The Reflective Comment

I chose this topic for my production assignment because it is one that I feel strongly about, and studying journalism myself, is an important factor in my future career. I use the Internet daily, and have an account with most social networking sites. I spend the majority of my time on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Youtube, and I blog as well for fun. Some of the sub-topics I chose to mention within my production assignment were also extremely important to me. For example, I made a post about cyber-bullying after watching a video on Tumblr about bullying, and it made me realise how extreme some cases are, and of course, this is a huge factor that helped me reflect on the importance on the Internet.

A number of my blog posts were interviews; I interviewed a music student, a professional blogger, and my mum. The reason I chose to interview my mum of all people, was because I wanted to show a different perspective on the Internet, and I know that her online activity remains relatively basic, and so I thought it would be interesting to hear her opinion on whether she thinks the Internet is a positive thing. I think that by choosing a range of people to interview, showed how the Internet affects all types of people, and in particular, how it can boost their career, if they choose to use the Internet to do so. 

I also chose to do an opinion piece, based on online content and journalism, and how they interlink with one another. I wanted to stress the importance of the Internet in this industry in particular, and the different ways in which it has helped the business develop.

I think this topic relates greatly to the issues and themes explored and discussed throughout this module, and in addition to this, my previous course work handed in for SSIT. For example, in my presentation, I explored the media and how it can create a persona of somebody, and what happens when a public person decides to become private. This relates to my topic because social media plays a large role in defining a public figure, and sites like Twitter and Digital Spy are dedicated to gossip and rumours surrounding them.

In my seminar sessions, social networking sites have been a prominent discussion topic since the beginning of the year, alongside the power of the media, and journalism, and the Internet in general. I think the Internet can relate to almost any topic, as it is such a huge force in modern society.

Journalism – blogging and the Internet

As far as journalism is concerned, I think that there are both challenges and advantages for journalists in the digital age. However, I do think that overall, the Internet has created opportunities for journalists that were not possible before Web 2.0 existed. I think that online content is mostly a positive thing, and without it, the industry would be a lot less interesting today.

 

I think that not only has it opened doors in the sense of blogging, and posting news online, but it is a lot quicker as well. Twitter, for example, has had such an impact on the breaking of news, and who can break it. Twitter has shown us that we all have the ability to spread news, not matter what the content. It has also been shown over the past year or two that people on Twitter have posted about news before it has even hit the headlines.

 

After interviewing blogger Jennifer, she said that she “would much rather blog than work for a newspaper.” This got me thinking. If we can all blog for fun, why not blog as a career? Is informal, casual ranting and advice based posts, the new ‘it’ job? Is this what people would rather do? I love blogging, I find it fun and I treat my blog like a diary. But, would I ever consider it as my job? If I got paid for blogging, then what would I do for fun? This is a question that resonated with me since the interview, and I can’t help but think that there should be a line between professional journalism, and what you choose to do for fun. I don’t read blogs for my daily news update; I read them for entertainment purposes. If I want to know news, I’ll go to a news website, or heaven forbid, buy a newspaper. 

Interview with self employed mother of two…

In order for this to be an accurate take on the Internet, I thought I’d have to interview someone who is less in the know about online content, but could use it if they wanted. So, who better than my mum?!

Tell me, how much do you know about the Internet?

M: Well, I have a Facebook account, and I Google things. I can use Word and things like that.

Right, so how often would you say you use Facebook?

M: I’d say I go on it a few times a week. Not every day. Just to check my messages really.

Ok, so you’re self employed. Have you not thought about promoting yourself online? For example, Twitter is a fantastic platform for promoting yourself, regardless of your career path.

M: I wouldn’t really know how to use it. That’s not my sort of thing. I’m doing fine as I am, so I don’t need to do that, even if you do tell me to.

What do you think are the advantages of social media?

M: It’s good for communicating. I think it’s just something to do really, it’s entertaining. You can read the news, check your emails, and chat. I only joined Facebook though because all of my friends started joining.

And the disadvantages?

M: For someone like me there aren’t many other than it’s a bit complicated sometimes. They should have a site for older people, so it’s more simple. I don’t know what you young people know that we don’t, because you’re always on it!

Bullying and the Internet

Having seen this video on Tumblr a few days ago, this really hit me hard. I could not stop thinking about it. When I decided to focus these blog posts on the Internet, I looked over the good and bad aspects of the Internet, and cyberbullying was one of the negative issues I noticed most frequently.

Having witnessed bullying first hand, this video in particular hit a nerve. Although I have never been bullied myself to that sort of extremity, I have been exposed to the cruelty of high school bullies, and so this is a topic I feel strongly about.

I know that this video is targeting bullying in school, but what most people forget about is that the majority of bullying doesn’t end after the school day is over, it is 24 hours a day. As soon as you get home, those bullies can affect you in the confines of your own bedroom. They can abuse you via Facebook, Myspace, MSN, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube… the list is endless.

This trailer is inspirational, and reminded me how every negative comment can have an impact, and that for some people, that one nasty comment that you choose to tweet them, or comment on their Youtube video, could essentially break them. That boy killed himself because of those mean people, and although they may not have realised the extent to which they affected his life, he noticed every day. This is a universal issue that isn’t taken seriously enough, in my opinion. Nobody can truly understand what others think, and nobody knows other peoples insecurities.

