Examples of UGC

Snapchat's First Ads Will Appear This Weekend

Snapchat have now decided to advertise on their application. This is said to be done due to them saying "we need to make more money". Through advertising on snapchat they will be making millions of viewers to see the advertisements. this is due to snapchat having millions of users that use snapchat on a day to day basis. They said that they would appear on peoples stories which cannot be removed. this could cause some people to be disappointed with snapchat.

• Soon be advertising
• They'll charge for advertisements 
• They claim they need to make more money

I believe that they do need a way to make their money which they have found. If snapchat were not making money it would mean that people would be working for free, people do not work for free these days. The company is getting bigger and bigger as more people are needed for snapchat to run. This would mean they would need to pay out more and hire more people meaning they'd need more money for them to hire new people. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/10/17/snapchats-first-ads-will-appear-this-weekend/

Facebook Safety Check will help tell friends you're safe during disasters

Facebook have released a new feature on the Facebook social networking site and application which could be accessed via mobile phones. This new feature which has recently been introduced is to help people notify others if they are safe or not for when a disaster happens. This is mostly things like earthquakes which are dangerous events that have happened before. For example in Hattie, many people were missing. This new feature helps people to stay in contact with others and to let other Facebook users online see that you are alive and well. You will be able to post your current status of where you are if in need of any help.

• I'm safe button lets people know you're safe 
• It was inspired by the disaster in Japan 2011
• This could save lives and reassure people others are safe

I believe that this new feature that has been introduced on Facebook could be helpful in some aspects. However, if a person was stuck for example and they had the chance to tell others they are safe they would automatically be calling people instead of posting updates on Facebook. This is helpful for only notifying friends that you are safe and sound. 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/17/facebook-safety-check-friends-disasters

The Rise And Rise Of UGC

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
A citizen journalist is a person who writes about news themselves, this is mostly done online. The main websites where citizen journalists posts their news is on Googles Blogger Website. This allows them to post up any news they would like to share. Furthermore, what makes them a citizen journalist is them being opinionated where they write up their own opinions on a certain story they have published. This is what a citizen journalist is. 

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
One of the first news reports generated by an ordinary person was in america. The local police department had been in a high speed chase with an african american citizen. Once the police had captured and stopped the chase, from a window nearby where the beating took place a local had filmed the police officers using their power in a negative way. After being filmed by the ordinary person the video had been sent to a news station. The television station then had aired the footage that was recorded by the ordinary person making this user generated content. The footage showed the police beating up the african american with golf clubs and violating the individual. This was possible due to the new technology that has been evolving over the years, becoming more easier to use and available to the public at cheaper prices. This allows more ordinary people to re

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

• Comments section on news articles online 
• Apps which allow video footage to be sent to institutions 
• institutions have allowed ordinary people to ask questions which may be answered 
• Facebook 
• Twitter 
• Youtube 
• Blogger 

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
Professional footage is shot from behind police lines not up in personal with the situation. The first hand footage is taken live as the situation is happening rather than after. This would allow people to se exactly what happened and is usually more powerful. 

5) What is a gatekeeper?
A gatekeeper is a person in which is professionally trained at obtaining the news and is in charge of what is shown and whats kept back. They are the ones that are in charge of the news and chose what to tell people. 

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
The gatekeeper role is under threat due to them may be becoming extinct, those people becoming redundant. This is due to people becoming more involved with the media online. They are now able to make their own news and find out for them selves about the news from other online users. This makes the gatekeepers useless to many that rely on the news that they get form other online users.

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
One of the primary concerns held by journalists is that they may also become redundant like the gate keepers. This is simply due to the fact that people are becoming journalists with out being professionally trained, by simply using social media or other websites like blogger to find out information or to post their own for others to view, which again makes them useless to people who have moved on from traditional media.

