Argument = how new technologies has shaped the way audiences consume media.

Paragraph 1:

– Introduce the CSPs briefly

– Historical context

– Technological Advancements

– WOTW was very serious broadcast whereas LH is more casual, shift in society

– WOTW has very iconic sounds, whereas LH has more symbolic for entertainment purposes

– LH tagret audience of teens/young people

– WOTW target of more adults

WOTW overdramtises such as how they say 40 minutes in: I am obsessed with the thought I am the last living man on Earth. people believed this as they couldnt check on google

Paragraph 2:

– PSB

– Mentioning how BBC has a subscription service and its been increased this year

– How the target audience of LH and WOTW has changed

– Social changes

– Clay Shirky end of audience theory

– Henry Jenkins and participatory culture/fandoms

– Hesmondhalgh and how the media is a risky business

– Laswells communciation model and how theres been a shift in audience participation and people now are more media literate. LH includes audience participation such as texting in whereas WOTW doesn’t

Paragraph 3:

– Start to wrap up

– Talk about Stanley Cohen and Folk Devils and Moral Panics and how WOTW links to this

– Cultivation theory and how Gerbners theory links to the spreading of fake news in WOTW

– WOTW spreads propaganda and was provately funded through ads whereas BBC LH is funded by peoples subscriptions

– New media makes users sign into BBC and they can see analytics on what users click on and how long theyre on pages for

– Stuart Hall and theory of preferred reading based on how the BBC LH does shows based on social situations and people can text in with questions

Paragraph 4:

– Conclusion

– both CSPs differ

– Technological advancements

war of the worlds – laswell hypodermic 1920 – 30 – more passive audience – all a one way system

life hacks – theorist more currently – clay shirky – the end of audience – more collaborative and interactive as audience can speak in

theorist

1920/30 – lasswell hypodermic shannon

1940 – shannon + weaver – lazarfield 2 step flow

1960 – uses and grats

1970 – gerbner – skinner v chomksy

1980 – stuart hall – preferred reading

2000 – clay shirky

2019 – zuboff surrillane capitalism

War of the Worlds radio drama had left listeners into suspended disbelief and became famous because it tricked people into believing aliens were invading Earth due to the “breaking news” style of the broadcast. Plot contains Martians invading new Jersey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              People in the 1900’s had less knowledge and were more naïve when it came to media/news –Passive audience/targets a niche audience. The science fiction drama was broadcasted from CBS, which is the Columbia Broadcasting System.  It is a radio podcast of a science fiction novel that was written by H.G Wells.  All in all CBS radio’s ultimate goal was to create publicity.  On it’s opening evening, it was estimated that around 30 million people were tuning into the broadcast and around 80% of Americans owned a radio then. The New York Times headlined a quote that stated ‘Radio listeners in panic, taking war drama as fact’.                                                                                                                                                      The idea of a ‘risky business’ and being hard to meet everyone’s needs. Not being able to predict if an audience will enjoy what is being created. – Hesmondhalgh.                                                                   Clay Shirky- Audience behavior has changed due to the internet and the ability for audiences to create their own content at home thanks to the lower cost of technology. This new audience doesn’t just consume media, but also produces it – creating the term ‘presumer’.                                      Influence of new technology – New media reaches a different and wider network of people/viewers.

War of the Worlds

Narrative and background

War of the Worlds, a science-fiction novel by author HG Wells, was first published in 1898. It is a story of alien invasion and war between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race from Mars.

In terms of historical context, War of the Worlds was broadcasted a year before the beginning of World War 2, In the same year, Nazi Germany invaded both Austria and Czechoslovakia sparking fear of Invasion and war. The majority of the public recieved information on current affairs through radio. At

At the time War of the Worlds was broadcasted, the public didn’t know much about the idea of hybrid genres and was unfamiliar with it especially with radio.

Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBC) , An American broadcasting television and radio company, still around in the present day.

Shirky, The public audience is changing over time, passive to act on areas as technology changes more people can participate.

Hesmondhalgh, the idea of a risky business within media, “the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business“

LIFE HACKS

Audiences: Life hacksradio 1 product has a public service status as part of BBC

Industries: Life Hacks shows how industry targets niche audiences

Life Hacks reflects acceptance of diversity and degree of openness in contemporary culture around personal, social and identity issues

Identification of funding for Radio 1 through license fee, concept of hypothecated tax

How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?

The content that is presented within the show is mainly focused on topics that are conflicted within a younger generation- such as: depression, anxiety, stress with exams as well as university and student life. Also, the presenters would allow the audience to gain a personal relationship with them due to the fact that the audience has an insight on their personal life which would allow them to respond in a positive and relatable  way.

