Search This Blog

Monday 2 May 2011

Working in the media.


It’s a tough industry to crack and an even harder one to succeed in. Working in the media is all about being in the right place at the right time, being passionate about your work and most of all… luck.

I have very little luck, however, I am hoping that my passion will help me succeed in my career. I want to be a journalist, which would require me to be
“project-based, freelance, short-term contracts, multi-sited and mobile” which is a leap out of my comfort zone but I’m excited (Leong 2011).

This industry intrigues me. It is forever changing and while I like my life to be in order, a part of me yearns for the excitement for a job that is a different experience everyday.

I agree with Jai Morton that “as a media and communication student, I admit I feel a little anxious about my future as a media practitioner (Morton, 2011).

However, the passion for this career path is strong and stability has never been a priority for me. While Gill’s (2007) article outlines the unsteady workflow, potential social isolation and lack of affordable workspaces associated with freelancing (Gill 2007, 26), my interest in being a media practitioner is stronger then ever.  


Monday 11 April 2011

Would you trust the Internet to give you sound health advice?

(Drug News, 2010)

The other day I was feeling rather under the weather and, as a busy Uni student, was rather annoyed. Like many others I don’t have the time or the money to go and see my doctor about every little thing. So, in an attempt to self diagnose, I ‘googled’ my symptoms online.

This method of obtaining medical advice is becoming more and more popular.
According to Bennett (2009), the delivery of public health interventions is dramatically increasing online.

So as I searched through the many pages of results, the most common explanation for my hot flashes and headaches was menopause. It became blindingly obvious that the internet unsuccessfully diagnosed my condition as I am only 19 years old. 


People are no longer seeking advice from their local GP and are instead self diagnosing.
This is evident amongst people who are facing significant barriers accessing health advice through traditional methods (Bundorf 2006).

Bielenberg (2011) also raises the issue of self diagnosing on his blog this week.

While the internet may be an excellent source of information, it is important to recognise when you are in need of a professional opinion and not an anonymous persons guess.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Bennett, Gary and Russell E. Glasgow. 2009. “The Delivery of Public Health Interventions via the Internet: Actualizing their Potential.” Annual Review of Public Health 30 (1): 273-292.
  • Bielenberg, David. 2011. "Week 6 Entry." KCB206 Blog - Ramblings on New Media, April 10. Accessed April 10, 2011. http://n6333869.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-6-entry.html 
  • Bundorf, Kate M., Todd H. Wagner, Sara J. Singer, Laurence C. Baker. 2006. “Who Searches the Internet for Health Information?” Health Services Research 41 (3): 819-836.

Saturday 2 April 2011

How are we perceived on the Internet and New Media?


We put ourselves out on internet, for the world to see, on a daily basis. We have Facebook pages, twitter accounts, blogs and various other social media platforms which we use to express ourselves. 

However, is how we want to be perceived, actually how we are being perceived?  While I can’t answer how others see me, I can try to control how people perceive my online persona.

I would like to think that I come across much the same on the internet as I do in real life. My internet persona is very much an extension of myself; however, it isn’t all that I am. 

In this week’s readings, Deuze argues that our lives are lived in, rather than with, media and that we are living a media life (Deuze, 2011, p. 138).  I disagree, while some may be immersed in their ‘media lives’, most of us are able to differentiate between fiction and reality.

While we try to brand and create identities for ourselves on the internet, it is important to create a consistent persona across all forms of media. As Susan Leong said in her Week 5 Lecture, we have to question how we are perceived globally. To create a unified online presence you have be:

      Consistent across all new media platforms
      Consistent across all cultures
      Consistent across all facets of life   (Leong, 2011)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

  • Deuze, M. 2011. Media Life. In Media, Culture & Society, Volume 33, issue 1, pp. 137-148.
  • Leong, Susan. 2011. KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self & Beyond: Week 4 Lecture Notes. Accessed March 28, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au
  • Schontell, A. 2011. If You Look Like This, Your Pay Check Will Be Higher Than Average. In, Business Insider. Image. Accessed April 1st, 2011. http://www.businessinsider.com/if-you-have-any-of-these-20-physical-features-your-pay-check-will-probably-be-higher-2011-2

Monday 28 March 2011

Should Politicians be using social media sites?




Politicians: we see them everywhere, on the television, in newspapers and even on posters in the streets. While they have dominated traditional media, they are quickly moving their campaigns and expanding onto the internet. 

There have been many debates about this issue however; the most prevalent one is politicians creating false personas. Some politicians are using their Facebook and Twitter pages solely for campaigning and not connecting with their audience as they promised. 

I am completely against politicians using these sites as a form of advertising which is why I found it refreshing when I found a quote from the Mayor of Saint Louis in America, Francis Slay.

He said
"(Social media) allows me to give my thoughts on events and the complete text of my speeches (which) mainstream media might not cover" (Slay 2009).

