Clouds In My Coffee productions and Blogspot.com announced earlier today that “Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives” has not been renewed for a second season.
The short-lived series featuring the trials and tribulations of Digitella ended its run after 3 months due to lack of audience participation. Ratings were allegedly poor from the start but director and screenwriter MEG remained optimistic. This was in vain, however, as ratings continued to plummet.
"It's actually a bit of a relief," MEG commented at a poorly attended press conference held shortly after the announcement was made. "It broke my heart to get the ratings in week after week only see that no one was really interested in Digitella or what she had to say."
Rumours have been circulating that MEG will make a comeback later on this month with a new show. MEG refused to comment on this, but she did make one thing clear - Digitella would under no circumstances be resurrected.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Tuesday, 04 September 2007
Episode 10 - The one where Digitella reviews Reporter.co.za
For her final project for the semester Digitella had to choose one citizen media site to review. Prof. Lineon suggested Reporter.co.za. "It's a good example of an entire site that is dedicated to citizen media. All the content - videos, audio and photographs - are produced by the readers," she told Digitella after their morning lecture. "Visit the site and talk to some people who have used it and what they think. It could make an interesting blog ..." she said with a wink.
Digitella thought about her assignment the entire morning and was still thinking about it when she went to fetch her laptop - that was finally fixed - from Chip.
"You look miles away," Chip said, handing Digitella her laptop.
"Just thinking about this site, Reporter.co.za," she said.
"Oh yeah, I know that site," he said.
Digitella was surprised, "How do you know about it?"
"I've registered and even had some stuff published," he said, proudly with a smile on his oil-smudged face.
"Oooh, how does it work?" Digitella asked.
"It's pretty simple really. All you do is go to the site and register - it's free and once you've registered you can get stuff published."
"No offence, Chip but you're not the best writer ..." Digitella started.
"Oh, no I know but once you've registered as a member you have access to the Reporter virtual newsroom where you will be mentored by a team of highly experienced journalists, like yourself, with skills ranging from reporting to editing to web production and design." he said. "There are also lots of resources on the site to help me write better. There's a story guidelines section, and a Reporter Zone, which is a special section on the site especially for citizens who want to write," he said. "I also get to have articles published online for people all over the world to read and I get paid for it too," he smiled.
"How much do you generally get paid?"
"It's pretty small, all content is graded different categories like Gold (for the homepage), Silver (top of various sections) and Bronze. These carry a payment fee of R35, R20 and R15 per published contribution."
"How does the payment process work?" Digitella asked.
"Well, you just give your banking details and a certified copy of your SA ID - but it's totally secure" he said, noting Digitella's sceptical expression.
Later that afternoon Digitella ran into Tek while he was his way to the news office. "What do you know about Reporter.co.za?" she asked.
"It's a Johnnic Communications publication and has been modelled on the Ohmynews site. It's been quite successful so far. I mean in the first month, there were over 2500 reporters registered on the site," Tek said. "I think the jury is still out as to whether its going to be successful or not, but I believe there is a space for citizen media in South Africa, and it is the first site of its kind, so I think it has a sporting chance."
Digitella went home to write her blog on her fixed laptop - only time would tell if Reporter.co.za would start a new trend in South African journalism.
Digitella thought about her assignment the entire morning and was still thinking about it when she went to fetch her laptop - that was finally fixed - from Chip.
"You look miles away," Chip said, handing Digitella her laptop.
"Just thinking about this site, Reporter.co.za," she said.
"Oh yeah, I know that site," he said.
Digitella was surprised, "How do you know about it?"
"I've registered and even had some stuff published," he said, proudly with a smile on his oil-smudged face.
"Oooh, how does it work?" Digitella asked.
"It's pretty simple really. All you do is go to the site and register - it's free and once you've registered you can get stuff published."
"No offence, Chip but you're not the best writer ..." Digitella started.
"Oh, no I know but once you've registered as a member you have access to the Reporter virtual newsroom where you will be mentored by a team of highly experienced journalists, like yourself, with skills ranging from reporting to editing to web production and design." he said. "There are also lots of resources on the site to help me write better. There's a story guidelines section, and a Reporter Zone, which is a special section on the site especially for citizens who want to write," he said. "I also get to have articles published online for people all over the world to read and I get paid for it too," he smiled.
"How much do you generally get paid?"
"It's pretty small, all content is graded different categories like Gold (for the homepage), Silver (top of various sections) and Bronze. These carry a payment fee of R35, R20 and R15 per published contribution."
"How does the payment process work?" Digitella asked.
"Well, you just give your banking details and a certified copy of your SA ID - but it's totally secure" he said, noting Digitella's sceptical expression.
Later that afternoon Digitella ran into Tek while he was his way to the news office. "What do you know about Reporter.co.za?" she asked.
"It's a Johnnic Communications publication and has been modelled on the Ohmynews site. It's been quite successful so far. I mean in the first month, there were over 2500 reporters registered on the site," Tek said. "I think the jury is still out as to whether its going to be successful or not, but I believe there is a space for citizen media in South Africa, and it is the first site of its kind, so I think it has a sporting chance."
Digitella went home to write her blog on her fixed laptop - only time would tell if Reporter.co.za would start a new trend in South African journalism.
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Episode 9 - The one where Digitella visits the Times
Digitella and her journalism class were visiting The Times in Joburg for a week - the idea was to produce multimedia packages with The Times online news team. There was a lull on the second day, and Digitella was aware that her blog needed to be updated, so she decided to review the Sunday Times website and its implementation of citizen media. She found a computer in a quiet corner and started writing her blog:
"The slogan of the The Times Online website is 'Interact with us'. In terms of its Web 2.0 applications, The Times is ahead of the rest. RSS feeds, a Facebook group and hyperlocal services such as online competitions, weather forecasts and dating services try bring online users to the site and entice them to stay.
But, what is The Times online doing about the rise of citizen media and just how are they tapping into this ever-increasing phenomenon? Other than a half-hearted link to fellow Johncom colleague Reporter.co.za, there isn't anything on the Times site that encourages user-generated content. Here are just a few ideas on how The Times can exploit the potentiality of their online medium by including content created by users:
Citizen blogs - The Times site hosts a number of blogs but they are all either by editors, journalists or well-known print columnists. Offering a blogging option for users who subscribe may be a good way to hear what are on the minds of SA citizens.
User photo/ video galleries - The Mail and Guardian has set up a reader's photo gallery where users can submit photographs that they have taken. The Times could incorporate a system similar to this one quite easily.
Citizen articles - The Times could set up a section of their website that invites users to submit stories and articles on issues and events that they find relevant. Not only will this allow citizens to have their say, but it could also give Times journalists an idea of what the people they are catering for are actually interested in.
By adding a few of these citizen media elements, The Times will be able to truly live up to their slogan - 'Interact with us'"
Digitella had just finished her blog entry when she was called back to the bustling online newsroom.
"The slogan of the The Times Online website is 'Interact with us'. In terms of its Web 2.0 applications, The Times is ahead of the rest. RSS feeds, a Facebook group and hyperlocal services such as online competitions, weather forecasts and dating services try bring online users to the site and entice them to stay.
But, what is The Times online doing about the rise of citizen media and just how are they tapping into this ever-increasing phenomenon? Other than a half-hearted link to fellow Johncom colleague Reporter.co.za, there isn't anything on the Times site that encourages user-generated content. Here are just a few ideas on how The Times can exploit the potentiality of their online medium by including content created by users:
By adding a few of these citizen media elements, The Times will be able to truly live up to their slogan - 'Interact with us'"
Digitella had just finished her blog entry when she was called back to the bustling online newsroom.
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Episode 8 - The one where Digitella discusses hyperlocal media
Chip McMac had been very helpful over the past week, trying to get Digitella’s laptop fixed but when she went to him early on Monday morning, her precious laptop was still broken.
“I’m sorry, Digitella, it's going to take at least another week to fix.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Digtella sighed. “I have a mobile phone for the time being,” she held up Tek's Nokia.
“I thought you were having trouble with it,” he said, remembering her moans about not being able to upload her blog entry.
“I’ve finally got the hang of it. It isn’t that hard. In fact, I’ve been using it to work on my latest entry and it’s going well,” she said.
“What you blogging about this week?"
“Hyperlocal citizen media sites," Digitella said, trying not to notice Chip hacking at her laptop’s hard drive.
“What are hyperlocal citizen media sites?” he asked.
“They are community-based websites that publish current news, events and issues that are relevant to a particular community or neighbourhood of people.”
“What does that have to do with the citizen journalism thingy you are supposed to be covering?” Chip asked.
“The content is produced completely by the people of that community. They write the articles, upload pictures and video. They start debates through forums, and blogs and can discuss issues online through discussion boards,” said Digitella. “The idea comes from principles suggested by the Habermasian public sphere – citizens are not seen as passive consumers of news, but active participants. This site allows people to share their ideas.”
“Even me?” Chip asked, cheekily.
“Yes, even you,” Digitella smiled.
“What’s so important about these hyperlocal sites?”
“It has to do with democracy. A report I read argues that society has become more and more disconnected and that is why there has been a decrease in democratic participation. People aren’t reading national newspapers anymore because they don’t feel that what is published is relevant to them and so they do not take part in political debates and discussions.
“Another great thing about these sites is that they can help traditional journalists like myself tap into community issues. We aren’t always able to see the problems and issues of a community.”
“Wow, sounds like you’re doing a bit of PR for these sites, hey?” Chip said.
“Yeah, well, there are issues with the sites naturally – ethics etc. But, that’s for a different blog,” Digitella said.
“Good luck with it,” Chip waved good bye with his screwdriver.
“Feels like I’ve already written it,” Digitella said.
tune in next week when Digitella visits the Sunday Times in Joburg
“I’m sorry, Digitella, it's going to take at least another week to fix.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Digtella sighed. “I have a mobile phone for the time being,” she held up Tek's Nokia.
“I thought you were having trouble with it,” he said, remembering her moans about not being able to upload her blog entry.
“I’ve finally got the hang of it. It isn’t that hard. In fact, I’ve been using it to work on my latest entry and it’s going well,” she said.
“What you blogging about this week?"
“Hyperlocal citizen media sites," Digitella said, trying not to notice Chip hacking at her laptop’s hard drive.
“What are hyperlocal citizen media sites?” he asked.
“They are community-based websites that publish current news, events and issues that are relevant to a particular community or neighbourhood of people.”
“What does that have to do with the citizen journalism thingy you are supposed to be covering?” Chip asked.
“The content is produced completely by the people of that community. They write the articles, upload pictures and video. They start debates through forums, and blogs and can discuss issues online through discussion boards,” said Digitella. “The idea comes from principles suggested by the Habermasian public sphere – citizens are not seen as passive consumers of news, but active participants. This site allows people to share their ideas.”
“Even me?” Chip asked, cheekily.
“Yes, even you,” Digitella smiled.
“What’s so important about these hyperlocal sites?”
“It has to do with democracy. A report I read argues that society has become more and more disconnected and that is why there has been a decrease in democratic participation. People aren’t reading national newspapers anymore because they don’t feel that what is published is relevant to them and so they do not take part in political debates and discussions.
“Another great thing about these sites is that they can help traditional journalists like myself tap into community issues. We aren’t always able to see the problems and issues of a community.”
“Wow, sounds like you’re doing a bit of PR for these sites, hey?” Chip said.
“Yeah, well, there are issues with the sites naturally – ethics etc. But, that’s for a different blog,” Digitella said.
“Good luck with it,” Chip waved good bye with his screwdriver.
“Feels like I’ve already written it,” Digitella said.
tune in next week when Digitella visits the Sunday Times in Joburg
Tuesday, 07 August 2007
Episode 7 - The one where digitella goes mobile
Digitella’s laptop was broken. Old family friend and computer technician, Chip McMac said it would take a few weeks to fix. “How am I going to write my blog?” she wondered, as she entered the news room. She could probably use the lab computers, but Tek had other ideas.
“This is perfect,” he said when she told him about her laptop. On seeing Digitella’s confused expression, he decided to explain.
“The Africa Interactive Media Foundation and Dutch-based citizen journalism website Skoeps recently launched a mobile phone project – Voices of Africa. Basically, journalists in four African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa are using cellphone technology to report news.” He handed her his Nokia 30100. “What better way to blog about the issue then by using a phone.”
Digitella looked down at her new mode of communication with its small screen. This was going to be interesting …
“Citizen journalism is not a new phenomenon. It began in the late 1980s when newspaper editors started recruiting citizens to give their own points of view on current events and issues. The rise of the Internet and its popular catch-phrase of “access to the people” have led to a huge rise in citizen participation. Blogs, and user-generated content sites like Youtube, and Flickr that allow people to upload videos and images onto the Internet are just a few examples of how ordinary citizens are contributing to mass media.
This is all well and good in countries like the UK and the United States, where bandwidth costs are low and 1 in 3 people have Internet access. In Africa, however, the majority of people do not have access to computers and the only way of getting onto the Internet is through Internet cafes. As of June this year, despite huge development projects and independent funding, Africa still only makes up 3% of the total Internet user population in the world. So what does that mean for citizen journalism?
African citizens do not have the tools to participate in the mass media, which results in one-sided and undemocratic journalistic practice. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. While computer and Internet access leaves much to be desired on the African continent, cell phones are becoming increasingly popular and media analyst Peter Feuilherade argues that cell phones are penetrating where TV, newspapers and the Internet cannot.
Enter the Voices of Africa Project. The project began in May and reporters in four countries will use cell phones to upload text, video and photos to website Africanews. Hopefully, this will lead to Africans being able to take part in discussions about Africa, providing Africans with a voice. Like all things technological, it’s not all moonshine and roses. There are a few issues to this ambitious project:
Using a cellphone to upload information to the Internet is only possible if the cellphone and the area the cellphone user is in supports wireless communication protocol General Packet Radio System (GPRS). Not all African countries have GPRS.
The project is aimed specifically at reporters, and not ordinary African citizens – are the right voices being heard?
African citizens do not have the same skills as reporters and will need to be trained in how to properly use cellphones to upload information and take part in online discussions about important issues to fully exploit the medium.
In spite of all this, it is exciting that steps are being made to ensure that Africans are also considered part of the citizen journalism arena and that we too have a voice worthy of being heard.”
Digitella typed the last few letters, smiling to herself. There was just one problem – how was she going to upload her post?
“This is perfect,” he said when she told him about her laptop. On seeing Digitella’s confused expression, he decided to explain.
“The Africa Interactive Media Foundation and Dutch-based citizen journalism website Skoeps recently launched a mobile phone project – Voices of Africa. Basically, journalists in four African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa are using cellphone technology to report news.” He handed her his Nokia 30100. “What better way to blog about the issue then by using a phone.”
Digitella looked down at her new mode of communication with its small screen. This was going to be interesting …
“Citizen journalism is not a new phenomenon. It began in the late 1980s when newspaper editors started recruiting citizens to give their own points of view on current events and issues. The rise of the Internet and its popular catch-phrase of “access to the people” have led to a huge rise in citizen participation. Blogs, and user-generated content sites like Youtube, and Flickr that allow people to upload videos and images onto the Internet are just a few examples of how ordinary citizens are contributing to mass media.
