Weblog Recommendations

There is alot of ruthless paparazzi happening in the media nowadays, the blog below describes well the causes and effects of such activities. http://nikipa.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/paparazzi-ethics/

I especially liked the layout of this weblog, as it is more appealing to the eye and has alot of viewer options. meaning one does not just scroll but they can jump from screen to screen. The theme is also quite credible.  http://web.mac.com/daniela.mikus/BLOGPROJECT/Welcome.html

When it comes to analysing media affects of children, it can be well observed at the address directly below this comment. there visitors will discover just how much advertising is affecting today’s youth. http://jakubstanislav.wordpress.com/

This weblog I found interesting because the way media portrays Islam in the west must have touched a nerve on the creator of this blog. quite enthusiastic. http://media4islam.wordpress.com/

Sex sells! And this weblog shows it best. nayone with doubts about the selling power of sexual content in the media, please check this out. http://sexinads.wordpress.com/

Current Events in the ‘New Media’

New Media and Current Events 

Below is a link to CNN where visitors to this weblog can see an example technology affecting media affecting people. Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was captured on ‘I Report’ and was released to the public immediately do to the easy access in the Internet era.

Click Benazir Butto for all the details.

If the above link is followed, there are photos, videos, and lots of text to inform people of the tragic death of former Pakistani President Benazir Butto. Though at first it may not seem relevant to this weblog. It is not so much the issue but the way in which the issue was captured and distributed that holds relevance to this theme.

Many of the photos and videos that were viewed on CNN during this chaotic event, were shot by civilians and posted on CNN. It is only with the Internet that this is possible, proving again that technology and the growing need for information is promoting mass media to take new forms and be accessible and distributable in different ways. It is with this in mind that one can understand the relevance that CNN/I Report has to this blog. It is also apparent that this new ‘I report” technology is promoting average civilians with no reporting experience to get life threateningly close to the action. When CNN asks the public to participate whenever possible and help capture footage of live events and send it in to be announced to the public over it’s broadcast. A lot of people are struck with a heroic urge to get some useful but dangerous coverage. It is in this writer’s opinion, that ’I Report’ should not be taken lightly, there are dangers involved in journalism, including hostage taking and many reporters have been the victims of terrorist interests. Some other changes on-line news reading has undergone are that people tend to be skimming the headlines and data, rather than reading. Being less informed is what new media has lead to. Though the objectives of news media have not changed, the way in which people inform themselves has. It is only through this new modern age that one can read the latest news, watch something on you-tube, be deep in conversation in a chat room, or any other number of things simultaneously. In the past, one usually finished reading one thing before moving on to another. However, that requires much more of an attention span than Internet news reading typically involves. Now the thought of not having at least three other screens in the task bar seems mundane and a waste of Internet usage. One was once content reading the paper or watching the news on television. The new media have practically forced people to participate as much as possible in current events regardless of the risk. New media also has a more private and individualistic sense to it. One does not have to follow the majority of broadcast corporations and be limited to top stories at 6pm, or wait for morning to get the paper. New media is essentially, eliminating space and time, abolishing routine,   and damaging society. 

---

New Media Used to Track the Elusive Snow Leopard Below the article, is a link that may take visitors to a web site describing one production crew’s clever use of media to track the footsteps of a normally invisible cat. Another example of how new multi-media is used to electronically stalk this rarely sited animal, this article features how one particular production crew managed to track the very elusive snow leopard of the Himalayas rendering even this vast remote landscape vulnerable to human interference. As now people will have reasons to constantly impose on this territory. Reducing it’s habitat and it’s future existence in the hands of media, quite possibly leading to further human encroachment. The crew quietly installed infrared sensor equipment and numerous cameras in various places to capture this mysterious cat in its true habitat. Remote control cameras allowed the crew to decide exactly when and what to start shooting. Then all the footage was sent back electronically and observed by the crew as nothing short of excellent video recording. Never before seen imagery of such a rare species makes the power of media obvious. This kind of technology is not shockingly new. It does however, display a range of media used to portray otherwise unobtainable imagery. Put another way, the crew used media ranging from cameras to remote sensors to computer technology to put together a documentary on this peculiar creature. When a creature is elusive such as this one, it clearly wants to be left alone. the Internet and camera technology of today allows for far to much human encroachment on such lands. even though the film crew is not there so often. there is still to much humanness implemented on this cat, many seem to think this planet (when it comes to animals especially) is like an amusement park. and quite disturbingly new media is bringing this idea more and more into light. for more information on the multi-media used click the following link and see how new media made Tracking the Elusive Snow Leopard possible. 

Essay: Technology Affecting Media Affecting People

If Technological advancements have made any real society changing impacts on the world, it has been most apparent with media! The media and technology seem to bounce off each other. Meaning, it can be difficult to tell if it is the people or the media that are doing the dictating. If it is the people then what is allowing them so much freedom of expression? If media is in the lead, then what is empowering media? It is therefore, interesting and necessary to explore how the masses receive and react to media exposure experienced in the 21st century. In order to do so, the history of news and media must be briefly explored in order to distinguish what were the causes and effects of news media in the beginning, what has changed and what remains the same.

