Figured I should post this as it is pretty significant case of censorship as they have completely closed off the internet in Syria:
http://www.renesys.com/blog/2012/11/syria-off-the-air.shtml
Thursday 29 November 2012
Do you believe that media institutions should be allowed to gain information through any means necessary to create a story?
- Basicly explain the background of this ieda of media invasion of privacy, referencing the leverson inquiry as it is a recent inssue, and show how there are both benfits and drawbacks to this.. (Such as being able to gather information that may shed some light on the issue or how it invades sombodies private information to foind out about this case.
-Show the negative aspects of this issue, starting with the Millie Dowler case as an example of how the leveson inquiry began and expand on different cases that have emerged because of this.
-Then follow up with what exactly the negative aspects of these cases is (Specifically invasion of privacy due to it being a media debate).
-After, write about the instituion that control many of the perpertrators of the phone hacking (Rupert Murdoch) and say something about his large influence.
-Write about the benefits of phone hacking and other invasiive methods of gaining information.
- Write about an example of where this may have been useful or use a specific example.
-Evaluate the pro's and cons of each.
-Throw in my own opinion for good measure.
-fin.
-Show the negative aspects of this issue, starting with the Millie Dowler case as an example of how the leveson inquiry began and expand on different cases that have emerged because of this.
-Then follow up with what exactly the negative aspects of these cases is (Specifically invasion of privacy due to it being a media debate).
-After, write about the instituion that control many of the perpertrators of the phone hacking (Rupert Murdoch) and say something about his large influence.
-Write about the benefits of phone hacking and other invasiive methods of gaining information.
- Write about an example of where this may have been useful or use a specific example.
-Evaluate the pro's and cons of each.
-Throw in my own opinion for good measure.
-fin.
1. Many film institutions are using social media sites such as facebook and twitter in order ot reach out to their audiences nowadays. This is largely because a large portion of the population have access to such sites and therefor can be easily targeted by advertisment there is also a level of interaction that this audience can acheive through social media sites scuha as facebook and twitter as they can directly ask members of teh crew for a film questions regarding teh film they may be working on. as people like directors and actors often hae a large number of followers any information they post can then be diegested by anyone that follows them resulting in an alternative form of advertisment that we have only been able to acheive through interveiws and magazine articles in the past.There is also the ability to access this information from anywhere that many people, particually younger generations, use in order to stay "In the loop" with what is happening on these sites, this means that people advertising through these platforms would have to take into account the fact that there is generally a specific generation that will have access to anything they advertise at any time.
2. Whilst there are examples of fan made twitter accounts for fictional characters there also example of "official" characteraccounts that are made by the institution. A good example of accounts like these is the video game company, Gearbox. Gearbox has a history of using twitter accounts based off of characters to promote their video game series, Borderlands. after they released the original game they made a mock up twitter profile for the antagonsit of one of the expansions to be released for the game, using this tiwtter account they posted hints at information regarding the expansion through the characters twitter account in which they mimiced the characters comedicly pessimistic view on life. This advertising campaign created hype for the expansion amongst fans and essentially became an effective advertising method.
3. the majority of film websites post information on them rather than creating augmented reality methods of advertisment such as other website like District 9. this allows the audience to laern more about the film and essentailly serves as an advertisisng platform. some also contain forums in which users can interact with each other after cerating an account on the website. this other method of user interaction means that fans of the product cna interact with each other and discuss the procut or other topics on the forum. this manages to creaet some form of brand loyalty as the user can feel as though they are interacting with the product and its community in a way that without internet would be impossible.
4. Websites can help with the branding of films as more often than not they will use a similar theme and colour scheme to the other forms of promoting the film such as poster advertisment and the banner that is shown on the title of the film that is often shown in advertisments. this constant design theme allows the institution to create a better branding.
5. One type of video that can be used to promote is develouper diaries. these are videos that follow members of the crew working on a product and record there thoughts esssentially acting as a diary, hence the name. A good example of this arethe hobbit director diaries as they contain infromation about the productiong process for parts of the film and the directors thoughts on some sections of the film or finding the background information for it. this allows another form of user interaction as tehy can follow parts of the production of the film and allows them to get an insight onto how members of the crew and cast.
