OSP: Taylor Swift CSP - Audience and Industries

 Background and audience wider reading

Read this Guardian feature on stan accounts and fandom. Answer the following questions:

1) What examples of fandom and celebrities are provided in the article?

There are Nicki manaj fans are called "The Barbz"  or the KPOP fanbase are all as influential and large as the swifies.

2) Why did Taylor Swift run into trouble with her fanbase? 

When the presale for Taylor Swift’s tour turned into a battle royale for fans locked out of Ticketmaster’s system, frazzled Swifties voiced their disappointment. Ticketmaster and Swift quickly apologized

3) Do stan accounts reflect Clay Shirky's ideas regarding the 'end of audience'? How? 

Swifites which is the audience for Taylor Swift now have the power and strength to do things to certain media companies, producers and influencers in the digital era. We see now a much more widespread harrasement of certain people due to their dislike towards Taylor Swift like Trump or JD vance both politicans.

Read this Conversation feature on the economics of Taylor Swift fandom. Answer the following questions: 

1) What do Taylor Swift fans spend their money on? 

 

Merchandise, TS's clothing line, Vinyl or Cassette and DVD

2) How does Swift build the connection with her fans? Give examples from the article.

 

Creating a parasocial relationship with her audience through the use of Instagram or Tiktok she builds a relationship that feels real and close despite her and the audience never meeting its a special way of maintaining your audience and making them feel loved but could have some side effects.

3) What have Swifties done to try and get Taylor Swift's attention online? 

Some might create fan art of Taylor swift or some form of media that is brilliant enough to catch taylor swifts eye.

4) Why is fandom described as a 'hierarchy'? 

TS mostly has all the power the music she releases the videos she produces etc all have heavy demand from her audiences and that gives her the power.

5) What does the article suggest is Swift's 'business model'? 

She is a Capitalist. She uses her audience to make profit which is he hard truth. 

Taylor Swift: audience questions and theories

Work through the following questions to apply media debates and theories to the Taylor Swift CSP. You may want to go back to your previous blogpost or your A3 annotated booklet for examples. 

1) Is Taylor Swift's website and social media constructed to appeal to a particular gender or audience?

Mostly to Millennials. Female and a Democratic like Taylor swift is endorsing. Shockingly there are also a good amount males as well in the audience. 54% are american as well.

2) What opportunities are there for audience interaction in Taylor Swift's online presence and how controlled are these? 

Tiktok is a recent endeavour Taylor swift has pursued a new app where there are new audiences and Generations like Gen X who dominate the app. Instagram is mostly for promotion

3) How does Taylor Swift's online presence reflect Clay Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theories? 

Rather than Taylor Swift not interacting with her fan base but just showcasing her music she decides to mix and bond with her audience actively making the audience a part of the life. This means the audience is not passive anymore.

4) What effects might Taylor Swift's online presence have on audiences? Is it designed to influence the audience’s views on social or political issues or is this largely a vehicle to promote Swift's work? 

Instagram is mostly for promotion for her Eras tour although a long time ago it was the forefront of her relationship with her audience. However recently she has took to Instagram to endorse Kamala Harris spreading her political beliefs to her fanbase so it is mostly both

5) Applying Hall’s Reception theory, what might be a preferred and oppositional reading of Taylor Swift's online presence? 

Preferred is that she wants to interact with her audience and create a parasocial relationship. The oppostional is that it is mainly for promoting her tours and making money off the app.

Industries

How social media companies make money

Read this analysis of how social media companies make money and answer the following questions:

1) How many users do the major social media sites boast?

Hundreds of millions.

2) What is the main way social media sites make money? 

Through advertising

3) What does ARPU stand for and why is it important for social media companies? 

Average revenue per unit it is how they understand how much profit they are making

4) Why has Meta spent huge money acquiring other brands like Instagram and WhatsApp? 

To expand their reach on social media and their audiences the more apps they have the bigger the audience. Which rakes in more profit for Meta.

5) What other methods do social media sites have to generate income e.g. Twitter Blue? 

Youtube has Youtube premimum that gives no ads. Spotify has spotify+

Regulation of social media

Read this BBC News article on a report recommending social media regulation. Answer the following questions:

1) What suggestions does the report make? Pick out three you think are particularly interesting. 

Safety in social media is a myth. Disclosing information to the authorities and limiting the use of micro targeting audiences

2) Who is Christopher Wylie? 

 

He is a Data consultant and is Canadian, Has triggered multiple investigations into multiple social media companies like Facebook.

3) What does Wylie say about the debate between media regulation and free speech? 

If you have a platform that has the unique selling point of "we will allow you to promote hate speech, we will allow you to deceive and manipulate people", I do not think that business model should be allowed in its current form. Platforms that monetise user engagement have a duty to their users to make at least a minimum effort to prevent clearly identified harms. I think it's ridiculous that there's more safety consideration for creating a toaster in someone's kitchen, than for platforms that have had such a manifest impact on our public health response and democratic institutions.

4) What is ‘disinformation’ and do you agree that there are things that are objectively true or false? 

Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. Disinformation is an orchestrated adversarial activity in which actors employ strategic deceptions and media manipulation tactics to advance political, military, or commercial goals

5) Why does Wylie compare Facebook to an oil company? 

The greed both companies have is insurmountable and the profit they make is insane.

6) What does it suggest a consequence of regulating the big social networks might be? 

Creating backdoors for hackers to enter private conversations or files which is a massive data breach too dangerous.

7) What has Instagram been criticised for?

Its harm to younger audiences specifically younger girls who are fed false ideals on a what a girl should look feel and be like.

 

8) Can we apply any of these criticisms or suggestions to Taylor Swift? For example, should Taylor Swift have to explicitly make clear when she is being paid to promote a company or cause? 

Of course with a big audience comes huge power she has to regulate that power and make sure not ignore the dangers of the power and harm her audiences. Some companies have problems that need to be talked about rather than ignoring and Taylor Swift should be mindful about that. Despite her not really being environmentally friendly.