REVISION BOOKLET

MEDIA INDUSTRY IN CONTEXT

EXAMTHEORY BOOKLET

Topic: Types of Media Organisation

There are three main types of media organisation:

Public Service Broadcasters (BBC, Channel4, ITV)

Private Broadcast Companies (Disney, Sky)

Regulatory Organisations (Ofcom, ASA, IPSO)

What is a Public Service Broadcaster?Public service broadcasting refers to TV companies that broadcast for the

public benefit rather than for commercial purposes.  Such companies work to a public service remit set by government in return for special privileges like

government funding and privileged placement in TV listings.  These broadcasters include local news coverage, arts programmes and religious

broadcasts.

What is a Private Broadcast Company?A private broadcast company refers to a media company that is not funded by

the licence fee and instead must generate funding from advertising and share floatation.  They also operate for commercial purposes i.e. to make a

profit rather than for the ‘public interest‘ like the BBC.

What is a regulatory organisation?A regulatory organisation regulates (supervises and set rules) for a media

industry (i.e. TV or Radio) to ensure that the industry (TV, press or advertisers) are not breaking any laws and are acting in an ethical manner.

They also take complaints from the public and investigate them.

We will now look at each type of organisation in more detail over the page.

Public Service Broadcasters

The main public service broadcaster for UK is the the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).  It receives this privilege in return for the licence fee (£145.50 per year at the time of writing) which every household must pay if they use the BBC’s services.   Because the BBC is the main public service broadcaster, it gets premium channel spots on TV.  In return, it must ensure that it meets requirements set by the government.  These are contained in the BBC’s ‘Public Service Remit’.  

The last BBC remit, made in 2007, said that the BBC must, through its programmes and actions:

sustain citizenship and civil society by promoting a peaceful and law abiding society

promote education and learning and literacy by having educational programmes for children and adults

stimulate creativity and promote innovation and experimentation represent the UK, its nations, regions and communities (ensure there

are programmes for everyone - men, women and children and from all different backgrounds and areas including promoting multiculturalism and understanding of other people)

bring the UK to the world and the world to the UK (by showing us programmes about the rest of the world and airing programmes about the UK in other countries)

help to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services

provide value for (licence fee payer’s) money.

Here are some examples of programmes that represent the UK and promote understanding of other people:

Secrets of China:  Programmes about other countries help to bring the world to the UK and educate about to other cultures and societies.

Asian Provocateur: Again, the programme helps to bring the world to the UK and also represents people in the UK and its nations and communities by encouraging interest in other cultures.

Disabled in an Instant: Programmes such as this help to promote citizenship and promote understanding of other people in the UK and deal with issues such as discrimination in society.

Girls can Code: Programmes such as this help to promote citizenship and promote understanding of other people in the UK and deal with issues such as gender equality in society.

The BBC Trusthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/

The BBC Trust is currently the Governing Body of the BBC. The job of the BBC Trust is to make sure that the BBC is acting in an appropriate way and if it does not, to make sure that something is done to change that.  The BBC Trust should:

get the best out of the BBC for licence fee payers set the strategic objectives of the BBC.  A strategic direction are the

things that the BBC hopes to achieve.  The current strategic objectives are to: serve all audiences, give good value for money, make creative and distinctive output, and innovate online

check the BBC’s compliance with the law ensure the BBC follows its own personal values to be independent,

neutral, balanced etc ensure that the BBC follows its own mission to inform, educate and

entertain hold people to account if the above are not met

Here is the section from the BBC website about the BBC Trust:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/

Benefits and Drawbacks of Being and Public

Service Broadcaster

Benefits of having a Public Service Broadcaster:

Because it is a public service broadcaster, it gets prominence in TV listings / guides and direct access to main slots on TV and radio.

Access to national events (such as Glastonbury) Minority audiences receive programming of interest to them (profit

driven companies like Sky wouldn’t bother if not enough of an audience

to make a profit) Audiences get a broad and varied range of services High cultural value (programming helps us to engage with culture and

arts in society.  It helps us to understand values which we broadly share and how cultures can enrich society).

The licence fee means audiences demand value for money and high quality output, which they (generally) get from the BBC.

Drawbacks of having a Public Service Broadcaster such as BBC:

It has a privileged position in the marketplace which means unfair competition for competitors / commercial organisations.

You have to pay a licence fee to watch the programmes. We pay for programmes that don’t really interest us. Some of which

lack audience appreciation.

FILL IN THE GAPS EXERCISE

The BBC stands for the B_________ B__________ C_____________.  It makes programmes that are paid for by the TV l___________ f______.  The Corporation is known as a p_________ s_________ b___________.  It must work in the public’s interest.  Its responsibilities are set out in a public service r__________ which sets out what the BBC must achieve with its broadcasting.

What about the licence fee?

Everyone who watches the BBC must pay the licence fee which is £145.50 per year and pays for radio and TV services.

Drawbacks and Criticisms It is unfair.  People on low incomes pay the same as high earners for

the licence fee. Some people only use a few services and don’t get value for money. Some programmes made are unpopular and the licence fee payer

ends up paying for them. Some programmes cost a lot to make but only a few people will

appreciate them.

