Wednesday 23 February 2011

The Mutualisation of News- The Guardian Article

This article focuses on the growing emergence of citizen journalism and the fact that newspaper companies and journalists need to find a way of interacting with the audience . However, the article looks at the quality of the news on the Internet, with social networking sites such as Twitter , where journalists can speak their mind without having to refrain to any rules or regulating bodies. Most importantly, this article stresses the need for journalists and newspaper companies to be more approachable to their readers and to make them a part of the news, for example researching.

Important quotes from the article

"The web has led to a news community where ideas and news are shared rather than delivered."

This quote infers that web based news allows for greater audience interaction, whereby the news can be shared by citizens and many also be delivered to a wider audience.

The Guardian and Observer, like all other newspapers, used to operate a "tablet of stone" model of journalism in which we controlled the delivery of news and comment to our readers and the only involvement they had was through the carefully controlled letters page.

The traditional newspapers used to control comments by the audience on letters page and we able to control the way in which they delivered the news.

'The development of the Internet, and with it the creation of "citizen journalists", has revolutionised the delivery of information' to the point where Rusbridger now sees our 'journalists and readers as equal partners'.

The popular platform of the Internet has created citizen journalists who have the power to deliver the news and can submit stories to journalists, hence the relationship between the journalist and readers has become stronger.

"The mutualisation of news is a very powerful idea that particularly works for the Guardian, as our relationship with our readers is very strong. We can use the community of our readers in ways we would not have been able to in the past."

The readership of newspapers such as The Guardian is helpful for the newspaper company, as their readers can have input on different stories and can suggest new stories which could be of interest to other readers.

Rusbridger gives the example of Comment is Free, which has completely changed the conventional model that a newspaper has a small core team of columnists filtering world events through only their eyes. Comment is Free now has nearly 1,000 think pieces a month from a broad range of writers, and comments from many thousands of commentators. Page traffic in May 2009 rose to 9.3m, compared with 7.6m the year before.

Comment is Free is infinitely richer and more diverse and more plural.

Rusbridger says the Guardian should build trust by behaving like the old-style mutual building societies, where members feel involved and where there is a shared interest.

"By continuing to go down this route, we will be more diverse, and genuinely more plural than other media organisations and create a huge external resource. We need to continue breaking down the perceptions of a remote journalist who is a preacher, living distantly, and newspapers as being in bed with power and on the side of power, rather than the reader.

"We need to get writers into the mindset where we tell less and listen more, not just in send mode but receive mode, where publishing an article is the beginning of a process and not the end of it."

This shows how news needs to be more plural in the way it is delivered, as audiences are encouraged to voice their opinions and to cooperate with journalists on specific stories or news which might be ground breaking.

Rusbridger believes new applications such as Twitter make it increasingly possible for individual journalists to publish outside the constraints of our newspaper and website and develop direct relationships with communities of readers. He gives the example of Guardian journalist Jemima Kiss, who had more than 12,000 followers on Twitter in June 2009 and uses them to get help in researching stories.

The emergence of social networking sites allows journalists to be more plural, as they have the chance to view their own liberal views about certain topics. Also, they have the opportunity to engage with their readers and can talk to them and gain input on stories which they have produced or are thinking of producing.

"It's a journalist's dream," says Rusbridger, "because there are all these people out there who can bombard her with all the information she needs. It represents a blurring of the lines between journalism and readers. She says: you help me with researching this story and I will let you know when it is ready."

The Guardian technology pod had 682,000 followers on Twitter in June 2009, which is nearly twice as large as the number of people who buy the Guardian every day.

Quality of journalism in the digital age

The constant proliferation of media bring about the debate on whether the quality of journalism is to a high standard, as newspapers tend to be regulated and monitored by editors. However, social networking sites such as Twitter are unregulated by editors and allow for the journalists to voice their opinions and include content which is outside of the Guardian's own publishing platforms. In this way, the journalists have a strong relationship between the audience and are more plural.

Rusbridger says it is important that journalists treat any information coming from the public as a primary source that needs to be checked like everything else.

The need to check information from the public is vital for newspaper companies and journalists, as certain information might be false or inappropriate.

Death of Ian Tomlinson

The investigation into the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 demonstrations in London was an excellent example of linking traditional journalism with information from the public.

