Hello readers!
Well sadly, the semester of JOUR1111 has come to an end and I will commemorate it with this- my last blog post :)
I have really enjoyed the semester of Journalism and Communication, primarily because of the large amounts of content I have learned along the way.
Topics which I found particularly interesting to learn about were investigative journalism, commercial media and picture stories. The assessment pieces which I enjoyed completing the most were the factual storytelling exercise because my topic was my mum and this blog because I really liked reflecting each week on the lecture and things I thought were useful or worthy of sharing.
In terms of the construction of the course, I wouldn't change anything, I thought all the lecture topics were extremely relevant to budding journalists and the tutorials were correctly spaced out with lots of content to cover.
Finally, this course has enabled me to improve my creative writing skills and expanded my knowledge of all topics which are crucial to journalists today. I look forward to using these skills in whichever career path I choose to take.
Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing!
Monday 11 June 2012
Sunday 10 June 2012
A real world example of news values and agenda setting!
Hello everyone!
I am sorry I haven't blogged anything in a while, I have been very busy with university assessment and planning holidays!
Today I wanted to share with my readers a really interesting article which I think exemplifies the concepts of agenda setting and news values.
This article, published in The Australian media section on the website, describes how channel 9, a free-to-air broadcasting channel deciding to not air the final of the French Open but instead wants to air the finale of the show The Voice. Their reasons for this is because the Voice has higher ratings and it is not in their best interest to air half a game.
In relation to this article relating to the content we learned about agenda setting and news values is that channel 9 has clearly chosen a show which will make them the most money out of advertisements and highest ratings. Furthermore, the Voice has news values which are evidently, more important to them as a company rather than the French Open final.
I thought this article was interesting to see how the concepts learnt in the lectures and tutorials are played out in a real-life example by a high profile broadcasting company.
Below is the link to the article to view.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/nine-delays-french-open-final/story-e6frg996-1226391244500
Enjoy!!
I am sorry I haven't blogged anything in a while, I have been very busy with university assessment and planning holidays!
Today I wanted to share with my readers a really interesting article which I think exemplifies the concepts of agenda setting and news values.
This article, published in The Australian media section on the website, describes how channel 9, a free-to-air broadcasting channel deciding to not air the final of the French Open but instead wants to air the finale of the show The Voice. Their reasons for this is because the Voice has higher ratings and it is not in their best interest to air half a game.
In relation to this article relating to the content we learned about agenda setting and news values is that channel 9 has clearly chosen a show which will make them the most money out of advertisements and highest ratings. Furthermore, the Voice has news values which are evidently, more important to them as a company rather than the French Open final.
I thought this article was interesting to see how the concepts learnt in the lectures and tutorials are played out in a real-life example by a high profile broadcasting company.
Below is the link to the article to view.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/nine-delays-french-open-final/story-e6frg996-1226391244500
Enjoy!!
Thursday 31 May 2012
A very controversial topic
Hi everyone!
Today I was browsing through Media Watch's website and I came across this segment they did on the News of the World scandal. I thought this segment was very insightful and interesting to see all the different newspapers and their perspectives on the News of The World scandal. I also liked how it was related back to Australia and our media.
Whilst it did occur last year, I am amazed at the actions of the News of the World and I think this controversy is an example of the lack of ethics and regard for law in this case, in journalism in this generation.
I am amazed at how journalists believe hacking phones and voice messages is ethical or acceptable for a story!
Below is the link to the episode, it is a very good deconstruction of the media frenzy surrounding the scandal.
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3266976.htm
Today I was browsing through Media Watch's website and I came across this segment they did on the News of the World scandal. I thought this segment was very insightful and interesting to see all the different newspapers and their perspectives on the News of The World scandal. I also liked how it was related back to Australia and our media.
Whilst it did occur last year, I am amazed at the actions of the News of the World and I think this controversy is an example of the lack of ethics and regard for law in this case, in journalism in this generation.
I am amazed at how journalists believe hacking phones and voice messages is ethical or acceptable for a story!
Below is the link to the episode, it is a very good deconstruction of the media frenzy surrounding the scandal.
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3266976.htm
Monday 28 May 2012
Journalism Lecture 12- Guest Speaker-Steve Molk
Hello everyone!
Today's lecture was the last one for the semester. Bruce brought in the guest speaker, Steve Molk. He is an entertainment blogger and has been for two years now. I thought what Steve had to say was really helpful and relevant to students studying journalism currently. He had a couple of great messages and bits of advice which really opened up my thoughts as to the way I approach my journalism studies.
Steve said that if you want to be a journalist, you are able to control your brand starting now. You are able to determine what you do with your brand, how you make it work for you and what it will mean for you in the long run.
