Online Media

 What is online media?

Online media is a series of platforms. It is media made accessible through the internet. Content accessed through a range of different devices. Online media can be accessed through smartphones, computers, laptop, smart tv, video game consoles, kindles, iPad, tablets, smartwatches.

But what is the internet?

The internet is a series of interconnected networks and computers that host and exchange information around the world

Digital convergence 

What is digital technology? Any technology that involves computers 

What is convergence? When previously separate industries come together!

So music + online = music streaming! Music + Television = music videos!

However, today (in 2023) media is generally accessed exclusively through digitally convergent technology. In effect, digitally convergent media technologies have completely disrupted the study of media, as now all media formats are accessed, distributed, consumed and produced using exactly the same technologies. Therefore from this we can conclude that the consumption and production of media is now far more complex and nuanced than before.

Vlogging

The recording of videos to document either one's daily life, or something along those lines. 

Vlog is  a video blog 

Blog = Web log, an online journal or diary

Vlogging is a new media that is only made possible through digital technologies 

Subgenres of vlogging 

Travel 

Day in the life 

Fashion

Exercise

Cooking

Retro video games

Family

Behind the scenes

Unboxing

Food

Cycling vlog

Why are vlogs so popular with 16-24 yo's?

Entertainment 

Generally free to access at the point of access

Escapism

Information

Extremely specific information

Quick and easy to consume

Communication

Direct mode of address

Para social relationship

An analysis of Zoella's YouTube page

• A childish, even patronising mode of address that clearly targets a younger audience. This is encoded through the MES of the thumbnails, eg the conventions of pouting and directly addressing the camera
• Zoella is a lifestyle and beauty vlogger/blogger, and the MES of her web portal is highly conventional of this genre
• Title is in a large serif font, which has stereotypical conventions of femininity and girlishness 
• The MES of paint brush strokes is artistic, and has connotations of a friendly and family friendly mode of address
• The lexis is simple, straightforward and not challenging, which is perfect for a younger target audience
• The lexis is not problematic, and lacks any reference to controversy, or political agendas
• Thumbnails depict Sugg with a variety of extremely exaggerated facial expressions, to cater to a younger audience
• Thumbnails often include explicit reference to brands which are recognisable high street products. Generally affordable and often appealing to a younger target audience, they construct a glamorous, desirable and aspirational mode of address for her younger target audience

• A highly manipulative mode of address, promoting products to a young and naïve target audience. In doing so, Zoella promotes consumerist ideological perspectives 

• A range of stereotypically feminine codes, including pastel pinks, fairy lights and flowing fabrics construct a stereotypical representation of femininity

Key terms

Web portal - a front page that contains a variety of hyperlinks

Hyperlink - a link within a webpage to another webpage 

Layout - how the page is presented to the audience 

UI - user interface. The ways in which the audience can use or interact with the media product

Thumbnail - a striking promotional image that invites audiences to click on the content. Often thumbnails use exaggerated facial expressions and colour schemes

Hyper modality - a mode of communication that is based on linking to other texts. “Zoella utilises 

PPC - ‘pay per click’ revenue

Monetisation - When a producer utilises adverts on their content to accrue revenue

Anything else?

Plan:

- Mode of address

• Codes and conventions
• Layout and design
• Composition
• Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour 
• Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
• Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 
• Graphics, logos
• Language - formal/informal mode of address?
• Anchorage of images and text

Question - Explore how Zoella conveys viewpoints and ideologies

Knee Jerk reaction:

Zoella presents viewpoints and ideologies in a simple, straightforward and manipulative way

Introduction - DAC

Definition, argument, context

Ideology refers to the beliefs and values encoded by the producer of a media product. Ideologies reflect personal beliefs, yet they are also included to both manipulate and to influence the target audience for the purpose of power and profit. In this essay I shall argue that Zoella presents a simple, straightforward, ideological perspective in order to manipulate her naive tweenage target audience. Zoella is/was a beauty/lifestyle vlogger, who predominantly appealed to a young, female teenage target audience. However as her audience aged, Zoella rebranded as Zoe Sugg to appeal to a more mature target audience.

New In Beauty : Blogger Mail 2

Paragraphs - PEA

Point, evidence, argument

One way in which Zoella uses ideology to convey meaning is through

her extremely specific use of lexis. Zoella utilises a range of comforting

words in order to create a positive audience address. For example,

Zoella draws explicit attention to the complexity of the title of the video,

and how she has had to simplify it for her target audience. This personal

mode of address takes the form of an unscripted conversation, and creates

a friendly mode of address for her young target audience. Zoella introduces

each video in the same way, and this is no exception. Directly addressing

the camera, she excitedly says “hello everyone!” and exaggeratedly flicks her

hands. This reinforces the comforting and reliable ideology that she presents

throughout her videos. Zoella is friendly, reliable and can be trusted. 

