Chapter 2: Online Communities

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

Zhang, J., Ackerman, M.S., and Adamic, L. (2007). “Expertise Networks in Online Communities: Structure and algorithms.” In WWW ’07: Proceedings of the 16th international conference on World Wide Web, pp. 221-230, New York: ACM Press. Retrieved from www2007.org/papers/paper516.pdf

Perrin, A. and Anderson, M. (2019). “Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018.” Pew Internet. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/

Anderson, M. and Jiang, J. (2018). “Teens, Social Median & Technology 2018.” Pew Internet. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Bullas, J. (2012). “10 Ways Leading Brands use Facebook Ingeniously for their Marketing.” Retrieved from www.jeffbullas.com/2012/09/12/10-ways-leading-brands-use-facebook-ingeniously-for-their-marketing/

Chowdhry, A. (2014). “Why Facebook Forced Users to Download A Separate Messenger App.” Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2014/11/11/why-facebook-forced-users-to-download-a-separate-messenger-app/#504e2fbe6a4c

Hutchinson, A. (2019). “Facebook Messenger by the Numbers 2019 [Infographic].” Retrieved from www.Socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-messenger-by-the-numbers-2019-infographic/553809

Zuckerberg, M. (2014, March 25). Facebook.com/Zuck. Retrieved from http://facebook.com/zuck/posts/10101319050523971

Spangler, T. (2019). “Mean Girls will Stream Free on Facebook in Viewing Party Hosted by Tina Fey, Busy Phillips.” Retrieved from www.variety.com/2019/digital/news/mean-girls-free-streaming-facebook-tina-fey-busy-philipps-1203351565/

ABC 13 Eyewitness News. (2018). “Mayhem and Murder: 10 most shocking Facebook Live moments ever.” Retrieved from www.abc13.com/10-most-shocking-facebok-live-moments-ever-captured/3302314
Ingram, D. (2017). “Facebook tries to fix violent video problem with 3,000 new workers.” Retrieved from www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-crime/facebook-tries-to-fix-violent-video-problem-with-3000-new-workers-idUSKBN17Z1N4

Bell, K. (2018). “Everything you need to know about the Cambridge Analytica controversy.” Retrieved from https://mashable.com/2018/03/18/what-is-cambridge-analytica/#DBqTDU4iFGq2

Fair, L. (2019). “What the FTC settlement means for consumers.” Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/what-ftc-facebook-settlement-means-consumers

Fair, L. (2019). “FTC Imposes $5Billion Penalty and Sweeping New Privacy Restrictions on Facebook.” Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-imposes-5-billion-penalty-sweeping-new-privacy-restrictions

Lecher, C. (2019). “FTC sues Cambridge Analytica and restricts former CEO’s business activity.” Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/24/20708373/ftc-cambridge-analytica-lawsuit-settlement-facebook-data-mining-privacy

Newton, Casey. (2017) “Twitter just doubled the character limit for tweets to 280.” Retrieved from https://theverge.com/2017/9/26/16363912/twitter-character-limit-increase-280-test

Perez, Sarah. (2017). “Twitter officially expands its character count to 280 starting today.” Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/07/twitter-officially-expands-its-character-count-to-280-starting-today/

Gannes, L. (2010). “The Short and Illustrious History of Twitter #Hashtags.” GigaOM, Retrieved fromhttp://gigaom.com/2010/04/30/the-short-and-illustrious-history-of-twitter-hashtags

Shonfeld, E. (2011, January 25). “Twitter is Blocked in Egypt Amidst Rising Protests.” Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/25/twitter-blocked-egypt/

Duggan, M. (2013). “Photo and Video Sharing Grow Online.” Retrieved from www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/28/photo-and-video-sharing-grow-online/

Shearer, E. & Matsa, K.E. (2018). “News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2018.” Retrieved from www.journalism.org/2018/09/10/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2018/

Mitchell, Amy. (2018). “Americans Still Prefer Watching to Reading the News – and Mostly Still Through Television.” Retrieved from www.journalism.org/2018/12/03/americans-still-prefer-watching-to-reading-the-news-and-mostly-still-through-television/

Shearer, E. and Grieco, E. (2019). “Americans Are Wary of the Role Social Media Sites Play in Delivering the News.” Retrieved from www.jounralism.org/2019/10/02/americans-are-wary-of-the-role-social-media-sites-play-in-delivering-the-news

Newton, C. (2019). “Facebook will label false posts more clearly as part of an effort to prevent 2020 election interference.” Retrieved from www.theverge.com/2019/10/21/20925204/facebook-2020-election-interference-prevention-tools-policy-false-misinformation

Grossman, L. (2012, January 30). The Beast with a Billion eyes. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2104815,00.html

YouTube.com/about/press

Grossman, L. (2012, January 30). The Beast with a Billion eyes. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2104815,00.html

Alexander, Julia. (2019). “ YouTube videos keep getting longer.” Retrieved from www.theverge.com/2019/7/26/8888003/youtube-video-length-contrapoints-lindsay-ellis-shelby-church-ad-revenue.

