The Future of Journalism
1) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?
It holds powerful institutions and individuals responsible for their actions
2) What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?
Newspapers traditionally relied on advertising revenue rather than sales but the internet disrupted this systems and companies now advertise on websites
3) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?
people no longer consume news as a full newspaper package and rather read individual stories rather then the whole newspaper
4) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?
The scandal might have spread much quicker and spread wider which would have increased pressure on the church to respond
5) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls?
they limit the ability of people to share news stories and fewer people can read them
6) What is a 'social good'? In what way might journalism be a 'social good'?
something that benefits society as a whole even if certain individuals do not pay for it, journalism exposes things and informs people and benefits people who don't read the news.
7) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?
The role newspapers used to play could be replaced by new digital forms of journalism
8) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?
I think that we should keep combining their traditional way of reporting which revolves around them being trustworthy and factual with the new digital ways that they are using so that they reach a much wider more global audience than they would if they stayed a print media product.
Newspapers traditionally relied on advertising revenue rather than sales but the internet disrupted this systems and companies now advertise on websites
3) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?
people no longer consume news as a full newspaper package and rather read individual stories rather then the whole newspaper
4) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?
The scandal might have spread much quicker and spread wider which would have increased pressure on the church to respond
5) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls?
they limit the ability of people to share news stories and fewer people can read them
6) What is a 'social good'? In what way might journalism be a 'social good'?
something that benefits society as a whole even if certain individuals do not pay for it, journalism exposes things and informs people and benefits people who don't read the news.
7) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?
The role newspapers used to play could be replaced by new digital forms of journalism
8) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?
I think that we should keep combining their traditional way of reporting which revolves around them being trustworthy and factual with the new digital ways that they are using so that they reach a much wider more global audience than they would if they stayed a print media product.
Part 2: MM55 - Media, Publics, Protest and Power
Media Magazine 55 has an excellent feature on power and the media. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 38 to read the article Media, Publics, Protest and Power', a summary of Media academic Natalie Fenton’s talk to a previous Media Magazine conference. Answer the following questions:
1) What are the three overlapping fields that have an influence on the relationship between media and democracy?
The political field
Media Magazine 55 has an excellent feature on power and the media. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 38 to read the article Media, Publics, Protest and Power', a summary of Media academic Natalie Fenton’s talk to a previous Media Magazine conference. Answer the following questions:
1) What are the three overlapping fields that have an influence on the relationship between media and democracy?
The political field
The economic field
The journalistic field
2) What is ‘churnalism’ and what issues are there currently in journalism?
pre-packaged material is recycled and paraphrased by news outlets with no original views just being copied and pasted
3) What statistics are provided by Fenton to demonstrate the corporate dominance of a small number of conglomerates?
despite the large amounts of media products available to audiences the power remains concentrated in the hands of a very small group of people
4) What is the 'climate of fear' that Fenton writes about in terms of politics and the media?
Politicians are afraid of negative reviews from media companies and could respond with damaging headlines
5) Fenton finishes her article by discussing pluralism, the internet and power. What is your opinion on this crucial debate - has the internet empowered audiences and encouraged democracy or is power even more concentrated in the hands of a few corporate giants?
I think that the internet has encouraged opportunities for audiences to get information and there is no longer a passive audience as they can comment and share their own opinions. However large corporations still hold all the power and algorithms so they may push certain content and cast a shadow on others.
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