week 13 - Teenage chat guide helps parents spot online dangers

Parent Info website includes dictionary of abbreviations used by teenagers in chatrooms, many dealing with online sexual relationships

Parents concerned their children are “zerging” or giving away their ASL will be able to decode social media using a language guide launched by government.

The dictionary translates abbreviations used by teenagers, including get naked on cam (GNOC) and age, sex, location (ASL) often used by children using anonymous chatrooms to disclose their personal details.

The tool will also help parents spot when their child issues a P999 (parent alert) or a CD9 (Code 9), to make their online friends aware their parents are around.

Many of the terms deal with the issue of sexual relationships online, including examples such as IWSN (I want sex now), and LMIRL (let’s meet in real life). Other definitions include zerg (to gang up on someone), POS (parents over shoulder) and 420 (marijuana).

The guide is part of Parent Info, an online service announced by the Department for Education, which aims to provide tips on navigating teenage life and give adults the confidence to talk about sensitive topics with their children.

The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, said it was crucial parents were educated on how to keep their children safe online.

week 13 - No Jeremy Hunt, you can't use tech to ban sexting for the under-18s, Jonathan Haynes

The health secretary needs to stop scapegoating technology companies and tackle sexting and cyberbullying through a government education scheme

Cyberbullying, sexting and all other aspects of online life that cause teenagers misery may seem pretty complex and intractable problems. But not for Jeremy Hunt. Somehow, when not dealing with despairing junior doctors, he’s found the time to devise a simple solution to end them all.

In case you’ve missed it, the health secretary’s big idea to tackle the - very real - problems of sexting and cyberbullying is to call on social media and tech companies to ban them.

Hunt wants the WhatsApps and Snapchats of this world to engineer in the inability for minors to send naked selfies or to type words on social media sites that could be used to bully.

When you send a naked selfie on say WhatsApp it doesn’t go into the ether where it can be analysed by software to search for uncovered flesh. From device to device the messages are encrypted, meaning no one can see the content until it arrives with the intended recipient.

Some platforms like Snapchat are less secure, but analysing pictures in real time isn’t technically feasible yet. Even if it was, children could just switch to more secure services and tackling those would rely on breaking end-to-end encryption. 

When reading this article, I do agree with some of the points. The main one being that we can't blame technology companies for sexting and such. However, I do believe they do play some part in it and aren't doing enough to prevent it from happening. 

week 12 - We still need humans to identify sexually explicit images online – for now

Jeremy Hunt’s claim that technology could soon automatically spot and block ‘sexting’ among under-18s is a little premature, if not inconceivable. But we still rely on real people to identify images of abuse online, and it’s no easy job


When Peter, an analyst at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), is on “hashing” duty, he might look at 1,000 images of child sexual abuse in a single day. His job is to filter them. Some of the photographs the IWF picks up on its trawls of the web, or that members of the public send to the organisation, fall outside criminal boundaries: one might, for example, show a toddler working on a sandcastle.

Each photo he hashes as abusive – from Category C (indecent) to Category A (penetrative) – can swiftly be blocked wherever it appears on the public internet. That is why Peter, a father of two, does the job.

On Tuesday, Jeremy Hunt suggested it might not be necessary for much longer. Technology exists, he said, that can “identify sexually explicit images and prevent [them] being transmitted”; this could facilitate a complete bar on sexting for under-18s. Well, says Peter, he isn’t redundant yet. “It would be amazing,” he says, in a room across the hallway from where IWF staff have just finished a mindfulness session, “if there was a magic brush that could do this kind of job.” Almost all of the “hashing” process runs automatically. 

Due to new/digital media evolving so quickly, I think it's become harder to block and spot certain things such as sexting. In my opinion, I think there needs to be a more efficient way in order to spot these kind of things. 

week 12- Online pressures creating 'nation of deeply unhappy children', says charity

Figures released by counselling service ChildLine reveal low self-esteem to be among most prevalent problems reported by today’s young people

Britain’s children are “deeply unhappy” and have to deal with fears and worries that did not exist 30 years ago, a charity has warned.

Modern pressures such as cyberbullying and social media are affecting children’s confidence and self-esteem, according to ChildLine, the confidential counselling service run by the NSPCC.

