Niche Media form our Childhood

By Kara Felegian

This weeks readings looked at a variety of types of niche media platforms from Magazines to TV networks.  The readings specifically looked at what each source does to succeed or not succeed in the industry.  To look at this subject in a more relatable manner, I would like us to think back to our childhood. Let us look at the niche media that was target to us, particularly the cable networks Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

Looking back at the media I consumed as a child more critically, I did not realize how targeted I was by media producers.  When we were kids it is what we knew, but the questions is why was this so appealing to us?  What did Disney and Nickelodeon do different in comparison to other Niche Networks like OWN, HDTV, and Discovery Channel?

According to an article, How Disney Madic and the Corporate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age,

“Youth are now assaulted by a never-ending proliferation of marketing strategies that colonize their consciousness and daily lives. Under the tutelage of Disney and other megacorporation’s, children have become an audience captive not only to traditional forms of media such as film, television and print, but even more so to the new digital media made readily accessible through mobile phones, PDAs, laptop computers and the Internet” (Giroux).

 These ideas are so ingrained in children’s minds that they almost have no option but to consume what is being sold to them. It is because of the megacorporation’s marketing strategies that youth and their parents are almost assaulted with information and they do not even realize it.  Let’s think about the movie Frozen, which was so highly marketed that kids were almost pressured to see it and consume other products around it from CDs, clothing, toys and dolls.

I am not saying that this is all a bad thing because I know for a fact that my childhood would not have been the same without Lizzy McGuire, Even Stevens, CatDog, and SpongeBob, but to what extent is it too much?  Or is whatever the media industry does is okay? According to the class reading, “Cable TV Network Wrap for 2014” it was the kids networks, Disney and Nickelodon, that were coming in towards the top for Cable Network ratings.  When thinking about it, why are these kids’ networks towards the top?  Is it because of the marketing? the content? Is it is that it is actually not towards the top and Nielson ratings are not looking at the full picture?   Partly I believe that is its because that media is so directed towards kids and it is easy for them to consume.  Below I have attached that ranking for this weeks top Ad- Supported Cable Networks from Medialife.  As you may notice for the total day averages, both Disney and Nickelodeon are towards the top.  When looking at the overall ratings for the year, this stays pretty consistent.  We need to think why? Why is it that our children’s networks are the most popular and what do they do differently?

 

This Week's Cable Ratings

 

In an Trade Publication article from 1996, Senior Vie President of Disney Channel, Bruce Rider said, “We’re a family network, always have been and always will be…What we’re trying to do now is fine-tune our programing and do what we do better.” (Gelman). Although this quote is from a while ago it is still true today. Disney had continued to work on their branding and programming.  Today they have more to offer than ever.  Not only that, but they have extended into other forms of media from websites, magazines, apps, and radio stations.  The list goes on. 

            In the end, I have mixed feelings about the benefits and disadvantages of niche networks, particularly ones geared to kids.  It is not necessarily the channels themselves, it is the way that they market everything so targeted towards children. It seems that they have transitioned into more than just a TV Network and more of a megacorporation.  What do you think?

 

Works Cited

 

de Moraes, Lisa and David Lieberman. "Cable TV Networks Wrap 2014 Putting Best Spin On Ominous Year – Update." Deadline. 31 Dec. 2014. Web.

 

 

 

 

Gelman, Morrie. “Cable offers family niche.” Broadcasting & Cable126.2430. 3 Jun. 1996 Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

 

Giroux, Henry A. “How Disney Magic and the Coperate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age”. Truthout. 21 Aug 2011. Web. 20 Feb 2015

Vasquez, Diego. "This week's cable ratings." Medialife. 18. Feb. 2015. Web.  21 Feb. 2015.

The Perfect Body

Brittany Berg

Do you ever look at a celebrity and wish you could look just like them? Maybe they actually have imperfections just like you do. While you continue to stare at a photograph of your idol, do you ever think maybe they do not actually look like this and he or she has used Photoshop? This Photoshop epidemic has spread throughout the media culture.

