An exploration of Audience Power - an essay by Emmanuela Adebisi

"The internet has given the audience much more power than ever before" To what extent do you agree?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The internet has had a huge impact on the media and audiences, in this essay,I will explore the the argument that the internet has increased audience power. Firstly I would like to present my stance on the matter, I agree with this statement to some extent as the internet has given the audience abilities that they had never received before but in some respects.However, it has made many industries redundant in many,especially young people's lives and the audience has no power as to what happens if the quality of television decreases regardless of whether they contribute to these industries or not.                                                                                                                                                                      One industry that has been seriously impacted by the rise of the internet is the television industry. For example, the BBC is experiencing a serious decline in ratings and less people than ever before are paying for a television licence.This allows viewers to watch BBC content without the hindrance of advertising. Since most people use BBC,an online streaming service,to watch BBC content there may be a serious regression in regard to the quality of the content as the budget will inevitably decrease. On the other hand, online streaming services such as BBC iplayer and Netflix are significantly more affordable and accessible for the average viewer.Furthermore,these streaming websites allow audiences to rate  television shows and movies and comment their opinions so that they are known by the creators of the content.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             However,online streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iplayer allow audiences to rate the content that they're being showed so the producers of content can see how audiences are responding to their creations- this significantly broadens the role of the audience as now it is easier to be an active member of the audience instead of passive furthermore many streaming services such as Netflix create their own content which merges the roles of producer and an online service that allows the consumer to view content.   
                                                                                                                                                                     Another reason as to why I would agree with this statement is the internet has created the role of the prosumer which is when the consumer produces their own content and does not rely on media organisations to create content for them. A clear example of this is the website YouTube which allows people to make fan videos or their own original content close to professional levels with high level editing prominent in modern videos.This has created a new type of viewing experience as content creators can communicate directly with their viewers in various ways such and response videos and comments.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           However it could be argued that audiences have just been fooled into the opinion that they have more power as they still rely on large organisations in order to post original content and the average everyday person cannot create a website from scratch without the help of large cooperation that are probably  do not have an abundance of young people working for them therefore, the middle aged, majority male, majority Caucasian CEO s  are still the people controlling our media and the representations of ordinary people are just figureheads and they can only earn a fraction of what the bosses are earning but they are the faces of social media.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A major disadvantage of the rise of the internet is that incorrect news can be widely spread before authentic news sources can cover a story.This is evident on the social media platform Twitter where blue check marks are awarded to authentic people with a large following, many people with these are completely trusted when reporting 'facts' that have not been carefully reported and investigated because doing so would remove the instantaneous aspect of breaking news that is widely craved and expected. Moreover, people are no longer willing to pay for news papers because they are receiving news faster through online platforms for virtually no money.Even those who are aware of the consequences of not doing so are blinded by the convenience and availability that the internet offers.                                                                                                                                                                        In opposition to this, news is now available on many more platforms and many newspaper companies have now switched to online forums as their main form of news so it could be argued that the news industry has not lost a significant amount of money due to the rise of the internet as many have just converted rather than becoming redundant therefore companies just need to adjust to the changing times and not give up their organisations completely.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       To summarise,I agree to some extent with the notion that the internet has given audiences more power as it has in some respects but in others it has relinquished them as I have previously stated but ultimately,I think its up to individuals to give themselves power by being more active as an audience member themselves.                           

Audience Theory task

1) A passive audience is used to describe audiences who don't interact with the media product.                                                                                                                                                                                2)An active audience is an audience that does interact with the media product.                                                                                                                                                                                                          3)The hypodermic needle theory states that all audiences are passive and absorb all of the information the media bestows on them without any thought.This was believed in the 1930s when the media became more prominent in society.                                                                                                            4)           INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE                                                                                           The national geographic because it informs people about wildlife                                                                       IDENTITY                                                                                                                                    East-enders because it shows the lives of working class Londoners so a lot of people can relate to it.                    DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT                                                                                            Call of Duty because it is totally unlike everyday life so the player can switch off from their lives and immerse themselves in the game.                                                                                                                        RELATIONSHIPS                                                                                                                          The Thor movie franchise as many people are attached to the characters Thor and Loki as well as the actors Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth.                                                                                          5) The relaxing music helps people switch off from their everyday lives and totally immerse themselves in the world of blue planet. Furthermore, the vibrant colours highlight how interesting and different the underwater world is compared to ours.David Attenborough's soothing voice brings people together as he is a national treasure who has trademarked his voice.