Media ecology essay

Media Ecology

Essay

The relationship between media and audiences is changing drastically. Media ecology aims to describe how diverse media environments shape today's society and our everyday lives. The theory's overall core is how the content's communication isn't as nearly impactful as the way it is being consumed. It focuses on media, environments, and environments as media, with an explicit concern for their evolution, effects, and forms. It is the aim to increase awareness of the complex relationship between technology and humans. I agree with the fact that media is constantly changing and the way it is being consumed can have an altering effect on audiences. The way audiences consume media is an ever-changing phenomenon that has been introduced to different generations. New ways of consuming media are being introduced daily. In the last year, 4 new streaming video on demand platforms have been introduced, which I will explain in detail later on.

Marshall McLuhan came up with the media ecology theory in 1964 and was officially coined in 1968 by the media theorist Neil postman. McLuhan was the first to suggest that studies should be focused on the type of media rather than the message being communicated. "Our behavior in media has been changed by the medium rather than the media", in this sense the medium is the technology on which the media is being consumed on whether it is a smartphone, laptop, TV, etc, it is almost like the middle man that gets forgotten about between people and what they are consuming digitally. It suggests that the environment inevitably affects our perceptions, feelings, values, and beliefs.

Fragmentation shows the trend of the increasing choice of how audiences consume media in terms of different platforms or channels, for example, linear TV, streaming video on demand (SVOD), or things such as social media platforms i.e Instagram or Facebook. In 2020, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly. In today's date, nearly half of the teen population aged from 13 to 17 say they use Facebook (2004), less compared to platforms such as Instagram (2010), and Snapchat (2011), which were released later. Surveys were used to determine different social standings and somewhat 40% of these respondents have said that social media has had a positive impact because it helps them keep in touch and interact with others. An increase in fragmentation amongst households has occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic that was introduced to the world in 2019. People used devices to escape from their reality and used things such as laptops and smartphones to work from home or for young kids to go to school virtually. This is where McLuhan's theory may be criticized or challenged in terms of the way we consume has a larger effect than what we consume, because, in terms of COVID, the content being consumed by young minds will have a longer-lasting effect in the future rather than them looking at the screen. Nuclear families no longer watch linear TV together, but rather watch their own platforms on their own devices. While 42% of families in the USA were nuclear families 50 years ago, just under 22% are being shown as your typical family figure.

In 2019 a survey was conducted to measure how many adults still went to cinemas in the USA. It was found that 14% of adults said that they go to the cinemas at least once a month or more, around 46% said that they would go to the cinemas maybe once or a few times a year. This shows the slow decline of the use of cinemas. People state that they go for the experience that you can’t get at home. Streaming videos on demand has changed the ways in which we consume media, it also relates to the concept of fragmentation. People are now able to subscribe to different streaming platforms such as Netflix, Youtube, Neon etc. In the last 2 years alone, already 4 new streaming services have been released by monopolies in the media industry, Apple TV, HBO Max, Peacock, and Disney+. Because of the massive range that is available to watch media and the development of technology, kids are able to watch whatever they want freely without regulatory boundaries unless parents are aware and change settings so that kids are only able to see certain content. Between 2019-2020, the number of global subscriptions increased by 26% reaching 1.2 billion subscribers in the year 2020. In this year the Film and TV industry experienced unprecedented growth. Disney+ has already gained over 100 million subscribers since its launch in November 2020.

Audience demand constantly grows and spending on content production continues to ramp up. In 2020 there was a record-breaking $220.2 billion spent on making and acquiring new feature films and TV programming. Disney has encountered some issues with certain actors who are paid off box office sales, where Disney releases films in both cinemas and on Disney+ so people don't have to necessarily go to the theatre to watch a new movie, which is causing certain actors such as Scarlett Johansson distress as the recent release of Black Widow was released on Disney+ in July 2021 and was only a couple days later after the cinema release.

