By Shailee Mendelevich, Susan Ma, Cassie Huckstepp, Jessica Barton

Editor of British newspaper The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, brings much needed attention to the relationship “between governors and governed” (Rusbridger 2009, page 1). The article ‘A Chill on The Guardian,’ printed in The New York Review of Books, exemplifies the limitations that the British law of libel places on journalism. Both Tesco and The Guardian are used as examples by Rusbridger to voice public’s criticism against the ‘constricting’ government that tries to stifle free speech. Reading this article, it became clear that this was a story that posed many potential lessons for public relations practitioners, and especially students who could learn about the conflicts that exist in media and communications.

I found this article to be compelling because it raises questions and issues that challenges key players in the media and public relations domain, as well as their role as informants. Rusbridger’s thesis confronts media practitioners to assess whether there is “sufficient information in the public domain” (Rusbridger 2009, page 1) about current affairs, and the extent of the media’s role to engage the public “did anyone pay attention?”(Rusbridger 2009, page 1). Moreover, Rusbridger also explores the issues of defamation laws and their implications for “news organisations…[which are] increasingly inhibited by efforts of governmental officials and of private corporations to prevent them from protecting sources or carrying out difficult investigations” (Rusbridger 2009, page 1).

 Both of these issues have long term implications, and thus greatly affects future generation of public relations and journalism students, and their role as informants, especially in a world where public knowledge is potentially hindered by bureaucracy. Lastly, the legal ramifications described between The Guardian and Tesco in the article ‘A Chill on The Guardian’ further demonstrates an environment where each media student will have to continuously weigh up the advantages of reporting a story or ignoring it, in order to prevent unwanted attention for their clients or organisations.

Tesco is an interesting organisation in this article, because Rusbridger positions Tesco as the ‘big corporation’ that is stifling truth and freedom in a commercial world. They are the “governors” (Rusbridger 2009, page 1) who are “resorting to highly aggressive and expensive lawsuits…to discourage investigation of complex financial affairs at the very moment when most readers might expect more and better coverage of them” (Rusbridger 2009, page 2). This dichotomy explores the power relationship, as well as monetary concerns that often dictate the angle of stories.

 The article seems to suggest that Rusbridger has situated Tesco as the ‘aggressor’ in this controversy, because Tesco has involved lawyers and legal measures to dispute claims by The Guardian which have potentially affected Tesco’s public image. The catch-22 issue is that Tesco provided the newspaper with a letter from its tax advisors as well as answers to questions that The Guardian posed, but was not published in its fullest. However, the newspaper defends the mistakes it printed, with the logic that “few reporters have the training to disentangle…the information publicly available from company accounts” (Rusbridger 2009, page 3). Based on this issue of miscommunication and misinterpretation, public relations students can learn, and advise Tesco to provide legal resources to media practitioners in order to prevent future situations of libel and negative publicity.

The Guardian has actually suffered a loss of reputation due to the false allegations against Tesco’s tax avoidance scheme. The newspaper prepared a crisis management plan through Editor Rusbridger’s article, explaining the situation to its readers. This is an important step in terms of public relations management because it highlights the flaws of financial journalism to the public. Other lessons gained from this article were the disadvantages that journalists have to face when writing about convoluted legal situations, and the depth of legal protection for newspapers “there is no constitutional protection for free speech” (Rusbridger 2009, page 5). Moreover, it is the responsibility for defendants to prove their innocence or be found guilty.

This double-standard questions the role of other stakeholders such as readers and financial institutions, and their duty to provide assistance or at least a palpable demand for these news stories. The public relations issue is for an active response, to pressure legal institutions for better protection of media practitioners in relations to unintentional libel because they didn’t have resources to better equip themselves with knowledge of one company’s complex tax system.

