Working in the New Media Industry in the Age of Web 2.0

The CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, said; “This is the internet age, where content blends through boundaries” (Murgia, 2016, online). New media and the internet have allowed for content “to flow through many different channels and assume many different forms at the point of reception” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 11) and Web 2.0 has enabled the evolution of the online sphere where users can contribute and distribute their own content alongside traditional publishers instead of a place where users can only retrieve information (Creeber & Martin, 2009, p. 3). In this essay, I will discuss Hastings’ claim in relation to the media industry, its production sector and how new media and Web 2.0 have allowed for these changes.

Hastings’ claim can be interpreted in several ways. One interpretation is the content blends through technological boundaries as these have been breaking down recently. The internet is a form of new media and as mentioned previously, it allows content to reach audiences through different channels in various ways (Jenkins, 2006, p. 11). For example, a radio show may be broadcast on the radio and can also be listened to using the internet through a streaming service with added visual content. TV shows may be broadcast on TV networks but also streamed on video streaming sites such as Netflix, and this is something Netflix does as most of the content available on Netflix is provided through deals with the major media conglomerates (Tyron, 2015, online). Another technological boundary breaking down is what Netflix calls “linear television” (ibid.). While TV networks and radio stations will schedule programmes to be aired with little control given to their audiences, streaming, on-demand and content sharing services give full control to users, allowing them to choose what to consume and when. Because the user can choose what they want to consume, the practice of consuming content becomes an active process, while channel surfing on “linear television” and other “linear” mediums is passive (ibid.). Additionally, streaming, on-demand services and video sharing sites have the benefit of not needing to rely on strategically scheduled primetime slots to reach their audience, unlike TV networks and radio stations (Murgia, 2016, online), allowing them to reach audiences more efficiently and get increasingly accurate data to investigate what their users enjoy. This shows how the breaking of technological boundaries and the internet have changed practises and how the media industry produces and distributes content with additional benefits to consumers.

Hastings’ claim can also be interpreted in a way which suggests content blends through geographical boundaries as well. While TV networks and radio stations tend to be localised and heavily relate to the region they are broadcasting in terms of language, culture and expectations, the internet helps break this boundary. Video streaming services can suggest this also. Once Netflix expanded into the worldwide market, the Netflix head of product, Todd Yellin realised though the data collected from Netflix users that their tastes were not affected by where they are in the world (Murgia, 2016, online). It was revealed that ninety per cent of Anime programmes, a Japanese animated genre, were streamed outside of Japan (ibid.). Therefore, it can be assumed this has occurred elsewhere relating to other genres which are related to a particular culture. While Netflix does host and produce ‘local’ content in the countries they provide a streaming service for, they have produced and hosted content that has been made internationally in one language, dubbed, subtitled and streamed to worldwide audiences, allowing users to experience content from other parts of the world (ibid.). An example of this is Criminal (Netflix, 2019), a series which takes place in four countries with three episodes occurring in each country; the UK, Spain, France and Germany. The programme consists of twelve unique police interrogation stories. If a user enjoys the UK version, they may watch the episodes based in the other countries which are spoken in said countries’ language but can be dubbed if the user wishes. This likely encourages users to engage with Netflix’s growing selection of international productions. What Netflix’s data reveals is there is a demand for international content. The media industry could capitalise on this as a production company could produce content associated with a genre that is not mainstream in their region and allow it to be broadcast internationally to make a profit. It is no surprise that the internet, which has allowed for greater connections with different cultures, has made this possible.

Hastings’ quote could be interpreted in terms of quantity as content is everywhere online; content blends together through boundaries. There is no doubt that new media, the internet and Web 2.0 have drastically changed how the media industry produces and distributes content and how audiences consume it. Video sharing sites such as YouTube are thriving and were reporting over one hundred hours of content being uploaded to their site every minute in 2013 (Burgess & Green, 2018, p. 5). In 2017, they also reported that one billion hours of content was being consumed on the platform each day (ibid.). Streaming services continue to be highly profitable. Netflix, in particular, was “profitable every quarter for 15 years” during 2016. It is the most popular streaming service with seventy-six million users around the world and worth forty-one billion dollars, close to the worth of major media conglomerates such as Time Warner, which is worth fifty-three billion dollars (Murgia, 2016, online). When Chris Chibnall became the showrunner for Doctor Who (BBC, 1963 – Present), he said; “This is Doctor Who in an era of Netflix – you’ve got to keep up” (Kelly, 2018, online). He said this as Netflix had become a production and distribution company by beginning to produce their own programmes such as Black Mirror (Netflix, 2016 – Present); their take on the science fiction genre. Competition in the media industry is growing and continues to grow as media companies such as Disney have tried to capitalise on Netflix’s success by starting their own online streaming service, Disney+, while pulling their content from Netflix’s platform (Castillo, 2017, online). These developments heavily affect the media industry as it adds another branch to the operations of these media companies. The production sector benefits as major media conglomerates produce their original content to compete with their rival’s services and increase their online presence on other content-sharing sites such as YouTube, Soundcloud and social media platforms. A large part of the production sector within the media industry is often made up of short-term work and is a ‘gig economy’ with many freelancers who have entrepreneurial characteristics (Gill, 2010, online). With the increased competition and more programmes being produced, workers in the production sector will benefit as more work will be available.

