The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.
In this essay I will look into whether the new/digital media has either empowered the audience and use real life examples to try and reason with that. This will look into how whether the development of new/digital media makes the audience more powerful. Or does it do the opposite in the sense that the new/digital media is empowering institutions with information.
The argument for this view would be that the development of New and Digital Media can in fact empower the audience in terms of production. In this case seeing as to how platforms such as YouTube can enable an audience to distribute content means that they can be considered just in competition with other big news institutions such as Fox or Sky who would also distribute content in this platform. This can present how online can really empower an audience into creating their own UGC. As well as YouTube, digital media has also empowered an audience through citizen journalism. Now news corporations are relying on citizen journalism to portray the narrative of a story to put perspective into it. This has also empowered an audience as they would be considered just as newsworthy. As well as producing content, audiences are also empowered with the freedom of speech that online can offer. Whether it is message boards or social media, the audience now have been empowered by having a following that may support your ideologies. Social media can be considered a strong and empowering force for an audience that it would also change the way that they consume the news. Because of the ease of access of digital media, audiences are informed better than in comparison to newspapers. This would be evidenced with the Buenos Herald going weekly. This would be because of the way that an audience would consume the media. This change from daily to weekly can suggest that the newspaper would be a much weaker option. A quote that would enforce this would be "Paradigm Shift - on par with the printing press". This quote would suggest that the digital media would be considered just as important of a revolution as the printing press. This can highlight its significance that would also look into this. As well as that there is also the other quote that would support this which is "The internet is an empowering tool...an exciting and revolutionary prospect". This can also reinforce the how it can be empowering to an audience since social media can influence companies. Examples of this would be how Starbucks had presented tweets on a screen and hate tweets had also appeared on the screen questioning why they are avoiding tax.
In addition to this there is also the empowerment of an audience through consumption. Compared to then past when video broadcasting platforms like YouTube or before the internet had introduced catch-up television, the audience had to always rely on the broadcasting schedule of the channel. As well as that there is also the limited time for news to be live on television with the varied 6pm and 10pm news that the BBC has. Each channel broadcasting different content. Since the 6pm news slot for BBC1 is set before the watershed, this would mean that less explicit news stories would have aired. In comparison to the 10pm news which would show more explicit content and also have a target audience of adults. This scheduled news would be revoked with the introduction of the BBC News website that would host a wide array of news that would present any sort of news at any time. This would empower the audience because now they can look into different stories without the worry of having some of the different areas in which this would also allow for audiences to read about various topics. This will also look into the different areas in which this will also be one of the different areaqs in which this will also be produced.
However the argument against this view would be that the new and digital media isn't empowering an audience but rather big companies. This view would take a more Marxist view into this as it looks into how an audience are only being influenced by the media to behave in a specific manor that is deemed acceptable. This would be evidenced with the theory of hegemony. This theory looks into how the media would portray or reinforce "common sense" into the audience whether it would be by making an audience seem to see what is acceptable and what isn't. Seeing as to how it would require the media to make an audience understand what is acceptable, it would reinforce the quote of "Web pages and blogs are like a million monkeys typing nonsense". This would go against the uses and gratification theory and present that audiences wouldn't be able to make a valid response rather than hating on something for no reason. As well as that there is also the quote which is "Top 5% of all websites accounted for almost 75% of user volume". This can present a Marxist view as to how a small percentage of websites would hold the most web traffic in the sense that there would be a small list of websites that consumers would definitely go to. This can also suggest how audiences rely on these institutions and try to make sure that the audience would be considered as a reliable source of content. This could then show as to how there would be an institutional empowerment.
In conclusion, I think that audiences are empowered to a certain extent. This would be because it can be argued that institutions have the potential to influence audiences. However it does vary dependent on which side would be in favour. As well as the situation as controversy can empower the audience.
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