The purpose of background research is to allow an ethnographer to discover relevant research that has already been done a topic. It is through conducting this background research that I was be better able to understand my media niche (Joe Rogan Podcasts) whilst also providing new perspectives towards my analytical framework and field research.
As discussed in Week 3’s blog post, my motive behind my research process regarding my media niche is to determine that whether listening to a podcast specifically Joe Rogan’s, seeing if it has shifted viewers ideologies and perceptions on important issues. Thus allowing me to decide the impact podcasts have as an independent media.
Background research
During my background research I found in particular these two academic sources the most useful towards my ethnographic study.
The first being a study conducted by the University of Technology Sydney which explored the impact of digital platforms on news and journalistic content. This research enabled me to better determine the value of podcasts as an independent media whilst providing me with the following data:
- Australians are consuming more news more often, preferring online access over offline, however traditional media is not dead.
- Digital platforms (podcasts) can now be regarded as key participants within the broader framework of news media, although they are not publishers, but their role of distributors is becoming increasing present.
- Digital platforms (podcasts) have changed the news. As these platforms provide a point of access to news a function formally performed by media companies.
- Algorithms (internet marketing) largely determine which content news consumers get to see. For example the more podcasts a consumer watches online increases the likelyhood that podcasts suggestions will come up on the consumers feed.
The second academic source is an online article by The Conversation , it was from within this article that I was able to extract data to help determine the value of podcasts shifting peoples ideologies and beliefs with my finding including:
- Podcasts personalise the political to captivate their audience and inspire change (Mchugh, 2017).
- This personalisation of podcasts can lead to activism. For example the podcast Listen To Love contributing to the increase in activism experienced during Sydney’s same sex marriage protest.
- Podcasts contribute largely to viewers public spheres where socialising can include topics discussed from within recent podcasts watched.
- The value of podcasts as media is still being researched however it has grown expediently within the past 15 years.
Ethical issues
During my observational and ethnographic research process I will need to assess my own values and principles whilst ensuring I respect the consent, privacy and ensure no harm to the well-being of my participants within my field work (Mertens, 2014). I must also be objective with my finding and with any deception of participants justified.
As mentioned in Week 3’s blog post, I will no longer be collecting data via viewers comments left below Joe Rogans Podcast on Youtube. The ethical issue I am presented with is privacy and intellectual property meaning I don’t have consent nor permission from both the platform and the viewers to use their comments for my ethnographic reseach. To overcome I will instead describe explore my experience within the podcasts seeing if by listening it has changed my ideologies and perceptions on controversial and important issuses.
References
- Mertens, Donna (2014) Ethical Use of Qualitative Data and Findings, The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis (edited by Use Flick), Sage: Los Angeles, 510-523.
- Winter, Rachel and Lavis, Anna (2020) Looking, But Not Listening? Theorising the Practise and Ethics of Online Ethnogrpaghy, Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics Vol. 15(1-2) 55-62.
- Mchugh, S., 2017. Truth To Power: How Podcasts Are Getting Political
- ACCC, 2018. Centre for Media Transition: The Impact of Digital Platforms on News and Journalistic Content
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