QU) What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?
The continuing development of digital media technology has a huge significance on media institutions and audiences. The magazine industry is constantly changing and adapting in order to please the audiences views. For instance, the view that print media is in decline could be agreed and disagreed with the older generation would disagree as they believe magazines are still the most effective media form. However, the younger generation would believe that is in decline and have found different platforms in which to obtain knowledge of the music industry.
Take for example Bauer, a german based production company which owns a large portfolio of magazines. It covers a wide range of genres which each suit their own niche market e.g. Q magazine for music, Empire for films etc. Not only does Bauer have a portfolio of magazines but everyday over 10 million people listen to a Bauer media owned radio station. Bauer took over from EMAP in 2008 and has become the leading publisher in Europe.
One of the magazines that is part of Bauer’s portfolio is Q magazine. Q is a multi platform brand. It has its own radio, tv channel, website and awards ceremony. Q aims its reader profile at people aged 30+ with a disposable income and intense interest in the music industry. This means that Q is keeping up to date by allowing their readers not only to become consumers of their magazine but also prosumers by giving them an opportunity to give their input online. The invention of the web is mostly becoming more popular with the younger generation as it allows them to become active rather than just passive and shaping what they are given. The magazine offers the reader the chance to become an active with such things as “cash for questions”, however, online features such as videos and hyperlinks allow the audience to comment and show their interests in seconds rather than waiting for next month’s issue to be released. This point links in with the fact that the webpage can be updated instantly rather than waiting for the next month, making the webpage a much more up to date medium.
Q also helps link the link between the magazine industry and the actual music industry. It offers music artists the chance to be promoted through the brand. For example, April 2010 edition had Lady GaGa on the front cover. This showed Q to be not only realising her recent success at the BRIT awards but cashing in on her success by offering her an article about her career so far, as well as branding her as this generations answer to Madonna. This not only promotes Lady GaGa as an artist but keeps Q on top of the music industry and in giving Lady GaGa an identity that is globally known. The main source of revenue is through advertising with advertising willing to pay excessive amounts in order to get their product in the magazine. Q choose to place adverts they believe will appeal to their reader and discard ones which don’t fit their reader profile. Not only are products such as ‘VO5’ and ‘Jack Daniels’ advertised they also choose to advertise albums that have been released. This keeps the deal ‘sweet’ between magazine and music producers. E.g. April 2010 edition of Q had Parlophone’s “Gorilaz: plastic beach” album on the back page of the magazine. Magazines provide an effective way for albums to be promoted, whether it be the magazine itself or through another part of the brand such as TV or online.
A huge part of modern technology that is set to change the way we consume media is the iPad. The iPad is seens as the best way to consume media on the go. It may even begin the start of the decline of printed media. However there may be something else in 5-10 years that changes things again and is even better than the iPad. For now however, the iPad is seen as the future.
Fanzines also change how music is viewed. The consumer is allowed to become a prosumer by allowing them to give opinionated non printable reviews of their chosen subject or item. Again fanzines can be profitable with revenue only coming from advertisement and not from consumers as producers of fanzines make their products free.
The continuing development of digital media technology has a huge significance on media institutions and audiences. The magazine industry is constantly changing and adapting in order to please the audiences views. For instance, the view that print media is in decline could be agreed and disagreed with the older generation would disagree as they believe magazines are still the most effective media form. However, the younger generation would believe that is in decline and have found different platforms in which to obtain knowledge of the music industry.
Take for example Bauer, a german based production company which owns a large portfolio of magazines. It covers a wide range of genres which each suit their own niche market e.g. Q magazine for music, Empire for films etc. Not only does Bauer have a portfolio of magazines but everyday over 10 million people listen to a Bauer media owned radio station. Bauer took over from EMAP in 2008 and has become the leading publisher in Europe.
One of the magazines that is part of Bauer’s portfolio is Q magazine. Q is a multi platform brand. It has its own radio, tv channel, website and awards ceremony. Q aims its reader profile at people aged 30+ with a disposable income and intense interest in the music industry. This means that Q is keeping up to date by allowing their readers not only to become consumers of their magazine but also prosumers by giving them an opportunity to give their input online. The invention of the web is mostly becoming more popular with the younger generation as it allows them to become active rather than just passive and shaping what they are given. The magazine offers the reader the chance to become an active with such things as “cash for questions”, however, online features such as videos and hyperlinks allow the audience to comment and show their interests in seconds rather than waiting for next month’s issue to be released. This point links in with the fact that the webpage can be updated instantly rather than waiting for the next month, making the webpage a much more up to date medium.