Continuing the subject of freelancers in the media industry, the gig economy and often short-term work which is common in the production sector’s job market, new media and Web 2.0 further affects them as it is now possible to create a career online independently using the tools which Web 2.0 makes possible. As mentioned previously, Web 2.0 allowed for participation where users could publish their own content. This spawned content sharing sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and more. These platforms have matured and formalised since their launch (Burgess & Green, 2018, p. 10) and some, such as YouTube, have allowed people to build careers on the platform. YouTube launched their partner program in 2007 which allowed users to earn advertising revenue through a cut of the profit YouTube earned by playing advertisements during their videos (Burgess & Green, 2018, p. 55). This gave users with significant followings an income. However, the partner program is unstable as it relies on monthly views, how much content a user uploads, how much an audience watches of said content, if it is advertiser-friendly and YouTube can announce changes to the program at any time. However, other ways to help secure an income have emerged using new media when building a career, such as through crowd-funding platforms. An example of this is Patreon, where online creators can provide their own subscription-based service which connects them directly to their fanbase (Burgess & Green, 2018, p. 150). They can set price levels and what each level entitles someone to. These are just some examples of the revenue streams available to creators which have encouraged people to make a career on the platform which enabled the creation of professionally produced content on YouTube. Furthermore, YouTube has encouraged professional content by introducing features on the site which allow creators to make branding for their channel and content (Burgess & Green, 2018, p. 11). As a result of these developments, it is now possible for freelancers to combine their production skills, create professionally produced independent content and branding and grow an audience able to support them financially using the internet. This workplace mentality which YouTube creates with these elements is entrepreneurial, allows for creative freedom, fast-paced, is often informal and can be insecure. Many working in new media encounter these anyway (Gill, 2010, online), but it still provides an additional path for self-employment work. This allows freelancers to gain another source of income and rely less on the gig economy within the production sector of the media industry.

In conclusion, Reed Hastings’ quote about the age of the internet brings into discussion the technological developments of how the media industry distributes content and how geographical location effects production, distribution and the tastes of audiences. These developments in the media industry through the coming of new media and Web 2.0 show how these elements have resulted in increased competition within the media industry, increased content production and altered how workers in the production sector can find work. In the age of the internet, the new media industry “changes at an extraordinarily rapid pace” (Gill, 2010, online). It will continue to do so and we should be ready for the next big change.

Bibliography

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Castillo, M. (2017) 'Disney will pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming services', CNBC, 8 August. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/08/disney-will-pull-its-movies-from-netflix-and-start-its-own-streaming-services.html (Accessed: 29/03/20).

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Criminal (2019) Available at: Netflix (Accessed: 25/03/20).

Gill, R. (2010) "Life is a pitch": managing the self in new media work’ in Mark Deuze (ed.) Managing Media Work. London: Sage.

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Kelly, S. (2018) 'Chris Chibnall: "I don't know how many times I need to say it. There are no old monsters this series'', Radio Times, 22 September. Available at: https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-22/chris-chibnall-i-dont-know-how-many-times-i-need-to-say-it-there-are-no-old-monsters-this-series/ (Accessed: 25/03/20).

Murgia, M. (2016) 'Inside Netflix: How Reed Hastings is building the first global TV Network', The Telegraph, 26 March. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/26/inside-netflix-how-reed-hastings-is-building-the-first-global-tv/ (Accessed: 24/03/20).

Tyron, C. (2015) 'TV Got Better: Netflix's Original Programming Strategies and Binge Viewing', Media Industries, 2(2), doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mij.15031809.0002.206