Grossman, L. (2012, January 30). The Beast with a Billion eyes. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2104815,00.html

Miners, Zach. (2013, January 24). “Twitter announces Vine for video.” Retrieved from https://www.infoworld.com/article/2612942/twitter-announces-vine-for-video.html

Constine, J. (2018). “Instagram hits 1 billion monthly users, up from 800M in September.” Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/20/instagram-1-billion-users/
Anderson, M. and Jiang, J. (2018). “Teens, Social Median & Technology 2018.” Pew Internet. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Carman, Ashley. (2019). “Snap makes a comeback after the release of its rebuilt Android App.” Retrieved from www.theverge.com/2019/4/23/18513016/snapchat-snap-earnings-call-release-users-android-app

www.snapchat.com/create

Graham, D. (2012). “Obama’s Reddit AMA: The full questions and answers.” Retrieved from www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/obamas-reddit-ama-the-full-questions-and-answers/261756/

Rosa, J. (2017). “Hilary Duff Ditches Her AMA 20 Minutes in After She’s Attacked By Internet Trolls.” Retrieved from http://www.seventeen.com/celevrity/music/news/a31715-hilary-duff-cancels-reddit-ama-after-shes-attacked-by-internet-trolls/

Zucker, J. (2019). “CM Punk Explains What It Would Take for WWE Return in Reddit AMA.” Retrieved from https://www.bleacherreport.com/articles/2858618-cm-punk-explains-what-it-would-take-for-wwe-return-in-reddit-ama

Savov, V. (2012). “The SOPA Blackout: Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, Google, and many others protest proposed law.” Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2012/1/18/2715300/sopa-blackout-wikipedia-reddit-mozilla-google-protest

Berger, Sarah (2018). “This 25-year-old got the eBay CEO as her Reddit Secret Santa – here’s what she received.” Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/17/this-25-year-old-got-the-ebay-ceo-as-her-reddit-secret-santa.html

Anderson, M. (2018). “A Majority of Teens Have Experience Some Form of Cyberbullying.” Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/

Khan, S. (2011). “Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education.” TEDTalks. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education#t-266633
Graham, B. (1999).  “The BradLand Manifesto, or, Why I Weblog.” The Digital Manifesto Archive. Retrieved from https://www.digitalmanifesto.net/manifestos/121/

Creek, N. (n.d.). “Twitter users, Hashtag Your Photography Tweets.” Retrieved from https://digital-photography-school.com/twitter-users-hashtag-your-photography-tweets/

“Humans of New York.” http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Code.org. (2013). “What Most Schools Don’t Teach.” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc

Golijan, R. (2010, April 30). “This Is Why Im Not a Dork.” Chuck and Beans. Shoebox. Retrieved from http://gizmodo.com/5528552/this-is-why-im-not-a-dork

Questions

1. How does an individual participate with the online environment?
2. What is the definition of an online community?
3. What is the definition of social media?
4. How are social media communities similar and different from one another?
5. Which social media platform is credited as the first?
6. Why is sharing important on social media platforms?
7. What happened between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica?
8. In what ways does the use of the hashtag foster participation and build to one’s online community?
9. Why did Google purchase YouTube?
10. What is a citizen journalist?
11. What are the four types of content for users to express themselves creatively on the web?
12. What is the difference between the creators and the makers?
13. How have the definitions of the words: geeks and nerds evolved?
14. Which social media sites are used for short form storytelling?

Summary

This chapter introduces many social media websites that are utilized daily by users all over the world. This chapter offers a thorough analysis of environments where users meet to create and discuss content, thus building a community around shared interests. While providing historical origins and explanations of use for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, we also offer ways for online users to build connections through discussions, images, sound, and video. This chapter will look at the many ethical issues raised over the last several years while providing the origins of the platforms that society utilizes daily for interactions and content creation.

Chapter 3: Web Literacy

The way the web works

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

Data are or data is? By Simon Rogers – Important article from The Guardian explain the proper usage of the word data.

Rogers, S. (2012). Data are or data is? Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/jul/16/data-plural-singular

What is a JPEG? The invisible object you see everyday by Paul Caplan – A clearly described explanation of the most popular file type on the Internet and why Facebook set some of the standards.

Caplan, P. (2013). What is a JPEG? The invisible object you see everyday. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/what-is-a-jpeg-the-invisible-object-you-see-every-day/279954/

This is what Facebook sees when it scans your face by Charlie Warzel – The understanding of image algorithms and how data are stored inside each image. Somewhat creepy way that Facebook knows how to auto-tag images when they are uploaded. This understanding should lead to an understanding that your face identity can be tracked across the entire web.

Warzel, C. (2014). This is what Facebook sees when it scans your face. Retrieved from http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/this-is-what-facebook-sees-when-it-scans-your-face

The Algorithm is Innocent by William Turton – The algorithm is a term widely used but rarely understood. Turton’s essay analyzes what role the code plays in algorithmic deployment and how much accountability a company should have. Behind every piece of code is a programmer who writes it.