Some people watch for free on catch up, whilst live viewers pay for the programmes.

Some believe that the government can seek to influence the BBC because it is a public service broadcaster.

Benefits and Positives Licence fee ensures guaranteed income for the BBC We can watch the BBC without interruptions from adverts. They provide a wide range of quality services across multiple platforms

such as radio, TV and online. It does not have to compete for money and audience share so more

interesting and diverse programming can be made. The BBC does not have to meet the needs of advertisers, meaning

they can be innovative in ways that commercial channels cannot. Consumers can be confident that programmes or information in them is

not distorted by commercial interests or organisations.

Private Broadcasters So, we have looked at the aims of a public service broadcaster (to provide content that is represents the UK and all the varied and interesting people who live within it amongst other reasons), but what about Private Broadcast Companies?  Let’s look at their purposes:

To deliver profits (if they don’t make a profit they will not survive, unlike the BBC who does not need to make a profit

because it gets the licence fee). To identify new markets (audiences) and create programmes

for them (in order to expand business and make more profit) Increase the audience share (in order to make more money) Lead to technological innovation (to keep them fresh and

competitive) Eliminate competition (eat or be eaten) To have commercial success (make money (profit) to invest in

the company and for shareholders).

Funding of Private BroadcastersSo, we know that the BBC is funded by the licence fee.  What about private broadcasters like Sky?

How private broadcasters are funded:

Sales Running competitions that cost to enter Selling of advertising spaces / spots Sponsorship deals Share floatation (the company sells shares in the business for

others to buy) Proprietor's (owner’s own) investment

Drawbacks of being a Private Broadcaster...

Reliance on popularity (if people don’t watch programmes on their channels, they don’t make money from advertisements. An advertiser won’t want to buy a spot if no one watches the channel).

Budgetary considerations (they don’t have a licence fee to rely on)

Sometimes commercial/political interests can interference programmes (News Corp > Fox News > Right Wing agenda).

Programmes can be bias and not objective like on the BBC (News Corp > Fox News > Right Wing agenda).

Benefits of being a Private Broadcaster…

Wider international distribution (you can get Sky, Netflix, Amazon TV all over the world)

Editorial freedom (less restriction and accountability - they don’t have to be objective or neutral like the BBC)

Potential for a large income (more income than is possible from the licence fee due to the ability to sell sponsorship deals and have advertisements on channels.)

Regulatory OrganisationsA regulatory organisation sets out the rules that a particular

industry (radio, TV, press, advertisement industry) must follow. The rules are contained in a Code of Practice that the individual

industries must follow.

For example:

The regulatory organisation for the TV industry is OFCOM.  They set out the rules of TV and radio in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

The regulatory organisation for the advertising industry is the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority).  They set out the rules in the Advertising Codes.

The regulatory organisation for the press and magazine  industry is the IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation).  They

set out the rules in the Editor’s Code of Practice.

The regulatory organisations ensure that media industries are not breaking the law and are acting in an ethical manner (i.e. in a way that is morally correct).  They can take complaints from members

of the public and investigate them if they feel that the law has been broken or that they have broken

TOPIC: Size and Structure of the Creative Media Sector

There are 4 main sizes of media organisation:

Local, Regional, National, International

National Media Companies

For example, ITV who operate TV in the UK Characteristics (or features) of a national media company are:

The product is available in the whole of the UK only. Products are really only of interest to people in the UK (UK

focus) They are in competition with both local and international

products

They provide jobs and training for people in the UK

Local Media CompaniesFor example Juice FM (a radio station that operate only in Brighton

or Crawley Happy Times (a paper that only operate in Crawley).

Characteristics (or features) of a local media company:

Company only operates in a local area i.e. Crawley area. They focus on local issues and content. For example, Juice FM

in Brighton will provide news and current affairs based in and around Brighton that will be of interest to Brighton residents

such as Brighton travel and news). They have a close relationship with their audience and local

area.  They might have local competitions and phone-ins. They might also run events and promotions with local businesses.

Community Organisations

For example Radio Reverb is a volunteer community radio station in Brighton.

Characteristics (or features) of a community organisation are:

Wide community participation (i.e. people from the local community are involved in running and creating content).

Audience is defined by small area (i.e Crawley or special interest).

Volunteers play a role in the organisation (i.e. people work for free)

Diverse content (random and varied content) A diverse array of opinions can be heard due to lack of

restriction ( this is called market plurality).

International Media CompaniesCompanies that operate on a European or Global stage

like Disney and Google.

International Media Organisations stretch across multiple countries.  Examples would be companies known as Conglomerates such as Disney, Viacom and Time Warner.   

