JOUR 1111 Lecture 12: What's in it For Me?

In our last lecture, we listened to guest speaker Steve Mulkington (I am certain I have mis-spelt his name... sorry), one of Australia's most popular entertainment 'bloggers'. Not only did he tell us about his own experiences in the business, but also the various opportunities we have as young journalists

He stressed that we have more ways of expressing ourselves then ever before. Obviously the internet is a main one - Facebook, twitter, blogging, all of these outlets for discussion, if you like, give everyone a chance to say what they think.

For people like us, trying to get jobs out of what we think, Steve said that we need to focus on the 'how'.

The following are a couple of things that Steve said that resonated with me:

"You all have opinions on stuff, it just about HOW you communicate that core message."

"The way we understand how our information is presented to us, whether it's ratings, whether it's what's communicated to us through news... it's going to impact on the type of writers and journalists we become." 

This whole journalism course has been a blast. I have learnt skills that I honestly think will stick with me for the rest of my life, irrespective of whether I end up working as a journalist or not.

JOUR 1111 Lecture 11: Investigative Journalism

This week we looked at investigative journalism - its purpose in the media, and how it is under threat from online news.

Many of the explored ideas in relation to investigative journalism were things that I had discussed in earlier blog posts. The main point that I believe, and one that was reinforced in the lecture, was that ALL journalism should be investigative.

The slide above illustrates the main reason why well-researched journalism is becoming more difficult to find. The accessibility of the web has diluted the quality of journalism. 

Whilst this slide is saying there are less journalists, I am of the belief that there are more so-called 'journalists', then ever before. The web is open to anyone.  This means that ANYONE can be a journalist. Anyone can write about an event and how they saw it, without verifying facts. Facebook and blogging are forums that are typically used for lazy journalism. 

I feel that with the evolution of the internet and different media forums, we are more prone to bad journalism.

People might disagree with me, arguing that just because the average Joe wrote a story on something, doesn't make him a journalist. Well, yes it does. It just doesn't make him a very good one. 

We need to return to a more investigative process in journalism, for the benefit of everyone. 

JOUR 1111: Lecture 10: Agenda Setting

This week we explored the significance of agenda setting in the media.

Whilst it is a pretty basic concept, it made me think of the power of the media agenda. Agenda setting is a very influential tool of the media. An agenda tells the public what is important, as it shapes public awareness and thought on particular issues.

There have been many instances where the media's agenda have diverted the public's attention from a particular issue. As it explains on the slide below, propaganda is a form of agenda setting.

You only need at major political movements or conflicts, to see how a media agenda can influence  population. An example would be the Nazi regime, where Hilter delivered a particular message to shape people's perceptions of Jewish people. 

Whilst this is an extreme example, it shows the power and influence of a media agenda.

JOUR 1111 Lecture 9: News Values

Our ninth lecture saw us looking at news values.

 

Are news values absolute?

It was interesting looking at the four main criteria when defining the value of particular news. What we see in theory, are four points that balance out to make news values. However, in my opinion, you regularly see imbalances emerging in relation to particular stories. For example, stories are often blown out of proportion in order to give it more impact and therefore uplift its value.

The main point that I took away from the lecture was that news values are based on a journalists' instinct - what he/she believes a story to be worth. There is no scientific formula that is associated with defining news values.

I imagine that a journalist's judgement could be influenced by a couple of things. The financial benefit associated with a story could lead to the popular news taking priority. Perhaps this is why many feel that current news values are so obscured.

JOUR 1111 Lecture 8: Ethics of Virtue

In this lecture, ethics were discussed. For the first half, the guest speaker showed us cases controversial advertising. The lecturer made a clear distinction between what is ethical, and what is done in good or bad taste

The second half of the lecture saw us looking at the three fundamental ethical theories: Deontology, Consequentialism, and virtue. 

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Virtue ethics was of particular interest to me, as it was something that I studied last year in high school. A branch of virtue ethics that I am familiar with is Nicomachean Ethics, which is the work of philosopher Aristotle.

Aristotle believed that the 'good life' of a man was a life of happiness. He defined happiness as - "an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue". To achieve this, Aristotle argued that people should act by the 'The Mean' or the 'Doctrine of the Mean', an idea briefly discussed in the lecture.

As described on the power-point slide above, The Mean says that one must act in in moderation, so as to achieve a balance (between rashness and cowardice). Whilst Aristotle was a relativist, believing that there is more than one way to live the 'good life', he expressed that the proper way to behave in an ethical manner is through The Mean.