Q also helps link the link between the magazine industry and the actual music industry. It offers music artists the chance to be promoted through the brand. For example, April 2010 edition had Lady GaGa on the front cover. This showed Q to be not only realising her recent success at the BRIT awards but cashing in on her success by offering her an article about her career so far, as well as branding her as this generations answer to Madonna. This not only promotes Lady GaGa as an artist but keeps Q on top of the music industry and in giving Lady GaGa an identity that is globally known. The main source of revenue is through advertising with advertising willing to pay excessive amounts in order to get their product in the magazine. Q choose to place adverts they believe will appeal to their reader and discard ones which don’t fit their reader profile. Not only are products such as ‘VO5’ and ‘Jack Daniels’ advertised they also choose to advertise albums that have been released. This keeps the deal ‘sweet’ between magazine and music producers. E.g. April 2010 edition of Q had Parlophone’s “Gorilaz: plastic beach” album on the back page of the magazine. Magazines provide an effective way for albums to be promoted, whether it be the magazine itself or through another part of the brand such as TV or online.
A huge part of modern technology that is set to change the way we consume media is the iPad. The iPad is seens as the best way to consume media on the go. It may even begin the start of the decline of printed media. However there may be something else in 5-10 years that changes things again and is even better than the iPad. For now however, the iPad is seen as the future.
Fanzines also change how music is viewed. The consumer is allowed to become a prosumer by allowing them to give opinionated non printable reviews of their chosen subject or item. Again fanzines can be profitable with revenue only coming from advertisement and not from consumers as producers of fanzines make their products free.
The main significance of modern technology is that it will constantly make magazines change themselves and better themselves as there is lots of competition from older publishers.
EAA 15/20
EG 15/20
T 7/10
Total - 37/50
Moderators Feedback
The media area used for the response is magazines. In the introductory paragraph the candidate is not necessarily addressing the question set- but this does set up the response well. The candidate responds with excellent institutional knowledge and understanding, accompanied with good exemplification on Bauer and ‘Q’ magazine. The candidate provides a context to the size of Bauer as an institution. The significance of digital technology is explained by the candidate in relation to institution size and scale and this is examplified in relation to the question.
The response goes on to suggest what benefits digital initiatives have for the audience e.g. interactive content and opportunities for instantaneous feedback to fans as a recognized advantages over the published monthly. The response develops further by making a link between digital initiates and synergies within the institution and the candidate shows a highly proficient ability to evaluate and analyse the significance of this for the publication – an example of meeting high Level 3 criteria for explanation/ analysis and argument.
Towards the end of the candidate’s response there is evident discussion of iPads and what this means for the industry, an attempt by the candidate to consider possibilities for the future of magazine publications in contrast to more traditional fan/fanzine ties that magazines have – made possible by e-readers and downloadable magazines. Media terminology is mostly accurate.
This is a highly proficient level three response, which meets criteria very well across all three-assessment objectives.
EAA 15/20
EG 15/20
T 7/10
Total - 37/50
Moderators Feedback
The media area used for the response is magazines. In the introductory paragraph the candidate is not necessarily addressing the question set- but this does set up the response well. The candidate responds with excellent institutional knowledge and understanding, accompanied with good exemplification on Bauer and ‘Q’ magazine. The candidate provides a context to the size of Bauer as an institution. The significance of digital technology is explained by the candidate in relation to institution size and scale and this is examplified in relation to the question.
The response goes on to suggest what benefits digital initiatives have for the audience e.g. interactive content and opportunities for instantaneous feedback to fans as a recognized advantages over the published monthly. The response develops further by making a link between digital initiates and synergies within the institution and the candidate shows a highly proficient ability to evaluate and analyse the significance of this for the publication – an example of meeting high Level 3 criteria for explanation/ analysis and argument.
Towards the end of the candidate’s response there is evident discussion of iPads and what this means for the industry, an attempt by the candidate to consider possibilities for the future of magazine publications in contrast to more traditional fan/fanzine ties that magazines have – made possible by e-readers and downloadable magazines. Media terminology is mostly accurate.
This is a highly proficient level three response, which meets criteria very well across all three-assessment objectives.
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