Agenda.
There are so many connotations behind the word agenda as far as the media is concerned.
I'm going to focus on media agenda setting for the purposes of this blog post.
To some people, agenda is an insidious manipulation. They immediately think that an agenda is a bad thing and will result in them looking like a fool. The truth is: agenda setting doesn't have to be a bad thing but it can be abused, like anything else.
What we've looked at in class shows that there are four different kinds of agenda:
1. The public agenda: what the public thinks is important
2. Policy agenda: what the "decision makers" think is important
3. Corporate agenda: what businesses and corporations think is important
4. Media agenda: what the media thinks is important
As the ones providing news to the people, the media plays a huge role in how the public receives, experiences and feels about the news.
The media agenda works on two levels:
1. What news is released to the public. This is basically where news bodies decide what is important for the public to know (usually using news values) and then they publish their stories based on that.
2. How the public should feel about the news. This is the part that worries people. As the people who convey the news, media organisations can decide how they want a story to be received by the public.
I think that it's incredibly important for journalists to understand agenda setting and the power that we have as a result of it. Our position as the people who give the news to the people makes it very easy for agenda to be abused and have "public interest" as a defence.
Saturday, 30 March 2013
Monday, 25 March 2013
Iqon 2013
Iqon is only a few weeks away now, folks!
Iqon is the new hardstyle event organised by Q-dance in Sydney, Australia on the 20th of April, 2013. Featuring huge international artists such as Noisecontrollers, Headhunterz, Zatox as well as prominent Australian artists Code Black and Toneshifterz, Iqon 2013 is looking like it will be an incredible, high energy show that hopefully draws the same dedicated fans as Defqon 1 Australia.
Iqon was teased as a new, mysterious Q-dance event at Defqon 1 Australia last year in September and the hardstyle enthusiasts ate it up. The release of the Iqon trailer and lineup caused quite a stir with fans and the first release of both general and VIP tickets are already sold out and only VIP tickets remain in the second release at this point. For more information about the event, visit the website here.
Hardstyle is gaining major traction in Australia and the organisation of a second hardstyle event in Australia is indicative of a changing movement in music.
Watch this space for a review of Iqon at the end of April!
Iqon is the new hardstyle event organised by Q-dance in Sydney, Australia on the 20th of April, 2013. Featuring huge international artists such as Noisecontrollers, Headhunterz, Zatox as well as prominent Australian artists Code Black and Toneshifterz, Iqon 2013 is looking like it will be an incredible, high energy show that hopefully draws the same dedicated fans as Defqon 1 Australia.
Iqon was teased as a new, mysterious Q-dance event at Defqon 1 Australia last year in September and the hardstyle enthusiasts ate it up. The release of the Iqon trailer and lineup caused quite a stir with fans and the first release of both general and VIP tickets are already sold out and only VIP tickets remain in the second release at this point. For more information about the event, visit the website here.
Hardstyle is gaining major traction in Australia and the organisation of a second hardstyle event in Australia is indicative of a changing movement in music.
Watch this space for a review of Iqon at the end of April!
Australian Red Cross Blood Service Needs More Donors
Hey you! Yes, you! You are a human, correct? And you have blood? That is fantastic because the Australian Red Cross Blood Service could use your help!
Easter is closing in again and the call is going out once again for blood donors. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service has released a statement urgently expressing the need for at least another 8,000 blood donors during this busy and often hazardous period. It is estimated that at any given time, 1 in 3 Australians require blood but only 1 in 30 donate blood. It is especially important that people donate blood during holiday periods as many regular donors are unable to donate during this time.
Here's where you can help!
If you are between the ages of 16 and 70, weigh more than 45kgs, are healthy and not suffering from any illness* then you can donate!
Blood donation does not take very long, is relatively painless and allows you to help a person in need. Modern technology allows for whole blood donations to be separated out into three parts, potentially saving three people.
Remember, the life that you save could be your own.
*Other exclusion criteria may apply, visit the Australian Red Cross Blood Service website for more details.
Easter is closing in again and the call is going out once again for blood donors. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service has released a statement urgently expressing the need for at least another 8,000 blood donors during this busy and often hazardous period. It is estimated that at any given time, 1 in 3 Australians require blood but only 1 in 30 donate blood. It is especially important that people donate blood during holiday periods as many regular donors are unable to donate during this time.
Here's where you can help!
If you are between the ages of 16 and 70, weigh more than 45kgs, are healthy and not suffering from any illness* then you can donate!
Blood donation does not take very long, is relatively painless and allows you to help a person in need. Modern technology allows for whole blood donations to be separated out into three parts, potentially saving three people.