Turton, W. (2017). The Algorithm is Innocent. Retrieved from https://theoutline.com/post/2362/the-algorithm-is-innocent

Exploring Echo-Systems: How Algorithms Shape Immersive Media Environments – When consuming digital media on various digital platforms, users often access media without interrogating how fake news is designed to find its way into user algorithms and social feeds. This paper analyzes how the algorithm itself should be considered an immersive media environment that permits users to consume unique media feeds that may affect civic actions.

Cohen, J. (2018). Exploring Echo-Systems: How Algorithms Shape Immersive Media Environments. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle/vol10/iss2/8/

Questions

1. How does the web differ from the Internet?
2. What is metadata and how does it work on websites?
3. What are files on the web and how are they stored?
4. Through the notion that data is traveling around the world, how did companies, scientific institutions and universities connect the World Wide Web?
5. What is hypertext?
6. Why is it important to understand web code?
7. How do you customize color and fonts on your website?
8. What is the cPanel?
9. How are designers using WordPress and how do you install it?
10. Explain the key functions on WordPress such as themes, permalinks, landing page, comments and media management.
11. What is a CMS?
12. What is CSS?
13. Explain the benefits and importance of the web languages HTML5 and jQuery.
14. What are free websites to help becoming web literate?
15. What is the definition of citizen journalism and why is it vital to know the different file types and sizes in order to share your content with the public?
16. What is a Codec?
17. What does it mean to store data to the cloud?
18. What is an algorithm?
19. When are algorithms used and why?
20. What is dataveillance?
21. How vulnerable are you to any type of data manipulation?
22. Why is the term “the Internet of Things” used more often to describe new technologies of the web? How does the web and Internet incorporate physical objects?

Summary

Digital media literacy is the ability to read and write multimodal content and critically approach the systems that provide our technology. This chapter focuses on empowering the reader to better use and analyze digital media. The web is a vast network of technology operated and influenced by large corporations and various powerful actors. To better use the web, this chapter explains how the web works from the undersea cables to essential front-end web languages like basic HTML and CSS. Chapter 3 will also include necessary information about the function and power of algorithms in social media feeds and everyday life and how these pieces of code create our media consumption environments.

Understanding what we take for granted

Furthermore, the chapter goes in depth to create a savvy participant who understands the WordPress content management system as well as the concept of Open Source software and code in the General Public License (GPL). This chapter also delves into the inner workings and deployment of algorithms, what they are and how they are used. The chapter ends by explaining the “magic” behind digital visual media like JPEG, MPEG, and GIFs and culminates with a discussion about “The Cloud” and the “Internet of Things.”

Chapter 4: Memes and visual online languages

I can haz Memes? Such Visual. Wow.

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

‘Binders full of women’ may help one woman get a job by Leslie Kwoh – The story behind Veronica DeSouza’s rise to a job at Digg because she was the first to meme Governer Mitt Romney’s gaffe about “Binders full of women” during the 2012 Presidential Debate.

Kwoh, L. (2012). ‘Binders full of women’ may help one woman get a job. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2012/10/17/romney-binders-full-of-women-sparks-fame-for-laid-off-blogger/

Binders full of women: A meme that means something by Garance Franke-Ruta – The meme from the 2012 debate created a conversation about the importance of promoting women.

Franke-Ruta, G. (2012). Binders full of women: A meme that means something. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/binders-full-of-women-a-meme-that-means-something/263740/

What defines a meme? By James Gleick – An adapted chapter from The Information by James Gleick where he breaks down what a meme is from early history through Richard Dawkin’s through popular media.

Gleick, J. (2011). What defines a meme? Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-defines-a-meme-1904778/?no-ist

Smile! A history of emoticons by Keith Houston – Houston traces the long history of the smiley and the emoticon from early images to emojis that come pre-installed on smart phones.

Houston, K. (2013). Smile! A history of emoticons. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304213904579093661814158946

I can has language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak by Lauren Gawne and Jill Vaughn – A research paper from the University of Melbourne explaining the complexities of online languages, particularly that of LOLspeak.

Gawne, L. & Vaughn, J. (2012). I can has language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/9398/5/Gawne_ICanHaz2012.pdf

 

Doge is actually a good Internet meme. Wow. by Adrian Chen – An explanation of why Doge is a good meme that is fresh in comparison to the thousands of other online memes.

Chen, A. (2013). Doge is actually a good Internet meme. Wow. Retrieved from http://gawker.com/doge-is-an-actually-good-internet-meme-wow-1460448782

A linguist explains the grammar of Doge. Wow. by Gretchen McCulloch – Compiling information about DogeSpeak, a linguist makes sense of how the language can be used in different contexts.

McCulloch, G. (2014). A linguist explains the grammar of Doge. Wow. Retrieved from http://the-toast.net/2014/02/06/linguist-explains-grammar-doge-wow/

LGBT activists launch ‘Cheers to Sochi’ parody site after ‘highjacking’ McDonalds’ hashtag by Tony Merevick – An important lesson on hashtags, URLs, and web activism. In response to the Russia’s anti-gay stance, activists usurped a McDonalds advertising campaign online.