A version of the Fandom theory was first seen in the 1960s when the first-star trek was released. Henry Jenkins was the one who released this theory explaining different fan cultures and communities built around the shared enjoyment of a particular movie or TV series. An example of this is when a fan page was made for Stranger Things, released in 2016, but fans were so critical to characters and actors that it started affecting the cast and the people helping to make the series so it was shut down. This is an extreme version where simple fandom has been turned into extreme criticism and involvement. The way people interact with the media is drastically and almost rapidly changing. In the early 1930s watching TV was a rare commodity that wasn't seen as an essential part of life, compared to now in 2021 we have had massive reliability upon technology and media. Without online websites and the introduction of web 2.0 in 1999, people would still be relying on paper newspapers to get their information or daily news. Now we are able to actively engage with others online as well as have our input in the world by creating websites, uploading our own media, and streaming others. Has this changed the world we live in for the better or for worse?

Media ecology essay plan

 Media Ecology 

*Essay Plan*

Opening sentence: The relationship between media and audiences is changing drastically. 

intro:

Definition 

- Media ecology aims to describe how diverse media environments shape today's society and our everyday lives. The theory's overall core is how the content's communication isn't as nearly impactful as the way it is being consumed. 

Position of argument 

- I agree with the fact that media is constantly changing and the way it is being consumed can have an altering effect on audiences. The way audiences consume media is an ever-changing phenomenon that has been introduced to different generations. New ways of consuming media are being introduced daily. In the last year, 4 new streaming video on demand platforms have been introduced, which I will detail later on.

First paragraph:
 

Introduced

- Marshall McLuhan came up with the media ecology theory in 1964 and was officially introduced in 1968by the media theorist Neil postman. McLuhan was the first to suggest that studies should be focused on the type of media rather than the message being communicated. 

- Our behavior in society has been changed by the medium rather than the media. 

- Explain how media = message, medium = technology. The middle man 

-Suggests that the environment inevitably affects our perceptions, feelings, values, and beliefs. 

Second paragraph: 

Fragmentation 

- Fragmentation shows the trend of the increasing choice of how audiences consume media in terms of different platforms or channels, for example, linear TV, streaming video on demand (SVOD), or things such as social media platforms i.e Instagram or Facebook

 

- How many kids have smartphones, fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly. In today's date, nearly half of the teen population aged from 13 to 17 say they use Facebook less compare to platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat which were released later.  

- Instagram: 2010

- Snapchat: 2011 

- Facebook: 2004

- Surveys were used to determine different social standings and somewhat 40% of these respondents have said that social media has had a positive impact because it helps them keep in touch and interact with others.

- Nuclear family then vs now. Typical family figure 2 parents and multiple children. 

 

Third paragraph: 

SVOD, Cinemas 

- Rapid decline in cinema use massive incline in streaming videos on demand 

- Introduction of 4 new SVOD platforms, Apple TV, HBO Max, Peacock, and Disney+ in the last 2 years

 (relate back to fragmentation and how different age groups are using different types of technology to view media without regulatory boundaries)

- Between 2019-2020, the number of global subscriptions increased by 26% reaching 1.2 billion subscribers in the year 2020. In this year the Film and TV industry experienced unprecedented growth.   

(Disney+ has already gained over 100 million subscribers since its launch in November 2020). 

• Simultaneous releases from Disney, both in cinema and SVOD, actors pay based on box office sales. 

- Audience demand constantly grows and spending on content production continues to ramp up. In 2020 there was a record-breaking $220.2 billion spent on making and acquiring new feature films and TV programming.  

Fourth paragraph: 

Piracy, Web 2.0

- introduction of web 2.0 in 1999. The second stage of development of the internet is where users can now be interactive online and have user-generated content. 

- Piracy is the copying of other work. People have the freedom to download films illegally off the internet without having to pay. 

• Takes away from traditional methods such as movie cinemas, why would you pay when you could get it at home for free. 
• The risk of having SVOD makes it easier to copy and upload to the internet, taking away some of the profits that they could potentially be earning. 

- 126.7 billion viewings worth of US-produced TV episodes are pirated every year.

- Annual global revenue losses from digital piracy are between $40 and $97.1 billion in the movie industry.

Henry Jenkins and the Fandom theory
- Fan culture or communities built around the shared enjoyment around a particular film or TV series
*Mandalorian example
* Stranger things, fan pages having to be taken down because of the mockery and pressure put on characters. The message of what fans were posting.

Shirky 

- Clay Shirky believes that passive audiences (audiences that watch/intake media mindlessly) no longer exist in today's day-in-age 

- He believes that technology has changed certain expectations and behaviors, that audiences like to talk back to producers and be active, communicating with the people making the media. 