As Rusbridger concluded, “few would argue with a newspaper’s right to examine such matters, or a company’ right to be fairly reported” (Rusbridger 2009, page 7). These are the issues that confront public relation students who will receive more scrutiny as regulations increase in their field. ___________________________________________________________________________________________

 References: Rusbridger, A., 2009, A Chill on ‘The Guardian’ ,The New York Review of Books, Vol 56, Number 1, January 15 2009

Nigel Fairclough’s- ” Critical Analysis of Media Discourse”

This weeks reading explores Nigel Fairclough’s critical analysis of language, semiotic representation and the exercise of power in association to what they valuably portray. He’s theories surround the concept of discourse and Fairlough draws references to the spoken and written examples of language to further include the variety of their various types of semiotic activity such as verbal images and non-verbal communication.

He’s understanding of discourse, sets out the a framework of the recent social theory that has produced important insights into the social nature of language and how it functions contemporary societies. Social theorists have tended to understand these insights in abstract forms, and Faircloughs interpretation can be understood from many different angles. Firstly he explores the analysis of communicative events, text formation, representation, discourse practice and then its socio cultural practice. He also mentions the social identity, social relations and systems of knowledge which again draws parallels to previous media subjects e.g. semiotics in media, and the way signs have a variety of meanings that shape our identities and our individual experiences so to does discourse and the way it is presented, represented and understood by the audiences it attracts.

“Language is socially shaped and also socially shaping”. (Fairclough p.55) He’s further research examines the analysis of the order of discourse, in which looks at the configuration ad construction of discourse concerning also, genre, and the shifts and relationships touching on the significance on discourse and its association externally and internally.

“ An obvious external aspect of choice relations is the public-colloquial nature of the style-indicative of a redrawing of boundaries between (external) public and private orders of discourse within the media order of discourse to produce this hybrid style.”

Fairclough goes further to interpret different forms of external driven text, and how it can shape the way individuals see specific events, actions or others.

In contemporary society, discourse withholds an immense power through individual interpretation. With a large extent of diversity within the Australian culture, one word can have various meanings between different people and effect the way media situates a text, or broadcasts the understanding of its substance.

So basically discourse can be greatly emphasized to produce attention and desire from audiences, to the extent where consumers have the ability to choose what they believe to be honest and true aspects of the discourse, Discourse is significant part of our every day lives and Fairclough makes example that it is the “the social nature of language and how it functions in contemporary society”. (Fairclough p.53)

Overall Discourse in our Everyday life is explored through variable forms in the media and is firmly centered around the way in which the media shapes and manipulates to target audiences into believing meticulous and conceived notions of discourse. I found this reading hard to comprehend although at times, I also found that discourse as a concept could be related easily to other media concepts that I have previously looked into, particularly the study of semiotics, and even to the extent of networking and mobile media, they all impact greatly the way we centre ourselves around various activities to grossly influence the way we perceive and understand our every day lives.

Bibliography:

 From the reading, Fairdough, N. 1995, “Media Discourse”, Critical Analysis of Media Discourse, London; Arnold p. 53-74

Idenity- Jessica Elle Barton

Student Number- z3289119

Course Class- Arts1090 , Media Culture an Everyday Life

Signs and meaning

In this weeks reading Schirato & Yell explore the relationships between signs and meanings, and how they prominently contribute to more profound understanding of the media. Shirato and Yell begins this reading with a statement that ‘Meanings are not just ‘out there’ waiting to be identified or discovered, but are ‘read into’ signs’. The reading went on to explain the similarity in opinion of matter, what is presumed to mean something may mean another to perhaps someone else.

Semiotics, the study of signs and their use or interpretation that is constructed by them in their social and cultural political etc ( other) contexts, initially a well developed method illustrated by Ferdinand de Saussure. Sassure provides an insight into his own interpretation on meaning, ‘meaning is produced through language systems based on a notion of difference rather than identity’ Sassure goes on to define language systems and their relation to three general aspects, the sign, the signified and the signifier. Each aspect has its own way to clarify the purpose of its objectivity. The signifier was defined as the physical formation of the sign, how it was visually represented in the moment, The signified was basic concepts and ideas that were evoked, and thirdly the sign was the interaction and relationship that was aroused between both the signifier and the signified. He’s break down in the three aspects of meaning allows a more profound intellectual understanding of how meaning can be interpreted from different audiences.

