I have just completed my first practical assignment for new media, whereby I had to utilise basic xhtml. It was a little complicated at first, but having read the online resources that were supplied, the process became easier and - dare I say it - fun.
As a new media journalism student, my course is comprised of two components: the theoretical and the practical. It is essential when studying the theoretical aspects of digital journalism that we think about the practical elements and vice versa. As a result, my practical assignment needs to be interrogated in theoretical terms and so I discuss the question:
Why do you think a new media journalist should understand and use xhtml?
With the rise of digital communication, online journalists find themselves straddling the line between the traditional world of print and broadcast journalism, and the “new” digital world of the Internet. As a result, new media journalists do not only have a responsibility to uphold traditional journalistic practices, but should also endeavour to exploit the potential of their online medium. To be an effective new media journalist, it is therefore essential to learn simple computer language skills such as xhtml, otherwise known as eXtensible hypertext markup language. De Wolk (2001) argues that by mastering a computer language, new media journalists will be able to produce online journalism that fully exploits the potentiality of their web pages. xhtml enables new media journalists to gain a basic understanding of web page design, which will aid them in publishing articles of a high standard. With a stricter syntax than its predecessor html, xhtml allows for more consistent, well-structured web pages that are easy to maintain, edit, convert and format (Peck 2002). Unlike html that supplied users with a fixed set of elements to use, xhtml utilises xml, known as eXtensible hypertext markup language that makes new ways of inserting content and programming possible. As a result, a new media journalist who is able to master xhtml can create a web page that is innovative and then draw on elements from other xml languages, including those developed by the World Wide Web Consortium for multimedia (Richmond 2000). Peck (2002) holds firm that in order to learn xhtml, one must not be afraid to get one’s hands dirty. Becoming reliant on editors such as Oxygen or Mimulus is problematic in that if your Web page does not work, you will not have sufficient knowledge to correct the issue. Similarly, De Wolk (2001) recommends that journalists utilise raw markup languages, like xhtml, when starting to learn, as it will enable new media journalists to experiment and try new and daring things as opposed to adhering to editor templates. xhtml is also said to be a portable markup language that is able to extend to other devices such as cellphones (Richmond 2002). With the future of web access pointing firmly in the direction of these devices, by learning xhtml new media journalists are ensuring their place in the future of digital journalism.
Resources
Peck, N. 2002. XHTML Web Design for Beginners: An Introduction. Retrieved February 23, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://www.miswebdesign.com/resources/articles/web-design-xhtml-1-2.html
Richmond, A. 2000. Introduction to XHTML: Why do we need XHTML? Retrieved February 25, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Languages/XML/XHTML/why.html
Xhtml Tutorial: http://www.webheadstart.org/xhtml/
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Wednesday, 21 February 2007
What is a blog?
I have just finished my assignment on what is blogging for Brad and I thought I would post it here for all you interested readers. It just gives you all out there in the depths of cyberspace some idea of the work I am doing:
The rise of digital media in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has led to the emergence of a phenomenon whose popularity has grown from mere dozens in 1999 to millions by 2005 (Jensen 2003). The word is on every Internet user’s lips – blogs.
A web log, or blog, may be understood as a user-generated web-based publication where entries are made in an informal journal or diary format (wikipedia 2007). Blogs function in a number of ways, but primarily operate as a platform for users to comment and record their thoughts regarding a specific issue, and publish them over the Internet. Over the years, however, blogging has grown from a mere online record of a person’s thoughts to a “credible means of news dissemination and discussion” (wikipedia 2007). Bloggers have become media producers, but how does the journalism they produce compare and differ to conventional print and broadcast journalism?
In a democratic society, the media generally function to provide citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions about their society and a blog, as a platform for media production, functions in this way. However, blogs go beyond this function and differ greatly from conventional journalistic practices.
Arguably the leading difference between conventional journalism and blogging is that conventional journalism does not promote citizen participation, and has come under much criticism for its fortress-like media practices (Rosen 1999). Conventional journalism does not provide media consumers with the opportunity to comment on and discuss news issues. Blogging, however, promotes the participation of citizens in the media. One could argue that blogs are an example of citizen’s journalism whereby citizens are called upon to play an "active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information" (wikipedia 2007). Through its highly interactive nature, blogs give agency to individuals, motivating them to debate, discuss and question news issues. Conventional journalism, I would argue, promotes passivity on the part of its audience, while blogging promotes action.