Early forms of media such as, ‘the exchange of news’ is one of the most deeply rooted forms of communication between people, nations, and societies. Interestingly enough sex and violence have been at the top of the important list since the beginning of news exchange. Not much has changed in that respect. With many teens admitting to their introduction to sexual or violent situations was through television and indirectly taught them how to act in these situations. The former methods of media messaging were suppressed by two major factors. Not enough data and not enough resources to convey given data. In recent times however, too much data and too many resources seem to be the problem. With the Internet leading the way, news viewers are no longer confined to one place and time to be informed. Our species has a historical and ever-changing history with media and primarily with news. In fact, ancient societies were better educated on the nearby events and happenings of their times than most modern aged societies. As the events and issues aimed at public awareness were first hand written and posted by Julius Caesar (Stephens). Presently, even the thought of someone posting one source of information and declaring it the one true means of current events is ludicrous. If the Internet was in some way abolished from any given society there would be a revolution. It has become to much of a domineering media influence to even control, let alone eradicate. That alone says something about the attitude changing effects of technology. Having so much access to a variety of information at ones fingertips constantly, makes it difficult at times to distinguish between what is important and what is not. It is the principal of this presentation to show how technology has influenced and even changed media progress, and its depiction. Society has changed because of media in the sense that fashion and social behaviour have become much more dependant on media than every before. As technology pushes media to the limits of communication, people are becoming more and more apathetic. The age now is an age where people want to be entertained. Students do not enquire as much as they might have in past generations. They take matters with indifference, wait for problems to solve themselves, and have their most intimate relationships with computers. Media is the cause of this passiveness. The over-stimulation experienced by today’s youth, roots in technology and stems through media (Dahl 1997).

A glance at how television is going to be portrayed in the near future can be seen at the link below, where Bill Gates briefly discusses the future of television and how people will be able to manipulate what they watch and even more so then recently. Which could definitely entail much more television viewing than now. Which would be a catastrophe for some nations. In any event, it is the inevitable future and as a people should be prepared for a slow and unreceptive majority.

Video: Watch Bill Gates speaking about new technology.

The Evolution of Media

The below video presentation summarizes the theme of this weblog and gives viewers a chance to reflect on the evolution of media. It can be easily observed that, technology is the leading cause of media evolution. The ways in which media are relayed to the public all depend on the rate of technology of that society. Media progress depends on technological advancements. It is clear that as we move through this digital age people are communicating more with Internet and media enhanced gadgets than with one another. this is quite disturbing but true, it is in this writer’s opinion that people would rather consult their computer for advice than face to face with another person. The Internet can relay reliable information, Person to person contact is slowly disappearing. This can be attributed mainly to technology. Technology determines the forms of media communication.

Media is defined on the terms by which it can be communicated.

Donation Message Service (DMS)

The below abbreviation (DMS) stands for donation message service. It is also a link that viewers are urged to click on, to see how the Czech Republic, managed to make donating to any charity desired easy, possible, and affordable for all. This DMS service has truly revolutionised the way many people see donating. It is almost forcing people to donate maney to some sort of charity. It is possible that the next social norm for the middle to upper cass will be donating through DMS. Of course thouse who do not may be ridiculed by others. Making contributions to charity, although admirable, was once seen by many as inconvenient and awkward, and dubious. Because people tend to get somewhat suspicious when sending money. but, due to new technological media and creative thinking, it is now as easy and as cheap as an SMS and will not take long before it is a must have for the current media indulged society. visitors to this weblog are advised to explore the possibilities of charity donation now made practical through this donation system. and this site is just one of many. With new methods of charitable donation such as, DMS, one could feel guilty for not donating something. Not that donating is anything short of commendable. It is however, a choice! DMS makes it into a responsibility. Visiting the DMS forum, is recommended at www.darcovskasms.cz. Hopefully, these links will educate people on just how easy charities with the help of media are making it to send money in the name of to helping others.

DMS

Old Media versus New Media

Gutenburg’s Printing Press 1454

(Bellis, 2007) The invention of the Printing Press by Johannes Gutenburg revolutionized mass media in 1454. Introducing new and improved ways to get information of all kinds to the masses. The Printing Press was just the beginning of all of the media and news related inventions the future would bring. Such as, the first newspaper in 1665. Throughout the early stages, media had less influence than it does today. People were at one time satisfied reading what was availible and when it was availible. Through its projection, media can now be experienced in many different forms, by many different means, and by many different masses. Technology is a major contributor to the making and future of mass media. the amount of media people are exposed to, is mainly because of the advancements in communications technologies. As shown in the comparison of pictures above and below, the modern printing machines of today are much more automated and require less human involvement. which means less jobs. Whereas, Gutenburg’s printing press of the 15th century demanded the letters to be hand set and then presses onto paper, it was in this fashion that the first book (Gutenburg’s Bible) was manufactured using the 15th century standard 42 line paging system. The printing press was able to keep many people busy for long periods at a time. There is much to be aware of in the news world. Nothing so much as the further ideological developments the printing press would eventually lead to.