When it comes to getting a job, the opportunities for employment are far greater if you can shape the internet media to make yourself the writer you want to be. Through getting a journalism degree, you are able to prove to the employer that you know what media is present and that you have the knowledge to use it in a multitude of ways. These skills make you as an employee, much better off.
When it comes to blogging, which is what Steve does as a career, he says that is is relatively young in terms of mainstream media but is becoming more important in determining how the public receive information and how we process it. For example, in places like China and Korea, the public are not able to access social networking because governments don't want their citizens knowing anything. However, in Australia we are very lucky because we are able to say what we want, do what we want and communicate how we see fit.
Blogging is not only being able to consistently work on the area of writing which you find the most fascinating but also you are able to connect to a subculture of people, the international market, fans of the area of which you write, all whilst your skills as a writer improve. It is essentially the new media form for students and journalists because we are no longer locked behind what the "media machine"tells us.
Another bonus feature about social media and in particular, Twitter, is that you can access all sorts of people in the public eye such as politicians, entertainers, artists without having to go through their PR team and agent. To find out the real story, you don't have to merely trust mainstream media but you are able to go straight to the source which creates or controls the news. This information can then be transformed into an exclusive story.
Steve said that his favourite thing to blog is about TV, and this is what he is most interested in. He admits he loves to sit around and watch TV. Thus, he is able to take information and interact with people because everyone has an opinion on TV. Although people criticise Twitter, Steve says he enjoys communicating with people and he likes to hear what people thing about what he writes and what he does as publisher. It is his choice of personal media domain because he likes the 140 character restriction on each Tweet because it forces you to be succinct and tell the main parts.
Steve reiterates that if you want to be a journalist, the opportunity is right now to show the future employer what type of journalist you are. There are lots of opportunities in journalism and all of them stem from what you do now or how you write and control the story. The chance to become a paid journalist and to be able to pitch the story in the direction you want started before you even signed up for this course.
The beauty of social media is that you have the opportunity to talk to future employers, producers, directors or your favourite writer instantly.
What Steve enjoys about Twitter the most is that it is very noisy sometimes after a big story has just broke and lots of people will tell you what they thought about something and then information will occur as a result. Journalists love Twitter because it spreads news instantly.
Steve personally became a media writer after a mid-life crisis. He says that there is a very narrow segment of media writing in Australia. If you want to get any information, the best place is from the The Australian media diary and the people who write for Fairfax. Recently, Fairfax media are using his writing and he is doing radio spots. thus his audience has opened up.
The most important message Steve gave is that the way we understand how information is given to us and the way we interpret the information presented to us, will impact the kind of journalists we become.
Today's lecture was the last one for the semester. Bruce brought in the guest speaker, Steve Molk. He is an entertainment blogger and has been for two years now. I thought what Steve had to say was really helpful and relevant to students studying journalism currently. He had a couple of great messages and bits of advice which really opened up my thoughts as to the way I approach my journalism studies.
Steve said that if you want to be a journalist, you are able to control your brand starting now. You are able to determine what you do with your brand, how you make it work for you and what it will mean for you in the long run.
When it comes to getting a job, the opportunities for employment are far greater if you can shape the internet media to make yourself the writer you want to be. Through getting a journalism degree, you are able to prove to the employer that you know what media is present and that you have the knowledge to use it in a multitude of ways. These skills make you as an employee, much better off.
When it comes to blogging, which is what Steve does as a career, he says that is is relatively young in terms of mainstream media but is becoming more important in determining how the public receive information and how we process it. For example, in places like China and Korea, the public are not able to access social networking because governments don't want their citizens knowing anything. However, in Australia we are very lucky because we are able to say what we want, do what we want and communicate how we see fit.
Blogging is not only being able to consistently work on the area of writing which you find the most fascinating but also you are able to connect to a subculture of people, the international market, fans of the area of which you write, all whilst your skills as a writer improve. It is essentially the new media form for students and journalists because we are no longer locked behind what the "media machine"tells us.
Another bonus feature about social media and in particular, Twitter, is that you can access all sorts of people in the public eye such as politicians, entertainers, artists without having to go through their PR team and agent. To find out the real story, you don't have to merely trust mainstream media but you are able to go straight to the source which creates or controls the news. This information can then be transformed into an exclusive story.
Steve said that his favourite thing to blog is about TV, and this is what he is most interested in. He admits he loves to sit around and watch TV. Thus, he is able to take information and interact with people because everyone has an opinion on TV. Although people criticise Twitter, Steve says he enjoys communicating with people and he likes to hear what people thing about what he writes and what he does as publisher. It is his choice of personal media domain because he likes the 140 character restriction on each Tweet because it forces you to be succinct and tell the main parts.
