We have talked a lot about runaway production this semester and the increasing push to outsource the many processes of media production. Chapter 1 of MMW explains, “In today’s creative industries, all production is global, and all labor is local. The global movement of companies into emerging markets, deploying dynamic outsourcing and offshoring techniques, and stimulating runaway production benefits new locations by providing periods of increased local labor and jobs” (5). When speaking of this issue, it is common to bring up California and the once-centralized Hollywood system that has been diminishing thanks to these new outsourcing techniques and runaway trends.
However, this article from Hollywood Reporter brings to light what California has been and will continue to do in order to counter these trends. Chapter 1 of MMW states, “At the same time, in an effort to become known as creative cities, both local- and state-level governments will pass tax incentives to attract media companies” (6). Though California is already known as a creative hub, they utilize these tax incentives in order to prevent many of the runaway productions from happening, and in order to retain workers and jobs that will ultimately boost their economy. Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that extends the state’s tax credit for film and television production until the end of 2015.
Many are responding positively to this extension, because it successfully helps to compete with many similar tax incentives that are being implemented by relatively unknown or unpopular places wishing to draw the creative work to their locations. Assembly member Felipe Fuentes states, “With the State’s unemployment rate hovering around 12%, we need this incentive to help keep tens of thousands of Californians employed. Extending this program will prevent production companies from moving their projects, jobs and spending out of California.”
It is an interesting view of the runaway production situation, because I never really thought about what California was having to do to preserve and attempt to salvage what remains of the industry that is so engraved in their culture. “If our state government is serious about getting Californians back to work, we must be aggressive in preserving the industry that creates so many middle class jobs and supports so many local businesses both small and large. We must be willing to fight to keep the film and television production that is such an inextricable part of our identity, our history and our economy. We must never allow the day to come when we look up at the Hollywood sign on the hill and realize that ‘Hollywood’ is no longer here.”
-Annie
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Google’s new Music service is part of the answer to the final question raised by Mark Deuze and Brian Steward in Managing Media Work‘s first chapter about how to “build integrated functionalities, knowledge-sharing practices, and creative synergies” (10).
Wired.com writer Eliot Van Buskirk poses in his recent article that Google has added the service in order to keep up with its digital neighbors Apple and Facebook. The new endeavor will also allow Google to integrate a “buy” option on its other media asset YouTube and consequently increase the functionality of Google+ while at the same time encouraging more sharing among users. Warner Music Group has stated an unwillingness to work with Google Music because “apparently, the way it will work is that with each purchase, the buyer will have the opportunity to share the song with one or two people as a stream.”
Personally I think these leaders at the reigns of the new media companies know exactly what they are doing in terms of integrating and maximizing their different assets. As the industry rapidly innovates and changes, we’ll see what is in store of the old and new media contenders.
-Sophie Parkison
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Tags: Apple, competition, digital neighbors, Facebook, Google, music
Social Circles
An article reported by CNN gives an excellent overview of how Facebook and Google+ match up as social networking entities. It provides an overview of Web 2.0 and how consumers contribute to what Lovink and Rossiter call “participation economy”. Media designers are constantly looking for ways to compete with Facebook because it is currently the leading social network. Some users even admit to having an addiction to Facebook. This time spent in mediated interactive environments is characterized in chapter 24 of MMW as technological forms of daydreaming (p.280).
Specifically, the article discusses a key feature of Google+ that designers feel will aid in competing with Facebook; the +1 button. Similar to the Like button on Facebook, the +1 button allows Google to rank websites on its search engine. The article refers to this situation between Facebook and Google as a social war, and points out that Google’s next move is to acquire Twitter. The article later points out the emergence of mobile applications and that Google may have a leg up on Facebook in this regard.
As users are beginning to realize thier productive capacity (Lovink & Rossiter, p. 285), media designers should be cautious of the features and innovations that they introduce and the amount of personal data they require on the networks. This is becoming a major concern due to privacy issues and may cause a decrease in social participation.