6. Fansitesfor films can be useful in beinga mthod of advertisment without the institutions interaction. A good example of this is wikis. These are small wikis that focus on a specific product or series.
2. Whilst there are examples of fan made twitter accounts for fictional characters there also example of "official" characteraccounts that are made by the institution. A good example of accounts like these is the video game company, Gearbox. Gearbox has a history of using twitter accounts based off of characters to promote their video game series, Borderlands. after they released the original game they made a mock up twitter profile for the antagonsit of one of the expansions to be released for the game, using this tiwtter account they posted hints at information regarding the expansion through the characters twitter account in which they mimiced the characters comedicly pessimistic view on life. This advertising campaign created hype for the expansion amongst fans and essentially became an effective advertising method.
3. the majority of film websites post information on them rather than creating augmented reality methods of advertisment such as other website like District 9. this allows the audience to laern more about the film and essentailly serves as an advertisisng platform. some also contain forums in which users can interact with each other after cerating an account on the website. this other method of user interaction means that fans of the product cna interact with each other and discuss the procut or other topics on the forum. this manages to creaet some form of brand loyalty as the user can feel as though they are interacting with the product and its community in a way that without internet would be impossible.
4. Websites can help with the branding of films as more often than not they will use a similar theme and colour scheme to the other forms of promoting the film such as poster advertisment and the banner that is shown on the title of the film that is often shown in advertisments. this constant design theme allows the institution to create a better branding.
5. One type of video that can be used to promote is develouper diaries. these are videos that follow members of the crew working on a product and record there thoughts esssentially acting as a diary, hence the name. A good example of this arethe hobbit director diaries as they contain infromation about the productiong process for parts of the film and the directors thoughts on some sections of the film or finding the background information for it. this allows another form of user interaction as tehy can follow parts of the production of the film and allows them to get an insight onto how members of the crew and cast.
6. Fansitesfor films can be useful in beinga mthod of advertisment without the institutions interaction. A good example of this is wikis. These are small wikis that focus on a specific product or series.
Wednesday 21 November 2012
More articles
Here is an article regarding the media war in Gaza: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/11/20121119135929987120.html
Quite interesting as it shows the media's role in the Gaza situation.
Another article here which is kind of relevent as we have been doing work relating to internet trolls:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/internet-troll-who-exploited-att-security-flaw-faces-5-years-in-jail/
Quite interesting as it shows the media's role in the Gaza situation.
Another article here which is kind of relevent as we have been doing work relating to internet trolls:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/internet-troll-who-exploited-att-security-flaw-faces-5-years-in-jail/
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Thursday 15 November 2012
Does the media solve _ problems with censorship
Censoring through the media in regards to social problems can in turn cause more problems in a kind of ironic way. If the social media sites suddenly started to censor what the public were saying there would be uproar. a good hypothetical example of this would be people, possibley jokeingly, discussing starting a riot. should the institution in charge choose to censor this it would increase anger in the population possibley causing a riot itself, although that may be far fetched. Another example of where the media affects social problems could be seen through how news institution present information. an example of this would be a news institution failing to report a story as despite them attempting to prevent some informaiton from being posted it will eventually come to lightand cause public outrage. A good example would be the recent Jimmy Saville case as apparently the BBC were aware of some sort of Savilles offenses, Now that the stories have began flooding in regarding his abuse people have lost trust in the BBC for not reporting these facts until after his death. this has also lead to the very recent stepping down of the director general in which his salary has caused controversy yet again. If the BBC had perhaps not reported at all the impact would have been riculous, it would have likely let to protests regarding the BBC. Yet they did report and receive backlash from the public placing them in a damned if you do, damned if you don't type situation. Another example could be with the Julian Assange case as whilst the media is not censoring directly they are not posting all the facts according to his supporters and are instead trying to misdirect why he is wanted by authorities with accusations of rape.
Do you beleive that there should be more control over social media.
- To some extenet there is a degree of control over social media in britain. this can be seen through the recent surge in arrests over offensive twitter comments as shown in the linked article regarding the athlete Tom Daley. This shows that already the authorities ahve taken some form of interest in how abuse is handled over the internet as these types of cases have only come about this year.