Fifth paragraph:

Conclusion 

- Cinemas are on a rapid decline, but people still like the experience of going to the movies but feel overcharged because of the high prices cinemas charge to compensate for the lower amount of ticket sales.

- SVOD is a rapidly growing market that may help create monopolies within the film industry 

- Fragmentation doesn't help in terms of keeping linear TV alive amongst nuclear families. Young people having more freedom to different types of unregulated media. Should certain media be regulated? Is it the media itself that has an effect on the audience or more the medium (technology), Marshall McLuhan 

- Because of the easier access, easier to download and upload videos illegally to free streaming platforms, creating scams and sometimes fooling young kids or older generations such as boomers. 

Representation

- What does the evolution of black representation in film look like over the decades?

At first black people were only represented in a comedic way to mock them and use their skin color to say they are inferior or of less value. Things such as black face were used to draw audiences' attention so that white people could be attracted to the ‘funny’ way black people would act. Like idiots. Over time the media has changed how colored people and minorities are represented whereas before they were just there for show, they are now main roles within the media.

- How is Netflix trying to rectify the problem with the underrepresentation of black people in its movies?

Netflix says that “when it comes to black leading actors, directors, writers and producers… They are representing”. The presence of different skin colors on the screen isn't seen as a moment, but a movement. Ava Duvernay and Spike Lee are famous directors that have helped to influence the media and introduce more streaming and portrayals of black culture and films. They started the streaming initiative called “Strong black lead”, it's a promise to represent black audiences authentically, which hasn't always been Hollywood's main priority.

- What happened in 2018 that caused a stir in Hollywood and was a catalyst for change in the representation of black people in Hollywood movies?

The release of Black Panther helped to revolutionize the way in Black people were seen in films, rather than just being the villain or protagonist, they were the hero, the villain, and the common roles. Marvel took that step to change the game and hopefully influence big names to do the same. 

- What sort of representation did people of color have at the Oscars in 2018?

For two years in a row, any lead or side actors nominated for an oscar were white. Black actors 2did not appreciate this type of racial discrimination and sometimes they weren't given the same opportunities to be seen on screen or seen as the main character that an audience would fall in love with, making it harder for them and leaving them at a disadvantage. Some boycotted the show and demanded change.

Minorities represented in TV

 

Media Regulation Essay

Media Studies

Media Regulation

“Changes in society have been reflected by changes in media regulation”, Discuss this view.

The changes in society have indeed been reflected by changes in media regulation. Some of the main regulatory bodies that can be found in New Zealand are the OFLC, (Office of Film and Literature Classification Video Game Rating System), NZ on Air, and the BSA (broadcasting standards authority). Are these the people who get to have control of other people's art forms and determine what the public eye should be consuming? New Zealand is one of the few countries that still have freedom of speech and allow the expression of media to be un-censored, in terms of having to obey many different guidelines compared to other countries such as Korea who is a communist country. On the 8th of May 2017, David Shanks became the chief censor of film and literature. He took over from Dr. Andrew Jack who was appointed in 2011 and stayed in the role for 6 years. In 2018 a law was passed in New Zealand where The Warehouse was not allowed to stock any publications with an age rating of 18+, there were concerns around the content from Grand Theft Auto therefore The Warehouse group removed it from their shelves. 

Different examples have been shown where films or media have been edited because of some of the offensive or racist meanings that underlie within the forum. Disneys’ `Dumbo’, released on the 23rd of October 1941, was one of the first ‘kids/childrens’ movies to show an unprogressive reality on the way man viewed people of colour and the societal perspective on racism or how a minority should act. It displays the image of black crows mucking around and acting ‘stupid’ or ‘simple-minded’. This was how people of colour were depicted and the different perspectives people such as middle-aged white men (the creators of the movie) saw other men that did not possess the same skin qualities. This was then censored and has been taken out of the movie when watching on streaming platforms such as Disney+. A lot of controversies were brought up because of this, some people believed that it wasn't a major problem and that it was a stepping stone for us to learn from our mistakes, while others saw it as offensive, which it was. Another example of a Disney movie that presented racist tones was ‘Song of the South’, released on the 12th of November 1946. It was a movie set during the reconstruction era, the acceptance of coloured people was far from coming true but was still a possibility. It is a movie that has been long condemned for its shameful stereotype depictions of African Americans, and the way it conveyed slavery and plantations in a ‘cheery’ light.

