Thursday 15 March 2012
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Case Study Research and Ideas
1. Has new and digital media had an impact upon ownership and control of the media institution(s) involved in your case study area? Explain in detail any impact and what exactly has changed.
New and digital media has had an impact upon ownership and control of the media institutions due to audiences constantly being involved in new technology. By them using Social Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This has an impact on ownership and control of media institutions because they are using these sites as a way of making audiences aware of things such as news through the use of Social Networking as they are allowing audiences to have a freedom of speech and voicing their opinions. due to the development of new technology it is influencing the ownership of media institutions because they feel in order to get people interested they have to use new technology such as apps for Iphone and Ipad users.
Social Networking is seen as a Global Village whereby people come together in order to share information with each other allowing them to communicate with each other constantly.
"Alone Together." Turkle
Charlie Brooker- 'People exaggerate their opinions – I know I’m “performing” my reactions if I tweet on something like the Eurovision Song Contest – so what’s developed is the culture of the easily outraged'
Social Networking is seen as a Global Village whereby people come together in order to share information with each other allowing them to communicate with each other constantly.
"Alone Together." Turkle
Charlie Brooker- 'People exaggerate their opinions – I know I’m “performing” my reactions if I tweet on something like the Eurovision Song Contest – so what’s developed is the culture of the easily outraged'
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/06/monday-note-facebook-nerds?INTCMP=SRCH Facebook article- "Speaking of which, in 2011, the company's revenue was $3.7bn, with a tidy $1bn profit and $3.8bn in cash" – to which they'll be adding at least $5bn in the upcoming IPO. This is a nicely profitable company.
2. What impact has there been on the way in which the audience now consume the media products/ texts involved in your case study? How does it differ from what went before? Consider (SHEP)
The impact in which there has been in the way audiences now consume Facebook, Twitter, Iphone and Ipad are because they use these products to communicate their opinions to each other. These products are being used to create news stories and get points across to others, this is seen a citizen journalism whereby audiences are now becoming the producers and consumers of news and voicing their own opinions and sharing them with the world. This differs from what went before because audiences didnt have as much freedom in terms of creating and generating stories i nwhich we hear and see through the use of new technology. furthermore the way in which audiences now consume these media products differed from before because technology hasnt been as advanced as it today. This influences how audiences now involve themselves with society due to them finding new ways in which they can communicate with each other and share things so easily with them.
Sherry Turkle- "The Internet was a post-modern playhouse, allowing individuals to engage in unbridled expression.""The Internet was a post-modern playhouse, allowing individuals to engage in unbridled expression."
Global Village- making it easier to pass messages around, making the world become a single village where people can easily contact eachother.
Mark Zuckerberg: letter to investors- "Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission – to make the world more open and connected." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/06/monday-note-facebook-nerds?INTCMP=SRCH
Sherry Turkle- "The Internet was a post-modern playhouse, allowing individuals to engage in unbridled expression.""The Internet was a post-modern playhouse, allowing individuals to engage in unbridled expression."
Global Village- making it easier to pass messages around, making the world become a single village where people can easily contact eachother.
Mark Zuckerberg: letter to investors- "Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission – to make the world more open and connected." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/06/monday-note-facebook-nerds?INTCMP=SRCH
"All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values." McLuhan
3. What impact has there been on how the media institution now has to produce the texts and the way in which the texts/ products are distributed and exhibited? This should involve a detailed textual analysis of at least 3 texts to demonstrate the point.
The impact in which media institutions now have to produce the texts and the way in which texts/ products are distributed and exhibited is that there has been a great impact because they feel they have to produce products in which allow audiences to have the freedom to influence what goes on around us. The first text that I will analyse is Charlie Brooker's small series Black Mirror. This shows how new technology playes a vital role and influences everyday situations, also how it has changed the way in which audiences percieve things.
Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror looks at new technology in 3 different ways for example the first episode consisted of the Prime Minister and the Royal Princess. The use of Social Networking and how it has an influence in serious situations. The use of Facebook and Twitter played a vital role in this programme becuase they were used in order to spread video's of the Prime Minister and news about him and what he had to do to get the princess back. The second episode consisted of a group of people stuck in a virtual world where they had to be famous for something in order to upgrade to a better lifestyle. They had to create points through sitting on a cycling machine every day in order to earn more points. This shows how New Technology will impact the way we live in the future as people will become these characters stuck in a virtual world rather than reality.
