New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching audiences. Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques (48 Marks)

Due to the development of technology causing an expansion in the digital media means it is easier for media institutions to reach their audiences, and are able to gain a greater understanding of what their audience want in order to reach target their audience.
There are many ways in which this has been able to happen, firstly, the internet has allowed a gateway between media institutions and their audiences, allowing them to engage on a more personal level. An example of this would be how the use of twitter allows audience feedback on certain films and television programme's, such as the X-Factor. By using the symbol '#' twitter users are able to tag a phrase with their tweet so that if a person searches this phrase their tweet, along with many others, will appear. X-Factor used this, particularly during the auditions so that users could tweet their opinions and view what other's were also thinking, by allowing their viewers to interact it means they are gaining a lot more from the programme, by giving the audience a voice it makes them feel important to the show, and what this particular show feed's off is a large amount of viewers, because a large amount of opinionated viewers means a large amount of voters.
Following on from this point is the increase in other methods of social networking and how this has had a major impact. This is down to the amount of people using social networking sites, which is mostly favored by people between classes E-B and more often than not students and young people. By being having access to social networking the media institutions can see directly who their target audience are, they have a real life profile of someone to set their aims to. This also allows a greater range of advertising, for example down the side of someone's facebook page their is a featured number of ad's, these are cleverly based around what this person researches on the internet and the pages they have previously 'liked', this is cheap and smart way of advertising in both this and the above twitter example because they are getting their audiences to advertise for them, as well as gaining all important feedback.
Fan sites are another important aspect to the digital media as it allows fans of certain films or TV shows interact with one another making them feel apart of something more than what's on a screen. A user can subscribe to individual fan sites, 'like' facebook fan pages or follow twitter pages, in some cases they can even set up their own as the internet now gives you complete easy access to do so.
Websites have become increasingly high-tech and have allowed their users to have more interaction with the film, for example I looked up the website for 'The Dark Knight' and saw good computer graphics as well as links to social networking relating back to the points on the constantly growing social networking sites.
Through the use of smart phones and 'Apps' the audience are able to completely interact with the film and have easier access to review sites in order to give or receive information on a film they may wish to watch. With websites such as BBC iPlayer and 4OD it gives the users the option to watch shows where-ever and whenever they choose with a wide selection of what the channels provide, this also gives them the ability to advertise future shows to gain more viewers, for those who don't have time to watch the television.
The audience have much more control over what they want to watch and their opinion now is highly valued by media institution, because they are the money behind the profit.