For Sassure the sign is the product of an arbitrary relationship between the signifier and the signified, an example of this is in the reading and states that the signifier of the word “ tree” and the concept of “ tree” when put together constitute a sign.

Personally I believe that the signifier and the signified can draw a kaleidoscopic array of opinions, depending on the audience interpreting it.  It becomes such a complex process of analyzing and interpreting that it is almost impossible for every individual to interpret the same meaning of the particular sign.

Sassures theories go into a lot of depth and he considers many analogies, one in which he illustrates that there are no natural concepts that automatically and naturally attach themselves to the signifier.

Personally I found the article quite hard to comprehend at times; I was at constant struggle to understand the profound view of the simple concepts being addressed. I understood the intention of the reading and it’s meaning seemed quite clear, but Sassures theories were quite hard to grasp in my first read, it was only after much deliberation and persistence, that I came to understand his simple idea could be analysed in various ways.

In contrast to Sassures ideas about meaning V.N Volosinov (a Marxist linguist) Criticizes Sassures original opinion that “languages were idealized which eventually edited out questions of language practice”.

His views turned Sassures major notions upside down; a he reinterpreted a new analysis of the concept of his ideas. Firstly Volosinov makes a strong point that there couldn’t be such a thing as a perfect, autonomous, semiotic system, since the system was constantly in use and thus constantly changing, it could never be the same itself. Volosinov wet on to contribute his ideologies on the matter and this prompted his three propositions, stating, that one; signs are adaptable and changeable, two; words- signifiers have a history of meanings and that three; the meanings that are read into signifiers and the meanings activated from a variety of potential meanings, depend on the particular concept.

This Much debated controversy over the meaning of meaning, signs and how we are to interpret them continued as the reading progressed, Personally Saussure’s ideas about meaning are very one sided, as he believes the relationship between the creation of the meaning and the meaning itself to be arbitrary. Personally I think that Volosinov makes a good example when he illustrates that the signifier has a history of meanings, I understood his views much more clearly then that of Sassure.

In conclusion to the reading, I understand now that the media must has profound influence on the meanings we associate with our language and words, and that our possible idea of a word may be a reflection of media interpretation instead of individual comprehension. Overall an interesting reading that had immense impact on the way I understand human language and the media in our every day life.

 Bibliography:

Schirato, T. and Yell, S. “: Signs and Meaning.” Communication and Cultural Literacy: An Introduction. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2000, 18-33

Idenity- Jessica Elle Barton

Student Number- z3289119

Course Class- Arts1090 , Media Culture an Everyday Life

In this weeks reading Nick Coudry raises interesting ideas about ‘the media audience’ and differentiates between the notion of the ‘diffused’ audience and an ‘extended’ audience. Couldry also illustratesthe power between media institutions and members of the media audiences by underpinning not only Abercrombie and Longhurst’s diffused’ audience concept, buttheir notion of the reduced power media institutions as they dominate and control contemporary audiences.

In reading my peers blogs and trying to understand their personal comprehensive outlook on audience types it became relatively obvious that we were making fine examples out of couldrys notion of audience. Here we are diffused, operating a computer network to generate a university blog that illustrates the conception of diffused media audience using numerous technologies to engage as separate individuals… somewhat ironic wouldn’t you think.

From the reading, my own perception of these various audience types was that ‘diffused’ audiences were the audiences that no longer shared an experience as a ‘mass’ experience, but one which was personal and implanted in the individuals cultural and social identity of technological consumption. According to Abercrombie and Longhurst, the idea of “diffused audiences” is the final stage of development. Audiences have been present in society long before the media age, in earlier years audiences may have shared a mass comprehension in engaging in books theatre and sport. Although this type of audience is not as prominent in our modern society, as a result of the extreme technological and media advancement, it still somewhat exists on an occasional basis.

