Taylor Swift: Audience and 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?
Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, appeared on the Adam Friedland podcast last week, where he giggled along to a litany of offensive comments about women, queer people and Chinese, Inuit and Hawaiian people – along with cracking jokes about concentration camps. His fans on Twitter voiced their disgust.
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, with the singer calling the process “excruciating”.
3) Do stan accounts reflect Clay Shirky's ideas regarding the 'end of audience'? How?
Yes because stan accounts can now share their own content and essentially be a part of the 'action'. They can feel free to share whatever they like about whoever they like and can possibly help shape how other audiences view them too.
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?
Taylor Swift fans are known for spending significant amounts of 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 in attendance, surprising them with comments about new haircuts, academic achievements and relationship milestones. She also has a history of sending fans surprise gifts in the mail, ranging from handwritten letters of support to gift boxes full of things she says “remind her” of the fan in question.
5) What does the article suggest is Swift's 'business model'?
-Making it illegal to exclude people from content on the basis of race or religion, such as hiding a spare room advert from people of colour
3) What does Wylie say about the debate between media regulation and free speech?
'In most Western democracies, you do have the freedom of speech. But freedom of speech is not an entitlement to reach. You are free to say what you want, within the confines of hate speech, libel law and so on. But you are not entitled to have your voice artificially amplified by technology. These platforms are not neutral environments. Algorithms make decisions about what people see or do not see.'
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?
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?
Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, appeared on the Adam Friedland podcast last week, where he giggled along to a litany of offensive comments about women, queer people and Chinese, Inuit and Hawaiian people – along with cracking jokes about concentration camps. His fans on Twitter voiced their disgust.
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, with the singer calling the process “excruciating”.
3) Do stan accounts reflect Clay Shirky's ideas regarding the 'end of audience'? How?
Yes because stan accounts can now share their own content and essentially be a part of the 'action'. They can feel free to share whatever they like about whoever they like and can possibly help shape how other audiences view them too.
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?
Taylor Swift fans are known for spending significant amounts of 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 in attendance, surprising them with comments about new haircuts, academic achievements and relationship milestones. She also has a history of sending fans surprise gifts in the mail, ranging from handwritten letters of support to gift boxes full of things she says “remind her” of the fan in question.
3) What have Swifties done to try and get Taylor Swift's attention online?
Swifties have shared screenshots of merchandise receipts (from increasingly frequent, themed merchandise releases), pictures of themselves with multiple copies of albums, or particularly over-the-top displays of emotion and creativity.
4) Why is fandom described as a 'hierarchy'?
They are hierarchical structures in which fans have their status elevated by participating in certain ways. For Swift fans, these hierarchies are heavily tied to practices of consumption, including the purchasing of concert tickets.
Swifties have shared screenshots of merchandise receipts (from increasingly frequent, themed merchandise releases), pictures of themselves with multiple copies of albums, or particularly over-the-top displays of emotion and creativity.
4) Why is fandom described as a 'hierarchy'?
They are hierarchical structures in which fans have their status elevated by participating in certain ways. For Swift fans, these hierarchies are heavily tied to practices of consumption, including the purchasing of concert tickets.
5) What does the article suggest is Swift's 'business model'?
Swift’s business model is largely built on fan desire to meet her. How do you meet her? You prove you are the biggest fan – and you’ve made the sacrifices (and spent the money) to show it.
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?
Her website is constructed to appeal to a more female audience and her website also attracts a wide range of ages even the older generation, the senior swifties, who might be interested in the older stuff TS is selling such as cassettes, vinyl's etc.
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?
Her website is constructed to appeal to a more female audience and her website also attracts a wide range of ages even the older generation, the senior swifties, who might be interested in the older stuff TS is selling such as cassettes, vinyl's etc.
2) What opportunities are there for audience interaction in Taylor Swift's online presence and how controlled are these?
Opportunities for audience interaction with TS include engaging on her social media account, going to her concerts, joining any lives, commenting on posts or even going to any events. Most of these interactions are controlled by her team who try their best to maintain her public image.
3) How does Taylor Swift's online presence reflect Clay Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theories?
By allowing fans to interact with her through her social media rather than them just 'consuming' it. It allows fans to re share her posts and create their own relatable content which sometimes her or her tam may acknowledge.
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?
TS recently talked about Kamala Harris and supported her campaign and by having her do this, it may influence audiences to follow what she says. Her online presence can vary from politics, to pictures of her tour and concerts.
5) Applying Hall’s Reception theory, what might be a preferred and oppositional reading of Taylor Swift's online presence?
Preferred: Some people may see her online presence as authentic and empowering and may relate to her content.
Opportunities for audience interaction with TS include engaging on her social media account, going to her concerts, joining any lives, commenting on posts or even going to any events. Most of these interactions are controlled by her team who try their best to maintain her public image.
3) How does Taylor Swift's online presence reflect Clay Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theories?
By allowing fans to interact with her through her social media rather than them just 'consuming' it. It allows fans to re share her posts and create their own relatable content which sometimes her or her tam may acknowledge.
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?
TS recently talked about Kamala Harris and supported her campaign and by having her do this, it may influence audiences to follow what she says. Her online presence can vary from politics, to pictures of her tour and concerts.