Characteristics (or features) of an international media companies are: They have a global presence (they are known all over the world) They produce mainstream products with popular appeal (i.e. most

people know and use Google Search or like Disney films)

They are often led by what is popular (market led) i.e. Comic Hero Movies / Disney (Marvel)

They are driven by profit and what will make them more money They use Synergy (use their own products to market their other

products)

ConglomeratesConglomerates are large, powerful organisations (called parent companies) that own a number of smaller companies (subsidiary companies) and have a lot of control over what we see and hear. Examples are: Disney, Viacom and Time Warner.

Concentration of the Media

What does this image refer to?Concentration of media ownership (also known as media consolidation) is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organisations (as they have been brought out by conglomerates)  control more and more of what we see and watch.

Concentration is a little like a conglomerate company (Pac Man) gobbling up companies along the way getting bigger and bigger and more powerful.

Drawbacks of Conglomerates and Concentration of the Media

There is less competition and this leads to slower innovation of new products as their is no need to compete.

Prices of products can increase as there is no competition to push prices down.

Lack of diversity of viewpoints because we only hear a few companies views.

Restriction on freedom of the press and editorial independence. Reporters have often seen their stories refused or edited beyond recognition to fit the agenda of sponsor or paper.

Seek to make profit rather than act in the public interest (print stories that will sell papers rather than what is truly important.

Vertical IntegrationVertical integration is the process by which a media company owns several companies at different stages of production (e.g. a film production company owns all the companies involved in the different stages of the making of of a film).For example, Warner Bros. is owned by Time Warner (which is a huge multi-national media conglomerate). Warner Bros. owns companies at each stage of a film’s production enabling the institution to maximise profits and have near complete control over the production process without having to rely on external companies.

Let’s have a look at Vertical Integration on Harry Potter

Pre-Production, Production and Post Production.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, was created by Warner Bros. pictures, in association with Heyday Films.  It was designed, filmed and edited in Warner Brother’s studio buildings.  The studios dealt with the costumes, set design and technical set ups.

DistributionIt was then distributed by Warner Bros. Distribution.MarketingThe film was marketed using several of Time Warner's (who own Warner Brothers) companies . HBO ran a behind the scenes making of HP7 before its cinematic release. CNN used its position as a news station with worldwide reach to promote HP7 through its Larry King Special programme in which HP7 actors were interviewed before the red carpet premiere.  Time magazine also ran special features on Harry Potter before and after the film was released to not only ensure people went to watch it at the cinema, but to keep interest up for DVD sales.  Companies under the same parent company promoting products on each other’s channels is called Synergy.ExhibitionIn the US, HBO broadcast the HP7 television premiere. This allowed HBO to profit by having exclusive rights to show a worldwide box office hit, but also meant that Warner Bros. profited from the integration of Time Warner companies because their product was marketed by HBO across several different media before it was shown.

Benefits of Vertical Integration

More profit to be made by company that owns all stages (as it is not paying external companies)

Cheaper to make (maximise profits) Easier to coordinate a project (as all in the same company) Movies can be released quicker Complete control over process / creative process Synergy reduces marketing costs (using its own products within the

conglomerate to promote) Squeeze out the competition.

Drawbacks of Vertical Integration

Bias viewpoints (political influence) because everything is done by one company

Takes business away from other companies (economic influence) Reduce the amount of choice for customers.

Vertical integration is the process by which a media institution owns several companies at different stages of production.  In the case of a film production this could include the p__________, d_________, m___________ and E_________.  An example of two media conglomerates with vertical integration includes W__________ B________________ and W_______ D_________.

Vertical integration is beneficial for a company because it enables them to maximise p______ and have complete c_______ over an entire process.   

However, vertical integration could result in b_____ viewpoints, particularly if the vertically aligned company is a c________ or has a m________ over a market.  Vertically integrated companies also take away business from other companies, making it harder for them to c__________ in the market place.

conglomerate, control, compete, Warner Brothers, monopoly, production, bias, distribution, Walt Disney, marketing, exhibition, profits.

Co-Operatives A co-op is a media company that is jointly run by its members.  This means that ownership of the company is shared, their democratic decision making and profit is returned to members.  A big Co-operative media company is Associated Press in America which is a not for profit news agency and there are lots of small media

companies that operate on a co-op basis.

Horizontal Integration

Horizontal Integration is when a company expands (integrates) into other areas of an industry to expand their audience and the markets

they operate within.

This often occurs where production companies expand into other areas through mergers (joining forces with another company) and acquisitions (through buying out of another company).   Companies do this mainly to increase profits.  They do this by gaining new audiences who will buy different products and increase a company's potential to make profit.

EXAMPLES OF HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION:

Disney and Marvel Comics / Pixar / Lucasfilm Warner Brothers and DC Facebook and Whatsapp? Google and Youtube

Horizontal Integration Case Study

Disney started out as an animation studio targeting children and families who are their core target audience.   For example, Snow White 2D Animation. After reaching a certain level of success, Walt Disney considered ways to expand and increase profits.

To expand the company into other markets and audiences, Disney undertook a horizontal integration into making action hero movies by acquiring Marvel. In this manner, the company managed to reach new audiences and control a bigger share of the film industry.  It also horizontally integrated with Pixar and Lucasfilm.  Again,

producing a different kind of product with slightly different

audiences.