-Isabell-
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Networking Overload
In Chapter 24 of MMW, Lovink and Rossiter posit that “the ‘participation economy’ of Web 2.0 is underscored by a great tension between the ‘free labor’ of cooperation that defines social networks and its appropriation by firms and companies. How is the ‘wealth of networks’ to be protected from exploitation?.. .companies, then, are vulnerable to the roaming tastes of the networked masses whose cooperative labor determines their wealth. “(MMW, 285)
Fast Company published an article that I believe is a reflection of this idea that Lovink and Rossiter refer to as the ‘wealth of networks’ and the tension between the ‘free labor of cooperation.’ This article also, in ways, harnesses the opposing viewpoint of Lovink and Rossiter, which is the idea that sometimes, the negative byproducts of networks can be beneficial. I thought it would interesting to juxtapose these two views.
While at the same time that Lovink and Rossiter’s slant could be categorized as pessimistic, especially in reference to how online social networks factor into political democracies, as demonstrated below, this article tackles the opposing viewpoint that online social networks, and even its negative byproducts (spam) can be looked at optimistically.
“Certainly, the production of this type of political subjectivity is preferable to the pretty revolting culture of ‘shareholder democracy’ that has come to define political expression for the neoliberal citizen.” (MMW, Lovink & Rossiter, 285)
In this article by Fast Company, the author talks about the annoyances of “snam”, a coined term that refers to unwanted email, something I think we can all relate to. Toward the end of the article, however, the author discusses how “snam”, this type of spam, can actually be of benefit to individuals in organizations.
The article also addresses up and coming social networking companies that connect employees to each other within the network of an organization. For example, if a former employee wants to connect with someone at his/her former company, he/she can do this through social networking tools. At the same time, these tools must generate “snam,” in inboxes to connect people with their service. The types of unwanted emails sent to inboxes might include invitations to connect, requests, or updates.
While “snam” could be seen as a form of labor, Lovink and Rossiter might agree with the notion that the wealth of networks is rooted within the ‘free labor’ cooperation’ of unwanted emails in inboxes. On the other hand, the author of “Networking Overload” may view “snam” as a necessary means to an end: an increased wealth of networks.
- Dan Schiffman
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In the reading for this week, it states that one of the most powerful factors in media managerial strategy is “the role of technology” (4). “The plethora of technological innovations being developed and incorporated into society on a daily basis serve to supplement and undermine previous technologies” (Deuze 4). Facebook has become such an innovating social media tool that is now being used by businesses to engage their customers and “fans.”
Many businesses have created their own Facebook pages to provide fans with information and new on their products. Fan pages have often been thought of as a destination for users, however, a recent comScore report indicates that “fans are 40 to 150 times more likely to consume branded material in their news feeds than on the actual fan page itself” (article). Since this discovery, new metrics and analytics have been designed, via Facebook’s “Page Insights,” to help businesses use social media to the best of their ability with more engaging content.
Businesses can now better understand how fans interact with their content, “including how many times it is liked, shared, commented on, etc.” (article). The fans’ interactions can lead to content being passed on to their friends and friends’ friends. It’s been demonstrated that friends of fans are more likely to interact with a particular brand by visiting the store or website and even more likely to purchase a product than the “uninfluenced consumer.” With businesses utilizing social media and gaining a better understanding of Facebook content consumption, businesses will ultimately have a greater influence on their customers.
Facebook analytics aren’t just useful for businesses but nonprofit organizations as well, for instance the performing arts. When promoting an event on a Facebook page, the organization can use information to see how many fans are reached by its messaging and engage a potential audience. A page administrator can also see how “viral” a post is. “The virality metric allows page admins to analyze the success of individual posts and will hopefully lead to an improved page strategy through a better understanding of the audience” (article). In the end, businesses and other organizations can tailor their content to optimally engage fans.
Social media strategy has become an increased concern in recent years for all types of organizations. Businesses, nonprofits, even individuals such as entrepreneurs or up-and-coming musicians are seeking out the best ways to interact with fans and hopefully extend their messages to the larger network of fans. This new use of analytics is only the “first step in enhancing Page Insights” according to Facebook’s Advertising Communications Manager. As technology continues to change and give us more information, organizations will have to continue to adapt and utilize new ways of creating the most engaging content and broadening their reach.
