Number twenty five

Up until I heard the line up this morning, Splendour in the Grass wasn't really on my radar for this year.
Until this video.

NOW... I am definitely wanting to go.... and dress exactly the same as this guy...

And this is also my signing out post before I submit the blog for assessment!
To all the markers and cross-markers out there, enjoy reading!

Number twenty four

I've been madly taking rowing photos for my COMU1999 Portfolio...
Using a camera with a really slow shutter speed so some times the light is captured really beautifully, and other times it just doesn't work, at all....

Number twenty three

LECTURE WEEK 7

PUBLIC MEDIA

• what is public media?
• its role in democratic society?
• who are the major players?
• what do they make?
• the various functions of public media
• challenges for public media
• the future for public media

what is public media?

• media whose mission is to serve and engage a public
• less associated with tax payer support
• may make a profit, as long as ultimate aim is to serve public

in a democratic society?

there to support public and democratic processes

public value

should embed a public service ethos

value for licence fee money

weighing public value against market impact

public consultation

public media functions

• nation building
• national heritage
• national identity- who are we, what are we, what are we in terms of our identity
• national conversations- sport

commercialisation of public media?

public media can make a profit, but the profit has to go back into serving the public

ABC commercial- ABC shops, huge operation that makes millions for ABC every year- money that they can put back into programs

The news 'style' of public media

• serious
• broadsheet style (as opposed to tabloid)
• importance over interest
• considered, not quick and unchecked

• downsides?
• boring, elitest, limited interest, poorly presented, out of touch

Robert Richter- public media is important because it is the last bastion of long-form investigative journalism

"such a special vehicle for voices to be heard...visions and viewpoints...ignored by commercial media"

public media communication style:

• 'the press'
• entertainment
• utility
• social
• propaganda

challenges for public media?

• both public and commercial and public media need audiences.
• to produce quality
• to make themselves relevant
• to engage with the democratic process
• to inform the public
• to be independent 

After having the lectures on both commercial and public media, I can now see why the two services are so different, and have to be in order to survive. Commercial media seems to be purely about entertainment factor. Informing the greater population who work hard all day, and want the news fed to them more via TV osmosis, than really sitting down and watching a hard-hitting television report. And for the majority of people this is completely suitable for their needs. Public media it seems, is serving a more educated audience. I'm in no way implying that public media followers are smart than those who watch commercial media, but rather they are the ones to question, and debate, and have semi-argumentative discussions at the family dinner every night on subjects that wouldn't even interest half of us.I like to think I'm a 50/50 viewer. I watch Sunrise in the mornings purely to enjoy the Kochie/Mel banter, but I watch ABC news at 7pm in the evenings. Best of both worlds? 

Number twenty two

Like a version on Friday mornings on triple j is possibly my favorite time of the week. Every Friday, no fail, some incredible artist will jump on the radio and cover the song of another incredible artists. It's a collision of beautiful music makers.

AND I'M SEEING FLORENCE IN MAY!!!!

Number twenty one

Tutorials
Why I do I enjoy tutorials?
Because I come out of them feeling so much more knowledgable about the world, and the stories surrounding us.

In JOUR1111 we 'discuss' a lot.
A few Weeks ago I went into a 1111 tutorial after having just watched the 'make kony famous' video. I thought the guy in the film was a genius. He had spoken out to not only me but millions of people around the world, and educated us on a issue happening right this very moment in Uganda. I came out of that tutorial, however, skeptical. Both Ali and the other students in my tutorial raised points surrounding the whole Facebook Kony hype, and open my eyes to what this guy had set out to achieve with his video, what the actual facts were, and whether this was a valid cause or just another money making scam.
My opinion on the 'make Kony famous' campaign? Is that if all the guy in the video had wanted to do was legitmately just make this Kony character famous, the congratulations, thanks to the power of social media, he succeeded. Butk it was much more than that. Distortion of the truth and the real facts occurred a fair it in the video. Certain information covered up or forgotten, other facts blown completely out of proportion.
JOUR1111 tutorials have taught me to open my eyes. Be aware of what information is being forced down us, and question it, if it doesn't completely add up.

Number twenty

Lecture week six! 

 commercial media

 Media landscape in Australia

What is commercial media?

• Profit driven media production 
• Non government funded 
• Survives/fails on business success 
• Business built around generating audiences 

Major players
News limited, fair fax, APN, Win, southern cross, Telstra, Optus
They produce newspapers, cable tv, film, magazines, books, sports

FORM of commercial media
Subscriptions, sponsored, subsisdised
Commercial media's role in democratic society- can it deliver on both commercial (profit) and social (public trust) functions?


Social responsibiltiy
1. Truthful, comprehensive and intelligent account of days events
2. Forum for exchange of comment and criticism
3. Projection of a representative picture of constituent groups in society
4. Presentation and clarification of the goals and values of society
5. Full access to day's intelligence


To keep commercial media under control there are:

• Formal starts requirements 
• Legal prescription 
• State oversight 
• Statutory 

FUNCTIONS of commercial media
"comment is free, but facts are sacred"

New controls on commercial media 

1. Government agency regulating content 
2. State press subsidies 
3.  Licensed journalism 

STYLE of commercial media

• Dumbing down 
• Tabloidisation 
• 'desire to please' 
• 'Mickey mouse news' 

CHALLENGES that commercial media faces

• advertising revenue for broadcast media is down and falling 
• Fragmenting of audiences- so many radio stations, tv channels to choose from 
• Loss of revenue= less investment= less money for quality production= more 'bought in content'= more repeats of US sitcoms and reality tv. 

What does the FUTURE hold for commercial media
A number of questions can be asked...

• How does commercial media continue to serve advertisers, audiences and public? 
• What kind of audience can be expected? 
• What effect does commercial media have on the practice of journalism and communications? 

To ensure a future, commercial media needs to consider:

• Quality 
• Greater competition 
• Pay walls 

And what is my opinion on commercial media after this lecture? I can't help but feel a strong dislike to commercial media. I feel as though it is tearing apart everything that journalism and communication truly stands for, and covering it up with copious amounts of advertising and tax payer funded reality tv. Maybe I was born in the wrong era, but I would much prefer to be informed with the facts in a simple newspaper article, than have to wade my way throughages and pages of pretty advertising pictures, to find the important stories of the day

Number nineteen

For COMU1999, we have to create a portfolio of photographs that tell a story. My story is rowing, answering the continually asked question, why do you row? Why would you voluntarily wake up so early, in the cold, in the heat, against the elements, when you could just be sleeping? Why would you push your body through such agonising pain? Why? Why? Why? The questioning never stops.
The main reason why I row is because of the beauty of the sport. And it is the beauty, that I am going to capture and present in my portfolio.

Here are some images that I will use as inspiration for the assessment  

Long distance shots- emphasis on the silhouette and pattern of the puddles in the water

Bird-eye shot- highlighting angles and symmetry

Water level shots including puddle, crews and scenery

Fod- highlighting another perspective of the silhouette 

Up close- depicting the finer details of the boat and movements of the rower

Focus- with rowers in foreground and background- racing simulations and intensity

Sunrise- the beauty that rises before us every morning

All photos Felix Dieu