Disney now has 4 main divisions:

Movies (targeting different audiences with Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Miramax)

11 Theme Parks

TV Stations (targeting different audiences)

Consumer Products

 Benefits of Horizontal Integration

Attracts people outside of the original target audience Increases profits for the company Enables greater synergy (opportunity to market its products using

its own products i.e. a Marvel movie trailer on the Disney channel).

Drawbacks of Horizontal Integration Reduces competition (concentration of the market) and thus less

choice for the consumer. Creates monopolies where companies have a lot of control over

what we see and hear Possible bias over balance - could push a political or social

agenda such as more a liberal or conservative viewpoint. Reduced workforce meaning people might lose their jobs. (Less

people working in less companies as they are pushed out of the market due to competition).

TOPIC:  Output of Media Organisations

Characteristics of Media ProductsA characteristic is a feature of something

A media product is something that is made for the media such as Newspaper, TV programme or radio show.

There are three types of products that are created by Media Organisations:

Mainstream: A widely available product (on a national or global scale) to the general public which has mass appeal (a wide variety of people wanting to own or use the product). Mainstream products often have to follow market trends to stay relevant.  They are often conventional or generic products like phones, apps, subscription services etc. Examples are Netflix, Google, Facebook, Instagram, iPhones, BBC

Independent - these are generally low budget products so don’t cost a large amount to develop, produce and to market. They might be alternatives to mainstream products and often take risks.  Because of low budgets, they have a small distribution networks and might only be available in one area. Examples would be BN1 Magazine (a local Brighton ‘what’s on’ magazine, Crawley Happy Times news or Radio Reverb (a Brighton community radio station).

Niche - a product that has been developed for a very specific audience. For example, the Press Gazette, Broadcast Now Magazine and Bird Watcher’s weekly.

Mainstream Product Characteristics Major distribution network (It is often delivered to or

available all across the world). Large marketing campaigns (It could be advertised in

cinemas, on TV or on the Internet, in very expensive adverts)

High production value and budgets (cost a lot to develop, make, run and market)

Universal appeal (the products generally appeal to a wide array of people - men, women, different social classes,

interests). Global markets (the product operates in many different

countries and completes againsts other products in those

countries).

Independent Product Characteristics

Limited distribution channels (might just be available in one

place i.e. Crawley) Importance of word of mouth (often the company can’t afford

large scale advertising campaigns so relies on people telling others about the product).

Limited marketing of product due to lack of funds

Low budgets Lower production values Risk taking

Alternatives to generic products Experimental form and content Independent spirit

NicheNiche - A product developed with a very specific audience in mind.

Aimed at small and specific target audiences (for example Broadcast magazine is aimed at those who working

specifically in the broadcast industries).

Targeted marketing campaigns (i.e. for advertising of Broadcast Magazine they might choose to advertise at TV trade shows or on websites where you can buy high end production equipment).

Attractive to advertisers (A professional video camera company might choose to market in the magazine that they know video professionals will be reading.  Therefore this would be more effective that putting the advert in another type of magazine in which the correct audience might not be reading i.e. an advert for Broadcast magazine on a Children’s

Cartoon Channel wouldn’t be very effective.

Product IdentityIdentity: This is the visible elements of a brand (such as colors, design, logo, font, name, symbol) that together identify and

distinguish the brand in the customer’s mind.  

For example, Apple are known for sleek design, metal casings, high finish and the Apple logo. A brand identity shows how a business wants a product to be perceived by consumers for example Apple would like to be perceived as a quality product with excellent customer service, reliability, innovation and ease of use.

What are the implications of a strong identity?

A strong brand identity helps the audience differentiate a product from its competitors and can positively influence purchasing decisions, directly impacting the profitability for a company.  People want to buy into a brand and the image that the product projects. For example, Apple users are seen as at the forefront of technology and concerned with style and innovation.

What are the benefits of a strong identity?A strong identity can build a product’s reputation, make it stand out from the competition and project the values of the company (i.e. Apple as an innovator). A strong identity means loyalty from a particular audience.   If advertisers see you have a strong identity and want to be associated with a product,  they will want to advertise their products with you.

What are some brands with a strong identity?  What are these brands identities? Write in the space below, for each of the companies,  a number of words that help to describe the brand.

Here are some keywords to help you:Ethical, creative, leftfield, innovative, trustworthy, inspiring, professional, fearless, objective, honest, integrity, revolutionary, fair, ethical, impartiality principled, collaborative, dynamic, competitive, market leader, trusted, quality, liberated, quirky.

BBC’s identify is ……………………………………………………..………

Google’s identify is……………………………………………………………

Vice’s identity is……………………………………………………………….

Linkedin’s Identity is……………………………………………………………

TOPIC: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Media

CompaniesHere are some key terms that you will need to know for this section:

Ethics: Ethics are the moral principles (rights and wrongs) that govern a person or organisation’s behaviour in  the conducting of an activity. When making a media product, a producer must consider whether what they are making is morally right or wrong.   Some areas where a producer might have to consider whether they are right or wrong are:

Representation (how people are made out to be) for example, women, people of different cultures and backgrounds, disabled persons etc...).  If women are made out to be bad at parking or bad managers then that is representing women incorrectly.