This programme shows how there is an impact on how media institutions have to produce texts in order to show audiences the truth about what could happen in the future as Social Networking and new technology influences the way we think.
The second text that i have analysed is the Social Networking site Facebook
This website has an influence on how media institutions produce texts and products because it allows audiences to communicate, share and influence the way in which situations are seen, an example of this was the London Riots. Social Networking influenced the way the problem happened as 'youngsters were using this site in order to create groups informing people to meet up and loot. This has an impact on how media institutions produce texts and products because they have to take into consideration what could happen if something as serious as the Londond Riots were to happen how it would influence people's movements and behavour. This shows how new Technology and Social Working work together in order to influence audiences as they create too many opinions and views. This makes media institutions re-consider how they get things such as news across to audiences in a way where it doesnt influence them as much as they do.
"Social networks are beginning to have a bigger role in building community and catalysing neighbourhood co-operation and social action."
Facebook’s Zuckerberg: “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity”- This is doing what he says in terms of using the question "what is on your mind" to allow you to tell others what is on your mind
Research about New technology and the impact on society
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iReY3W9ZkLU&feature=related - This video looks at how the social media including Social Networking have an impact on society
- 700,000 more people will join Facebook.
- its total users in the U.S alone is 127,000,000.
- 65 million users have access to Facebook through their smart phones.
- 300,000 people join twitter sending more than 44,481 tweets per minute and 64 million tweets per day.
- Youtube is the 4th most visited site in the world and 2nd largest search engine.
- Facebook has added over 200 million users in less than a year.
- Ipod applications downloads hit 1 billion in 9 months.
- If Facebook were a country it would be the worlds 3rd largest.
- 50% of the mobile internet traffic in the UK is for Facebook.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/02/facebook-100bn-stock-market-flotation -
"Facebook expected to be valued at $100bn in stock market flotation"
Mark Zuckerberg, the site's 27-year-old founder, hopes investors will accept firm will one day be worth 27 times current revenue"
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/55-interesting-social-media-infographics/
4. Is the size of the audience any different now than before the impact of new and digital media (or has the pattern of usage changed)? E.G. consider for the impact of new and digital media on TV broadcasting the change in audience ratings for programmes as a consequence of the deregulation of TV. (Prior to deregulation audience figures could be 20m+ for Eastenders etc to a situation today where, due to the massive number of channels now available, audiences are vastly reduced and fragmented).
The size of audience is different now than before due to the development in new technology and the amount of usage in which audiences use these products. The way in which the development in new technology has changed is because there is more of a demand for products such as smart phones. This has resulted in audiences using social networking sites more as they have frequent access to these sites, also the use of new technology such as the IPhone and the IPad, are constantly being used because they offer people with apps in which they can use on a day to day basis.
5.Who are the primary target audience now and has this changed? Who was it before and how do you know?
The primary target audience target audience for Facebook are mainly young females and young males between the ages of 18-30, this is because this generation have mainly been brought up around technology and are therefore used to using these sites as an everyday priority.
http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Facebooks-500-million-infographics.jpg
6. How have the audience responded to the changes? Is there more customer choice? Is there evidence of a more pluralistic model? What evidence do you have to support this?
Audiences have responded to the changes because they tend to use more smartphones such as iPhones. As a result of this Facebook is one of the most viewed sites.http://marketingland.com/wp-content/ml-loads/2012/01/yearbook2011-final.jpg
At the beginning of 2011 it ha 585 users and by the end of 2011 it ha 800+ this shows how audiences have responded to the change in technology. The primary audience for Facebook are people of all ages as Mark Zuckerberg wants all people to join together and communicate using one site. However mainly young people use this Social Networking site because these sites are associated with todays younger generation.
Twitters primary audience doesn't have a specific age group as it is also aimed at all age groups, this is because twitter is a site in which all age groups can use to communicate with each other.