Alan Rusbridger says: "At the heart of this story was reporter Paul Lewis doing what a traditional reporter should do. The death of Tomlinson raised barely a mention in the other media. The official police version was that he died of a heart attack while they were trying to rescue him under a hail of bottles. Lewis was sceptical of the police version and started interviewing the family, retracing the route and raising questions in the paper and on his Twitter feed.

" As Lewis began to write, people started looking through their cameras and their mobile phones, and a fund manager from New York realised he had captured the assault on Tomlinson and it was an extremely dramatic piece of film.

The availability of audiences on Twitter proves to be useful and beneficial to journalists who can retrieve evidence of violence for example from protests and can use evidence such as video clips and sound clips in order to report on stories such as student protests. Also, the audience can also aid in uncovering the truth about cover ups such as the G20 protests and can aid journalists on ground breaking stories.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainability/report-mutualisation-citizen-journalism

The Guardian article on App store app subscriptions

This article focuses on the latest reform to the Apple App Store, with subscriptions being placed on services such as magazines, newspapers and music. This latest implementation derives from the fact that app publishers gain most profit and Apple is left with a little. By charging consumers for the content, Apple will end up becoming more profitable.

Apple launches subscription service for magazines, newspapers and music


Apple will keep 30% of revenue from subscriptions bought through its App Store

The Daily, an electronic newspaper designed for the iPad The Daily, an electronic newspaper designed for the iPad, is the first publication to use Apple's new charging system.

Apple has launched a new subscription service for magazines, newspapers and music bought through its App Store, expanding the model developed for Rupert Murdoch's iPad newspaper the Daily.

The new charging system, which is used for apps on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, will allow publishers to set the price and length of recurring payment plans. Apple will keep 30% of the revenue from subscriptions in most instances.

Until now, publishers have been restricted to selling each issue of their magazine or newspaper individually. News Corporation's recently launched venture the Daily is the first publication to use the new system, charging 99 cents (61p) a week for the iPad-only US title.

Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive said in a statement: "Our philosophy is simple – when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30% share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100% and Apple earns nothing.

"All we require is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same – or better – offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one click right in the app.

"We believe that this innovative subscription service will provide publishers with a brand new opportunity to expand digital access to their content on to the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, delighting both new and existing subscribers."

Apple will process all subscriber payments and take a 30% cut. But publishers can also sell digital subscriptions to their apps through their website. Customers will choose how much personal information – in addition to their name, email address, postcode and billing details – to hand over to the publisher.

The technology giant's control over its App Store payments plan has long been a cause for concern for content companies. Publishers want to have access to subscriber data which can provide lucrative demographics on which to base advertising campaigns and targeted reader offers.

The move is something of a compromise by Apple, which has remained reluctant to relax its App Store guidelines.

However, Apple will still prevent publishers from including in-app links to other purchases made outside the app. Apple has previously rejected Sony's Reader app for giving customers access to some content outside of its app.


Tuesday 15 February 2011

Difference between app store on iPod, Mac, iPad

Generally , the Apple App store is regarded as one of the most successful ventures by Apple, with more than $10 billion downloads of apps being breached. Though the most fascintating thing about the app store is that it caters for a range of devices, such as Apple's iPod, Mac, itouch, iPhone and iPad. By having the app store available for different devices, the audience can gain more out of apps which are available for every device and not just for thier iPhone. In contrast to thier rivals, the Android Marketplace and the OVI store, the audience can download apps to a range of devices such as a Mac and are not restricted to 1 device.

Notably, the Mac Apple app store's availability on the web allows consumers to select apps and preview them before they buy them. This service is more sophisticated , as the consumer can browse apps by category, such as games, or do a quick search for something specific. In accordance, the audience can also be recommended to buy specific Mac apps, by reading developer descriptions and user reviews. The web service for the app store allows audiences to be updated for the latest apps which are available and can flip through screenshots to preview its graphics, functions and quality.

Likewise, the app store on the iPod touch is similar with the Mac app store, as the audience can preview apps and can read reviews of apps which have been recommended by developers. Though, the itouch differs to the Mac, as the audience can watch trailers of specific apps , for example games such as Assasssin's Creed Altair's Chronicles. Like the iPhone, the audience can buy apps and be updated by Apple for the latest apps which are out . However, the iTouch's apps have to be brought through iTunes, which is another service provided by Apple, where the audience can purchse music, games and apps based around music, entertainment and work.

