Wednesday 6 February 2013

Case Study Questions

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 huge impact on smart phones, we are now able to use our phones for much more things then we ever used to be able to do. For example online banking is now available for us to do on the go, for example on the way to work which makes it easier for users to use there time effectively. Whereas  20 years ago users were only able to play low budget games on there phone. This is called convergence.
Today the main ownership and controllers of smart phones are Apple, Samsung and HTC. These businesses have seen there sales go rocket shooting high. There was a legal case against Apple and Samsung, Apple was claiming that samsung had copied some on the elements from there phones.  
On the other hand, statistics show that IOS is the market leader, with over 6 million users owning an apple I phone. Blackberry has seen sales drop as more and more people leave for an apple or samsung handset. This could be because these smart phones provide more apps and are able to do more things such as the usage of apps. Blackberry has recently fired back and have tried to regain there spot as a smart phone leader also tried to regain a place in the smart phone market with their attempts to introduce a new phone and operating system, which is quite similar to the I Phone and Samsung Galaxy.
As technology increases, it becomes harder for owners to have control of the market, new phones with new digital media mean more people want it so they can use it, this means an increase in sales and profits for the institution.
Furthermore, the market leaders in the mobile handset competition have changed from a few years ago when Nokia was the leading phone company , however as the use of smart phones have recently increases Nokia are finding it hard to regain ownership and are behind competitors such as Apple and Samsung.

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 main way which the audience now consume media text from smart phones is mostlt through WIFI as most things now need internet connection to run smoothly and accuratly. Mobile phone businesses now provide contract plans where free internet or some type of internet data is given. whereas 15 years ago the average person wouldnt even have a contract they would be using pay as you go and wifi on the mobile handset was unavaliable.
This shows how people have begun to use new and digital media to there advantage, knowing that the internet can run wireless to a mobile phone is what users want and are now paying for by going onto contract plans. Having the internet avaliable at all times is what makes users lives easier as it means they are able to surf the world wide web at any given time.
As I explained above about apps, the internet gives the chance for users to go onto there app store and purchase apps which they want. this is where large media organizations start making money from its users. The use of the internet on handsets mean users dont have to text each other anymore which costs money, they can use a free service which has replaced texting its called Whats app this is designed for people to talk and interact with there freinds for free. This is the Benfiets to users.
Take a look at some infographics below 


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.

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).


10 years ago audiences had no access to on demand on access to watching television programmes at a later date. For example when east enders was on such as the Christmas special it meant that every viewer had to watch bb1 at that very time to make sure they didn’t miss the episode. This meant institutions such as the BBC had a higher viewing figure and also as there was less channels around which meant there would be more of a demand for channels that were available.
Today we are able to catch up, pause live television, rewind and record the programs we want. We now have the choice and ability to watch what we want when we want, whereas before we didn’t have this choice available for us. Viewers are now able to construct their own TV schedule to when they are read to watch. This has seen figures drop in watching live television episodes such as east enders in 2012 the Christmas episode managed to draw 12 million viewers whereas 10 years ago it would attract more than 15 million viewers. The reason of the decrease could be because of competition with other channels where viewers would rather watch something else or even more viewers may have decided to watch it later when they are more free and available.
The fact that mobile phones/smart phones can now be used for various different tasks is what has changed new and digital media a lot; from before when the normal standard mobile phone could only make phone calls and texts.  This means consumers can now do more things while on the go which means they can use their time effectively by doing more tasks. Furthermore, users have become more comfortable with new technology and are now using it to the maximum of its abilities.
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 now has changed to every normal middle class person, before new technology was only for the rich and was aimed for them due to the pricey amount of the products. This is now become a normal thing for an average person to purchase as now every normal person wants to have the technology and make their life easier.
I believe the market for mobile data devices (smartphones, PDAs, mobile game machines, iPods, etc) is not structured the way most people think it is. A lot of new mobile products fail because they're not designed for the real market, or because they target imagined customers who don't really exist in large numbers.

Information below is taken from source: http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/shape-of-smartphone-and-mobile-data.html 
If mobile data isn't for everyone on the planet, and if the market is divided into segments, the most important question to ask is what those segments are. What are the equivalent of the sports car, SUV, and minivan for mobile?

We researched that extensively at PalmSource, in a series of surveys that eventually talked to more than 12,000 people in the US, France, Germany, and the UK. In that research, we found at least three big groups of mobile data customers, each with different needs and tastes: people who focus on communication (e-mail, messaging, conferencing), people who focus on entertainment (games, video, music), and people who focus on managing information (databases, documents, note-taking). Each was about 12% of the population.

