Citizen journalism: examples

Put simply, citizen journalism is when an average person does what professional reporters do - report information.

This is usually by using their smartphone to record an event while it is happening.

Key language: UGC = User generated content

User generated content is any content that is created by the audience – YouTube videos, tweets, vines, Facebook posts etc. Citizen journalism is a great example of UGC.

Important examples of citizen journalism

TED talk by the Guardian’s Paul Lewis on Ian Tomlinson's death

Eric Garner filmed saying "I can't breathe" while being arrested by NYPD

Chelsea fans in Paris

TV News: moving online

Many people now get their news from online news providers such as YouTube’s Vice News.

This gives users a platform to broadcast their citizen journalism to the world.

Vice News coverage of Ferguson protests (after death of 18-year old Michael Brown)

Remember, you need to add an element of citizen journalism into YOUR idea for a new TV News show for the upcoming PPE2 exam on Monday 9 March.

Assignment 3: Research and planning checklist

You need the following research and planning documents in your coursework folder:

1) Existing product research: at least 1,000 words analysing 10 music videos. Max length: 3 pages

2) Music video treatment. Max length: 2 pages

3) Target audience description with detailed demographics and brand choices. Max length: 1 page.

4) Audience research focus group with at least five comments and how you will change/develop your idea. Max length: 1 page.

5) Target Audience Profile on Photoshop. Max length: 1 page.

6) Pre-production: storyboard, shot list, mise-en-scene planning. Minimum length: 3 pages (in groups, these documents can be shared out but each group member needs at least 3 pages of pre-production work).

Exam topic: TV News PPE2 preparation

On Monday 9 March (8.30am) you will have your PPE2 GCSE Media Studies exam.

The preliminary material for the exam can be found here.

You MUST complete the following revision and preparation tasks before the exam on Monday 9 March:

1) Revise the two TV News programmes you researched for the December PPE exam. If you did not complete this task adequately in December, the original task is here. You must know the two programmes inside out before the exam.

2) Plan your idea for a TV News programme aimed at 12-20 year old viewers. In particular, plan the following:

• Title
• Channel, day and time broadcast
• The length and structure of the programme
• The presenter or presenters
• The types of news the programme will cover
• Three examples of REAL news stories that would be perfect for your programme and audience
• The brand identity for the show - title, logo, slogan, colour scheme etc.
• How you will package the news - video, images, graphics, live links, interviews etc.
• How the opening 60 seconds of the programme will run.

3) Plan how you will use modern technology and e-media (social networks, websites, YouTube etc.) to promote your TV News programme. Also consider how you can use technology to make your programme interactive with opportunities for the audience to submit photos and video and comment on the issues covered.

4) Prepare for the creative task in the exam. Plan, sketch and draw the following:

• Logo and graphic identity for your TV News programme
• Website homepage for your TV News programme
• Storyboard for the opening 30 seconds of your TV News programme

Important note: You CAN re-use any planning or ideas for the December PPE exam in this upcoming PPE exam.

Deadline: Monday 9 March

Matthews Blogscar of the Week

Matthews Blogscar of the Week this week is.............Fartun Nuur!

Would you believe it. The attitude and effort of the young lady has been exceptional - stunning assignment 2 film poster and some superb analysis. Let's hope she kicks on to produce a similarly impressive assignment 3!

Honorary mentions to Katie Foster/Yasmin (teaching assistant) El Habshy/Amina - for exceptional commitment to Saturday revision and Naz + Chloe for pure effort!

Keep it up,

#MatthewsA*Crew

Research and planning: Pre-production tasks

In your group OR individually, you need to complete the following planning:

1) Storyboard
2) Shotlist
3) Mise-en-scene planning

You need a minimum of 3 pages EACH. You CANNOT put any work in your folder that has been created by someone else in your group.

Storyboard

• Use the skills you have already developed in Assignment 2.
• Create a visual ‘feel’ for what you want your music video to look like – you won’t be able to storyboard every shot.
• Use a wide variety of creative shots and draw them accurately.
• Aim for somewhere between 10-20 frames (depending on whether you are working individually or in a group).

Shot list

• The shot list is the single most important pre-production document – you will tick off each shot while shooting.
• Remember, you will shoot far more than you actually use - which means a variety of shots for each event or location in the music video.
• Due to this, there will be far more shots on the shot list than in the storyboard.
• You will need at least one shot for every second of the track you have chosen - so the shot list will contain 150+ shots.

Mise-en-scene planning

• This document involves all the planning for anything appearing in front of the camera: actors/cast, locations, costumes, props, make-up, lighting.
• Use images to show you have planned each aspect of mise-en-scene (mobile phone/ Google images/ Google maps are all acceptable here).

The deadline for all your research and planning is Thursday 12 February. REMEMBER: you cannot sign out a camera for filming unless everyone in your group has completed ALL research and planning documents.

Research and Planning: Audience research

You need to complete THREE pages of work to cover target audience research and planning:

1) Target Audience. ONE page on Microsoft Word listing your chosen band/artist's target audience demographics (bullet points) and brands your audience enjoys. 

Example: 

Target audience for Kings of Leon:

• Alternative music/rock/indie fans. 
• Age range 15-45 but largely 16-30.
• Slightly more males then females (60/40). 
• Largely white British race/ethnicity.
• Largely middle class ABC1 demographic. 
• Likely to be educated at least to A Level with 60% at university or degree educated.
• Earnings above average and likely to do or have ambitions to do a degree-level job.
• Likely to live in towns and cities but not exclusively.
• Happy adopting new technology and regularly uses social networking sites and the internet.

