ourartsgroupblog

Nightingale, Virginia. “New Media Worlds? Challenges for Convergence.”

ourartsgroupblog — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:59:58 +0000

Media Convergence. An interesting concept, “Convergence is understood here as an ongoing process or series of intersections between different media systems”. As always, when provided with a definition, I try to see where this fits into my everyday life, I used to watch So You Think You Can Dance. Not only do I religiously watch this program, but I also record it on Foxtel, watch the clips online (both on YouTube and the official website) and I also use my iPhone to watch the clips again when I’m not at home. I’m showing how the key concepts in Nightingales’ ‘New Media Worlds’ are relevant to my media world. The concept of internetisation is evident in this example as you can see how the traditional media (in this case, Channel 10) is attempting to “hold onto fickle youth audiences” by providing a website in which to not only view clips from the show but to engage in the added extras, which Nightingale refers to as enhanced media such as the ability to vote, blog and comment.

One of the main ideas of this article is the identification of the problems the convergence process has created for traditional media. Nightingale suggests that these problems include; an increased sense of uncertainty about the future of traditional media, the introduction of new audience formations and a greater concern for online marketing and content simultaneously.

The issue of having an increased sense of uncertainty about the future of traditional media is a valid one as it is becoming more and more obvious everyday that broadcast media is gradually making it’s way onto the world wide web. This is a vital step for the majority of popular programs nowadays as with technology such as Tivo, the inescapability of ads has been removed as we pause, rewind and fast forward live television. Therefore, television networks need to become internetised so as to provide another avenue for advertising.

Volker, Clara. “Mobile Media and Space.”

ourartsgroupblog — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:07:06 +0000

This reading deals with the “Notion of ‘digital space’”. It discusses how technology has allowed theories of space in media to develop such as ‘cyberspace’. Mobility and space are very much linked to the internet ‘Semapedia’ and ‘Socialight’, are examples of the virtual linked to physical spaces, this technology is accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. However while ‘Semapedia’ sits between real and digital, physical and virtual spaces, ‘Socialight’, differs slightly in that it aims to connect people to places and places to information using “mobile social software”.

It discusses ‘Social spaces’ as being those that are a meeting of physical and mental spaces, relationships form by practices, which are constructed and created by people who are communicating. “The idea of social space being localized in between physical space and mental space”. Its discusses space in terms of both physical and digital virtual spaces and place as being digital and virtual except the physical places are condition of actual place like a cell phone.

While place may be thought of being a permanent, tangible or physical location, ‘Non places’ are spaces in which human body moves, the example used was someone walking through a shopping centre. Non places have no identity, no history, they are transitional, continuality moving other examples of this could be transport particularly airports.

So basically virtual spaces are embodied in physical spaces. Space is domain that is created, it is not visible, it is invisible, and it is also temporary. This links into the idea of “operative mobility”, which is the movement dynamics and the relations between things.

Email From Penny!

ourartsgroupblog — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:38:32 +0000

Hey guys,

I am currently marking your blogs and have found that you have not published the required 9 in order to pass this assessment
These are the blogs i have found, can you please get back to me asap:

Aston, James (Roy) = 8

Cohen, Laura = 8

Mayers, Lauren = 4

Nguyen, Lan = 7

O’Donnell, Margaret (Meg) = 1

Peach, Imogen = 1

Ramirez (Aizpuru), Joseline = 0

Wilson, Sally-Anne = 7

Young, Rebecca = 7

Regards,

Penny

Identity

cohenlaura — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:51:13 +0000

The concept of Identity is really interesting regarding to our relationship to the others. Indeed, it is important to understand that as human, we have a multiple identity. As it is said in the text our gender, our religion, our sexuality, our nationality, our body, our profession are all part of our identity. We are multi-faceted and everything that we call our ‘personality’ is a facet of ourselves. It reminds me of what Erwin Goffman said about the identity. Indeed, he argues in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959) that we all have different ‘faces’ that we are wearing depending on the circumstances. In the book he uses to illustrate that idea the example of a man, that is a father, husband, a brother but also a doctor, a football player during his free time and so on and so forth. Depending the day, or the part of the day, he is wearing the face of the father with his children, or the face of the doctor (including the uniform…) etc… This man is everything but he is also different person in one. He is acting as the people are expecting him to act depending on the face he is wearing. Indeed, we are all like that man, and we are all acting to fit in the character we are suppose to be: acting like a student during the class. Meaning that we have to be polite, quiet, to listen to the teacher etc… But when we are with our friends, we are acting differently and we have to endorse the ‘friend behavior’. Those faces are shaping our relationship to the other but also to ourselves, as we have to ‘behave’. If we don’t, and we don’t fit in the character we are suppose to be at this time, we are seen like an outsider, a mad people, and it would change the relation the people have with us . Goffman says finally that we are all acting like actor and actresses and that everyday life is our theatre. I really like this idea or acting our live because even if we want to be ourselves, there are always a lot of codes, rules or predeterminations that are shaping our identity and behavior. We would all love to think that we are just ousleves in this world but, as pessimist as it can sound, I do believe that we are pre-determined to act or think as the society want us to act or to think. And media are fundamentally involved in this process of repetition and pre-determination (including gender, profession, sexuality etc…).

