MEST3 Independent case study: New and Digital Media

Case study research tasks

The basics

Your chosen industry: Social media/Internet 
Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Everyday sexism
Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes/No


Audience

1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry?
- The internet and social media allow forums, blogs, tweets and many other methods for people to discuss issues, not just those down the road - but also those miles away, and across the globe. The internet has changed experiences as a variety of views are available, making the world seem to be pulled closer and seem like a 'global village' (Marshall McLuhan).

2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product?
-New and digital media has impacted everyday sexism greatly, as Laura Bates managed to get a lot of attention using a Ted X talk and other social media pages such as sharing experiences by re tweeting sexist experiences.

3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media?
-Yes it has, as many women probably wouldn't be as confident to talk about such issues if they didn't know how many other people are posting they probably would feel reluctant to join. Laura Bates being the opinion leader (2 step flow model) had bought much more courage to females to share their experiences and prove that sexism does still exist and it is a valid problem that females 'have to' put up with and the society see as casual.

4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.)
-New and digital media has allowed the audiences and those who share their stories to be anonymous, and see an up to date running number of experiences posted on the website, they also have a greater choice, as they can buy the book of Everyday Sexism, if they'd rather have that than read the experiences posted online.

5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.)
-Some people may choose to write negative comments in the experience sections and say these females are over-exaggerating and make parodies out of serious problems.




6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media?

7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile.
Females, in the B-D socio-class. 


Institution

1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry?
User generated content has become a huge part of the internet, meaning internet users, i.e. us are able to share our ideologies where ever we want to for example commenting on news articles on BBC.
The industry of social media in specific has allowed us as an audience to have quite a bit of control as well as arguable ownership; because one can now post updates to friends on Facebook; or join in trends with Twitter Hastags or post up vlogs/videos on YouTube. Although this is more ownership and control then the audience once had, this still is moderated, and anything seen as ‘’inappropriate’’ would be deleted.

2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study?
New and digital media has made it much easier for females to share their views online, and realise and share their experiences on what they go through everyday i.e. sexism comments, being objectified and in other words: inequality. New Digital media has provided them with a platform to express their views and feelings, thus demonstrate the fourth wave of feminism.

3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts?
As opposed to the traditional


4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product?
Billboards and TV advertising, are the traditional methods of distribution. Organisations such as Everyday Sexism have done more and promoted by Laura Bates going on the TedX talk, as well as their official website, and Social Media Page and other events such as the Hay Festival and at the South Bank Centre during the women of the world festival. All videos are posted on Youtube, as well as online news sites such as the Guardian, allowing a younger audience as well as an educated audience to be more aware about this campaign.  She also came on several TV interviews that were shown live – such as the BBC Breakfast Show last year.

5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry?
Although women are able to anonymously share experiences, trollers and misogynists, what we would call ‘anti-feminist’ can also access the website and leave disturbing, disrespectful and foolish comments – therefore this can be a threat.


6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated?
Audience can now also ‘remove’ and ‘report’ comments as opposed to just the actual elite i.e. people in control doing this.


UGC

1)What examples of user-generated content can you find in your case study?
Females from all over the world have

2) How has UGC changed things for audiences or institutions in your chosen case study?
UGC has allowed the audience to have more opportunities and methods  of getting their views across and being recognised, as audiences can express themselves and influence others (2 step flow model) to feel a certain way, for example anti-feminists creating Twitter page Menist Twitter to mock Feminism.
However, UGC means it is much more difficult for organisations to control and maintain what is being posted on social media, for example what is trending on Twitter.

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study/industry?
Although audiences are given the power to use and create media texts, and post experiences such as on the Everyday Sexism website; this media is still regulated; and the organisations review this and remove content if it is not meeting ‘standards’ and these are set by the elite, in order to maintain hegemonic control.

2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen case study/industry?
A pluralist would say that new and digital media gives audience a platform to express themselves better; and post whatever they want – i.e. user generated content – therefore audience have power because what they initially post is their choice.

3) Are there any examples of hegemony in your chosen industry or case study?



Globalisation

1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study?
Audiences from all over the world and all ages have made up the 100,000 expreience, and are a worldwide movement for gender equality.

2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why?
Globalisation has had a very posititve impact on the internet – because people are able to get world news and views much better, allowing them to know the world better, as if they are part of a ‘global village’. In addition, globalistation specifically for my case stude (Everyday Sexism) has been highly beneficial as it has enabled over 100,000 stories to be collected, and different views on sexism to be shared- for example sexism in work place for working women, or sexism in school/college and uni for students as well as sexism for a normal female as she walks down the road.

3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world)
Laura Bates is British – therefore there is not much Americanisation in my case study in specific. However, the internet industry is full of cultural imperialism as acronyms and words used are mainly from the American culture.


Social media

1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products?
Twitter/Youtube/Facebook

2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences.

3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study?

Statistics

1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m.
- Laura Bates has now published a book featuring 60,000 women's experiences of sexism.

- The third anniversary of the campaign was in April 2015

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2) What impact have the statistics you have found had on institutions in your chosen industry?

3) What has the impact been for audiences?


Theories

1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13.

Issues/debates

1) What media issues and debates can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media issues/debates and explain how they are relevant to your case study.


Wider examples and secondary texts

1) What other texts or institutions are also relevant to your case study? What would be good secondary texts or examples to use to support the findings of your independent case study?
Taylor Swift & Beyonce supporting Feminism


Ignite presentation

When you have completed your independent case study research, prepare a 20-slide, 5 minute Ignite presentation on your chosen industry and case study. You will present this in class after Easter to widen our overall knowledge of the impact of new and digital media on a variety of industries, examples and texts. Remember the Ignite rules:

• 20 slides
• 15-second auto-advance
• No more than 20 words on each slide

Due: after Easter