The recent Black Lives Matter movement that has taken place in this generation has had a massive impact on the censorship of current media and what is seen as offensive and appropriate. Society has taken history and the media have shown from it to create a more politically correct environment. My argument for that would be posing the question, how are younger generations going to stop themselves from making the same mistakes. Everything is being censored or edited where blatant parts of our cultural heritage and back story are being ignored or quite literally ‘cut out’. There is no way for people to be aware of the truth that really happened. In 1974 Stuart Haul came up with the active audiences theory which argues that audiences do not just receive information passively but are actively involved, subconsciously. People are coming into an era where there are media thrown at them but in all realness, this theory backs up the perception that we intake everything whether we realize it or not. 

The consumption of media has changed drastically in the last century where before parents could see what their children were watching. Through the introduction of the internet in 1983, people have had access to a new world. At present, there are over 4.72 billion internet users across the world, more than 35% of internet users are aged between 25-35, and around 20% are aged from as young as 10-25. According to common sense media, a majority of 53% of kids aged 11 own their own smartphone or portable device and 69% have a fully functional phone and laptop by the age of 12. The proliferation of media devices has taken over and parents or guardians have less control over what younger people are absorbing, hence why streaming platforms and online websites such as Youtube and Disney+ are trying to come up with ways to cater to younger minds by offering kids lock or other boundaries so that children aren't able to open random videos or images that may be harmful or inappropriate. Unfortunately because of the world that we live in, people are growing up with this kind of technology and now the kids know more than the adults and it's the child having to put the safety lock on for themselves. If they know how to turn it on they know how to turn it off.

The media effects theory created by Marshall McLuhan exclaims how everything has a direct or indirect meaning whether it is apparent to the audience or not. The teen drama ‘13 Reasons Why’ directed by Tom Mccarthy is an example of a show with a direct message that can be sought out by some audience members within a certain age range. It shows a storyline of how a young girl commits suicide and blames many people, leaving audio messages explaining the wrongdoing they had done. It was first released on the 31st of March 2017, it debuted on Netflix for the first time without an age class or rating, the show is widely available throughout the world but has been classified R18 in New Zealand because of the graphic problems that occur in the shows, things such as sexual assault and abusive nature. Consumers were sending in complaints as well as mental health associations and bodies saying that the series glorifies suicide and could prompt copycats. The classification's reasoning was that while young people still had access to watch it was recommended/required that any persons 18 and over had to be there for support from an adult. Although the show is hard-hitting and shows problems that are widely spread amongst the world, should it really be classified or thought of as ‘inappropriate’? Yes, it is a thing that young people shouldn't have to worry about or be exposed to at a young age but on the other hand, it helps to raise awareness for these types of situations and prevents it from happening to more people.

The argument now is if things such as social media should be regulated or censored as it is supposed to be platforms of free speech and the expression of thoughts. Donald Trump was recently banned from using Facebook and Instagram because of some of the comments that he was making, it was said that after 2 years his accounts would be reinstated. Should this be another thing that has to be regulated as posts are made? We are entering an age where it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to post crude photos of yourself or your body. An example is how pornstars use the platforms to promote themselves or encourage people/minors to watch. New websites have been released such as only fans that appeared in 2016 and now have over 70 million registered users, compared to Facebook which has 2.85 but was over a time period of 17 years years, having been released in 2004. In comparison to using free platforms, things such as only fans trick young people into paying for crude imagery or live videos. In the short span that it has been around the streaming website has already made over $2 billion from creator profits.

Another example of regulation amongst media is the banning of the video game Manhunt, released on the 18th of November 2003. In 2004 'Manhunt', which uses extreme violent imagery, was the first-ever video game to be completely banned in New Zealand. It was banned by the chief sensor at the time Bill Hastings Manhunt, which was to sell for $109.95. It allows gamers to play the character of Cash, a man on death row who escapes execution but who is forced to take part in a snuff movie. It was a massive blow to Rockstar games, which also produces the Grand Theft Auto game series, which has also brought up questions from audience members and concerned parents. In 2019, another video game was banned in New Zealand after it was released after the Christchurch mosque shooting that killed 51 Muslims and wounded dozens. This is because of the graphic way it imitated and "glorified" the mosque shooting and Halle attack. Both were broadcast live on social media and both shooters released related hate-filled documents described as manifestos. Both videos and manifestos are now illegal. This also relates to the regulation of social media and what should be allowed to be viewed by the public. At the time, anyone with a device could join the live stream of the men killing lives. Parents and the owners of those types of social platforms should have certain rules and guidelines that need to be met before something is allowed to be live-streamed or publicly viewed.

