AQA A-Level Media Studies - Newsbeat

Public Servic Broadcaster

“inform, educate and entertain”

Can afford to take risks due it’s focus on appealing to diverse audiences

Distribution

Trnasmitted live through digital audio broadcasts (DAB) at 12:45 and 17:45 on weekdays (news bulletin)

Online/BBC Sounds app - BBC account needed and allows audience to listen up to 30 days previous broadcast on demand - competing in the age of streaming services

Broadcasted on - Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network

Demographics

Intended target of 15-29 - it was found to actually be reaching audiences aged 28-30

Poll in 2021 - most Radio 1 listeners were millennials (Newsbeat would'n’t differ too much)

Symbols and messages used to appeal - young presenters, news affecting young people, shorter stories for supposedly short attention spans

Codes and conventions

Brief intro → top story outlining key facts/figures → pre-recorded clips of interviews, ‘clips of actuality’, vox pops, soundbites etc.

Quick cuts between clips and newsreader and stories

The Wrap - conclusion to story with ‘stinger’ to indicate transition to next story

Example broadcast - 19.12.24 at 12:45

Wallace and Gromit new film - Christmas day release, interviewing students who got into animation inspired by Wallace and Gromit

Gisele Pelicot - 51 men sentence to prison for rape and is a historical and important court case that young people will be interested in

DJ/Peggy Gou - headlining London Show and celebrating Squid Game release, experience of being a female dj (rejects the label of ‘female’ dj)

XL Bully ban - owner experience and side of the story and possible solution, someone who was attacked also gives their perspective on the real problem

Sergio Perez - loses some F1 race and a young F1 fan answers questions and gives opinions

Cross-media production/technological convergence

Younger audiences predominantly get their news through social media - Newsbeat responds by branching out with a website, youtube channel, twitter and instagram accounts

It allows them to reach more audiences and an attempt at remaining relevant - with a focus on on-demand content

Stuart Hall - Reception theory

Preferred - finding the news useful and relevant as well as with an engaging format

Negotiated - Appreciate easy to access content and surface overview, but will turn to other news sources for more in-depth content

Oppositional - Finds the stories irrelevant and the presentation is obnoxious and overwhelming as well as being far too simplified

Can be affected by age, values, ideology, geography etc.

Hesmondhalgh - Cultural Industries

PSB - can take more risks

Maximising profit by creating social media accounts and using the BBC Sounds app/website

Curran and Seaton

No commercial intentions as BBC must keep to it’s remit. Meaning Newsbeat can provide more diverse content

Livingstone and Lunt

Citizen based approach - impartial news and content is genuinely informative and useful for audiences - it holds the powerful to account

End of Audience

Presenters encourage listeners to share their own stories with them (e.g. talking about how Aardman inspired young students into film making)

Social media pages - presenters encourage audiences to follow social media accounts and interact with the posts by liking and sharing