This is all well and good in countries like the UK and the United States, where bandwidth costs are low and 1 in 3 people have Internet access. In Africa, however, the majority of people do not have access to computers and the only way of getting onto the Internet is through Internet cafes. As of June this year, despite huge development projects and independent funding, Africa still only makes up 3% of the total Internet user population in the world. So what does that mean for citizen journalism?
African citizens do not have the tools to participate in the mass media, which results in one-sided and undemocratic journalistic practice. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. While computer and Internet access leaves much to be desired on the African continent, cell phones are becoming increasingly popular and media analyst Peter Feuilherade argues that cell phones are penetrating where TV, newspapers and the Internet cannot.
Enter the Voices of Africa Project. The project began in May and reporters in four countries will use cell phones to upload text, video and photos to website Africanews. Hopefully, this will lead to Africans being able to take part in discussions about Africa, providing Africans with a voice. Like all things technological, it’s not all moonshine and roses. There are a few issues to this ambitious project:
In spite of all this, it is exciting that steps are being made to ensure that Africans are also considered part of the citizen journalism arena and that we too have a voice worthy of being heard.”
Digitella typed the last few letters, smiling to herself. There was just one problem – how was she going to upload her post?
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Episode 6 - The one where Digitella challenges credibility
The following morning, Prof Lineon stopped Digitella as she was walking down the corridor. “Interesting post last night,” she smiled. “You say that professional/ mainstream journalists offer credibility to the media – does this mean that mainstream journalists are more credible than citizen journalists?”
“Absolutely!” Digitella said, emphatically, standing up for her future colleagues.
“I suggest doing a little more research on the topic before making a decision,” Prof Lineon gave Digitella a knowing look over her wire-rimmed glasses, before walking off.
That afternoon, Digitella and Mo sat down to search the Net and Digitella could not believe what they found … later that day she wrote:
“In my last entry I said that professional journalists would only be under threat from citizen journalists if they failed to be credible reporters – well, we have been warned.
Over the past few years, the South African mainstream media industry has been bombarded with plagiarism lawsuits, article fabrication and misleading headline allegations. Here are just a few:
• Elle magazine editor Cynthia Vongai plagiarised an article originally published (ironically) on a website: askmen,com.
• Sunday Times reporter Ranjeni Munusamy leaked a story to the City Press, alleging that Head of National Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was a spy – the editor then ran an article with the headline: “Was Ngcuka a spy?”
• A Daily Sun reporter fabricated a front-page hijacking story
• The Cape Times and Business Day fired columnists for plagiarism.
Each of these incidents has led to the gradual decline in professional journalist credibility. One reporter has gone so far as to say that he no longer reads mainstream media, and relies on blogs, and other independent citizen –run news sites as sources of information. Perhaps, said reporter is being a bit melodramatic. There are still many flaws in citizen journalism, especially online. The vastness of the Internet and the lack of any kind of filtering system allow anyone to post information and label it as citizen journalism.
Without any formal codes of conduct to live by, truth and credibility are often missing in citizen journalism. But, in an online interview, co-editor of the independent news site scoop.co.nz, Selwyn Manning says that citizen journalism is not necessarily untruthful. In fact, he proposes an interesting theory that citizen journalism has developed because people have started to realise that they can’t trust everything they read in newspapers, or watch on television.
Perhaps then it is professional journalism’s very lack of credibility that has led to the rise of citizen journalism – without a need to question what is said in mainstream media and to report on issues otherwise ignored by professional journalists there would be no need for citizen journalism … it’s an interesting thought.
The bottom line is – professional journalists better start playing the credibility game by checking facts, living up to professional codes of conduct, viewing all sides of an issue, and not being swayed by advertisers or government officials. If not, professional journalists stand to come a close second to citizen reporters.”
Digitella felt disheartened as she posted her entry. Sipping her coffee, she could only wonder what her future may be …
“Absolutely!” Digitella said, emphatically, standing up for her future colleagues.
“I suggest doing a little more research on the topic before making a decision,” Prof Lineon gave Digitella a knowing look over her wire-rimmed glasses, before walking off.
That afternoon, Digitella and Mo sat down to search the Net and Digitella could not believe what they found … later that day she wrote:
“In my last entry I said that professional journalists would only be under threat from citizen journalists if they failed to be credible reporters – well, we have been warned.
Over the past few years, the South African mainstream media industry has been bombarded with plagiarism lawsuits, article fabrication and misleading headline allegations. Here are just a few:
• Elle magazine editor Cynthia Vongai plagiarised an article originally published (ironically) on a website: askmen,com.
• Sunday Times reporter Ranjeni Munusamy leaked a story to the City Press, alleging that Head of National Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was a spy – the editor then ran an article with the headline: “Was Ngcuka a spy?”
• A Daily Sun reporter fabricated a front-page hijacking story
• The Cape Times and Business Day fired columnists for plagiarism.
Each of these incidents has led to the gradual decline in professional journalist credibility. One reporter has gone so far as to say that he no longer reads mainstream media, and relies on blogs, and other independent citizen –run news sites as sources of information. Perhaps, said reporter is being a bit melodramatic. There are still many flaws in citizen journalism, especially online. The vastness of the Internet and the lack of any kind of filtering system allow anyone to post information and label it as citizen journalism.
Without any formal codes of conduct to live by, truth and credibility are often missing in citizen journalism. But, in an online interview, co-editor of the independent news site scoop.co.nz, Selwyn Manning says that citizen journalism is not necessarily untruthful. In fact, he proposes an interesting theory that citizen journalism has developed because people have started to realise that they can’t trust everything they read in newspapers, or watch on television.
Perhaps then it is professional journalism’s very lack of credibility that has led to the rise of citizen journalism – without a need to question what is said in mainstream media and to report on issues otherwise ignored by professional journalists there would be no need for citizen journalism … it’s an interesting thought.
The bottom line is – professional journalists better start playing the credibility game by checking facts, living up to professional codes of conduct, viewing all sides of an issue, and not being swayed by advertisers or government officials. If not, professional journalists stand to come a close second to citizen reporters.”
Digitella felt disheartened as she posted her entry. Sipping her coffee, she could only wonder what her future may be …
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Episode 5 - The one where Digitella talks credibility
Digitella’s Monday morning journalism lecture seemed to drag on for light years. When the bell finally rang, she made a run for the door, but was stopped by her lecturer, Prof Lineon.
“I hear you are blogging about citizen journalism,” she said, logging off her computer. “As a student getting a degree in journalism, I was interested to hear your thoughts on this article.”
Prof. Lineon pulled a sheet of printing paper out of her desk drawer. “Do you feel threatened by everyday people on the street who are now able to do what you do for less money?”
Digitella scanned the article and later that afternoon, frantically sat down to write:
“Over the past few weeks that I have begun to immerse myself in the world of citizen media and all it has to offer, I never for one moment questioned what the rise of citizen reporters would mean for my future career as a professional journalist.
In an article for Bizcommunity.com, Chris Moerdyk writes that news media owners can take advantage of this recent wave of citizen journalism and cut ever-increasing costs by slashing editorial staff numbers and using content produced by unqualified, citizens. After all, why should media owners pay staff R3.50 a word, when there are millions of people who are willing to share their content for free?
Well then, what about me? Is getting a degree in journalism a complete waste? Will the role of professional journalists one day be obsolete?
My guess is – not likely.
Yes, citizen journalists come cheaper; yes they may very well be better writers and photographers than those brandishing honours degrees. But, why then are professional journalists still more trustworthy than blogs and user-generated content? Why do citizen media sites like Digitaljournal have a small editorial staff of professional journalists who check articles before they are published?
The answer is - credibility.
I believe what citizen journalists lack is an understanding of the media they are working with and how to best report on an issue. Over the past few months, I have been taught that reporting should be fair, accurate, and balanced. It should be unbiased and present issues in such a way so that people can make up their own minds. It is these qualities that give professional journalists credibility.
But, what exactly is credibility? The dictionary defines it as “the quality of being believable or trustworthy". For a media producer it means, among other things, getting all sides of a story, and checking the facts.
I do feel that citizen journalists can pose a threat to professional journalists, but only if professionals fail to be credible reporters of news.
In a recent presentation, Dan Gillmor says that “[journalists] must maintain core principles, including fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness. These … are essential if professional journalism expects to survive.”
The rise of cheap citizen journalists does not make me nervous, but it does make me aware that I need to work harder at establishing credibility through reporting that is fair, accurate and balanced.”
Digitella posted her entry with the feeling that she had just opened a can of worms …
Next week, Digitella delves deeper into the crevices of the professional/ citizen journalist debate.
“I hear you are blogging about citizen journalism,” she said, logging off her computer. “As a student getting a degree in journalism, I was interested to hear your thoughts on this article.”
Prof. Lineon pulled a sheet of printing paper out of her desk drawer. “Do you feel threatened by everyday people on the street who are now able to do what you do for less money?”
Digitella scanned the article and later that afternoon, frantically sat down to write:
“Over the past few weeks that I have begun to immerse myself in the world of citizen media and all it has to offer, I never for one moment questioned what the rise of citizen reporters would mean for my future career as a professional journalist.
In an article for Bizcommunity.com, Chris Moerdyk writes that news media owners can take advantage of this recent wave of citizen journalism and cut ever-increasing costs by slashing editorial staff numbers and using content produced by unqualified, citizens. After all, why should media owners pay staff R3.50 a word, when there are millions of people who are willing to share their content for free?
Well then, what about me? Is getting a degree in journalism a complete waste? Will the role of professional journalists one day be obsolete?
My guess is – not likely.
Yes, citizen journalists come cheaper; yes they may very well be better writers and photographers than those brandishing honours degrees. But, why then are professional journalists still more trustworthy than blogs and user-generated content? Why do citizen media sites like Digitaljournal have a small editorial staff of professional journalists who check articles before they are published?
The answer is - credibility.
I believe what citizen journalists lack is an understanding of the media they are working with and how to best report on an issue. Over the past few months, I have been taught that reporting should be fair, accurate, and balanced. It should be unbiased and present issues in such a way so that people can make up their own minds. It is these qualities that give professional journalists credibility.
But, what exactly is credibility? The dictionary defines it as “the quality of being believable or trustworthy". For a media producer it means, among other things, getting all sides of a story, and checking the facts.
I do feel that citizen journalists can pose a threat to professional journalists, but only if professionals fail to be credible reporters of news.
In a recent presentation, Dan Gillmor says that “[journalists] must maintain core principles, including fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness. These … are essential if professional journalism expects to survive.”
The rise of cheap citizen journalists does not make me nervous, but it does make me aware that I need to work harder at establishing credibility through reporting that is fair, accurate and balanced.”
Digitella posted her entry with the feeling that she had just opened a can of worms …
Next week, Digitella delves deeper into the crevices of the professional/ citizen journalist debate.
Tuesday, 05 June 2007
Episode 4 - The one where Digitella tackles online advertising
Digitella left Tek’s office, clutching her backpack and thinking about their conversation. She wasn’t sure it was so easy to let the blog/ journalism debate go, but for now she had to. She did believe that there were more important issues to look at – but what?
“How much are you going to worship me?” Mo said, tapping Digitella on the shoulder. Shoving her wide-rimmed glasses up her nose, Mo handed Digitella a printed piece of paper. Digitella read it and laughed. “Wow, my dear, you are fabulous! How do you find this stuff?”
“Just call me Moogle!” she giggled, skipping down the corridor.
Digitella found a shady spot on one of the campus lawns and eagerly pulled her laptop out from her backpack:
“We are all under the impression that citizen journalists don’t make much money – especially online citizen journalists. Unless you sell your content to news sites like Reporter.co.za or Ohmynews (whose pay won’t even cover the cost of your dial-up connection) you probably won’t make any money. Blogs, especially, are notoriously non-profitable.
But, wait … there have been hushed whispers and stirrings in the SA advertising world. It seems that advertisers have finally cottoned on to the fact that online media is popular and that more and more people are going online (people with money to spend that is).
I just read an article that said in the past two months aggregator site Amatomu has registered 350 000 outbound clicks to SA blogs – impressive. But, that wasn’t what caught my eye. Apparently, the company is planning to establish an advertising network that will share revenues with top blogs. Maher says that Amatomu wants to bring advertising to the blogosphere … Hmmm. Do I smell more trouble for traditional media?
An article I recently read says that Google currently has SA’s biggest market share in terms of online advertising. Its easy-to-use advertising model lets small-fry advertisers who can’t afford to place ads in big media advertise via Google on small websites and blogs. Google coughs up money every time a person clicks on an ad they are carrying. This lets bloggers make a few rands off their sites and with hundreds of thousands of registered blogs in SA, the amount of revenue generated could be HUGE. This could mean bad news for traditional media.
The bulk of traditional media’s money comes from advertising and if advertisers are going to take their money online, newspapers and magazines are in for a rough ride. This is just one more reason for traditional media organisations to tap into online media – and fast. In my opinion, if newspapers do not want to lose their advertising they need to create a website (even if it is a tad archaic), just to get their foot in the door and to hold on for dear life to their very life source. We can’t ignore the digital age any more – money is power and the power is slowly shifting.
Wake up.”
Digitella posted the entry and found herself humming the lyrics from an old song … “It’s all about the money. It’s all about the dum dum da da dad um. It’s all about the money.” Indeed it is …
Due to Cricket - Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives will not be posted for the next few weeks.
“How much are you going to worship me?” Mo said, tapping Digitella on the shoulder. Shoving her wide-rimmed glasses up her nose, Mo handed Digitella a printed piece of paper. Digitella read it and laughed. “Wow, my dear, you are fabulous! How do you find this stuff?”
“Just call me Moogle!” she giggled, skipping down the corridor.
Digitella found a shady spot on one of the campus lawns and eagerly pulled her laptop out from her backpack:
“We are all under the impression that citizen journalists don’t make much money – especially online citizen journalists. Unless you sell your content to news sites like Reporter.co.za or Ohmynews (whose pay won’t even cover the cost of your dial-up connection) you probably won’t make any money. Blogs, especially, are notoriously non-profitable.
But, wait … there have been hushed whispers and stirrings in the SA advertising world. It seems that advertisers have finally cottoned on to the fact that online media is popular and that more and more people are going online (people with money to spend that is).
I just read an article that said in the past two months aggregator site Amatomu has registered 350 000 outbound clicks to SA blogs – impressive. But, that wasn’t what caught my eye. Apparently, the company is planning to establish an advertising network that will share revenues with top blogs. Maher says that Amatomu wants to bring advertising to the blogosphere … Hmmm. Do I smell more trouble for traditional media?
An article I recently read says that Google currently has SA’s biggest market share in terms of online advertising. Its easy-to-use advertising model lets small-fry advertisers who can’t afford to place ads in big media advertise via Google on small websites and blogs. Google coughs up money every time a person clicks on an ad they are carrying. This lets bloggers make a few rands off their sites and with hundreds of thousands of registered blogs in SA, the amount of revenue generated could be HUGE. This could mean bad news for traditional media.
The bulk of traditional media’s money comes from advertising and if advertisers are going to take their money online, newspapers and magazines are in for a rough ride. This is just one more reason for traditional media organisations to tap into online media – and fast. In my opinion, if newspapers do not want to lose their advertising they need to create a website (even if it is a tad archaic), just to get their foot in the door and to hold on for dear life to their very life source. We can’t ignore the digital age any more – money is power and the power is slowly shifting.