Many different media sources are becoming banned in China because it is seen as offensive or to be attacking the government or people in a higher power. The movie 'Coco', released on the 27th of October 2017, was originally not going to be shown or allowed in China because it was a movie about the dead and after-life which is not allowed in their country, but after being reviewed by different critics it was allowed to be streamed after the people who judged it came away crying from how touching the movie was. Another example is when 'The shape of water was released, China took the movie and censored it because it showed nudity. They edited a black tube dress onto the character to cover her body. 'The interview' is a classic showcase of how China went to so many lengths to have the film not even showcased in ANY country because of how much it attacked the government and their leader Kim Jong-un. They threatened the production companies and hacked their systems in order to remove the movie.

In my opinion, things are becoming too censored where we no longer know whether you are seeing the original or if someone has gone before you and decided what was suitable for you to take in. Shouldn't that be the decision of the individual? Shouldn't we be allowed to determine what we can handle and what we would rather not expose ourselves to? This is a common problem that can be seen as very controversial to many people, whose job it is to ‘protect’ our minds. Is it the job of the producer or the big conglomerates that release the films? The era of linear TV is going into extinction so we as a population should start keeping up with the change and putting it upon ourselves to sift through the media finding what we like and what we don't, what our kids should be watching, and what they shouldn't. So many social issues are being conveyed in today's current time but when does the blocking come to a stop, we should be our own editors rather than leaving it up to another person, how does one individual determine what is right for an entire nation, when is the right time to put down the scissors. New media comes and goes and the film will forever be evolving but when do we come to a point and say “that's enough”, where does it really end.

Video Game Censorship in NZ: Case Study

 Task 2 

Video Game Censorship in NZ: Case Study by Kayla Lockington

Media Regulation: Media Effects Theory and Violent Video Game Case Study

Task 1 

Media reflects history by Kayla Lockington

Media Regulation: Case Study "13 Reasons Why"

13 Reasons Why

Created by: Brian Yorkey

Directed by: Tom McCarthy, (as well as Selena Gomez and others)

Release date: 31 March 2017

Distributor: Netflix and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks

Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Video, Google Play, Youtube, VUDU

“13 Reasons Why” was first released on Netflix and had its debut on the online streaming platform. The show is widely available throughout the world but is now classified r18 in New Zealand so only a certain age range is allowed to access the show, because of the message that is being portrayed.

The New Zealand classifications body has created a new category of censorship for 13 Reasons Why, after complaints from mental health groups that it glorified suicide and could prompt copycats.

An RP18 classification means that someone under 18 must be supervised by a parent or guardian when viewing the series. A guardian is considered to be a responsible adult (18 years and over), for example, a family member or teacher who can provide guidance.

“This classification allows young people to access it in a similar fashion to the first season while requiring the support from an adult they need to stay safe and to process the challenging topics in the series

https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/news/latest-news/chief-censor-applies-rp18-classification-to-13-reasons-why-season-2/

The overall rating for this show on Netflix is r18

Regulating online content can sometimes be seen as taking or editing someone's art expression or artistry. This is a big dilemma amongst different producers as well as parents as to who is to decide what is appropriate and what isn't. Regulating is based on complaints that are submitted throughout the first release and the reasons for peoples dilemmas

Classwork Media censorship 

1. Examples of censorship happening with Disney plus. What and why?

- Disney Plus banned the movie 'Song of the South' because of the racially insensitive content that was within the child's film. The removal of this film caused controversy and is really in a "lose-lose situation" either way.  People are complaining that this is not appropriate for children, but it also leaves kids uneducated on the history and there is now nothing stopping them from repeating the same mistakes. The same thing happened with Dumbo but in this instance, it was the producers of the film who actually purposely portrayed the movie and the characters in the light of racially profiling them. The crows in the movie are the only persona in the movie where the characters appear to be 'black' or represent the way a colored person should act, simply seen as 'stupid' in the movie. 

