PHOTOS**T - Lecture 4

“A picture paints a thousand words” , a quote that I attempted to reject for this blog as I thought it was overused and cliché  - though the meaning is to damn true to ignore. I love books, though I continuously turn straight for the images whether its news, history or texts; the pictures is what intrigues me. It’s hard to accurately describe a picture, when it’s so simple to view it, which is why picture stories continue to conquer the media.  Starting back from indigenous cave painting in 15,000 – 10,000 BC, from the holy books to the digital age of photography it has continued to exist and it is here in the present digitalized society that we have failed.

With technology comes advantages, such as instant digital pictures, though with these advantages comes disadvantages. In particular a program that destroys the minds of an already fragile youth, Photoshop. This software contains the ability to enhance, hide, improve, conceal and shape photos. I’m not saying all Photoshop is corrupt; it’s mainly the immoral style that’s being used in contemporary adolescent magazines. Editors of these magazines are ignoring that youth idolizes celebrities and models that are printed on these magazines. In response these teenagers are altering their shapes and appearances to fit the ‘perfect and beautiful’ look that is essentially fake. 

The ratio of deaths by suicide to the total number of deaths from ALL causes is: For 15-19 year olds, 19.0% of all deaths for males and 15.9% of all deaths for females. (http://www.responseability.org/site/index.cfm?display=134569)

This harsh statistic is illustrates that as a society something needs to be done. I’m not interpreting this all-young suicides is a reflection of edited images, but it is undeniably a major factor in creating low self-esteem.

I think I’ve got a tad side tracked but this is what I got out of todays lecture.

Sam. 

TEXT - LECTURE 3

The lecture in week 3 provided insight on what text really is other than a bunch of symbols creating stories. Skye Doherty, a professional in production journalism came and explained that text is

• fast
• flexible
• complete control
• portable 
• searchable
• dominates online

Doherty educated that the presentation of the text is vital for the article to be effective and obviously must hold story content. Furthermore the text requires headlines, stand-first, captions, pull quotes, breakout boxes and links to capture the readers attention. The first paragraph requires the '5 W's and 1 H', and the rest of the text will elaborate and provide more detail. This is where the inverted pyramid originates from, therefore being the most important at the beginning of the article to the least important concluding the text.

Dominant headlines often draw the eye first and with poynter eye-tracking research it has shown that readers will look to the upper left side of the paper first. Now after hearing this, I noticed this is the case of all newspapers, magazines and even blogs.

 The way the headline is worded is also a vital element in catching the readers attention, Skye lectured us that the writers of the article are evidently a main factor of writing the story ( Duhhh Sam) but the writers of the headline are the ones that pull the attention. 

There is also a shift, with the arrival of news websites, on the traditional method of structuring articles. With now news having metadata, tags, keywords, links and hypertext it has given readers a simple and easy method of finding the article they want to read with a matter of few clicks. However text is confined to news it is also emails, blogs, tweets, Facebook updates, comments and forums.

Text is everywhere and is vastly changing with technology. 

Sam :)  

I just moved to Brisbane for study. I grew on the coast in Noosa and even though its mere 2 hour drive away, I still get home sick. Mostly from the beautiful beaches and amazing national parks. I've always lived a quick walk from the beach and I was spoilt with the ocean. Having salty hair, sun kissed skin and sandy feet feels amazing, feeling fresher after a ocean swim than shower. Moving to Brisbane was a smart choice as Noosa doesn't have many opportunities for a young student. I always thought I was going to move to Melbourne as my family live there, I love the culture with the cafes and bands, but somehow I ended up in the Queensland capital. It was within a 3 days that my friend and I decided on Brisbane for university. We both got into the universities we wanted and it was on the last hour that I accept my UQ course. We travelled down the next 2 weeks searching for units and was lucky to find a nice one in Milton. 

After living in Brisbane for a month now I'm slowing getting use to the rush of the city, traffic, paid parking, traffic lights, go cards, trains, and merging even when cars will not let me in! I love Brisbane's entertainment from the bands, comedy, musicals, plays, festivals and the choice of food!!! There are so many cafes, restaurants and bars that are just waiting to be discovered. One cafe that I love is 'Comfort at my Table', which caters for breakfast/ early lunch in Milton. It is delicious!