There are certain expectations and consequences of trying to fit a certain standard. This distorted body image has become so ingrained in our heads because of the media’s portrayal of women. Media has had such a huge impact on today’s society. Media has formed and defined an ideal standard for women causing them to face negative stereotypes and obstacles. It has stereotyped a woman by focusing on her body parts, such as her chest, her butt and her thinness. This terrible portrayal of women has affected women’s weight, figure and looks because it is focusing on the perfect body, which does not exist. Women have become trained to think that they must fit a certain standard because of the celebrities and advertisements in today’s society. “As women, we have used our looks for a long time. We attract people with our looks. There are great studies showing women who are better looking do get by easier in life.” (Newkirk- Thompson) It almost seems that looking good is a tradition in order to succeed in life. Do you believe that looking good has helped women do better in life? Do you think that advertisements have caused women to believe in fitting a certain standard?

There has been much controversy in the advertising industry over the past few years, especially with unrealistic photographs. According to Advertising Age, regulating the truth in advertisements has been an on-going discussion since 2011. “Cosmetic companies getting to use overly Photoshopped images of models and actors as ‘proof’ of the efficacy of their allegedly youth-restoring skin creams is obviously wrong” (Dumenco). For example, L’Oreal, a cosmetic and beauty company, is the number two leading marketer investing in magazine advertisements (Magazine Media Factbook). Photoshop does not only affect cosmetic companies and misrepresenting faces, but it also creates thigh gaps for women. Advertisements have altered the physical characteristics, specifically face and bodies.

Three examples of famous celebrities that have been accused of Photoshop in one way or another are Iggy Azalea, Beyoncé and Kerry Washington. First, Saturday Night Live removed Iggy Azalea’s moles from her face in her promo pictures. After the photos were posted, Iggy replied back on her Instagram saying that she loved the pictures but wish they kept her moles. Iggy Azalea embraces her moles/ beauty marks and chose to stand up for herself against the inaccurate photographs (Schaefer). Second, Beyoncé has been accused of Photoshopping her own Instagram photos. She chose to Photoshop her thighs, to make it seem as if they do not touch. “Apparently, a lot of women who deal with eating disorders fixate on the ‘thigh gap’ issue, and there are countless Tumblr blogs dedicated to the potentially unhealthy phenomenon” (Kornowski). Beyoncé is falsely portraying herself giving the wrong idea to young girls. Third, Kerry Washington was the cover of InStyle, March edition. Kerry Washing was beyond thrilled to be on the cover, but received negative feedback due to her skin tone being lightened. Although InStyle claimed that they did not deliberately lighten her skin, the consumers were extremely disappointed (Puente). Do you think Photoshop is wrong? Why? What do you think celebrities and/ or companies can do to avoid this Photoshop epidemic?

Most adults are aware of this misrepresentation in advertisements, but young girls may be negatively impacted. Educating young girls on proper nutrition, as well as the consequences of poor nutrition, will not only help the future of young girls and certain body images; but, it will also allow them to participate in sports and be healthy and satisfied. This belief of fitting a specific body type needs to be reevaluated in order to better our society. Do you agree that young girls are impacted more than adults, they are impacted the same, or neither are impacted? Why?

Iggy Azalea: Moles/ Beauty Marks

Beyonce: Thigh Gap

Kerry Washington: Lighten Skin

                                                                 Works Cited:

Dumenco, Simon. "The Truth in Advertising Act: Can the Government Really Regulate

Photoshopping?" Advertising Age The Media Guy RSS. AdAge, 14 Apr. 2014.

Web. 21 Feb. 2015. <http://adage.com/article/the-media-guy/truth-advertising-

congress-regulate-photoshopping/292619/>.

Kornowski, Liat. "Beyonce's Thighs Are The Center Of New Photoshop Controversy."

The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Feb.

2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/beyonce-thighs-

photoshop_n_5134346.html>.

"2014 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. 31 Jan.

2015. Web. 

Newkirk-Thompson, Cristin. "Tie between Self-worth and Image Highly Destructive."

Daily Herald Media. Gannett, 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20140323/WDH04/303240048/Tie-

between-self-worth-image-highly-destructive>.

Puente, Maria. "Kerry Washington 'InStyle' Cover Raises Eyebrows." USA Today.

Gannett, 05 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/02/05/kerry-washington-instyle-

cover-raises-eyebrows/22946777/>.

Schaefer, Kayleen. "Iggy Azalea Might Like Her Moles (But 'SNL' Apparently Doesn't

Agree)." Iggy Azalea Might Like Her Moles (But 'SNL' Apparently Doesn't

Agree). Yahoo Style, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

<https://www.yahoo.com/style/apparently-saturday-night-live-didnt-think-they-

101284232643.html>.