Is the material offensive to anyone? (Does it contain offensive imagery or themes that are inappropriate ie. violence before watershed, overly sexualised imagery that anyone can view, models who are too skinny, bad language)?

Regulation: a rule, directive or law made and maintained by an authority.  There are lots of regulations that affect the Creative Media Industries for example, the Health and Safety regulations contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act designed to keep people safe and the Data Protection Act designed to keep people’s personal information safe.  

Code of Practice: A Code of Practice is a practical guide produced by a company that set out the minimum standards for the employees of the company and of the company as a whole in terms of how it seeks to behave as an organisation.  

For example the BBC have a Code of Practice and a set of values. These set out the values of the company and what the professional values of the employees should be.  The BBC’s code of practice states that the company and its employees should be impartial and honest.  Having a code of practice ensure that companies are professional, can impose penalties for employees who do not meet the standards, are able to self regulate and ensure quality output and service.

Data ProtectionIt is a moral and ethical duty for companies to keep information and data kept about people  (this could be customers or employees) safe and protected from being viewed by other.  Companies are obliged by law under The Data Protection Act 1998 to do this. Information protected could be your address and telephone number or your search history or medical records.  Companies could be fined a lot of money if they share data or information about you without your permission.  Fines for companies can be up to

£500,000.

CopyrightCopyright is a legal right created by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 that grants the creator of an original work (film, piece of music, TV program etc) exclusive rights for its use and distribution. This means that you cannot copy the person’s work,

rent it to another person or broadcast the works without permission or special licences.  When you buy a film or an official MP3 download, you are buying the right to play the music for your personal performance.

Copyright law and regulation greatly benefit producers of media products because they retain control over their work. This helps them to make money (through royalties and purchases) to fund additional projects and, if someone was to steal their work, they can issue legal proceedings.

Piracy Piracy is the copying of someone else’s work without their permission.  This includes ripping stuff of the internet, downloading stuff from torrent sites or sharing files between friends.  

Nowadays there is a lot of piracy with people downloading music free from the Internet.  This is breaking copyright law.  When this happens, it means that media producers can’t make money and can’t fund new projects, meaning their projects might go down in quality.

There have been many campaigns and schemes to try and help stop people from pirating people’s artistic works (property).  These include awareness campaigns, companies taking legal action and development of anti piracy technologies.

The PRS and MCPSBecause you can’t just play people’s music without their permission, you must buy a licence to play music to other people outside of the home.  This is classed as a public performance.  This means that Cafes, Clubs, Workshops and even the College is required by Copyright law to purchase a licence to play music, otherwise it is breaking the law under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.  These two bodies deal with issuing these licences.    Also, they pay royalties to artists. This means that every time an artist’s

song is played on the radio or on TV, the artists get a payment from

the PRS. This is called a royalty.

Defamation and LibelDefamation:  When something is said about a person that does damage to their reputation.  A person can sue for defamation of character.

Libel:  When a newspaper says something that a person considers to be untrue, the person can sue a newspaper or magazine for libel.

There are a lot of cases of magazines and newspapers being sued under the Defamation Act 2013 because they have said something about someone that is not true.  For example: The Daily Mail published accusations that Knightley had an eating disorder and had been responsible for the death of a young lady with anorexia. The actress went to court and was awarded several thousand dollars which she handed over to a charity.

There are defenses against being sued for libel or defamation of character.  They are the following:

The comments are actually true The magazine / newspaper / tv report genuinely believed the

comments to be true It was an honest opinion The comments are in the public interest (i.e. it is important

that the public know about the information

Press RegulationBecause the press are often getting into trouble for libel, there are a lot of arguments that the press should be subject to stricter regulation to ensure that they cannot print whatever they like.  This includes ensuring that the private lives of people is respected and not splashed across the pages of papers for all to read. Better regulation would also stop newspapers being used for propaganda purposes i.e. to push a particular political agenda.  However, some believe that more regulation would restrict freedom of expression and give government more control.  Also, the press would argue that a lot of stories are in the public interest meaning that it would be to the wellbeing of the general public to know the information, and give them the necessary information to take place in the

democratic process.

Health and SafetyThe health and safety of everyone in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility and they should ensure that they follow appropriate guidelines.  An employer should complete a risk assessment to ensure that all risks have been identified where possible and appropriate action is taken to protect those in the workplace.  The Act that concerns Health and Safety is the Health and Safety Act 1974

EqualityThe Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.   It ensures that people are not discriminated against under ‘protected characteristics’.  These are:

Age, Gender, sex, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage status or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation.

Companies must be careful when they put out job adverts, employ people for a job or promote people within the workplace that they do not discriminate on any of these grounds. They must make reasonable steps to accommodate people i.e. installing ramps for wheelchair users).

Censorship

Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.