That is why I am not so sure that we have such freedom as it is said in the text.

Research Interviewing

bec55 — Mon, 31 May 2010 04:24:05 +0000

This reading by Weerakoddy focuses on the way in which we use interviewing processes to gain information for research purposes. I found it interesting and relevant to our own research assignment.

The styles of research interviews discussed are structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews.

Structured interviews are valuable when the researcher needs to compare results between a variety of respondents, as the information gathered is often simple and can contain close-ended answers. The questions asked to all respondents are therefore identical, and are concerned with reflecting the interviewers concerns more than the respondents answers. The interviewer often already knows what he/she is looking for before beginning the interview.

Semi-structured interviews allow for more open-ended questions to be asked, and whilst the interviewer may have some idea of what they are looking to find out, they have the ability to add to questions asked during the interview or change the wording to gain further insight. Therefore the results contain a mix of the interviewers concerns and the mixed responses of the person being questioned.

Unstructured interviews do not contain a set list of questions. The interviewer can use any form of wording, and ask a variety of questions based on the research subject. Therefore, circumstances and characteristics can be taken into account when collating the information gained to provide a richer, in-depth insight, of which the majority is delivered by the respondent rather than the interviewer.

The rest of the article discusses ways in which to conduct an interview. For my own research purposes, I have gathered that the following aspects will be important when interviewing my subject:

- Be prepared for the interview before conducting it, and have enough background knowledge on the subject you are researching

- Obtain the necessary equipment for interviewing, such as a recording device, so that the interview can be replayed and analysed

- Practice the interview on similar respondents before interviewing the main subject

- When conducting the interview, be professional but friendly, make the respondent feel comfortable and feel as though they are being treated fairly

- Be aware of the duration of the interview and break it up into 1-2 hour segments if a large amount of time is needed to gain all information

- Vary topics throughout the interview so that it does not become boring or repetitive

- Allow the respondent to ask the interviewer questions at the end, if they so desire

For my own assignment I will carry out an interview in an unstructured style, which Weerakkoddy later elaborates can be used in an “ethnographic conversation”. This style of interview will be useful as I have studied the respondent over a long period of time and can ask open-ended questions in a formal setting, but allowing for a variety of responses. As I live with my subject this also allows for observation of the participant which can be included in my report.

Research Questions for the Evolving Communications Landscape

mbloom123 — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:57:27 +0000

The main concept of this article is media audience and why certain media is favored over others. Deciding what piece of technology to use over another has never been an issue for me. I have not thought about whether to email or text someone or whether to use the computer or television until reading this article. The technology in today’s day and age is all interconnected and allows people to contact others in many ways. One example of this is smart phones. I always have my blackberry with me and it allows me to use several different types of media and technology from anywhere I am. Some of the features of the blackberry include email, text messaging, talking on the phone and internet. The iphone has all these features as well plus an ipod built in. Being able to listen to music on an iphone saves people money. People who have iphones do not have to buy ipods because their cell phone plays music.

Although it is not an issue for many of us there are some factors involved in choosing a specific type of technology to use over another. One example of this is economic. Some people just have cell phones now instead of both cell phones and landlines because it is cheaper. Cell phones plans are set up so that the user gets free nights and weekends to talk on their phone or unlimited text messaging for a small fee. Knowing that you have free minutes to talk to someone after eight o’clock at night may be a reason to pick up your cell phone instead of the landline to call someone in a different state. Also, knowing that you pay the same fee once a month makes a person more inclined just to text someone when it isn’t urgent or an emergency instead of calling. IF the cell phone does not come with free nights and weekends or you have to pay for every text message you send then a landline may be a cheaper way to communicate with others. To some people a cell phone may just be used for emergencies. Another factor involved in choosing a specific type of technology to use over another is social. These factors include the purpose and content of the communication, such as communications that are gifts or communication that provide a sense of security. Using a landline means the risk of having someone eves dropping on your conversation or kicking you off the phone because they need it. Teenagers like to feel that using a cell phone instead of a landline gives them a sense of security that what they are saying won’t be heard by their parents and a sense of privacy.

