BCM110: Public Sphere

Public sphere basically means a space or an arena where people discuss about topics that concern them. This space allows people to express themselves as well as share issues which separate from the official economy and government. During the 18th century, it was coffee house where people go to for news and updates as technology was still absent. Whereas in the 21st century, media is used as a platform to debate issues.

“Jurgen Habermas and the Public Sphere”

Then :

Image by: Duke University Archives (http://tinyurl.com/lhp7jot)

Image by: Jim Surkamp (http://tinyurl.com/nh3da66)

Now :

Image by: John Kroll (http://tinyurl.com/nmwgrca)

Image by: Cydcor Offices (http://tinyurl.com/p8jwad3)

Image by: Deb Nystrom (https://www.flickr.com/photos/stella12/5396144738)

The way we discuss topics that concern us are very much different as compared to the olden days. Social media platforms and online discussion forums have become significant and prime as the role of a mediated public’s sphere. But these ways have been manifested to be a tad informal and insubstantial to deliberate about serious issues that exist within the society and world. People may look at the issues in a light manner so there is no strong ground in that particular mediated public’s sphere. However, there are many television shows that act as a mediated public sphere and one of it is South Park .

Image from : http://tinyurl.com/m3z7l25

South Park is a well-known American adult sitcom that was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone which started with comedy shorts back in the 1992 and 1995. It became really famed because of its humors and dark jokes. The contents are usually adult-appropriate and not precisely suitable for children of young age. To be more exact, adults would understand the hidden meanings and insults in the show instead of children. This comical television series displays and portrays the current affairs in our society socially and politically.

There is an episode of South Park which was aired a week before the presidential election of 2004. Though it is through a cartoon series, it practically trivialized the situations America was facing at that time. Did it raise awareness and brought up discussions among the nation ? Stan (a character in South Park) was shown to be uninterested in voting so it created a warlike commotion from everyone around him in South Park. He soon was deported and then realizes the weight and importance of voting for his country’s sake. This episode focused on a political issue that undoubtedly exists in the society circle.

The reactions and responses about the 2004 election through South Park :

This comedy television series also promulgates the different genres of people that exist. Though the way they bring it may be a little offensive yet accurate, it centralizes the topic as a mediated public’s sphere. In an episode, they introduced “Goths” a group of people who wear dark clothing, dark make up and portrays a dark image everywhere they go including the way the speak and the music they listen to. In reality, this group of people do exist but is South Park trying to crack a joke out of it? On a more social aspect, they portray the different types of people that exist in our society today.

South Park reaches out to the audience through hilarious states of humor but also causing awareness about the issues that are present in the current social circle. How would the public react towards it? Nevertheless it points out the problems and might influence and impact the minds within the public’s sphere.

References:

– Johnathan Gray, 2009, ‘Satire TV’, New York University Press

– Lecture 5, Myth Busting: Big Brother Is Watching You, BCM110: Introduction to Communication and Media Studies, University of Wollongong, Australia

-Rutherford, Paul. Endless Propaganda: The Advertising of Public Goods. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.

BCM110: Semiotics

Denotation : It is a picture of Cinderella dancing with the prince. Cinderella is in a blue dress while the prince is in a white suit. Many people are surrounding them. It shows that this is a royal and formal event.

Connotation : Cinderella and the prince is showing a symbol of poise and grace. They are so mesmerized in each other’s eyes and it shows connection and bond. She also looks rather nervous and a little tensed. The people around them are amused and entertained with their dance as they show smiley and happy faces. Romance and charm is portrayed in the picture. The white tuxedo coat that the prince is wearing signifies goodness, cleanliness, perfection and purity. The long blue dress on Cinderella somewhat touches on the elements of tranquility, calmness, confidence and angelic. These are categorized as positive connotation.

The ideology of the olden and classical days as portrayed in Cinderella’s picture was the time where people thought that royalty and riches means you will be looked up to in the society. They have this common thinking that if you are from a wealthy royal family, you will be respected by the society. As relates to the picture above, it shows Cinderella and the prince dancing at the ball which is normally envied and fantasized by many ladies at that point of time. People used to think that being acknowledged and invited to a grand ball event means posh, fancy and glorious. Their mindset used to be all about living in the palace, marrying a person who is from a wealthy family and also ruling the kingdom. It is considered as narrow because they do not really look at other factors like a genuine heart and a clear conscience. Of course only a few would but the ideology that they had was all power and royalty. Besides that, people in the olden days can accept marrying someone they only met for a day. Whereas for now, you would be labelled as ridiculous or illiterate if we marry someone we met for only a day.