2. Examples of censorship in other countries (include in this, notes from our China censorship studies in last year's study notes)

- Many different media sources are becoming banned in China because it is seen as offensive or to be attacking the government or people in a higher power. The movie 'Coco' was originally not going to be shown or allowed in China because it was a movie about the dead and after-life which is not allowed in their country, but after being reviewed by different critics it was allowed to be streamed after the people who judged it came away crying from how touching the movie was. Another example is when 'The shape of water' was released, China took the movie and censored it because it showed nudity. They edited a black tube dress onto the character to cover her body. 'The interview' is a classic showcase of how China went to so many lengths to have the film not even showcased in ANY country because of how much it attacked the government and their leader Kim Jong-un. They threatened the production companies and hacked their systems in order to remove the movie. 

3. Points for/against censorship as presented in this clip - should art be censored?
* if something is wrong but it is part of history, should it be cut out as to not offend people today? Where is that line in society? Who is making these decisions?

- There are different situations where censorship can be allowed where the audience as a whole body can make a judgment and agree that it can be too much. An example of this is in 'Sister street fighter' where for a brief second a poster was shown on the wall that displayed an image of a child/minor in a sexually compromising position. A point was made that kids are off-limits as they are to be protected and shouldn't be used in that type of scenery. But then who has the right to say what people can view or cant. Hiding someone's 'art' but then what is to be considered as a true art form. That scene is now taken out, but when do they put the scissors down. If they can chop that what else are they free to edit and pull apart. We are seen to be in a "Golden age of censorship", but is this stopping the younger generations from learning about the mistakes of the past and learning the importance of knowing right from wrong and being able to differentiate between the two. Instead of completely editing/destroying someone's creative vision, have disclaimers or warnings on different things so that the audience can then decide for themselves and as far as children streaming, parents need to make the call with how involved they want to be with what their child is watching. 

4. What are some issues around censorship in our modern world and how we are consuming media?

- The main point is we need to EDUCATE people and how they chose to view their media and the type of things that they are portraying to themselves and others. In this day and age, we live in a world where it is so easy to stream different videos and media sources. The availability of media is a lot easier than it used to be and is now portable amongst many devices. Parents or guardians have less control over what the people they care for are taking in. Different things are censored or banned for good reason for example violent games are often not allowed in various countries. Producers and the people making the media are considering them ass art forms and we shouldn't have the right to edit or disagree with a person's form of expression. 

Social media page Instagram vs Facebook

 Task 1. 

Instagram instead of Facebook by Kayla Lockington 

Task 2.

Branding Research, "How to build an artist profile" by Kayla Lockington

Media regulation research task 2

 

Media regulation in NZ by Kayla Lockington

Media regulation Research NZ task 1

 

Media regulation in NZ by Kayla Lockington

Marketing/Branding research

 

Dancing with the Devil, By Demi Lovato
	Social Media	DigiPack	Music Video
Where on this media form can you find a link/video promoting the other media forms?	Across many platforms, instagram, facebook, snapchat. Her facebook page contains a link to different streaming platforms e.g. spotify, youtube etc.	The digipak theme almost clashes with this song as it may not align with the mystical theme. In the music video it shows struggle whereas the album portrays mythical features.	A main platform to view music videos is youtube. In the description below you can see different links to some of her social media platforms. Promoting fans to subscribe or follow.
Are the links interactive in any way? (Do they have a QR code? Are they linked to music apps?)	On her facebook page instead of taking you to one website when clicking on the link it gives you options of multiple platforms where you can stream the song.	The digipak mainly displays star image features where the imagery and her are the main component.	On Youtube in the description below, the links to different streaming/audio platforms are provided as well as the link to her virtual shop for fans to buy merchandise.
What evidence is there of branding across all three products?  If yes, in what ways? (details)	Across her social media she has maintained fluidity with her branding and marketing techniques, upholding the saem themes and pictures associating to the release of dancing with the devil. She has used the same hashtag between all her posts allowing for continuity with her fans as well as the release of her new songs.	Hallucinogenic images have been used across the entire digipak, my problem was that i didn't know whether the digipak was related to the song we were supposed to research.	In the music video there wasn't much iconography that related back to the core theme of this digipak, but still certain elements, such as drifting in and out of consciousness could allude to the fact of her going between ‘realms’.
How is each media form effective in promoting the other products beyond containing a link to them? Interviews? Teasers? Competitions to win one of them?	She had released a tv film series that explained different elements of her music videos and some of the hardships she has been through. Teasers of the album were released with short lyrics used as captions for some of her posts.	The digipak does not contain much apart from the booklet inside the CD case which contains the link details to different websites and where to stream the video.	When the music video finished streaming there are different links that are related to the song such as different interviews she had done between different news feeds to convey her overall feel for the album.
What methods do you think are most effective in promoting and marketing a new album?	Depending on your target audience I feel as though social media is now one of the most effective ways to target the i-gen age range. For those such as millennials, facebook may be the more appropriate way of advertising. These are all free forms of advertising	Because digipaks are not going extinct, having interactive fan activities is a good way to interest people. First impressions can influence a lot and the star image portrayed must appeal to the right audience.	She used teasers of her music video and released them on social media platforms such as instagram and facebook. This created hype around the coming album, grabbing the attention of a larger audience.