Technology is all intertwined like the smart phone example above. This is also true with a computer. Computers allow people to surf the web, play games, communicate with others and also write documents and presentations. AIM allows people to communicate with each other through instant messaging and it acts just like a text. So why instant message someone over texting them? This has to do with convenience. If it just so happens that you are on your computer doing something it is easier to IM someone then text them. Also, it is faster to type that text a person. AIM allows people to text a persons cell phone from their computer. This is good for when one person does not have their cell phone and the other person does. Computers also allow people to see each other on the screen instead of having to drive to someone’s house to see them face to face or if you live in another state or country you can be in contact with someone for no charge. One example of this is study abroad. Instead of having to pay ten cents a minute to talk to my parents in the US I can skype them for no charge and for as long as I want as long as there is an internet connection.

Variations on the branded self

mbloom123 — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:45:51 +0000

This article is about the ideas of self-identity and branding. According to the reading self- branding involves “the construction of a meta-narrative and meta-image of self through the use of cultural meanings and images drawn from the narrative and visual codes of the mainstream cultural industries.” Everybody shapes himself or herself to be whom he or she wants to be based on what’s going on in the world around them. This includes family values, culture and the media. Everybody is trying to sell themselves to others to gain friends and partners and self-branding helps make people distinct from one another.

Self-branding is making yourself, who you want to be in this world and only you can decide what that is. Celebrities today and the media manipulate people into thinking they have to be a certain way and choose for people what their brand is. One example of this is fashion magazines. Fashion magazines put pictures of models on their covers who are air brushed to look skinnier than they actually are. Young girls who are in the process of figuring out who they are look at these magazines and want to look like the models that in real life do not look like that. The body makeover shows such as The Swan and I Want a Famous Face involve the construction of the body according to the dictates of celebrity culture. Celebrities are a huge influence on how people self-brand themselves because many people aspire to be celebrities and will mold themselves in a way that hopefully makes them famous one day or just makes them look and feel like they are important like celebrities. Celebrity not only functions as a cultural resource in and through which individuals construct their identities, it becomes a generalisable model of profitable self-production for all individuals. Makeover shows such as What Not to Wear offers people who have branded themselves a certain way instructions on how to achieve the appropriate wardrobe to gain attention and success on the more general market in social status. Television shows have become the power behind branding and showing people how to put themselves together different ways than they are now. Reality television shows provide a quick way for individuals to brand their own personae and get fame, which can be exchanged for cash down the line. For most reality shows there is a reward involved so people try to sell themselves and promote themselves a specific way so that they win even if it not really who they are. One example of this is the show American Idol. On the second season of the show Clay Aiken came in second place. When he was trying out in front of the judges for the first time he looked different than he did at the finale. Simon who has also self-branded himself told Clay that he had a great voice, but his look would not work, Clay got a complete makeover to look more “All American” and more crowd pleasing. Although the show manipulated what Clay looked like it got him second place and a record contract.

Facebook and myspace are two different websites where people can feel free to show who they really are and express their self-identity. On these websites you create a page dedicated to you and you let others know your likes and dislikes, interests and facts about yourself. These websites allow people to show who they are by being able to decide what their background looks like when other people click on their page, what music is playing when other people click on their page and pictures. From looking at a persons page you can know all about them and whether you would get along in real life. Facebook and myspace allow people to promote themselves and show who they really are.

People self-produce themselves based on cultural and economic interests of the time. Self-branding involves creating a personality and look to be who ever you want to be or be like. If there are changes in culture there are changes in modal types of character as well. Some people have flexible personalities so that can be someone one minute and another person the next minute so that they can fit in. It is best to brand yourself around knowing whom you are, what you believe in and how you want to be.

Youth, Identity, and Digital Media

bec55 — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:35:51 +0000

Whilst youth are the focus of today’s media uses, adults are usually responsible for the creation, distribution and control over the media used by Generation Y.

Advertisers focus on creating branded identities for youth to become accustomed to and aspire to. From a young age children are exposed to thousands of advertisements and types of branding – whether it be a product or a character from a television program, adults(advertisers) know their way around consuming youth and know how to reach them. Being constantly engaged with technology often allows advertisers easy access to youth.

Herring references Montgomery, stating that “new media culture holds both promise and peril for youth”. Indeed, some negatives aspects have emerged including the ability for sexual predators to access youth easily, through chat sites, viewing their profiles on various social networking sites and the ability of an adult to pose as a teenager to initiate meetings. Now adults not only have to worry about “stranger danger” in the physical world, but also in the online world, where it could be said that the threat of strangers is even more prevalent than in real life.

The introduction of interactive media spaces such as Myspace and Facebook, whilst both created by adults, have become increasingly taken over by the “Internet Generation”. Issues involving the safety of children have emerged, as the creation of a profile often allows strangers access to highly personal information.

