Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute

your media product and why?

What is a media institution?• “A media institution is an organisation or company, publicly or

privately owned that produces and or/ distributes media products”From my research about various media institutions I tried to fully explore the options available to a new, small indie magazine just starting out. I found I could join a big multi-faceted group such as Bauer media, of whom kerrang! And Q are owned by. The benefit of this would be the fact of having a well known and respected name to attach to the magazine; which naturally comes with the company’s sphere of influence. Or the magazine could be created and distributed independently, through various things such as through the website blurb, which means you distribute the magazine directly to the audience, perhaps for a higher profit margin. Magazines such as the Wire have done a mix of both, and for my magazine I hope to follow that example. For instance, the wire was originally owned in 1984-2000 (it was founded in 1982) by the Naim Attallah’s Namara group, however, in December 2000 it was purchased in a management buy-out organised by the magazine's staff and has been run independently ever since. I believe for ‘Native’ this would be the best option, as it means whilst it is starting out, you have the security of belonging to a much larger media group finance wise, and then if it proves to be popular and successful, the magazine could be bought out and run independently.

Belonging to Bauer media• The media group I would belong to initially would have to be Bauer media, as I’ve mentioned before, they

are a very successful and well respected group. The only two music magazines that are vaguely similar in terms of audience are Q and kerrang!, e.g. Q’s audience are the primarily middle class, 17-upwards social group, those that have a real passion for music and have the money and time to indulge in that. Mine would be similar in terms of background, but I am hoping Native would appeal to a wider range of people; perhaps those younger and those who like things less mainstream, the more ‘off the beaten track’ kind of music. In terms of kerrang!, Native’s age group will be similar, but the layout and the approach will be a more mature feel, as the two music genres of rock and indie are very different. Therefore I would definitely say there is a gap in their range that Native could fill- an indie music magazine that latches onto and maximises the growing demand for alternative , underground and non-mainstream music.

Advantages/ disadvantages to Bauer media• There would be quite a few advantages; firstly, there is the advantage of money for Bauer. Should my

magazine do well and become well established, this could be a potential source of regular income. An advantage to me is that Bauer has an ‘Ents hub’ which extends their reach to other various media platforms; they provide an entertainment news service, plus they host access to the Q and empire awards. One very beneficial feature is that with Bauer media, they offer celebrity guests access to all Bauer media brands in one place- this could provide valuable publicity and allows native access to ‘bigger and better’ celebrities Native might previously not been able to get. On their website, Bauer media say they reach 22 million people with 107 different brands- however, despite all these brands, I do believe there would be gap somewhere fore a indie music magazine, for instance, Bauer media could tap into the indie scene, with broadcasting events (and with that advertising clubs, small venues) festivals plus possibly promoting various clothing lines and music sites, CDs, shops…. All of which means potential money.

Disadvantages• There are a few disadvantages of belonging to a larger media organisation, compared to the relatively few

disadvantages to Bauer media. For instance, according to the magazine Nation, "Media conglomerates strive for policies that facilitate their control of the markets around the world.“ this means that massive media conglomerates have quite a bit of power over the magazines in it, perhaps content wise, creatively wise and of course it’s marketing and distribution. Essentially a large organisation such as Bauer media would be only interested in the magazine Native as a further source of income, therefore the controls on what it can and cannot do would be restrictive.

• Critics have accused the larger conglomerates of dominating media and using unfair practices. This can be seen through the news industry, by corporations refusing to publicize newsworthy information that would be harmful to their interests and contributing to the merging of entertainment and news at the expense of the coverage of serious issues. They are also accused of being a leading force for the standardization of culture and are a frequent target of criticism by various groups. This would not affect my music magazine as it covers music rather than being a television broadcaster, however I would not want Native to step back from the serious issues affecting its audience, moreover I would like it to raise these issues rather than be a generalised, unsubstantial magazine.

• One strong case for a disadvantage to Bauer media is of course, the idea that if Native was to fail, e.g. to not sell many copies, not enough interest or is simply too expensive to run, there would be money loss for the company. So there are risks for the company to take on a new magazine, especially one that’s only in its infancy.