Grab a blanket

These examples of Zoella presenting a straightforward ideology

are also an excellent example of how she expertly uses ideology

to manipulate her audience. By presenting highly gendered products

and aspects of MES, Zoella is clearly and directly manipulating her

young target audience by cultivated ideological aspects of gender stereotypes.

This in turn encourages her audience to conform to hegemonically accepted

gender roles. 

Another way in which Zoella expresses ideological perspectives is through..

A final final way in which Zoella constructs a highly manipulative mode of address

is through …

• A range of stereotypically feminine codes, including pastel pinks, fairy lights and flowing fabrics construct a stereotypical representation of femininity

- Directly addressing the audience in a range of ways

'A myth provides a logical model capable of overcoming a contradiction' 1958

How can Zoe Sugg address a vast anonymous audience while maintaining the audience while maintaining the illusion of friendly, face to face communications?'

Hyperreality - When the representation of something is more real than the thing being represented

Stereotypical representation of a stereotypical female is constructed by Zoella

YouTube and other digital platforms overwhelm us with choices making it very difficult to choose one,

HUGE FESTIVE LUSH HAUL - ZOELLA

24 days of Zoella

- Marketing Push

- Advent Calendar

- Strange and confusing phrase

To what extent can Zoella and Attitude be seen as postmodern?

The video starts with a montage of stereotypically Christmassy MES including snow, fir trees, twinkly lights and the doors of an advent calendar. This hyperreal represent of Christmas constructs a welcoming and positive mode of address for her target audience. In fact, the opening sequence makes intertextual reference to The Grinch, The Snowman, and Elf. In doing so Zoella is constructing a hyperreal simulacrum of Christmas where Zoella is clearly the most important person. This is reinforced through the lexis 'the 24 days of Zoella' which by making no reference to Christmas inserts Zoella in to the Christmas myth. However, the target audience will not analyse this video on such a level, and will instead simply accept the Christmassy.

Zoella's almost crazed facial expression directly addresses the audience throughout, emphasing the enormous love and affection she has for the Lush brand.

Zoella is the embodiment of exaggeration. She is so overwhelming over the top she is somewhat ridiculous. Her exaggerated facial expressions communicate not only her job at Lush products, but also her genuine happiness and authenticity. However, her audience will understand that Zoella is not an authentic self, but instead a performance, but on to connect with the audience and the video presents a direct market in opportunity from Zoella, where it is made obvious  from the start that she is being sponsored by Lush cosmetics. She explicitly announces to hate audience that she has received a package from Lush. “I think bath products make amazing gifts”, she announces staring directly at the camera in an explicit mode of address. Though saying this, Zoella is applying her perceived expertise to this, and is insinuating that the audience would be stupid not to buy bath products for Christmas. 

“A lot of you share my love for lush” presents a manipulative mode of address, where Zoella infers that the audience already ‘love’ this product. This is an extremely old fashioned, yet clearly manipulative advertising technique, where Zoella is utilising her aspirational status to draw out consent. 

By not loving Lush, the audience are made an other, and relegated to an outsider status. 

While audiences are aware of the blatant advertising on her videos, they simultaneously take pleasure in the gratification of a comforting mode of address. This clearly constructs a binary opposition between two radically different readings. However, her vast popularity suggests that ultimately her audience clearly do not care about this, and are happy to be manipulated. In this sense, Zoella’s videos are an excellent example of postmodern. 

Gender performance: the process of ‘acting’ like a certain gender

Gender performativity is how gender performance shapes the world around us 

By acting out slements of gender, Zoella is having a clear and powerful effect on her target. Over hundreds of videos, often with significant run times, Zoella is subtly shaping and reinforcing certain ideological perspectives on what it means to be a woman

Simulacrum: a representation of something that never existed in the first place

Industry and audience and Zoella

Online Media is a hyper modal

- Curran and Seaton argue that media industries are generally controlled by a small number of powerful companies who main purpose is to create is profit. Evaluate this theory with power and media industries. Refer to Zoella.

The old Zoella website allowed for anonymous posting

- Grabs your attention

- She uses a human who is using the logic of machines by cramming key buzz word into the title, and the repetitive same shot of her face. This is to minimise risk and maximise profit.