Remember, the life that you save could be your own.
*Other exclusion criteria may apply, visit the Australian Red Cross Blood Service website for more details.
News Values
News values are important. Why else would they be called news values? Many people have come up with lists of news values including Galtung & Ruge, Golding & Elliot and O'Neill & Harcup.
Personally, the list of news values that I adhere to are "The Big 6", suggested by Murray Masterson in 1995.
According to Masterson, the six most prominent news values are:
1. Significance/Impact
2. Proximity - location as well as emotional, historical, cultural and social significance
3. Conflict
4. Human Interest
5.The unusual/Novelty
6. Prominence - news relating to high profile people
News values are important to consider as a journalist because if you want to sell your story (and you do), it is necessary to understand what people are willing to buy and what they're interested in. There will always be a niche market where these news values don't strictly apply, but overall, the public wants to hear about things that are going to have an effect on them, they want to hear about conflict and confrontations, they want to hear about famous people, they want to hear stories that make them feel (human interest).
To me, it's about understanding what people want and what they need because while some might be content to just read celebrity gossip and whatnot, it is vital that they know what else is going on around them. The important things. It is our role as journalists to provide that. We need to filter out all of the unimportant happenings to provide the public with information that they need. In order to do that we need news values to sort through everything that happens all over the world every day.
Personally, the list of news values that I adhere to are "The Big 6", suggested by Murray Masterson in 1995.
According to Masterson, the six most prominent news values are:
1. Significance/Impact
2. Proximity - location as well as emotional, historical, cultural and social significance
3. Conflict
4. Human Interest
5.The unusual/Novelty
6. Prominence - news relating to high profile people
News values are important to consider as a journalist because if you want to sell your story (and you do), it is necessary to understand what people are willing to buy and what they're interested in. There will always be a niche market where these news values don't strictly apply, but overall, the public wants to hear about things that are going to have an effect on them, they want to hear about conflict and confrontations, they want to hear about famous people, they want to hear stories that make them feel (human interest).
To me, it's about understanding what people want and what they need because while some might be content to just read celebrity gossip and whatnot, it is vital that they know what else is going on around them. The important things. It is our role as journalists to provide that. We need to filter out all of the unimportant happenings to provide the public with information that they need. In order to do that we need news values to sort through everything that happens all over the world every day.
Friday, 22 March 2013
Web Iterations
Last week we looked at media convergence and how that has an effect on modern journalism and how it will influence future journalism.
Specifically, I am going to discuss web iterations:
- Web 1.0
-Web 2.0
- Web 3.0
As far as my understanding goes, Web 1.0 was the first incarnation of the internet. It was full of content and advertisers would buy up the space surrounding the content in an attempt to boost sales and whatnot. This quote from Greg Smith sums up Web 1.0 neatly:
We then moved on to Web 2.0, which is how we currently interact online. Web 2.0 can be described as the "social web" and largely refers to the interactivity that users experience with each other, with marketers, with businesses and so on. Web 2.0 has also coined the term "prod-users". Prod-users are, essentially, normal internet users that also create content. Web 2.0 has made it possible for anybody and everybody to be a producer of content and so everyone is capitalising on the opportunity. The number of blogs, Youtube channels, Facebook businesses, Etsy businesses etc., is absolutely staggering.
Web 3.0 is kind of the direction that people expect the internet to go. It will design your internet experience based on your interests and other things that you have searched before. Advertisers are already taking advantage of this technology, showing ads for products that match up with internet searches that you have made before in an attempt to attract your attention and potential business. The problem that I have with applying this concept to the entire internet is that it basically creates tunnel vision. There is an entire world of content to pursue and by only being shown information that you are probably already interested in, you miss out on experiencing so much more.
Note: I thought that I posted this last week but I did not so I had to make some minor adjustments.
Specifically, I am going to discuss web iterations:
- Web 1.0
-Web 2.0
- Web 3.0
As far as my understanding goes, Web 1.0 was the first incarnation of the internet. It was full of content and advertisers would buy up the space surrounding the content in an attempt to boost sales and whatnot. This quote from Greg Smith sums up Web 1.0 neatly:
Web 1.0 (the information web), the one we all know and love, is straightforward. It’s full of content that we can surround with ads, mainly in the form of banners. Many marketers look at this as an extension of offline media – print and television. Sadly, they tend to use it the same way (Greg Smith, 2009).