Merevick, T. (2014). LGBT activists launch ‘Cheers to Sochi’ parody site after ‘highjacking’ McDonalds’ hashtag. Retrieved from http://www.buzzfeed.com/tonymerevick/lgbt-activists-launch-cheers-to-sochi-parody

Grumpy Cat has an agent, and now a movie deal by Katherine Rosman – The weird world of managing memes and the backstory of Mr. Lashes, Grumpy Cat’s agent.

Rosman, K. (2013). Grumpy Cat has an agent, and now a movie deal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324412604578513352795950958

Tiananmen Square protesters slip memes through China’s web censors by Andrea Romano – The “Great Firewall of China” attempts to block any mention of the Tiananmen Square massacre and event and savvy users have circumvented the censors by creating memes.

Romano, A. (2014). Tiananmen Square protesters slip memes through China’s web censors. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2014/06/04/tiananmen-square-memes/

Busted: Iran’s jarring Photoshopped missile test image by John Hudson – How visual literacy is more important than ever in the age of digital media manipulation.

Hudson, J. (2012). Busted: Iran’s jarring Photoshopped missile test image. Retrieved from http://www.thewire.com/global/2012/05/busted-irans-jarring-photoshopped-missile-test-image/51940/

The reason every meme uses that one font by Phil Edwards – Previous to the era of dank memes, the Impact font was the main requirement of memes. This article explains why.

Edwards, P. (2015). The reason every meme uses that one font. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2015/7/26/9036993/meme-font-impact

Why is millennial humor so weird? by Elizabeth Bruenig – Memes got weirder as we moved further into the twenty-teens. Could it be because of nihilism or perhaps it has different meanings and origins.

Bruenig, E. (2017). Why is millennial humor so weird? Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird/2017/08/11/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html

Questions

1. What is a meme?
2. How did “I can haz cheeseburger?” (cats using lolspeak) influence future memes?
3. Why do people use image macros, emoticons and emojis?
4. How would you describe the current meme environment on the web?
5. Why are the visual memes of the web produced by networked individualism? Are they created by our real life experiences?
6. How can a trope become a meme?
7. What are examples of memes that are done in trends in the real physical space?
8. How can a meme have additional meaning and significance?
9. How do memes become part of our culture?
10. Can memes inspire social good and activism?
11. How do memes evolve?
12. What are meme communities and where do they exist?
13. What are some significant steps to take to increase meme literacy?

Summary

Memes have rapidly become a mode of visual communication that combines humor, culture, politics, and conversation. In the last few years, virality has become more broadened from video to include images, tweets, memes, and activist movements like #IceBucketChallenge. Chapter 4 discusses the commodification of memes by corporations in advertising campaigns in both traditional media settings and social feeds. This framework also empowers the reader to become more meme literate and understand how the commodification of memes also includes the commodification of culture. Readers will gain knowledge of how memes are used in political campaigns and why information is more consumable in short bursts of visual media. Lastly, Chapter 4 focuses on the business of memes on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Power users known as “memelords” control entire networks of social media feeds, providing a cultural timeline of the shifting landscape of meme distribution. These memelords have also figured out how to monetize their feeds through sponsored posts and personalized content. Readers will become savvier at interpreting memes, understanding the cultural origins of visual content, and learn how professionals run and maintain social media accounts differently than the general user.

Chapter 5: From Viral Videos to YouTubers

Making media share faster.

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

The Internet’s attention span for video is quickly shrinking by Rebecca Greenfield – Research from ComScore and YouTube about how the audience is craving shorter form content. Greenfield goes on to explain why the inventors of YouTube created an app called MixBit.

Greenfield, R. (2013 August 8). The Internet’s attention span for video is quickly shrinking. Retrieved from http://www.thewire.com/technology/2013/08/internets-attention-span-video-quickly-shrinking/68114/

Unleash your idea virus by Seth Godin – The first time the idea of using virus or viral in terms of media transference.

Godin, S. (2000 August). Unleash your idea virus. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/40104/unleash-your-ideavirus

Nerds in the hood, stars on the web by Dave Itzkoff – An early review of SNL’s foray into viral media with Lazy Sunday, the Lonely Island hit about cupcakes from Magnolia and going to see the Chronicles of Narnia in a theater. Itzkoff gives validity to the future culture of nerd and geekdom in the visual space on the web.

Itzkoff, D. (2005 December 27). Nerds in the hood, stars on the web. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/27/arts/television/27samb.html?_r=0

Pork and Beans by Weezer – Weezer’s 2009 music video that featured many of the web’s viral video people of the first era of YouTube and the viral web.

Weezer. (2009). Pork and Beans. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQHPYelqr0E

Buy, play, trade, repeat by Damian Kulash – Lead singer of OK Go writes a prophetic editorial about the horrors of a music business that controls digital media downloads through digital rights management (DRM).

