Headlines Schmedlines… May 23, 2008

What an interesting article!

A few thoughts were triggered while reading this… I definitely connect with the idea that our communication skills have been very dependent on the technology available to us. Examples that come to mind are from back in the day when cell phones didn’t exist. gasp! People weren’t as connected to each other because if you weren’t at your house to place or make a call, you just couldn’t reach someone, or be reached. Now, with the lovely invention of cell phones – people are talking ALL the time. In fact, I feel naked without my cell phone and check it far too often. It has even become my clock now… but that’s another story.

Another example is text messaging. Because we are limited to a certain number of characters in our texts, we are forced to use shortened words and a whole new text lingo. We have to completely alter how we communicate because of the form we’re using. And to take this even further, since children are texting and instant messaging online far earlier in life than any other generation, I speculate that their communication skills will some-what suffer because of this. If not suffer, they will definitely be altered because of this new form of abbreviated writing.

Now, back to the main point of the article, “How Google is changing the way newspaper headlines are written”, I definitely see the positive sides to more straight forward headlines. This makes searching for what we need far easier, however it severely limits the journalist’s creativity. In my personal opinion, I believe the style of the headline should depend on what kind of article or work it is. Obviously, if it is a satire article more creative headlines are expected. But headlines that are too obvious are going to make for a snooze-fest online. 

“The human readers of blogs are beginning to behave like bots, too: Quickly scanning for semantic meaning and ignoring everything else. So maybe optimizing for searchbots isn’t a bad idea — because you’ll also optimize for humanbots.”

I don’t want to become a humanbot… and quite honestly, with all the technology that is being developed and the number of hours we spend online per day, it is a fear that only keeps increasing. There is simply too much information online and therefore, creativity is falling by the wayside. 

1. How do you forsee creativity diminishing online? What other forms of communication rely on technology?  

2. If headlines lost creativity, what implications would that have on newspaper popularity? How might it affect the speed of the dying newspaper?

6 steps to make blogs ethical May 18, 2008

This week I was assigned to read “Weblog Ethics” by Rebecca’s pocket.  Reading this post fits in perfectly with our discussion on Blog ethics. In the beginning of her post, she poignantly deciphers the difference between the goals of the mass media versus journalists and web logs. She identified mass media as having to rely on large audiences and are concerned with high viewership and readership.  Professional journalists know the potential for abuse and abide by strict codes of conduct ensuring their integrity is always kept up. Weblogs, on the other hand are non-professional and therefore, don’t have a code of ethics. Since blogs have low expenses, no advertisers to please and they don’t have to worry endlessly about audience sizes, there are fewer incentives to upkeep ethical behavior.

One of my favorite quotes from Rebecca’s post was, ” The greatest strength of the Internet is that it is uncensored, unmediated and uncontrolled. But that is also it’s greatest weakness.”  I completely agree with this statement. Rebecca believes that until bloggers start to behave more professionally and ethically, they will not be seen as a valid or trustworthy source of information and news. She writes 6 rules for online ethical behavior for publishers of all kind.

1. Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true.

2. If material exists online, link to it when you reference it.

• This empowers the consumer to be more educated and to research subject further.

3. Publicly correct any misinformation.

4. Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not not re-write or delete any entry.

• This ensures the writer’s integrity.

5. Disclose any conflict of interest.

6. Note questionable and biased sources.

While this appears to have a great chance of working, do you really believe this is realistic?

Discussion Questions:

1.) How do you think bloggers would respond to these rules? What implications do you think abiding by these rules would bring?

2.) Besides these 6 rules, what other ways do you believe the blogosphere needs to change in order to gain respect in the media industry?  

Ethical Blogs? Ha, yeah right! May 18, 2008

I have been a nanny for over 5 years. In that time, I have been overwhelmed countless time by the information that young kids know and how much they can do with computers. After reading this week’s assigned chapters in We the Media, some of my nanny experiences were sparked in my memory.

As most people know, and as the book clearly explains, the music and entertainment industries have had a hell of a time trying to regulate copyrights of artist’s work. And though there are things being done to stop people from burning cd’s and dvd’s or illegally downloading music or pirated movies, there are still numerous ways to get around the rules. If you try hard enough and know the right  people, you can pretty much access anything online, often for free.

Kids that have grown up in the internet generation have no idea what life was like before this crazy, advanced technology. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just VERY different from the world people my age grew up in. Though I’m only 22, I still remember learning to type on tiny mac computers that didn’t show any color other than white and green.  Kids these days do everything with technology. Listen to music with ipods, watch DVD’s in the car, text message, blog, etc. Since they haven’t known anything different, why would they want to PAY for their music or movies, when they can just burn them for free???