The results were very consistent across countries, so I'm comfortable that the same segments probably exist in most European countries. The only significant difference was Germany, where the percent of the population who said they were willing to pay for entertainment features was smaller. I don't know if that's a real difference in usage, or if folks in Germany are just less willing to admit that they might use a computing device to play games.
The entertainment-focused users are generally younger than average; many are in college or their 20s. They see a mobile device as a lifestyle choice, and they're willing to pay extra for a device that'll help keep them entertained. Different people want different forms of entertainment, so there are sub-segments in the entertainment mobile market. The biggest division is game-playing vs. media (music and video). But entertainment can also include things like social messaging with your friends. It's anything you do for fun rather than a paycheck.

The communication-focused users are extroverts who live to communicate with others. They're often in people-facing jobs like sales. They're willing to pay extra for a mobile device that lets them keep up with others in multiple ways. E-mail, SMS, voice, conferencing, video calling -- basically, anything communication-related is compelling to them, and they will pay extra for a device that does it well.

The information-centric users are more introverted. Rather than focusing on their dialog with others, they tend to do a lot of thinking on their own, and want their mobile device to be a memory supplement and a means to capture new information. They're not by any means recluses, but ideas rather than social interaction are what really gets them energized, and so they're willing to pay extra for features that help them capture and remember ideas and information. What they really want is a brain extender. They often work in information-heavy jobs like medicine, law, science, and academia.


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?
The audience have responded to change in a positive way, every time there is a new smart phone they are quick to line up early in the morning to purchase the new product. Consumers are now intrested in new techonolgy to make there life either entertaining or easier.  On the other hand it also creates moral panic because audiences feel that the leading smartphones organizations are making to much money. I feel that customers dont have much choice, they have to deal with what the organizations have produced.
 
There is also organizations producing smart phones to suit consumers, for example samsung galaxy ace is for the older generation as its simple to use and the text is large. But with the main smart phones with a lot of technology there is so much competiton that customers dont have a choice.

 
 
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)
A concern for the impact of new and digital media on mobile phones is that consumers become lazy and allow the technology to do all the work for them. This means for example the phone can organize and plan your day for you, but becoming reliant on it could mean someones life can be controlled by techology which makes them lazy which isnt good for the brain.

The other impact is because smart phones are becoming better and better, instituions such as nikon which produces cameras may go out of business or loose sales because consumers rely on there smart phones instead. Also for gaming organzations such as Sony may loose money because people would rather play games on there smartphones, instead of purchasing a games console.

 
8) What are the political and social implications of the new technologies and the methods of their consumption?  E.g. moral panics etc?

The impplications are that new technology can create moral panic, as audiences may start saying how more children are spending there time on smart phones rather then studying. Technology is growing to fast and consumers are struggling to stay on track due to the price.
 
Moral panic of this is the pay through your phone system, this creates panic because consumers feel that if there phone becomes stolen then someone else will have access to there money and can swipe for products without inputting the pin. this is the threat of this technology increasing. The fear of fraud is what making implications which mean some consumers may not purcase the phone.
 
 
9) Consider the effects so far, and possible effects in the future, on media institutions involved in your case study (media production).

The effects so far on media insitutions are postive, Apple have become profitable organizations due to the new technology they produced, they have risen a lot in the last 10 years. They have become a well known brand in many countires and successful in most places as well.
 
In another 10 years consumers may seem Apple as a greedy money grabing organization, which may mean that consumers will purchase other phones and Apple could start decreasing. Another issue is because Apple dont pay there staff with a good wage even though they are a multi million pound organization, consumers may decide to boycott them and stop purchasing there products. Another affect can be that technology might freeze which mean sales can drop which could affect the organization in the future.
 
 
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 issues to changes of new media is that consumers can do more then they could do, new techonolgy provides so much freedom for users, that they are able to access information or do things which is forrbidden without being caught. One example with the Smartphones is jailbraking which means being able to purchase apps without paying for it and also using features for free. The more technology the more advanced people become which means there knowledge increases. This effect is not able to stop, instituions have to deal with this even though it reduces profits.
 
another issue is using mobile phone internet, such as online banking. Hackers are now able to put viruses on phones and use personal information to attract what they want. They also able to hack in to social networking sites, which is not good as it can give out information which could be private.
 