Wake up.”
Digitella posted the entry and found herself humming the lyrics from an old song … “It’s all about the money. It’s all about the dum dum da da dad um. It’s all about the money.” Indeed it is …
Due to Cricket - Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives will not be posted for the next few weeks.
Episode 3 - The one where Digitella ends the blogger debate
The next morning Digitella got an sms from Tek to meet him in the newspaper office at lunch time. She anxiously hung around campus, wondering what his verdict would be – and when lunch time came, Digitella knocked lightly on the office door and walked in. Tek was sitting at one of the computers against the far wall and waved her over.
“Good blog,” he said, “A little wordy, but you got your point across. Well done.” Digitella smiled with relief. “Thanks. I’m still not sure its journalism though.”
Tek leant back, confidently in his chair, “Well, it might interest you to know that on Monday President Mbeki referred to bloggers as citizen journalists in a speech at the WAN Conference. Apparently he said something along the lines of “everyone owns a printing press”.”
“That doesn’t make them journalists,” Digitella replied defiantly.
“Look, if you don’t think that blogging is citizen journalism, why don’t you tell me what you think is citizen journalism – on the Web,” he said, smugly crossing his arms.
Digitella thought for a minute. “Well, when mainstream news sites like the Mail and Guardian draw on citizens for content, that would be journalism. Another possibility could be when independent news sites like Ohmynews get their content exclusively from users.”
“I still don’t see why news blogging is not journalism – its reporting and commenting on current events.”
“I just don’t like labeling it journalism,” Digitella said through clenched teeth.
“Why?” Digitella knew he was just trying to frustrate her.
It worked.
“Its just so limiting!” she cried, angrily tossing her backpack onto the desk. “There are so many possibilities for blogging that if you cage it in this western idea of what journalism is, you will lose its potentiality.” She started pacing, “I mean it provides a space for a multitude of fresh voices that highlight issues that affect citizens that mainstream media don’t pick up. It allows readers to comment on the news and become writers themselves. It also provides a space for debate, and, most of all, blogs are creative spaces to experiment.” She fell, exasperatedly into a chair.
Tek was quiet for a minute and then, he slowly swiveled his chair until he was facing her. “Do you have any idea how much time and energy you have wasted fighting this journalism/ blogging debate?”
Digitella turned to look at him, “What?”
“You know what Rosen said? He said that this debate is over. The question now isn’t whether bloggers are journalists – I mean, from our little debate we can see that blogging is sometimes journalism. What we need to do now is focus on the reality – power in the media is shifting and changing. When 9/ 11 happened – people turned to bloggers as a means of understanding what was going on. That is the reality and that is what you need to focus your pent-up aggression on.”
Digitella, sat back and sighed, “I don’t have pent-up aggression.”
Tek laughed, “Oh yes you do! Look, while its all good and well to ask questions like these, don’t get too bent out of shape over it because you are never going to reach a conclusion. There is so much else to question about citizen journalism on the Web.”
“I look forward to your next entry – and no more blogging vs. journalism. Your users are expecting more from you.”
Tune in later tonight for a special Exam week episode of Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives.
“Good blog,” he said, “A little wordy, but you got your point across. Well done.” Digitella smiled with relief. “Thanks. I’m still not sure its journalism though.”
Tek leant back, confidently in his chair, “Well, it might interest you to know that on Monday President Mbeki referred to bloggers as citizen journalists in a speech at the WAN Conference. Apparently he said something along the lines of “everyone owns a printing press”.”
“That doesn’t make them journalists,” Digitella replied defiantly.
“Look, if you don’t think that blogging is citizen journalism, why don’t you tell me what you think is citizen journalism – on the Web,” he said, smugly crossing his arms.
Digitella thought for a minute. “Well, when mainstream news sites like the Mail and Guardian draw on citizens for content, that would be journalism. Another possibility could be when independent news sites like Ohmynews get their content exclusively from users.”
“I still don’t see why news blogging is not journalism – its reporting and commenting on current events.”
“I just don’t like labeling it journalism,” Digitella said through clenched teeth.
“Why?” Digitella knew he was just trying to frustrate her.
It worked.
“Its just so limiting!” she cried, angrily tossing her backpack onto the desk. “There are so many possibilities for blogging that if you cage it in this western idea of what journalism is, you will lose its potentiality.” She started pacing, “I mean it provides a space for a multitude of fresh voices that highlight issues that affect citizens that mainstream media don’t pick up. It allows readers to comment on the news and become writers themselves. It also provides a space for debate, and, most of all, blogs are creative spaces to experiment.” She fell, exasperatedly into a chair.
Tek was quiet for a minute and then, he slowly swiveled his chair until he was facing her. “Do you have any idea how much time and energy you have wasted fighting this journalism/ blogging debate?”
Digitella turned to look at him, “What?”
“You know what Rosen said? He said that this debate is over. The question now isn’t whether bloggers are journalists – I mean, from our little debate we can see that blogging is sometimes journalism. What we need to do now is focus on the reality – power in the media is shifting and changing. When 9/ 11 happened – people turned to bloggers as a means of understanding what was going on. That is the reality and that is what you need to focus your pent-up aggression on.”
Digitella, sat back and sighed, “I don’t have pent-up aggression.”
Tek laughed, “Oh yes you do! Look, while its all good and well to ask questions like these, don’t get too bent out of shape over it because you are never going to reach a conclusion. There is so much else to question about citizen journalism on the Web.”
“I look forward to your next entry – and no more blogging vs. journalism. Your users are expecting more from you.”
Tune in later tonight for a special Exam week episode of Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
Episode 2 - The one where Digitella talks ethics
That evening as Digitella sits in front of her laptop, a blank blog post on her laptop screen, she wonders why she chose to study citizen media. Her debate earlier that day with Tek about blogging and journalism (that has not been resolved) proved to Digitella that citizen media is a vast abyss of information and unresolved arguments. Now, she has to post her first blog entry as a news blogger and she has no idea what her first topic should be.
Suddenly, Digitella’s digsmate Mo flings open the bedroom door and tosses a newspaper onto Digitella’s lap. “You have to read this,” she says breathlessly pulling up a chair.
Digitella’s eyes widen as she scans the headline Male Hooker names top clients
Male Hooker names Top clients. “I don’t believe it,” she says.
“Yeah, I thought it might make a good first entry,” Mo smiles, before leaving the room.
Digitella scans the article and then, fingers poised begins her blog entry:
“Blogging and journalism. The debate has been going on since the development of blogs at the end of the last century. An article I have just read raises big issues in the blog/ journalism debate:
1. the credibility of blogs as a source of news
2. the lack of accountability of bloggers when what is written crosses the boundaries of legality.
In the article, a former male sex worker has posted a personal blog claiming that a number of prominent South Africans paid him for sex. He named 11 of them so far and the information has spread like wild fire among SA news media organisations. The Sunday Times, IOL and Media24 are just a few traditional news companies who have run news articles about this.
The journalist who wrote this article is unable to establish the credibility and truthfulness of the sex worker (if in fact he/she is even a sex worker) because the blogger in question is anonymous. The journalist left a comment on the blog and was contacted by someone called Skye who “claimed” to be the blogger – does the journalist know this for a fact? No. Is the journalist able to find out? Not likely.
I then ask the question: how can you run an article when you are unsure of the blogger’s motives, and truthfulness? The only information the journalist has is the blog post (which may just be a work of fiction – an identity constructed, a fantasy lived out in cyberspace) and the men who are all flat-out denying it. It seems to me the article shouldn’t be about the blogger’s allegations, so much as it should be about what bloggers can and cannot get away with posting.
A lawyer has said that both the publisher and blogger can be sued for defamation – but the website has covered its behind by denying any responsibility in what bloggers publish on their site. And, without an identity, it is unlikely this blogger is going to be sued. How then do we make bloggers accountable?
Good ole Patricia De Lille has recently called for tighter control over Internet bloggers (I can already hear the chants of “freedom of speech” “freedom of expression”) – but, she does have a point. If we are to consider blogging as a form of journalism, shouldn’t it be held to the same legal and ethical standards as traditional journalism?
The question is: with nearly 60% of bloggers blogging anonymously and blogger sites denying responsibility how do you hold users accountable for what they say?”
Digitella sighs heavily as she posts the entry … wondering to herself what the response to the entry will be. She switched off her computer thinking that the battle is only just beginning …
Tune in next week to find out how Digitella’s entry is received.
Suddenly, Digitella’s digsmate Mo flings open the bedroom door and tosses a newspaper onto Digitella’s lap. “You have to read this,” she says breathlessly pulling up a chair.
Digitella’s eyes widen as she scans the headline Male Hooker names top clients
Male Hooker names Top clients. “I don’t believe it,” she says.
“Yeah, I thought it might make a good first entry,” Mo smiles, before leaving the room.
Digitella scans the article and then, fingers poised begins her blog entry:
“Blogging and journalism. The debate has been going on since the development of blogs at the end of the last century. An article I have just read raises big issues in the blog/ journalism debate:
1. the credibility of blogs as a source of news
2. the lack of accountability of bloggers when what is written crosses the boundaries of legality.
In the article, a former male sex worker has posted a personal blog claiming that a number of prominent South Africans paid him for sex. He named 11 of them so far and the information has spread like wild fire among SA news media organisations. The Sunday Times, IOL and Media24 are just a few traditional news companies who have run news articles about this.
The journalist who wrote this article is unable to establish the credibility and truthfulness of the sex worker (if in fact he/she is even a sex worker) because the blogger in question is anonymous. The journalist left a comment on the blog and was contacted by someone called Skye who “claimed” to be the blogger – does the journalist know this for a fact? No. Is the journalist able to find out? Not likely.
I then ask the question: how can you run an article when you are unsure of the blogger’s motives, and truthfulness? The only information the journalist has is the blog post (which may just be a work of fiction – an identity constructed, a fantasy lived out in cyberspace) and the men who are all flat-out denying it. It seems to me the article shouldn’t be about the blogger’s allegations, so much as it should be about what bloggers can and cannot get away with posting.
A lawyer has said that both the publisher and blogger can be sued for defamation – but the website has covered its behind by denying any responsibility in what bloggers publish on their site. And, without an identity, it is unlikely this blogger is going to be sued. How then do we make bloggers accountable?
Good ole Patricia De Lille has recently called for tighter control over Internet bloggers (I can already hear the chants of “freedom of speech” “freedom of expression”) – but, she does have a point. If we are to consider blogging as a form of journalism, shouldn’t it be held to the same legal and ethical standards as traditional journalism?
The question is: with nearly 60% of bloggers blogging anonymously and blogger sites denying responsibility how do you hold users accountable for what they say?”
Digitella sighs heavily as she posts the entry … wondering to herself what the response to the entry will be. She switched off her computer thinking that the battle is only just beginning …
Tune in next week to find out how Digitella’s entry is received.
Monday, 28 May 2007
Funny Strike - News Broadcast
Hi all you bloggers in the blogosphere!
Well, I have officially finished my first video blog aka vlog! It was quite an interesting experience. I covered a local comedy show and there were a few glitches with filming E.G lighting etc. The editing was time consuming and alas not perfect - but I am working on deadline so it will just have to do!!! Have a look and let me know what you think:) ">Funny Strike - News Broadcast
Cheers
Melissa
Well, I have officially finished my first video blog aka vlog! It was quite an interesting experience. I covered a local comedy show and there were a few glitches with filming E.G lighting etc. The editing was time consuming and alas not perfect - but I am working on deadline so it will just have to do!!! Have a look and let me know what you think:) ">Funny Strike - News Broadcast
Cheers
Melissa
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Digitalia No More
Well, the ratings are in and the result ... Citizen Media: The Days of Our Online Lives is here to stay (for now). There has however been a request by users that the main character's name be changed as it reminds them too much of well ... ummm ... something that sounds awefully similar to Digitalia.
As a result, Directot/ screenwriter MEG has re-christened the main character as Digitella. "I never made any connotations between the name and what users have been comparing it too," MEG smiles bashfully. "Now that it has been mentioned, I can't ignore it."
So, from this moment on, Digitalia will now be known as Digitella.
As a result, Directot/ screenwriter MEG has re-christened the main character as Digitella. "I never made any connotations between the name and what users have been comparing it too," MEG smiles bashfully. "Now that it has been mentioned, I can't ignore it."
So, from this moment on, Digitalia will now be known as Digitella.
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
Episode 1 - The one where Digitella becomes a blogger journalist
DIGITELLA can hardly contain her excitement as she skips down the colourful campus corridors of Blogosphere University. Barely a week into her first year and already she has managed to land a part-time job as a journalist for the campus newspaper – The Blogosphere Gazette.
With untainted blue eyes and an ambitious smile across her naïve façade, Digitella waltzes into her first production meeting – pen and notepad poised like weapons in her petite hands. “You’re late!” An angry fourth year bellows at her from the front of the windowless room.
“I’m sorry, I uh …” Digitella clambers for one of the plastic garden chairs littered about the room.
“Never mind, make sure it doesn’t happen again!” The student growls and then turning to the other student journalists in the room begins the meeting.
Digitella’s eyes wander from anxious face to anxious face as the growling student, who has introduced himself as Tek, the editor of the Gazette, explains the plan for the newspaper for the coming year. It is only when she hears her name that Digitalia is shaken from her reverie.
“Digitella, you will be responsible for running a news blog for our online audience.” Tek says, nonchalantly.
“I’m sorry, you want me to run what? A blog?”
“Are you deaf, Digitella? Yes, a blog. You do know what a blog is, don’t you?” he raises a skeptical eyebrow in her direction.
*AD BREAK*
“Of course. A blog or weblog is basically an online diary written by a person or a group of people in an informal or critical way,” she gulps, trying to recall Matheson. She continues, “A news blog deals with public matters, like commenting on news stories.”
“Exactly,” he says, somewhat surprised.
Digitella clears her throat, aware of the entire news team’s eyes on her, “This is a newspaper, why do you want me to write a blog? That’s not journalism.”
Tek tosses his papers onto a desk and laughs, “On the contrary, blogs actually have the power of making ordinary citizens, readers and consumers of news into commentators. You could argue that it’s a form of citizen journalism. It allows people to speak for themselves and represent their own issues – issues that are not covered in mainstream journalism.”
He takes a swig from a coffee mug before continuing, “News bloggers actually share many of the motivations of journalism – they want to provide users with information and opinion that is essential to the success of a democratic society. They also aim to “revitalize public life and challenge those in power” – to quote Matheson.”
“But, doesn’t it depend on how you define journalism?” Digitella asks, “One editor (in a study by Matheson) said that if you define journalism as the act of spreading information then a blog would be considered journalism. But, I don’t consider that a good definition of what journalism is,” she says.
“How would you define journalism then?” a cocky second year student sitting retorts.
*AD BREAK*
“Well, Medger defines it as “story gathering and storytelling in words, audio and visual elements on behalf of the public interest and through any means of distribution by independent gatherers, organisers and analysers of information and ideas,” says Digitella, nervously.
“Well, by that definition blogging is a form of journalism,” Tek says. “News bloggers gather stories and relate them through writing and vlogs on behalf of the public interest. Information is independent because news bloggers are often not qualified journalists and do not have affiliations and obligations to advertisers (unless you are Vincent Maher).”
