NDM: News values

Galtung and Ruge (1981) defined a set of news values to explain how journalists and editors decided that certain stories and photographs were accepted as newsworthy, while others were not. 

The following list is adapted from their work:

Immediacy: has it happened recently?
Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?
Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people?
Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?
Unambiguity: is it clear and definite?
Predictability: did we expect it to happen?
Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?
Continuity: has this story already been defined as news?
Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people?
Negativity: is it bad news?
Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death.

Classwork/Homework

How has new and digital media technology changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values?


How would you update them for 2015?

In a blog post, write how EACH news value has been affected by the growth of new and digital technology.

E.g. Immediacy is more important than ever due to news breaking on Twitter or elsewhere online. However, this in turn changes the approach of other news sources such as newspapers as the news will probably already be broken so different angles might be required. Newspapers now contain more comment or opinion rather than the breaking story.

Due: first double lesson after half-term

Critical Investigation: Notes and quotes

You should by now have an in-depth, completed Critical Investigation Proposal on your blog. 

The next step is to develop a 'Notes and Quotes' document to contain all your research. This document will eventually be many thousands of words and contain all your links, ideas, comments and quotes from everything you read and watch. It is essential that you have a wide collection of research and notes before you write a single word of your actual essay.

What does a great Notes and Quotes document look like? Have a look at former student Navneet's Notes and Quotes blogpost - and bear in mind she went on to write an outstanding essay that achieved 47 out of 48 marks.

Your classwork AND homework is to start your Notes and Quotes document and reach at least 2,000 words - due after half-term. 

You may want to do this on Microsoft Word initially but you WILL have to publish everything you've got to your blog at least once a week for the next month.

Fortunately, you already have a template for this document from the last section of your Critical Investigation Proposal. Indeed, you may have already copied everything over into a new blogpost under the heading Research Plan. 

Either way, you now need to create a new blogpost called Notes and Quotes and start watching, reading and writing up any thoughts, ideas, quotes or comments you think of while you research.

You'll need this on your blog - with at least 2,000 words of content - for your first double Media lesson after half-term - good luck!

NDM News: Citizen journalism

Read the article from Media Magazine: The Rise and Rise of UGC (Dec 2009). Use our Media Magazine archive, click on MM30 and go to page 55.

Next, create a blogpost where you make notes from the article under the following headings: 

• examples
• theory (audience reception etc.) 
• benefits to institutions 
• benefits to audience 
• wider issues and debates 
• SHEP

Next, answer the following questions in the same blogpost:

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?

3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

5) What is a gatekeeper?

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

Finally, consider the following questions and answer each bullet point in the same blogpost:

What impact is new/digital media having on the following:

• news stories
• the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)
• the role of professionals in news

Finish this for homework - due next week (13C - Monday 19 October).

Remember, this is in addition to the regular NDM stories on your blog - two due every week without fail.

Media Awards nominations 2015

We are proud to announce the Media Awards nominations for 2015!

A Level

Best Y12 Cinematography
Labrat (Tejas, Ammar & Leila)
Ransom (Kunal, Ahmed & Zubair)
Second Level South (Kishan & Kacper)

Best Y12 Sound Design
Conscience (Alison, Sarika, Serenna & Sophia K)
Clairvoyance (Shanara & Daine)
One Girl’s Story (Ashmita, Dhruvina & Sarese)

Best Y12 Production Design
Problematic (Izzah, Tina & Sophia Q)
Ransom (Kunal, Ahmed & Zubair)
Tribulations (Abdishakur, Blitz, Hussein & Shivum)

Best Y12 Dialogue/Voiceover
The Experiment (Rabia)
Second Level South (Kishan & Kacper)
In Mind (Lee, Luke, Ryan & Kirath)

Best Y12 Original Screenplay
Off The Corner (Mansour & Abdiasis)
The Experiment (Rabia)
Labrat (Tejas, Ammar & Leila)

Best Y12 Film Editing
Follow Me (Harmony, Samsam & Jasmine)
Tribulations (Abdishakur, Blitz, Hussein & Shivum)
Trace (Indera)