(More after the page break)
(More after the page break)
Friday 9 November 2012
New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching audiences.
New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching audiences.
Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques. (48 marks)
The internet has allowed media institutions to interact and engage their audience on a level that has not been previously possible. An example of this would be how the internet is now used by film institituions to promote their films. Before the internet became as popular as it it is now most films were advertised through forms like billboards, posters, magazine articles and advertisments shown on TV and in the cinema. The restriction with many of these promotional methods is that the majority are just static images and there is only so much information the audience can gather from these images compared to the adverts shown on TV as these ads often show key moments from the film in order to attract the audience. The internet has changed this as users can now access trailers online as well as access the films website which can have varying levels of interactivity with the most basic showing trailers and images from the film as well as release dates and other information. on the other end of the spectrum there are promotional sites such as the one for district 9. The district 9 site is more of an interactive product as it works like a mock up of a goverment website, it requres the user selects whether they are one of the aliens from the film or a human before showing a map of an area that shows where there have been alien sitings and other such relevent information. This user inetractivity is more likely to attract an audience to the film as audiences feel as though they are becoming more involved with the film through gaining informatuion such as some background to the storyline through this map.
Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques. (48 marks)
The internet has allowed media institutions to interact and engage their audience on a level that has not been previously possible. An example of this would be how the internet is now used by film institituions to promote their films. Before the internet became as popular as it it is now most films were advertised through forms like billboards, posters, magazine articles and advertisments shown on TV and in the cinema. The restriction with many of these promotional methods is that the majority are just static images and there is only so much information the audience can gather from these images compared to the adverts shown on TV as these ads often show key moments from the film in order to attract the audience. The internet has changed this as users can now access trailers online as well as access the films website which can have varying levels of interactivity with the most basic showing trailers and images from the film as well as release dates and other information. on the other end of the spectrum there are promotional sites such as the one for district 9. The district 9 site is more of an interactive product as it works like a mock up of a goverment website, it requres the user selects whether they are one of the aliens from the film or a human before showing a map of an area that shows where there have been alien sitings and other such relevent information. This user inetractivity is more likely to attract an audience to the film as audiences feel as though they are becoming more involved with the film through gaining informatuion such as some background to the storyline through this map.
Thursday 8 November 2012
What opportunities and/or disadvantages do new and digital media have for audiences.
As digital media has become and more and more important feature in our day to day lives it has also allowed us as a society to become connected in a way that we have not been able to before. this essay will focus on how our use of the digital media has affected the film industry and its audience.
One example of how the digital media has affected the film industry would be through the audience to have a voice in regards to a film possibley throughs sites such as IMDB and metacritic. These two sites have seen a surge in popularity in recent years as their reputation (Particualy IMDB due to its focus on info as well as reveiws) of having a wide range of information and reveiws from both critics and consumers. these sites allow the general audience to have a voice in what they think of the film whereas before they have not as the both have the ability to post reveiws and discussions about these films. a drawback to this is how open these two platforms are to users as the some users can choose to manipulate ratings through posting a large amount of negative reviews either as a group or through the use of multiple accounts. this can then turn users away from watching a films because of these false reveiws. Of course the ability to critique and share opinions on films may cause people to be more likely to watch a film as they may feel as though if they were disapointed with a film they can advise the rest of the users not to see it. Another example of how the audience can impact a film can be seen in the story of how a user on a website caused a film to be created. a user on the website, reddit, responded to a topic post with their concept of a film regarding modern day soldiers being sent back in time to the roman ages. after the user posted this they were contacted by a producer and the film is now being produced. (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/ff_reddit/)
Another impact the inernet has is the ability for films to be promoted through this media. this can be done on various platforms such as twitter where the one of the cast or crew that works on a film post something along the lines of an "exclusive" photo from off the set which may then cause excitement in the audience to watch that film. Another way to promote a film through digital media is via videos on sites such as vimeo and youtube or even on online articles. this can be done by posting a video onto these sites as video promotional material allows the user to become more engaged with the film than with a static image or text based article that they would find away from the internet.