The iTunes store provides a base for music institutions to gain profits, as audiences have to pay for tracks or pay a fee for albums. In this way, Apple is helping music instituions , as the wave of piracy has damaged music institutions, as thier music can be downloaded illegally. What's more, iTunes also stores movies and television shows which can be downloaded and viewed at any time. The convergence offered on the Mac, itouch and iPad is more sophisticated, as the audience can preview apps and download games, movies or music from one device or a range.

The launch of the iPad in 2010 was the most eagerly awaited launch of a digitial device, as Apple was revolutionising the market with a device that could converge different services into a mobile device. The fact that the iPad stores books, games, music and a range of devices allows the audience to be more pluralistic in terms of what they download and the features they can view. Though many critics have lablelled the iPad as" a giant iPhone", thus suggesting that the features are the same as those on the iPhone. Though, the iPad is exceptional, as the larger screen and display allows the audience to read newspapers such as 'The Guardian' and also allows audiences to access email , video , images and a host of features which would not be available on any other of Apple's devices.

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Is Murdoch's The Daily any good?

Within this specific article, the aesthetic qualities of the The Daily on the iPad have been scrutinised due to the fact that the usability and the experience of using the application just is not good.

The carousel navigation seemingly resembles the iTunes and seems quite easy to locate different articles. To an extent, the designers felt that was the simplest way to give a good overview of all the content, and subconsciously remind the user that this is an iTunes-style paid content environment – though you can't burn your existing digital publications and view them through the Daily. In addition, the application is hindered, due to the poor quality of the page images, which resemble JPGs that have been copied again and again.

As you progress through to one of the sections – news, opinion, sport, apps and games, arts and life and gossip, a progress bar appears which reinforces the feeling there is a different design feel for each content section and that these are almost separate magazines.

Stephen Fry beautifully articulated at the UK launch of the iPad, we are human beings and respond emotionally to things, not functionally. This suggests that people would gradually become used to using the iPad over time. Though the complexity of the functions may be too much for consumers

Many people and companies such as Mashable ( a social media group) feel that the Daily is "a second-rate magazine, not a newspaper". Therefore many consumers may feel that the iPad is not revolutionary in terms of its content, which could be similar to a print newspaper.

However, the Daily offers a more coherent alternative to traditional newspapers, as it contains news/sport/opinion, fashion, gossip, and tech on one newspaper and not four, like the Sunday Times. Therefore, the convergence of the news may give instant gratifications to the consumers, who have a choice to select which content to browse.

Though many critics have dismissed the Daily due its design flaws: "Maybe they've hired a good staff of writers and editors, but they sure need better designers and engineers. The experience just isn't good enough." The fact that a group of writers are working together makes the content more interesting and engaging, yet the aesthetics are seemingly poor for the iPad newspaper.

To an extent the Daily should not be harshly judged , as it offers a range of news, yet there is still some need for newsworthy material. "It's probably not fair to judge the app by its first edition, but there seems to be a lack of hard news and a strong focus on lifestyle stories . The fact that the Daily features a horoscope section is a clear example of its legacy sensibility.

"Also, the news part of the Daily isn't keeping up with recent developments. The story about Egypt, for example, is based on old information and the paper currently makes no mention of the violent clashes that happened in Cairo today." In effect the Daily has flaws with its updating of recent content, as the latest news is not shown , therefore being less reliable for consumers who may turn to other ways of getting their news, for example BBC News websites, pod casts etc.

We'd expect a decent amount of redesign, and it's only fair to see this as a technical beta version of the Daily. But the editorial proposition is a harder thing to refine, and defining what that offer is to potential customers – beyond existing free news and established brands – may turn out to be the Daily's biggest challenge. The hardest challenge for the Daily is to establish itself as a popular brand and to become the 'next big thing', as previously Murdoch failed with ventures into social networking, with MySpace and Aol, which were big money flops.

Murdoch's iPad Daily Newspaper


This article looks at the eagerly anticipated launch of Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Newspaper which will be exclusive on the iPad and will include content from around 150 journalists from newspaper titles such as The New York Times, Dow Times and other News Corp titles. By launching the newspaper on a digital format, Murdoch is trying to 'revolutionise news coverage', in the way the Sun did for tabloid journalism in the 1970s and Fox News did for television in the last decade.

In addition, the fact that Murdoch has invested $30m in the venture suggests that he is trying to advance and be a market leader, as insiders in News Corp have labelled the product, "the future of journalism". The fact that content will be selected from elsewhere at News Corp, creates a powerful blend of popular titles such as Fox News, Wall Street Journal and the altogether more racy New York Post.