7. What concerns/ considerations are there (if any) for the media institutions involved in your case study as a result of the impact of new and digital media? (e.g. deskilling or multi-skilling of the workforce/ decline in workforce etc)
The media institutions involved in my case study are Facebook, Twitter, Ipad and Iphone. The Concerns that there are, are due to audiences becoming increasingly involved with the way in which they are now part of new and digital media, for example as they have greater access to these services as a result of this media institutions such as Facebook and Twitter have to increase workforce in order to keep up with demands. Furthermore as audiences are becoming more involved with these services and products they are becoming more socially aware of whats going around them in terms of finding out news via these sites through what others have said. This links in with Citizen Journalism where audiences are now taking over the job roles of professional journalists. this is because they are using their phones as a way of spreading the news or creating it at the time of the incident occuring.
http://www.cre8ivecommando.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/infographic-facebook-statistics.jpg
http://www.cre8ivecommando.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/infographic-facebook-statistics.jpg
8. What are the political and social implications of the new technologies and the methods of their consumption? E.g. moral panics etc?
The political and social implications of new technologies is that due to a high demand an an increase in the amount of people that use products such as Iphones, Ipads etc to have access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter, audiences tend to create more problems as they have implications such as people losing their jobs as more citizens are controlling and having an influence in how news is heard or seen. As a result of this institutions that produce these products have to keep up with changing times and have to adapt new technology to fit the needs of audiences, this means more money being spent also creating social barriers between people as they are becoming more anti-social, this is because audience that use Facebook would rather talk to their friend via the internet as it is more convenient and quicker to send someone a message rather that going to talk to them face-to-face.
However new technology could have a good impact on the implications of social and political media as it has shaped higher education of audiences as predicted, this is because audiences turn to the internet as a way of being educated through other peoples news feeds and would rather join pages. By joining blogs etc and voicing opinions and sharing stories is educating people more as it is said that there will be more online libraries in which people will be able to have access to books wherever they are whenever. http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2011/aug/03/academic-research-digital-online-technology
9. Consider the effects so far, and possible effects in the future, on media institutions involved in your case study (media production).
The effects of which can influence the future are things such as more development of new technology, and creating more ways in which allow audiences to interact with news and the way they socialize. The effects so far of audiences and new technology is the way in which they have now become the producers as well as being the consumers. The future effects could be that Facebook and Twitter might combine together as audiences seem to use both, they may want to have both sites incorporated into one, this would be an effect because it means that these sites are developing and adapting to the way in which audiences use social networking and how they are increasing the use in new technology. This would have an impact on institutions because it means that there would be more of a decline in newspapers due to the result of more people using products such as the Ipad and Iphone where they can access newspapers via downloading apps on their apple products. Furthermore the growth in technology and institutions such as Social Networking sites as they are changing the way people connect with each other for example audiences are becoming more anti-social, however they are expressing and voicing their opinions more as a result of this they are becoming more spoken in the sense that they feel they can be heard by people more by producing a "status" of Posting on peoples walls on Facebook on how they feel about something.
There are more moral panics on young people in the sense that they seem to be getting more involved in crime as a result of creating groups via Facebook or posting Tweets. Also moral panics over technology is that audiences have more access to things such as pornography etc, this is because there is so much freedom in the sense that audiences can get themselves involved with institutions so much for example they can interact with the internet more through the use of Smart phones and products such as the Ipad.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html This article talks about how technology is changing the way our brains work. The neuroscientist suggests that modern technology is changing our brains as a result of this people are communicating in the sense that there is less face-to-face interaction and more anti-social conversations occurring as a result of using Social Networking. This is an affect for the future as this would become worse due to people communicating through these institutions as its more convenient and easier. she suggested that "our modern brains are also having to adapt to other 21st century intrusions" I believe this is true because audiences are becoming more active in the sense that they are getting involved with technology more, however they are also becoming passive in the sense that they are being controlled by big institutions in the way they are having access to news etc.
There are more moral panics on young people in the sense that they seem to be getting more involved in crime as a result of creating groups via Facebook or posting Tweets. Also moral panics over technology is that audiences have more access to things such as pornography etc, this is because there is so much freedom in the sense that audiences can get themselves involved with institutions so much for example they can interact with the internet more through the use of Smart phones and products such as the Ipad.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html This article talks about how technology is changing the way our brains work. The neuroscientist suggests that modern technology is changing our brains as a result of this people are communicating in the sense that there is less face-to-face interaction and more anti-social conversations occurring as a result of using Social Networking. This is an affect for the future as this would become worse due to people communicating through these institutions as its more convenient and easier. she suggested that "our modern brains are also having to adapt to other 21st century intrusions" I believe this is true because audiences are becoming more active in the sense that they are getting involved with technology more, however they are also becoming passive in the sense that they are being controlled by big institutions in the way they are having access to news etc.