Blogs also differ from conventional journalism in that they are produced by users for other users. The majority of bloggers are not qualified journalists and are producing news as citizens (Jensen 2003). Blogging is essentially a conversation between citizens and, as a result, is solution-oriented (Marlow 2004). Conventional news reports concentrate on publishing information on news issues, without necessarily thinking about the solutions. By stimulating commentary and debate, blogs do not only discuss the problem, but also potential solutions.
Another difference between blogs and conventional journalism is that, unlike conventional journalism, blogs are not obliged to adhere to ethical codes of conduct. While print journalists have to answer to the Press Ombudsmans Code and broadcast journalists are held accountable to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA), blog users are so vast and numerous that there is no current means by which to regulate the information they publish. This has negative consequences in that it allows bloggers to fabricate facts and, as a result, the credibility of information posted on blogs is questionable.
Conventional journalism primarily utilises one medium by which to communicate news to citizens, be it print, radio or television. Blogs, however, support the use of multimedia, providing a user with a number of ways to consume news from a single platform. This serves to enhance the quality of information that users can access and provides them with a more holistic view of the news. Blogs also have special tools, such as feed readers, that allow users to access information that is only of interest to them. Instead of reading through an entire newspaper or listening to an entire news broadcast, bloggers can utilise feed readers to link to issues that are most interesting to them (Marlow 2004).
Blogs, while sharing a similar function to conventional journalism in democratic societies, differ greatly in a number of ways. As the popularity of blogging continues to rise, there may be a shift away from conventional, fortress-like journalistic practices to a more citizen-oriented approach to news coverage.
Works Cited
2007.“Citizen’s Journalism”. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism
2007.“Blogging”. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
Jensen, M. 2003. “Emerging Alternatives: A Brief History of Weblogs”. Columbia Journalism Review , no 5. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/5/blog-jensen.asp?printerfriendly=yes
Marlow, C. 2004. “Audience, structure and authority in the weblog community”. MIT Media Laboratory. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~cameron/cv/pubs/04-01.pdf
Rosen, J. 1999. “The Action of the Idea: Public Journalism in Built Form”. T. Glasser (ed). The Idea of Public Journalism. New York : Guilford Press.
The rise of digital media in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has led to the emergence of a phenomenon whose popularity has grown from mere dozens in 1999 to millions by 2005 (Jensen 2003). The word is on every Internet user’s lips – blogs.
A web log, or blog, may be understood as a user-generated web-based publication where entries are made in an informal journal or diary format (wikipedia 2007). Blogs function in a number of ways, but primarily operate as a platform for users to comment and record their thoughts regarding a specific issue, and publish them over the Internet. Over the years, however, blogging has grown from a mere online record of a person’s thoughts to a “credible means of news dissemination and discussion” (wikipedia 2007). Bloggers have become media producers, but how does the journalism they produce compare and differ to conventional print and broadcast journalism?
In a democratic society, the media generally function to provide citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions about their society and a blog, as a platform for media production, functions in this way. However, blogs go beyond this function and differ greatly from conventional journalistic practices.
Arguably the leading difference between conventional journalism and blogging is that conventional journalism does not promote citizen participation, and has come under much criticism for its fortress-like media practices (Rosen 1999). Conventional journalism does not provide media consumers with the opportunity to comment on and discuss news issues. Blogging, however, promotes the participation of citizens in the media. One could argue that blogs are an example of citizen’s journalism whereby citizens are called upon to play an "active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information" (wikipedia 2007). Through its highly interactive nature, blogs give agency to individuals, motivating them to debate, discuss and question news issues. Conventional journalism, I would argue, promotes passivity on the part of its audience, while blogging promotes action.
Blogs also differ from conventional journalism in that they are produced by users for other users. The majority of bloggers are not qualified journalists and are producing news as citizens (Jensen 2003). Blogging is essentially a conversation between citizens and, as a result, is solution-oriented (Marlow 2004). Conventional news reports concentrate on publishing information on news issues, without necessarily thinking about the solutions. By stimulating commentary and debate, blogs do not only discuss the problem, but also potential solutions.
Another difference between blogs and conventional journalism is that, unlike conventional journalism, blogs are not obliged to adhere to ethical codes of conduct. While print journalists have to answer to the Press Ombudsmans Code and broadcast journalists are held accountable to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA), blog users are so vast and numerous that there is no current means by which to regulate the information they publish. This has negative consequences in that it allows bloggers to fabricate facts and, as a result, the credibility of information posted on blogs is questionable.