“I still think it limits the potential of news blogs as a digital medium to label it as journalism,” Digitella argues. “News blogging is more personal and individual. It is free and there is more space to be creative and experiment with new writing styles and forms. It’s also more opinionated, unlike traditional journalism that strives to be unbiased.”
Tek thinks for a minute. “Good point, but what about column writing? Columnists like David Bullard and Barry Ronge are very opinionated, they write in the first person and are relatively creative. You could argue that news blogs are columns written by citizens.”
Digitella sighs with exasperation as Tek moves to finish up the meeting. She grabs her pen and notepad and walks towards the door.
“Digitella?” She turns and Tek says, “You raised a good issue and it’s a complex one. We’ll continue our discussion at the enxt meeting. In the mean time – get cracking on that blog, citizen journalist.”
Tune in again next week to find out what happens to Digitella when she confronts Tek ...
With untainted blue eyes and an ambitious smile across her naïve façade, Digitella waltzes into her first production meeting – pen and notepad poised like weapons in her petite hands. “You’re late!” An angry fourth year bellows at her from the front of the windowless room.
“I’m sorry, I uh …” Digitella clambers for one of the plastic garden chairs littered about the room.
“Never mind, make sure it doesn’t happen again!” The student growls and then turning to the other student journalists in the room begins the meeting.
Digitella’s eyes wander from anxious face to anxious face as the growling student, who has introduced himself as Tek, the editor of the Gazette, explains the plan for the newspaper for the coming year. It is only when she hears her name that Digitalia is shaken from her reverie.
“Digitella, you will be responsible for running a news blog for our online audience.” Tek says, nonchalantly.
“I’m sorry, you want me to run what? A blog?”
“Are you deaf, Digitella? Yes, a blog. You do know what a blog is, don’t you?” he raises a skeptical eyebrow in her direction.
*AD BREAK*
“Of course. A blog or weblog is basically an online diary written by a person or a group of people in an informal or critical way,” she gulps, trying to recall Matheson. She continues, “A news blog deals with public matters, like commenting on news stories.”
“Exactly,” he says, somewhat surprised.
Digitella clears her throat, aware of the entire news team’s eyes on her, “This is a newspaper, why do you want me to write a blog? That’s not journalism.”
Tek tosses his papers onto a desk and laughs, “On the contrary, blogs actually have the power of making ordinary citizens, readers and consumers of news into commentators. You could argue that it’s a form of citizen journalism. It allows people to speak for themselves and represent their own issues – issues that are not covered in mainstream journalism.”
He takes a swig from a coffee mug before continuing, “News bloggers actually share many of the motivations of journalism – they want to provide users with information and opinion that is essential to the success of a democratic society. They also aim to “revitalize public life and challenge those in power” – to quote Matheson.”
“But, doesn’t it depend on how you define journalism?” Digitella asks, “One editor (in a study by Matheson) said that if you define journalism as the act of spreading information then a blog would be considered journalism. But, I don’t consider that a good definition of what journalism is,” she says.
“How would you define journalism then?” a cocky second year student sitting retorts.
*AD BREAK*
“Well, Medger defines it as “story gathering and storytelling in words, audio and visual elements on behalf of the public interest and through any means of distribution by independent gatherers, organisers and analysers of information and ideas,” says Digitella, nervously.
“Well, by that definition blogging is a form of journalism,” Tek says. “News bloggers gather stories and relate them through writing and vlogs on behalf of the public interest. Information is independent because news bloggers are often not qualified journalists and do not have affiliations and obligations to advertisers (unless you are Vincent Maher).”
“I still think it limits the potential of news blogs as a digital medium to label it as journalism,” Digitella argues. “News blogging is more personal and individual. It is free and there is more space to be creative and experiment with new writing styles and forms. It’s also more opinionated, unlike traditional journalism that strives to be unbiased.”
Tek thinks for a minute. “Good point, but what about column writing? Columnists like David Bullard and Barry Ronge are very opinionated, they write in the first person and are relatively creative. You could argue that news blogs are columns written by citizens.”
Digitella sighs with exasperation as Tek moves to finish up the meeting. She grabs her pen and notepad and walks towards the door.
“Digitella?” She turns and Tek says, “You raised a good issue and it’s a complex one. We’ll continue our discussion at the enxt meeting. In the mean time – get cracking on that blog, citizen journalist.”
Tune in again next week to find out what happens to Digitella when she confronts Tek ...
Thursday, 17 May 2007
I just got published!!!
Hi guys! I am so excited that my translat@thon article got published on tectonic.co.za. Have a look! So, one article down and three more to go. for my next article, which will be a video story on Rape Awareness Week at good ole rhodes. I will be pairing up with fellow journo Galen (who dated Galen) to cover a march that is happening tomorrow between 13:00 and 14:00. We will be collecting the raw material together, but will edit and write our own articles.
And now onto other news ... you may have noticed something different about my blog. Well - it's been given a COMPLETE makeover - even the address is different. The purpose of this sudden shift in personality is part of my semester long project where I blog on issues around citizen media. While I will still have my other journalistic rants every now and then, the majority of my posts will focus on citizen media - so come along and have a read!
Cheers*
And now onto other news ... you may have noticed something different about my blog. Well - it's been given a COMPLETE makeover - even the address is different. The purpose of this sudden shift in personality is part of my semester long project where I blog on issues around citizen media. While I will still have my other journalistic rants every now and then, the majority of my posts will focus on citizen media - so come along and have a read!
Cheers*
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives
Clouds In My Coffee productions and Blogspot.com are proud to present a new award-winning series entitled “Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives” that will air weekly on popular platform Blogger.com.
The long awaited doccie-drama will centre on one university student’s struggle to come to terms with the virtual concept of citizen media. Each week, she will be faced with new challenges ranging from issues around hyper-local citizen media to citizen media regulation and ethics, user-generated content sites as the way of the future and the role of citizen media in a South African context.
All of the obstacles the main character, Digitella will have thrust upon her over the coming weeks will lead her on a path to self-discovery where she will hopefully find her place within this much contested idea of citizen media.
Director and screenwriter, MEG is reluctant to give away too much about the show. “What I can tell you, is that our leading lady will be confronted with many heated debates. One that I am most looking forward to is the climactic debate over whether or not citizen media may be regarded as journalism.” MEG says that citizen media is often labeled as citizen journalism, but that the two are actually separate terms. Digitella will have to grapple with the differences between these two terms with specific regard to what we can define as journalism in the pilot episode which airs next week Wednesday.
MEG broadly describes citizen media as forms of content that are produced by private citizens who are not professional journalists . The mass media often have social, political and, especially, economic affiliations and often do not report on real citizen issues . Citizens are now able to produce their own news and information in the form of blogs, vodcasts, vlogs, podcasts and digital storytelling.
MEG says that she got the idea for the show after she stumbled across the term citizen media while studying online journalism at Rhodes University. “It’s difficult to pin-point when exactly citizen media came into being, but it definitely thrived with the growth of the Internet in the early 1990s,” she says. The Internet has made it possible, through blogs and user-generated content sites, for citizens to produce, analyse and disseminate news and information .
But, MEG says, there is more to citizen media than simply producing news and information. It is about community and building communities and citizen media sites rank high on value and impact. Digitella will also be touching on these issues throughout the drama’s run.
When questioned on the importance of questioning citizen media and its role in online communities, MEG said, “Let’s face it, this is a hot topic and will hopefully draw users. I mean everyone logging into the show has the potential to be a citizen media worker. The issues that our main character will have to interrogate are issues that everyone accessing the Internet should be grappling with. Users can learn from our protagonist and draw their own conclusions about citizen media from her experiences.”
MEG has noted that in 2006 there were 500 citizen media sites, and studies have shown that these sites are increasing in popularity . This is why MEG is firm in her belief that “Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives” will be a success with users.
Digitella will be supported in her quest by a number of recurrent guest stars and cameos namely Jan Schaffer , Wikipedia.org , We Media , and The Poynter Institute .
Be sure to log in next week for the premiere of “Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives”.
“Citizen Media”. Wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_media
“Citizen Media”. Wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_media
Bowman, S. and Willis, C. "We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information." 2003, The Media Center at the American Press Institute.
Citizen Media: Fad or the Future of News? The Rise and Prospects of Hyperlocal Journalism. 2007.
Citizen Media: Fad or the Future of News? The Rise and Prospects of Hyperlocal Journalism. 2007.
www.wikipedia.org
http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php
http://www.poynter.org/
The long awaited doccie-drama will centre on one university student’s struggle to come to terms with the virtual concept of citizen media. Each week, she will be faced with new challenges ranging from issues around hyper-local citizen media to citizen media regulation and ethics, user-generated content sites as the way of the future and the role of citizen media in a South African context.
All of the obstacles the main character, Digitella will have thrust upon her over the coming weeks will lead her on a path to self-discovery where she will hopefully find her place within this much contested idea of citizen media.
Director and screenwriter, MEG is reluctant to give away too much about the show. “What I can tell you, is that our leading lady will be confronted with many heated debates. One that I am most looking forward to is the climactic debate over whether or not citizen media may be regarded as journalism.” MEG says that citizen media is often labeled as citizen journalism, but that the two are actually separate terms. Digitella will have to grapple with the differences between these two terms with specific regard to what we can define as journalism in the pilot episode which airs next week Wednesday.
MEG broadly describes citizen media as forms of content that are produced by private citizens who are not professional journalists . The mass media often have social, political and, especially, economic affiliations and often do not report on real citizen issues . Citizens are now able to produce their own news and information in the form of blogs, vodcasts, vlogs, podcasts and digital storytelling.
MEG says that she got the idea for the show after she stumbled across the term citizen media while studying online journalism at Rhodes University. “It’s difficult to pin-point when exactly citizen media came into being, but it definitely thrived with the growth of the Internet in the early 1990s,” she says. The Internet has made it possible, through blogs and user-generated content sites, for citizens to produce, analyse and disseminate news and information .
But, MEG says, there is more to citizen media than simply producing news and information. It is about community and building communities and citizen media sites rank high on value and impact. Digitella will also be touching on these issues throughout the drama’s run.
When questioned on the importance of questioning citizen media and its role in online communities, MEG said, “Let’s face it, this is a hot topic and will hopefully draw users. I mean everyone logging into the show has the potential to be a citizen media worker. The issues that our main character will have to interrogate are issues that everyone accessing the Internet should be grappling with. Users can learn from our protagonist and draw their own conclusions about citizen media from her experiences.”
MEG has noted that in 2006 there were 500 citizen media sites, and studies have shown that these sites are increasing in popularity . This is why MEG is firm in her belief that “Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives” will be a success with users.
Digitella will be supported in her quest by a number of recurrent guest stars and cameos namely Jan Schaffer , Wikipedia.org , We Media , and The Poynter Institute .
Be sure to log in next week for the premiere of “Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives”.
“Citizen Media”. Wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_media
“Citizen Media”. Wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_media
Bowman, S. and Willis, C. "We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information." 2003, The Media Center at the American Press Institute.
Citizen Media: Fad or the Future of News? The Rise and Prospects of Hyperlocal Journalism. 2007.
Citizen Media: Fad or the Future of News? The Rise and Prospects of Hyperlocal Journalism. 2007.
www.wikipedia.org
http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php
http://www.poynter.org/
Wednesday, 09 May 2007
It's a Hard Knock Life (for us)!
So, in addition to the blogs on citizen media that have to be researched and updated on a weekly basis (FYI they start on Monday - I know you have all been waiting with bated breath), our slave-driver lecturers want us to produce 3 feature stories by the end of swot week. Oh, and they want us to try and master CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) - which is UBER difficult!! But, you live you learn and who knows one of these days my blog may actually resemble something creative in terms of layout ... we can only wait and hope.
I started my first feature story today and thought I'd keep y'all out there updated. The first story is a about a translat@thon that is happening at Rhodes University this weekend.The SANTED multilingualism programme within the Rhodes School of languages (African Languages Section) is collaborating with the Telkom Centre of Excellence in Distributed Multimedia and award-winning Translate.org.za to organise the translat@thon.
A translate@thon is basically a translation marathon in which participants translate software interfaces online (please see attached documents for details). In this instance, we will translate the webmail system used by Rhodes and already available in a number of other languages, into isiXhosa.
This makes for quite a newsy feature and my interview today with Lorenzo went well. There are a number of issues that I feel need to be raised: The first is the narrow bandwidth and high computer illiteracy levels in South Africa. I mean, it's great to have the technology, but if people are unable to access the technology due to infrastructural issues then it is pretty pointless. These issues I hope to raise with Dwayne Bailey, the head honcho of translate.org.za who is presenting a talk on Friday (will keep you updated).
I also think that this event taps into a larger issue, namely the lack of staff and student support that exists at Rhodes for those who are not English first language speakers. In my experience as a Journalism 1 tutor, I have noticed that students who are not first language speakers struggle with the work, not because they are not intelligent, but because they lack the language skills. A good follow-up article could then be about the student support that is/ not being offered here at Rhodes e.g. the extended studies programme. SANTED works closely with the departments of law, pharmacy and ICT to assist students with poor English skills by providing them with handbooks that translate complex terms.
I'm currently thinking of ways to incorporate some multimedia elements into the article I want to write. I am thinking of taking some photographs of the actual translat@thon and am pondering whether or not to shoot a short 30second video snippet. This would take time and energy and I'll see how it goes ...
So, for now I am going to bed - fare thee well fellow bloggers!
Ciao*
I started my first feature story today and thought I'd keep y'all out there updated. The first story is a about a translat@thon that is happening at Rhodes University this weekend.The SANTED multilingualism programme within the Rhodes School of languages (African Languages Section) is collaborating with the Telkom Centre of Excellence in Distributed Multimedia and award-winning Translate.org.za to organise the translat@thon.
A translate@thon is basically a translation marathon in which participants translate software interfaces online (please see attached documents for details). In this instance, we will translate the webmail system used by Rhodes and already available in a number of other languages, into isiXhosa.
This makes for quite a newsy feature and my interview today with Lorenzo went well. There are a number of issues that I feel need to be raised: The first is the narrow bandwidth and high computer illiteracy levels in South Africa. I mean, it's great to have the technology, but if people are unable to access the technology due to infrastructural issues then it is pretty pointless. These issues I hope to raise with Dwayne Bailey, the head honcho of translate.org.za who is presenting a talk on Friday (will keep you updated).
I also think that this event taps into a larger issue, namely the lack of staff and student support that exists at Rhodes for those who are not English first language speakers. In my experience as a Journalism 1 tutor, I have noticed that students who are not first language speakers struggle with the work, not because they are not intelligent, but because they lack the language skills. A good follow-up article could then be about the student support that is/ not being offered here at Rhodes e.g. the extended studies programme. SANTED works closely with the departments of law, pharmacy and ICT to assist students with poor English skills by providing them with handbooks that translate complex terms.
I'm currently thinking of ways to incorporate some multimedia elements into the article I want to write. I am thinking of taking some photographs of the actual translat@thon and am pondering whether or not to shoot a short 30second video snippet. This would take time and energy and I'll see how it goes ...
So, for now I am going to bed - fare thee well fellow bloggers!