GCSE

Best GCSE Cinematography 
Chandelier – Sia - Imani
Everytime- Loreen - Amrit
It G Ma – Keith Ape - Abhisek
On My Way – Charlie Brown – Sylwia & Yasmin
Run Boy Run - Woodkid – Abdi, Mamduh & Mohammed A

Best GCSE Editing
Birthday Card – Example – Shivam
Major Lazer – Watch Out For This – Anjali, Brianna & Klea
Rap God – Eminem - Akash
SchoolboyQ – The Purge - Amar 
Stranger – Jhene Aiko - Era 

Best GCSE Music Video Concept
7/11 – Beyonce - Jaya
Hold On – Skepta – Danish
Recovery – James Arthur - Amina
These are the songs – Bashy - Daniel
Zombie – The Pretty Reckless - Sophie


Best Actor & Actress

Best Actor
Mr Artus - Mithras
Viraj Juneja - Copyrighter
Rahul Malik - Clairvoyance
Chandell Williams – Labrat

Best Actress
Shirin Alaa – The Experiment
Tyra Brown - Ransom
Devi Joshi - Clairvoyance
Emily Rhodes – Pocket dreams


Congratulations to ALL our Media students from last year – there were some incredibly difficult decisions, particularly with so many music videos to choose from at GCSE level.

The Media Awards takes place on Tuesday 20 October.

The theme is LAS VEGAS which means dressing to impress!

Tickets are £3 if you buy before Friday 16 October (£5 afterwards) and available from the Media department.

See you there!

Newspapers: The effect of online technology

We've read an important handout on the impact new and digital media has had on the newspaper industry: Newspapers: The effect of online technology. Make sure you've read and highlighted the text and completed the tasks.

Blog tasks

Based on the handout you've read and the links provided, answer these questions on your blog with detailed, in-depth paragraphs. Remember, critical autonomy means forming your own opinions on these issues.

1) Do you agree with James Murdoch that the BBC should not be allowed to provide free news online? Why?

2) Read this blog on the Times paywall three years on.

3) Was Rupert Murdoch right to put his news content (The Times, The Sun) behind a paywall?

4) Choose two comments from below the Times paywall article - one that argues in favour of the paywall and one that argues against. Copy a quote from each and explain which YOU agree with and why.

5) Read this article from the Media Briefing on the continuing decline of the newspaper industry. 

6) Why do you think the Evening Standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years?

7) Is there any hope for the newspaper industry or will it eventually die out? Provide a detailed response to this question explaining and justifying your opinion.

Finish for homework if you don't get it done in the lesson.

NDM: The future of newspapers

Today's lesson is going to begin by sharing the New and Digital Media stories we have found this week. Hope you're ready!

However, the main objective is to look at the impact new and digital media has had on the newspaper industry.

The future of newspapers

Read this article from the Economist on the future of newspapers.

On your blog, write a paragraph summarising the argument the article makes. Then answer the following question: 

Do you agree with its view that it is ‘a cause for concern, but not for panic’?



Homework
You have some serious homework this week - in addition to finding your weekly NDM stories - which will provide excellent preparation for university. David Simon, creator of critically acclaimed TV hit The Wire and a former journalist, has written a passionate defence of the newspaper industry in the face of the new and digital media onslaught. This will take a couple of hours - make sure you put the time in.

The article, Build The Wall, is available here on the Columbia Journalism Review website.

Your tasks are as follows:

1) Read the article in full.

2) Create a blogpost on your MEST3 Exam Blog called 'Build The Wall analysis'. 

3) Summarise each section in one sentence:

• Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)
• Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)
• Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)
• Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)

4) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.

5) Read this response to the article by Dave Levy, criticising and disagreeing with David Simon's viewpoint. What references to new and digital media can you find in Levy's response?

6) Finally, what is your own opinion? Do you agree that newspapers need to put online content behind a paywall in order for the journalism industry to survive? Would you be willing to pay for news online? Critical autonomy is the key skill in A2 Media - you need to be able form opinions on these issues.

Due: Friday 9 October