Well that was a bit of a ramble, 

Sam :)

Web 3.0 - Lecture 2

 

I've always grown up with my Mum getting the Australian delivered every Saturday, her reading it with Vegemite on toast and a cup of english-breakfast, a relaxing moment before the hectic day filled with sporting events, ballet and birthday parties. It would then be sitting on the coffee table for me to pick out stories that interested me. Starting on the front page, moving towards the minor stories about everyday people, then finishing on the obituary (I am not a devil worshiper but I cant help reading it, it just intrigues me) and the remaining of the paper would be used for my sisters to paint their toenails on. 

Today's lecture Dr Redman discussed the dying breed of heritage media. With the rush of today's society, one can simply press a few keys and you have instant, up to date news about whatever and whoever. Starting off with web 1.0, this follows traditional media in that there is advertising and classifies, just on a computer screen. Then there is web 2.0, a social web of online friends/stalkers. Such as facebook, a convenient, fast way to check up with friends, view photo albums, calenders and events all in one handy website.


Now comes the most modern edition to the online family, web 3.0, known as  the "systematic web". This calculates the 'personality' of the user, and turns it into useful information. Such as now when I log into facestalk I can identify that product placement is all over my screen. Personally I find this slightly creepy and invasion of privacy, but eventually I guess it will become normal (just like when I first typed my name into google years ago and stories about school, or sports came up that was about me. At first it was weird, but now its standard) What will this mean for 'hyperlocalisation'? In the future will I receive only news that is subject to me as an individual? 

Is this the end of traditional media? Of reading the paper with tea? I honestly hope not, not only from a keen newspaper individual but as a student studying journalism into a dead end industry!  


Sam :)

INTRODUCTION - LECURE 1

In my first hours of entering university I am being told I am a journalist. I am not convinced by these inspiring words, without sounding to dull. I was sitting there in a lecture room, with no ground breaking stories near, with sweaty palms and no pen (that's right, I forgot a pen to my first university day, I will not make that mistake again!). I did not feel close to being a exciting, confident journalist. Although as my lecturer (Bruce Redman) began to illustrate on how journalism is in everyday life with everyday people I began to see myself as a energetic, eager young reporter. 

This was only the first lecture but I was already excited about what was to come with this class. It excited me on how I can give attention to important issues that are being smothered with "plastic surgery gone wrong" stories, ultimately (without sounding to cheesy) change the world (well that did sound way to cheese fest).

We are journalists! 

Sam :)

Well hello there.....

I have taken about two minutes trying to figure out how start this blog. How is the polite blogging introduction? Is it hello, hi, good evening, caio, to whom this may concern.. but I'm just going to say 'welcome' (in the least creepiest voice possible). I was nervous about blogging but I am the only one reading this so far, so why the nerves (do blogger's write with slang?) I do not know?

 I'm in my first year at UQ, studying communication/arts and so far it's been fun/ scary (also as this is my first blog and blogs are not necessarily valued for there 'literate use of words' I am going to keep my blogs simple and direct. We all know most of us anyway just right click - synonyms - choose smart word.... well I do anyway (sometimes).. and I end up writing something that sounds utterly embarrassing and plain stupid.. an example: my sentence: "My grandma came to my house today" will transform to "My nana emanated near my dynasty currently. Also I get side tracked easily, I'm still in my brackets, I think its time to un-bracket.) 

I'm a 19 years old from Noosa (born in Melbourne) and I just recently made the move to Brisbane for study. I finished school in 2009 and since I've been doing snow seasons in Wanaka, New Zealand. I loved the people,  the snow, the snowboarding, basically the whole lifestyle but I thought its time to get my brain working and get into uni life! I love travelling, food, meeting people, movies, ocean water, live bands and being entertained by funny people. One thing I dislike is writing via internet, either through chat, blogs, twitter.. (I'm not denying that I am a facestalker) although I always feel like because the person cannot hear my tone, my words appear rude. So I am am over "ha ha" cyber person, to show that I am not angry, rude or mean haha ( <--- guilty)

Till the next type, (that sounded a bit lame haha)

Sam :)