So, the media industry can try to regulate all they want, but in my opinion, they need to start targeting the younger kids and sending a clear message that it is WRONG to illegally download or steal entertainment from online sources.  Sadly, I don’t see them making any major changes anytime soon. People are still going to steal stuff online, because they can and the internet is way too big to control everything.

In response to Kathy’s question for this week: Should political/news bloggers have a code of ethics? My opinion = Yes. Is that realistic? NO.  Part of why blogs have been so successful is because of the freedom and creativity that you can use while writing a blog.  So, yes I do believe that people who post things online should be ethical and report the truth, but this is not going to ever happen.  Why? There’s always going to be those journalists who are just looking to report on a hot subject and don’t care if they “stretch” the truth a little. Also, good journalists know that in order to up their readership they need gossip news and topics that readers are interested in. Most writers, especially those who casually write on their own blogs don’t care if they’re being ethical or not – they want to write what they want and have people read it.

All I can say is, I’m glad it’s not my job to regulate the internet and keep everything ethical.

1.) What are your privacy concerns with cookies on your computer? How do you think they will affect marketing strategies for businesses?

2.) How do you feel about the Chinese government regulating what sites their nation’s users can access on the internet? If America did that to it’s citizens, what would the implications be? How would our media change?

Yes, YOUTUBE can. May 11, 2008

You know the world is changing when website names are casually dropped in coversation and everyone understands what it means… classic example – google and youtube.  Perhaps it’s just my generation, but I literally hear people using these brands casually at least once a day, and as verbs!  

How will these multimedia sites impact the political arena? The real question is: How won’t they?? Avenues like youtube allow political candidates to cast their speeches, events and other promotional materials nationwide. The growing popularity of websites like youtube are helping our nation become more educated about the 2008 election. By simply searching for Obama, Clinton or McCain, anyone can access these candidate’s videos and quickly and conveniently hear their stance on hot topics.

Youtube, in my opinion is the audio-visual form of a blog. Practically anyone can post videos on this site, much like blogs. Youtube also seems to be performing much like a video-soapbox, in which people can post videos of themselves sharing opinions, talents, creativity for everyone else to view. We’re seeing blogs grow just as much as multimedia sites are, and this will definitely bring change.

One political video on youtube that immediately pops into my head is entitled, “Yes We Can“, created by various music artists and actors endorsing Obama for president. It’s no lie that people are impressionable and celebrities are opinion leaders- which is why this video is so powerful. The simple statement of “Yes We Can” and the artistic way this video is presented makes this video montage impactful. Because the actors and music artists are all very popular with the yonger generation helps as well. The younger generation is receiving their ideas of the presidential candidates through multimedia sites such as youtube and blogging sites.

Can multimedia sites leave a remarkable impression on this years election? Yes, Youtube Can.

 1.) How have you or your social network’s political views been influenced by multimedia sites? Please use examples specific to the 2008 election.

2.) Compare and contrast multimedia sites, such as youtube with blogs. In what ways are they similar? Also, what predictions can you make about the growth potential of sites like youtube and the blogsphere?

What happens online… stays online May 4, 2008

Last week we discussed privacy of the internet. In this week’s reading, the topic of anonymity of the internet is discussed. Clearly, both of these issues are very important to consumers of the online world, including myself.

Since I am a part of Generation Y, I have grown up with the internet. Ever since I started using the Internet, my parents have instilled precautions to take online: never tell anyone you don’t know your full name, where you live, or too many details about your life, etc. Why? Because you need to keep your private life secret, in case people with wrong intentions get ahold of your information.

So, like a good daughter and smart person, I kept those rules inside my head and was cautious of what information I post online. Then came facebook…

For some reason, facebook makes it ok to post what you’re doing, your latest pictures and a detailed profile of yourself online, for presumably anyone to see. While this is an outrageous thought: facebook truly does make people feel comfortable enough to forget about the boundaries of privacy and anonymity. Several years ago, I made my profile closed and locked, so people that are not my approved “friends” online can access my account. Why everyone else doesn’t do this is beyond me.

I am now graduating from college and am preparing to find a job. I’ve heard all about the rumors that employers use google and facebook to “screen” potential new employees. I thought I was protected because I have googled myself and locked my facebook… Well, I soon found out that was all wrong.