The social classes during the medieval times were very much distinctive and strictly separated. Their lives are tied with the Feudal System pyramid. The royals were categorized as the cherry on top of all social classes. The king is known as the most powerful person with the highest authority over anything such as land. The land was granted by the king to his nobles with the agreement that they promise to serve the king regardless of conditions. Any political or economical decisions are made by the king with assistance from his fellow grand dukes and barons.

However, the peasants and commoners are placed at the lowest rank of the pyramid-shaped Feudal System. Theoretically, they are laborers and servants who have little financial means and most of the time no authority over the lands they stand on. The upper classes would label them as uneducated, coarse, and unsophisticated so there would usually be a big gap between them. Peasantry wasn’t bothered to be taken care of because the upper classes think that the lower classes deserve to be where they are.

Their ideology and our ideology is very much difference because of the generation and time gap. Things they used to think back then, might not matter now. Things that matter now, might not be what they used to think.

“Social classes in the middle ages” (http://www.thefinertimes.com/middle-ages/social-classes-in-the-middle-ages.html)

BCM 110: Does it matter who owns the media?

Media ownership basically means a big organization having the authority or control over several media companies. For instance, The Walt Disney Company owns Marvel Entertainment, Hollywood Records, Disney Global Book Group and so much more. The media giants nowadays are so huge that they have taken over a diversity of different media services to reach out and satisfy the viewers or customers. These media conglomerates objectives are to gain more profit and viewership. Monopolizing the smaller media companies corrodes the business competition among them. As an alternative, they merge to become something bigger and share their resources.

“Who Owns What?” ( http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php )

The advancement and power of these media giants has changed and inflicted some issues in our society. The dominance of these media giants has made them more powerful and larger than ever. What are the effects towards the micro-environment and macro-environment of the media company?

Firstly, it has caused the erosion of journalism. In our newspapers today, it is found that there is more soft news compared to hard news. Reason being that it is easier to hire someone to babble about a celebrity than a professional and qualified journalist. This has made the up-skilled journalists to lose their objective and efficiency in their job scope. For instance, a company who owns a few newspapers publishes the same information and data for that few newspapers. Same thing could happen across several radio stations or magazines. This is commonly known as cheap journalism. Cost savvy and convenience is what the media companies look for today. It appears to be more profitable and easier to branch out. They print more pictures and celebrity gossips instead of bulletins of issues of our surroundings and everyday lives. In fact, there are more than what meets the eye because what we have in sight is just the surface. The journalists are highly affected at this point when media giants have taken over the media platform companies.

Image by : Ophelia Noor ( http://tinyurl.com/km9urzg )

Image by : International Transport Forum ( http://tinyurl.com/lekecn6 )

Besides that, diversity of views is also affected in a negative way. Perspectives and viewpoints are limited and lessen as it is threatened by media consolidation. Important issues and bulletins that we perceive in the media are restricted and insubstantial as it is controlled strictly. We may only get one version of the news or one sided perspectives if these media giants get too powerful and out of hand. Issues that matter can be hidden and different views can be silenced or ignored. Instead, entertained is focused on more as it is said to be more profitable. It is due to the money-minded and fame-minded perceptions of these media giants. Cloning and propagation of information becomes visible across magazine or newspapers that are possessed by a large media organization.

In conclusion, consolidation of media should be managed properly to prevent the continuation of these problems in the long run as it will have an effect on the people associated with the media conglomerates. Neutrality and balance in the information published through whichever medium should be practiced.

“Ownership and control of the media” ( http://www.revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/sociology/mass-media-0/ownership-and-control-media )

BCM112: Open platforms vs. Closed platforms

If you are using a technological device in the 21st century, whether it’s a smartphone or a music player, there’s no doubt that it is categorized and separated into open platforms and closed platforms. Closed platforms like Apple, only allows it’s users to download software or applications that are authorized by the operating system’s creator. It is tight in the sense of security but the usability is highly trusted and qualified. On the other hand, open platforms like Android, allows its users to install applications outside the wall of their application store. It’s a privilege given to its users to have more flexibility and freedom to operate in any way they want it to be. It may cause a lot of unwanted issues due to it’s unbarred system.