Ciao*
Friday, 20 April 2007
Back to School Back to Reality
Well, as of Monday I have been officially back in the NML labs and my heda is already spinning. My holiday was fantastic - except for the 2000 word essay Jude made me write (gives Jude evil eye from cyberspace)!
Just something to watch out for on my blog in the near future: my blog posts are going to be concerned primarily with citizen media for the next few months as part of an ongoing assignment for new media. Should be quite interesting, so keep reading:)
*sigh* My 10 minute break is officially over - back to the digital grindstone:(
Ciao*
Just something to watch out for on my blog in the near future: my blog posts are going to be concerned primarily with citizen media for the next few months as part of an ongoing assignment for new media. Should be quite interesting, so keep reading:)
*sigh* My 10 minute break is officially over - back to the digital grindstone:(
Ciao*
Friday, 30 March 2007
SciFest Diary - Day 9 (The final round-up)
As promised, my official last entry for Scifest and a final round-up. Jude gave us a few questions to think about and here they are:
What did you learn about multimedia journalism/ recording during Scifest 2007?
Planning
From my experience, planning is everything. If you know what you are dealing with and you have an idea of what it is that you want to get. You need to have a clear angle before you go out and gather your news information. Planning is more than merely doing research as I learnt during the "Cut the fat, Makana" package. I conducted quite a lot of research beforehand but failed to narrow my angle down and, as a result, did not know exactly what information I wanted to gather. From a multimedia perspective, Hayley and I did not sufficiently storyboard and write audio scripts, so we were often ill-equipped technologically to record audio and take proper photographs. This is especially evident in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" and "What you going to do with all that junk?", where I remember getting to the venue and having my questions for my article prepared, but looking at the camera and mini disc recorder and thinking to myself: "what now?"
Newsgathering Perspective
The newsgathering process was time-consuming and for Hayley and myself, trying to tackle issues from an Eastern Cape and Grahamstown perspective, the Scifest lectures were a starting point for us. But, with time constraints I don't feel like we were able to attain the depth of information that we wanted. The pressure to get news out inhibited in-depth coverage, but I do understand the need to publish articles and packages on deadline. Similarly, Hayley and I had a fair balance of multimedia skills in terms of newsgathering, although our photography skills were lacking and this showed in our end products.
Teamwork
Hayley and I approached the packages on a fifty-fifty basis, with each of us doing half of each story. This approach had its advantages and disadvantages. It was advantageous in the sense that there was always that other person there to bounce ideas off of and sharing the work load did make it easier to a certain extent. On the negative side, it did feel like we were each covering four stories. We also tended to slip into production line mode where I would conduct interviews and write up articles and captions and maybe taking a few photographs, while Hayley concentrated on recording audio and taking photographs and editing the final photostory. As a result, I don't feel like I got sufficient experience in editing photoslides and audio. Hayley and I were both equally involved in each story, so none of the stories are completely and entirely mine.
What did you not know about conference coverage that you didn't know before?
I think establishing a relationship with the person conducting the conference beforehand is essential so that you know exactly where you stand with regards to being allowed into the venue with sound equipment and using flash photography. It also helps to meet with them beforehand to get an idea of what the conference is about, so that you know what to expect and can angle your story accordingly. With regard to the boys vs. girls lecture that Hayley and I attended was not what we expected and we were forced to scrap the article. Maybe we would not have wasted our time and thought of a better article topic earlier, had we met with the lecturer beforehand. Also, many conferences only happen once and if you do not have a clear idea of what you are covering, then you may miss important information/ photographic opportunities. This happened to us in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" package. The photgrapher we were forced to use (due to our lack of technological planning), was unable to get dynamic photographs that could have added to the quality of our photoslide show and did not have a second opportunity to take photographs.
General
On the whole this was a great learning experience that has been essential in showing me what I know and what I still have to learn before I am released into the real world! It is one thing to sit in a theory lecture and be told what and what not to do when covering multimedia stories for the web, but until you are thrown into the practice, you don't really understand. Thank you to all who have so faithfully read my blog (thanks Jude!) and wil post again soon.
I am now off to PE for a working holiday
Ciao for now
MEG*
What did you learn about multimedia journalism/ recording during Scifest 2007?
Planning
From my experience, planning is everything. If you know what you are dealing with and you have an idea of what it is that you want to get. You need to have a clear angle before you go out and gather your news information. Planning is more than merely doing research as I learnt during the "Cut the fat, Makana" package. I conducted quite a lot of research beforehand but failed to narrow my angle down and, as a result, did not know exactly what information I wanted to gather. From a multimedia perspective, Hayley and I did not sufficiently storyboard and write audio scripts, so we were often ill-equipped technologically to record audio and take proper photographs. This is especially evident in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" and "What you going to do with all that junk?", where I remember getting to the venue and having my questions for my article prepared, but looking at the camera and mini disc recorder and thinking to myself: "what now?"
Newsgathering Perspective
The newsgathering process was time-consuming and for Hayley and myself, trying to tackle issues from an Eastern Cape and Grahamstown perspective, the Scifest lectures were a starting point for us. But, with time constraints I don't feel like we were able to attain the depth of information that we wanted. The pressure to get news out inhibited in-depth coverage, but I do understand the need to publish articles and packages on deadline. Similarly, Hayley and I had a fair balance of multimedia skills in terms of newsgathering, although our photography skills were lacking and this showed in our end products.
Teamwork
Hayley and I approached the packages on a fifty-fifty basis, with each of us doing half of each story. This approach had its advantages and disadvantages. It was advantageous in the sense that there was always that other person there to bounce ideas off of and sharing the work load did make it easier to a certain extent. On the negative side, it did feel like we were each covering four stories. We also tended to slip into production line mode where I would conduct interviews and write up articles and captions and maybe taking a few photographs, while Hayley concentrated on recording audio and taking photographs and editing the final photostory. As a result, I don't feel like I got sufficient experience in editing photoslides and audio. Hayley and I were both equally involved in each story, so none of the stories are completely and entirely mine.
What did you not know about conference coverage that you didn't know before?
I think establishing a relationship with the person conducting the conference beforehand is essential so that you know exactly where you stand with regards to being allowed into the venue with sound equipment and using flash photography. It also helps to meet with them beforehand to get an idea of what the conference is about, so that you know what to expect and can angle your story accordingly. With regard to the boys vs. girls lecture that Hayley and I attended was not what we expected and we were forced to scrap the article. Maybe we would not have wasted our time and thought of a better article topic earlier, had we met with the lecturer beforehand. Also, many conferences only happen once and if you do not have a clear idea of what you are covering, then you may miss important information/ photographic opportunities. This happened to us in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" package. The photgrapher we were forced to use (due to our lack of technological planning), was unable to get dynamic photographs that could have added to the quality of our photoslide show and did not have a second opportunity to take photographs.
General
On the whole this was a great learning experience that has been essential in showing me what I know and what I still have to learn before I am released into the real world! It is one thing to sit in a theory lecture and be told what and what not to do when covering multimedia stories for the web, but until you are thrown into the practice, you don't really understand. Thank you to all who have so faithfully read my blog (thanks Jude!) and wil post again soon.
I am now off to PE for a working holiday
Ciao for now
MEG*
SciFest Diary - Day 8
Well, Scifest is officially over, and the articles are done. You can see my third multimedia package at What you going to do with all that junk?. There is a technical glitch with my DNA article, something to do with the content management system not allowing any form of hypermediality, photographs or credits. This is a problem that Jude says he will have to evaluate. But, the article is complete.
Today, while Hayley finished up the audio for the Gupta photo slideshow, I tried to contact my dear friend at the Grahamstown Police Department, Capt. Mali Govender. After a restful day in PE (this is speulation) it took me another three tries to get hold of her. This was immensely frustrating, because I just needed her interview before completing my FINAL article for Scifest. Eventually I got her on the line and asked my well-rehearsed set of exceptionally intelligent questions with my lecturer once again looming. This time, the interview went very well, as I had a clear focus and a clear idea of what exactly it was that I wanted from her. This made the interview process much smoother and conversational. The information I received was thus sufficient to finish my article.
This afternoon, I then sat down with Jude to edit the story. My brain cells have whithered away to the point where I couldn't even think of a good ending for my last Scifest story. But, it is done now and I am relieved. I will keep you updated for when our final story is posted.
Thanks for reading, tomorrow I will do a final round-up.
Ciao*
Today, while Hayley finished up the audio for the Gupta photo slideshow, I tried to contact my dear friend at the Grahamstown Police Department, Capt. Mali Govender. After a restful day in PE (this is speulation) it took me another three tries to get hold of her. This was immensely frustrating, because I just needed her interview before completing my FINAL article for Scifest. Eventually I got her on the line and asked my well-rehearsed set of exceptionally intelligent questions with my lecturer once again looming. This time, the interview went very well, as I had a clear focus and a clear idea of what exactly it was that I wanted from her. This made the interview process much smoother and conversational. The information I received was thus sufficient to finish my article.
This afternoon, I then sat down with Jude to edit the story. My brain cells have whithered away to the point where I couldn't even think of a good ending for my last Scifest story. But, it is done now and I am relieved. I will keep you updated for when our final story is posted.
Thanks for reading, tomorrow I will do a final round-up.
Ciao*
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
SciFest Diary - Day 7
You know in the Bible when the 7th day is a day of rest? Ja, well, no, not in the New Media course. This morning, bright and early, Hayley and I trekked up to the Monument for the LAST TIME!!! (applauds self, as no one quite understands the feelings of resentment that have surfaced over the past 7 days regarding that hideous, badly designed, cold, brick, structure). We attended the the DNA workshop run by Valerie Corfield and it was so much fun. I was allowed to participate in the workshop and actually extracted DNA from ground wheatgerm. I also got to make my own paternity story and take part in a play - it was like high school and I was the atar pupil! It was great fun and an overall learning experience.
Hayley took photgraphs and these will be used in the phot gallery and I have finished the captions that centre around the workshop itself. The article itself will centre more around DNA testing in South Africa and how it is used to solve crimes. Corfield wis an extremely colourful lady (literally - her shoes were two different colours) and she provided us with a fair amount of detailed information about South African forensics.
To give the article a Grahamstown context, I called Mali Govender the media spokesperson at the Grahamstown police station. This was not a successful telephonic interview. It is difficult to ask someone questions with your perfectionist, highly-critical lecturer looming over you while you are on the telephone. I am also a little out of interview practice and I don't think that I had a clear idea of what information I wanted from her. As a result, I was led on a wild goose chase straight into red tape land and as a result of my lack of direct and probing questions, will have to repeat the phone interview tomorrow. AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Tomorrow is deadline for all completed stories, so the end is in sight!
Cheers*
Hayley took photgraphs and these will be used in the phot gallery and I have finished the captions that centre around the workshop itself. The article itself will centre more around DNA testing in South Africa and how it is used to solve crimes. Corfield wis an extremely colourful lady (literally - her shoes were two different colours) and she provided us with a fair amount of detailed information about South African forensics.
To give the article a Grahamstown context, I called Mali Govender the media spokesperson at the Grahamstown police station. This was not a successful telephonic interview. It is difficult to ask someone questions with your perfectionist, highly-critical lecturer looming over you while you are on the telephone. I am also a little out of interview practice and I don't think that I had a clear idea of what information I wanted from her. As a result, I was led on a wild goose chase straight into red tape land and as a result of my lack of direct and probing questions, will have to repeat the phone interview tomorrow. AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Tomorrow is deadline for all completed stories, so the end is in sight!
Cheers*
SciFest Diary - Day 6
Dear diary
Just kidding, I've been wanting to do that for a while. No, seriously. This morning at our news meeting that ironically very few people actually manage to attend, Jude and I changed the 'Women in Science' story and came up with something so much better. It's the 'DNA Detective', which stems from a workshop conducted by research scientist Valerie Corfield about DNA and how DNA is used in forensics to solve crimes and paternity suits. The story will be an article with extensive hypermediality and a gallery of photgraphs with captions. The story does not necessarily lend itself to a photostory. The workshop is held daily from 9:00 - 10:30, so Hayley and I will attend it tomorrow morning.
Today, our mission has been to collect proper photgraphs that are not grainy and blurry from lack of battery power. I also managed to get some more information to flash out my article slightly. I then did my daily trek up to the labs and proceeded to put the finishing touches on my article. Jude had few words of criticism which is not so much comforting as it was disturbing and slightly eerie. Has the pressure finally got to him? Stay tuned to find out whether or not Jude CRACKS!!! By the end of today, our audio photostory for the Gupta article needs a little more work. The audio is currently sitting in Lauren's cupboard at her house. But, the good news is the article is done.
Cheers*
Just kidding, I've been wanting to do that for a while. No, seriously. This morning at our news meeting that ironically very few people actually manage to attend, Jude and I changed the 'Women in Science' story and came up with something so much better. It's the 'DNA Detective', which stems from a workshop conducted by research scientist Valerie Corfield about DNA and how DNA is used in forensics to solve crimes and paternity suits. The story will be an article with extensive hypermediality and a gallery of photgraphs with captions. The story does not necessarily lend itself to a photostory. The workshop is held daily from 9:00 - 10:30, so Hayley and I will attend it tomorrow morning.
Today, our mission has been to collect proper photgraphs that are not grainy and blurry from lack of battery power. I also managed to get some more information to flash out my article slightly. I then did my daily trek up to the labs and proceeded to put the finishing touches on my article. Jude had few words of criticism which is not so much comforting as it was disturbing and slightly eerie. Has the pressure finally got to him? Stay tuned to find out whether or not Jude CRACKS!!! By the end of today, our audio photostory for the Gupta article needs a little more work. The audio is currently sitting in Lauren's cupboard at her house. But, the good news is the article is done.
Cheers*
SciFest Diary - Day 5
Sunday morning am saw the completion of Hayley and my second multimedia package. Check it out at Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy. This was an overall good experience and Jude did not rip my article to shreds as much as the previous one, so onward and upward as they say ...
This afternoon, Hayley and I attended the Science Through Toys workshop run by Arvind Gupta. This is part of our third multimedia package. We attended the workshop and I interviewed Gupta, learners and teachers about what they thought about the workshop. To give the story a South African and specifically Eastern Cape angle, I managed to get some statistics and facts about the education system here, specifically in rural schools.
Gupta's toys could really be utilised as they are cost-effective because they are made from junk and easy to make. It really opens children up to learning and he is a very inspiring individual. You can download all his books about how to make toys from his website: Arvind Gupta Toys . It is a shame that Grahamstown schools did not capitalise on his visit.
I then came back to the NML labs, as I have done for the past four days and proceeded to write up my article. However, the pictures Hayley and I took did not come out so great, the lack of battery power did have something to do with that. This was a valuable lesson in always being PREPARED!!! This means charging your batteries the night before and not taking for granted that they are charged without checking. My bad ...
As a result, we will have to go to Gupta's workshop again tomorrow to get photographs for our photostory. We also need to review our fourth story - women in science. Seeing as most of the women in science have already left Grahamstown, we might have a problem.
This afternoon, Hayley and I attended the Science Through Toys workshop run by Arvind Gupta. This is part of our third multimedia package. We attended the workshop and I interviewed Gupta, learners and teachers about what they thought about the workshop. To give the story a South African and specifically Eastern Cape angle, I managed to get some statistics and facts about the education system here, specifically in rural schools.