Health and Fitness and The Media

The health and fitness world is a growing and expanding industry today. According to an article from, Immpreneur it states, ”Now a $24 billion industry, it services some 51 million Americans of all ages and income levels and is forecast to grow 23 percent over the next ten years.” (Immpreneur) With the rise of diseases such as obesity, and diabetes, more and more people want to live healthier lives. According to Eric Casaburi, the CEO and founder of Retro-Fitness, he believes that the industry will always continue to expand. He states, “One of America’s fastest growing franchise companies, the industry has continued to grow because it’s filling an important need.” (Eric) Social media and technology has become so prevalent on a day-to-day basis that it has also impacted, the way in which we take care of our bodies. Magazines, social media platforms, and applications, all have encouraged people to live a healthy lifestyle and have created a world in which people could motivate others, through interaction with the media.

One of the most popular media platforms of our day is the magazine industry. Americans of all ages read magazines and according to Magazine Media, “91% of adults read magazine media and that number reaches 96% for those under 25.”(Magazine Media) This industry has become so successful because of its multiple platforms and wide range of diverse content. It also is the top effective advertising media platforms, “52% of magazine readers made a purchase based on a print ad in their favorite magazine.” (Magazine Media) Magazines have built a trustworthy relationship with all of their consumers, who are engaging in their own specific interest.

A popular niche in this industry and a popular trend in our society would be Health and Fitness. Magazines such as, Men and Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Self, and Shape are some of the better-known companies that reach a large amount of readers. According to the graph above, print magazines are the #1 medium to super influential consumers, which shows that they trust these brands to provide them with reliable information, such as healthy recipes or tough workouts. They specific magazines also provide several different platforms, in which they could access their information from. These companies have made it easier for the reader to access their publication through digital subscriptions. They have also linked up to our favorite social networks such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Now, readers can get all of their health and fitness tips, that they can rely on, with the click of a button. Do you think this is a step towards the fall of print magazine?

Another popular media platform that has built a network for people with specific interests is Twitter. Twitter users have created a community in which you could hash tag specific content to individuals and follow inspirational people. It allows users to post 140 characters worth of motivating quotes, tips and photos. According to How Social Media is Changing Fitness, it states, “A recent study conducted by the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health determined that people who turned to Twitter for their social support system lost more weight than those who went at it alone. These individuals lost an average of .05 percent of total body weight for every 10 tweets.” (Kristen) As you could see, Twitter is a great way to find accountability and motivation for whatever your fitness goals are. Magazine companies are even using Twitter to motivate their followers, for example, “Then there is #UpnOut, a useful hashtag pioneered by Self magazine. #UpnOut encourages people to wake up and work out, and of course, tweet about it.” (Kristen) This is a great example of how magazines can interact with their readers digitally, and have them engaged in their publication.

Technology allows us to take immediate steps to improve our fitness and health, especially through the numerous amounts of health and fitness applications. For example, the application, MapMyRun has made it easy to track your distance, calories, time, and challenge your own friends in competitions. According to an article from CNN, it stated, “On their own, these tools can be helpful for anyone trying to get into shape. They collect all manner of data, tracking workouts so people can set goals and self-monitor their progress along the way. That's an important factor in changing any behavior, according to sports psychologists.” (Heather) Applications such as these have brought sustaining your health goals to another level, and have created a constant encouragement throughout their daily lives. According to The Real Time Report, it states,” Flurry Analytics reports a 62% increase in the usage of health and fitness apps over the past 6 months, while the overall mobile app industry has only seen a 33% increase. Such a statistic means that growth in health and fitness apps is 87% faster than the entire mobile app industry.” (Adam) According to the article, these innovative apps have become so popular because of its integration with social networks and its fitness devices compatibility.

Magazines, social media, and applications are seen to be a great source for reaching your goal of living a healthy lifestyle, because it allows you to bond with others who are in similar situations and work together to achieve your goals. Which media platform do you think is the most influential to this industry?

