Social networks impact media

This year’s Women in TV breakfast at the ASTRA Conference in March will look at “Social Media, Women and the Networked Audience.”

Johanna Blakley, Deputy Director of the US research body the Norman Lear Center, will look at the increasing impact of socially networked women on the entertainment and advertising spheres (including blogs?).

Johanna will discuss how worldwide, more women are using social networking sites than men in every single age group and how this could bring about the end of gender in media demographics. The discussion will reflect on how social media helps us escape our demographic boxes by making our age, income, and race harder to determine, while simultaneously offering more pointed information about our interests and likes.

In keeping with the ‘content matters’ Conference theme, Johanna will discuss how, as traditional media companies grapple with the realities of an always-online and networked audience, the domination of women in the social media spheres will have unexpected consequences for advertisers and the TV and entertainment industries.

Johanna monitors and writes on a range of topics including the impact of entertainment on social habits, intellectual property rights and innovation as well as technology and the ownership of creative content. She has overseen several research initiatives on the impact of new technologies on media industries, including The Tyranny of 18 to 49 and The Future of Television? Advertising, Technology & the Pursuit of Audiences.

“This year’s Breakfast and the focus on social media comes at an important time in Australia’s media and broadcast environment. With increasingly media savvy consumers and increasing STV industry investment in technology and content, there is more choice, diversity and ways to engage with, and enjoy content. It will be exciting to hear Johanna talk on the impact this convergence and the increased role women are playing in media consumption will have on all of us,” said Petra Buchanan, CEO of ASTRA.

The Subscription Television (STV) industry is a supporter of gender equality. A recent survey conducted by ASTRA in 2010 revealed that the STV industry employed 4,643 people directly and a significant number of Australians indirectly in 2009. Impressively, there was near gender equity amongst the 4,643 staff employed directly by the category in salaried, part time or contract positions.*

*Staff or crew employed by third party entities (i.e. production companies, publicity, marketing, creative and advertising agencies) are not included in these figures.

The Breakfast will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour from 7.45am on March 29th. It will be hosted by David Speers.