Rupert Murdoch described his latest venture as a "game changer" , though he also trying to charge consumers for online access – the Times has a paywall – and Apple's "make consumers pay" ecology is a perfect match for his product. By merging with Apple, News Corp will try to generate more profit and will cater for one device, which will hopefully avoid the need to produce content, say for a number of devices.

What is also unclear is how far the Daily will act as a "walled garden". Will it be easy to link to the external content referred to in the Daily's news items? And will it be possible to link into the Daily's content via an iPad? Significantly, no Daily content will be available on the open internet, thus greatly restricting the pool of potential consumers.

News Corp says it has no plans to bring the Daily to the UK, even though the company is in the process of bidding for BSkyB, and the logic of that purchase would be to create a similarly integrated Times/Sun/Sky News product. Doing so, though, would raise the hackles of competitors worried about News Corp's power, while in the US the company is simply one large player among several media conglomerates.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/feb/02/murdoch-ipad-daily-news-corp?INTCMP=SRCH

Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Newspaper on iPad



The Daily Newspaper is one of the first newspapers which will be launched exclusively on Apple's iPad and requires a subscritption fee in order to access the content. The paper itself will be 'will be offered at 99c for a weekly subscription or $40 for a year'. The fact that The Daily will be exclusive to the iPad enables no other website, partner print product or smartphone or rival tablet version to compete with the iPad.

The paper itself will include content from 100 journalists , but will also include additional material from journalists at the Atlantic, the New Yorker, AOL and the New York Times as well as News Corp titles the Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Dow Jones. News is being characterised as commuter-friendly, concise, sport, entertainment and gossip, immediately pitches it against free print titles as well as current customisable tools such as Instapaper.

Apple is expected to use the launch to announce a new system for in-app subscriptions. Publishers are likely to have to relinquish 30% of their subscription revenues to Apple in the same way that app developers do. In effect, this would mean that News Corp makes just 66c per weekly subscription. Murdoch has said he anticipates it will take 800,000 readers to make the Daily viable.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2011/feb/02/the-daily-murdoch-ipad-newspaper?INTCMP=SRCH

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Steve Jobs and his anti porn campaign on the iPad

In this article from The Guardian, Steve Jobs, head of Apple is campaigning and vowed to make the iPad censored, as he feels that children can access it easily and can influence them in the wrong way.

Quotes from the article

Steve Jobs is hardly shy of a battle – and his latest target is pornography. He wants to keep it off Apple products.

"Many magazine publishers developing "apps" for the new iPad... have had to self-censor".

"... the iPad version is mockingly known as "the Iranian version", because of the amount of censorship required to get it approved for Apple's App Store".


"Germany's Stern magazine saw its app pulled because it runs topless photo spreads."

"You know, there's a porn store for Android [phones using Google's software]. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That's a place we don't want to go – so we're not going to go there."

"It is not only porn that seems to trouble Apple. In the last few months, it has banned an app with political cartoons (by a Pulitzer-winning cartoonist – though it quickly relented), and a gay travel guide to New York (too much skin, and an unflattering caricature of Sarah Palin)".

"Apple points to section 3.3.17 of its developer agreement: "Materials . . . that in Apple's reasonable judgment may be found objectionable; [eg] materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic or defamatory."

"... given that the iPad includes a web browser, cannot help but let the monster of porn and donkey of defamation clatter in, no matter how hard you try to keep them out".

"I don't want 'freedom from porn'. Porn is just fine! And I think my wife would agree."

"You might care more about porn when you have kids . . ."

Apple controls exactly what appears on its App Store; to make that match the clean lines of its products and adverts, it needs to enforce a "clean" approach to content.

"Would an app of images of famous classical art nudes be acceptable? Will the big names be treated more leniently than the smaller ones? There was at least an outward appearance of a double standard involving Playboy and Sports Illustrated in the iPhone App Store when Apple's rules were tightened earlier in the year."

Phil Schiller, Apple's vice-president of marketing, made the rather weak claim earlier this year that the reason they were allowed – and others were banned – was that they came from "a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format".

"... how well-known do you have to be, exactly, for Apple to decide your content is OK? To that, there isn't an answer. But Jobs might email one soon".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/25/ipad-porn-free-steve-jobs?INTCMP=SRCH


The Guardian article on a banned sex app

This article from The Guardian focuses on a British program which was banned by Apple , as it allowed audiences to read the Kamasutra. This program also allowed audiences to select and read a range of literature from the library of Project Gutenberg, the respected website that hosts out of copyright books.

