Taylor Swift: Audience & Industries

 Audience

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?

Lady Gaga: Little Monsters

Beyonce: Beehive

Taylor Swift: Swifties

Nicki Minaj: Barbs

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

Ticketmaster got locked out.

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

Yes, because they have the power to determine how people are see and how they're treated.

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? 

Albums, merchandise and concert tickets.

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

She memorises facts about each fan and sends fans surprise gifts.

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

Share screen shots of merchandise receipts

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

Because they have their status elevated in certain ways within different fandoms. For Swifties it is the more money you spend.

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

Her fan's desire to meet her.

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?

Not a particular gender as her music is for all. For a particular audience, in the sense that it is for her audience and potential audiences (secondary audience)

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

Through replies in comment sections, posts and possible recognition when buying her merchandise. They are controlled by her team and often.

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

Because of her extremely wide range of audience, it reflects his theories as it highlights how things are not posted for one particular audience but are for anyone of consumption.

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? 

Her presence makes her audience feel personally connected towards her. It is definitely designed to influence audience views but only on things such as other artists or politics, for example her shout out of other female artists and her open hatred and campaigning against Trump.

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

Preferred: Relatable, down to earth artist

Oppositional: Money hungry, capitalistic pop star billionaire.

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?

900 million

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

Selling and advertising

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

Average Revenue Per User

It is how they decide their total revenue approximation

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

To increase profit and consumption on the apps

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

Rebranding the app and verifying popular and important/ influential accounts.

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. 

• Social networks should be required to release details of their algorithms and core functions to researchers
• Adding 'friction' to online sharing
• The creation of statutory building code

2) Who is Christopher Wylie? 

Cambridge analytical whistleblower 

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

Social networks should be required to weigh up all the potential harms 

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

Disinformation is withholding real information. Yes I agree that there are things that are objectively true or false, facts. However, not everything is black and white, most things have grey areas.

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

An oil company would say 'We do not profit from pollution ,pollution is a by product' whilst facebook would say that about the harmful content it produces.

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

They will minimise effort to reduce actual harms.

7) What has Instagram been criticised for?

Fake body positive images on their platform.

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? 

Yes she should be clear, it wouldn't be seen as a bad thing not only because her fanbase wouldn't let it be seen as something bad but it also shows that she is realistic and is open about when something is genuine or beneficial or even both.