Billie Eilish with her single Your Power	Social Media	DigiPack	Music Video
Where on this media form can you find a link/video promoting the other media forms?	Across social media she has changed her outer persona to match the entire album that has been released not just matching the theme of the song but creating continuity between facebook and instagram, the two widely most used forms of social media. On her facebook she has even used the new album cover as her profile picture so it is the first thing people see.	Her digipak was made into more than just a CD. She decided to do a whole branding campaign around her album and taking the 1900s vibe into the way she sells her music. A vinyl was created alongside the CD where you can choose to buy golden, silver or normal vinyl.	The music video for Your power  contains different links in the description below, including access to her social media, twitter, facebook etc. She has also maintained a continuous habit in putting the link or photos of her merchandise relating to this album on almost every streaming/social platform.
Are the links interactive in any way? (Do they have a QR code? Are they linked to music apps?)	Instagram mainly depicts the image she is trying to portray with the release of this song/album, rather than containing links or portals to the audio itself. Facebook and youtube both containing different forms of advertising for the song, when you click on the link she has not displayed some of the normal links such as youtube or amazon but instead has put the link to record stores to encourage people to buy te hard copy.	The digipak can be sold in packages where instead of just getting the CD you can ‘save’ money and get a package that may include a vinyl as well as a jumper and the digipak itself. It's a good way to entice the audience as well as gaining more profit.	On her music video on youtube it contains the typical links correlating to her social media pages as well as the name to her online shop.
What evidence is there of branding across all three products?  If yes, in what ways? (details)	She has used the same mainstream images across every platform where you can find this song. She has completely re-invented her kimage for this album where before she had dark and mysterious tones she is now using light colours that can often be referred to as quite “girly”.	Because her overall theme is set in the 1900s she has created a vibe of an olden day genre and has taken this into the way she sells her products as she has included vinyl into the options for when you go buy her digipak, correlating to the underlying message.	Although in her music video from Your power isn't set in the olden days she has still incorporated the lighter colours and stuck the eerie light vibe as we can see her outside in the natural daylight.
How is each media form effective in promoting the other products beyond containing a link to them? Interviews? Teasers? Competitions to win one of them?	On instagram and facebook she has released the song names that will be on her album but has only released a selected number of songs one of them being Your power. This can be an effective way of promoting as it creates a lot of hype.	Her digipak hasn't been released yet so there is no way of knowing if she has any interactive links or other ways of advertising in it.	The whole album has not been released yet and the song ‘Your Power’ has almost been used as a teaser for what is to come.
What methods do you think are most effective in promoting and marketing a new album?	Social media can be one of the cheapest and most effective forms of marketing. It is able to reach a large audience in a short space of time.	The way she has used a more unconventional form of selling stands out to different people and could almost entice a different audience range rather than the i-gens.	Trying to put up different advertisements on youtube or streaming platforms to the link to your music video. Putting your music video on different tv channels can help to differentiate your audience.