A characteristic of the diffused audience is that it has the ability to expand and extend further from the act of sitting down, and this is significant to audiences, as mobility is often a customary desire for consumers, having accessibility, convenience with these new advanced hands free portable devices allow an immense engagement from individuals. It also allows the diffused audience to exist in doubled spaces. As a result of the over excessive amount of media usage , life for many individuals has become so intimately connected that now many individuals are taking on the mentality of an audience, unconsciously.

Another audience type explored was that of the extended Audience, a particular kind of audience that can be described as “permanently connected to one electronic medium or another”. Extended audiences are engaged through the physically aspects of reality, weather that be talk, action or thought anything that draws on media, or is oriented around media.’ The extended audience allows us to gain a greater intellectual understanding of the relationships that are constructed and that become an essential component in contemporary media culture.

In this crazy world of frequent technological consumption, communication has become accessible and increasingly complex to maintain. Technology is just one example of how we as a society can categories and collect audiences to technology not based on their high frequent use of technological forms but rather the evolving cycle of convergence, connecting both present and past forms of media together to engage audience types. E.g. listening to the radio on the computer, playing and reacting to touch screen applications and games on the mobile device etc…

Couldry believes media institution’s power have “not disappeared [but] indeed, they continue to emerge in new forms”. He then goes on to conclude his research by stating that the “challenge to audience research is to keep up with those changes” , this draws parallels with Virginia Nightingale’s notion of convergence, and the individual desire to constantly upgrade in forms of media technology. Furthermore through all the various mediums that consume individual every day life ,it is interesting to see how audiences have changed as a result of digital and virtual technological consumerism that is constantly connecting and engaging individuals to a network; altering the way in which we go about our every day life.

Bibliography:

Couldry, Nick,. “The Extended Audience: Scanning the Horizon.” In Gillespie, Marie. Ed. Media Audiences. Berkshre: Open University Press, 2005, 184-196 & 210-220.

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism

Media Culture and Every Day life Arts1090 tutorial M14 (9:30 am- 11:00 am)

Student Number: z3289119

A theoretical Blueprint, From The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Networks are said to constitute the fundamental patterns of our every day life and how we are able to interact with others. In this weeks reading Castell explores the relationship between the power of networks and the social development from historical and cultural perspectives, thus making prominent the significance of our network society. Castell also illustrates that the networks, which comprise of information and communication technologies are fundamental to the organization of individual patterns and contemporary social life.

Amongst his research Castell identifies three important features that form to constitute a competent network society, these are, flexibility, scalability, and survivability. Firstly Flexibility can be defined as the ability to adapt to changes amongst our society and network community; then to put it quite simply, scalability is the process of changing in size with little obstruction; and lastly survivability is the ability to endure any damage associated to network pattern e.g. a possible virus to a computer generated network society.

“The network is a pattern that is common to all life. Wherever we see life, we see networks” Fitsjof Capra expresses his notion of networking and its place in society. This quote was one which changed my whole outlook on how networks worked and evolved. At first when we explored the notion of networks, I instinctively thought that the concept of network was associated solely within the media, as a flow of information through computer systems or various media functionings, But as the lecture continued It became alarmingly clear that my whole existence was functioned around this networking society, through aspects of my macro and micro every day life.

Castells previous studies revolve around his notion that networks were an extension of power centralized at the top like in a hierarchal state. But as the evolution of communication technologies has occurred and advanced over time, so to has the ability of networks to make comparative independence of the power centers in the process of our social structure, like I have mentioned previously, three important features of networks ‘flexibility, scalability and survivability’ enable individuals to interact anywhere and anytime. To comprehend the nature of social structure efficiently it is most important that we understand it as “the organizational arrangements of humans in relations of production, consumption, reproduction, experience, and power expressed in meaningful communication coded by culture.”

The structuring of an individual every day life can be influenced by various elements some that may separate social formation, others that may combine and re alter social groups. Castell also explores this notion of organization through communication, referring to communication as a network, which many individuals are relatable. “The culture of the global network society is …not…of shared values, but of sharing values of communication” (Castells 2005, p.39). Castell proposes that our societies cultural diversity makes it quite difficult for people to relate to other persons within society as there are various barriers and social factors like race, religion, class and so on that affect the we think and act, which make assimilation quite difficult to obtain, however through networking this assimilation can be achieved through the connected pattern of communication.

