Industries: Ownership and control

Notes

Industries: recap

Industries are the producers, the companies that produce (make) and distribute the media product. 

Industries have a strong interest in who their Target Audience is so that they can best appeal to them. 

Some companies dominate the industry which means they own more of the content and therefore make more money (revenue).

Vertical integration

Vertical integration is when one conglomerate owns different companies in the same chain of production.

E.G Disney owns film studios, CGI specialists, film distributors and TV channels such as the Disney Channel. This gives Disney the chance to make money at every stage of production. Complete ownership = more profit.

Horizontal integration

Horizontal integration is when one company buys other companies at the same level of distribution.

E.G Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 (at a cost of $1 billion) so that they could cancel out the competition by making money from both.

Horizontal integration allows companies to widen their audience and find other ways to make money.

Synergy

Synergy is when a company creates a brand that can be used across different media products and platforms.

E.G Disney makes movies but then also has related stage shows, theme parks, merchandise, soundtracks and events.

Ownership and control: blog task

Read this article from Recode about Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and complete the tasks below:

1) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn in 2012?

They brought Instagram because so they could have have more profit and revenue for their company

2) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration?

The benefits of media companies that have vertical integration are making profits

3) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

The benefits of media companies that have horizontal integration are making revenue

4) What is a subsidiary?

A subsidiary company is the one that is controlled by another company, better known as a parent or holding company. The control is exerted through ownership of more than 50% of the voting stock of the subsidiary. Subsidiaries are either set up or acquired by the controlling company.

5) Give three examples of media companies that have used synergy to maximise the profit from a brand (there is one above to help you).

facebook,instagram and snapchat.

6) Read this BBC article on Disney buying 21st Century Fox. List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire. This graphic may help you: 

1) SKY

2) star wars movies

3) marvel

4)Avatar

5)deadpool

6)modern families 

7) simpsons

8) ABC
9) Lucasfilm
10) The History Channel

7) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits?

According to Disney's CEO Bob Iger, the idea of purchasing Fox's assets came after Disney acquired majority control of the streaming company BAMTech with anticipation to develop its own streaming service (which would eventually be called Disney+, launched in November 2019).

Audience Effects Theory

1) Write a definition of a passive audience:
A passive audience is an audience that watches an event but do not  actively respond to it.

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 
An active audience is a audience who are engaged and interested in the event that they are watching. Active audiences form their own opinions and messages about what they're watching. 

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 
The hypodermic needle theory is that suggests messages are directly passed from the media to the passive audiences brains. This theory was created from the fear of mass media's power over the people's lives.

4) Write down a media product for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification: 

a)Jay Blumler created a book and highlighted his own words in the book and analysed it which was amazing.

b)Elihu Katz theorised many of the authors books and did theory's on many other stuff.

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE:  
 > Why: A way to learn something new and educate yourself such as books, documentaries, the weather and the news.

IDENTITY:

 > Why: A way to personally relate to something on screen and see similarities to your life. 

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: 

 > Why: A way to escape from your own reality and life and distract yourself with something else that entertains you.

RELATIONSHIPS:

 > Why: becoming attached to something and forming a relationship such as characters in a tv show because you watched their life and got to know them.

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

The elements of the blue planet trailer is that they show how the earths ocean has changed over the years.

Extension: To take this further, select a media text of your own choice, embed it in your blog and write another detailed paragraph analysing the audience pleasures in that product.

Reception Theory

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

Dominant, or Preferred Reading - how the producer wants the audience to view the media text. Audience members will take this position if the messages are clear and if the audience member is the same age and culture; if it has an easy to follow narrative and if it deals with themes that are relevant to the audience.

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

Oppositional Reading - when the audience rejects the preferred reading, and creates their own meaning for the text. This can happen if the media contains controversial themes that the audience member disagrees with.

Re-watch the trailer for the film Harry Brown:

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The Harry Brown trailer positions to the audience by the teenagers asulted him and his whole family 

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Young people might reject this because maybe thats not what violence is to them and it might not be suitable for them at very young age.

5) Write a 150+ word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

Preferred

McDonald's gives you a preferred reading of a big mac because so they can advertise the customers the brand new mcdonalds meal.

6) Now find your own advertisement and write a 150+ word analysis using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

Preferred

The Bowl Foodie gives you a preffered reading of a bowl of noodles because then they can advertise their local customers to order a nice bowl of noodles.

Extension task: 

Watch the rest of the Plan B TEDx lecture about his plan to help disadvantaged young people through film and music. Q)Do you agree that he presents a positive view of young people?

I agree with his positive note because he guide's us through negative things which will happen in the future e.g. Youth,Fights and illegal items we should not buy ever of the internet. He always tells us to stay in school and always tells us to stay wealthy in the future of our lives so i agree with the positive view on young people.

October assessment learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

Q1. correct 

Q2. wrong no feedback 

Q3. Nothing to do with the advert in this question 

Q4. Not specific 

Q5. More about font size and colour 

Q6. no feedback 

Q7. Not relevant

Q8. Not quite

Q9. poor way to begin an answer analyse water aid advert in more detail

total mark:4/25   Grade: U

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question:

Q1: 1 mark

Q2: 0 marks

Q3: 0 marks

Q4: 0 marks

Q5: 1 mark

Q6: 1 mark

Q7: 1 marks

Q8: 0 marks

Q9: 0 marks

3) Did you get any media terminology wrong in the assessment? Make a note of it here for future revision:

Yes i think

4) Identify one of your stronger questions. Why did you do better on this question?

Q5 because of how i explained what the film poster is about.

5) Identify one of your weaker questions. Why did you score lower on this particular question?

The 'briefly explain' Questions.

6) Re-draft your answer to Q9 and type it out in full. Use the mark scheme to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure your typed re-draft is a top-level answer of at least three paragraphs. 

● Excellent knowledge and understanding of the
theoretical framework, demonstrated by
consistently effective explanation of why
advertisers use children.

● Consistently appropriate and effective
reference to the Water Aid advert.

● Consistently appropriate and effective use of
media terminology throughout.