 
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.

Effects of globalisation is that these american companys have dominated the technology market which means they employ people from poor countries, pay them a small wage yet still make millions in profit. This means that the US stays as a strong country and still rules. It also shows the western power and that other countries have to look up to them.


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.

Friday 1 February 2013

Lessons the tech world learned in 2012

LESSON 1 Tweet in haste, repent at leisure


Who would have thought that an elderly Tory peer would become a leading innovator in internet law? Yet that is what Lord McAlpine has become

Lord McAlpine tweeted and re tweeted when he was accused of child abuse. this changed the legal landscape in the UK.

Everyone who discriminated him had to pay compensation charges in court,among the latter was Sally Bercow, Mr Speaker's lively spouse

Twitter gives broadcast-type communication power to ordinary citizens and if a broadcasting network such as the BBC can be held responsible for what it transmits, surely Twitterers should be too?

LESSON 2 Valuing technology companies remains an inexact science

Facebook shares fell 24% in the first three days of open trading

paid for software firm Autonomy. In October 2011, HP bought the Cambridge-based company for $11.7bn.

HP announced that it was taking an $8.8bn write-off because it had realised that Autonomy was not worth anything like its purchase price. HP claimed that $5.5bn of the write-off was explained by the discovery of "accounting irregularities".

LESSON 3 Raspberries come in unexpected flavours

Eben Upton and some of his academic colleagues in Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory became concerned about the fact that most of the kids who wanted to study computer science no longer knew how to program. So they had the idea of designing a small, cheap computer that they could give to prospective students at open days

When Raspberry Pi, for that is what the device was eventually christened, was announced, 100,000 people joined the mailing list. When it went on sale, the demand crashed the servers of the two major online retailers that had signed up to sell it

it has sold more than 800,000 units and stands as an astonishing rebuke to the sceptics who said that in these days of iDevices and tablets there was no market for a device that ran Linux and simply sat blinking at you when you switched it on. But then that's what they also said about the BBC Micro.











Media Case Study

MEST 3: The Impact of New & Digital Media Case Study


STUDENT NAME:  ZAMAAN KHAN




TEACHER: MR BUSH



In A2 MEST 3 you will study two distinct topics, ‘Representation’ and ‘The Impact of New & Digital Media’.  For each topic you will each be required to produce an individual case study of your own choice (the exam board does not permit groups of students to have the same focus).  Your ‘New & Digital Media’ case study must examine the impact of new and digital media on another aspect of media production, exhibition and/or distribution on one or more platforms.  This case study will be in addition to the teacher led case study you will do in class regarding

‘The Impact of New & Digital Media on News’. Your own choice of case study topic must not duplicate what you have learned in class and gender/ representation of women in any genre of text and/or platform and the study of News and Digital Media are therefore not permissible as topics for an individual case study.  You will be able to (and should) refer to both the teacher led and your own study in the MEST 3 exam (Section B) to demonstrate a range of examples and application of a range of theories, issues and debates as applicable to the question set.  This will be worth 60% of your A2 exam grade.

MEST 4 NOTE OF CAUTION: Please also be aware that as you are studying ‘Representation’  and ‘The Impact of New & Digital Media on News’ in this unit you are not permitted to use representation or digital media and news as a main focus for your MEST 4 Critical Investigation (2,000 word study with linked production).  There is scope however to cover the concept of representation but from a different angle e.g. the investigation title ‘Magazines are a site of contention regarding ideologies of body image’ covers the contentious representations of women and body image but these are explored in  this study through the key concept of ideology, exploring what ideologies are constructed by the media representations, how they are constructed and why the ideologies which are formed from these representations are an issue in contemporary society.  The word representation must not therefore appear in your investigation title.

New and Digital media includes: The internet (web, email, VoIP, chat), mobile telephony (txt, 3G, smart phones), gaming, new media technologies like MP3, High Definition, PVRs (Sky+, Freeview+ etc.)
You could in this unit for example carry out a case study of a chosen new media area e.g. Youtube or Wikipedia.  Within this you might study a variety of new/digital technologies over the period of a term such as the impact of mobile phones and the changing modes of consumption of media products that are a consequence of such developing technology, or the impact of social networking sites on the internet such as MySpace. This would allow you to investigate a variety of media issues and debates such as globalisation, ownership and control and the digital revolution and its consequent effect on production and exhibition. Candidates might consider how new technologies affect the way we consume (and produce) media products and therefore affect the ways that media products are produced, distributed and exhibited. They could widen this approach to study the impact of new media across different media platforms.  You will also consider the changing role of audiences and the decline of the mass audience in the new interactive age, and how this mainly affects media institutions now and in the future.