Overall this weeks reading has explored a well-developed insight and definition into the world of networking. Castell’s investigation has given a great depth into my own personal comprehension of how networks and their nature are fundamental to the advancement of human interaction and contemporary social life.

Bibliography:

All quotes from- Castells, M. Excerpts from “Informationalism, Networks, and the Network Society: A theoretical Blueprint” From The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, pgs 3-7 & 36-45

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism Media Culture and Every Day life!

Arts1090 tutorial M14 (9:30 am- 11:00 am)

Student Number: z3289119

Mobile Media

This week Clara Volker and Mizuko Ito discuss the spatial integration between the physical and the digital spaces in everyday life. With a greater focus on Ito’s understanding, I have focused on his reading with a more profound understanding of the effects of mobile technology.Ito introduces new meaning to the mobile craze immersed in the Japanese youth by examining the role of mobile technology in the Japanese culture; Ito has discovered adolescent’s greater accessibility in maintaining a level of power.

As a direct result of the mobile medias constant addictive nature, new social groups form and encourage teenagers the obligation of consistently staying connected amongst one another. Teenage emotion and association is drawn through mobile connectivity, and in Japanese contemporary times, this is just another typical social norm.

For individuals, mobile phones are an easy and accessible way of staying connected over space and over time. There are no restrictions to the intolerable media mobile networking; individuals have less responsibility in their maintenance of social relationships  (substituting the physical with the virtual), as there are no boundaries in traveling across distance or constantly moving over geographical location. The” mobile network” present individuals with a basic secondary virtual life- like co existing in separate worlds.

Mizuko Ito’s reading also addresses the cell phones affects on public and private everyday life and the way that they create routine “a perpetual pattern” in individual every day life. His ideas relate closely to the notion of “dailyness”, – time being a most important advocate, affecting the perpetual cycle of everyday existence. This daily service has become a reliable deliverance, and is desired because of its “certainty”. Amongst the Japanese youth society, mobile media is an addictive perpetual desire in maintaining correspondence with friendship groups and controlling social environments.

Ito also illustrates the way mobile usage affects private and public space. It seems that as our culture has adapted to the frequent integration of mobile users, it has also reflected on the values and manners still aroused by society “ turning off mobile phones for a cinema/ theatrical experience” these brief encounters disables users from their mobile connection and interrupts the routine ion their daily lifestyle. So indeed as a result from this mobile craze, public life has dramatically changed in the way it associates with social confrontations and intertwining the context of users private life into the public domain.

Another concept to explore is that mobile users have very little opportunities in stimulating their own private space; Mobile mediums form us into a state of disembodiment where we now participate in the virtual realms of space – unconsciously. Updated modes of media can also be transported, in where individuals update interests for personal enjoyment: for example; feeds on Mysplace, and facebook further emphasize the notion that we are not alone in sharing digital space and that carriers have various dimensions to explore which holds constant social communication.

Issues that address concern in Mizuko Ito reading is the frequent high use of mobile devices, contributing to total disembodiment, actively partaking and conversing free of physical interaction. (Losing face-to-face experience). The mobile phone has also become an implement of adolescent group acceptance, using mobile devices to stay in tune with group updates, etc. Ito illustrates the way in which integrity of existing social structures has collapsed due to this high frequency use of mobile phones.

I believe Mizuko intention is to examine and analyze the way in which mobile networking and general use of mobile connectedness, allows teenagers to be apart of a high technological cultured society, with various possibilities at finger tip length.

Although both readings examine the worlds of physical and virtual space, Ito’s exploration of Japanese culture, in my opinion allows quite a scary discovery of mobile effects implanted in our society.

Bibliography:

  Readings-

Volker, Clara. “Mobile Media and Space” In Goggin, Gerard and Larissa Hjorth, Eds. Mobile Media 2007. Sydney: Sydney University Press, 2007, 135-142.