There are a number of different ways that the media uses censorship. These are generally regarded to be positive or beneficial applications of censorship:

The watershed (protecting minors from potentially harmful content before 9pm)

Classification (Films have an age rating to protect younger persons from potentially harmful contents)

Warnings (sometimes we get warnings when content on the TV or radio might be upsetting or graphic)

People criticise the use of censorship, because it limits freedom of expression which is right under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.  Freedom of expression means that ‘everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media’.

TOPIC: Methods of Recruitment

People in the media industries can be employed in a number of different ways.

Freelance - A freelancer is self employed and employed only to perform one specific task for another person or company.  This is usually on a day to day basis or over a short period of time. Payment is usually based on a day rate or as a set figure for the whole job.

Fixed Term -  Employees are on a fixed-term contract if both of the following apply: they have an employment contract with the organisation they work for. Their contract ends on a particular date, or on completion of a specific task, e.g. a project.

Voluntary - A volunteer is someone who works for free for a company or organisation and does not get paid for their time.  

Permanent - A permanent contract is the most common type of employment, an indefinite contract whereby you are employed by the company until such

time as the employer or the employee choose to end the contract.

Penny - Permanent Contract

Penny is a young university graduate who has just landed her first permanent job as a writer for her favourite fashion magazine, ‘Style Guru’.  She is passionate about fashion and has many ideas for articles about current trends from all around the globe.

Benefits of being on a permanent contract:

Penny has just rented her first apartment and enjoys the job security and regular wage which means she always knows where the money for her rent is coming from.

Penny has free access to a staff gym and health plans as part of her employee benefits.

Penny has just been offered a promotion to deputy editor because she has built up experience and reputation in the company.

Penny does not need to spend time on self promotion.

Drawbacks of being on a permanent contract:

Penny really wants to write a piece about a new style from Japan, but the editor says she’s not allowed.  She is frustrated.  Working for someone else, she has less control over work undertaken.

Penny has just found out the company has made a loss this year!  There is a threat of redundancy and Penny could lose her job!

At university, Penny liked to travel a lot.  Now she is stuck in a 8am to 6pm job for 48 weeks of the year.

These rigid work patterns mean she cannot have as much freedom as she likes.

Penny did an excellent article on new autumn style trends.  She received little credit and the magazine editor got all the praise.

Penny wants to be the editor of the magazine as she thinks she could do a better job than the current editor but she is only a new employee and would need to work her way up the hierarchy before calling the shots.

Penny wants to buy a new car but she is on a salary. Sometimes she wishes she had the time to make more money from freelance work outside of her job but she is too busy.

Jose -Self Employed Freelancer

Jose is a young dad of two baby twins called Ruby and Lily. He is a self employed freelancer whose main body of work is as a video editor. His wife is on maternity leave for a year and they have a large mortgage and a car to

run.

Benefits of being a self employed freelancer:

You decide to go away for 6 weeks over the school holidays to France with your wife and family   You are able to do this as you have flexibility over your working hours.

You get offered a job editing a documentary about stamp collecting.  You decide not to take the job as it sounds boring.  If you worked for a company you wouldn’t be able to turn it down.

You edit an amazing documentary about skateboarding and get all the credit for creative input.

Sometimes if you are employed for a company, the company gets the credit - not you.

You are asked to edit a music video.  You have complete creative control and have fun expressing yourself and your creativity.  Sometimes at a company you might be told how to do your job and it can be frustrating.

After a job finishes, you decide to take a few weeks off to spend time with your wife and young children.

You complete some editing work for a film company. The owner is a psychopath.  You decided you never want to complete work for him again and are glad he

isn’t your permanent boss.

Drawbacks of being a self employed freelancer.

You do not manage to find an editing job for a while and your wife is worried about feeding the kids and paying the mortgage as your might run out of money.

You would like private health insurance and a decent pension scheme but as a freelancer you get no employee benefits as you are not employed by a big company.

Sometimes when it’s warm in bed and cold outside, you find it difficult to get out of bed and get motivated to start editing in the morning.

Apple decide to change its editing software, you shell out money from your own pocket to get the most up-to-date software.  Sometimes you wish you worked for a company as they would pay out for all the equipment.

You are running short of clients, you spend precious time and money self promoting your services on the web and in trade magazines which takes time away from earning money.

Your most recent job won’t pay off until the job finishes.  Your wife is having to dip into her savings to support the family in the meantime.

Kyle - Volunteer

Kyle is still at college. He is studying a Level 3 qualification in creative media.  He is working unpaid as a volunteer at a local radio station to gain experience. Kyle also works at the local Co-op so that he can afford

to come to college and take the bus to his work experience once a week which is 10 miles away.  He really

wants to be a radio producer for a breakfast show and plans to go to university next year.

Drawbacks of being an unpaid volunteer:

You are extremely short of money this week as it is your mum’s birthday.  You wish your work experience placement would pay some money to help out.

You become frustrated because you think that you feel like you will be working as a volunteer forever and will never get paid work in the media industry.

You have learned lots of new presenting skills at college and want to try them out on your placement but you have to wait for your opportunity and it is frustrating.