In 1986, when the 24-hour helpline began, children’s biggest concerns were sexual abuse, family problems, physical abuse and pregnancy, according to ChildLine’s figures.

Last year, the main issues raised were family relationships, low self-esteem and unhappiness, bullying (including cyberb.ullying) and self-harm.

Overall, 35,244 of the counselling sessions held by the service in 2014/15 were related to low self-esteem and unhappiness – up 9% on the previous year. The number of sessions the helpline runs each year has risen dramatically in the three decades since it was founded – from 23,530 in 1986/87 to 286,812 in 2014/15.

Less than one in three of ChildLine’s counselling sessions were conduction over the phone last year, the charity said, while 71% involved email or online chat.

week 11 - Online abuse: how different countries deal with it

Nations worldwide are struggling to address issues such as harassment, defamation or revenge pornography

Online abuse is rife on social media and other sites across the globe but countries are attempting to deal with it in very different ways. As part the Guardian’s Web we want series investigating the dark side of the internet – and the efforts people are making to clean it up – we look at what different legislatures are doing.

With more internet users than any other country – 688 million, according to the government’s last count – China provides fertile ground for online abuse.

The most notorious form is the so-called “human flesh search engine”, by which 

internet users club together to identify and then publicly humiliate online targets who have been accused of anything from corruption to infidelity or animal cruelty.

Zhou describes cyberbullying on social media groups such as Weibo or Weixin as a serious and growing threat to his country’s youth. In a study of nearly 1,500 secondary schools he found that almost 35% of respondents admitted to having bullied someone online while nearly 57% said they had been bullied.

The problem with online abuse in Russia is often not so much that the authorities do not take it seriously, but that they may actually be behind it.

Ruslan Leviev, a blogger who has used open-source information to chart Russian military manoeuvres in Ukraine and Syria, has been on the receiving end of many online threats on Twitter and Facebook. A “patriotic” website also published an home address and phone number that it attributed to him.

“Recently I’ve been getting a lot of calls from people saying they’re going to come and get me,” he said.

So far, none of the threats have turned into real physical action. He has not contacted police about the threats, believing it is unlikely that anything would be done.

I do believe that the Web creates a lot of problems, whether it be hacking or people getting bullied. I think companies/institutions need to do more in order to prevent things such as online bullying as not a lot is being done. 

week 11 - NSPCC records 88% rise in children seeking help for online abuse

Report shows that number of children who contacted ChildLine increased by more than 2,000 over five-year period

The number of children and young people tormented by online trolls has increased by 88% in five years, according to a report by a leading children’s charity.

The NSPCC study shows that the charity’s helpline service, ChildLine, counselled 4,541 children about online bullying in 2015-16, compared with 2,410 in 2011-12.

Education key to fighting cyberbullying of children, says safety watchdog

 

Read more

The findings follow recent figures that showed that almost a quarter of a million children and young people are receiving help from NHS mental health services for problems such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

To coincide with the start of anti-bullying week, the NSPCC said that in a quarter of its counselling sessions children and young people were also given help with mental health and well being issues including low self-esteem, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and depression.

Children as young as seven told ChildLine counsellors how they were being tormented and abused by malicious and hurtful messages from which they felt there was no escape. The comments posted on their social media profiles, blogs and online pictures ranged from bullying and abusive words about the way they looked to death threats and even being told to kill themselves.

In nearly a third (31%) of counselling sessions for online bullying, children and young people talked about gaming or social networking sites as platforms for abuse or humiliation.

According to the NSPCC, online bullying is quickly becoming the main type of bullying that children and young people contact ChildLine about, and the 24/7 nature of social media only exacerbates the issue.

In my opinion, I think children shouldn't have to result in contacting ChildLine as there shouldn't be any online bullying, and the statistics that have been shown are quite surprising. I think there needs to be more done to sort out the issue of online bullying. 

NDM News: Globalisation and fake news

The growing problem with fake news is a great example of the crossover between globalisation and the news industry.

1)What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?
One main similarity that was outlined in the article was regarding fake news and the concerning effect it has in terms of political systems and the Government. Furthermore, another issue that was the issues that were coming up in the news;  France, Italy, India and Germany have had a problem with fake news., for example, articles on assaults, religion or even political issues.  All the countries have had various problems regarding the issue of fake news, and in particular have fake news regarding the government and political issues. 

2) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?
In my opinion, I think in society today, fake news seems to be unavoidable. Due to audiences mainly, gaining more power they now have the opportunity to post what they want, for example content that is fake news. Furthermore, as the internet is such a big place, it's harder for us to differentiate what is fake and what is real. However, I think the issue of fake news can be stopped but there will be certain articles that will still get out. 


New York Times and the creation of fake news 

1) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump?
3) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?
I think Facebook and Google can be blamed to some extent, not entirely. In my opinion, I think the could they could monitor what gets published more effectively. In addition, Facebook and Google are two of the many institutions that have the feature of sharing and publishing things and therefore, audiences have more of a chance of coming across fake news.

Media Magazine: Globalisation case study

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?
Google was controversial due to the privacy issues as a product, regarding Google glass. The main concern was that of google being able to capture the footage of what users are viewing. As well as recording being able to record people without their consent or permission. Therefore, Google Glass was seen as controversial as they had the feature that resulted in invading peoples privacy.

2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?
Even though there was a great of controversy regarding Google Glass, there were still some positive outcomes. For example, Google gave the ability to allow people to access the internet as well as connecting people together. This was a positive element as it allowed audiences to become more aware of the Internet, whilst connecting with new people. 

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?
A main negative factor in terms of Globalisation is that smaller companies would be effected negatively due to not being able to compete.  

4) What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?
Techno-panic is a moral panic that is based upon contemporary technology or technological activity.  This is linked to Cohen's theory of moral panics as techno-panic, it is a moral panic in society, however, it regards technology instead of people in society. 

5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?

In my opinion, I think it's wrong and quite worrying that major corporations are able to access large quantities of personal data. Mainly due to the fact that most of the time people are completely unaware of what data is actually being accessed. Major corporations  have the opportunity of being able to access any information they want, and  being able to sell it for profit. I think it is wrong if people are unaware of what is going on.

Media Factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism

1) Who coined the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?

The phrase "global village" was coined by McLuhan to describe countries becoming interconnected or more interdependent. One multinational company that illustrates this is 'Coco-Cola'.

2) What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony? 

Slavoj Zizek suggests that the media naturalises and reinforces the ideology that making money is the right way of making businesses. However, he also states that at the same time, it allows people to feel less guilty about the goods that are produced. 

3) What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean? 

'Capitalism with a conscience' is a phrase that means institutions create a campaign in order for western institutions maintaining a capital dominance. 

4) What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign?

The RED campaign was founded by Bono in 2006, 

RED is a private company, the campaign was set up raise awareness regarding AIDS in Africa. 

5) Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are?

I believe that campaigns such as RED are helping in a positive manner, but at the same time they are still attempting to make multinational companies to look more ethical than they actually are. However, I believe their main intentions are to help fight diseases/viruses and such, like AIDS.

Marxism & Pluralism - homework essay

The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.

One may argue that due to the development of new/digital media, the audience have become more powerful rather than institutions, in terms of both consumption and production. Throughout this essay, I will demonstrate if the statement of audiences having more power is true or not. 

Due to the development of new/digital media, audiences now have the privilege of accessing many more platforms on the internet. They are able to share and post things more freely, as well as commenting and debating on certain topics. New and digital media has brought audiences many more positive/efficient outcomes, however there also many negative factors that come with the development of new and digital media. One main downfall is audiences becoming reliant on accessing news through the newspaper platform, audiences now have the option of getting information and news through the web, whether it be on their computers or phones.  

A pluralist's view would strongly argue that without an audience, institutions would not be able to have a successful organisation and believe that audiences are the key reason as to why we have good media. Not only this, but audiences have more power in determining what news gets published and have more of  say in what news and media they want to view. They now have the opportunity to now;  ‘conform, accommodate, challenge or reject’. This can also be backed by Rupert Murdoch, who stated; "The internet has given readers much more power, the world is changing and newspapers have to adapt." This therefore, conveys that the audience do indeed have more power than they once did before.
Additionally, audiences also have the power to certain things trending to allow people to become globally aware, for example, the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign became globally aware, due to audiences having the power to get it trending on different social platforms, which therefore benefited not only the audiences in getting the campaign trending/aware, but also helped the institutions becoming successful. 
Moreover, due to news and information mainly being put onto the web, audiences now challenge the hypodermic needle theory, and challenge some of the stuff they read on the web. 