Gupta's toys could really be utilised as they are cost-effective because they are made from junk and easy to make. It really opens children up to learning and he is a very inspiring individual. You can download all his books about how to make toys from his website: Arvind Gupta Toys . It is a shame that Grahamstown schools did not capitalise on his visit.
I then came back to the NML labs, as I have done for the past four days and proceeded to write up my article. However, the pictures Hayley and I took did not come out so great, the lack of battery power did have something to do with that. This was a valuable lesson in always being PREPARED!!! This means charging your batteries the night before and not taking for granted that they are charged without checking. My bad ...
As a result, we will have to go to Gupta's workshop again tomorrow to get photographs for our photostory. We also need to review our fourth story - women in science. Seeing as most of the women in science have already left Grahamstown, we might have a problem.
Sunday, 25 March 2007
SciFest Diary - Day 4
Day four of Scifest saw the completion of Hayley and my first multimedia package! (waits for rapturous applause and a standing ovation). Please check it out at: Cut The Fat Makana
It feels really good to finally have something up and running and to be able to tick it off the list of things to do. I learnt a few valuable lessons through this first package. The first one is that you need to have a clear angle, otherwise you will find yourself with too much general information, but insufficient information on a specific issue. This can lead to problems. The article posed this particular problem for me because I was following to separate story angles and the challenge came when I (or Jude) had to integrate them into one coherent piece. On the whole, my writing skills were questioned and while this has been hard, I am eager to learn the right way of doing things.
Our photostory and audio didn't pose too many problems. It helped that we recorded our own audio in a sound booth, so we eliminated issues of potential distortion of sound, wind inteference and the basic admin of traipsing around with mini disk players. Photgraphy went well and I think that our slideshow is effective. Thanks be to Hayley!
So, one down , three to go. I have finished my article on hypnosis and tonight went up to the monument to get hypnotist Stephane Juncker to record a few minutes of audio for our audio slideshow. I then went online and downloaded (legally) a healing and meditation piece as backing to Stephane's voice. We haven't edited and put the two pieces together yet, so we wait with bated breath to see if it works.
Hayley and I were unable to get good photographs during the hypnosis show we attended on Thursday, so we have liased with Stacy Nel, a photographer at the show, to use her photographs. We will then credit her.
Other than that, today went well. My sincere thanks to Jude for buying Arthur, Lauren and I pizza - it was sooo good and almost worth being in the labs until 12:30am!
Ciao for now*
It feels really good to finally have something up and running and to be able to tick it off the list of things to do. I learnt a few valuable lessons through this first package. The first one is that you need to have a clear angle, otherwise you will find yourself with too much general information, but insufficient information on a specific issue. This can lead to problems. The article posed this particular problem for me because I was following to separate story angles and the challenge came when I (or Jude) had to integrate them into one coherent piece. On the whole, my writing skills were questioned and while this has been hard, I am eager to learn the right way of doing things.
Our photostory and audio didn't pose too many problems. It helped that we recorded our own audio in a sound booth, so we eliminated issues of potential distortion of sound, wind inteference and the basic admin of traipsing around with mini disk players. Photgraphy went well and I think that our slideshow is effective. Thanks be to Hayley!
So, one down , three to go. I have finished my article on hypnosis and tonight went up to the monument to get hypnotist Stephane Juncker to record a few minutes of audio for our audio slideshow. I then went online and downloaded (legally) a healing and meditation piece as backing to Stephane's voice. We haven't edited and put the two pieces together yet, so we wait with bated breath to see if it works.
Hayley and I were unable to get good photographs during the hypnosis show we attended on Thursday, so we have liased with Stacy Nel, a photographer at the show, to use her photographs. We will then credit her.
Other than that, today went well. My sincere thanks to Jude for buying Arthur, Lauren and I pizza - it was sooo good and almost worth being in the labs until 12:30am!
Ciao for now*
Saturday, 24 March 2007
SciFest Diary - Day 3
So, day 3 has gone well. The only problem is that it is still going and it is actually now Scifest day 4. I am officially buggered as Hayley and I work to get our first package in.
The day started with our final interview for the "Makana Weighty Issues" article with Rhodes University Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly. She was really helpful and allowed us to take photographs at the gym for our self-help photographic slideshow. I also popped into Pick 'n Pay to get pictures of people buying food. I also popped into Wallace's Pharmacy to get pictures of dietary supplements. Hayley and I met at 13:30 to take gym photos and then made our way up to the monument to watch Stephan's lecture on hypnosis. We then conducted a short interview with him, but found him a tad evasive (and a tad touchy feely) so we opted to interview Masters Psychology student Greg Wilmot. Our questions were focused on issues of hypnotherapy and whether or not psychologists see hypnosis as a potential healing tool for people with mental problems.
After the lecture and interviews we headed to our news meeting and this is where I am currently sitting. I have learnt this evening that not only are my audio and photography skills lacking, but I have just found out that my writing skills are severely pedestrian. Oh, the horror! Oh well, you live you learn and I am slowly starting to make peace with the fact that i need to open myself up to learning.
This has been a long and tedious process, recording audio, putting the photo slideshow together, writing and re-writing and once again re-writing the article, checking facts, blogging as part of my assignment - it has been hectic. I am now off to bed and will return at 9:45 roughly 7 and a bit hours from now for our news brief for the box car derby. Good Times!
Night all*
The day started with our final interview for the "Makana Weighty Issues" article with Rhodes University Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly. She was really helpful and allowed us to take photographs at the gym for our self-help photographic slideshow. I also popped into Pick 'n Pay to get pictures of people buying food. I also popped into Wallace's Pharmacy to get pictures of dietary supplements. Hayley and I met at 13:30 to take gym photos and then made our way up to the monument to watch Stephan's lecture on hypnosis. We then conducted a short interview with him, but found him a tad evasive (and a tad touchy feely) so we opted to interview Masters Psychology student Greg Wilmot. Our questions were focused on issues of hypnotherapy and whether or not psychologists see hypnosis as a potential healing tool for people with mental problems.
After the lecture and interviews we headed to our news meeting and this is where I am currently sitting. I have learnt this evening that not only are my audio and photography skills lacking, but I have just found out that my writing skills are severely pedestrian. Oh, the horror! Oh well, you live you learn and I am slowly starting to make peace with the fact that i need to open myself up to learning.
This has been a long and tedious process, recording audio, putting the photo slideshow together, writing and re-writing and once again re-writing the article, checking facts, blogging as part of my assignment - it has been hectic. I am now off to bed and will return at 9:45 roughly 7 and a bit hours from now for our news brief for the box car derby. Good Times!
Night all*
SciFest Diary - Day 2
At the end of my second day at Scifest I felt completely and utterly at a loss. Two days of collecting information, attending lectures, conducting interviews, vox pops and chatting to people have resulted in not one thing being put onto a computer. Pictures have not been uploaded, articles have not been written and deadline is tomorrow. Sigh, but I have faith that it will all get done (sucks thumb and tries to comfort self).
Today started off with a continuation of the "Makana's Weighty Problem" article. I organised an interview with Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly and interviews two local pharmacists about diet products. Hayley and I attempted to get vox pops, but found that most local Grahamstown residents are not that comfortable with discussing their weight issues with an online newspaper - hmm, funny that. As a result, we decided to get rid of the vox pop idea.
We attended the lecture called "The Differences Between Boys and Girls" for our article on women in science. I must admit I expected more controversy from the lecture, but what Prof. Bruton said was mainly that men and women, despite being different, need to work together to create a harmonious society. He was interesting though. So, as of yet, we have not explored this story further.
Hayley managed to work her magic with hypnotist Stephane Juncker to get us into his hypnosis show last night. Alas our cheap, green media passes did not permit us access. Thankfully, Stephan was obliging (a tad too much so) and we managed to exchange a tripod for two free seats to the performance. And what a peformance it was. Having never been to a hypnosis show before, I was intrigued. After the show, Hayley and I didn't have sufficient information to interview him, so we organised to interview him after his lecture on hynosis tomorrow afternoon. Pictures were difficult to get during the show, but we have gotten permission from a fourth year Strategic Media Planning (SMP) student, Stacy Nel to utilise photgraphs she managed to take at the show. We will credit her at the end of our slideshow.
I attempted to make a start on the text, but still feel very agitated because nothing is yet on paper and it is frustrating. But, tomorrow will be better as it is the deadline for our first multimedia package.
Wish us luck!
Today started off with a continuation of the "Makana's Weighty Problem" article. I organised an interview with Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly and interviews two local pharmacists about diet products. Hayley and I attempted to get vox pops, but found that most local Grahamstown residents are not that comfortable with discussing their weight issues with an online newspaper - hmm, funny that. As a result, we decided to get rid of the vox pop idea.
We attended the lecture called "The Differences Between Boys and Girls" for our article on women in science. I must admit I expected more controversy from the lecture, but what Prof. Bruton said was mainly that men and women, despite being different, need to work together to create a harmonious society. He was interesting though. So, as of yet, we have not explored this story further.
Hayley managed to work her magic with hypnotist Stephane Juncker to get us into his hypnosis show last night. Alas our cheap, green media passes did not permit us access. Thankfully, Stephan was obliging (a tad too much so) and we managed to exchange a tripod for two free seats to the performance. And what a peformance it was. Having never been to a hypnosis show before, I was intrigued. After the show, Hayley and I didn't have sufficient information to interview him, so we organised to interview him after his lecture on hynosis tomorrow afternoon. Pictures were difficult to get during the show, but we have gotten permission from a fourth year Strategic Media Planning (SMP) student, Stacy Nel to utilise photgraphs she managed to take at the show. We will credit her at the end of our slideshow.
I attempted to make a start on the text, but still feel very agitated because nothing is yet on paper and it is frustrating. But, tomorrow will be better as it is the deadline for our first multimedia package.
Wish us luck!
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
SciFest Diary - Day 1
And so it begins ... today was the first day of Scifest. Having only finished my first audio slideshow last night at 11 I was quite tired for the first day. Things have gotten underway pretty quickly and still feeling a little bewildered to say the least.
The first multimedia package Hayley and I are working on is "Makana's Weighty Problem" - it extends from the lecture we attended today by Jane Badham about whether or not there is a magic bullet for weight loss. I'll give you all a hint - there isn't one! Prior to the lecture I conducted some background research on increasing obesity in South Africa and South Africa's obsession with weight. I found a really good site that discussed these statistics and it is official - people in South Africa are getting fatter! During the lecture, I kept trying to create a link between what Badham was saying and how this would affect the Grahamstown context. What sparked my interest is that, specifically in underdeveloped countries, low income families are the ones who suffer mostly from obesity. Badham suggested that the way to curb what she ahs called a "global epidemic" is through education and empowerment.
This got me thinking about Grahamstown, and how the many impoverished schools would be educated about nutrition and correct eating habits and lifestyles on a small income. I then came across the Pharmacy faculty's fringe event that aims to empower local knowledge specifically in school children to combat and prevent obesity and incorrect eating habits. They have put together a computer programme together with the Computer Science division that educates kids about diet and obesity. They take a very interactive and visual approach to educating kids and I thought that was quite a nice link.
I also managed to get a few pics of people eating - although they looked quite perplexed! Hayley and I plan to conduct audio vox pops tomorrow under the title of "What is the most extreme thing you have done to lose weight?" I have also emailed the Rhodes health suite manager janet kelly to ask her about the issue of health and lifestyle in Grahamstown and have asked her whether she knows of a local Grahamstown nutrtionist/ dietician who would be able to give me a broader understanding of Grahamstown's eating habits.
So, that was my first day, not too shabby. Tomorrow will prove busier I'm sure. Stay tuned for the next installment ...
The first multimedia package Hayley and I are working on is "Makana's Weighty Problem" - it extends from the lecture we attended today by Jane Badham about whether or not there is a magic bullet for weight loss. I'll give you all a hint - there isn't one! Prior to the lecture I conducted some background research on increasing obesity in South Africa and South Africa's obsession with weight. I found a really good site that discussed these statistics and it is official - people in South Africa are getting fatter! During the lecture, I kept trying to create a link between what Badham was saying and how this would affect the Grahamstown context. What sparked my interest is that, specifically in underdeveloped countries, low income families are the ones who suffer mostly from obesity. Badham suggested that the way to curb what she ahs called a "global epidemic" is through education and empowerment.
This got me thinking about Grahamstown, and how the many impoverished schools would be educated about nutrition and correct eating habits and lifestyles on a small income. I then came across the Pharmacy faculty's fringe event that aims to empower local knowledge specifically in school children to combat and prevent obesity and incorrect eating habits. They have put together a computer programme together with the Computer Science division that educates kids about diet and obesity. They take a very interactive and visual approach to educating kids and I thought that was quite a nice link.
I also managed to get a few pics of people eating - although they looked quite perplexed! Hayley and I plan to conduct audio vox pops tomorrow under the title of "What is the most extreme thing you have done to lose weight?" I have also emailed the Rhodes health suite manager janet kelly to ask her about the issue of health and lifestyle in Grahamstown and have asked her whether she knows of a local Grahamstown nutrtionist/ dietician who would be able to give me a broader understanding of Grahamstown's eating habits.
So, that was my first day, not too shabby. Tomorrow will prove busier I'm sure. Stay tuned for the next installment ...
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
My first xhtml entry - hehe:)
This is my first official blog entry using html!
Hi all you bloggers out there, sorry I haven't been in touch for a while - work has been madness. I just thought that I would show off the practical skills that I have been learning in my new media lectures. The result is this: my first entry done solely in html
So, I have been very busy at the moment. We are starting to put together multimedia packages in preparation for Scifest that starts in Grahamstown on 21 March. For more information about Scifest you can go to Sasol Scifest. We will be working in groups of two to produce the following:
- 1 audio-slide story using Photoshop, Audacity and Soundslides
- 2 multimedia feature packages (which may include a combination of text
and/or photos and/or audio) - 3 experiential blogs focused on following areas
Reporting on conferences and events
The vagaries of reporting Science
Multimedia journalism - first impressions and lessons learned
So, I am in for a busy next few weeks (eesh). But, I'm looking forward to it. It is going to be a new and exciting experience
Well, I'm off to bed to get some much needed sleep
Ciao
Wednesday, 07 March 2007
Why Structural HTML matters
Having just learnt about xhtml, I am slightly intimidated by the thought of CSS (cascading style sheets). If it’s anything like learning to utilise basic xhtml, then it can only be challenging and ummm … fun? But, before I embark on my CSS adventure, I have to look at the theoretical aspect, namely why is it important from the perspective of design/style of a webpage, to critically think about the structure of your content, navigation and other sections?
In her discussion of web page design, Debolt[1], emphasises the need to separate the structural content and design when developing a web page. This is effectively done through the use of a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), which may be defined as “a simple style sheet mechanism”[2] that allows web page developers and users the ability to attach style to web pages. A CSS basically functions to give web site developers more control over how web pages are displayed[3].
Debolt says that it is common for web page developers, when starting to think about creating a web page, to first think of what they want the layout and style of their pages to be with regard to colours and fonts. She, however, says that it is essential for web page developers to first consider the semantic organisation and structural content of their pages before beginning to think about visual presentation.