Important Quotes from the article

A British-made iPhone program has been banned by Apple - because it could allow people to read the Kama Sutra.

Eucalyptus, a book reading application developed by Edinburgh programmer James Montgomerie, allows users to download and read thousands of classic titles from the library of Project Gutenberg, the respected website that hosts out of copyright books.

But after repeated attempts to get Eucalyptus onto the iPhone's popular App Store, Montgomerie was told that his application was being rejected because one of Gutenberg's books happens to be Sir Richard Burton's 1883 translation of the famous guide to sex.

In a series of emails, Apple told Montgomerie that allowing access to the Kama Sutra meant that the program "contains inappropriate sexual content", in violation of the rules for iPhone software.

However, not only does Eucalyptus not actually contain the book itself - users would have to actively find it and then download it - but the same title is already accessible through a number of other popular ebook applications for the iPhone, and even through the handset's web browser.

"I'm frustrated that they would want to censor that, especially because there are so many other ways of getting the same content," Montgomerie told the Guardian.

The 29-year-old - who used to work for Apple as a software developer - says he did not even realise the Kama Sutra was part of the Gutenberg project. Indeed, it is so buried in the library's 28,000 titles that he was surprised that an Apple employee managed to find it before deeming it unsuitable.

"I'd never even thought about searching for it before," he said. "You have to type either "kama' or 'sutra' before it appears. It doesn't seem likely that they were searching for something else and yet it seems absurd that they were searching for that."

The news comes just weeks after Apple was forced into an embarrassing U-turn when it had to ban the controversial "Baby Shaker' application after approving it. The 99-cent game, which simulated shaking a baby to death, highlighted growing concern over Apple's inconsistent policies.

Montgomerie told the Guardian that although the situation has left him frustrated, it will not put him off developing for the iPhone. As a temporary solution to the problem, he has submitted a new version of Eucalyptus to Apple which specifically blocks the Kama Sutra - and says he hopes that bureaucracy will not get in the way this time.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/may/21/apple-iphone?INTCMP=SRCH

Article on Apple's rejection of Sony Reader App

This article revolves around the fact that Apple has the power to decide on which apps to include in the app store, as they would want an app which is original and is effective in terms of its use. Most importantly, the article is an example of how Apple has rejected apps, in this case the Sony Reader app, as the audience can make purchases outside the app store and sell content in the app. In this way, Sony makes a profit, which Apple is concerned about and are trying to revert, so that the purchases can be made to Apple. Yet, the article debates that this will be beneficial to publishers as their content will be bought. Though, the fact that publishers have to pay 30 percent in commission may be damaging to their business, as they have to edit their content in order to please Apple. Therefore, a moral panic around this could be that audiences feel that Apple has more power of what content people can receive or not.

Important Quotes from the article

Apple Rejects Sony Reader App, Tightens Grip on Content Sales

From now on, all in-app purchases must go through Apple.

Apple has reportedly rejected Sony's reader app from the App store for selling content within the app and letting customers make purchases outside the App store (such as within the Sony Reader Store, according to The New York Times.

"We always wanted to bring the content to as many devices as possible, not one device to one store."

The news comes the day before Apple and News Corp. are supposed to debut News Corp.'s new digital magazine The Daily, and many observers predict Apple will use that opportunity to unveil a new subscription system.

"Publishers may now need to start paying Apple the 30 percent commission"

Therefore, Apple will end up with more profit, as they get some of the publishers' profit. However, audiences may feel that Apple is too powerful and unfair, as the publishers have to pay commission and not get a large profit.

"Publishers will also have to make sure all apps comply with Apple's developer guideline by March 31".

The fact that they have to comply with Apples' stantdards may have oppositional readings from publishing companies, as Apple is seemingly deciding which contetn is suitable and enforce the audience to conform to thier standards.

"...impact on the emergence of other digital newsstands as well as other dotcom giants like Amazon that offer free mobile apps..."

"... requiring people to access more content from more sources on their iPhones and iPads would require more people to buy more devices, according to The New York Times.

The fact that more content is available on the iPhone products may means that the audience have to buy more devices to store content, as these current devices may not hold bulky applications

"However, Amazon (and Barnes & Noble) may not face the same problems as Sony because they enable consumers to buy books directly from their sites, which wasn't the case with the Sony Reader Store".