In contrast, a Marxist would completely disagree with the view and opinions of a Pluralist. They believe that the 'Information Revolution' in fact has not benefited the audience at all. A Marxist's view on society is that there is a social divide, whereas a Pluralist believes we live in a classless society. Furthermore, a Marxist believe that the media are the ones with the elite power and who have the power in order to preserve the hegemonic control over masses (Gramsci). Additionally, a Marxist would argue that audiences aren't the ones with the power but are the ones who rely on institutions for news and information. They also don't believe that audiences even question the news they read, as Lin & Websterclaim state; "57% of 9 - 19 year olds never question the accuracy of online information."  Moreover, a Marxist would argue that the media have 'dumbed down' the information they publish in order to generate mass audiences.  Therefore, Marxists believe that if audiences have information and news to read, they won't question any of it, let alone challenge it. So, Marxists believe institutions can carry on posting information and have the power to control what audiences read and consume, without being questioned. 

Furthermore, the decline of the newspaper industry has become a serious matter in the media industry. Audiences are no longer going to newspapers to get their newspapers, but they're using platforms on the web. A pluralist would argue that new/digital media has allowed audiences to view their opinions more freely now, whether it be commenting on posts or creating blogs to express their views, audiences now have more opportunities to present their ideas and challenge what institutions publish. In addition, due to the decline of newspapers, journalists jobs have been effected, not only due to the decline, but due to 'citizen journalism'. Audiences now have the opportunity in recording/capturing footage that may be important in the news industry. Therefore, 'citizen journalism' has given audiences the power in publishing what they want. Not only does this benefit audiences, but by audiences capturing certain images or footage, in fact also benefits institutions as they have the content to publish on their own sites. 

To conclude, I believe that both a Marxist and Pluralist view is correct to some extent. I believe that institutions do still maintain some sort of control and power, as they do have the last say in what gets published or not. However, audiences have come a long way and do have some sort of say in what they want published and what news they want to read. Additionally, they have more power in expressing and sharing their views. 
Therefore, I do agree with the statement of audiences being more powerful in terms of media consumption and production.
                                                                                                   

week 10 - Keeping up with Digital Trends Requires Expert Execution, By Jonathan Davies

UK Government statistics confirm that 72% of large companies and 49% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently suffering the effects of the digital skills gap.

Digital is no longer simply confined within one aspect of a company, but is being integrated across all business operations. Yet the sheer number of possibilities available through the incorporation of the latest technologies, and the speed of their adoption by consumers, is proving problematic for established businesses that struggle to be as agile as digitally savvy competitors.

Many business leaders find themselves in unfamiliar territory when it comes to executing their digital strategy. However, outsourcing digital projects has been found to level the playing field between traditional established players and the new innovators. By bringing on board knowledgeable technology professionals to complete discrete projects, businesses are able to act fast and deploy digital innovations at speed.

The pace at which digital disruption is affecting businesses means that it is crucial to be able to scale up or down resources, adapting the work force to the businesses requirements. Project management as a service is supporting business to adopt digital innovation and modernise themselves in an expanding digital marketplace. With this model, businesses have access to digital teams with the required skills set, knowledge and experience to ensure expert execution of projects.

With new and digital media consistently growing and developing, I do think it's important for companies and institutes to stay up to date with the latest technical gadgets in order to be successful.  

week 10 - Social media, Keyboard worrier

"I want to unfriend someone on Facebook but I don't want to hurt their feelings

In a new column, Elle Hunt negotiates the sometimes excruciating world of social media. This week: culling your contacts 

I want to unfriend someone on Facebook but I’m worried I’ll hurt their feelings. What should I do?

First, a caveat: I may take a more callous approach to this than the average social media user. But I believe that no online friendship is a given; that every follow is earned. Curate your timeline, and do so rigorously.

On Twitter in particular I may unfollow someone in a fleeting fit of intolerance, possibly to reconnect if they pick up their game in future. Easy follow, easy go is the word – Twitter can be bad enough without voluntarily weathering the worst of it.

This doesn’t apply as easily to Facebook, where the worst offenders can be blood ties and a hasty unfriending is more likely to create problems “in real life”. But even there it is worth being mindful about your network.