Unlike other politicians who use their Facebook pages for grandstanding and promoting themselves, Slay uses his correctly by connecting with his audience. I think it is important for society to see the real sides of politicians and be given the opportunity to talk to their government official personally.  

In Jessica Monks blog, "New Media Musings", she gives an example of how Australian Politicians are using social media. 

“Knowledge is power” (Bacon 1597) and the more you are able to find out about a politician, the better informed you will be about them and their policies.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABCNews. 2010. “Social Networking Is Revolutionising Politics.” YouTube video, posted July 22, 2010. Accessed March 26, 2011.http//:www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DtTTB-Njgk&feature=related

Bacon, Francis. 1597. “Novum Organum”, Part I, Aphorism III. Boston: Taggard & Thompson, 1863, volume VIII,p.67-68 . Accessed March 25, 2011.

Monk, Jessica. 2011. "Social Media and the Queensland Floods." In New Media Musings. Accessed March 26, 2011. http://jessicamonkkcb206.blogspot.com/

Shirky, Clay. 2011. “The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change.” In Foreign Affairsedited by Clay Shirky, 28- 41. Ipswich: MA. Accessed March 26,2011.http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=c1df57a9-1ca1 adb7c7e88a0a5ff22d%40sessionmgr14&vid=1&id=19&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=56624549.

Slay, Francis. 2009. “Politicians Using Social Media To By-Pass Press Corps.” In
Media Shift. Accessed March 25, 2011.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/11/politicians-use-social-media-to-bypass-the-press-corps306.html


Saturday 19 March 2011

Are you going to pay for that?


Thanks to the internet, music, movies and other forms of media from all around the world are easily accessed by the click of a button. In relation to the iPod, Steven Levy wrote in his book:

“all
someone needs to do is scroll through your library on that click wheel, and, musically speaking, you’re naked.” 
(Levy, 2006)

Our music can say a lot about whom we are but where does all of it come from? Music piracy has become a major issue for the music industry and this has been contributed to the introduction of the internet. 

This has led to the music industry losing a substantial amount of profit. We all think that we aren’t making much of an impact by illegally downloading music but every download has a consequence. 



Bollywood, however, has managed to overcome these challenges and have continued to reap profits from their merchandise. 

Industry insiders estimate that as much as 33% of Indian film companies' revenues are lost to piracy each year… Now, two major Bollywood studios aim to change that by making films directly available, via download.” (Singh, 2008)

By doing this they have managed to decrease the amount of pirated videos and increase profits. Should the music industry consider taking the same kind of action? 





----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  • Levy, S. (2006). The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness, New York: Simon & Schuster, pp. 21-41. Accessed March 19, 2011. 
  • RIAA. (2011). For Students Doing Reports: March 19th, 2011. Accessed March 19, 2011. http://www.riaa.com/faq.php 
  • Singh, M. (2008).  Bollywood's Viral Video in Time International (Canada Edition), Vol. 171, Issue 14. Accessed March, 2011. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1713342,00.html 
  • Stahler. (2009). “ I’m a big fan. I’ve downloaded all your music files!”. Image. Accessed March 19, 2011. http://truefire.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/downloadingcomic.jpg

Saturday 12 March 2011

Who are you when you’re on the internet?

“Online, users can claim to be whoever they wish.” (Pearson, 2009)


In the physical world, one’s identity is formed by others perceptions/ observations and the reputation they have tried to create for themselves. The internet, however, allows people to change the very essence of who they are in order to satisfy their chosen audience.  This is most commonly accomplished by lying and creating false profiles on the internet.

Within this week’s reading,
All the World Wide Web's a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks, Erica Pearson describes web users as:

“actors playing a role, they can deliberately choose to put forth identity cues or claims of self that can closely resemble or wildly differ from reality.”
(Pearson, 2009).


Pearson also uses two main metaphors (The Glass Bedroom and Front/Back Stage) when discussing internet users.

She argues that when users are creating their online profile, they are able to change who they are and be perceived in a completely different way.

Donathan and Boyds reading, Public Displays of Connection, also discusses the issue of creating false identities on the internet. They also argue that

Identity deception is prevalent in the on-line world… On-line, identity is mutable” (Donathan & Boyd, 2004)

Both of these readings clearly examine the positive and negative aspects of creating an online persona.


----------------------------------------------------------------------

  • Donath, J. and Boyd, d. (2004). Public displays of connection.   BT Technology Journal , volume 22 (4): 71-82.  Accessed March 12, 2011.
  • Gutierrez, M. (2009). The Two Faces of Werro Flaco. Image. Accessed March 12, 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcgutierrez/3240567403/
  • Pearson, E. (2009). All the World Wide Web's a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks . First Monday, volume 14, Number 3. Accessed March 12, 2011.