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

The institutions would benefit a lot from user generated content as they will be receiving videos and pictures of situations that may occur. This would mean that the institutions would be getting the news story first before any other news channel gets it. This would also benefit them as they would not have to waste time to go get a clip of the story as they have received some already. The best thing is that when the users record the videos or take the pictures, they take them whilst its happening, making sure true stories don't turn in to made up stories. The audience would benefit from user generated content as they would be proud that they have sent out a story which has been aired or contributed towards the final story that would be shown on live TV. This may also assure them that the true story does come out as the news is not able to twist it due to the users having a bit of power. This would also make the audience feel as if they're opinions are valued in the world and by national/international institutions. This would allow audiences to get their messages across and be able to share their opinions/thoughts or stories. Some of the wider issues that may occur is that some of the user generated content may be avoided meaning the institutions may not want to show on air or on websites of peoples opinions or comments. Institutions may also not take into consideration audiences comments almost blocking them out and leaving the gatekeepers do their jobs. This would cause issues as people may be fuming that their voices are not getting heard by institutions such as the BBC. However, this may be due to the fact that the institutions do not agree or find them irrelevant. This backs up Andrew Keens theory of people typing down nonsense, false information.

This social side to user generated content is that people get their voices heard which back in the olden days was not possible, this is due to the new and digital media which is advancing everyday. This allows people to do more and contribute towards today's news for example. This would also mean that some of the people that provide content which is generated by ordinary people to get paid for their services. For example if a person was to film an accident happen they would be able to sell it on to an institution that would be able to broadcast it live on air. Politicians are now able to interact with audiences and share out user generated content through the use of social media. This includes sites like Twitter where people are able to message and tweet about politicians. This could influence the politicians as they may take into consideration what they have heard and seen online.


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

User generated content is having big impacts on news stories as they are able now to speak the truth online through social networking. They are able to for example tweet about institutions. They are now also able to contribute to news stories by providing institutions with evidence with pictures or videos which may help with the story through making it clearer and to prove the story is as accurate as it seems, or even change the whole story. Through user generated constant the news are now able to see what people want to see on the news, to see what is trending online so that they are able to interest more of the population to watch the news as everyone is talking about it. This is through social media sites and also face to face. The roles of professionals in the institutions in news they are under attack. Since the audience are making the news and providing the news for the institutions professionals are under  lot of pressure as they struggle to compete with the user generated constant obtained by institutions through new and digital media. The roles of professionals in news are the reporters who go out to film and talk about what's happening. There are also the gate keepers that decide what goes on the news, however we see that people may not want what the gatekeepers show on the news, coming back to my point where UGC influences what institutions show.  

24 People Who Should Not Be Allowed To Decorate Cakes

This article is about Brian Galindo and how he has found decorated cakes which he thinks are ridiculous. The cakes that have been made have spelling mistakes or just look terrible. The people decorating them have misspelt words so then Brian Galindo takes the mick out of the people through the headings above cakes that have gone wrong.

http://www.interestingnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/enhanced-20685-1412879659-1-300x199.jpg

https://img.pandawhale.com/RYnelv-24-people-who-shouldnt-be-allo-eouY.jpeg

Female Game Developer Was Harassed So Severely On Twitter She Had To Leave Her Home

Brianna Wu who is a female game developer has been recently targeted on twitter and has been receiving threatening messages on Twitter. These messages were sent due to Brianna being a feminist and supporting women in the gaming department. This obviously made someone unhappy about what she was doing. She then was forced to leave her own home so that she feels safe elsewhere. The messages have been censored in the article as the words were inappropriate. She had also received death threats which scared her the most. These messages have been reported and they are looking for the person behind these threats.

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/543a9a4c69beddab5a64f281-800-/briannawu.jpeg

• Took place on saturday 11/10/14
• Death threats were sent 
• Reason for threats, she was a feminist

What has happened here is a woman has been threatened due to her backing up other females. She is a feminist who supports other females in the gaming industry. Someone did not like this idea so decided to threaten her for her actions. I believe this is wrong and she has acted in the right manner to leave her house as she felt unsafe. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/brianna-wu-harassed-twitter-2014-10

Twitter users in France can now tweet money

Twitter has now announced that in France, Twitter users are now able to send money and transfer money to other twitter users online which has beaten Facebook in person to person transfers. Twitter has recently teamed up with a bank which is based in France, which is ranked the second largest banking group in the whole of France. However the company did not say if they were going to make the transactions private or if other twitter users are able to see the transactions made on-line. Due to this Fcebook feels like they are falling back so have hired former chief executive of pay pal David Marcus to follow up on twitters new approach.

http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/c9ee7851-76fe-43f5-b106-f7103aa3a856.img

• Jean Yves Forel Bank Executive 
• Introduced E-commerce 
• Unknown whether transactions will be private

Twitter i believe is moving up and is becoming more optional with the services they provide. I believe that through this method of payments online through twitter people could be easily blackmailed into sending people money.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6f6c273c-525b-11e4-b55e-00144feab7de.html#axzz3G1I3H7H9

Media Leaders

The UK's top media leader i believe is to be the BBC. the BBC have been around for many many years and has expanded ever since. The competitor that is close to the BBC is the ITV. Which is also a television broadcast. after the ITV channel i believe come channel 4.