Taylor Swift with 'Reputation' album
	Social Media	DigiPack	Music Video
Where on this media form can you find a link/video promoting the other media forms?	She has different links on her facebook page but on her instagram there is no link taking you the music video it only advertises the album and some of the things you might see when it releases.	There are different names that relate to her social media such as instagram and displays the names of different people who spent time on the album.	There are always links containing the pages of her social media platforms to be able to promote not only the album she released but also helps to promote future songs and gains her a larger following.
Are the links interactive in any way? (Do they have a QR code? Are they linked to music apps?)	Different links are provided on her instagram and facebook pages. They take you to a range of different options of what music platform you may want to stream the audio.	No interactive links on her digipack.	She has a soundtrack on youtube with every song from her album. In the description it contains links to her other social media platforms.
What evidence is there of branding across all three products?  If yes, in what ways? (details)	She has used the same type of branding/ representation, using different portrait images of herself being the star image but with the same font used.	Her digipak was all over her social media and different audio files for the different songs in the album.	She kept the untidy (grunge) look and took it into some of the music videos on the album, correlating with the over theme and style that she wanted to portray.
How is each media form effective in promoting the other products beyond containing a link to them? Interviews? Teasers? Competitions to win one of them?	On instagram she did a lot of teaser type posts where she may have contained lyrics to some songs as well as different amounts of countdowns until the album was released creating a lot of hype and anticipation. She had offers/  opportunities for fans to win free merchandise from that album.	The digipack itself is the thing that is being promoted rather than it promoting itself.	When you search for the music video it often comes up with the prices for buying the CD as well, this is a good way of advertising as it relates to what people search and leaves a longer lasting image enticing people to buy it.
What methods do you think are most effective in promoting and marketing a new album?	As i have said before i feel as though social media can be one of the most effective forms of advertising but this is when you/ the artist has an already established following, if not then it may be harder to get the word out about the release.	The digipack has a more appealing and interesting album cover almost promoting a new image for Taylor Swift, possibly intriguing different age ranges or genders.	Putting your music video on things other than just youtube where people have to physically search for it is a good idea for example putting it on tv where it is available to almost everyone and easier to use for a lot of different ages. People canreach it easier and sometimes may be easier to find when you are flicking through channels.

No Tears Left to Cry, By Ariana Grande	Social Media	DigiPack	Music Video
Where on this media form can you find a link/video promoting the other media forms?	On her social media you can see a lot of promoting and different types of marketing building up to the release of this album. It was a bigger deal because it was the first song/ album she had released since the Manchester shooting. There are different links on her facebook page taking you to the audio but none to the music video itself.	It shows her instagram on it as well as some of the streaming platforms where you can find the music video.	In the music video it contains a number of links to her different social media platforms in the description below it also shows the CD link which can be available for purchase and an image of what it looks like.
Are the links interactive in any way? (Do they have a QR code? Are they linked to music apps?)	In order to create hype she dedicated the song/ album to the shooting giving a deeper meaning which people were obviously more drawn to.	No	In the description on youtube it contains a link where it shows the other platforms in which you can stream the song or music video. It helps to cater to all music listeners and customers.
What evidence is there of branding across all three products?  If yes, in what ways? (details)	She had recreated an image for herself for this song and album she wanted it to be more unexpected and gave a more hallucinogenic vibe differing from her previous song ‘Dangerous Woman’	She carried the theme throughout her CD and branding images where there were often rainbows made from light and different symbols containing the iconography now relating to her name.	In the music video she has different images of being mirrored or paralleled. This carried throughout the branding for not only her digipak but also on her social media pages where it all related. This all ended up creating a strong image to associate with her name.
How is each media form effective in promoting the other products beyond containing a link to them? Interviews? Teasers? Competitions to win one of them?	Many interviews were carried out for this single where she was able to describe the intent for this album/ song as well as the meanings behind it all, rather than having teasers or hyping everyone she just released the song and it did its own marketing.	The image seen on digipak was plastered all over her facebook page at one point as well as other social platforms.	The music video can mainly be seen on youtube where it has gained over five hundred thousand views, and won an award in 2018.
What methods do you think are most effective in promoting and marketing a new album?	Social media didn't really help to promote the final release of this album as it really did it itself.	The digipak was released in stores and people started to gain awareness of the album.	The music video and how different it was to some of her other songs created a lot of buzz in itself therefore not much advertising was needed as the audience did it for themselves.