- Sarah D.
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Technology is one of the most powerful influences on media management strategy. “The plethora of technological innovations being developed and incorporated into society on a daily basis serves to supplement and undermine previous technologies. This shift presents media companies and individual professionals with the challenge of constant adaptation to the emergence of new technologies and the progressive abandonment of the old. In turn, the media as an industry (including its professionals) are at the forefront of supercharging the development of and demand for technological innovation. This is a fundamental stress point in any consideration of managing media work” (Deuze, 4).
According to an article in the New York Times on November 13th, John Paton, the MediaNews chief, is leading the newspaper industry into the future of newspaper media by adapting to technological developments. His management at MediaNews included “outsourcing most operations other than sales and editorial, focusing on the cost side that might include further layoffs, stressing digital sales over print sales with incentives, and using relationships with the community to provide some of the content in their newspapers” (Carr). In previous successful positions as chief executive, he increased digital revenue by over 200%, issued Flip cameras to reporters, has pushed for free, Web-based publishing tools, and has formed partnerships with Web companies to provide news.
Paton believes that print sources are either dying or already dead. “He points out that the print dollars have dropped by more than half in the last five years…” (Carr). Additionally, he thinks print papers will cease to exist entirely, and in order to survive, newspapers will have to embrace digital news operations. In Paton’s short time at MediaNews, he states that revenue had decreased and that “digital revenue, which was $6million a year when he took over [in 2010], is projected to reach $32 million this year” (Carr).
Paton is one of the first executives to acknowledge the realistic cost structure of the newspaper industry and the business plans that are needed to support it. In his model, “a third of the news will be expensive local content produced by professional journalists, a third will come from readers and community input, and a third will be aggregated” (Carr). He is also looking to expand user-generated content such as blogs and community photos. The end result would lead to elimination or near-elimination of all print sources, especially in those newspapers that cannot survive as is.
Carr, David. “Newspapers’ Digital Apostle.” New York Times. 13 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .
Deuze, Mark. “Chapter 1: Managing Media Work.” Managing Media Work. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2011. 1-10. Print.
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Organized Networks and Pirates
In Chapter 24 of Managing Media Work, Lovink and Rossiter state, “Organized networks emphasize horizontal, mobile, distributed, and decentralized modes of relation. A culture of openness, sharing, and project-based forms of activity is a key characteristic of organized networks.” These characteristics lead to a challenge in governance and sustainability ultimately resulting in what Lovink and Rossiter call an unnatural virtual environment in which everything is constructed. However, questions are raised such as whose guidance is this organized network being constructed under, what are the terms of its construction, and will it have a built-in financial component during the process of institutionalizing?
This article from TIME discusses how loosely organized pirating networks are working on developing a DNS system that allows (piracy) websites to use a system of P2P users to stay afloat and avoid government censorship or site takedowns. Brito explains, “If you could replace those servers with a peer-to-peer source for the same information, there would no longer be central point a government could control or shut down.” He adds, “The result is the further decentralization of the Internet.” Additionally, decentralized and distributed digital currency is being offered by a company named Bitcoin, meaning payments are sent directly from donors to recipients without the need for a third-party vendor such as Visa or Paypal. Even social networks are developing around this decentralized model with two examples being Diaspora and Identi.ca. According to the Diaspora website, “Diaspora is an open-source and distributed community of social networks run by users that enables you to own your own personal data, control with whom you share, and discover cool stuff throughout the Web.” To summarize, this shows that to avoid governance, organized, open-source networks are forming resulting in the decentralization of the Internet in order to avoid government interference and give power back to the users.
-Chris G.
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Brito, J. (2011, November 21). How the Internet Evolves to Overcome Censorship | Techland. TIME.com. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://techland.time.com/2011/11/21/how-the-internet-evolves-to-overcome-censorship/
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Diaspora*. (n.d.). Diaspora*. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://blog.diasporafoundation.org/
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Living Life In the Media
Today’s Technology Blog at the Guardian pointed to some interesting links that I think tie well into what I considered the highlight of Chapter One of Managing Media Work – “living a life not with but rather in media.” (Deuze, 1) It seems so simple, right there in the first chapter, and yet it is interesting that we are reading this now – as the term comes to a close – when this seems to be the crux upon which the entire framework of the course has been structured.