Just recently my boyfriend introduced me to a new website: spock.com Have you heard of it? Well, if you haven’t you need to log on right away. You will be shocked at what this firewall hacking, people stalking website can dig up on you. It can even give employers access to your locked facebook accounts. I was completely blown away and couldn’t believe the things that came up when I searched for myself- I thought google was good…. boy was I wrong.

So, this post is to share the knowledge of spock.com and to alert everyone that there are some sneaky people and websites out there and to be safe online. As great as it would be to be “anonymous” online, it really isn’t realistic.

 

A hodge-podge of my thoughts April 27, 2008

The whole “Wiki” idea really blows my mind. I think it is a great site and I have used it many, many times, but to be honest I am shocked at how accurate it is. Who would have  thought that an open information site that allowed ANYONE to edit the published material would be so successful?

Sometimes I can be quite  a skeptic about things online – and because of this, I have tried to find errors on Wikipedia. Though I haven’t given a ton of time to this project, I have to admit I didn’t find many. For that reason, I must agree with Dan Gilmore and go on record by saying, “people are generally good.” It really is as simple as that. They are getting more tech saavy, efficient and are utilizing the free speech aspect that online publishing allows them.

I love the idea of WikiTravel. Sure, any blogger could include travel tips on their blog- but because of the nature of this site, a greater number of people can post their opinions and experiences, as well as there is a much larger audience that visits Wikipedia. I wish I would have known about WikiTravel before I studied abroad last winter! I could have saved myself from some horrible, over-priced meals and tourist traps!

On a completely different note, I wanted to address the question that Kathy Gill presents to our class for this week’s discussion: “what’s the difference between “personal” journalism and “news”?  To me, this issue is one that is important to bring up. In my opinion, this is one of the largest reasons that blogs aren’t as comprehensive or trustworthy news sources. An author can post any story and portray it however they choose, based on their opinions. If this is so, readers are getting a very skewed vision of what the news is. Whereas, if viewers watch the news on television or read the newspaper there still is bias (but not quite so obvious) and they receive a report on a wide variety of topics. Instead of just focusing on what is “interesting” in their opinion, like blogs.

Yes, blogs serve a distinct purpose. And yes, viewers should realize that they are only receiving one person’s opinion and only part of the news coverafe when viewing blogs, but still… “personal journalism” is still not as accurate or comprehensive as traditional news.

I would still rather get my news coverage from an online newspaper, than a source of “personal journalism”. Newspapers cover all stories and present it in a way that is professional, easy to read and is a credible source that I can trust. Maybe I am too old-fashioned, but I’ll save my blog surfing for Perez-Hilton – my guilty pleasure and the best way to procrastinate (second to facebook, of course!).

1. In order to share the wealth of knowledge that each one of our classmates has: What is your homepage? Which websites are you “addicted” to? Who is the blogger that you trust most?

2. How do you think blogs have changed media coverage on the war, compared to wars in the past? Do you think blogs and social networking have made beneficial changes to the topic of war, or negative? What ethical issues surround the topic of blogging about the war?

 

The future: from my (pesimistic) outlook April 20, 2008

In my opinon, one of the best parts about the web is that anyone who has access to the internet can voice their opinion for the world to see. The freedom of expression and written/spoken word enables an unlimited number of people to act as “gatekeepers” of knowledge. However, just as it was discussed in the chapter, “Here comes Everybody” gatekeepers “provide a necessary or desireable social function, but also control the function.”

Because these “gatekeepers” control the function, many readers will trust anything they see that is published online. How does one know if a blog, specifically one reporting real news stories, facts or data is really trustworthy? For those that are more skeptical of blogs,  I think it is because of lack of trust in who the author is.

If anyone can write anything they want online, how do you know what to read and believe? The internet is not tangible and therefore, anyone can claim to be someone they are not and publish their work. I suppose the best way to avoid this problem is to always make sure you check up on the credentials people say they have and don’t believe them 100% unless you have proof that they are who they say they are. This issue however, is one that I think will always hold blogs back from being a more trustworthy and/or popular means of news than other outlets, like television or radio.

The article discussed the issue of scribes in the past and how their jobs were made obselete with the invention of newer technology. While I know the advancement of a “bigger, better and faster” world is uncontrollable, (mainly because people are greedy and nothing is ever good enough) I’m starting to question if making such big advancements in the digital media industry is going to bring more good than bad.

Honestly, it worries me that people have access to so much information with the click of a button. This may seem strange, but sometimes I worry if things are getting “too convenient”. What happened to the days when people had to actually work to find answers, research using books and real-life sources, or have a personal conversation IN PERSON? I mean come on, we don’t have to even leave our house anymore… we can buy groceries, shop for clothes and other necessities, have access to entertainment and stay in contact with friends and family without having to glance away from the computer.