Ito, Mizuko. “Mobile Phones, Japanese Youth, and the Replacement of Social Contact.” In Ling, Rich and Pedersen, Per, Eds. Mobile Communications: Re-negotiation of the Social Sphere. London: Springer-Verlag, 2005, 131-148

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism Media Culture and Every Day life!

Arts1090 tutorial M14 (9:30 am- 11:00 am)

The doubling of Place; Shaun Moores (Week 4)

Electronic media, time-space arrangements and social relationships.

This weeks media interpretation by Shaun Moores introduces us to the overt ability of media utilization to transform space into a connective atmosphere for individuals, referred to as the“ Doubling of Place.”

This simple term can elucidate, the way individuals manage time, and arrange their social engagements, as it serves a “double reality”. “Doubling of Place” can be understood as it allows persons two ways of viewing and communicating public affairs, media programs and specified events that are initially conveyed through two different spaces, the place of the actual occurrence and then the place where media forms deliver it to be either heard or seen. The idea that events are transmitted from a particular moment and space in time to various media technologies in which becomes accessible to limitless individuals.

Through this virtual instantaneous transmission, Moore explores the idea of media technologies delivering various abilities regardless of spatial distance.

 The doubling of space, allows viewers to feel a connectedness to the event as it removes an aspect of distance, and replaces it with associations of closeness. Another notion that Moore’s explores is suspension of scheduled time; an interruption of routine is usually a result of the “Doubling of Place.’’

Shaun Moores also draws reference to Scannell’s approaches of Dailiness stating that “ Dailiness is the essential key in organising people, as broadcasters provide routine in which allows individuals to centre formation around reliable and predictable aspects of their day.” The television or any media form creates for viewers something of experience in the comfort of their private domestic living room. It enables viewers the opportunity to share relationships and opinions with broadcasting programs, and connects family space and family time with the occurrence of the program broadcast.  

Lori Kendall’s approaches are also explored as she introduces the notion of offline and online activity’s. These interactions, using numerous media technologies simultaneously provide social connectedness and interaction. Kendall describes this experience as “mudding” a term created to elucidate the way individuals employs various technologies all at one time. For example; watching the television whilst using msn messenger and social networking websites to interact with other persons on the Internet. The media activities are able to transform relationships and space, by producing simple and easy accessibility. There is also the idea that engaging profoundly and utilizing media technologies to compensate the physical reality, one has no response to outside physical environment besides through the utilized media forms “although the mud provides for me a feeling of being in a place, that place in some sense overlays the physical place in which my body resides” (Kendell page 27).

Social behaviour and identity is another aspect transformed through the media technologies, and while physically engaging in certain events may have more of an impact on the individual, online interaction can also impact the way social networks and other persons view ones status and social class.

Construction of identity can distinguish connections made through online networks and web interaction. Having the ability to write particular text descriptions allows one to differentiate between other users and creates their own space and relationships based on the information communicated. These ideas are well developed and explored by Sherry Turkle who conveys the possibilities of participants to break free from their existing physical limitations and create a unique figure to communicate through.

Those who participate in communicated and utilizing various media technologies display that there bodies reside in separate physical locations, and are comfortable in this mindless reaction. Many prominent ideas are illustrated around the revolving of dailiness and routine structure that drives individual dependence to further their use with media forms.

Moores explores that place and these various media forms that acquisitively consume and control our everyday life can further pluralize the experiences of space and time .

Bibliograpghy:

·      Scannell, P. “Dailiness” In Radio, Television and Modern Life. Blackwell,London 1996, 144-178

·      Moores, Shaun. “ The Doubling of Place”: Electronic Media, Time-Space Arrangments and Social Relationships. “In Couldry, Nick ad McCarthey, Anna, Eds. Mediaspace: Place, Scale and Culture in a Media Age. Routledge, 2004, 21-37.

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism Media Culture and Every Day life!