10. What issues may there be regarding media effects and /or regulation/ censorship as a result of changes due to new and digital media?
Some of the issue's that there may be in terms of media effects, regulation and censorship as a result of changes due to new and digital media are that due to censorship Facebook have been censoring images more however they have been censoring images that don't need to be censored. This could be seen as Facebook watching it's users giving it the effect of "Big brother is watching you" due to Facebook's users having too many opinions Facebook are censoring some things that people post this is because there seems to be a rise in 'citizen journalism' or also known as 'Facebook journalism' this gives users the chance to voice more opinions and post stories to everyone. http://socialtimes.com/facebook-censorship-is-big-brother-watching-you_b58970
However you could also argue that there isn't enough censorship, this is because there is so much freedom, users use this to their advantage because it gives them the opportunity to create groups and pages in which people have an influence in by posting comments and providing other people with posts in which people can get involved with. An example of which this was used in a negative way was during the London Riots. This was negative because young people were using this Social Networking site to their advantage because they were using it as a way of communicating where groups of people were going to be also getting more people involved. This links in to how the media has affects on young people, the reasons for this is because today's generation of youth's have been brought up around technology and haven't expected anything less however they expect more from technology in terms of offering them more options in which allow them to communicate with each other and having more access via their smart phones etc.
11. Are there any cross-cultural factors and /or effects of globalisation involved in the impact of new technology on your case study? E.g. the internet has been said to be ‘globalising culture’ through its promotion of the English language.
The cross-cultural factors that impact new technology within my case study, the texts being Facebook, Twitter and Ipads. An example of an impact would be other Social Networking sites being more appealing than others for example Facebook may have more users than Twitter therefore as a result of this users tend to use both in order to get the best of everything, for example the functions and features in which they all offer.
Facebook has become global people coming together to share information with each other on a wider scale. The reasons for this are because these Social Networking sites offer people with the chance to voice their opinions, audiences have changed and adapted to this in order to use these features to their advantage, this is because they can provide others with their thoughts allowing them to have more freedom of speech. As a result of this the internet has become a "Global Village" the way in which audiences are communicating and coming together as one in the sense that they are providing each other with information, this is more common now than it has been before due to more technology being developed, enhanced and adapted.
However the global village is occurring in countries in which are developed, this is because developed countries have the money to keep up with changing times and they way in which technology is a key part of everyone's day to day life.
12. Consider theoretical perspectives in relation to the impact of new/ digital media in your case study. E.g. Representation of certain groups as a result of changes, Marxism & Hegemony, Liberal Pluralism, colonialism, audience theories etc.
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Step two:
Theories, issues or debates | Topic covered | Book publication or online source | Key quotes |
Hegemony- Leadership or predominant influenced by one nation over others. (similar to Marxism) Issues: Facebook- was used during the Arab spring, as a way of communication, also during the London riots they used social networking to form bigger groups in which looted shops. News Corp-Rupert Murdoch create Moral Panic within Australia and audiences as they feared that he was taking over the news within that country. | New Technologies and the Audience. Social Networking. | “According to The Guardian , Scotland Yard has vowed to track down and arrest protesters who posted “really inflammatory, inaccurate” messages on the service, and the social networking web sites Twitter and Facebook.” “The simple idea of connecting people together into networks of friends sharing their personal details” | |
Marxism- The bourgeois being the elite social class, these are in control, whereas the lower class being the proletariat also known as followers are seen as strugglers to play central role. Issue: critique of capitalism- the capitalist society and the economic minority which are also known as the elite or bourgeois dominate the lower class and exploit the working class which are the proletariat minority. | Facebook’s Zuckerberg: “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity”- doing what he says in terms of using the question "what is on your mind" to allow you to tell others what is on your mind | ||
Pluralism- The state of civilisation in which numerous ethnic, racial or religious groups are able to participate in and develop their common cultures. This also consists of coming to a mutual agreement, or to be civilised. Arab spring- countries like Lybia uprising in order to get their country back, also forming groups on social networking as a way of working together in order to find some peace. | "Promoted as a system for the “common good” of all. It is a coming together" "Social networks are beginning to have a bigger role in building community and catalysing neighbourhood co-operation and social action." | ||
Cultural Imperialism- the use of political and economical power to spread the values and habits of foreign culture at the cost of an unexplored culture, also including colonialism and globalisation. Global Village- The world shrunk into a village by the means of the different media types, most especially the World Wide Web, making it easy to pass across messgaes (like the news), thereby making the world become like a single village where people can easily contact each other quicker | "Dominated by the ruling classes. Via this domination, he argued, the ruling classes would best be suited to perpetuate their stranglehold on power" Sherry Turkle"We make our technology, and our technology makes us." |
Step Three: Choosing individual topic area and relevant theorists
Write here what your case study will involve. Remember it should be about the impact of new and digital media on.......