EXAMPLE: A CASE STUDY OF YOUTUBE
A case study of Youtube might look at a variety of issues all linked with the list above but would also examine the nature of the site, its content, the implications of a medium where we are all producers of media texts, the debate over whether a site such as Youtube is part of a democratisation of the media or whether media institutions have forestalled the power of the audience by purchasing such sites. There are also considerable implications for all media producers (and audiences) in the sense that now, it can be argued, creators of media products can control the distribution and exhibition of their own products.
How will I use this case study in an exam?
Here are some examples of typical exam questions on the topic of new and digital media:
  1. “Digital media have, in many ways, changed how we consume media products.”  Who do you think benefits most – audiences or producers?
  1. “Media institutions are right to feel threatened by new/digital media.”  Consider this statement and show how media institutions are reacting to technological developments.
  1. The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production.  Discuss the arguments for and against this view.
  1. “The new generation of UK media power players are going stratight to their audience via the web” www.mediaguardian.co.uk  Monday July 14 2008.  How have media institutions responded to the opportunities offered by new/digital media?
  1. Developments in new/digital media mean that audiences can now have access to a greater variety of views and values.  To what extent are audiences empowered by these developments?
  1. Why and with what success are traditional media institutions adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media?
In the exam you will be given a choice of two questions on ‘Representation’ and two on’ The Impact of New & Digital Media’.  You will select just 1 question to answer, on either of these topics, dependent upon which you feel most comfortable with in the exam and use examples from these, applying relevant theories and issues and debates from both the teacher led and your own case study. This section of the exam will last for one hour and will be worth 60% of your A2 exam grade (30% of your overall Media Studies grade).          
Step One - Generating Topic Ideas for Individual Case Studies:
A study of the impact of new and digital media on………

  1. Music promotion and the charts


  1. TV broadcasting


  1. Advertising


  1. The media and democracy


  1. The role of the distributor and exhibitor


  1. The internet & social networking sites


  1. The role of media institutions


Now try brainstorming a few of your own……..


  1.   Smartphones


  1.  Music


  1. Politics


  1.  


  1.  


  1.  


  1.  



My case study will be about the impact of new and digital media on smartphones.
I have chosen this topic because it is a very current issue due to the rapid growth and how everyone is starting to rely on smartphones. It is always the thing you see everywhere, apple logos and samsung logos.  I will explore convergence, economic as even though the phones are expensive the normal working class is purchasing it which could mean a decrease for the brand name and the continuing development in its technology such as new apps everyday.


Step Two: Identifying relevant theories/ issues & debates
Some well known theories/ issues and debates on the topic of new and digital media include:
  1. Hegemony
  2. Marxism
  3. Pluralism
  4. Cultural Imperialism
  5. Globalisation
  6. Post-colonialism
Not all of these will be appropriate for your own individual study but a good starting point is to identify the key areas that each of the above theorists covers
Use the table below to help you gather information and sources on each of the theorists/ issues and debates above and identify those relevant for your study.  You may find additional theorists  and/or issues of your own which you wish to refer to and should also include these below:

Theorist/ issue or debate
Topic Covered
Book/ Publication/ Online source
Key Quotes
  1. Globalisation


        Theorist/ issue or debate
        Topic Covered
        Book/ Publication/ Online source
        Key Quotes

        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.......

        What to talk about:
        Social networking on the handset such as facebook, twitter and instagram
        Newspaper apps
        Active users as wifi is available in most spots
        UGC  = Youtube
        Hardly no use of laptops or desktops , users have adapted to mobile phone technology
        Skype / facetime free to chat
        The negative is that the app world is controlled and that means less freedom
        With smart phones you can now use it to swipe instead of using a credit cards ( DANGER )
        Whenever there is  a new piece of tech out it always causes concern and moral panic for every new media product …. Are audiences still coming to terms with new tech ??
        1 billion smartphones are owned
        Bbm causes riots
        Arab spring affect
        Whats app is a conversion of BBM = free/62p


        Explain why you have chosen this topic and why you think this will be a rich area for study.


        the reason i chose this topic is because i feel smart phones are a huge impact on new and digital media tech. i recently purchased my first smart phone and i cant say how much it has changed my life. my life has become much more easier and i am now able to do so much things such as research and online banking which i wasnt able to do before. the smart phone is able to do things which we wouldnt of imagined 20 years ago. this topic is relevant for me and i feel i have so much to write about it and i am excited to study this topic.