The BBC:

The BBC is a television broadcaster, they were one of the first channels that have been broadcaster on British television. they were also the first on radio too. They first started off as a radio station informing people of news and playing out music to those who listen to the radio and who didn't have TV's. Now to this present day the BBC now own loads of channels which is, BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4 and also the BBC news station. they also own a majority of the radio stations included which they broadcast for people who listen to the radio. The BBC is known as a public service broadcaster. this means that they have a list of services they would have to provide to the audiences. The list is to educate, inform and also entertain the audiences. I believe that the BBC is the top media leader in the UK.

ITV:

ITV is the BBC's competitor and is also very famous for what they do. The ITV broadcaster is well known for hosting shows. These shows that they broadcast on to the TV of millions are all family based. ITV is all about entertainment as has been known for entertainment for many years. They mostly target mainstreamers and families. They also show family movies that they broadcast for the entertainment of families which bring them all together. they play big major blockbuster hits which are family appropriate. The ITV institution owns ITV player which is online for their audiences to get on to to watch anything they have missed out on in the few days or weeks. The channels are all free on TV. They also make their money through advertisements by advertising advertisements.

Channel 4:

Channel 4 is a broadcaster which is known in the UK for broadcasting documentaries. These documentaries are all filmed by the Channel 4 institution. They mostly specialise in the education of the audiences and also broadcast their own news live in the Channel 4 studios. They also make their money through advertising advertisements on the channel. They don't only aim to inform and educate but also aim to entertain. this being done through broadcasting movies online. they also own their own website where they post up the shows that they do. which are fro example Top Boy and many others. I believe that this comes 3rd in the list.

Jimmy Savile Twitter prank tricks Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus has just become the latest victim on a twitter prank which was set up by an anonymous twitter user. The anonymous user must have tricked Billy into posting pictures of criminals by tricking him into thinking that celebrities have to post pictures of criminals on twitter. Billy had posted a picture online of Jimmie Saville.  later on the guardian had posted a news report on how the celebrity billy who had 1.7 million followers on twitter had posted up a picture of Jimmie savil. he had then realised that he had made a mistake then deleted the posts that he had made. He said that he had been in fact tricked into doing so and has posted up how and why. 

• Jimmie Saville was a murder 
• Billy was tricked
• Billy had apologised
• Billy had threatened to sure the person who tricked him 

I think that it was wrong that Billy had been tricked as  respected celebrity in america and also well knwon in the UK. Billy had then after threatened to sure the person that had tricked him in doing such an action. he said "Some jerk fraudulently tweeted that his parents said I was a big inspiration to them + pls Rt (sic) – out of kindness I retweeted. Maybe I'll sue... I thought I was being nice to somebody re [regarding] their parents. I guess this teaches you not to be nice or trusting. Sad!"

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/80175

McCann 'Twitter troll' found dead in hotel

Brenda Leyland who had been interviewed on Sky News had been found dead in a hotel in Leicester. she had been found dead after a sky news reported had confronted her about her actions. the actions being her attacking and abusing the McCann, known from the missing girl that had been abducted in 2007.   The  this woman had been accused of attacking the McCann family over on twitter by using the hashtag #sweepyface. she had also sent messages towards the whole of the family which were threatening and abusive. these messages was what lead the news reporter to her to interview her on why she had been doing this to the poor family. later on that day she was found dead in her hotel.

• Found dead in her home town 
• Age 63
• Death not being treated as suspicious

Some may say that it was a coincidence that the reporter had gone to interview the woman, then after she was found dead at her hotel room. I personally don't know what to think. after the reported had asked questions about why she had hashtaged sweepyface she replied back to the reporter "I entitled to that". this is what i think may have casued her death somehow. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-29501646