Kulash, D. (2005 December 6). Buy, play, trade, repeat. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/06/opinion/06kulash.html?_r=0/

How the Obama ‘Hope’ poster reached a tipping point and became a cultural phenomenon: An interview with the artist Shepard Fairey by Ben Arnon – An interview with street artist Shepard Fairey and his possible role in Obama’s election campaign.

Arnon, B. (2008 November 13). How the Obama ‘Hope’ poster reached a tipping point and became a cultural phenomenon: An interview with the artist Shepard Fairey. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-arnon/how-the-obama-hope-poster_b_133874.html

Director Brad Morrison reveals how he and Jimmy Kimmel made the best twerk fail video. Ever by Rae Ann Ferra – A phenomenal breakdown about how much detail goes into video production, especially when you are trying to convince the audience that it’s real when it is not.

Ferra, A. (2014 October). Director Brad Morrison reveals how he and Jimmy Kimmel made the best twerk fail video. Ever. Retrieved from http://www.fastcocreate.com/3017194/director-brad-morrison-reveals-how-he-and-jimmy-kimmel-made-the-best-twerk-fail-video-ever

How Homestar Runner changed webseries for the better by Todd VanDerWerff – An in-depth analysis about Homestar Runner and its effect on future webseries creators. The fact that Homestar had so many episodes and a dedicated audience inspired many visual storytellers.

VanDerWerff, T. (2013) How Homestar Runner changed webseries for the better. Retrieved from http://www.avclub.com/article/how-ihomestar-runneri-changed-web-series-for-the-b-104146

You-yes you-are TIME’s person of the year by Lev Grossman – The cover article (which included a mirror in a computer screen) of TIME magazine for 2006’s person of the year. Grossman covers the importance of YouTube after its first year online.

Grossman, L. (2006). You-yes you-are TIME’s person of the year. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570810,00.html

The beta male’s charms by Stephanie Rosenbloom – The first analysis of the new character of the web, the beta person, or the “anti-Entourage,” opposite of alpha male, online affectionate and authentic character.

Rosenbloom, S. (2008). The beta male’s charms. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/fashion/07girlfriends.html?pagewanted=all

Frontline: Generation Like by Frank Koughan and Douglas Rushkoff – An extremely useful and essential documentary about the industry of web video in 2014.

Frontline: Generation Like. (2014). Meet Tyler Oakley:, YouTube’s self-proclaimed Peter Pan. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/media/generation-like/meet-tyler-oakley-youtubes-self-proclaimed-peter-pan/

 

‘Harlem Shake’: The making and monetizing of Baauer’s viral hit by Andrew Hampp – Every single time someone uploaded a ‘Harlem Shake’ video, artist Baauer chose to allow users to upload with an ad on their video; the income of which caused Baauer to profit immensely from other users.

Hampp, A. (2013). ‘Harlem Shake’: The making and monetizing of Baauer’s viral hit. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1539277/harlem-shake-the-making-and-monetizing-of-baauers-viral-hit

Obama meets with YouTube advisors on how to reach online audiences by Joshua Cohen – President Obama met with Tyler Oakley, Hannah Hart, and about a dozen other YouTube personalities to discuss promotional strategies for an online audience. The resulting product was Obama’s appearance on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifinakis.

Cohen, J. (2014). Obama meets with YouTube advisors on how to reach online audiences. Retrieved from http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/03/02/obama-meets-with-youtube-advisors-on-how-to-reach-online-audiences/

Disney buys Maker Studios, video supplier for YouTube by Brooks Barnes – Disney makes a bold move to purchase Maker Studios, the largest multichannel network on YouTube. Disney now holds an investment in thousands of YouTube channels.

Barnes, B. (2014). Disney buys Maker Studios, video supplier for YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/business/media/disney-buys-maker-studios-video-supplier-for-youtube.html?_r=1

YouTube invests millions to keep its stars at home by Peter Wade – YouTube personalities are now as recognizable as movie stars and major studios are taking notice. In order to keep the personalities from leaving for larger studios, YouTube created a sort of studio itself, paying personalities to stick around for greater reward.

Wade, P. (2014). YouTube invests millions to keep its stars at home. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/3036020/fast-feed/youtube-invests-millions-to-keep-its-top-stars-home

YouTube was meant to make the media more representative. It hasn’t — yet by Chris Stokel-Walker. While YouTube seemed to be the place to produce media that comes from marginalized voices, it seems to have reproduced traditional media structures.

Stokel-Walker, C. (2019). YouTube was meant to make the media more representative. It hasn’t — yet. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@overtake/youtube-was-meant-to-make-the-media-more-representative-it-hasnt-yet-e9514cdff2ed

David Dobrik helped redefine YouTube culture four years ago, and people are celebrating by Julia Alexander. After the fall of Vine, Viners like Logan and Jake Paul and David Dobrik made their way to YouTube. Dobrik helped make the community stronger.