        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.  


        TEXT
        PLATFORM (broadcast, print, e-media)
        YEAR OF  PRODUCTION







        List here the theorists you have identified in your research table above that you will need to refer to for your study:

        Approval by teacher and comments:




        Signed:



        Next steps:

        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.


        1. 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)


        1. 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.


        1. 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).


        1. Who are the primary target audience now and has this changed?  Who was it before and how do you know?  



        TEXT
        CURRENT TARGET AUDIENCE
        ORIGINAL TARGET AUDIENCE
        HOW DO YOU KNOW?


        1. 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?


        1. 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)


        1. What are the political and social implications of the new technologies and the methods of their consumption?  E.g. moral panics etc?


        1. Consider the effects so far, and possible effects in the future, on media institutions involved in your case study (media production).


        1. What issues may there be regarding media effects and /or regulation/ censorship as a result of changes due to new and digital media?


        1.  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.


        1. 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.


        1.  Using all of the above information prepare a detailed presentation of the impact of new and digital media on your case study area.  This presentation should be approximately 10 minutes long. 

        1. Within this you must cover each of the points in this booklet in detail and this must include at least 3 actual textual examples to illuminate your points.
        1.  You will be using your presentation to ‘teach’ the rest of the class about how new and digital media has impacted upon your chosen study area and you will be assessed by your peers and their ability to understand your topic area following your presentation.  

        What is the message of 'Black Mirror: The National Anthem?'

        Notes

        The message given by black mirror is how social networking has changed the society. This covers how news can travel faster by social networking such as youtube. It shows how people rely on the internet a lot. It shows how the goverment is uncontrollable lack of censorhsip as they cant trace back properly to who uploaded a video on youtube. It also gives a preception of how the internet is rolling 24 hours, but at the end of the day the people still want to return to the medias news as they feel its more factual or reliable. Another thing it covers is BBM which is instant messaging, it shows how the editor is able to contact the person who works at the the prime ministers house and get important information. It also shows how twitter creates a hype and starts trending virally which awares the whole world.

        Tuesday 22 January 2013

        Notes From How Facebook Changed Our World

        TUNISIA

        · The internet allowed events to be recorded hour by hour

        · The Arab Spring – Tunisia, Egypt, Libya

        · December 2010; The suicide of a fruit seller in Sidi Bouzid sparked uprising

        o He, plus other, continued supporting taunting from higher people

        · The internet revolution tipped balance of power

        · The day after he committed suicide, 100’s of people gathered where he set himself alight

        · This ultimately became a street war between the police and people who were sticking up for him.

        · Tunisian State TV reported nothing that was going on#

        o The press is highly censored.

        · However, citizens captured it on their phones

        o They had to avoid being arrested/shot

        · People shared the footage though Facebook

        o 1 in 5 (2 million) Tunisians have Facebook

        § Many people thought it was trivial hence why they don’t have it.

        · (Assad, the PM of Syria) (Banali – PM of Tunisia)

        · 2 normal every day citizen bloggers blogged about it.

        o ¼ had broadband

        o 90% had mobile phones

        · Benali had censored all political websites

        · From them 2 people sharing their footage through Facebook, they spread virally, rapidly

        o They were picked up by Al Jazera

        · They had also set up software on their mobile phones to set up a live stream.

        · Benali fled to Saudi Arabia

        · It only took 28 days from the 1st protest to the collapse of the regime

        o Copycat demonstration

        § Theory – audiences influenced by what they see

        · New and digital media allowed the protest to speed up pace.


        EGYPT

        · Cairo, political activists watched with awe

        o Tunisia made them aware of what they could accomplish

        · However, Mubarak, the PM of Egypt would be harder to crack

        · Activists found the internet the safest way to communicate with one another

        · Khaled Syeed – Martyr – was beaten by police as he exposed the corrupt nature of the government

        o This rallied support for a revolution

        · 5 million facebook users

        · Protests were planned by activists

        o These were inspired by events in Tunisia

        · 20% of Egyptians had access to interent

        o Therefore, they used taxi drivers to spread their message

        · 25th January 2011 – Beginnings of uprising

        · Obama supported Mubarak

        o This made many Egyptians angry

        o They felt content for Obama

        o These were reasons for a more active protest

        · The government switched off communication – internet and mobile networks

        o People cut off from each other. 25th Feb

        · However, they didn’t really need it for their plan

        o Only used it to deceive police of where the demonstrations were going to be.