That’s not just for the sake of your own enjoyment (although removing former schoolmates, one-time acquaintances and any racists can improve the Facebook experience immeasurably). It’s also for the security of your information.

Remember: people are creeping. Don’t make it any easier for them than you have to.

 Whilst reading this article, written by Elle Hunt, I did agree with some points that were made. However, I feel as if this topic is quite irrelevant, and people shouldn't overthink about whether they not they should unfollow someone on Social Media. 

NDM News case study: index

1) Institution: the impact of Google on the newspaper industry
2) Ofcom report: how news consumption has changed
3) The future of newspapers: Build The Wall analysis
4) The decline of newspapers: the effect of online technology
5) The future of journalism: John Oliver and Clay Shirky
6) The decline of newspapers: Media Magazine case studies
7) Citizen journalism and hyper-reality: Media Magazine article and questions
8) News Values: theory and updating them for digital media landcape
9) Marxism & Pluralism: Media Magazine article and questions
10) Alain de Botton on the News: lecture and questions
11) Full NDM essay including paragraphs on Marxism and Pluralism
12) Globalisation and news: cultural imperialism
13) Globalisation: taking it further (Google Glass case study and capitalism)
14) Fake news and globalisation - Guardian and New York Times articles
15) News on the Tweet

Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news

1) To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?
I do agree with Alain de Bottons views regarding news, and mainly agree with the point he made regarding audiences coming across the same type of news more frequently. 
I also agree with the point he made about audiences getting an overload of news which therefore makes it harder for people to make out what is more important and what isn't. 
Alain de Botton believes you can either give people no news at all or give them an overload of what is going on around the world, and right now at the moment we are still trying to figure out what we should do, as he states we're still trying to figure out what to do with news.

2) How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?
During the interview, Alain de Botton shows us the value of economic news and links it to hegemony. He also states that there's a sort of bias feel in the news and believes that audiences should be able to view and hear both sides of a story, but however, states that the ruling bodies are the ones who decide what gets published and what doesn't. 

3)How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?
As an audience we could argue that with technology becoming more advanced, this has given audiences an opportunity to have more of an opinion and say on what they want published and get to comment on the content that is published. Furthermore, de Botton argues that due to the media overloading audiences with news, they've become reluctant to reading news.

Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control.

• https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/20/barack-obama-facebook-fake-news-problem - challenges 
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/20/indian-train-derailment-kills-dozens-and-injures-over-100 - supports 

NDM: Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) Research the Ian Tomlinson case. What would the traditional, hegemonic view of the police be in a case like this? How did new and digital media create a different story? What does the police officer's subsequent acquittal suggest about the power of new and digital media?
Ian Tomlinson was killed after being hit by a police officer during the 2009 G20 summit protests in London. The police would be viewed as the criminals in the case as they abused their power and in a result killed someone. The footage of the tragic event conveys to the audience that the police were lying to the public and therefore reinforces the view of the police being seen as the ones at fault. 
New and digital media managed to create a different as the footage that was captured was taken by an ordinary bystander and therefore a different approach was taken. 

2) What does the author argue regarding whether hegemony is being challenged by Web 2.0? 
The author talks about the internet giving opportunities to audiences to publish what they want. The author also talks about audiences now having the opportunity to challenge the idea of hegemony. 

In your opinion, does new and digital media reinforce dominant hegemonic views or give the audience a platform to challenge them?

In my opinion, I think that the media has allowed audiences to challenge the hegemonic views as audiences have more of a say in what they want published and having more opportunities to debate on the certain things that get published and voice their opinions.

Do recent world events such as Brexit or Donald Trump's election in the US suggest dominant hegemonic ideologies are being challenged or reinforced? There are arguments for both sides here - explain your opinion and why

Both events in my opinion, reinforce the hegemonic ideologies. In both events, audiences had a right of say, and therefore reinforces the dominant hegemint ideologies. 

week 9 - Media for development: does good journalism promote transparency?

Does press freedom promote democracy or the other way round? Martin Scott considers the influence of the media

One of the aims of World Press Freedom day in May was to encourage us to reflect on the value of an independent media. This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently while writing a new book on media and development and co-producing the video below. How exactly does good journalism promote transparency and accountability? What role can technology play in enabling ordinary citizens to promote good governance

The media have multiple, overlapping roles which are fundamentally shaped by local contexts. Pretending that they don't leads to bad project design and policy making. It also fuels the mistaken belief that access to technology alone is enough to solve problems.