My case study will involve me looking at new technology and audiences, and how it affects or influences people’s point of view on things that they see in the news and how it has an influence in general. This area in which I have chosen for my case study would fit in well with today’s media as it is a current topic in which most audiences are affected by.
Explain why you have chosen this topic and why you think this will be a rich area for study.
This topic will be a rich area for study because it’s contemporary and has an influence on the way we view what we see through the news, also today’s generation are very much involved with new technology I want to see how this affects audiences thoughout the media landscape.
Identify at least three media texts/ products that you will use as your primary sources of evidence to demonstrate the impact of new and digital media in your topic area.
The three texts/product that I will be using as my primary sources of evidence to demonstrate the impact of new and digital media are the following;
· Facebook- http://www.thehalsreport.com/2011/01/the-social-impact-of-facebook-in-2011/
http://hir.harvard.edu/will-facebook-remake-the-world
Facebook is allowing everyone to come together to share ideas, information and gives the chance for freedom of speech and to voice their own opinions. also allowing others to comment on these opinions through the use of a status.
IPhone, IPad- They offer access to a whole range of apps suiting everyones needs. allowing audiences to interact with the mass media.
http://hir.harvard.edu/will-facebook-remake-the-world
Facebook is allowing everyone to come together to share ideas, information and gives the chance for freedom of speech and to voice their own opinions. also allowing others to comment on these opinions through the use of a status.
IPhone, IPad- They offer access to a whole range of apps suiting everyones needs. allowing audiences to interact with the mass media.
·
Twitter- people posting tweets to news institutions forming citizen journalism, allowing news to told by audiences. this has an impact on institutions because it means that audiences are taking over the jobs of people who are journalists.
Twitter- people posting tweets to news institutions forming citizen journalism, allowing news to told by audiences. this has an impact on institutions because it means that audiences are taking over the jobs of people who are journalists.
List here the theorists you have identified in your research table above that you will need to refer to for your study:
The lists of theories that I will be using or referring to in my case study are the following;
·
Hegemony
Pluralism
Marxism
Cultural imperialism
global village- sherry turkle
Hegemony
Pluralism
Marxism
Cultural imperialism
global village- sherry turkle
Thursday 19 January 2012
cover work
Generating Topic Ideas for Individual Case Studies:
Music promotion and the charts
TV broadcasting
Advertising
The media and democracy
The role of the distributor and exhibitor
The internet & social networking sites
The role of media institutions
Blogs
Podcasts
Identifying relevant theories/ issues & debates:
Hegemony
Marxism
Pluralism
Cultural Imperialism
Globalisation
Post-colonialism
Theory | Meaning of theory | Issue’s | Debates |
Hegemony | The way in which the media controls people by their dominant power. | The phone hacking scandal, the media are controlling the way in which news gets distributed. | Consumers can’t trust the media as much anymore as they are becoming more powerful and demanding. |
Marxism | Society is split by social classes, one being the bourgeois known as the elite and the other being the proletarians | ||
Pluralism | |||
Cultural Imperialism | |||
Globalisation | |||
Post-colonialism | |||
Tuesday 3 January 2012
Rupert Murdoch joins Twitter? News Corporation chief seemingly tries to break with 2011's annus horribilis by tweeting 'with his own voice, in his own way'
Rupert Murdoch joins Twitter? 'Now this will be fascinating,' says Piers
News Corporation chief seemingly tries to break with 2011's annus horribilis by tweeting 'with his own voice, in his own way'
- guardian.co.uk,
- Article history
Rupert Murdoch joins Twitter? 'Now this will be fascinating,' says Piers
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at . A version appeared on p4 of the Main section section of the Guardian on . It was last modified at .
Rupert Murdoch's Twitter account has attracted 14,000 followers in just 24 hours. Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features
A new year, a new you: even if you're an 80-year-old media magnate, it appears the transformative allure of 1 January can prove irresistible.
Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and CEO of News Corporation – who may have more reason than usual to want to make a break with 2011 – has apparently joined Twitter.
Users of the microblogging site have reacted with a mixture of incredulity and unabashed horror to a declaration by its executive chairman Jack Dorsey that Murdoch had set up a verified account and would be gracing the site with his unique observations. "With his own voice, in his own way, @RupertMurdoch is now on Twitter," wrote Dorsey.
Within hours, the media tycoon had amassed more than 14,000 followers and was giving them his views on everything from the US presidential election to his family holiday in the Caribbean.
A cursory glance at his output reveals that he considers Steve Jobs's biography to be "interesting but unfair", that thoughts are best kept private in St Barths ("like London!"), and that George Clooney deserves an Oscar for his performance in The Descendants (whose distributor is News Corp-owned Fox Searchlight Pictures).
Murdoch's latest tweet, posted late on New Year's Eve and betraying a certain technological unease with punctuation, reads: "Huge NY eve do. Oligarchs and silicon valley biggies(like Jack) . May. Learn something".
The arrival on Twitter of one of society's most divisive figures was welcomed by some, but pilloried by many others. Piers Morgan, former editor of the News of the World, wrote: "Now this is going to be fascinating … welcome to Twitter my old boss @RupertMurdoch."
But the former deputy prime minister John Prescott captured the reaction of many when he made indirect reference to the phone-hacking scandal which saw Murdoch come under huge pressure in 2011. "Welcome to Twitter … @rupertmurdoch," he wrote. "I've left you a Happy New Year message on my voicemail!"
Another tweet suggested Murdoch follow Tom Watson, the Labour MP whose dogged pursuit of the scandal has won him many fans.
Despite a blue and white tick appearing next to the Murdoch account – the sign Twitter uses to show that an account has been "verified" as belonging to the right person – many remained dubious as to its authenticity.
Michael Wolff, a contributing editor of Vanity Fair and biographer of Murdoch, declared the account to be "fake, fake". Another user, @factor50, commented: "It can't be him, because all he should be tweeting is SORRY in every single breath." But Dorsey's tweet seems to prove the doubters wrong.
Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and CEO of News Corporation – who may have more reason than usual to want to make a break with 2011 – has apparently joined Twitter.
Users of the microblogging site have reacted with a mixture of incredulity and unabashed horror to a declaration by its executive chairman Jack Dorsey that Murdoch had set up a verified account and would be gracing the site with his unique observations. "With his own voice, in his own way, @RupertMurdoch is now on Twitter," wrote Dorsey.
Within hours, the media tycoon had amassed more than 14,000 followers and was giving them his views on everything from the US presidential election to his family holiday in the Caribbean.
A cursory glance at his output reveals that he considers Steve Jobs's biography to be "interesting but unfair", that thoughts are best kept private in St Barths ("like London!"), and that George Clooney deserves an Oscar for his performance in The Descendants (whose distributor is News Corp-owned Fox Searchlight Pictures).
Murdoch's latest tweet, posted late on New Year's Eve and betraying a certain technological unease with punctuation, reads: "Huge NY eve do. Oligarchs and silicon valley biggies(like Jack) . May. Learn something".
The arrival on Twitter of one of society's most divisive figures was welcomed by some, but pilloried by many others. Piers Morgan, former editor of the News of the World, wrote: "Now this is going to be fascinating … welcome to Twitter my old boss @RupertMurdoch."
But the former deputy prime minister John Prescott captured the reaction of many when he made indirect reference to the phone-hacking scandal which saw Murdoch come under huge pressure in 2011. "Welcome to Twitter … @rupertmurdoch," he wrote. "I've left you a Happy New Year message on my voicemail!"
Another tweet suggested Murdoch follow Tom Watson, the Labour MP whose dogged pursuit of the scandal has won him many fans.
Despite a blue and white tick appearing next to the Murdoch account – the sign Twitter uses to show that an account has been "verified" as belonging to the right person – many remained dubious as to its authenticity.
Michael Wolff, a contributing editor of Vanity Fair and biographer of Murdoch, declared the account to be "fake, fake". Another user, @factor50, commented: "It can't be him, because all he should be tweeting is SORRY in every single breath." But Dorsey's tweet seems to prove the doubters wrong.
Media predictions for 2012: media business and advertising
Media predictions for 2012: media business and advertising
Endemol could come up for sale if it can restructure its debt, while the Olympics are expected to prop up the ad market
- guardian.co.uk,
- Article history
Media predictions for 2012: media business and advertising
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at .