The fact that Amazon Kindle allows the audience to buy books from a website causes problems for Sony where you have to pay the Sony Store to buy products

"Apple's new policy could actually benefit smaller and medium-sized publishers by offering a far larger audience through the App store than they could ever get through print". "

Smaller publishing companies can be recognised and can generate profit from appealing to a wider audience in the app store

"... mark an improved user experience and allow for easier access to their chosen material, directly from the App Store."

Audiences can easily use products on app store and choose what they are looking for in an instant.

Marcus Grimm, marketing director at Nxtbook Media implies that

" Publishers can get their content on these devices effectively without spending an arm and a leg, particularly if Apple wants 30 percent of said limbs."

http://www.audiencedevelopment.com/2011/apple+rejects+sony+reader+app+tightens+grip+content+sales

App Store Audience

In regards to the audience, the app store is predominately aimed at adults comprised from the A/B/C1 socio economic group, as the cost of the iPhone products, for example the iPhone 4 is in the regions of £400 - £600, therefore an older audience would have enough disposable income to buy the iPhone or similar products, as well as the apps which come with a price. The standard or the apps and thier uses make them suitable to the higher socio economic group, as they would purchase apps of value and would serve thier academic or finer interests, for example iLuv Mozart and the Periodic Table of the Elements which intends to be educational and pleasures for the audience.

Apple App Store Case Study Presentation

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Impact of New and Digital Media Case Study

12. Consider theoretical perspectives in relation to the impact of new/digital media in your case study.

The Apple App Store enables audiences to form relationships with other people, as there are specific apps such as Skout which focus on dating, yet social networking apps such as Twitter and Facebook allow the audience to form relationships with friends and family. In addition, apps such as 'Yada home' allow the audience to compile lists in order to do activities with their family. Yet, the App store is also a place for diversion, as the audience can purchase apps for gaming, entertainment and for social networking, therefore the app store provides these gratifications for the audience. In accordance, the audience have the power to purchase apps which are orientated around themselves and their specific interests, for example apps such as 'Noter2Lite' and 'NoteWire' allow the audience to organise their notes and documents, thus enabling them to be more organised. Similarly, apps such as 'Goal Happy' allow the audience to strengthen their identity, as they can become confident by setting goals and achieving them in short steps. As well as this, certain apps in the App Store focus on surveillance, with news apps such as 'BBC News' and 'Sky Sports News' allowing the audience to be informed of current affairs and sport by the minute.

In regards to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the audience seem to purchase apps in order to fit into the crowd and make friends, as the apps that are available encourage interaction and the fact that the iPhone is successful makes people want to buy them and access the features offered by the device. The App Store also provides self actualisation needs and self esteem needs, as the audience may select apps which build confidence or enable them to strengthen current skills such as remembering things and enhancing their vocabulary by using apps such as 'Goal Happy' and 'Five a Day', where the audience have to learn five words a day.

In regards to hegemony, the fact that a vast number of consumers purchase apps from the App Store results in many institutions generating sums of money. Most importantly, the main institution Apple has the power to accept or reject applications on the basis of whether the apps are same as other apps, or if they carry the same purpose. This power held by the leading insitutions shows how they can control the means of mental production, as Apple chooses apps which would be successful or even generate more profit.

The fact that the institutions control the means of mental production suggests that they can influence what apps are included in the apps store. Yet, the audiences are more involved and not passive when it comes to purchasing apps based around their tastes. Therefore, successful apps may be updated or advanced in order to still remain popular.

In terms of globalisation, the Apple App Store is immensely successful, with 280 million apps downloaded in December 2010 and generated $250 million in revenue. Therefore, this shows how successful the institution is , as Apple has its stores in more than 20 countries around the world and distributes apps in foreign languages, for example you can access German newspapers in the App Store. The convergence of technologies on the iPhone and specifically in the App Store allow the audience to have tools in one device, for example a spirit level for building, calculator for maths or calculations, as well as newspaper apps such as the Guardian , which are available in the App Store. Also, the global convergence, allows companies to enter into foreign markets and exhibit or even distribute their products to different countries.



Impact of New and Digital Media Case Study

11. Are there any cross cultural factors and/ or effects of globalisation involved in the impact of new technology on your case study?

The Apple App Store is indeed a globally renowned product, with Apple stores across the world. The fact that the App store offers a diverse range of content enables people from different countries to learn about the lifestyles of people from different countries. Also, the availability of the iphone and simialr products around the world shows how Apple is a global product which can be accessed in different languages. Notably, apps such as 'Learn Writing Chinese' and similar apps for cooking encourage interaction and multiculturalism.