We then moved on to Web 2.0, which is how we currently interact online. Web 2.0 can be described as the "social web" and largely refers to the interactivity that users experience with each other, with marketers, with businesses and so on. Web 2.0 has also coined the term "prod-users". Prod-users are, essentially, normal internet users that also create content. Web 2.0 has made it possible for anybody and everybody to be a producer of content and so everyone is capitalising on the opportunity. The number of blogs, Youtube channels, Facebook businesses, Etsy businesses etc., is absolutely staggering.
Web 3.0 is kind of the direction that people expect the internet to go. It will design your internet experience based on your interests and other things that you have searched before. Advertisers are already taking advantage of this technology, showing ads for products that match up with internet searches that you have made before in an attempt to attract your attention and potential business. The problem that I have with applying this concept to the entire internet is that it basically creates tunnel vision. There is an entire world of content to pursue and by only being shown information that you are probably already interested in, you miss out on experiencing so much more.
Note: I thought that I posted this last week but I did not so I had to make some minor adjustments.
Friday, 15 March 2013
Schoolboy Kills Tyrant
Lord Voldemort has been killed by a seventeen year old boy at the Battle of Hogwarts late last night.
Harry Potter, 17, has killed Lord Voldemort during the battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that lasted most of last night.
Lord Voldemort is a known mass murderer and tyrant and has a long history with Mr Potter after failing to kill him seventeen years ago.
Mr Potter could not be contacted for comment but is not expected to face any criminal charges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was a really interesting tutorial task that involved taking a well known story (Harry Potter, in this case) and adapting it into a news story using the inverted pyramid style.
The inverted pyramid style works as shown below:
Harry Potter, 17, has killed Lord Voldemort during the battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that lasted most of last night.
Lord Voldemort is a known mass murderer and tyrant and has a long history with Mr Potter after failing to kill him seventeen years ago.
Mr Potter could not be contacted for comment but is not expected to face any criminal charges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was a really interesting tutorial task that involved taking a well known story (Harry Potter, in this case) and adapting it into a news story using the inverted pyramid style.
The inverted pyramid style works as shown below:
Usually I would try to make the story a little bit longer and include a quote from a party involved in the incident but obviously that is harder to do when the story is from a book and you are unable to interview anyone.
I think that it was very important for us to do this task as it is instrumental in teaching us how to write in the inverted pyramid style, which is a crucial component of journalistic writing.
I think that it was very important for us to do this task as it is instrumental in teaching us how to write in the inverted pyramid style, which is a crucial component of journalistic writing.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Public Media vs. Commercial Media
Let's just talk about public media versus commercial media for a second here.
Now, based on the lecture for Week 2, public media is government funded and is usually non-profit (or at the very least, profit isn't the main goal) whereas commercial media is usually trying to make a profit.
As a result of this, most commercial media is full of ads and, let's call them "human interest," stories designed to get people reading/viewing/listening while public media can do more in-depth stories because their goal isn't to sell what they're providing, the goal is just to provide it... Supposedly.
The thing is though, reality is rarely as black and white as that. Yes, commercial media exists to turn a profit and that does result in stories that can be thrown together quickly that the majority of people will consume but it doesn't prevent them from writing about important issues such as politics. By a similar token, just because public media has the capacity to publish detailed, hyper-researched work, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will because they still have deadlines to meet and an audience to appeal to and they wouldn't be able to continue to function if they were to only cater to a niche market. That means that, to an extent, public media has to pander to the wants of the audience almost as much as commercial media does.
In a way, both commercial and public media don't have a great deal of say in what gets published. Commercial media has to adhere to advertiser's whims while public media has to be careful about what content they create because their funding depends on governmental criteria.
When you think about it, they're basically the same. The actual content might be different but somebody else is still in charge dictating what can and can't be published and the person pulling the strings is usually the one with the money.
Now, based on the lecture for Week 2, public media is government funded and is usually non-profit (or at the very least, profit isn't the main goal) whereas commercial media is usually trying to make a profit.
As a result of this, most commercial media is full of ads and, let's call them "human interest," stories designed to get people reading/viewing/listening while public media can do more in-depth stories because their goal isn't to sell what they're providing, the goal is just to provide it... Supposedly.
The thing is though, reality is rarely as black and white as that. Yes, commercial media exists to turn a profit and that does result in stories that can be thrown together quickly that the majority of people will consume but it doesn't prevent them from writing about important issues such as politics. By a similar token, just because public media has the capacity to publish detailed, hyper-researched work, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will because they still have deadlines to meet and an audience to appeal to and they wouldn't be able to continue to function if they were to only cater to a niche market. That means that, to an extent, public media has to pander to the wants of the audience almost as much as commercial media does.