        · As people didn’t know what was happening, the actually went outside to see.

        · The internet later went back on

        o People received many patriotic messages from the government but they did not care

        · The army, strongest institution in Egypt

        o Paid 1.3 billion to empower it.

        · As they finally sided with the protestors – Mubarak had no other choice but to step down

        Notes From Articles

        Print in 2013: Newspapers cut costs and seek tablets of salvation

        • Just over £1bn is forecast to be spent on national newspaper advertising, 9% less than 2012 and nearly two-thirds less than the £2.55bn in 2005.
        • Attention will be on Murdoch's plan to spin off News Corporation's newspaper and book publishing assets from his more lucrative film and TV businesses, which will result in more pressure to address the £1m-a-week losses a week at the Times
        • the publisher of the Guardian is planning to cut 68 journalist posts in order to help reduce its editorial budget by £7m, after a £44.2m loss in the year to the end of March
        • There will be a relentless battle between cost-cutting and product investment and development," - Douglas McCabe
        • The new business will face major changes, but scrapping the papers' online paywall is not likely to be one of them.
        • Other potential sellers are Russian billionaire Lebedev, who is looking for an investor to share the losses at the Independent and Independent on Sunday, and Financial Times
        • Lebedev might consider the same for one of the market's few bona fide success stories, the cut-price 20p national i
        • The i has done well and imagine what would happen at 1m-plus copies a day out there... A better read than The Metro
        • The magazine market will face a projected 7% slide in ad revenue and there has been no growth since 2005; like newspapers, magazines have to get to grips with digital strategy.
        • Sales of the top 100 magazines have plummeted by 31% from about 31m to 21m over the last decade
        • huge sales expected this Christmas, 2013 should be the year of the tablet.
        • "The key will be tablets and how publishers get to grips with monetising [them], - Jo Blake
        • New chief executive Simon Fox will be hoping that the revitalisation is not derailed by the allegations of phone hacking reaching beyond News International.

        BBC and ITV apologise to Lord McAlpine for sex abuse allegations

        • The BBC and ITV have apologised to Lord McAlpine at the high court for "disastrously" and falsely linking him to allegations of child sex abuse.
        • The BBC and ITV have already agreed to pay the Tory peer damages of £185,000 and £125,000 plus legal costs respectively.
        • McAlpine, the former Conservative party chairman, took action against the BBC over a bungled Newsnight report in early November that falsely linked him to an allegation of child sex abuse.
          • The following week, Phillip Schofield brandished a list of senior Tory politicians allegedly linked to child sex abuse live on air during ITV1's This Morning.
        • "Notwithstanding that the allegations against him had finally to be shown to be false, Lord McAlpine understandably remained extremely hurt and distressed by the broadcast."
        • Ian Felstead, the solicitor representing ITV, apologised unreservedly to McAlpine, but said neither Schofield nor the broadcaster had intended to make the allegations.
        • Andrew Reid (McAlpines Solicitors), said the legal costs paid by the BBC and ITV amount to nearly £200,000 in total, on top of the damages payments amounting to £310,000.
        • nearly 1,000 Twitter users had written to McAlpine to apologise for tweets that falsely linked him to allegations of child sex abuse.
        Twitter active users pass 200 million
        • Twitter now has more than 200 million active users around the world
          • 10 million of those in the UK
            • Its rapid growth as a social media tool.
        • Twitterati has shot up from 140 million in May,
        • major events such as the presidential election in the US and the Olympics converting more people from passive to active users
        • ore than 500 million registered users worldwide, the figures show that more than half of those with a Twitter account prefer not to tweet themselves.
        • Mobile growth is also catching on with 60% using smartphone apps – in the UK 80% of active users are using their phones to access content.
        • “There are now more than 200M monthly active @twitter users. You are the pulse of the planet. We're grateful for your ongoing support!" – Tony Wang
        • UK was the fourth biggest Twitter nation, beaten only by the US, Brazil and Japan.
        • June 2012 the top three cities by number of tweets were Jakarta, Tokyo and London. Manchester came in as the second most active city in the UK.
        • ielsen research shows 36% of 35 to 54 year-olds and 44% of 55 to 64 year-olds use their tablets while watching TV.