Some of the headlines include:
- Facebook contributing to a study that uses Facebook to track interconnectedness between people. Right now, they see a trend that indicates that most people globally are connected by less than the prototypical “six degrees of separation” and that this has changed and developed as Facebook has grown in popularity and usage. Fifty years ago, these ideas would have seemed incredibly crazy; but now – in an increasingly digital, global age – these numbers don’t seem so far-fetched.
- Spotify has announced a mysterious press conference at which they will announce some changes to their services, coming within weeks of other major digital music providers making changes and updates to their services. The writer of the article, Kafka, assumes certain changes that seem “standard” – an MP3 store, an iPad app, etc. The fact that we can now have a set of “Standards” for something like digital music, which was coming into its own a mere decade ago, shows the incredible proliferation of such digital media, and it’s ability to converge and become a part of our daily lives in a major way.
These are just some of many technology updates for a single date in time. When we think about how many technological shifts, paradigms, and items of intrigue this leads to on an annual basis, it’s impossible not to see our current world as being lived, rather than with, media.
- Shannon
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With the convergence of different forms of media and production taking place on a global scale, I wonder if some of the narcissistic tools used by different industries will also have to converge. The lines that allow, say for instance, film producers and advertisers to go and create awards for themselves individually may have to change as we are moving towards not being able to distinguish between different forms of media anymore. Also, with so much of what we consume being partially or fully consumer-generated content, will we start having awards for users in order to encourage their continued devotion to what they do, or does this take place in a different context already?
Several websites, and even the CMA, have done awards for user generated content, but nothing on the level of how media industries award themselves. Perhaps we are reaching a point in which the forms of natural recognition are enough to incentivize continued creativity. For managers, looking at what drives consumers to make creative works and translate this to employees working for a particular company.
–Sade
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Finding a foothold in the socially-narrow “not-what-you know-but-who-you-know” recruitment culture.
Network, network, network…that is the biggest thing that I took away from this week’s reading – this is in no way a new idea for me but the reading served to reinforce the idea. Another key point that I focused on was the idea that you must manufacture authenticity; this is so very true…your network and talent may only carry you so far if you cannot convince that network and the people that you will meet that your perceived talent is worthwhile to invest in. “It is, in other words, not only about being good at something – it is also about carefully cultivating that image of being good.”1
I took a look at the creator of Johnny Bravo, Van Partible, and he had this to say on these ideas, ““In order to break into the…industry, you really have to have a good portfolio. That’s the first step: It’s knowing your craft, and then, being a person other people would want to work with.”2 He went on to say that a large portion of the jobs available, you may get through the people that you know. “You can get your foot in the door if you have a really good portfolio but staying long in the industry is by who you know, and how you get on to the projects. Reliability is key. If you have talent and you’re reliable, you’re someone people would want to hire…”.2
I may personally also confirm these ideals from my experiences as a director for stage. The professional image/mask that you wear as you manage artists is one that has to instill confidence in your role as a leader and as someone that they wish to work with and have fun developing a production through the course of the production process.
One example of my failing to understand these ideals was when I directed a production where the actors where much older and more experienced than myself. I allowed myself to be intimidated by these artists and although we ended up having a marvelous production, my role as the director was diminished because at times I allowed the actors to take over the production because I did not place enough confidence in myself to lead them and they perceived this weakness and took advantage of it.
My point is simple, you must also instill in others an image of confidence, of being good even when you are lacking confidence, and you are as much putting on a performance for the artists that you are working with as you as the director are trying to elicit the best performance from your actors.
I leave you with my snarky sense of humor poking fun at our art, “in the end, the performing arts are really still all about smoke and mirrors.”
Russell McGee
1M. Deuze, MediaWork, (Polity Press, Malden, MA, 2007), pp. 240.
2 N. Tomada, Johnny Bravo creator is proudly Pinoy, WWW Document, http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=750601&publicationSubCategoryId=70
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