Don’t get me wrong- I love technology and use it everyday, but I just worry sometimes that personlization, social skills and personal interaction are all being replaced by computers and before we know it, we’re going to be walking robots - incapable of doing anything without the internet.

1.) In your opinion, what is the most detrimental result of the internet?

2.) Which other outlets of news and journalism ( besides newspapers) do you forsee as becoming obselete?

There’s no such thing as an online secret April 13, 2008

Many of us that attend the University of Washington, or live in America have heard of Amanda Knox. If you haven’t you probably don’t pay attention to the news or picked up a Daily in over a year. It seemed the press’ coverage of this news story had cooled down, until recently when a special news program aired on channel 7, Saturday night. 

Watching the show sparked connections between class material and Amanda Knox. In the “We are Media” online reading, an interesting point was brought up about privacy on the web. The author noted that with the increasing levels of technology and the capabilities of digital cameras and mobile-camera cell phones, there is severe decrease in the amount of privacy we have. “Keeping secrets, moreover will be difficult for businesses and governments.” (14).

However, I believe this idea extends to other areas as well, specifically pertaining to individual people. Sometimes bloggers forget that their online posts have the capability to be viewed by millions. Anything you post online is public, which makes keeping secrets really hard.

I tied this idea to the Amanda Knox story because of the high levels of attention the media has placed on Amanda’s facebook, myspace and blog sites. For those of you who do not know, Amanda’s social network sites and blogs exposed some interesting facts about her. These include pictures of her engaging in acts involving alcohol and drugs. In addition, she had also posted essays and other commentary about her life about topics such as rape and casual sex. The Italian police and news reporters have had a hay day with this information, because they believe that what she has posted online is an accurate portrayal of who she really is – and it could very well be.

This is important because the life she leads on the internet is now endangering her chances of getting out of jail.  Now what is interesting here is the fact that online blog posts and social networks  enable you to be anyone you want to be. No one knows for sure if what is online is an accurate portrayal of who someone really is, many times people make up things that they post, enabling them to have multiple identities or alternative personas.

I have a suspicion that these online posts and profiles will continue to be used by police and the federal government in their investigations. While part of me thinks this is a great idea, I also see many flaws in it.

1.) Do you think the police should use personal blogs and social network profiles to assist with investigations? If so, how accurate do you think they are?

2.) Think about your own personal blog and or facebook-like profiles. Do you have information or images posted that people could twist and make you appear to be someone you’re not? What do you think the implications of this are? What kinds of precautions do bloggers and online gurus need to take?

Week 1: Reading Response April 7, 2008

This is my first blogging class, and to be honest- I really do not have much expererience with blogs. With the lack of free time in my life, I am lucky if I have time to check and respond to all my e-mails, let alone take the time to read random blogs online. However, because of this, I was really interested in taking this course. I have always wanted to learn more about blogging and start one myself, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity.

 As a senior in the Communication Department, I have taken numerous classes about media and have constantly been taught about the history, life cycle and trends of media. A large portion of my studies have also included monopolization and media conglomeration. In a majority of my communication classes, my professors have reminded me of the conglomeration that is occuring in the media industry. Because I despise the fact that journalism and media is soley-owned, I am a big fan of the idea of blogs and what they have the capabilities to do. I love the fact that blogs are encouraging and enabling people with the chance to speak their minds about any topic, at any time. It is definitely time that something like this was created.

It really is no surprise to me that blogs have become as popular as they are today. Practically every aspect of our life is online. Shopping, researching, information, business and communication is all conducted online. With the invention of Instant Messaging, Chat Rooms and other “messaging” means, it is no wonder that blogs would come about. In We the Media, the author notes that we had many forms of communication in the past such as the telephone (one to one), broadcasting (one to many) we were due for a new means of communication which enabled “many to many” correspondence. Blogs will, in my opinion, continue to be influential in how we as citizens receive our news and share our opinions. 

It will be interesting to see how blogs continue to shape the face of the media industry as well as how the journalists and media professionals plan on competing with the free blogs that are consuming the internet. Especially in the upcoming election, I have already started to see implications of blogs and how they are affecting American citizen’s opinins of the candidates and campaigns.

Discussion Questions:

1.) In what ways do you think the creation and rise of blogs will help and hinder the upcoming presidential election?

2.) What are the differences between online logs such as facebook and myspace from blogs? Would you consider online social networks a kind of blogging?