Globalisation is also a key element behind the Apple App Store, as the applications available in the App store are developed in different languages are cater for people from countries such as Saudi Arabia, for example apps such as ' Al Mashahid Al Sayani' is a news magazine which can be accessed in the UK. Similarly, American institutions have an influence in the App store, as applications such as 'Starbucks' and 'NFL Today' enable audiences to catch up with sports from the US in different countries.

Likewise, other apps enable audiences to experience different cultures and lifestyles, for example there are applications such as 'Japanese Recipes' , 'Indian Recipes' and 'microBleach' enable audiences to be more culturalised and more accepting of other cultures.

Impact of New and Digital Media Case Study

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

In terms of censorship and regulation in the app store, institutions such as Apple would find it harder to regulate all of the apps. Interestingly, apps such as '69 positions' and 'iKamasutra' are an example of applications based around adult themes. As these applications can be accessed easily, parents may be concerned at the lack of censorship and regulation on the app store. Though, Apple has been successful in banning apps such as 'Baby Shaker' and 'Wikileaks', but is still urged to do more in order to combat the wave of unregulated content available in the app store.

Similarly, there are also concerns surrounding piracy and applications , as there are applications which include pirated content and enable the audience to watch free movies. Notably, Apple decided to reject a proposal by The Sun newspaper to have an application in the App store, due to the fact that it included Page 3 with 'topless women' and was immediately removed due to complains of nudity and 'obscenity'.

Furthermore, certian audience may have oppositional readings towards texts which may condone violence or sexual content, as these adult apps may be viewed by children and may lead to them being corrupted. Though, other audiences such as adults may find that consumers should avoid these apps or try to add security to thier iPhone over the mass of unregulated content in specific apps.


Impact of New and Digital Media Case Study

9. Consider the effects so far, and possible effects in the future, on media institutions involved in your case study.

In the future, media institutions will end up profiting from launching their products in the app store, as consumers will be able to purchase apps and buy different companies' products. Similarly, music institutions currently have been profiting from applications such as Apple iTunes, as they can produce their content and generate profits by selling tracks or even albums on iTunes.

In accordance, institutions may also benefit in terms of profit, as consumers have the ability to store their applications on their iPhone or smart phones , therefore have the advantage of being able to compile grocery lists on the go or even purchase music applications or songs from i Tunes.

However, media institutions may find that their applications may not be hugely successful, as other technological changes might unfold, leading to even sophisticated methods of purchasing products. Whats more, the media institutions may find that there is too much competition on the app store in the future.

The launch of specific apps on the app store seemingly make the consumer's life easier. Though, media institutions may find that they have to be even more mindful of the current products on the market and may have to launch an app which is even better than other apps. Therefore the process of refining and updating may be beneficial to specific institutions

Impact of New and Digital Media Case Study

8. What are the political and social implications of the new technologies and the methods of their consumption?

The social implications regarding Apple's App Store would be that audiences such as teenagers are able to purchase applications which can suit their tastes and preferences. As well as this, the App Store' would be social trend , as Apple is a global brand and is successful in terms of many apps sold and the usefulness of the applications. The audience may find that the app store is a way of communicating with friends and family and is a way of becoming popular.

Similarly, the political implications of the Apple App Store would be that political parties may use applications for their advantage, for example the Conservative party have an app which measures how many seats they have in parliament and is also an interesting app for voters who can see how popular the party is in government.

In contrast, certain applications in the app store may be of social concern, as there are applications which include sexual and immoral content, for example the 'Real or Fake' application contains sexual content, which could be viewed by children. In previous years, there have been applications which have been banned due to their content. Applications such as 'Baby Shaker' was one of a few apps which was criticised , as the consumer had to try to quiet a crying baby by shaking it. This app caused outrage amongst parents, as they felt the app was 'distasteful and dangerous'. Similarly, applications such as The BILD Girl app was criticised due to its sexual content and lack of censorship, as audiences have to shake the iPhone in order for the girl to strip naked.

Along the same lines, politicians and heads of state were angered at the fact that there was a 'Wikileaks' application available in the app store. Therefore politicians would be concerned at this because the application contained documents which would be a threat to national security and relations between countries such as the UK and the US.

Impact of New/Digital Media Case Study

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?

In terms of the concerns regarding the institutions involved in the Apple App Store, the consequences would be that only 28,000 developers are involved in developing the applications, therefore, a need for a larger staff would be unnecessary.