Alexander, J. (2019). David Dobrik helped redefine YouTube culture four years ago, and people are celebrating. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/30/20747357/david-dobrik-four-year-anniversary-youtube-vine-vlog-squad

Questions

1. What is a viral video?
2.  Why makes society interested in watching virals?
3. Looking at the history of the viral video, how did shows such as America’s Funniest Home Video, South Park, Saturday Night Live and others influence the start of the viral trend?
4. What are some reasons a video may go viral?
5. How did OK Go utilize the aesthetic of web video to promote their music and build a community?
6. How did the controversial KONY 2012 video become viral so quickly?
7. How did the Old Spice video show that companies can rebrand themselves through viral video methods?
8. What are some of the major misconceptions about viral videos?
9. In what ways did people share video in the early days of the web?
10. Why is Homestar Runner an important series during the time period before YouTube?
11. What are the various broadband video hosting sites and why did YouTube emerge victorious as the industry leader?
12. With the advent of new narrative programming in the broadband space, how would you describe the new audience of video content?
13. How would you compare the characters of We Need Girlfriends to traditional television characters?
14. How do you create a webseries? What tools and resources do you need?
15. How would you describe a YouTube personality?
16. After reading the traits of some popular vloggers, why do you think each one captivated society? Why are vlogs popular and shared between users?
17. What are several ways vloggers make a living on YouTube?
18. What does it mean to remix content?
19. How do you remain trouble free when remixing content?
20. Even though amateurs and daily users create multimedia stories, why is it still described as a business?
21. How do traditional media outlets use digital platforms and why are the “lines blurring?”
22. Why did videos on web channels such as Funny or Die and My Damn Channel work on a digital platform instead of a traditional television network?
23. How would you describe a high-end webseries?
24. What are multichannel networks?
25. In what ways is YouTube becoming a network?

Summary

Over the last decade and a half, YouTube has shifted from a video repository to a full-fledged vertical media industry, from contract talent to studios (known as YouTube Spaces) around the world. Chapter 5 focuses on YouTube’s biggest business model: the mode of presenting versions of authenticity and influencer marketing. Vloggers, known as YouTubers, have invented new media genres that exist solely on YouTube. The YouTubers have developed a model of native advertising and sponsored content that is delivered seamlessly within their content. A YouTuber’s income is provided by YouTube itself, though monetization rules have changed, and through sponsorships. This chapter will focus on deconstructing the tools of YouTuber success and how the reader can jump into the new industry. This chapter also contains case studies of YouTubers who have used these tools to push dangerous agendas and conspiracy theories. Lastly, Chapter 5 will cover how new influencers are entering the field and what is necessary to maintain and operate a successful channel.

Chapter 6: Over-the-Top Television and Storytelling in a Streaming World

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

Leichtman Research Group. 78% of TV Households Subscribe to a Pay-TV Service. Retrieved from www.leichtmanresearch.com/78-of-tv-households-subscribe-to-a-pay-tv-service/

Spangler, T. (2019, February 13). “Cord Cutting Sped Up in 2018: Biggest Pay-TV Ops Shed 3.2 Million Subscribers Last Year.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/cord-cutting-2018-accelerate-us-pay-tv-subscribers-1203138404/

Sutton, K. (2019, August 6). “Nearly 25% of U.S. Households Will Be Cord-Cutters by 2022, According to EMarketer.” Adweek. Retrieved from www.adweek.com/tv-video/nearly-25-of-us-households-will-be-cord-cutters-by-2022-according-to-emarketer/

Zachary, B. (2019, February 2). “Family Guy: A 20-Year Journey, from Cancellation to Phenomenon to TV Relic.” CBR.com. Retrieved from www.cbr.com/family-guy-20-year-anniversary-retrospective/

Spangler, T. (2017, March 21). “Binge Boom: Young U.S. Viewers Gulp Down Average of Six TV Episodes Per Sitting.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/binge-viewing-tv-survey-millennials-1202013560/
Koblin, J. (2016, June 8). “Netflix Studied Your Binge-Watching Habit: That Didn’t Take Long.” New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/business/media/netflix-studied-your-binge-watching-habit-it-didnt-take-long.html?auth=login-email&login=email

Keating, G. (2014). “Five Myths About Netflix.” The Washington Post. Retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-netflix/2014/02/21/787c7c8e-9a3f-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html

Netflix.com. “Netflix Timeline.” Netflix Media Center. Retrieved from https://media.netflix.com/en/about-netflix

Clark, T. (2019, July 17). “Critics Trashed Adam Sandler’s ‘Murder Mystery,’ but Netflix Said 73 Million Households Watched It in the First Month.” Business Insider. Retrieved from www.businessinsider.com/adam-sandler-netflix-movies-murder-mystery-salary-reviews-2019-6

Spangler, T. (2019, January 18). “Netflix Spent $12 Billion on Content in 2018: Analysts Expect That to Grow to $15 Billion This Year.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/netflix-content-spending-2019-15-billion-1203112090/
Spangler, T. (2019, May 1). “Hulu Zooms to 28 Million Total Subscribers, Up 12% so Far in 2019.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/hulu-28-million-total-subscribers-newfronts-2019-1203202212/

Hulu.com. About Hulu. Retrieved from www.hulu.com/press/about/

Stelter, B. (2017, September 18). “And the Top Award Goes to . . . Hulu?” CNN.com.Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/18/media/hulu-emmy-win/index.html