The tightly controlled platforms such as Apple has been rising and gaining customers who prefer their guaranteed security, smooth software flow, and consistent quality control. Even though it is a closed platform, it provides its customers everything they ever needed and a better user experience. The features they have may not be comparable to the open platforms such as Android because they focus on the customer experience more as they improvise on it every year. Any hardware of theirs whether its the iPad, MAC, iPhone, or iPad, their promise to the customers is to experience a more advanced and better functionality device. They do not rush into releasing a product so often because that will affect their quality control.

“Why Apple Can Promise A Better Experience To Customers Every Year” ( http://techland.time.com/2012/06/12/why-only-apple-can-promise-a-better-experience-to-customers-every-year/ )

Image by : Global Panorama (http://tinyurl.com/ochgtby)

Whereas, closed platforms like Android has its good points as well as it allows consumers to change or shape software features as they like and whenever they like. Android is amenable and versatile as they provide the green light for you to take advantage of the software capabilities and amend it to your liking. You are also able to contribute to the large marketplace of Android in the application store of any segments or categories. Customization of your device to look a certain way is what Android grants you with the concept of you are the master of your device.

“Android, The World’s Most Popular Mobile Platform.” ( http://developer.android.com/about/index.html )

Image by : Saad Irfan (http://tinyurl.com/mb6nk5n)

At the end of the day, it all depends on what the consumer prefers. Both open and closed platforms has its plus points and both stands out in their own special way.

BCM 112: Copyright and Creative Commons

What is copyright? It is a law basically means having ownership over the things you have created. It can be anything from a book you wrote, a logo you have designed to a dance step or song lyrics you have written. It gives you the assurance and guarantee of ownership as it is an intellectual property.

Copyright law started with The Statute of Anne legalized in England in 1710. It was the very first time where the owner claims copyright over his own work and even jotted out the terms and conditions of a secure protection. Back in those days, people had to get their copyrighted works confirmed and finalized only at certain libraries that have copyright. Besides that, they also had to register at Stationers’ Hall. This policy started to appear in several different countries such as USA known as the Copyright Act of 1790 but copyrights still remained uncoordinated until the 19th century. The Berne Convention was then introduced in 1886 as it is to provide recognition of copyright that is mutual between states first. The Berne Convention is still going strong up to this very day, providing the grounds for international copyright law.

“A brief history of copyright” (http://www.iprightsoffice.org/copyright_history/)

Image by : Mike Seyfang (http://tinyurl.com/mzmajb8)

The role of copyright in media appears to be essential and very much utilized in this evolving age of internet. But enforcing copyright law in today’s digital and media world can be quite a challenge. People can access and grab any information as they like on the internet as there are many methods and convenience provided for them to do so. The copy and paste button invented allows people to shared and spread through different media platforms. This means that the owners’ of the work must have copyright in order to protect their data. Journalism is a very good example for enforcing copyright law into it. They are somewhat threaten by media because the information that they release can easily be taken away from them with just a click.

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that expands the creativity works for the public for free and legally. It can be shared legally, remixing, repurposing, all in the right forms and terms. Creative Commons allows people to choose what kind of rights they require and also to benefit the recipients. It does not replace copyright but it represents it and is based on its terms. So how do we actually apply Creative Commons in our work? For example on Youtube, users are able to take videos from other creators as long as they give credit and link back to the original source with attribution. Users also have the ability to use Youtube Video Editor to customize your own video with the content that has been uploaded by other with the license of Creative Commons.

“The Creative Commons Licenses” (http://en.unesco.org/open-access/creative-commons-licenses)

Image by : Ivan Walsh.com (http://tinyurl.com/m8s8pul)

BCM110: What are the current anxieties about the ‘effects’ of the media?

Today, the way of living is rather different compared to the time of our grandparents. From the first ever telephone, to the first ever television, or even the first ever radio player; there’s no doubt that the inventions and creations of media technology are still evolving up to this very day. People have became more and more dependent on technology each year. Though technological devices can be classified as one of the greatest inventions by mankind, it too, has both pros and cons. I believe in this ever-growing society, the internet has such big impact on us. Ever since media existed, the world has become border-less, limitless and unbounded. Information and access of data has become more easier and simpler with media services, devices and platforms.