KBA Modern Printing Machine

(Ogasawara, 1997) KBA Is a modern printing machine manufacturer, which distributes a broad assortment of printed products but, mainly newspapers. As impressive as the KBA is, turning out thousands of newspapers each day, it too is becoming an old fashioned and vague way to keep the public stocked with information. This truly efficient, fully automated printing machine fully lives up to its potential, it appears that because of Internet news sites, television news channels, bloggers, palm pilots, and even mobile phone news messaging, the newspaper (as most once recognise it) is on its last legs. With many newspaper companies in a state of plateau, as a result of the ‘new media’ it is a combination of the aforementioned new technologies that is killing the newspaper and careers. Even the impressive KBA does not stand a chance in the path of the Internet. It is not only the newspaper that is dying, with it many jobs and companies are of no use to the public and thus, will disappear. According to Yukiko Ogasawara, president of the Japan Times, their newspaper sales have nearly halved since 2001. With statistics ranging from 74,000 in circulation in 1991 down to 40,000 in recent findings (McNicol). Having all this news media at the disposal of the masses, changes the way people view and appreciate news. Various reporters and journalists are saying that readers and viewers, know more about the current events than the news people. Forcing news workers to double check their sources and varify their information. This is negative because it encourages an even more skeptical public. As one can cross reference everything they hear and eventually could lead to a fully electronic news world. eradicating even more potential careers. With many more than willing to check out current issues and events in the new globalized interactive world. chat rooms and e-mail are brining communication where there was none 20 years ago. Sounds positive until its cyberterrorism or cyberwarfare that is being communicated. Journalist must now keep up with chat rooms, and all other forms of news communication other than T.V. or newspapers. Which has only become so essential in the recent past due to Internet technology.

New Media

As the human race moves forward through evolution, the various forms of communication that have developed over the years have definitely evolved with us. The new media allows the voice of the public to be heard and taken seriously. Unfortunately it is also aiding in allowing people to interfere where they could not before. For example, Internet postings of undesirable aspects of a person’s life and advertisement bombardment. According to, a new U.S. Census Bureau report, Americans spend more time watching TV, listening to their mp3 players, surfing the Internet and talking on the phone than anything else except breathing. This year, use of the Internet surpassed reading newspapers. People these days want information 24 hours a day and are able to get it.At times it not only keeping up with the recent world events, but also contributing to them. With New news stations now having to keep up with new media, they have become more conscious of the public ability to influence just what goes into the news. For instance, comment areas on any on-line newspaper. News and all media for that matter have become much more aware of the general populations ability to get involved. New media is quite influential on what and how society communicates and is going to continue to be, as we move through the digital age.

---

(enews)There are a lot of web sites out there with relevance to the theme of this weblog. Some seem a little more informative than others, depending on what one might be looking for. media and technology are also becoming more prominent in the classroom. Laptops in the class are definitely not promoting strong note taking habits. On the contrary students especially grade school students are constantly caught web surfing or gaming. according to a recent debate about laptops in the classroom and their productivity. As one 6th grader’s mother held, schools are turning into a huge chatroom. There truly is no escaping media! The following is a web site with relevance to this blog. Its called, Technology as Media, there is a short reading about electric learning. it holds some importance and relation to this blog because of its nature, media tech in school is mentioned only in a few words on this page. Thus, visitors are recommended to visit it if they are interested in hearing a few opinions on the future and interconnectedness of media technology and education.

---

Work Cited

Stephens, Mitchell. “A Short History of News.”
Media Literacy. 2002-2007. 25/12/07                                                                                   <http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article409.html>

Bellis, Mary. “Johannes Gutenburg and the Printing Press.”                                                   Inventors. 26/12/07                                                                                                                   <http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Gutenburg.html>

Smith, Jonathan. “Negative Media Creates an Apathetic Nation.”                                           wvu.edu/~mcnair/IE/abstracts/2000. 09/01/08                                                                <http://www.wvu.edu/~mcnair/IE/abstracts/2000/ ThEffectsofNegativeMediaintheUnitedStates.htm>

McNicol, Tony. “The Future of Print.” 
Foreign Corespondants Club of Japan 12/03/07. 06/01/07                                    <http://www.fccj.or.jp/node/2993>

Appel, Justin. “School Laptop Debate Heats Up.”                                                                        eschoolnews. 15/09/06. 04/01/08                                                                                            <http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=41305&CFID=2991004&CFTOKEN=73103688>

Karadsheh, Jomana. “Bezimir Butto.”                                                                                         edition.cnn.com. 27/12/07.                                                 <http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/pakistan.sharif/index.html> 

Thirteen/WNET NewYork Feedback. “Tracking the Elusive Snow Leopard.”
Nature: Silent Roar. 1997-2007. 14/12/07                                                                        <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/snowleopard>