Burks, Robin. (2018). Only 39% of Viewers Choose Live TV as Their Default, Down from Last Year. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/tv-live-viewers-2018/

Kelleher, K. (2019, March 1). “Hulu’s Live-TV Service Has Quietly Signed Up 2 Million Subscribers, Report Says.” Fortune.com. Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2019/03/01/hulus-live-tv-service-2-million-subscribers/

Welch, C. (2019, March 1). “Hulu Reportedly Nears 2 Million Live TV Subscribers as YouTube Crosses 1 Million.” The Verge. Retrieved from www.theverge.com/2019/3/1/18246470/hulu-youtube-3-million-live-tv-subcribers

Dastin, J. (2018, April 26). “Amazon, NFL Reach $130 Million Streaming Deal for Thursday Night Games.” Reuters. Retrieved from www.reuters.com/article/us-nfl-amazon-com/amazon-nfl-reach-130-million-streaming-deal-for-thursday-night-games-source-idUSKBN1HX3EP

McGlynn, K. (2012, August 23). “Jerry Seinfeld Opens Up About Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: This Is Just What We Like To Do.” Huffington Post. Retrieved from www.huffpost.com/entry/jerry-seinfeld-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee_n_1825716

Roettgers, J. (2019, June 24). “Ad-Supported Video Service Tubi Tops 20 Million Monthly Active Users.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/ad-supported-video-service-tubi-tops-20-million-monthly-active-users-1203251218/

Barnes, J. (2019, October 28). “Viacom Will Continue Embracing Cord Cutting & Hints at Pluto TV Expanding into New Markets.” Cord Cutters News. Retrieved from www.cordcuttersnews.com/viacom-will-continue-embracing-cord-cutting-hints-at-pluto-tv-expanding-into-new-markets/

Kafka, P. (2019, September 16). “Why Seinfeld Is Coming to Netflix.” Vox. Retrieved from www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/16/20868838/seinfeld-netflix-streaming-hulu-friends-office-streaming-deal-explained

Ofcom. (2015). “The Reinvention of the 1950s Living Room.” The Communications Market Report (CMR). Retrieved from www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/cmr-uk-2015

Rideout, V. J., Foehr, U. G. and Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds (Report No. 8010). Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from www.kff.org/entmedia/8010.cfm.

.Nielsen.com. (2018, December). Juggling Act: Audiences Have More at Their Disposal and Are Using Them Simultaneously. Retrieved from www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2018/juggling-act-audiences-have-more-media-at-their-disposal-and-are-using-them-simultaneously/

Sella, M. (2002, October 20). “The Remote Controllers.” New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2002/10/20/magazine/the-remote-controllers.html

Schneider, M. (2011, April 21). New to Your TV Screen: Twitter Hashtags. Retrieved from www.tvguide.com/news/new-tv-screen-1032111/

Steel, E. (2016, January 20). “Nielsen to Use Facebook and Twitter in New Ratings System.” New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/business/media/nielsen-to-use-facebook-and-twitter-in-new-ratings-system.html?_r=0%2F&auth=login-email&login=email

Maas, J. (2019, September 19). “TV Stars Drive Nearly 60% of Social Media Engagement for Shows.” The Wrap. Retrieved from www.thewrap.com/tv-stars-social-media-engagement-tv-shows-nielsen-tracking-twitter/

Nielsen Social. Weekly Top Ten. Retrieved from www.nielsensocial.com/socialcontentratings/weekly/

Selyukh, A. (2016, April 5). “Twitter Wins NFL Deal to Stream 2016 Thursday Night Football.” NPR. Retrieved from www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/05/473099436/twitter-wins-nfl-deal-to-stream-2016-thursday-night-football

Spangler, T. (2019, June 12). “Facebook Watch Hits 140 Million Daily Users, Premiere Dates Set for Upcoming Originals.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/facebook-watch-140-million-daily-users-1203239304/

Seetharaman, D. (2017, September 8). “Facebook Is Willing to Spend Big in Video Push.” Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-is-willing-to-spend-big-in-video-push-1504863181

Spangler, T. (2018, October 10). “Snapchat Sets Slate of New Scripted Originals and Docu-Series Doubling Down on Mobile TV.” Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/snap-snapchat-originals-scripted-shows-1202973565/

Graham, M. (2019, September 26). “Snap Says Its Original Show Was Watched More Than the Game of Thrones Finale, but There’s a Catch.” CNBC. Retrieved from www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/snap-exec-says-endless-summer-was-viewed-more-than-game-of-thrones-finale.html

Carman, A. (2019, May 23). “Instagram Will Now Support Landscape Video on IGTV.” Verge. Retrieved from www.theverge.com/2019/5/23/18637105/instagram-igtv-vertical-landscape-video-upload-support

Desowitz, B. (2019, May 3). “When Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Went Interactive, Editing Met Accounting.” IndieWire. Retrieved from www.indiewire.com/2019/05/black-mirror-bandersnatch-netflix-editing-interactive-1202130943/

Questions

1. What is the definition of serial television?
2. Describe the origins of binge television.
3. What does the phrase on demand television mean?
4. How has Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime impacted the television industry?
5. What is the definition of second screen television?
6. Why is a hashtag valuable for a television series?
7. What is parasocial interaction and how is this concept related to television?
8. What are the benefits to social media offering television programming?
9. How will social media impact television over the next 5-10 years?