Arts1090 tutorial M14 (9:30 am- 11:00 am)

Through Routinization individuals can independently rely on media forms to structure there day to day life. This daily service has become a reliable deliverance, and is desired because of its “certainty”. Then notion of certainty has become more desired over time, as new technologies have increased the ability for individual accessibility. Another key aim that Scannell demonstrates is the way time affects media and the quality of media produced. News media is produced and distributed at a speed in which then transforms the way we value and appreciate its worth over time, weather it be a newspaper, television, radio programs, each will have its own unique way of interpreting the information data and then transmitting frequent alerts to certain audiences in society.

By broadcasting through media forms, society has based a profound reliance on issued programs and the time they are shown. News broadcasting programs more then often assign particular time to the headline “ News at ten” and “5:00 news”. These Television shows/ programs are broadcasted strategically with the direct intention of airing when it is convenient for their audiences. The perception of time, regarding our daily, monthly, and annual routines has changed as a result of this strategic broadcasting. Scannell explores the notion of time to also show how care structures are used to create these routines.

As a result of new technological forms, our culture has accepted technology more closely into our daily lives, allowing the frequencies of new media to produce at a faster rate. Broadcasting as a daily service, is uninterrupted, constant and perpetual.It has the ability to be accessed globally allowing a common ground and familiarity to grow between individuals and cultures.

Without the common transmit of media forms cultures and people may have trouble relating to one another and way they view world events. Society has become familiarized with independent media forms placing time segments throughout daily programs, allowing punctuated rhythms to form by reoccurring events thus overall altering time management of individual every day life.

Bibliograpghy:

Scannell, P.”Dailiness” In Radio,Television and modern Life. Blackwell,  London, 1996, 144-178

. Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism Media Culture and Every Day life!

Arts1090 tutorial M14 (9:30 am- 11:00 am)

Your perceptions of the role of journalism?

Your practices as a consumer of Journalism?

The role of Journalism, from my own personal perspective, is a role that must be upheld with a high degree of accuracy.  It must always maintain proper ethical conduct and be able to construct compelling stories that are based on evidentiary support. The way I have always interpreted the role of a journalist, is as a highly professional member in society that carries importance in delivering efficient and current news/ interesting information to the whole of society. Weather it be writing, reading; interpreting etc. the role of a journalist should be always honest and just.

My practices as a consumer of journalism include a particular interest in investigative journalism, I enjoy reading and hearing about cases that have historical basis. I also enjoy the Abc’s 7.30 report as it delivers, fast and unbiased news and is not flooded with advertisements. I also find that the 7:30 report doesn’t include innumerable “human interest” stories ,(although I admittedly enjoy watching 60 minutes, and I do confess to observing the occasional A current affair program as I am quite enjoy the entertainment and do luxuriate myself with these human interest affairs,) sometimes I quite like a direct approach to straight forward news, and the7: 30 report seems  bring perpetual deliverance and a sturdy focus on foreign affairs and is not driven by rate ins.

Another way I access news media is through an American website which allows a more global perspective; http://www.slate.com/, slate is an American newspaper in which comprises of general news affairs, politics etc., The Australian newspapers I have access to, currently include the Sydney morning herald, I much rather enjoy the herald as opposed to many other Australian newspapers and only on the occasional basis I flick through the Australian. I currently don’t use any language tools to digest news information; I find the direct content of the news quite straight forward. If there were any news jargon that I find particularly hard to comprehend, I would refer to wikepedia or the new oxford American dictionary accessible on my computer.

Meeting deadlines is something that I honestly do enjoy. I would prefer having deadlines set then drudging along at whatever pace my heart desired. Deadlines are challenging and are a way to use organizational strategy. Having assessments due at specific dates, make good use of my time in a productive way, and I enjoy meeting deadlines, as I feel accomplished and satisfied with my achievements.

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism

Communication Contexts and Practices! MDIA1002 tutorial, Robert Webster Building

Thursday 1.00pm-2:00pm ,H13A

Domesticating, Domestication (Reflections on the life of a concept)

Roger Silverstone

Roger Silverstone’s approach to domestication widely acknowledges the way technology has become integrated into the social and cultural process of the home.