As the new internet generation of youth are often highly adaptable and open to new media, they take on the continual flow and change of day-to-day media use with exceptional flair. The constant introductions of new media devices and technologies are quickly implemented into every day life – so that they are not only new and transformative but essential. Lacking the ability to recall pre-Internet experiences, youth do not find their technology use exotic or special – it is simply “there” and is used as though it has always been there and always will, as they wait for the next “new technology” to arrive, be consumed, and implemented.

Whilst youth are not awarded the “voice” given to adults with financial and institutional backing, they do have the ability to speak out through social networking sites and blogs. Whilst these may not be widely read or regarded by adults, they are important to the development of many young people – the way they form their online profiles, choosing photos and words carefully so as to appear to others in a certain light. In this way, the evolvement of youth identities has changed over time, as it is so easy for their online identities to be far removed from their own real life identities. This is only enhanced by online communities(both private and public) that are created by youth, for youth, although often mediated by adults. The question arises as to whether physical spaces designed for youth to meet and hang out will be taken over by online portals.

Whilst it seems some youth are aware of their inherent media attachments, and the way that they are “used” by adults in the marketing world, the majority of youth seem to go with the flow rather than rebel against it.

Lukin, A. “Reporting War: Grammar as Covert Operation”

ourartsgroupblog — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:34:56 +0000

Lukins article on the use of grammar in war is both interesting and relevant to today’s society. Lukins explains how grammar can be used to create multiple realities to a story. “Grammar is a theory of reality”. According to Lukins there are three ways in which a situation can be presented. The first is middle voice. The example given in the reading is “The milk spilt”. In middle voice there is no agent that is to blame for the milk spilling. Another example could be “the TV broke”. Here I have not said how or who broke the TV, I have simply stated it broke.

The second voice is passive. This can be similar to middle in that it does not select as agent. For example “The TV was broken”. The difference being that in middle voice the TV broke, here it was broken, implying someone has broken it, but it does not say who or how. For the milk example it would be ”The milk was spilt”

The third voice is described as active. This is when the statement is given an agent. “I broke the TV”, by placing an agent it is giving responsibility of the action to someone of something.

In today’s society war is one of the central issues that is covered in the News. By looking at the way news reports cover the stories we can get an idea of how these selections of grammar are made. Today it was reported “the Rudd government may send another 200 Australian soldiers to Afghanistan”. By analysing the statement using the above-mentioned techniques we can conclude that the statement is active and that the reports place the responsibility of these 200 soldiers going to Afghanistan on ‘the Rudd government’.

Lukins also discusses how substituting key words can change the importance of a statement. An example that is seen time and time again in the news reports is “today there was more causalities of war”. While this statement address that fact that innocent people were killed it removes all words that have predetermined emotion to them, such as innocent and people. It is much easier to hear about casualties of war then innocent bystanders brutally murdered.

While the point’s addressed are common scene and simple concepts, they are ever present in today’s society and are used to numb our responses to horrifying or shocking information. This article brings me to question how news is presented and how this subtle technique of propaganda is used to affect our judgements of issues around us.

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Haddon, Leslie. “Research Questions for the Evolving Communications Landscape.”

ourartsgroupblog — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:33:18 +0000

This weeks reading by Leslie Haddon explores the usage of different communication technologies and how people make their choices. How do we choose our forms of communication? What makes us Text our friends rather then call them or email them? Why do we give out our mobile numbers rather then our home phone number?

Haddon discusses how people choose their forms of communication and also how they manage their repertoire of media usage. Factors such as financial costs, technical capabilities as well as social factors are all mentioned as part of the process in making decisions about media usage.

An example of financial costs affecting my choice might be the way I use my mobile to text and make phone calls as I don’t live at home or have a landline. I tend to text more than I call. When I stay at my parents house I only use the landline to make phone calls as I have no reception, so I don’t tend to make as many.

Technical capabilities play an important role in choosing mobile technologies today. Mobile phones are marketed today not for their ability to call people (their main function) but rather for their vast amount of applications and ‘extras’. Factors such as storage space for photos, the quality of the digital camera, ability to attach ring tones, all vital factors when deciding which phone to purchase.

The social factor refers to how the media usage is looked upon by society. The example given in the reading talks about the use of mobile phones in public spaces. However not everyone considers this a dominating factor. This is evident by the amount of people that have details private discussions on their mobile phone while traveling on public transport. New applications such as texting or emailing via mobile phones have offered some alternative to the disruption of public space.

I enjoyed the reading and especially liked the point about how new medias incorporate old medias, or are just extensions of old medias. The reading gave me a better understand of the thought process that research entails.

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