Summary

The rise and success of online video streaming services and additional media outlets paved the way for a new business model for television. The format of Netflix changing from a DVD mail delivery system to a streaming subscription model enabled viewers to watch movies and television programming how and when they wanted. The focus has shifted over the last several years to original programming where stories connect to one another, in a serial format, with each episode following the cinematic style of modern movies. Incorporating the concept of “binge watching” a television series, on-demand streaming sites are offering original programming to subscribers as a way not to only tell stories but also to produce and own content instead of licensing it out from other media organizations. Chapter 6 will also delve into the origins of on-demand streaming sites, as well as their offerings of a la carte TV to complement their massive video libraries. The video and television industry is rapidly changing and readers will gain insight to where the industry is headed.

Chapter 7: Personal Branding

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Links and Resources

Annotated links:

CareerBuilder. (2018). More Than Half of Employers Have Found Content on Social Media That Caused Them NOT to Hire a Candidate, According to Recent CareerBuilder Survey. Retrieved from http://press.careerbuilder.com/2018-08-09-More-Than-Half-of-Employers-Have-Found-Content-on-Social-Media-That-Caused-Them-NOT-to-Hire-a-Candidate-According-to-Recent-CareerBuilder-Survey

LinkedIn. (2016). “7 Big Brand Social Media Policies You Can Learn From.” Retrieved from www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-big-brand-social-media-policies-you-can-learn-from-david-bell

Instagram. (2018, April 19). “Terms of Use.” Retrieved from https://help.instagram.com/478745558852511

Instagram. (2018, April 19). “Data Policy.” Retrieved from https://help.instagram.com/155833707900388

Instagram. “Community Guidelines.” Retrieved from https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119

Wix.com. “Adding Hashtags to Posts in the New Wix Blog.” Retrieved from https://support.wix.com/en/article/adding-hashtags-to-posts-in-the-new-wix-blog
Wemple, E. (2014). Associated Press Polices Story Length. Retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/05/12/associated-press-polices-story-length/

Rothberg, S. (2012). 92% of Employers use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to Hire New Employees. Retrieved from www.collegerecruiter.com/blog/2012/07/09/92-of-employers-use-twitter-facebook-linkedin-to-hire-new-employees/

Kickstarter. “About Us.” Retrieved from www.kickstarter.com/about?ref=global-footer

GoFundMe. (2019, September 9). “Legendary Wrestler Brian Knobs Needs Help.” Retrieved from www.gofundme.com/f/legendary-wrestler-brian-knobs-needs-help

Patreon. “The Story of Patreon.” Retrieved from www.patreon.com/about

Sproutsocial. (2018, June 11). “What Are Twitter Impressions & Why Are They So Important to Twitter?” Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/twitter-impressions

Questions

1. Why is it imperative that everyone becomes aware of their online brand?
2. What does online identity mean?
3. In what ways can your personal brand be seen as negative?
4. Why would employers be interested in searching for your name through search engines and social media sites?
5. How do you discover who you already are in the online space?
6. What is a digital footprint?
7. After researching, what is your digital footprint?
8. What are some of the ways to best manage your social media sites for public use?
9. How do you connect with others who share your brand identity?
10. Why do you need content when building a brand?
11. What type of content helps users build brand identity?
12. What are some of the benefits for creating a blog, podcast and personal website?
13. What are some of the benefits to using LinkedIn?
14. What is crowdsourcing?
15. Once your brand is created, how do you measure its success?
16. How do you maintain your digital footprint?
17. What does the phrase, “think first and post second” mean?

Summary

This chapter focuses on the steps to maintaining and controlling your digital identity while offering a guide to building an online brand. Information posted on social networks and personal websites represent you and is attached to one’s name when researched through search engines. Chapter 7 helps you create a “personal brand” based on skills, creativity, and interests. We review the type of content and platforms that can help establish your personal brand while noting privacy ramifications with your information public on the web. Besides creating a brand based on your digital presence, focus is placed on supporting one’s ideas and creative passions including crowdsourcing.

Chapter 8: Conclusion

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Questions

1. How do you become a savvy user of the web?
2. Which online communities do you wish to join?
3. How do you hope to use the web and social media to your advantage?
4. What type of content do you want to create?
5. What will be your online brand and identity?
6. How will you start your journey to becoming a savvy user of the web?

Summary

Savvy Internet use with new and digital media is no longer an option but a necessity in the constantly changing media landscapes that affect everything from geopolitics to creative spaces. This text and its updates will create savvy users who not only know how to produce new and digital media but also become media literate critical thinkers who can use this book to become leaders and creative colleagues in nearly every industry.