However, the black and white nature of Aristotle's moral guidelines, have meant that it has raised many questions. For instance, are all ethical actions, acts of moderation? Surely sometimes reckless behaviour is praiseworthy? Some people who are immoderate by nature, might not find happiness in moderation... Are 'moderation' and 'excess' culturally determined standards?

JOUR 1111: Annotated Bibliography

Peer Reviewed Article

Cleaver, G. (1987). Family Relations: Marriage Enrichment by Means of a Structured Communication Programme. National Council on Family Relations, 36, 49-54.

Glenda Cleaver presents a well-sourced perspective on the analysis of marriage enrichment through structured communication.  She draws on the views of family relations experts Geoffrey Leigh, Irene Loewen and Mark Lester, among others. Although Cleaver argues that conflict in marriage is inevitable, she looks at an experiment that investigates the effectiveness of teaching communication skills to married couples using a structured videotape (Cleaver, 1987).The videotape contains a short explanation of the principles underlying communication, shows models which demonstrate the skills to be learned, and provides practice exercises for participants (Cleaver, 1987). Cleaver has focussed on two groups of married couples who were taught the relevant communication skills using different methods. The experimental group was taught the skills using the videotape, while the control group was taught the skills without the use of the videotape (Cleaver, 1987). After discussing other experts' conclusions in relation to the findings, Cleaver says that a significant improvement was evident for both groups using the skills taught. Cleaver goes on to write that even though both methods appear to be effective in the short term, the follow-up measures indicated that the effectiveness of the videotape was more lasting (Cleaver, 1987).

Portrayal of the same story by three different mediums

Morton, J. (2012, May 1). Genia signing will lead to others, says Reds. The Roar. Retrieved from http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/05/01/genia-signing-will-lead-to-others-says-reds/

The Roar online news website advertises itself as a combination of expert columnists with edited fan-written sports articles. The author Jim Morton, is a long-time contributor to the website, and with no professional qualifications, his piece was initially viewed sceptically. However, by relying heavily on primary sources to shape his article, he presents a viewpoint that is not just his own opinion on the issues. Morton has used quotes from key stakeholders in the issue, such as Will Genia and Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie. Genia expresses his happiness and content with his decision to stay with the Reds, despite accepting less money than what he was offered from the Western Force. Later, Coach Ewen McKenzie argues that the signing is a boost for the Reds, and will help to secure other players that go 'off contract' at the end of the season. Both sources share their view that it was the best outcome for the Queensland Reds. Morton focuses on the Queensland perspective of the issues, without considering the circumstances of the other parties involved.

Way, B. (Reporter). (2012, May 1). Foxsports News Australia, Sydney: FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited.

A news report on Fox Sports News provides a dramatic account of Will Genia’s decision to stay with the Queensland Reds. Reporter Ben Way chooses to focus on the frustration felt by the Western Force administration, as the Queensland Rugby Union released a statement saying Genia had made the decision to move, before he had signed a contract. Rugby WA chief executive Vern Reid is quoted, expressing that he wished Genia had followed through on the verbal agreement that had been made. Further, the report speculates that the QRU’s statement may have been released to create a public backlash towards Genia and force him to change his mind, which was described as “a sensational back flip”. He makes a controversial link by going on to argue that the incident reinforces a history of “bad blood” among the two franchises. It uses examples of the Western Force “poaching” players from Queensland back in 2006, when the Perth-based team was setting up. 

Macdonald, M. (2012, May 1). Queensland keeps Will Genia after bizarre backflip. The Australian, p.40

 

Margie MacDonald is an experienced journalist that has been working with the AAP for a number of years. Whilst not as emotional as the Foxsports piece, MacDonald chooses to focus on the conspiracy behind Will Genia’s decision to stay in Queensland. MacDonald begins by arguing that there were reasons for Genia’s change of heart, much deeper then what he told the media. Like Jim Morton’s article, MacDonald draws on comments made by Genia relating to why he chose to stay in Queensland. However, the effect that the contracting incident had on the Western Force is emphasised. The author describes the Force administration as having had their “feather ruffled”, and accuses the Reds' move as being against protocols that apply to player announcements. Unlike either of the items discussed earlier, MacDonald draws attention to how Genia was “not impressed” that the verbal agreement given to the Force on Thursday was leaked to the media. 

Issues of Feminism

Ignoring the 'colourful' language, this guy raises some very good points, and outlines a number of flaws with the concept of feminism. By no means am I using this video to prove my own personal beliefs on the issue, I just think a lot of what he says is worth considering.