5) Applying Hall’s Reception theory, what might be a preferred and oppositional reading of Taylor Swift's online presence?
Preferred: Some people may see her online presence as authentic and empowering and may relate to her content.
Oppositional: Others may see it 'manipulative' and just a way of making money from her fans.
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?
As of Q4 2022, Meta, formerly Facebook, had 2.96 billion monthly active users. Twitter (now X) stopped reporting monthly active users, but the last count in Q1 2019 was 330 million, while LinkedIn had about 900 million monthly active users as of Q1 2023.
2) What is the main way social media sites make money?
The real transaction here isn’t you receiving enjoyment in the form of a free temporary distraction created by a media company at great expense. That media company renting your eyeballs to its advertisers.
3) What does ARPU stand for and why is it important for social media companies?
ARPU stands for 'Average Revenue Per User'.
4) Why has Meta spent huge money acquiring other brands like Instagram and WhatsApp?
WhatsApp boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, which to Meta management means an even greater stock of susceptible minds to sell as a unit to companies looking to, for instance, move a few more smartphones this quarter. "WhatsApp - Statistics & Facts." Every acquisition Meta has made since, whether it was $1 billion for Instagram or $19 billion for WhatsApp, was conducted with the same goal in mind.
5) What other methods do social media sites have to generate income e.g. Twitter Blue?
Under the new system that Musk implemented in 2023, however, checkmarks became a symbol that users had subscribed to X Premium. X Premium subscribers receive benefits including editable posts, fewer ads, longer posts, and more robust security measures. This service costs $8 per month or $84 per year.
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?
As of Q4 2022, Meta, formerly Facebook, had 2.96 billion monthly active users. Twitter (now X) stopped reporting monthly active users, but the last count in Q1 2019 was 330 million, while LinkedIn had about 900 million monthly active users as of Q1 2023.
2) What is the main way social media sites make money?
The real transaction here isn’t you receiving enjoyment in the form of a free temporary distraction created by a media company at great expense. That media company renting your eyeballs to its advertisers.
3) What does ARPU stand for and why is it important for social media companies?
ARPU stands for 'Average Revenue Per User'.
4) Why has Meta spent huge money acquiring other brands like Instagram and WhatsApp?
WhatsApp boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, which to Meta management means an even greater stock of susceptible minds to sell as a unit to companies looking to, for instance, move a few more smartphones this quarter. "WhatsApp - Statistics & Facts." Every acquisition Meta has made since, whether it was $1 billion for Instagram or $19 billion for WhatsApp, was conducted with the same goal in mind.
5) What other methods do social media sites have to generate income e.g. Twitter Blue?
Under the new system that Musk implemented in 2023, however, checkmarks became a symbol that users had subscribed to X Premium. X Premium subscribers receive benefits including editable posts, fewer ads, longer posts, and more robust security measures. This service costs $8 per month or $84 per year.
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.
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.
-It also suggests adding "friction" to online sharing, to prevent the rampant spread of disinformation.
-Forcing social networks to disclose in the news feed why content has been recommended to a user-Making it illegal to exclude people from content on the basis of race or religion, such as hiding a spare room advert from people of colour
2) Who is Christopher Wylie?
He is a Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower.
He is a Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower.
3) What does Wylie say about the debate between media regulation and free speech?
'In most Western democracies, you do have the freedom of speech. But freedom of speech is not an entitlement to reach. You are free to say what you want, within the confines of hate speech, libel law and so on. But you are not entitled to have your voice artificially amplified by technology. These platforms are not neutral environments. Algorithms make decisions about what people see or do not see.'
4) What is ‘disinformation’ and do you agree that there are things that are objectively true or false?
Disinformation is misleading information that is put online to deceive audiences. I do think things are true or false because some things can be proven whereas other things like opinions may not necessarily be true or false as it depends on the perspective of the audience.
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 - and a harmful by-product. Regardless of whether Facebook profits from hate or not, it is a harmful by-product of the current design and there are social harms that come from this business model.'
6) What does it suggest a consequence of regulating the big social networks might be?
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.
7) What has Instagram been criticised for?
If it has just spent the past week showing you body-building ads, it could then hold off for the next two weeks. If you want to promote body building, you can. But from the user's perspective, they should not be constantly bombarded with a singular theme. They are criticised for unrealistic body images.
Disinformation is misleading information that is put online to deceive audiences. I do think things are true or false because some things can be proven whereas other things like opinions may not necessarily be true or false as it depends on the perspective of the audience.
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 - and a harmful by-product. Regardless of whether Facebook profits from hate or not, it is a harmful by-product of the current design and there are social harms that come from this business model.'
6) What does it suggest a consequence of regulating the big social networks might be?
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.
7) What has Instagram been criticised for?
If it has just spent the past week showing you body-building ads, it could then hold off for the next two weeks. If you want to promote body building, you can. But from the user's perspective, they should not be constantly bombarded with a singular theme. They are criticised for unrealistic body images.
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?
I would say yes because fans should know when she is being paid for something so that they can make decisions based on that. By TS giving honest reviews despite her being paid it may give audiences more of an authentic feel rather than her just doing it for the money.
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