In a way, both commercial and public media don't have a great deal of say in what gets published. Commercial media has to adhere to advertiser's whims while public media has to be careful about what content they create because their funding depends on governmental criteria.
When you think about it, they're basically the same. The actual content might be different but somebody else is still in charge dictating what can and can't be published and the person pulling the strings is usually the one with the money.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Soundwave 2013 - Bonython Park, Adelaide.
You wake up bright and early. You know what today is. You hurry to get ready, the anticipation is mounting. It's going to be a good day. You double check that you have everything: phone, money, ID, ticket. Don't forget the ticket, that's the most important part...
You leave where you're staying to meet up with some friends for breakfast and all conversation is focused on what is to come. You eat your food in a hurry, anxious to get there, ready for it all to begin.
As you get closer to the venue you see them all. All those people congregating for the same reason as you, the reason you're all there: Soundwave Festival 2013.
With a lineup boasting more than 70 bands including acts such as Metallica, Blink-182, The Offspring, Linkin Park, A Perfect Circle and much more, Soundwave 2013 was destined for a huge turnout and I happened to be amongst the crowd amassed at Bonython Park on March 2nd.
I had been eagerly awaiting Soundwave for months, I had taken two flights and travelled more than 2,500kms and I was not let down in the least.
The first band that I watched was American punk-rock group, Mindless Self Indulgence whose on-stage antics were something that I had previously only heard about. The band played spectacularly and lead singer Jimmy Urine's outlandish interaction, (drawing on his clothes and face, peculiar dance moves, bad Australian accents and edgy jokes) left the crowd wanting more.
From there I was off to the other side of Bonython Park for American indie-rock group Motion City Soundtrack who were lovely to watch. Located at Stage 3, under the marquee, the band's set felt more intimate and the boys were a delight, full of exuberance for the music that they have made into a career for themselves. Motion City Soundtrack finished on a high note by playing their well known song Everything is Alright which the crowd happily sang along with to complete the set.
A Perfect Circle were up next on the main stage so I rushed off to watch them with enough time to see Slayer finish their set with Raining Blood, much to the enjoyment of the gathered metal fans. A Perfect Circle were wonderful to watch, playing a wide range of songs including The Outsider, Passive, The Noose and their cover of John Lennon's Imagine. Maynard James Keenan, dressed in a suit in the Adelaide heat, sang passionately and powerfully. Keenan also had commitments earlier in the day with his other band, Puscifer.
Up next on the main stage were highly anticipated punk-rockers Blink-182 who hadn't toured in Australia for almost a decade. Unfortunately, Travis Barker (the band's drummer), was not touring with the band due to his extreme fear of flying. However, replacement drummer Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion, was more than up to the job of filling in for Barker. Wackerman performed admirably alongside Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. If anyone was expecting Hoppus and DeLonge to be any different to the Blink-182 of the past, they were sorely mistaken, the boys still constantly cracked jokes and made sexual innuendoes and just generally enjoyed themselves onstage.
Linkin Park followed Blink-182 to huge applause, starting with Mike Shinoda casually playing guitar and strolling out from the side of the stage before leading into the song Faint which made fans cheer and jump around. With a fantastic set of songs, both old and new, and a customised visual accompaniment to the show, Linkin Park delivered both an emotionally powerful and entertaining set.
At long last, with the sun finally setting, the major draw for the festival was ready for the main stage: Metallica. The heavy metal superstars may be older than when they first started out thirty years ago but have not diminished at all in that time. The men of Metallica met eagerly awaiting fans opening strongly with Hit The Lights, immediately followed up with Master of Puppets. I stood transfixed for the first hour of Metallica's two hour set, by their performance and the obvious glee that could be seen on their faces before tearing myself away to find The Offspring.
Over on Stage 2, I found myself arriving at the end of Paramore's set, in time to see frontwoman Hayley Williams bring two girls up from the crowd to sing Misery Business with her. One of the girls was overcome with emotion and started crying, so Williams had an arm around her as they sang. It was a touching moment to witness at the festival.
Then The Offspring began. Playing a set mostly consisting of their older music, The Offspring were interesting to watch live but more interesting was the crowd. During tracks from their latest album, Days Gone By, the crowd seemed to be less interested and less inclined to sing and dance than during songs like Come Out and Play. As much as I enjoyed The Offspring, I found myself drawn back to Metallica who had set off fireworks and other pyrotechnics in my absence.
So shortly after The Offspring played big time hits Want You Bad, Hit That and Gone Away, I determinedly pushed my way back to the main stage to watch Metallica's finale and encore. I was entranced once again by the fervour and spirit exuded by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett. The boys absolutely nailed their performance, ending on a high with Seek and Destroy.