AUDIENCE:

1) What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?The target audience is 15-29 year olds.

2) Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?

Only 41% are in the target audience age range

their median age is 32.90% are white.

58% ABC1

Population average 55%

3) What audience pleasures are offered by Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory

Diversion: listening to different podcasts( reflecting what you are going through)- able to escape from what you are going through by seeking help and allowing yourself to listen to other people’s stories etc.

Personal identity: Being able to relate to stories being told and seeing your character reflected in the different topics mentioned.

Personal relationships: the feeling of support that is experienced as a result of knowing that there is an area/space for advice and help- knowing that people are going through the same thing as you. 

Follows the story of an alien attack on New Jersey in 1938,

In terms of historical context, War of the Worlds was broadcasted a year before the beginning of World War 2, In the same year, Nazi Germany invaded both Austria and Czechoslovakia sparking fear of Invasion and war. The majority of the public recieved information on current affairs through radio. At

At the time War of the Worlds was broadcasted, the public didn’t know much about the idea of hybrid genres and was unfamiliar with it especially with radio.

Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBC) , An American broadcasting television and radio company, still around in the present day.

Shirky, The public audience is changing over time, passive to act on areas as technology changes more people can participate.

Hesmondhalgh, the idea of a risky business within media, “the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business“

LIFE HACKS

Audiences: Life hacks radio 1 product has a public service status as part of BBC

Industries: Life Hacks shows how industry targets niche audiences

Life Hacks reflects acceptance of diversity and degree of openness in contemporary culture around personal, social and identity issues

Identification of funding for Radio 1 through license fee, concept of hypothecated tax

WAR OF THE WORLDS

War of the Worlds holds important historic context that suggests alien invasion represents something from 1930s such as Hitler, Stalin or start of World War 2

Performed and directed on radio by Orson Wells

War of the Worlds broadcast by Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBS) – institution still in existence today

Andrew Crissel wrote book about radio language and understanding radio, he said “Radio is a blind medium” meaning you can’t see it

THEORIES TO CONSIDER:

RECEPTION THEORY – STUART HALL:

END OF AUDIENCE THEORY – CLAY SHIRKY:

Audience behaviour has changed due to the internet and the ability for audiences to create their own content at home thanks to the lower cost of technology

Life hacks–

Media Industries– Radio 1 product and therefore has a public service statusas part of the BBC. The need to represent the nation. Arguments over the need for addressing a youth audience. The influence of new technology on media industries – Life Hacks as multi – platform media product.

Media Audiences– targets a niche audience, cultivation theory including Gerbner and reception theory including Hall. Targets a young audience, life hacks is involved in audience interaction through texts and calls.

War of the worlds–

Episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, directed and narrated by Orson Welles

Media Industries– War of the Worlds was broadcast byColumbia Broadcasting Company, It was broadcasted live as a halloween special at 8pm on Sunday 30 October 1938,Regulation – radio broadcasting was regulated by the Federal Communications Commission and it investigated the broadcast to see if it had broken any laws.

Uses and Gratifications theory:

Life Hacks:

Personal relationships: the feeling of support that is experienced as a result of knowing that there is an area/space for advice and help- knowing that people are going through the same thing as you. 

Personal identity: Being able to relate to stories being told and seeing your character reflected in the different topics mentioned.

Education: learning about different ways of handling problems etc.

Diversion: listening to different podcasts( reflecting what you are going through)- able to escape from what you are going through by seeking help and allowing yourself to listen to other people’s stories etc.

War of the Worlds:

Illustrates a passive audience and doesn’t therefore fit into the uses and gratifications theory.

Clay Shirky:

Audience behavior has changed due to the internet and the ability for audiences to create their own content at home thanks to the lower cost of technology. This new audience doesn’t just consume media, but also produces it – creating the term ‘presumer’

Radio itself declining in the age of active audience communication and interaction

Hesmondhalgh:

The idea of a ‘risky business’ and being hard to meet everyone’s needs. Not being able to predict if an audience will enjoy what is being created.

Passive to Hypodermic message:

The programmes show that there is a shift in media audiences – people are more in touch with the media and actually understand it now. People in the times of War Of The Worlds were less media literate. People in the 1930’s were more naïve and vulnerable.

All in all CBS radio’s ultimate goal was to create publicity. CBS were able to create publicity by being headlined on multiple newspaper articles. For example, The new York Times headlined a quote that stated ‘Radio listeners in panic, taking war drama as fact’. This shows how CBS were able to promote publicity through how vulnerable listeners were due to the commotion caused by WW2.