Steve reiterates that if you want to be a journalist, the opportunity is right now to show the future employer what type of journalist you are. There are lots of opportunities in journalism and all of them stem from what you do now or how you write and control the story. The chance to become a paid journalist and to be able to pitch the story in the direction you want started before you even signed up for this course.
The beauty of social media is that you have the opportunity to talk to future employers, producers, directors or your favourite writer instantly.
What Steve enjoys about Twitter the most is that it is very noisy sometimes after a big story has just broke and lots of people will tell you what they thought about something and then information will occur as a result. Journalists love Twitter because it spreads news instantly.
Steve personally became a media writer after a mid-life crisis. He says that there is a very narrow segment of media writing in Australia. If you want to get any information, the best place is from the The Australian media diary and the people who write for Fairfax. Recently, Fairfax media are using his writing and he is doing radio spots. thus his audience has opened up.
The most important message Steve gave is that the way we understand how information is given to us and the way we interpret the information presented to us, will impact the kind of journalists we become.
I liked listening to Steve talk about his career as a blogger because it opened my eyes to the instant possibilities of journalist online and in social media networks which weren't available 10 years ago.
·
Thursday 24 May 2012
Annotated Bibliography
JOUR1111 Annotated Bibliography
White,
A. (2008). To Tell You The Truth The
Ethical Journalism Initiative. Belgium: International Federation of
Journalists.
The
author, Aidan White, currently a Director of the Coalition for Ethical
Journalism, is able to apply his decades of experience and knowledge to form
the insightful Ethical Journalism
Initiative. His past credentials as a journalist and General Secretary to
the International Federation of Journalists provide his guidebook to ethics in
journalism with plenty of reliability. The book’s foreword states that it aims
to provide “support for journalists who
are keeping an ethical flame alive in the profession” (White, 2008). White
introduces the initiative with the Declaration of Principles on the Conduct of
Journalists. He explains that one of the most controversial principles within
the American Journalism industry involves the discrimination in the media towards
minority interests. Furthermore, he demonstrates that the current challenge in
American Journalism is that often, the opinions of minority interests are
silenced for the concept of newsworthiness. White states, the ethics of
journalism requires balance in documenting “political arguments so that a
lively debate can take place” (White, 2008). The significant use of examples throughout
the text provides the author’s views and ideas with credibility. This topic is
closely linked with the significant announcement of President Barack Obama’s
support for gay marriage, which has dominated the press in recent weeks. As
White explains, a balance of information is lacking in the three different
mediums of journalism commenting on the announcement, which are cited below.
The similarities across the three articles can be equated to White’s publication
as the political aspect of the announcement is at the forefront of the story
rather than the interests of minority groups.
Gast,
P. (2012). Obama announces he supports
same-sex marriage. Retrieved from
American
cable station, CNN, was able to
broadcast to viewers ABC News’
exclusive interview with President Barack Obama. The announcement was presented
in the format of a video and an accompanying article. Phil Gast, the author,
applies his experience as a writer and editor for CNN, and delivers an extensive, political based article on Obama’s
support for same-sex marriage. Gast introduces the issue with an explicit
reference to the political stakes surrounding the announcement. This article
holds many news values such as impact, audience identification, ethics, recency
and elite nations. The author is careful not to reveal his personal opinion on
the issue and the language used throughout is strictly factual and presents a
balanced viewpoint. For these reasons, the credibility of the article
increases. Gast effectively refers to several highly reliable sources
throughout the article, such as President Barack Obama, political opposition
Mitt Romney, university professor John Green along with multiple sources from
both sides of the issue. A significant difference between the CNN article and text articles is that
the television segment serves its purpose and delivers the message clearly and
succinctly to viewers. Considering CNN’s
extensive broadcasting history, its target audience is the opinionated American
who expects all the vital statistics and implications of the issue. The cable
station delivers the message in a prompt and succinct manner to access the
majority of viewers. The CNN article
can be likened to the previous piece written by Aidan White as the political
aspect of the issue is discussed for the majority of the article, whereas the
implications for same-sex couples are virtually unmentioned.
Jan,
T., Viser, M., & Borcher, C. (2012). President
Obama announces support for gay marriage in reversal of prior stance.
Retrieved from
Tracy
Jan, Matt Viser and Callum Borchers, all political reporters for The Boston Globe, present an accurate
article of the announcement for the support of gay marriage by Barack Obama.
