston Villa created much controversy surrounding the controversially known Liverpool football player Luis Suarez, who has known to be racist and has been called a cheat on many occasions, Stan Collymore took to Twitter to put across his views and the ex-Liverpool man called Suarez a cheat and ridiculed him for diving, although not many pundits agreed with Collymore, and he was met with racial abuse by many football fans (mainly Liverpool).  This led to Collymore deactivating his Twitter account. The controversial Joey Barton, in a blogspot talking about the racial abuse which was towards Collymore and how The Sun was a catalyst for the abuse regarding Collymore and Barton spoke about the highly known debate of Twitter Censorship and said that censoring Twitter with contradict its causes. It would make it more as a communistic social networking site where one would not be able to get his points across without being censored. 

In my opinion, I believe that censoring Twitter would make it pointless, people take to Twitter to get there points across and get seen, there still is ways to report people on Twitter but this should be improved, when one is reported there account so automatically be monitored and suspended pending investigation, this could make Twitter better without  censoring and always having peoples Twitters viewed 

Google wants an Andorid in every Audi and Honda.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/10553554/Google-wants-an-Android-in-every-Audi-and-Honda.html

Google want to place an android device in every Audi and Honda, thus making people able to so stuff in there cars as they can on phones, users will be able to access emails, internet, apps and music held on their handsets, Google's new idea seems profitable in the way that not only would profits be coming in from Audi & Honda, but people would also have to buy an android to use it in their cars therefore making money, apple have however asked the Car Giants BMW, Mercedes and Honda too to create a device which lets them access there phones through their car so competition will be expected again very soon.

In my opinion, drivers have already been banned from using anything that really distracts them while driving, due to this a driver is unable to use there phone will driving to decrease risk, and many rules have been put into place to stop people getting distracted while driving, and this should carry on, Phone giants such as Andorid and Apple should not be looking to try and go backwards by installing a phone in a car which allows people to access internet and emails, this could be more distracting than actually using a phone due to the screen on the dashboard obviously being bigger, it although does have it's benefits, being able to access emails and internet on a dashboard in your car would be a great thing but could alternatively cause distractions  

 

The Future of newspapers

The Economist in their newspaper are arguing that the future of newspapers may be coming to an end. Newspapers at their best held 'governments and companies to account' but are now an 'endangered species'. Circulation of newspapers has been falling in major countries such as America, Australia and many countries in western Europe. Philip Meyer also calculated in his book 'The Vanishing Newspapers' that the first quarter of 2043 will be the moment when newsprint dies in America.  Young people are beginning to read news online and Britons aged between 15 and 24 spend almost 30% less time reading national newspapers. According to the Newspaper Association of America, the number of people employed in the industry feel by 18% between 1990 and 2004. Newspapers are now spending less on journalism and are trying to attract younger readers by shifting the mix of their stories towards entertainment and subjects which may seem more relevant to peoples daily lives than international and political affairs. The decline however may not be as harmful so society as some fear, the Economist believe that as Democracy survived the huge television decline since the 1950s, and will surely survive the decline to come. Internet has expanded the court and anyone looking or information has never been better equipped, people no longer have to trust national newspapers or local city papers, sites such as Google draw together sources from around the world and Britain's version of the Guardian has nearly as half as many readers in America as it does at home. Furthermore, citizen journalists and bloggers have now closed the world of professional editors and anyone with a keyboard and internet connection have become citizen journalists.

New and Digital Media week 7/ week 2 IN&DM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-25812271

In its first two days, a parody UKIP account - inspired by a UKIP councillor's comments linking flooding with gay marriage - has amassed more than 80,000 followers.

By any standards, the rise of the @UkipWeather Twitter account is pretty remarkable. The spoof account has tweeted just 16 times since it was set up on Saturday, but has gathered more than 80,000 followers. That's more than double the number of followers of the official @UKIP Twitter account. The Twitter account was inspired by comments made by UKIP councillor David Silvester.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25811977

Fifa presidential candidate Jerome Champagne has suggested introducing orange cards that would allow referees to send players to a sin-bin. And he also wants to begin doing live debates with fifa presidents taking part his other suggestions are:

• Quotas for foreign players

• Implementing rugby's rule where only the captain can talk to the referee with a free-kick advanced 10 yards for any dissent

• Abolishing the 'triple punishment' rule where a player who prevents a goalscoring opportunity in the penalty areas concedes a spot-kick, is sent off and also suspended

• All Fifa presidential candidates taking part in live debates on television and in front of the six continental confederations

• Making public the salary of the Fifa president and leading officials

New and Digital Media Week 6/ Week 1 IN&DM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25663424

This story is about phones having add-ons that turn smartphones into Star Trek-like tricorder medical diagnostic kits, Predator-style thermal vision cameras and even electric "stun guns" are being promoted at the Consumer Electronics Show. This allows you to turn your phone into a stun gun or even put a case on the back with plugs into any port.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financial-crime/10529305/Microsoft-executive-charged-with-insider-trading.html

US authorities have charged a Microsoft executive and his friend and business partner with insider trading, saying they used confidential information on the tech giant's investment in bookseller Barnes & Noble to make money.

New and Digital Media Week 5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25633199

Samsung are about to release a bendable TV and the 85" prototype allows users to manually bend the TV to their satisfaction whereas LG also released the prototype to a smaller 77" version and manufactures such as Samsung and LG believe that this TV can help enchance viewing experiences and make viewers feel as if they are in the TV 

New and Digital Media Week 4

http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/snapchat-details-leaked-and-skype-hacked-in-unrelated-incidents/

While many people were getting ready to celebrate the new year, on New Year's Eve prior to 12am(GMT) snapchat was hacked and  anonymous hackers decided to post the usernames and passwords of 4.6 Million people, prior to this an unknown blogger posted the flaw within Snapchat and how vulnerable they are, since then however Snapchat has said they will released an updated version to stop such an incident happening again.

New and Digital Media Week 3

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/10522468/Gold-plated-Xbox-One-on-sale-at-Harrods-for-almost-6000.html

Harrods have decided to sell Gold played Xbox Ones for the price of £6000 and while the normal version is sold out, Harrods are hoping extreme gamers go to the length of our cashing their gold plated Xbox Ones, these are no different to other xbox's, the only change is the Gold. Harrods also released the iPad air made with Swaorksi crystals and Dr.Dre beats also gold plates for the mere price of just over £1400