Brands/lifestyle for Kings of Leon fans:

• Very likely to own an Apple product/mp3 player and take their music seriously. Almost certainly owns a smart phone but could be Samsung or Apple.
• Enjoys a drink – likely to be beer rather than wine. 
• Sony audio/visual products.
• Red Bull.
• Jack Daniels.
• Levis.
• NME or Q magazine.
• Sky Atlantic.
• May also be fans of Biffy Clyro, Florence and the Machine, MGMT, Kasabian, Foo Fighters and Muse.

2) Audience Profile. ONE page on Adobe Photoshop presenting your target audience and brand choices in a stylish graphical collage.

Create an A4 Audience Profile in Photoshop for your band/artist.

Your Audience Profile needs to include the following:

1) Band/artist logo or graphic

2) Demographic breakdown of target audience

3) Lifestyle statements that the target audience would agree with

4) Collage of brands/items that your target audience would use or enjoy

Use this NME example to help you.

3) Focus group write up. ONE page on Microsoft Word explaining FIVE comments you have received about your video idea and how you will change/develop it based on your feedback.

You need to conduct some audience research with another individual/group in the class. This is called a focus group and you then write up the feedback you get to help target your audience and refine your music video concept.

Example

Artist/song 
Kings of Leon: Beautiful War

Music video concept
Three locations for this slow, atmospheric song. One: walking in slow motion by River Thames at dusk/late afternoon looking moody. Two: drama studio, blacked out, single spotlight, singing track. Three: bedroom – super slow motion black and white pillow fight between boy and girl as song reaches crescendo.

Five comments I received about this concept
1) The locations sounds good but need to make sure the time of day and weather/lighting is appropriate for filming this type of video.
2) This wouldn't appeal to all teenagers but more young people into emo or alternative lifestyles or skateboarding should like it.
3) You will need to make sure the drama studio doesn't look like a drama studio or this will kill the overall effect of the video.
4) The super slow motion sounds great but would a pillow fight work with the song? Perhaps think of a different idea or something else/another location to film in slow motion.
5) For this type of music an extra location with a band playing might be a good key convention to include in a rock music video.

How I will use this feedback to change/develop my idea:

• For the river location, we will book a camera for the weekend so we have two days of potential filming for that part of the video - and also check the weather forecast first. We also need to check what time the sun sets at this time of year.
• Our target audience is teenagers who enjoy the emo/alternative lifestyle so this video should fit in well.
• The drama studio will not be visible in shot - it will just be a spotlight in black and white and shot in close up so there isn't anything to see in the background. Framing this shot will be very important though and making sure the lighting is right.
• We will consider changing the pillow fighting scene to something else although it's difficult to think of a location or activity that would work well in super slow motion and also be available to film. 
• We have considered having a band playing the song but don't have the location and equipment so will stick with the singing in a spotlight to make sure we've got a performance element in the video. 

Focus group instructions

1) Pair up with another group/individual.

2) One group pitches their idea and target audience.

3) The other group offers feedback: FIVE specific comments (these can follow WWW/EBI format).
4) Swap around and repeat.

Next, in Microsoft Word,  produce a one-page write-up of your focus group discussion.

Include the following:

1) Your chosen artist and song.

2) Your music video treatment summarised in one paragraph.

3) The feedback you received from another group 
4) What you plan to change/develop in terms of your video idea as a result of your audience research

Aim for around 250 words in total - no more than one page of A4.

You must finish these THREE audience research and planning tasks for homework. Due: Next Thursday.

Assignment 3 work: Tuesday 3 February

You have your Tuesday Media lessons to complete two extremely important aspects of your Research and Planning. You've had plenty of time last Thursday and over the weekend to finalise your groups and discuss ideas for your video. Today, you need to work quietly focused on your own individual work and finish the following:

1) Existing product research: minimum of 1,000 words on up to 10 different music videos.

2) Music video treatment: maximum of 2 pages on Microsoft Word outlining your plan for your music video.

Both of these documents must be completed in Microsoft Word and will contribute to your 15 marks for Research and Planning.

You must stay in your seat and focus entirely on your own work. If you are in Mr Halsey's class, Mr Qureshi, Mr Parker or Mr Matthews will be available to help with any questions you might have.


Extension work: target audience

Once you have completed your research and treatment, the next stage is identifying and detailing your target audience. Complete the following:

Write a detailed demographic profile of your chosen music artist's target audience.

So, if you've chosen to The Script's Hall of Fame as your music video track, you need to research and identify a detailed audience profile for The Script. Make sure you research or identify the following:

• The music genre(s) the audience listens to 
• Age range
• Gender breakdown by % 
• Race/ethnicity
• Social class 
• Job/earnings/educational status
• Living arrangements and/or locations (estates/houses/towns/countryside etc.)
• Brands they use/enjoy - including technology, food and drink
• Activities the audience enjoys doing in their spare time

Focus group preparation

We will be carrying out focus groups next lesson to get feedback on our music video treatment and make improvements. Prepare the following:

1) Your target audience demographic breakdown
2) Your music video concept summed up in one sentence
3) Where and how you plan to film your idea


Audience Profile

On Thursday, you will be creating an A4 Audience Profile in Photoshop for your band/artist.

Your Audience Profile needs to include the following:

1) Band/artist logo or graphic

2) Demographic breakdown of target audience

3) Lifestyle statements that the target audience would agree with

4) Collage of brands/items that your target audience would use or enjoy

Use this NME example to help you - but remember you are making an AUDIENCE profile, not a reader profile.

Good luck!