Sunday, July 10, 2016

PR News Analysis Week 3


Source: Isaac, M., & Ember, S. (2016, July 08). Live Footage of Shootings Forces Facebook to Confront New Role. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/technology/facebook-dallas-live-video-breaking-news.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Media
 Summary:
Technology and social media advancements have made it possible to share news the minute it’s produced. Within the past week, the shooting of Philando Castile and the resulting Dallas protest were both streamed on Facebook Live.
With an event as graphic as a shooting being streamed live on such a large platform, debate has broken out on whether or not videos like this cross a line, or not.  
            “Facebook said the service follows its community guidelines, which outline what the company permits on the site. Under the guidelines, Facebook largely relies on its members to identify and take down inappropriate content.”
            When the content is sent to Facebook employees, they have the power to react to the video, such as taking the video down or “interrupting an inappropriate live stream or calling local law enforcement in the case of a dangerous or illegal event”.
            Other platforms that allow user-generated content follow similar guidelines.

Importance:
The creation of Facebook Live allows for more sharing than ever possible before. “Bruce Shapiro, the executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, said companies with live-streaming and large audiences have a responsibility to inform the public and its users about potential repercussions.”
            With the need to compete with other businesses, many companies will jump right into Facebook Live without realizing how to correctly utilize the platform, and the consequences of their videos.
            The other question Facebook Live raises is, what crosses the line? With Facebook relying on users to flag inappropriate content, it could easily take a while before a graphic video is interrupted or taken off the web.
            With the ability to live stream, companies will have to not only plan out their video content, but be willing and able to explain the content and consequences to the audience and the public as well.

Source: Schonbrun, Z. (2016, July 03). Olympics Ease an Ad Blackout, and Brands Flood the Field. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/04/business/media/olympics-ease-an-ad-blackout-and-brands-flood-the-field.html

Summary: The Olympics lifted their advertising restrictions for this year’s competition. The debate? Small companies that have supported these competitors along their Olympic journeys will not be represented in any way as they are overtaken by companies who are able to pay more money.
As a compromise, “the I.O.C. began allowing any nonofficial sponsors an opportunity to compose advertising campaigns tailored to Olympic athletes — so long as they did not include any Olympic symbols or overtly mention certain terms.”
One example is Nick Symmonds, a two-time Olympic runner, who owns a small company. With this new advertising rule, his very own company is not allowed to openly support him, as it may violate the rule and disqualify Symmonds.
John Grady, associate professor of sports law at the University of South Carolina, states about the amount of ads, “...as the space gets cluttered with more and more brands, consumers are less able to identify who is who.”

Importance:
The fairness debate arises as companies who have partnered with the Olympics in years past have to compete with new sponsors and businesses, and smaller sponsors have to fight for a spot to represent themselves.
On the other hand, is it even worth it for small companies to advertise? Without being able to use any Olympic terms or athletes, it may be difficult for a company to connect with the audience on a level that would be worth their while. It will be interesting to see the unique techniques that companies will use to set themselves apart from each other.  

Overall, the Olympics will be benefiting from any sponsor, big or small, according to Grady.

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