BrandAware

Note: This is slightly off-topic for BrandAware but it's related to a course I'm doing.  At any rate, The End is a pretty interesting documentary so be sure to check it out. 

CBC’s The End discusses how new media (i.e. the internet, podcasting, streaming video) are replacing traditional media (i.e. print newspapers, broadcast television and broadcast radio) as our major sources of content.

For example, in the field of radio, most major radio stations play a small selection of songs, usually ‘top 40’ in within a broad genre of rock or country. The problem with these traditional stations is that they do not often play music from more narrow genres or local and up and coming bands since they have to appeal to the majority in order to remain profitable.

This is where podcasting and online music communities such as MySpace or Last.fm come in. Since the costs of starting a podcasting show are practically nothing, people with diverging interests are able to generate and find specialized content that they are interested in. In The End, one individual says about new media radio, “we think we can provide a better experience because we can customize that experience for the user” (CBC: The End of Radio). The old style of radio, with its high number of ads and generic playlists, simply cannot compete with the customizable ability of internet radio, at least in terms of content.

This move towards customization and niche markets can also be seen in the TV industry. The era where people sat down to watch TV at a scheduled time seems to be dying. Whether through digital video recorders like Tivo, or online streaming such as what CTV now offers, people are now watching television on their own time. There is also an enormous trend towards added web content. It is common for shows to film extra ‘webisodes’ that viewers can go online and see in addition to the regularly scheduled programming.
The trend towards customized content and niche markets is even more present in the print industry. The traditional print newspaper is more expensive, less mobile and less environmentally friendly than the same content that can be delivered online. Many newspapers that are seeing these changes are adapting with online news sites and changing the way they deliver content. However, the rapidly shifting industry has created an unstable job market in the news and journalism industry.

Throughout print, television and radio, what we see is a move towards more customizable and dynamic content. People want to get content they are interested in delivered to them and cut out everything else. While this new media landscape means new and exciting content for users, we have to be weary of isolating ourselves from new ideas in what is known among media theorists as ‘the echo-chamber’. If our ability to customize the content we look at means that we never look at opposing viewpoints, this does not make for a healthy active democracy. At any rate, whether it’s a good thing or not, new media is here to stay. If traditional media such as print publications and broadcast TV or radio wants to survive, they will need to adapt to new consumer expectations which is: “the content I want, when I want it, how I want it.”

CTV: The End

Looking for something to watch?  Check out freedocumentaries.org.  It's chocked full of stuff to watch.

Here's just a few selections that might interest BrandAware readers (but be sure to browse through yourself).

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media
Chomsky and Herman illustrate their propaganda model, the thesis that corporate media, as profit-driven institutions, tend to serve and further the agendas of the interests of dominant, elite groups in the society.

PBS Frontline: Merchants of Cool
It is no surprise that the lucrative teen market is pursued by corporate America. What might surprise you is how aggressively and covertly they pursue this market as well as what effect they have. 

Santa's Workshop
The clothes, toys and electronics we buy are put together by these workers. Listen to their story of hardship to see just what price they are paying for our cheap goods and watch the reactions of the multinational corporations who put them up to it.

Dispatches: Supermarket Secrets Part 1
What price are we paying for the homogenized, cheap and convenient food that supermarkets specialize in? You may gain an understanding of the rational behind Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic, and grass-root eating practices.

Earthlings
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, "Earthlings" chronicles the cruelty of the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely on animals for profit. 



Happy Viewing!

More at: freedocumentaries.com

An important part of being an ethical consumer means being a media literate citizen. I recently watched Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, a documentary that talks about the censorship and biases surrounding Fox News and the other news organizations owned by Rupert Murdoch. In case you were unaware, Rupert Murdoch is the owner of an incredibly large amount of the news media. Fox News, the New York Post, Star, The Times and The Sun are just a few of News Corp’s holdings.

The film mainly centers around the issues of Fox News. When the new organization was created it was advertised to be “fair and balanced” and for many years that was Fox’s main slogan. However, just like corporations who say their “going green” and really just mean that they’re changing their colour scheme, saying that you provide fair and balanced news doesn’t actually make it the case. Fox News tends to have primarily conservative reporters and generally shows conservative leaning guests on their shows. When they do have liberal reporters or guests on the show, they are often not strong personalities and the result is that the conservative view point comes out much stronger to viewers.

Whether or not you are a conservative is actually beside the point in this case. In a democratic society, we need a strong and honest free press to keep politicians, corporations and private interests in check. Fox is known for reporting what are called “wedge” issues almost every night. These are issues such as gay marriage, abortion and religion that are naturally inflammatory to talk about. If people feel passionately about these issues, it makes for more exciting news and Fox’s rating go up. However, there is only so much time to cover that day’s news. If Fox, or any news station, chooses to leave out a story either intentionally for political reasons or because they just thought other stories would bring in higher ratings, viewers miss out on that information.

Although Outfoxed points out a lot of problems specific to Rupert Murdoch and Fox News, the movie is an excellent reminder that we need to constantly be questioning what we read, see and hear. Furthermore, we need to demand better information from our news sources. Remember, every time you buy a newspaper or even watch a new program, you are effectively voting with your dollars.