T3 | Wk 7 | Monday - Media Regulation - Meta and Big Tech

Do some research into current events concerning Meta.

1. What are they in trouble for? 

2. Who is holding them accountable?

3. What is NZ's response to Meta needing to take accountability for the platform? 

4. What sorts of reforms have there been and in what countries? 

What are your thoughts and reflections on this situation as it unfolds. How far do you think Big Tech should be held accountable? At what point should governments get involved with regulation? How does this example point to how tricky globalism makes regulation? 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/technology/meta-settlement-social-media-addiction-lawsuit.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyq4gxwe7go

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2174035356478596

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/1056224/meta-back-in-court-to-face-its-biggest-social-media-addiction-trial-yet

In what ways are NZ government making proposals for media reform to protect young people? 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj068q7qj19o

T3| Wk 7 - Audience research presentation

  

We are studying audiences for this next part of the puzzle in the media landscape picture. 

Your task is to conduct a research project to compare and contrast media use across the demographics. 

Action points;

1. Demonstrate and outline clear breakdown of the demographic brackets that you'll be using 

2. Create a questionnaire that includes a range of questions that gathers information on media use; including time spent consuming media, where media is accessed and ways in which technology is used in consuming media. 

3. You'll need a sample size big enough to gather significant data and qualify trends that emerge (this should be at least 10 people in each age bracket / demographic)  

4. Collate the data and put together a presentation on your findings 

5. Taking it a step further - how are institutions developing and changing in their response to audience trends 

You will be marked as follows;

- Research conducted is thoroughly conducted, using well thoughr-out questions, across an appropriate sample pool for the purpose of the exercise 

- Research is collated and presented in a professional, clear way. Conclusions and findings are presented in a way that demonstrates understanding of key concepts.

- There is a clear understanding of how the audience trends identified impact media institutions and the way they interact with audiences. Examples are detailed, varied, relevant and back-up the findings  

- The presentation utilises relevant blog tools in a way that clearly and effectively lays out information. 

T3 | WK 3 | Friday - Fortnite and Media Regulation

Consider the content in the video below for a wider context helpful in media regulation;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F1W7-PlH9s

A NZ context;

 The NZ Classification Office explains that Fortnite does not have a New Zealand classification because it is an online-only game, while international ratings are used. It also discusses online interaction, parental controls, different game modes and in-game purchases

NZ Classification Office — What is Fortnite?

Student questions

1. Why doesn't Fortnite have a NZ classification?
2. What does this reveal about the difficulty of regulating digital media?
3. Why might online-only media challenge traditional regulatory systems?
4. What role do international classification systems play?
5. What role do parents/platforms play?
6. Is regulation becoming more difficult because media are increasingly global?
7. Who should be responsible for regulating Fortnite?

NZ Classification Office — Video Games and Classification

"Why are some games classified in NZ but other online games aren't?"

The Classification Office explains that traditional classification legislation was created in the early 1990s, while online/downloadable games now create different regulatory challenges. 

technology → legislation → industry → audience

T3| Wk 3 | Thursday - Media Ecology - online video games (Fortnite)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-brQavX3IwE

MEDIA ECOLOGY: 

Media ecology speaks to the changing media environments. 

Let's look at video games as an example.

“Fortnite demonstrates the transformation of the traditional media product into an evolving, networked, participatory and convergent media environment.” 

Activity 

- make an exhaustive list of all the media related to or within the Fortnite brand 

eg. 

- online videogame

- live events 

https://iris.ipsos.com/fortnite-shaking-the-media-and-entertainment-industry/

CONCEPT 1 -  Media CONVERGENCE

Consider the idea of media CONVERGENCE with Fortnight as an example. In what ways have the media lines blurred from traditional media to this current version of Fortnite? 

e.g. 

The Travis Scott Astronomical event is a brilliant case study because the event was built inside Fortnite but simultaneously functioned as:

• a music event
• a gaming experience
• a promotional event
• a social experience
• a spectacle
• online video content

https://youtu.be/wYeFAlVC8qU

CONCEPT 2 - PARTICIPATORY CULTURE

Traditional media:

Producer → Text → Audience

Digital media:

Producer ↔ Platform ↔ Creator ↔ Audience

Fortnite audiences aren't simply consumers.

They can:

• play
• create
• stream
• comment
• share
• remix
• discuss
• produce fan content
• create experiences
• influence trends

Key argument

The audience becomes part of the media ecology rather than simply consuming a finished media product.

CONCEPT 3 - PROSUMER 

“When a player uploads a Fortnite video to YouTube, are they an audience member, producer, or both?”

A Fortnite player can simultaneously be:

consumer → player → creator → streamer → commentator → promoter 

CONCEPT 4 - LIVE-SERVICE MEDIA

"Fortnite is an evolving media text rather than a static media product."

Traditional game:

Buy → Play → Finish 

Live-service game:

Launch → Update → New content → Return → Update → Event → Return → Update...

Fortnite therefore becomes an ongoing media environment.

The product isn't necessarily “finished” when it is released.

CONCEPT 5 - SERIALITY 

"Fortnite borrows the serialised structure traditionally associated with television while using digital technology to make the audience interact with the narrative."

Fortnite's:

• seasons
• chapters
• events
• characters
• updates
• mysteries
• reveals

can create a form of serialised storytelling.

CONCEPT 6 - GLOBALISATION

global access

multinational audiences

international celebrities

global franchises

simultaneous events

different national regulations

different cultural responses

localisation

language

platform accessibility

T3 | Wk 2 | Impact of Covid on audience trends

 You are going to do a study into the impact of Covid in the media landscape. 

I want you to explore 

- audience trends

- existing trends that were amplified

- new trends that emerged from that period of time

- all the ways that Covid disrupted previous and existing models of consuming media

- NZ- specific examples 

- technological developments that were used in this time 

- expert commentary on how media consumption was changed over this time (quotes, commentary, thoughts, ideas) 

- stats and research to back up data from this study 

- ways that Big Tech and Media companies pivoted to follow audience trends and keep media available to audiences 

Create a power-point presentation that you will use to present to the AS class. 

You will be marked on;

- your ability to research, interpret and collate relevant information in regards to a media concept Providing relevant examples (both within a NZ context and globally), making connections between data and media concepts explored. 

- your ability to create a media presentation that is of high quality, clearly laying out and presenting your information using appropriate media tools 

T3 | Tuesday - Citizen journalism as a concept

1. Read this article and make some notes. 

2. Write a paragraph in response to 2 different questions;

https://paradigmhq.org/citizen-journalism-how-the-internet-is-decentralising-information-control/

A) What has been the biggest technological impact on the ever-changing media landscape in areas you have studied? 

B) 'Power balance is shifting from institutions to audiences'. Discuss whether you agree with this, in relation to the media areas you have studied. 

T3 | Wk 2 | Tuesday - Power and the Media - essay

   

DUE THURDAY 

Use your power and the media research to write an essay exploring this question;

 Power and the media

3. 3  ‘Now that everyone has a voice in the media, everyone has equal power to influence.’ How far do you agree with this statement? [15]

   
   

   Revisit this video for revision of the core ideas;