What does it mean by media effects? The media effect basically touches on the influence media has on the society. The effect media has on the world is understood in a wide range of perspectives and different understandings. It has no definite meaning to it. It is also not based on solid theories as it only has assumptions on things and issues. There are different kinds of anxieties people have towards media. For example, they wonder if the internet or the smartphone makes people dumber by the day, if television makes people lazier, and if playing video games lowers the academic performances of students.

Right now i will be going into a specific anxiety which is “Will playing an excessive amount of video games makes you dumber ?” This has been quite a question lately with the advancement and development of today’s video gaming technology. This worry has yet to be proven but it has been assumed by most adults or theorists. Some studies have said that playing an excessive load of video games may make the child’s ability to read and learn become slower and less productive.

Image by : Sean Dreilinger (https://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/4004828163)

Based on David Gauntlett’s effect’s model theory, “the effects model treats children as inadequate” (David Gauntlett, 1998).

(http://www.theory.org.uk/david/effects.htm)

Is it really true that children cannot different between right or wrong ? Will they overuse their time to play video games instead of studying ? The theory has assumed that children are naive and innocent and tend to follow the dark side of the media world without considering that they have a conscious mind that knows how to segregate between the things they should do and shouldn’t do. There are some articles saying that those who have gotten their video game devices spend lesser time on education as their attention and interest on it has decreased (Nick Farrell, 2010). They probably have their mind boggled up with the thoughts of the games and it draws their attention away from academic activities.

“Video Games Makes Boys Stupid” (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/blog-post/1597027/video-games-boys-stupid)

Image by : Sean Dreilinger (http://tinyurl.com/morkog9)

Therefore, the media effects theory has not been properly finalized and it has been misrepresented. It is inconclusive. The media effects is a complicated and complex theory that needs more investigation and understanding. It is also because the media world is viewed in different perspectives and outlooks. Proper experiments need to be carried out to prove that video games really does make children dumber.

BCM112: Convergent Media Platform

“The medium is the message” by Marshall McLuhan is a phrase that basically means the medium itself is already the message. It all depends on how we perceive it. It has a big influence on how the message is comprehended based on the medium.

“What is the meaning of The Medium is the Message?” (http://individual.utoronto.ca/markfederman/article_mediumisthemessage.htm)

Well, there are many mediums to convey that particular message. The old school and more ‘sincere’ way of conveying a message is through newspapers, magazines, newsletters, books and so much more. These are printed on papers and something that people can physically touch and feel. These are also known as print media. Though in the past few years due to the evolution of the uprising Internet, the usage of print media has died down. But there are exceptions. Some people still buy newspapers every morning to get a daily dose of their articles and headlines alongside with a cup of coffee or tea to complete their mornings. While others would very much prefer to just view the daily news via the Internet and through different mediums like the iPad, the laptop and their smartphones.

So what does this indicate? Would it still feel the same even though they are reading about the same news but different platforms? In my opinion, it would feel more surreal, tangible and authentic if we read an article through print media. Whereas through devices such as the iPad, it’s just to get a quick glance on what is going on in our universe.

Will the way we think about things be different?

What is media convergence? It basically means the coming together or intersection of two or more media platforms or mediums. It can also mean the same information being sent out via different media platforms. Our world has come to its age of convergence. Back then, maybe about 6-7 years ago, media categories used to be on its own and there were no clashing or merging. Television shows used to be just television shows. Games used to be just games. Telecommunication used to be just telecommunication. Right now, its interlinking and combining for its own development and progression. For example, journalists, columnists and reporters provide the same information to be transmitted via different media platforms, products and services.

“Media Convergence and the Transformed Media Environment” (http://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/3-media-convergence-and-transformed-media-environment/media-convergence-and-transform-0)

Image by : Gary Hayes (http://tinyurl.com/nn8fnd5)

There are many reasons why there is the existence of media convergence. For one, it is for the audience or the users. This is beneficial to both parties. The companies will probably have an increase in customers because of the merging of different mediums because they find the experience rather better and interesting. The information published is also widen and from a different perspective. This leads to a higher level of customer contentment and the companies’ profitability.

Anyhow, media convergence has gave this universe a new way of connecting and getting information.

Image by : Jes (http://tinyurl.com/n5lbbng)