Notably, different institutions such as Microsoft are concerned with the fact that Apple is trying to trademark 'The App Store', therefore different people may be concerned, as the term 'app' refers to applications in business and is regarded as being too generic.

As well as this, other concerns regarding the institutions may be that there might be competetion between different companies, for example Tesco and Sainsburys might have similar applications and may compete for audience share.

Most importantly, a huge concern posed by the Apple App store would be that there is a lack of regulation, as applications contain violent or adult themes which may be accesed by children. Therefore, Apple would have the main task in trying to regulate some apps on the basis of content.

Impact of New/Digital Media Case Study

6. How have the audience responded to the changes? Is there more consumer choice? Is there evidence of a more pluralistic model? What evidence do you have to support this?

In regards to the changes brought by smartphones, the launch of the Apple App Store in 2007 has enabled the everyday consumer to have a choice in what applications they can purchase. The Apple App Store is more accessible to the consumer, as the applications are organised in set categories, therefore the audience may purchase apps from different categories and can access apps for free.

The pluralistic model would be applied to the Apple App Store, as the audience have the power to purchase applications and have the right to choose whatever applications that they desire or may find engaging or worthwhile. In accordance to this, the audience can purchase apps which encourage interactivity and UGC, for example the consumers can create music and videos on certain applications and may purchase apps for entertainment or educational purposes.

The wider choice of applications and accessibility has proved to be a huge success, as Apple confirmed 10 billion downloads were achieved, which proves that Apple is a successful company due to its products and worthwhile service is offers. Whats more, the fact that newer, advanced apps have been produced and released shows how successful the Apple App Store is.

Impact of New/Digital Media Case Study

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

3 Main Texts

Apple App Store

The current target audience of the Apple App store is comprised of adults and teenagers, as the apps available are more varied in terms of their purpose and may appeal to these groups as they have more money to spend on the apps and may purchase apps in order to fit into a crowd or for personal relationships.

In regards to the original audience, the app store was targeted at an A/B/C1 socio economic group and was exclusively aimed at adults, as they would have more money to purchase a smart phone and would be able to purchase apps.

Ovi Store

Like the Apple App store, the current target audience is comprised of adults and teenagers, as the OVI Store contains apps which are mainly aimed at socialising and entertainment. By purchasing these apps, teenagers gain instant gratifications out of playing games or accessing apps dedicated at social networking or for music.

In regards to the original audience, teenagers were targeted for the applications, as Nokia itself is a long serving brand of mobile phone which has been updated in order to cater to different audiences. Moreover, the OVI Store upon its launch did cater toward teenagers due to the quality of the applications and the purphose of the apps.

Android Marketplace

The Android marketplace is an example of one of the competitors to the Apple App Store. The Android Marketplace is primarily aimed at teenagers, due to the fact that a majority of apps available have the main purpose of entertaining, for example the Sims 3 app and Need for Speed app are aimed at gaming and would be used for escapism and diversion. Yet, there are also apps available which are aimed at adults, for example the American Express app allows the user to play their bills and access their account.

In terms of the original audience, the Android Marketplace is fairly new, yet the audience would be the same, as the apps are aimed at entertainment purposes or even for productivity. Though, like the Apple App Store, the Android Marketplace tries to cater for adults and young professionals , as apps such as American Express and ES Task Manager which is aimed at business and management.

Impact of New/Digital Media Case Study

4. Is the size of the audience any different now than before the impact of new and digitial media (or has the pattern of usage changed)?

Nowadays, the size of the audience has increased , due to the fact that the invention of the Apple App Store caters for the audience's needs, as there are apps which are specifically focused on business and management, as well as entertainment apps which may also appeal to teenagers. The fact that all of these applications are in one device makes it much easier for the consumer to use and gain gratifications from.

Furthermore, the launch of new apps enable the audience to have a wider choice of consuming apps. Notably, apps are available for current affairs, for example the CNN news app enables audiences such as adults to be kept up to date with the current news around the world. In accordance to this, there are also apps which cater for students. Notably apps such as National Geographic World Atlas, Cliff Notes and Periodic, are examples of apps which are aimed at specific subjects and may be of use to students studying chemistry or geography for example.

Therefore, the Apple App store has become larger due to the fact that apps are aimed at different socio economic groups such as succeeders and aspirers and towards different professionals such as businessmen. The availability of these apps enable the audience to interact with the applications' products.