According to Debolt, the design of a web page is the least important aspect of web page development and that a great deal of attention needs to be placed on creating a well-structured html page that focuses on content, navigation and other sections. Without a well-structured and organised html page that logically sets out the content, navigation and other sections, a CSS cannot be utilised. Once an html page is well-structured and has been ordered into content blocks, these blocks can then be positioned and styled in any position on the page. Each content block in the html page can then be assigned colours, fonts, margins and backgrounds with the implementation of a CSS[4].
The chief advantage of a CSS is that it allows web page designers to better maintain the appearance of a web site[5]. Once a CSS has been created, it can be applied to any number of web pages and if the web page designer wants to change a specific stylistic element, he/she merely has to change the CSS without altering the structure of the html page[6]. However, a well-structured html page is essential to the smooth-functioning of a CSS. If your web page is not properly structured, the CSS will not work.
Another reason why it is important to think structurally about the content, navigation and other sections of a web page in terms of design and layout is that with the emergence of other digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones, a well-structured html document is vital if it is to have the ability of being displayed in any digital medium. The use of a CSS allows for web pages to be more easily rendered on digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones[7].
While web page styles and layouts may be fun and exciting, it is essential to first consider the structure of one’s html page. Without a well-structured html page, the CSS will not work and the presentation of one’s web page will be problematic.
[1] Debolt, V. 2004. “The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML”. Wise Women Tutorials. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/cssplanning/index.shtml
[2] “Cascading Style Sheets” Web Developer’s Virtual Library. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Style/Sheets/
[3] “Cascading Style Sheet” Netlingo. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=CSS
[4] Debolt. 2004.
[5] See footnote 3
[6] See footnote 2
[7] Kelly, B. 2006. “Use of Cascading Style Sheets”. UKOLN. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefings/briefing-34/html/
In her discussion of web page design, Debolt[1], emphasises the need to separate the structural content and design when developing a web page. This is effectively done through the use of a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), which may be defined as “a simple style sheet mechanism”[2] that allows web page developers and users the ability to attach style to web pages. A CSS basically functions to give web site developers more control over how web pages are displayed[3].
Debolt says that it is common for web page developers, when starting to think about creating a web page, to first think of what they want the layout and style of their pages to be with regard to colours and fonts. She, however, says that it is essential for web page developers to first consider the semantic organisation and structural content of their pages before beginning to think about visual presentation.
According to Debolt, the design of a web page is the least important aspect of web page development and that a great deal of attention needs to be placed on creating a well-structured html page that focuses on content, navigation and other sections. Without a well-structured and organised html page that logically sets out the content, navigation and other sections, a CSS cannot be utilised. Once an html page is well-structured and has been ordered into content blocks, these blocks can then be positioned and styled in any position on the page. Each content block in the html page can then be assigned colours, fonts, margins and backgrounds with the implementation of a CSS[4].
The chief advantage of a CSS is that it allows web page designers to better maintain the appearance of a web site[5]. Once a CSS has been created, it can be applied to any number of web pages and if the web page designer wants to change a specific stylistic element, he/she merely has to change the CSS without altering the structure of the html page[6]. However, a well-structured html page is essential to the smooth-functioning of a CSS. If your web page is not properly structured, the CSS will not work.
Another reason why it is important to think structurally about the content, navigation and other sections of a web page in terms of design and layout is that with the emergence of other digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones, a well-structured html document is vital if it is to have the ability of being displayed in any digital medium. The use of a CSS allows for web pages to be more easily rendered on digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones[7].
While web page styles and layouts may be fun and exciting, it is essential to first consider the structure of one’s html page. Without a well-structured html page, the CSS will not work and the presentation of one’s web page will be problematic.
[1] Debolt, V. 2004. “The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML”. Wise Women Tutorials. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/cssplanning/index.shtml
[2] “Cascading Style Sheets” Web Developer’s Virtual Library. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Style/Sheets/
[3] “Cascading Style Sheet” Netlingo. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=CSS
[4] Debolt. 2004.
[5] See footnote 3
[6] See footnote 2
[7] Kelly, B. 2006. “Use of Cascading Style Sheets”. UKOLN. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefings/briefing-34/html/
Web Accessibility for Beginners
Until I began reading through the resources given by Brad on web accessibility, I had no idea such a concept even existed, let alone the fact that there was an entire initiative devoted to it. A little further research into the notion and this is what I managed to dig up:
Web accessibility basically refers to the ways in which people with disabilities can access the Internet[1]. Most web sites and web software have “accessibility barriers”[2], which prevent people with disabilities from accessing them. As a result, web accessibility guidelines and initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to provide disabled people with tools that will help them to “perceive, navigate, and interact with the Web.”[3]
It is important to note that the term “disability” not only refers to physical disabilities such as blindness or deafness, but also refers to people who are unable to access the web as a result of the physical environment in which they are situated. The latter particularly concerns the majority of people living in African countries, where high poverty levels have led to slow and expensive Internet connections.
So, now that we have an understanding of what web accessibility is, of what concern is it to me as a journalist?
The Internet has often been described as the democratic medium, allegedly providing information to all people and giving citizens a space to voice their concerns. There are certain groups of people, however, who have been marginalised as a result of their physical disabilities or their lack of socio-economic resources[4].
Journalists are not only responsible for the gathering and producing of news and information, but are also responsible for the dissemination of that news and information to all citizens. New media journalists are therefore faced with the challenge of providing information to all people in society by utilising a medium that has succeeded in excluding a large number of people.
By marginalising certain groups of people, information access technologies provide certain citizens with the information and, therefore, the power to make decisions regarding the societies in which they live. Similarly, in providing only a certain number of citizens with a digital platform by which to voice their concerns and opinions, the issues and concerns of marginalised groups remain unheard. As a result, new media journalists have a responsibility to utilise web accessibility tools and methods in an attempt to ensure that disabled people get equal access to essential information as well as equal access to the digital platform by which to voice their own concerns.
In South Africa, the biggest accessibility barrier is slow Internet connections due to high poverty levels. South African new media journalists, therefore, have a responsibility to ensure that their multimedia material and web pages are accessible to the greatest number of people quickly and cost-effectively. By utilising web accessibility tools, journalists can attempt to curb the marginality of certain groups of people.
[1] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[2] See above
[3] See above
[4] Spence, C. 2006. “Information and Communications Technology: Challenges” National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ndi.org/globalp/ict/programs/challenges.asp
Web accessibility basically refers to the ways in which people with disabilities can access the Internet[1]. Most web sites and web software have “accessibility barriers”[2], which prevent people with disabilities from accessing them. As a result, web accessibility guidelines and initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to provide disabled people with tools that will help them to “perceive, navigate, and interact with the Web.”[3]
It is important to note that the term “disability” not only refers to physical disabilities such as blindness or deafness, but also refers to people who are unable to access the web as a result of the physical environment in which they are situated. The latter particularly concerns the majority of people living in African countries, where high poverty levels have led to slow and expensive Internet connections.
So, now that we have an understanding of what web accessibility is, of what concern is it to me as a journalist?
The Internet has often been described as the democratic medium, allegedly providing information to all people and giving citizens a space to voice their concerns. There are certain groups of people, however, who have been marginalised as a result of their physical disabilities or their lack of socio-economic resources[4].
Journalists are not only responsible for the gathering and producing of news and information, but are also responsible for the dissemination of that news and information to all citizens. New media journalists are therefore faced with the challenge of providing information to all people in society by utilising a medium that has succeeded in excluding a large number of people.
By marginalising certain groups of people, information access technologies provide certain citizens with the information and, therefore, the power to make decisions regarding the societies in which they live. Similarly, in providing only a certain number of citizens with a digital platform by which to voice their concerns and opinions, the issues and concerns of marginalised groups remain unheard. As a result, new media journalists have a responsibility to utilise web accessibility tools and methods in an attempt to ensure that disabled people get equal access to essential information as well as equal access to the digital platform by which to voice their own concerns.
In South Africa, the biggest accessibility barrier is slow Internet connections due to high poverty levels. South African new media journalists, therefore, have a responsibility to ensure that their multimedia material and web pages are accessible to the greatest number of people quickly and cost-effectively. By utilising web accessibility tools, journalists can attempt to curb the marginality of certain groups of people.
[1] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[2] See above
[3] See above
[4] Spence, C. 2006. “Information and Communications Technology: Challenges” National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ndi.org/globalp/ict/programs/challenges.asp
Tuesday, 06 March 2007
XHTML and Me
I have officially been battling with xhtml for nearly two weeks and it is both a frustrating and rewarding experience at the same time. I am a fast worker by nature and tend to be careless when it comes to the finer details and this, as I have learned the hard way, is not on in the world of markup languages.
This post is actually an extension of a previous one that looked at the relevance of journalists learning and utilising xhtml. One could argue that mastering the entangled mesh of codes and symbols is superfluous when web design programmes such as Macromedia Dreamweaver allow anyone to design a web page. However, as a journalism and media studies student who is required to learn xhtml as part of my course, I am going to stand firm in my previous assertion thatit is important for journalists to have a solid grasp of the technical language of xhtml and here’s why:
Niles[1] argues that by learning xhtml, journalism students are not only taught how to create web pages through hardcoding, but are also being taught and reminded of the important principles of journalism. An example that I have already mentioned, is precision. As a media producer, it is essential, when writing an article or taking a photograph, that the information being recorded and published is accurate. As a result, journalists need to be precise, not only in the gathering of information, but also in the actual production and distribution of that information. Xhtml is an intricate combination of codes and by leaving out the smallest, seemingly insignificant symbol can alter the entire layout of your web page. By learning to pay attention to detail, through the mastering of xhtml, journalists will be more accurate publishers of news and information.
Another reason to support the need for journalists to grasp xhtml is that it helps them to “develop the ability to understand a technical language”[2]. Journalists often have to engage with people and issues that they know very little about and they may not have an understanding of particular technical jargon that is used. Niles states that by learning a technical language like xhtml, journalists are given an opportunity to overcome their fear of technical jargon. It may also provide journalists with the ability to make sense of seemingly tedious jargonised information and documents. As a result of being able to better understand and interpret technical jargon, journalists will be better equipped to ask more informed questions and interrogate more effectively the nature of the information, thus providing a more well-rounded and thoroughly researched article.
Niles also says that by gaining an understanding of xhtml, journalists are able to set up web pages without having to buy expensive software. This is good news for journalists in African countries, who may not be able to afford the software. Many African journalists do not have Internet access in their newsrooms due to the cost of Internet connections. As a result, many of them access the Internet through Internet Cafes or through one computer in their newsroom. These computers may not have the web page design programmes on them, which may prove problematic for journalists who do not have a firm grasp of xhtml. However, with an understanding of xhtml, journalists can utilise simple programmes such as notepad, which is available on most computers, to set up web pages.
With regard to web accessibility, which will be discussed in greater detail in another post, by having a firm grasp of xhtml, journalists can develop and follow methods that promote web accessibility to people not only with physical disabilities, but also to those who struggle with slow Internet connections (Yes, Africa, I am talking to you).
By mastering xhtml, journalists are able to follow specific guidelines, like the ones suggested by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0[3]. In order to make the web more accessible, journalists need to be able to identify and manipulate various xhtml elements. Henry[4] argues that by misusing markup language makes it difficult for users with specialised software to understand and navigate through the web pages.
In a continent that is hindered by increased poverty, Internet connections are costly and slow. As a result, the web is largely inaccessible to the majority of people living in African countries. By gaining an understanding of xhtml, as a journalist I am better suited to an African context because I will be able to use xhtml to make the web more accessible to users, shortening downloading time by replacing images with text equivalent elements, for example.
As a result, learning xhtml does not only have the ability to benefit the journalist, but it has the potential to provide people in Africa with better access to information.
[1] Niles, R. 2005. “From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It”. USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[2] See above
[3] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[4] See above
This post is actually an extension of a previous one that looked at the relevance of journalists learning and utilising xhtml. One could argue that mastering the entangled mesh of codes and symbols is superfluous when web design programmes such as Macromedia Dreamweaver allow anyone to design a web page. However, as a journalism and media studies student who is required to learn xhtml as part of my course, I am going to stand firm in my previous assertion thatit is important for journalists to have a solid grasp of the technical language of xhtml and here’s why:
Niles[1] argues that by learning xhtml, journalism students are not only taught how to create web pages through hardcoding, but are also being taught and reminded of the important principles of journalism. An example that I have already mentioned, is precision. As a media producer, it is essential, when writing an article or taking a photograph, that the information being recorded and published is accurate. As a result, journalists need to be precise, not only in the gathering of information, but also in the actual production and distribution of that information. Xhtml is an intricate combination of codes and by leaving out the smallest, seemingly insignificant symbol can alter the entire layout of your web page. By learning to pay attention to detail, through the mastering of xhtml, journalists will be more accurate publishers of news and information.
Another reason to support the need for journalists to grasp xhtml is that it helps them to “develop the ability to understand a technical language”[2]. Journalists often have to engage with people and issues that they know very little about and they may not have an understanding of particular technical jargon that is used. Niles states that by learning a technical language like xhtml, journalists are given an opportunity to overcome their fear of technical jargon. It may also provide journalists with the ability to make sense of seemingly tedious jargonised information and documents. As a result of being able to better understand and interpret technical jargon, journalists will be better equipped to ask more informed questions and interrogate more effectively the nature of the information, thus providing a more well-rounded and thoroughly researched article.
Niles also says that by gaining an understanding of xhtml, journalists are able to set up web pages without having to buy expensive software. This is good news for journalists in African countries, who may not be able to afford the software. Many African journalists do not have Internet access in their newsrooms due to the cost of Internet connections. As a result, many of them access the Internet through Internet Cafes or through one computer in their newsroom. These computers may not have the web page design programmes on them, which may prove problematic for journalists who do not have a firm grasp of xhtml. However, with an understanding of xhtml, journalists can utilise simple programmes such as notepad, which is available on most computers, to set up web pages.
With regard to web accessibility, which will be discussed in greater detail in another post, by having a firm grasp of xhtml, journalists can develop and follow methods that promote web accessibility to people not only with physical disabilities, but also to those who struggle with slow Internet connections (Yes, Africa, I am talking to you).
By mastering xhtml, journalists are able to follow specific guidelines, like the ones suggested by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0[3]. In order to make the web more accessible, journalists need to be able to identify and manipulate various xhtml elements. Henry[4] argues that by misusing markup language makes it difficult for users with specialised software to understand and navigate through the web pages.
In a continent that is hindered by increased poverty, Internet connections are costly and slow. As a result, the web is largely inaccessible to the majority of people living in African countries. By gaining an understanding of xhtml, as a journalist I am better suited to an African context because I will be able to use xhtml to make the web more accessible to users, shortening downloading time by replacing images with text equivalent elements, for example.
As a result, learning xhtml does not only have the ability to benefit the journalist, but it has the potential to provide people in Africa with better access to information.
[1] Niles, R. 2005. “From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It”. USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[2] See above
[3] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[4] See above
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
I have seen the promised land! - Computer Assisted Research and Reporting for Dum-dums!