The point here is not that the media doesn't matter for development. It does. Increasingly. The point is that efforts to highlight the importance of the media should exist alongside, rather than seek to obscure, recognition of the complexities of the media's role. Ultimately, it's not helpful to pretend that the media always have a direct and positive influence on development.

In my opinion, I agree with Martin Scott and his final statement of media not always having a positive influence and it not solving our problems. I believe that sometimes media can effect us negatively.

week 9 - Hidden digital ads pushing children to eat fatty food, health experts warn.

This article is about digital ads, influencing kids to consume fatty foods through digital ads.

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Children in Europe are bombarded with hidden digital advertising and marketing promoting fatty, sugary and salty foods that is damaging their health and adding to the region's obesity problem, World Health Organization experts said on Friday.

The researchers called for policymakers to do more to protect children from junk food advertising messages on networking sites, games - known as "advergames" - and other social media.

"Our governments have given the prevention of childhood obesity the highest political priority, (yet) we consistently find that children - our most vulnerable group - are exposed to countless numbers of hidden digital marketing techniques promoting foods high in fat, sugar and salt," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO's regional director for Europe.

She said in the absence of effective regulation of digital media in many countries, children are increasingly exposed to persuasive, individually tailored marketing techniques that parents may underestimate, or be unaware of.

"Often, parents do not see the same advertisements, nor do they observe the online activities of their children; many therefore underestimate the scale of the problem," said the WHO.

About two-thirds of children who are overweight before puberty will be overweight in early adulthood, and an estimated 25 percent of school-aged children in Europe are already overweight or obese, said the report.

Digital marketing can engage children in emotional, entertaining experiences and encourage them to share these experiences with their friends, it said, describing this as "a dubious cocktail when used to promote unhealthy foods". (Editing by Andrew Heavens)

In my opinion, I don't think kids would be influenced into eating fatty foods through 'digital ads'. However, at the same time it doesn't push them into eating healthy either.

week 8 - Should children ban their parents from social media?

Parents from Shanghai to Chicago are proudly putting pictures of their children on social media.

It might be taken for granted - but no previous generation of children will have had the experience of having their entire childhoods intensively and publicly documented in this way.

In the UK, the average parent with a social media account has posted 1,498 photos of their child online by their fifth birthday, according to a survey by domain name company, Nominet.

This might be a global phenomenon for proud parents - but what about the children, who will have been too young to have any choice in the matter.

But the very first people to have had some of their childhood pictures posted online are now reaching adulthood. And they are not always happy about their formative years being preserved in digital aspic.

• "When I was 12 or 13 I started realising there were things [on Facebook] that I thought were a bit embarrassing," said 16-year-old Lucy, from Newcastle, whose dad has been posting pictures of her on the social networking site since she was seven.
• "I asked him to take them down and he was happy to, but he didn't quite understand why. If I had been asked [at the time], do you want these photos out there for all to see, I would've probably said no."

'De-tagging' her past

Even those who were pleased to be on social media as children are less sure about it now. Dana Hurley, 20, from east London, said that as an 11-year-old she was happy for her parents to post photos of her on Facebook.

"At the time it was exciting… I liked attention. Now it's kind of weird because you look back and think, this was for everyone to see," she said.

In my opinion, I don't think parents should post pictures of their children on social media, due to children not really being aware of what their parents are uploading, I do think it is unfair. Furthermore, most of the time once children are at a certain age they do regret taking certain pictures and allowing their parents uploading the pictures. 

week 8 - Computers 'do not improve' pupil results, says OECD

Investing heavily in school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance, says a global study from the OECD. 

The think tank says frequent use of computers in schools is more likely to be associated with lower results.The OECD's education director Andreas Schleicher says school technology had raised "too many false hopes"

The report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development examines the impact of school technology on international test results, such as the Pisa tests taken in more than 70 countries and tests measuring digital skills.

It says education systems which have invested heavily in information and communications technology have seen "no noticeable improvement" in Pisa test results for reading, mathematics or science.