To understand this concept on a more profound level, I considered a series of dictionary definitions to where I found the similar break down in depictions stating ’the process whereby a population of living things becomes accustomed to a controlled environment …”

Becoming accustomed to certain technological routine perpetuates desirable comfort. Considering that most individuals use technology as a central figure in communicating and gathering information, this comfort is increasingly essential in domesticating and transforming social interest and trend, Technological advancement has certainly changed the way family’s situate their environments and customize their basic needs, wants and desires; for example the advertising industry finds technology to be a crucial medium by maintaining high growth of customer attention and interest, allowing consumer possession to rise.

 New consumer products have emerged to assist in the reconfiguring of the domestic space. Family routine revolves around many technological figures but in particular, the television as a central basis.

Television is an apparent agent explored through Silverstone’s theories of ritualised action in a family’s repetitive aspects of culture. . Most commonly desired for the televisions visual representation of media, the television targets specific audiences to feed appealing genres, and incorporates heterogeneous characters displayed in the comfort and style of the family household. Early television programs mirrored the domestic context in time.

The introduction of the television rapidly modified the discourse of Australian media and the ways in which it was interpreted.

Domestication within technology and everyday life reflects social order and routine. Silverstone’s research shows various dimensions to domestication and the large role media technologies play within the household. He not only explores the interrelationships between technology and bodies, but also through technologies impact on society and how social control may be achieved by technological consumption.

 House structures have changed immensely since the introduction of television, not to mention open play living and larger living rooms becoming introduced into many traditional homes. It was the transformation of the home from a space of production into a passive and obedient domain. Many house plans developed and became accustomed to various technologies and how they would be situated to incorporate the new lifestyle.

Silverstone’s research on media technologies, prove to also unravel an understanding of the moral economy of the household. The development of the home maker and the breadwinner; Ideas conveyed through television delegated programs, allowed society new perceptions of what was acceptable and how gender roles could behave. The image of female and male gendered roles has progressed significantly as a result of good and bad media attention. Various family units that were once traditional became accustomed to a new lifestyle.

We see domestication as a process in whereby social behavior and public reaction alter Socially instituted ways of thinking, writing and talking. Social values of the society and structured power are reflected through the traditional family unit adapting and changing to contemporary technologies.

Mike Michael explores similar notions related to Silverstone’s domestication concepts. He refers to two agents throughout his research incorporating the power that each consumes and their reaction to and against one another. The couch potato and remote control similarly show the profound effects of television internally and externally.

The Couch potato is a social term to describe an addictive nature in individual consumption of technology. A couch potato is viewed poorly by society, as it shows an addictive state of mind and over indulgence in comfort. This behaviour is highly scrutinized by society; this idea then places assumptions about the value of television and how we should regulate our relationship with the medium. Self-regulating our own behaviour is important in creating consistence in media consumption.

Similar notions of power struggle between the individual and technology is seen also through Michael’s adaption of the remote control. The remote control is an alternate authority figure and in most ways defines the household hierarchy. Which gender is more prominent can be seen in the domestic space through possessor of this control.

In Traditional families unit, the Father’s ability to control the flow of information is most usual. He’s control maintains family’s usage of television as a technology. To whatever figure may be dominant in the family, the authoritarian will view programs in which flow certain types of information.

Both Silverstone and Michael explore technology and the integration of individuals with it.  Through domestication we have a greater intellectual understanding of how technology affects us  in multiple and complex processes, Shifting and maniplulating the way we think about domestic life, into a broader ideology.

Bibliography

·      Silverstone, Roger. “Domesticating Domestication. Reflections on the life of a concept.” In Berker, Thomas, et al, Eds. Domestication of media and Technology. Berkshire, UK:Open University Press, 2006,229-248.

·      Micheal, Mike. Disciplined and disciplining co (a) gents: The remote control and the couch potato.” In reconnecting culture, technology and nature: From society to heterogeneity. London: Routledge, 2000,96-116

Identity: Jessica Elle Barton

Enrolled Course: B Media in Communications and Journalism

Media Culture and Every Day life! Arts1090 tutorial M14 9:30 am- 11:00 am