You are really tired because you have lots of assignment work to do and you also have your job at the Co-op for 12 hours a week. Sometimes you wish you could bunk off your unpaid but you know it could jeopardise your dream career.

Your mates are all going to paintballing this Saturday but you can’t go as you don’t have enough money as you need it for your bus fare to the radio station which is quite expensive.

Benefits of being an unpaid volunteer:

You have decided to apply for university to study radio production at Bournemouth.  They ask what work experience you have carried out and you can confidently write about your time at the radio

station.  You are confident you will get a place on the course now.

You have made lots of friends and contacts down at the station.  They have asked for you to contact them after your course about paid work.

You have learned a lot from the placement and put into practice what you have learned on your course.

You are ahead of the competition amongst other people your age because you have experience.

You have learned lots of new skills that you didn’t learn at college

Your mate at college with no experience didn’t get onto the radio course and you feel bad for him but at the same time you are now glad you did your voluntary work experience placement.

Lisa - Fixed Term Contract

Lisa is employed as a camera woman. She has just been employed on a six month fixed term contract with Skyline

Productions, on the shoot of a new TV Series called ‘Dodgy Diets’.  After the six months she will need to

find another job as her contract ends. Lisa has a mortgage and a new car.

Drawbacks of being on a fixed term contract:

You do not manage to find another job for a while after your fixed term contract ends. You need to borrow money from your mum and dad to get you through some of your mortgage payments.

You make a lot of friends and settle in to your workplace.  Then at the end of your fixed term contract you have to leave the job.  You will be sad as you enjoyed the work and met some great people.

Your fixed term contract is coming to an end.  You are so busy at work that you are finding it difficult to look for other work.

Benefits of being on a fixed term contract:

You like new challenges and fixed term contracts mean you get to move around, meet new people and make new friends.

After a job finishes, you decide to take a few weeks off to spend time with your sister and new nephew.

You complete some editing work for a film company.  THe owner is a psychopath.  You decide you never want to complete work for him again and are glad he isn’t your permanent boss.

EXAMPLE JOBS

Types of PayThere are a number of ways that people can be paid for working in the media industry:

Salary (a set yearly amount paid equally over 12 months, but could be monthly usually paid on a permanent contract but

also fixed term) Payment on completion (once the job is finished, payment is

made, this is usually paid to freelancers)

Deferred (delayed) payment (once the product you have worked on begins to make money you will receive payment

and is usually paid to freelancers) An advanced payment (you receive money up front before

getting paid in full.  Again this is usually freelancers on this type of payment)

Work Experience (you work for free but might get paid your travel expenses)

Voluntary (you work completely for free)

Where to find a job in media...

National PressDescription:  The national press are newspapers that you can purchase anywhere in the UK.  These often have national jobs in them (jobs that could be anywhere in the UK).  These are often well paid professional jobs that people will be willing to move home to take or ones which are quite specialist and require a national call for applicants.  For example, the Guardian’s media jobs supplement.

Example: https://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/media/

Benefits

People have heard of and respect the titles, it is established practice to check in some papers for types of job (i.e. media jobs in the Guardian supplement).  It has nationwide coverage so you attract talent from across the country.

Drawbacks

It costs a lot to advertise in a national paper.  There is only limited exposure in the paper as it only runs for a day or week and there are falling circulation of papers in general.

Local pressDescription:  The local newspapers contain local jobs for local people and contain a wide variety of jobs.  However, it is not likely that they will be very specialist jobs.

Benefits

It costs a company much less money to advertise a job in local papers national newspaper. Employers can advertise jobs local benefit the employer print formats, less competition, specific geographical areas

Drawbacks

Only local coverage, so people who would be interested in the job from further afield might not see the job.  There is also no media specific sections and media job searchers will look elsewhere. There is a falling circulation of papers and less readers.

Trade PressDescription:  This is a newspaper that is directed at a specific industry.  For example Broadcast is for the TV industry and Press Gazette for the journalism industry.  The main benefit with these is specialist career jobs within the industries that you wouldn’t

find anywhere else.

Benefits

They are specialised titles and the people reading the publication are exactly the type of people you want to be looking for jobs in your field. There is a wide circulation of the publication in the industry, It is also established practice in some sectors to look in the trade press for specific jobs i.e. journalism jobs in the Press Gazette.  Some jobs might only be advertised in the trade press.

Drawbacks

You might miss out out talent if someone doesn’t read the paper.

Interactive Media (websites, apps, social

networking)Definition:  This includes apps for your phone such as the Indeed app and sites like Facebook.

Benefits

As a  job searcher, you can search specifically for types of job that you want.  In a digital format it is easy to use and access.  Sites are often free to use.  For employers they can add links and lots of details about the job.  They can also use social media to search information about potential employees to provide an insight into potential employee.  It is also a good way to advertise for employees as lots of people will be able to see the job adverts.

Drawbacks

It costs employers a lot to advertise and they rely on people having access to technology. As job searchers there is a lot of competition for job  embarrassing public profiles.