Conventional journalism primarily utilises one medium by which to communicate news to citizens, be it print, radio or television. Blogs, however, support the use of multimedia, providing a user with a number of ways to consume news from a single platform. This serves to enhance the quality of information that users can access and provides them with a more holistic view of the news. Blogs also have special tools, such as feed readers, that allow users to access information that is only of interest to them. Instead of reading through an entire newspaper or listening to an entire news broadcast, bloggers can utilise feed readers to link to issues that are most interesting to them (Marlow 2004).
Blogs, while sharing a similar function to conventional journalism in democratic societies, differ greatly in a number of ways. As the popularity of blogging continues to rise, there may be a shift away from conventional, fortress-like journalistic practices to a more citizen-oriented approach to news coverage.
Works Cited
2007.“Citizen’s Journalism”. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism
2007.“Blogging”. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
Jensen, M. 2003. “Emerging Alternatives: A Brief History of Weblogs”. Columbia Journalism Review , no 5. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/5/blog-jensen.asp?printerfriendly=yes
Marlow, C. 2004. “Audience, structure and authority in the weblog community”. MIT Media Laboratory. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~cameron/cv/pubs/04-01.pdf
Rosen, J. 1999. “The Action of the Idea: Public Journalism in Built Form”. T. Glasser (ed). The Idea of Public Journalism. New York : Guilford Press.
Sunday, 18 February 2007
Welcome bloggers!
Hi there! I would officially like to welcome everyone to my FIRST blog! I hope you have as much fun on it as I have had setting it up and I invite you to join me as I get to know the intricacies of blogging. I am a novice, so bare with me as I learn the ropes!
For my first official entry, I thought that I would briefly explain the name I have chosen for my blog. "Clouds in my coffee" is actually a phrase sung in the Carly Simon song 'You're So Vain'. When I first heard the song, for some reason, that phrase struck a chord. For me, when I hear Carly Simon sing "I had some dreams there were clouds in my coffee" I get this image in my head of a woman sitting in her bathrobe at the kitchen table early in the morning, staring into her morning cup of coffee. Despite being trapped in the 9-5 daily rut of her working life, she still harbours childhood dreams and hopes for the future. I guess that kind've describes me in a way... oh and I am a little vain, so the title is quite apt!
For my first official entry, I thought that I would briefly explain the name I have chosen for my blog. "Clouds in my coffee" is actually a phrase sung in the Carly Simon song 'You're So Vain'. When I first heard the song, for some reason, that phrase struck a chord. For me, when I hear Carly Simon sing "I had some dreams there were clouds in my coffee" I get this image in my head of a woman sitting in her bathrobe at the kitchen table early in the morning, staring into her morning cup of coffee. Despite being trapped in the 9-5 daily rut of her working life, she still harbours childhood dreams and hopes for the future. I guess that kind've describes me in a way... oh and I am a little vain, so the title is quite apt!
"New" Media
Why, you may ask yourselves have I waited so long to start up my own blog when it has become apparent that I have such a natural gift for it (sorry - there's that sarcastic humour)! Well, I have to admit that it is actually part of the course I'm studying.
For those lazy bums who have not taken the time to view my profile, I am a fourth year journalism student specialising in New Media (which we have just been learning is not actually new, but merely a remediation of media) Anyway, it has to do with the Internet and I am so excited to be learning and expanding my range of knowledge.
Last year I studied writing and editing and while interesting, was not stimulated, so I decided to give New Media a whirl and after a week of free falling through the introductory lectures I am officially hooked!
So, bottom line - I will be posting a lot of information about New Media as I learn - some of it will be part of my course work and some of it will just be me whinging, whining and procrastinating (which I am not doing now - btw) *looks sheepishly around the room to see if Jude or Brad are watching*
Ciao for now!
For those lazy bums who have not taken the time to view my profile, I am a fourth year journalism student specialising in New Media (which we have just been learning is not actually new, but merely a remediation of media) Anyway, it has to do with the Internet and I am so excited to be learning and expanding my range of knowledge.
Last year I studied writing and editing and while interesting, was not stimulated, so I decided to give New Media a whirl and after a week of free falling through the introductory lectures I am officially hooked!
So, bottom line - I will be posting a lot of information about New Media as I learn - some of it will be part of my course work and some of it will just be me whinging, whining and procrastinating (which I am not doing now - btw) *looks sheepishly around the room to see if Jude or Brad are watching*
Ciao for now!
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