One example of how the digital media has affected the film industry would be through the audience to have a voice in regards to a film possibley throughs sites such as IMDB and metacritic. These two sites have seen a surge in popularity in recent years as their reputation (Particualy IMDB due to its focus on info as well as reveiws) of having a wide range of information and reveiws from both critics and consumers. these sites allow the general audience to have a voice in what they think of the film whereas before they have not as the both have the ability to post reveiws and discussions about these films. a drawback to this is how open these two platforms are to users as the some users can choose to manipulate ratings through posting a large amount of negative reviews either as a group or through the use of multiple accounts. this can then turn users away from watching a films because of these false reveiws. Of course the ability to critique and share opinions on films may cause people to be more likely to watch a film as they may feel as though if they were disapointed with a film they can advise the rest of the users not to see it. Another example of how the audience can impact a film can be seen in the story of how a user on a website caused a film to be created. a user on the website, reddit, responded to a topic post with their concept of a film regarding modern day soldiers being sent back in time to the roman ages. after the user posted this they were contacted by a producer and the film is now being produced. (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/ff_reddit/)
Another impact the inernet has is the ability for films to be promoted through this media. this can be done on various platforms such as twitter where the one of the cast or crew that works on a film post something along the lines of an "exclusive" photo from off the set which may then cause excitement in the audience to watch that film. Another way to promote a film through digital media is via videos on sites such as vimeo and youtube or even on online articles. this can be done by posting a video onto these sites as video promotional material allows the user to become more engaged with the film than with a static image or text based article that they would find away from the internet.
Advantages
1. Althoguh opinions can be stated on the internet the sheer volume of users causes many peoples opinions to be lost among the numersous arguments that may have sprung up due to people voicing there opinion in the first place.
2. Whilst there is a wealth of information on the internet much of it is able to be altered by anyone either directly or indirectly such as altering wikipedia articles or skewing reviews by posting negative (or positive in some cases) on multiple accounts.
3. People can effectively influence the ways that people veiw them by posting only hte highlights of their life. Also the fact that many people post large amounts of informaiton people post to a website where anyone can access it, even by possibley masquerading as a freind, can only be a bad thing.
4. People can become obssessed with being the centre of attention even on the internet leading to them spending a vast amount of time posting about themselves and also people can lose self esteem if people dont show an interest in what they have posted.
7. The ananonimty of the internet allows people to post offensive content with no consequences (Although there have been court cases recently over offensive comments made via twitter and facebook in the uk.).
- Easier for the regular person to voice their opinion. For example with trailers and comments on youtube. SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FROM YOUR CASE STUDY.
- find out information more easily eg: views, trivia, information about the films. For example, wikapedia articles. IMDB for miscellaneous information.
- You can share your life with people. For example on Twitter and with photos. Social interaction and discussion.
- Validation of your existence and self esteem booster.
- if you want to be famous it's easier.
- You can share your interests and meet other people who have the same passions as you. youtube posting comments back and forth. Vital BMX - so people with a similar niche interest can easily find groups of likeminded people.
- For some people they may see it as freedom to act in a way that they want and to be able to say what they want. Gives people confidence because they can be anyone that they want.
- Allows another platform to access Media - you can watch things on the internet more easily
1. Althoguh opinions can be stated on the internet the sheer volume of users causes many peoples opinions to be lost among the numersous arguments that may have sprung up due to people voicing there opinion in the first place.
2. Whilst there is a wealth of information on the internet much of it is able to be altered by anyone either directly or indirectly such as altering wikipedia articles or skewing reviews by posting negative (or positive in some cases) on multiple accounts.
3. People can effectively influence the ways that people veiw them by posting only hte highlights of their life. Also the fact that many people post large amounts of informaiton people post to a website where anyone can access it, even by possibley masquerading as a freind, can only be a bad thing.
4. People can become obssessed with being the centre of attention even on the internet leading to them spending a vast amount of time posting about themselves and also people can lose self esteem if people dont show an interest in what they have posted.
7. The ananonimty of the internet allows people to post offensive content with no consequences (Although there have been court cases recently over offensive comments made via twitter and facebook in the uk.).