• "If you look at the best-performing education systems, such as those in East Asia, they've been very cautious about using technology in their classrooms," said Mr Schleicher.
• "Those students who use tablets and computers very often tend to do worse than those who use them moderately."

In my opinion, I disagree with the statement of computers not improving pupils results. Yes, it may distract pupils. However, computers also benefit pupils, as it allows them to reach and search certain information that may not be able to be accessed through books etc. Therefore, computers to benefit pupils, to an extent. 

NDM: News Values

Come up with a news story from the last 12 months for each of the categories suggested by Harriss, Leiter and Johnson:

• Conflict:  Tension or surprise - War, e,g. Syrian Conflict 
• Progress:  Triumph or achievement - Politics - US Elections.
• Disaster: Defeat or destruction - Natural - Italy Earthquake.
• Consequence -Effects on individuals or community - 
• Prominence 
• Novelty

1)What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?

The story of the war in Afghanistan, is used to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values. The news story talks about the unfortunate death of the British Soldier. This is an appropriate example of a news story that is able to gain prominent coverage due to a British audience viewing the soldier as 'one of their own'. Furthermore, it would be more likely to gain prominence due to it being a female soldier.

2)What is gatekeeping? 

Gatekeeping is the process of separating information prior to dissemination. This is usually done by the editor. However, this process doesn't just consist of the editor picking one story of another, it can also consist of how questions for journalists are created and the overall decision of how information/news is presented to audiences.

What are the six ways bias can be created in news?

1. Bias through selection and omission
2. Bias through placement
3. Bias by headline
4. Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles
5. Bias through use of names and titles
6. Bias by choice of words

How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?

Online sources such as Twitter, Bloggers or Wikileaks have changed the way news is selected and published by almost going against the way the media 'gateways' news. Furthermore, bloggers aren't seen as reliable in comparison to other forms of media.

Give an example of a news story from the last 12 months that was reported as a result of online technology - Twitter, Wikileaks or similar.

One example of a news story that was reported due to online technology was the Hyde Park Riots. The riots were first shared and reposted on Twitter, which allowed the Met Police to become aware of the event.

Complete the task on the last page of the Factsheet regarding Sky News and Twitter:

“The Twitter phenomenon continues to explode. A photo with an eyewitness in Lahore yesterday came to us through Twitter. Last night’s breaking story on the death of a Briton in the Alps came to us from Twitter. The first phone on the Buffalo plane crash came from Twitter. The first photo of the Hudson River rescue came from Twitter. Convinced?”

• What does this reveal about how Sky views Twitter as a news source?

It reveals that audiences are more likely to post information on social media sites, such as Twitter, rather than institutions like Sky News.

 

• What does it say about how news is being produced?

It shows that institutions are relying more on social media sites, rather on journalists. It also shows that audiences are now the source of news.

• What role does the audience have in this process?

They are now the ones providing the news and information for big institutions and almost replacing the roles of journalists. 

• Why might this be a problem for journalistic standards?

This may be a problem for journalists as their positions may be replaced and could be at the risk of losing their jobs. 

Final tasks

In your opinion, how has new and digital media technology changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values? 

In my opinion, I don't believe new and digital media technology has completely changed Galtung and Ruge;s news values. However, there has been some change due to there being no gateway to determine what gets published or not. Furthermore, there's the threat of journalists losing their jobs.

How would you update them for 2016? Choose SIX of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how each one has been affected by the growth of new and digital 

technology.

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

• Unambiguity: Is the information published reliable or not?
• Familiarity: With the use of online news, audiences all around the world are able to be updated and informed with news. Online platforms such as, Twitter, Instagram and Twitter allow this. 
• Balance: Audiences now have the privilege of being able to read what the want and have the option of even discussing/debating with other people about certain events, through the use of social media. 
• Surprise: Audiences may often come across disturbing or shocking posts, this is due to there being no 'gatekeepers' being able to control what gets published or not, and therefore results in audiences being able to view anything they want. 
• Frequency: Certain posts/stories may be viewed frequently by audiences as they create a high amount of attention from audiences. Furthermore, due to many news stories being published online through social media apps, this allows audiences to view a story more than once.
• Predictability: Social media creates the sense of unpredictably, therefore, new and digital media has made it easier for audiences to predict the posts they may view.