Gaining professional contacts / networking/word of mouth...

Definition:  People you meet who work in your field who might be able to offer you work or recommend you to someone else for a job.  You meet professional contacts in your career and at events like conferences or through professional recommendations.

Benefits

Using professional contacts is a low cost way or finding an employee as you do not need to advertise the role.  If a company hears that someone is good, this means that their reputation has been built over time.  Because you know all about the client, you

can match the candidate to the role.

Drawbacks

Asking around about potential people who are available for a role can be time consuming, it also restricts applicants who you don’t know but who might be suitable. It can also result in a thing called nepotism, where you give jobs to people you know rather than their suitability for the role.

Self promotion / online promotion...

What does self promotion mean?   As a media professional, you can show the world what you can do by having an online portfolio showing examples of your best work. You can also list your services on websites and have social media pages to connect with your audience.

Here is an example:

Barry is self employed video editor.  He wants potential clients to be able to see examples of his work so that he can show off his editing skills and so that clients can have a gauge of his experience.  He has all of his best work on a website in a showreel.

He gives out business cards to people with his website address and contact details on when he meets people.  He lists his details on search engines so his website will come up if people are searching for video editors and he also lists his services in online industry professionals.

Internal PromotionThis is where you are promoted from your current position to a better paid position within the company you work.  This usually involved more money and more responsibility.  People normally need to show that they are capable and work hard to be in line for a promotion.

Benefits

Costs less for employers to promote you than to advertise for new staff and is also quicker as don’t need to find another person.   People who already work for a company are familiar with company role and systems so don’t need to be trained.  A company already knows the employee so knows they are hard-working and motivated.  It is also good for the workforce as they are more likely to be motivated if they think there is a potential for promotion.

Drawbacks

A company might be missing out on new talent if they don’t bring in new people from outside the company. This means that new ideas and approaches might be missed. Also, if some people within an organisation are promoted and other aren’t, there might be resentment amongst other staff.

Media PortfolioMost media professionals have a portfolio of their work so that potential employers can see their work and shortlist them for a job. These portfolios could be a video showreel or work, a website or a paper-based folder.    There are many benefits of letting a potential

employer see a portfolio instead of just a CV.

Benefits

Mix personal projects with professional work Regularly and easily updated Interactive and engaging Multimedia content Demonstrates your skills Engaging and shows creativity

Drawbacks

Time consuming to make Might not fit or be appropriate for every job that you apply for.

Topic: Collaborative Working Practices

Working independently:  working without help or unaided in your job role.  Job roles where you work independently include job roles such as video editors or web designers.   This is because you are often sat at a computer on your own for hours at a time with little outside interference until the client is involved with feedback for you.  Freelancers are more likely to be independent workers.

Drawbacks and benefits of being an independent worker:

When you have to do everything yourself, there can be time pressures to get the work done before a deadline as you don’t have other people that you can delegate work to.When working on your own, you equipment available to use and resources might not be as good as if working for a company.You normally have to be multi-skilled as there are not other people available to do the jobs who have the relevant skills.You have to be good at problem solving as there is no one around to help you solve problemsYou have to be self-motivated as there is no one there to insist that you get on with the work.

You are engaged with the whole process and get to make decisions without having to run them past anyone else for approvalYou don’t have to work with other people who you might not get along with or whose personalities clashYou can be creative and see all your own ideas take shape in a project.

Working collaboratively:  This means working in a team of people to achieve a purpose.  Such roles might be in a production team as a camera person or as part of a marketing team coming up

with a new concept and plan to market a product (like the

Apprentice).Benefits and drawbacks of working collaboratively:There is a group dynamic where you can bounce ideas off each other and come up with something original and exciting.Other people in the group can support you, both in terms of sharing the workload and doing tasks that are most suited to their natural skills and abilities.  They can also take the strain if your workload becomes too much.You have the shared resources of other people in the group, including their knowledge and equipment.However, your own ideas can feel drowned out, particularly if their are people who are louder and better at pushing their own ideas. There might be people in the group who are difficult to work with and your personalities clash.

Working with a client: This means working alongside the client to produce the final product.  The client has a direct input into the creation of the product.  For example, during the editing of a film, a director might be with you in the editing room telling you how you what they like / dislike and what shots they want to be included in the final edit. Benefits and drawbacks of working collaboratively:

Working with a client means there is a better likelihood that your client will be happy with the work when it is completed.You can learn from your client and their individual skills and experiencesYou get regular feedback on your work so there are no surprises when you present the project to the clientA client might restrict your creativity wanting things their own way without considering your ideas (which might actually be better than their ideas)The client might take liberties and want more and more from you even though there are budget limits.

REVISION1. You need to revise by

reading this book through thoroughly multiple times.

2. Answer the past exam questions for each section.

3. Check your answers and ensure that you know the answer that the examiners were looking for on each question.

4. Write a list of the topics that you are most unsure of and ensure you revise these in more detail.

5. Write a list of any terms or words you are unsure of and research what they mean.

6. Use the flashcards to revise.