"The political and media classes of Iran are reportedly up in arms about this fantastically silly retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC, co-produced by Frank Miller, author of the pulpy shocker Sin City, and also the graphic novel on which this movie is based. With the kind of tremulous fervour that only prepubescent boys can work up on the subject of war, it recounts how the barbarous invading hordes of Persia were heroically held back by just 300 oiled and muscly Spartan warriors long enough for the Greek armies to regroup and for Athenian democracy - and by implication, all our inherited western values - to be saved for ever more. Iranian commentators, sudden and quick in quarrel, have found the slight intolerable. These people will presumably now redouble their commitment to historical sensitivity with another Holocaust Denial Conference. (Refers to (and partially ridicules) the apparent controversy in Iran over the films symbolism of east vs. west)
It's the Spartan King, Leonidas, who is played by a Brit: the grizzled, masculine, shouty figure of Gerard Butler, like a poor man's Russell Crowe. He's even shown in a rippling cornfield with his lady wife, like the great Gladiator of old. Like the other 299 warriors, he models an unattractive pair of trunks, looking like no one so much as the legendary 1970s English wrestler Mick McManus, although Mick never had those twin slabs of pecs and the kind of ripped abs that come from 1,000 crunches a day - or at any rate a fair bit of digital tweaking in post-production.And anyway, please. The Persians aren't made to look that bad. If they were, they'd be played by Brits. (Typical cynical British humour adds personality to the review) As it is, their leader, King Xerxes, is semi-nude (like everyone else) with loads of ethnic-looking body jewellery and he is played by pert Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, last seen almost getting off with Laura Linney in Love, Actually and almost getting off with Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's multimillion dollar Chanel ad.
The biggest laugh comes when Leonidas, while striding purposefully around in his dun-coloured pants, gruffly denounces the culture of Athens as "poets and boy-lovers!" Oh Leonidas! Do you really want to go there, your Majesty? Do you really want to poke the lid of that worm-filled can with your great big Spartan spear? I had a feeling that, whatever the historical reality of the Spartans' sexual conventions, the Spartan armourer here should have been working overtime running up the 300 handbags necessary for the kind of martial contest for which this vast platoon of gym-bunnies is most obviously fitted. The Spartans were historically joined by Thespians, and frankly they are all Thespians in spirit. I don't think I have ever seen a more unintimidating bunch. Were they up against Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Hyacinth Bucket we would see 300 arses - that is to say 600 tastefully smudged, semi-revealed Spartan buttocks - getting well and truly kicked. The silliest-sounding one is the Australian actor David Wenham, who has a strangulated English accent, as if he is auditioning to be a commentator on Test Match Special.
Xerxes commands a vast force and moreover has at his disposal a number of gigantic beasts, real and legendary, along with weird claw-handed giants whose job is to decapitate underperforming generals pour encourager les autres. He arrogantly sends word to Sparta, demanding of Leonidas some token form of submission: a tribute of earth and water. Leonidas refuses, kicks the Persians' emissary into a well, and slaughters the rest of the messenger's entourage too, apparently reckoning that, in the richness and fullness of time, their non-reappearance back in the Persian camp will tell Xerxes all he needs to know. Yet a corrupt cadre of Spartan priests, given to slobbering loathsomely over beautiful dancing girls, tries to tell Leonidas that the time is not propitious for Sparta to go to war. These hideous misshapen old men - and I have never seen a film go in quite so enthusiastically for the ugly-equals-wicked equation - are in the pocket of Sparta's most duplicitous and corrupt politician Theron, played by Dominic West.
Theron's most abysmal act of wickedness, while the King is away, is to force himself upon Leonidas's queen, played in full spirited-filly mode by Lena Headey. "This will not be over quickly," he hisses malevolently into her ear. "You will not enjoy this." I checked my watch at this stage, and found that on this issue, Theron had a point.
And yet it has to be said that there is a level of cheerfully self-aware ridiculousness, which means that 300 is not entirely without entertainment value. Pundits might be pretty quick to invoke Leni Riefenstahl in connection with this movie, and certainly Nazi Germany did indeed have a belligerent-sentimental soft spot for the Spartans at Thermopylae. But no one could possibly take it seriously, and surely no one in their right mind in the US could find in Frank Miller's homoerotic battle fantasy of Thermopylae an incitement to war against Iran. Apart from anything else, the idea of America having the Spartans' underdog status is not plausible."
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