Despite the author’s credentials, the scope of the issue is dealt with fairly
effectively as the majority of the emphasis is placed on the implications of the
statement itself, with a minor section devoted to the political campaign. Due
to this, the article’s credibility is enhanced; this is then accompanied by
balanced and informative language, which is implemented throughout. As a
result, assumptions made on behalf of the journalists are minimal. Furthermore,
multiple reputable sources are cited throughout the piece; quotes from Obama,
Romney, and Obama’s campaign adviser David Axelrod are frequently mentioned. Whilst this particular piece is solely text
based, its purpose is served, as the information is very factual and
informative. The target audience for the website, boston.com, would be traditional Americans and due to the fact that
Massachusetts is one state which has legalized gay marriage,
part of the focus was placed on the political implications of the announcement.
Although less emphasis was placed on the implications of the announcement of
same-sex couples, one credible source was succinctly referred to, broadening
the pieces’ coverage of the issue. Thus, in cohesion with the CNN article and White’s initiative, the
effects of Obama’s announcement on the political campaign is dealt with, with
one reference explicitly citing the implication on minority interests. This
further reiterates the lack of exposure on minority groups in American
journalism.
Calmes,
J., & Baker, P. (2012, May 9). Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be
Legal. The New York Times. Retrieved
from
Jackie
Calmes and Peter Baker, regular contributors of The New York Times, bring years of experience to present a detailed
portrayal of the issue. The article was featured on the front page of the print
New York Times for May 9, 2012. The
authors examine President Obama’s announcement of support for same-sex marriage
with precise facts regarding the declaration itself, whilst also delivering
extensive information about the surrounding circumstances prior to the
announcement and after. As a result of this, Calmes and Baker’s credibility is
amplified, as the details given were relevant, descriptive and demonstrated
with factual language. Furthermore, the author’s positions on the issue were
undetectable and for this reason, no assumptions were made on behalf of the
journalists. Although Calmes and Baker’s referral to external sources is
limited to President Obama, the author’s citation to the Democrat of
Massachusetts, Barney Frank,
one of the first gay members of congress, is effective in demonstrating their
ability to locate reputable sources to comment on the issue. The New
York Times is the third most read newspaper in America, and thus the target
audience for this article would be all Americans interested in the rights of
minority groups (Shea, 2010). Thus, the newspaper delivered information, which
was highly relevant and non-partisan. In contrast to White’s initiative and
previous articles on this topic, Calmes and Baker’s article examines the
ramifications of Obama’s announcement in itself, rather than commenting on the
political campaign, which surrounds the issue.
Calmes,
J., & Baker, P. (2012, May 9). Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal.
The New York Times. Retrieved from
Gast,
P. (2012). Obama announces he supports
same-sex marriage. Retrieved from
Jan,
T., Viser, M., & Borcher, C. (2012). President
Obama announces support for gay marriage in reversal of prior stance.
Retrieved from
Shea,
D. (2010). Top 25 Newspapers By
Circulation: Wall Street Journal Trounces USA Today. Retrieved from
White,
A. (2008). To Tell You The Truth The
Ethical Journalism Initiative. Belgium: International Federation of Journalists.
International story of the four Italian girls
This is a story which has dominated the press in recent weeks. The story involves four Italian girls who have run away to avoid being sent back to Italy to their "abusive" father.
Below is a link to an article which explains that the girls father says that the Australian press have distorted the truth. This article is an example of how journalists somehow publish accusations without getting confirmation from both sides of the story. It is an interesting read.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-24/italian-dad-at-centre-of-custody-battle-expresses-concern/4031468
Below is a link to an article which explains that the girls father says that the Australian press have distorted the truth. This article is an example of how journalists somehow publish accusations without getting confirmation from both sides of the story. It is an interesting read.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-24/italian-dad-at-centre-of-custody-battle-expresses-concern/4031468
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Something I am excited about!
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to share with the readers of my blog the Brisbane City Mini Mag for the Autumn season. It is something very exciting for me because my mother, my sister and myself feature on the cover!
I remember when we did the photoshoot for the feature, I was very surprised at the amount of time and effort it took for a photoshoot to take place. Despite this, I really enjoyed being able to spend the day with my mum and sister.
Here is the link to the magazine which you can virtually flick through or look through the The City's website to see all the amazing new events which are coming up in Brisbane.
http://www.bnecity.com.au/News/News-Article.aspx?id=22584&returnurl=~/News/Default.aspx
Thank you!!
I just wanted to share with the readers of my blog the Brisbane City Mini Mag for the Autumn season. It is something very exciting for me because my mother, my sister and myself feature on the cover!
I remember when we did the photoshoot for the feature, I was very surprised at the amount of time and effort it took for a photoshoot to take place. Despite this, I really enjoyed being able to spend the day with my mum and sister.
Here is the link to the magazine which you can virtually flick through or look through the The City's website to see all the amazing new events which are coming up in Brisbane.
http://www.bnecity.com.au/News/News-Article.aspx?id=22584&returnurl=~/News/Default.aspx
Thank you!!
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