Overall, the performances at Soundwave were magnificent and it is wonderful to see people who are so passionate about music performing and still being visibly happy and appreciative to be there.
As you get closer to the venue you see them all. All those people congregating for the same reason as you, the reason you're all there: Soundwave Festival 2013.
With a lineup boasting more than 70 bands including acts such as Metallica, Blink-182, The Offspring, Linkin Park, A Perfect Circle and much more, Soundwave 2013 was destined for a huge turnout and I happened to be amongst the crowd amassed at Bonython Park on March 2nd.
I had been eagerly awaiting Soundwave for months, I had taken two flights and travelled more than 2,500kms and I was not let down in the least.
The first band that I watched was American punk-rock group, Mindless Self Indulgence whose on-stage antics were something that I had previously only heard about. The band played spectacularly and lead singer Jimmy Urine's outlandish interaction, (drawing on his clothes and face, peculiar dance moves, bad Australian accents and edgy jokes) left the crowd wanting more.
A Perfect Circle were up next on the main stage so I rushed off to watch them with enough time to see Slayer finish their set with Raining Blood, much to the enjoyment of the gathered metal fans. A Perfect Circle were wonderful to watch, playing a wide range of songs including The Outsider, Passive, The Noose and their cover of John Lennon's Imagine. Maynard James Keenan, dressed in a suit in the Adelaide heat, sang passionately and powerfully. Keenan also had commitments earlier in the day with his other band, Puscifer.
Up next on the main stage were highly anticipated punk-rockers Blink-182 who hadn't toured in Australia for almost a decade. Unfortunately, Travis Barker (the band's drummer), was not touring with the band due to his extreme fear of flying. However, replacement drummer Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion, was more than up to the job of filling in for Barker. Wackerman performed admirably alongside Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. If anyone was expecting Hoppus and DeLonge to be any different to the Blink-182 of the past, they were sorely mistaken, the boys still constantly cracked jokes and made sexual innuendoes and just generally enjoyed themselves onstage.
Linkin Park followed Blink-182 to huge applause, starting with Mike Shinoda casually playing guitar and strolling out from the side of the stage before leading into the song Faint which made fans cheer and jump around. With a fantastic set of songs, both old and new, and a customised visual accompaniment to the show, Linkin Park delivered both an emotionally powerful and entertaining set.
At long last, with the sun finally setting, the major draw for the festival was ready for the main stage: Metallica. The heavy metal superstars may be older than when they first started out thirty years ago but have not diminished at all in that time. The men of Metallica met eagerly awaiting fans opening strongly with Hit The Lights, immediately followed up with Master of Puppets. I stood transfixed for the first hour of Metallica's two hour set, by their performance and the obvious glee that could be seen on their faces before tearing myself away to find The Offspring.
Over on Stage 2, I found myself arriving at the end of Paramore's set, in time to see frontwoman Hayley Williams bring two girls up from the crowd to sing Misery Business with her. One of the girls was overcome with emotion and started crying, so Williams had an arm around her as they sang. It was a touching moment to witness at the festival.
Then The Offspring began. Playing a set mostly consisting of their older music, The Offspring were interesting to watch live but more interesting was the crowd. During tracks from their latest album, Days Gone By, the crowd seemed to be less interested and less inclined to sing and dance than during songs like Come Out and Play. As much as I enjoyed The Offspring, I found myself drawn back to Metallica who had set off fireworks and other pyrotechnics in my absence.
So shortly after The Offspring played big time hits Want You Bad, Hit That and Gone Away, I determinedly pushed my way back to the main stage to watch Metallica's finale and encore. I was entranced once again by the fervour and spirit exuded by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett. The boys absolutely nailed their performance, ending on a high with Seek and Destroy.
Overall, the performances at Soundwave were magnificent and it is wonderful to see people who are so passionate about music performing and still being visibly happy and appreciative to be there.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
The First Ever Blog (By Me, That Is)
Well hello there, you!
It appears that you have located my blog and as such, you deserve a proper welcome! So...
Welcome to Britters' Breakdown!
Now, here's the breakdown on The Breakdown: I am Britters and I will write all of the lovely posts that are yet to come (trust me, they are on their way) and they will cover a range of topics.
I will talk about many, many, many things including news and current events, articles that I find interesting or noteworthy in some way, things that I have learnt or am learning at university and music... So much music. I will discuss and create whatever I feel like, essentially, and I hope that you enjoy what you find here.
I think that is all for now, so again, welcome!
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