After countless hours of mind-boggling, unbelievably frustrating Internet and library searches – I finally located the population statistics for Grahamstown, East London, Bloemfontein, and Johannesburg! (Waits for thunderous applause) Turns out, they were on Statistics South Africa (see my favourite links) the whole time. The key, in the end, was to dig and burrow deep into the site’s sinister web of “freely-accessible” government information. For a while I felt as if I were traipsing through a desert, looking for any sign of life, a spring of hope among the arid land of population statistics. But, the effort proved fruitful and I am satisfied …
Locating the information for this assignment, as you may have gathered by now, was the most challenging aspect of the practical exercise and 90% of the battle. The crime statistics were relatively simple to locate. The South African Police Service website (see my favourite links) was straightforward and accessible, and the information easy to download. The one aspect that may hinder citizens from accessing the crime statistics is that they are only available in a downloadable .pdf format. This may prove problematic to users who do not have access to .pdf readers such as Adobe Reader on their computers.
The population statistics were eventually located on Statistics South Africa. The site was not easily accessible and the information difficult to come by. When the statistics were eventually located, they were only available in Excel format, which again proves problematic for citizens who do not have Microsoft Excel, or similar programmes, on their computers. The second problem that arose was that the names of the cities were not given, instead their respective codes were used, e.g. EC101. Having located the statistics, I then had to locate the municipality code lists and then find the cities I needed. The names of the cities are also recorded differently and for someone who is not familiar with the name changes this may pose yet another challenge. For example, Grahamstown is listed as Makana, East London as Buffalo City and Bloemfontein as Magaung. See what I mean by tangled web? It is also essential to note that the latest population statistics available are from the 2001 census. This does pose a problem to our data results, as we are comparing 2006 crime statistics with population statistics recorded five years earlier.
Recording the data in Microsoft Excel was like a breath of fresh air. With the skills I had already acquired from a previous lecture, it was simply a matter of recording the numbers accurately and double-checking them. From the graphs, I was shocked to find that with regard to rape, murder, assault with intent, and malicious damage to property, Grahamstown (yes, the town that I currently call my home!) is the most dangerous city per capita. This is a potentially viable story idea.
Using spreadsheets for statistical analysis is a useful tool for making sense of endless reams of data provided by government and municipal officials. Story ideas may very well be embedded within these pages of seemingly senseless information. The results of my analysis have shown that there is a promising story idea already lurking – why is Grahamstown’s crime rate so high?
Not always easy to access, and not always easy to understand, one may go so far as to question the apparent transparency of our government with regard to facts and figures. There is, evidently a need for a simple and easy means by which to access and understand online data and South Africa has a long way to go.
Locating the information for this assignment, as you may have gathered by now, was the most challenging aspect of the practical exercise and 90% of the battle. The crime statistics were relatively simple to locate. The South African Police Service website (see my favourite links) was straightforward and accessible, and the information easy to download. The one aspect that may hinder citizens from accessing the crime statistics is that they are only available in a downloadable .pdf format. This may prove problematic to users who do not have access to .pdf readers such as Adobe Reader on their computers.
The population statistics were eventually located on Statistics South Africa. The site was not easily accessible and the information difficult to come by. When the statistics were eventually located, they were only available in Excel format, which again proves problematic for citizens who do not have Microsoft Excel, or similar programmes, on their computers. The second problem that arose was that the names of the cities were not given, instead their respective codes were used, e.g. EC101. Having located the statistics, I then had to locate the municipality code lists and then find the cities I needed. The names of the cities are also recorded differently and for someone who is not familiar with the name changes this may pose yet another challenge. For example, Grahamstown is listed as Makana, East London as Buffalo City and Bloemfontein as Magaung. See what I mean by tangled web? It is also essential to note that the latest population statistics available are from the 2001 census. This does pose a problem to our data results, as we are comparing 2006 crime statistics with population statistics recorded five years earlier.
Recording the data in Microsoft Excel was like a breath of fresh air. With the skills I had already acquired from a previous lecture, it was simply a matter of recording the numbers accurately and double-checking them. From the graphs, I was shocked to find that with regard to rape, murder, assault with intent, and malicious damage to property, Grahamstown (yes, the town that I currently call my home!) is the most dangerous city per capita. This is a potentially viable story idea.
Using spreadsheets for statistical analysis is a useful tool for making sense of endless reams of data provided by government and municipal officials. Story ideas may very well be embedded within these pages of seemingly senseless information. The results of my analysis have shown that there is a promising story idea already lurking – why is Grahamstown’s crime rate so high?
Not always easy to access, and not always easy to understand, one may go so far as to question the apparent transparency of our government with regard to facts and figures. There is, evidently a need for a simple and easy means by which to access and understand online data and South Africa has a long way to go.
Monday, 26 February 2007
Rock, Hard Place, Me ...
Okay, so my latest assignment for Jude has resulted in me very nearly ripping my fingernails off: South African population statistics are SO HARD TO FIND!!! Officials who may stumble into this blog - run for your lives!!
I found the crime statistics very easy to come by (my thanks to the SAPS who actually provide a democratic service to the people - bravo!). As for the rest of the statistics, based on a subtle hint from Jude, Ntokozo and I trapsed down to the Rhodes University library in an attempt to access the most recent population statistics for the various South African cities.
IMPOSSIBLE!!! There are oodles of stats surrounding provinces and race and gender etc..., but nothing on specific towns. As of 11pm I was still looking, but alas to no avail. So, I decided to make one last post before ending it all ... fare thee well bloggers ....
Seriously, I am just being a tad dramatic, delirium has set in ... see you all again soon
Cheers
"Frustrated and Suicidal"
I found the crime statistics very easy to come by (my thanks to the SAPS who actually provide a democratic service to the people - bravo!). As for the rest of the statistics, based on a subtle hint from Jude, Ntokozo and I trapsed down to the Rhodes University library in an attempt to access the most recent population statistics for the various South African cities.
IMPOSSIBLE!!! There are oodles of stats surrounding provinces and race and gender etc..., but nothing on specific towns. As of 11pm I was still looking, but alas to no avail. So, I decided to make one last post before ending it all ... fare thee well bloggers ....
Seriously, I am just being a tad dramatic, delirium has set in ... see you all again soon
Cheers
"Frustrated and Suicidal"
Sunday, 25 February 2007
600-word critical discussion of my introduction to new media and journalism studies
Over the past two weeks, our new media class has been introduced to the various facets of “new” media and journalism studies. This has been completely foreign terrain for all of us and it has been a whirlwind tour thus far. Despite the great deal of information that has been flung in our general direction, however, we have managed to obtain a general understanding of the significance of “new” media, specifically with regard to the current and future role of journalists within this digital medium.
The first significant debate that we encountered in our introduction to “new” media was the use of the word “new” when describing digitalised media. Lister (2002) interrogates the “newness” of digital media, stating that the term “new” media arises out of the modernist belief that views social progress as a direct result of technology. If one adopts this approach, one could view the development of technology and the subsequent rise of digital communication as “new”. Marshall (2004) however asserts that new forms of communication are only partially determined by their technology and are largely shaped from social and cultural conditions. It is possible to view a range of new characteristics when examining “new” media and journalism studies, such as a new way of representing the world through the creation of virtual environments, and a new relationship between media producer and audience (Lister 2002). However, one could argue that “new” media is not so much the introduction of new characteristics, but rather an improvement of more traditional mediums, described as “remediation” (Lister 2002:39). Kawamoto (2003:4) concurs with Lister's view, defining digital journalism as a “juxtaposition of old and new concepts”. “New” media do draw on traditional mediums of print, radio (audio) and television (visual) in the production and dissemination of news.
When examining the significance of “new” media and journalism studies, it is essential to highlight that the course is comprised of two facets: a practical and a theoretical facet. Both are equally significant in the pursuit of understanding and the gaining of knowledge surrounding “new” media. Lister (2002) asserts that technology cannot be separated from questions of practise, specifically with regard to how the technology is utilised and how content is generated. It is, therefore not sufficient to merely learn about the unique characteristics and practical skills of “new” media, but it is also necessary to examine “new” media from a theoretical perspective. Journalists and media workers need to obtain a greater understanding of the social, cultural, economic and historical facets of “new” media in order to fully exploit the potentiality of the medium and to do so responsibly.
An example would be the examination of the shifting power relations that has emerged with the increased popularity of “new” media. The heightened interactivity of digital media provides users with more power and agency with regard to media consumption and production, in which they possess more control and ownership than in traditional media forms (Marshall 2004). Users also have increased power in their ability to produce their own media through the use of blogs. Marshall (2004), however, questions the extent to which users are in control of “new” media practices. Described as the democratic medium, “new” media are understood to provide all people with the power over the means of production, however Marshall (2004) asserts that, much like traditional media, power and control is still concentrated in the hands of the elite minority. Users exercise their agency through the use of computer programs that have been designed by “new” media computer programmers. As a result, it is the computer programmer that determines the way people use computers and the level of interactivity and agency that users are able to access are confined to the boundaries of the program.
“New” media also needs to be critically examined with regard to the role of the journalist. Kawamoto (2003) highlights the dilemma of the journalist in the age of digital media, where anyone with access to the Internet can produce and publish news. Critical media studies may be utilised in determining the legitimate sources of news and information and discussions surrounding the integrity of journalism (Kawamoto 2003).
On the whole, the digitisation of media production has resulted in a variety of unique opportunities for the journalistic field (Lister 2002). Arguably one of the most unique opportunities of “new” media, that has already been mentioned, is its potential for interactivity between users and the media production process. The Internet has reconstructed many patterns of communication, allowing new communities to form through activities such as blogging and emailing (Marshall 12). “New” media is secondly a primarily multimedia form that is not confined to aspects of time and space like traditional media. As a result, media texts are no longer confined to a particular medium (Kawamoto 2003). One is, therefore, able to produce and access a variety of media around a single story or issue. For example, one could not only read an article, but could also listen to a live interview with an important source. Digitised information can also be disseminated at high speeds, thus enabling the production of news to be more immediate than other mediums. Updates can be made more frequently, ensuring the most current information is always available. The opportunities of “new” media also extend beyond the dissemination of news, and include the gathering of information (De Wolk 2001). Computer Assisted Research and Reporting (CARR) provide a unique opportunity for journalists to improve their quality of news gathering through the use of innovative analytical and technical tools (Kawamoto 2003).
There is still a great deal to learn about the field of “new” media and journalism studies, however the significance of our course has been highlighted through the discussion of the debate regarding the “newness” of “new” media, the prominence of the need to critically interrogate the various social, cultural, economic and political aspects of the practical application of “new” media, such as the concentration of power and the unique opportunities that digital media provides media producers and consumers.
Works Cited
De Wolk, R. (2001). Introduction to Online Journalism: Publishing News and Information. Allyn and Bacon. Boston
Kawamoto, K. (ed). (2003). Digital Journalism: emerging media and the changing horizons of journalism. Rohman and Littlefield:Lanham.
Lister, M. (2002). New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge: London.
Marshall, D. P. (2004). New Media Cultures. Oxford University Press: London.
The first significant debate that we encountered in our introduction to “new” media was the use of the word “new” when describing digitalised media. Lister (2002) interrogates the “newness” of digital media, stating that the term “new” media arises out of the modernist belief that views social progress as a direct result of technology. If one adopts this approach, one could view the development of technology and the subsequent rise of digital communication as “new”. Marshall (2004) however asserts that new forms of communication are only partially determined by their technology and are largely shaped from social and cultural conditions. It is possible to view a range of new characteristics when examining “new” media and journalism studies, such as a new way of representing the world through the creation of virtual environments, and a new relationship between media producer and audience (Lister 2002). However, one could argue that “new” media is not so much the introduction of new characteristics, but rather an improvement of more traditional mediums, described as “remediation” (Lister 2002:39). Kawamoto (2003:4) concurs with Lister's view, defining digital journalism as a “juxtaposition of old and new concepts”. “New” media do draw on traditional mediums of print, radio (audio) and television (visual) in the production and dissemination of news.
When examining the significance of “new” media and journalism studies, it is essential to highlight that the course is comprised of two facets: a practical and a theoretical facet. Both are equally significant in the pursuit of understanding and the gaining of knowledge surrounding “new” media. Lister (2002) asserts that technology cannot be separated from questions of practise, specifically with regard to how the technology is utilised and how content is generated. It is, therefore not sufficient to merely learn about the unique characteristics and practical skills of “new” media, but it is also necessary to examine “new” media from a theoretical perspective. Journalists and media workers need to obtain a greater understanding of the social, cultural, economic and historical facets of “new” media in order to fully exploit the potentiality of the medium and to do so responsibly.
An example would be the examination of the shifting power relations that has emerged with the increased popularity of “new” media. The heightened interactivity of digital media provides users with more power and agency with regard to media consumption and production, in which they possess more control and ownership than in traditional media forms (Marshall 2004). Users also have increased power in their ability to produce their own media through the use of blogs. Marshall (2004), however, questions the extent to which users are in control of “new” media practices. Described as the democratic medium, “new” media are understood to provide all people with the power over the means of production, however Marshall (2004) asserts that, much like traditional media, power and control is still concentrated in the hands of the elite minority. Users exercise their agency through the use of computer programs that have been designed by “new” media computer programmers. As a result, it is the computer programmer that determines the way people use computers and the level of interactivity and agency that users are able to access are confined to the boundaries of the program.
“New” media also needs to be critically examined with regard to the role of the journalist. Kawamoto (2003) highlights the dilemma of the journalist in the age of digital media, where anyone with access to the Internet can produce and publish news. Critical media studies may be utilised in determining the legitimate sources of news and information and discussions surrounding the integrity of journalism (Kawamoto 2003).
On the whole, the digitisation of media production has resulted in a variety of unique opportunities for the journalistic field (Lister 2002). Arguably one of the most unique opportunities of “new” media, that has already been mentioned, is its potential for interactivity between users and the media production process. The Internet has reconstructed many patterns of communication, allowing new communities to form through activities such as blogging and emailing (Marshall 12). “New” media is secondly a primarily multimedia form that is not confined to aspects of time and space like traditional media. As a result, media texts are no longer confined to a particular medium (Kawamoto 2003). One is, therefore, able to produce and access a variety of media around a single story or issue. For example, one could not only read an article, but could also listen to a live interview with an important source. Digitised information can also be disseminated at high speeds, thus enabling the production of news to be more immediate than other mediums. Updates can be made more frequently, ensuring the most current information is always available. The opportunities of “new” media also extend beyond the dissemination of news, and include the gathering of information (De Wolk 2001). Computer Assisted Research and Reporting (CARR) provide a unique opportunity for journalists to improve their quality of news gathering through the use of innovative analytical and technical tools (Kawamoto 2003).
There is still a great deal to learn about the field of “new” media and journalism studies, however the significance of our course has been highlighted through the discussion of the debate regarding the “newness” of “new” media, the prominence of the need to critically interrogate the various social, cultural, economic and political aspects of the practical application of “new” media, such as the concentration of power and the unique opportunities that digital media provides media producers and consumers.
Works Cited
De Wolk, R. (2001). Introduction to Online Journalism: Publishing News and Information. Allyn and Bacon. Boston
Kawamoto, K. (ed). (2003). Digital Journalism: emerging media and the changing horizons of journalism. Rohman and Littlefield:Lanham.
Lister, M. (2002). New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge: London.
Marshall, D. P. (2004). New Media Cultures. Oxford University Press: London.
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