The guardian case study example

News in the Online AgeCase Study Example:

Section B - The ExamYou will have a choice of two questions under the heading ‘Media in the Online Age’. Make sure you are prepared to answer an exam question that could relate to one or more of these four prompt questions (i.e. could you write for an hour on each of the following questions in relation to theory and case study examples?):

• How have online media developed?

• What has been the impact of the Internet on media production?

• How is consumer behaviour and audience response transformed by online media, in relation to the past?

• To what extent has convergence transformed the media?

Section B - The ExamThere should be emphasis on:

• HistoricalDependent on the requirements of the topic, candidates must summarise the development of the media forms in question in theoretical contexts.

• ContemporaryCurrent issues within the topic area. Most emphasis should be on this.

• FutureYou must demonstrate personal engagement with debates about the future of the media forms / issues that the topic relates to.

Historical

• In 1995 they did not have a website/web presence but were starting to think that they should.

• Main business was print media (circulation over 400,000 for a daily).

• Largely one way communication from large media institution to mass audience.

• Can you think of theory that could relate to this?

Historical

Development of online services• http://www.guardian.co.uk/gnm-archive/guardian-website-timeline

1995

2001

Spot the difference!

2011

What different types of media do

The Guardian use/offer now?

Video

Mobile

Print

Podcasts

Blogs/Live blogs

Can you think of something

else?

Online news but also fashion retail, dating, etc.

Social networking

2011The Guardian Newspaper Circulation figures 2000-2011

The Guardian Website:

• 36 million unique users per month (unique user = at least 2 visits to website per month)

• No.1 in the world for user interaction (highest ratio of interacting/contributing users)

2011News production in the online age

• Print and online sections completely integrated – if you are a Guardian journalist your work could be for either or both. All in same offices now. (Two years ago they were seperate sections of the company).

• Same software used to publish to print or web.

• In the last 10 years the development in online journalism has been driven by technology and how people are using it.

• All journalists are now trained in-house on video production skills.

2011News production in the online age

• Aggregation is a big deal – bringing together most relevant links/stories from different sources.

• The Guardian have just taken on an editor for mobile content alone.

• The Guardian use search engine optimisation and all the methods of making sure their news story links come up at the top (above all other news providers) when you search on Google [test this with topical story keywords]

• Adverts that play at the beginning of Guardian video content is an important revenue stream (in a business that has to be subsidised by other publications owned by the Trust – in the past revenue from AutoTrader has helped subsidised it.

New media

• Blogging (first blog in 2000) – when feedback comments came in it was a new phenomena for journalists who traditionally had a 1 way relationship with readers. Guardian Blogs

• Live blogging (first came into being in 2009). Usually for shorter events e.g. Cricket but during Egypt story earlier this year they had journalists providing live blogging for about two weeks.

• Podcasting

Use of social media• Journalists encouraged to have a social media

presence [https://twitter.com/#!/stevenmorris20].

• Mubarack story received 11,000 shares on Facebook in one day (the day he was announcing whether or not he would step down). Guardian Facebook page

• Articles, etc. have links to all major social networking sites to encourage quick sharing. Go to this story and click on share icon...

Using social networks to gather information and find sources

• Journalists use social media sites/feeds when researching to get a sense of the ‘social media conversation’. ‘we are all Khalid Said’ Facebook page

• During the protests in Egypt, Facebook was used by many different individuals and groups: army, opposition, NGOs, members of the public. Relates to Clay Shirkey’s ideas…

• The Guardian set up a dedicated phone-line for people, with experiences or news stories to tell, to leave audio recordings. Tel. number was distributed/advertised on Facebook, Twitter, etc. They used online tools that already existed – Audioboo.fm Audioboo demo video

• User-generated content. Citizen journalism?

User interaction• So through social media the Guardian are inviting user comments

and interaction in order to reach and engage with an audience.• The guardian have particularly dedicated and regular users of their

specialised pages – e.g. Culture page users visit more regularly, they are more regular contributers and they talk to each other. Comments on film story

• The Guardian encourage users by ‘rewarding’ them with more ability to share, interact and be part of the content. The Guardian staff react to and respond to interesting comments by users. 'Your Photos' in Culture section

User interactionIs this interactivity why website hits are going up and newspaper circulation figures are gradually declining?

Does this suggest we are moving towards the shared allotments that Gauntlett theorised? ..to what extent though as we are still using an established organisation to provide most of the content and aggregate it for us in the case of The Guardian?

Future?• All journalists to have devices (mobile phone cameras possibly)

that can take and send video to a weblink that they can access within minutes at the Guardian offices.

• Guardian Smartphone App has moved to monthly subscription from one off payment. More subscription services and incentives perhaps? Consider what they are doing and could be doing to make their products and services ‘better than free’ as Kevin Kelly would put it.

• More convergence with other media/media services? Clay Shirkey would suggest this is what is happening – i.e. different media coming closer together. See my blog for Shirkey summary

• Interesting Sirkey article on newspapers - is long but worth skim reading

Extra stuff

In response, staff from the Guardian recorded a cover of a Radiohead track. Link to it here!

They made it available for live streaming but not for download as this is where there would have been a lot of copyright issues and high costs involved.

If you can relate this to media theory you are brilliant!

Radiohead launched a newspaper for a day on 28th March this year. Universal Sigh