Moossmann, Adam. "Health And Fitness Apps." The Realtime Report Health And Fitness Apps. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

http://therealtimereport.com/2014/06/24/health-and-fitness-apps-see-62-increase-in-usage-in-last-six-months/

"2014 Magazine Media Facebook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 

Kelly, Heather. "Fitness Tools That Tap the Power of Your Friends - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

Mercier, Kristen. "Twitter, Social Media Can Help Lose Weight | Boston Magazine." Boston Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/blog/2013/02/08/social-media-hashtag-fitness/

Casaburi, Eric. "Tap Into Explosive Growth In The Fitness Industry." - Empowering Immigrant Entrepreneurs. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

http://immpreneur.com/stories/fitness-franchise/

Hearst Publications Taking Lifestyle Magazines to a New Level of Success

Margaret Thompson

Arguably, the rise in technology print media is starting it's demise. It may take you by surprise if I told you the worst years for most magazine companies weren’t within the past 5 years. In terms of revenue, 2009 was the worst year most magazine companies experienced. However, by 2010, two companies, Advance and Hearst, figured out how to start their comeback. “After four years of declines, three out of the four biggest publishing companies in particular showed signs of recovery in 2010, though revenues have not recuperated to the prior levels of 2008” (Matsa). In the chart below you can see the shift in magazine revenue as it starts to climb up again after a few declining years. 

Although most print publication companies are now more stable than in 2009, they have noticeably plateaued and are not seeing much movement in sales. Hearst Magazines, known for its lifestyle/niche magazines and its wide variety of publications, has been on an upward trend since falling in 2009. Two of their most popular magazines are Cosmopolitan and Town & Country. These magazines were not always on top, so the question is…What makes Hearst Magazines so successful? I believe it all started in 2009. Most publishers took their companies towards the growing digital age and started online publications of their magazines. Hearst eventually started an online publication, but it was not their priority. Hearst first trimmed the fat and stopped publishing magazines that weren’t generating sales. They added a new magazine, Food Network, which provided them with a partnership in cable television. Adding this magazine was the perfect launch pad to come out of the 2009 recession for Hearst. “Food Network magazine combines two of the most recession proof categories, cooking and celebrity, emphasizing the work of the network’s star chefs” (Perez-Pena). Do you agree that celebrities and cooking are timeless and people are always going to want to read about them? What other topics are recession proof?

 

“Size Matters” was Hearst’s next big project. They wanted their magazines to stand out. While other publishers printed smaller magazines to save money, Hearst went in the opposite direction. They printed bigger magazines.“Experts say that the larger size gives pictures an added flair that can appeal to readers and advertisers, and that Hearst has the market clout to gain cooperation from retailers” (Perez-Pena). Does the size of the magazine really matter or Is the content in the magazine more important to you? Why is your favorite magazine your favorite?

 

The last step that Hearst Corporation took was moving into online publications. Chuck Cordray, the Sr. Vice President and Manager of Hearst Digital Media, said, “ ‘We had the advantage of not having any legacy of old technology, of being able to learn from what others had done’ “ (Perez- Pena). Where Hearst found its success in digital media came from what I will call “teasers.” Most of Hearst Magazines keep their printed material off of their digital magazines; instead they give previews of what can be seen in the printed version. It is working for them.  In 2009 a quarter of their new subscriptions came from the online website. 

 

This made sense to me for the earliest years of the digital age, but I am shocked that Hearst has still found success in this method with the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones, but some of the research done by MPA shows why Hearst Corporation may still be finding success. “60% see their overall readership of printed magazines increasing or remaining the same since they began reading digital magazines on their smartphone” (MPA). I agree that magazines are in limbo right now between print and digital media and many consumers are reading both print magazines and digital magazines. Do you find yourself reading mostly digital or print magazines or both? Why? 

 

Hearst magazines give readers what they want, whether it's young adult women and Cosmopolitan or the budding chef with Food Network, Hearst has something of quality for everyone. In most areas of life I find myself spending the little bit extra for quality and this includes magazines. Hearst Magazine is going to continue to succeed because they are engaging people in print magazines by constantly staying ahead and thinking futuristically as to what consumers want to see. Going against the grain, Hearst Magazines was able to set themselves apart from other magazine publishers and will continue to do so. To conclude you will find a video of David Carey the president of Hearst. He talks about the future of Heart Print Magazines and why he thinks the magazine industry is one for young graduates to get involved in. Do you think they will continue to be successful?

Works Cited

Husini, S. (2013, March 14). Mr. Magazine Minute: David Carey, President, Hearst Magazines. Retrieved February 19,2015

Kevorkian, C. (n.d.). Magazine Media Readers and Smartphones. Retrieved February 18, 2015.

Matsa, K. (2012). Magazines: By the Numbers. Retrieved February 18, 2015.

Perez-Pena, R. (2009, May 31). Hearst's Contrarian Strategy Pays Off. The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2015.