Celebrity Big Brother maker Endemol could find itself up for sale in 2012. Photograph: Ian West/PA
Media business
"There won't be too many willing sellers next year, I wouldn't think," said one city banker, summing up the somewhat downbeat view of the mergers and acquisitions market next year. "With the market how it is why would you sell unless you are being forced?"The failure of Shameless maker All3Media and Dutch firm Eyeworks, maker of Test the Nation and The Biggest Loser, to find buyers in 2011 is indicative of how tough the market is shaping up to be next year.
Big plays by private equity have all but evaporated due to the difficulty of securing funding – as was seen by the dramatic thinning of ranks in the bidding for EMI, which eventually went against the betting to Universal and Sony – with trade buyers taking pole position in any dealmaking in 2012.
All eyes are on Big Brother maker Endemol, which if it can finally agree the protracted restructuring of its €2.8bn debt, which is widely expected to be put up for sale next year. Time Warner and Mediaset, an existing investor, are already circling with unsolicited bids; if Endemol goes into play expect RTL, owner of The X Factor co-producer FremantleMedia, and ITV to run the numbers on a bid.
ITV will be debt free by the end of the year and has access to £1bn, or more, with chief executive Adam Crozier finally likely to make a major acquisition to boost its production arm.
Facebook's highly-anticipated IPO, which could well dwarf Google's effort in 2004, will send the tech stock buzz back into overdrive after the failure of Netflix, Groupon and Zynga to set investors alight.
Netflix's launch in the UK & Ireland next year will be one of the major strategic business moves of the year (well, that we know about) sparking an intense battle with, among others, BSkyB and Amazon's LoveFilm.
However the biggest potential development of the year is whether Rupert Murdoch will be forced by his board into looking to sell off some, or all, of his newspaper titles.
A forced sale attracts bargain-hunting predators and top of the list is Richard Desmond, owner of Express Newspapers and Channel 5, who has form here, having offered £1bn for the Sun in 2009.
If a sale doesn't happen then all eyes will be on whether Murdoch will green light the launch of the Sun on Sunday to fill the gap left by the News of the World.
"We hope News International will launch a replacement in time for the European football," said Group M in a note on national newspapers recently.
Interestingly Group M notes that Murdoch will have to run a very tight business model as following the shrinking of the market after the closure of his Sunday tabloid there will be "pressure on any NoW replacement to wash its face on copy sales, as the ad revenue pot is unlikely to grow to welcome it".
Advertising
The London Olympics will save the UK advertising industry next year.Sir Martin Sorrell's Group M reckons that the 3% growth it has factored in for 2012 would be lucky to be flat, at best, if not for the Olympics.
Yet some major media owners seem unconvinced. ITV chief executive Adam Crozier cautioned recently that while the broadcaster will get a "positive reaction" – an uplift in TV ad revenue – from the event it will "not be as much as some people think".
By this he means that comparisons with the uplift in ad revenue seen in other host countries, where the Olympics airs on commercial TV, are misguided because in the UK it airs on the BBC.
Daily Mail & General Trust top brass Martin Morgan and Stephen Daintith, the chief executive and finance director respectively, have also been downbeat on expectations – despite the fact that freesheet Metro is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of millions of visitors to the capital.
Morgan said that investors should not have "expectations of a significant lift'; Daintith added that the event is "not the answer" and that the market "shouldn't be thinking about huge numbers from the Olympics for our titles". DMGT reckons it will see an uplift of about £5m.
The big winner will be the outdoor advertising market - Group M reckons it will be up 6%, the most of any media bar digital advertising - with the £746m ad take pencilled the highest since 2008.
Radio is also expected to do well, with advertisers warming to the moves by players such as Global Radio to have fewer station brands and more national networks.
"Radio has managed to completely replace the major revenue loss from the government scrapping COI advertising," said Adam Smith, Futures director at Group M.
The only media that won't be benefiting from one of Sir Martin Sorrell's fabled "maxi quadrennial" years – when events such as the Olympics, US elections and Euro occur – is, unfortunately the press market.
National newspaper advertising is forecast to be down 3.1% and the regional market down 7.8%.
"Head of the column [of issues] is retail," said Smith. "It is the major category in print advertising and it is being massively affected by the squeeze on household income."
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