So, there is a prime example of the negativity the Internet can produce, and this is probably the main factor that makes me question whether the Internet is a good thing after all.

Interview with fellow blogger…

I interviewed Jennifer, a young journalist, and well-known blogger, on the challenges and advantages for journalism in the digital age.

So, Jennifer, what role would you say the Internet plays in this industry?

J: I think the Internet is vital for this new age of journalism that has come about. I think that as the industry has evolved, journalism has become a lot more dynamic, and has revealed new ways of spreading news, as opposed to typical newspapers and television and radio.

So you are all for new media then?

J: Definitely! I love blogging, and Tumblr and Twitter and Facebook are great ways of communicating and reading about news. I love gossip sites and celebrity entertainment, and I know that it is kind of frowned upon as not being ‘proper’ news, but I don’t care, I think it is fun to read and entertaining. I enjoy stuff like that. I would much rather blog that write for a newspaper.

Do you think though, that the Internet could sometimes play too large of a role in the industry? Do you not think that newspapers are becoming more unpopular, and is this a good thing?

J: Maybe they are, but newspapers will always be around, I think. I don’t think we will ever reach the point were journalism is solely online. I do think that maybe the content is more varied and so less focus is brought upon certain issues, but at the end of the day, you’re choosing what to read, and what interests you, no one is forcing you to read anything you don’t want to.

How do you think this affects the youths of our generation, then? Do you think they are less educated on politics and so called ‘important’ news, because celebrity culture is so popular?

J: Do I think that the youths of today need educating on politics and such? Yes. But, at the end of the day, it is up to them what they read about, and they can access that sort of information and news if they really wanted to. Maybe that sort of thing could be taught in school. Just a thought.

Without the Internet, you would not be blogging how you do now, how do you think this would have changed your career path?

J: I definitely wouldn’t be as well known, I don’t think. And I wouldn’t have the advantages that I do now, such as attending celebrity events (and blogging about them of course). And I wouldn’t be able to help others get in to the business in the way that I do. For those that follow my blog, I have a page where I advertise internships in the industry, mainly beauty and fashion based, in order for fellow bloggers to get that step up the ladder of journalism. Without the Internet, I would probably be a lot less encouraged to be in the industry, for sure.

Thank you Jennifer!

J: Thank you!

Interview with Music student…

I interviewed Commerical Music student Ollie, on his views of the Internet, and how it affects him as a musician, and the music industry as a whole.

So, Ollie, tell us a bit about what you do. Where are you heading as a musician?

O: Well I’m really interested in dubstep, that kind of music. I like to produce, that’s my thing. But, I like to write songs as well, acoustically.

How has the Internet benefitted you, or has it?

O: I mean, I’m trying to promote myself online definitely. If I produce a new track, I’ll upload it on Facebook or Twitter. I know you’ve seen some of my work on there! No but seriously, I think it’s good to get your name out there for sure.

Over the past few years, it has become apparent that the Internet can make or break a career…

O: Yes, well Justin Bieber was found on Youtube, because he used to post videos of himself singing, and look where he is now. He was an overnight sensation, and without Youtube he wouldn’t be where he is today. I think the Internet is a really great platform for promoting yourself as an artist, definitely.

There is a more negative side to online content as well though, don’t you think?

O: There can be. There’s a lot of hate out there, and there’s bound to be when you put yourself out there like that. Like when Rebecca Black uploaded ‘Friday’ on Youtube, so many people hated on her, it was pretty bad. But, I mean, she got pretty famous which is what she wanted after all.

That’s true, but do you think it’s worth receiving such hate just to ‘make it big’?

O: Maybe. It depends how thick skinned you are I suppose. Every one in this industry ultimately wants to be famous though, and earn lots for their talent, so it’s just about the lengths you’re willing to go to, to get there.

So, taking both the positive and negative points in to consideration, do you the Internet is ultimately a good thing or not so much?

O: I think it’s great. If it can boost your career like it did the Biebs, then of course it is. I wouldn’t mind Usher signing me, and earning millions, with loads of screaming girls after me. It’s really good that the Internet has that much power. Of course you’re going to get hate, but that’s just unfortunate that that is the sort of world we live in. But if you’re earning as much as they are, who cares?

Well, thanks for letting me interview you Ollie!

O: Any time.

Video Assessment Evaluation

Looking back on this whole process, I am pleased with both my video diary and my vox pops. Having not used this equipment before, it did take me a while to get used to using it, and having not edited a video before, I found that even more challenging.

I based my video assessment on a story I had read on the BBC news website, about how universities are improving their campus’ due to more demand for better facilities after the fees increased. I think that this does reach the requirements of the brief, as the story is current, newsworthy, and relevant to us students. When I spoke to my fellow students, this seemed to be a topic that they were all interested in (as it affected them), and had an opinion on.

It was not particularly difficult getting volunteers for my vox pops, as I wanted to use university students, and filming on campus, there were plenty around. 

Overall, I found that it was the editing that I found more challenging than the actual filming, because I found the filming to be relatively straightforward, whereas the editing was slightly more complicated.

When I was recording the vox pops, I found that I was able to record each individual vox pops in roughly one take each, which made things more simple for me. I then was able to play all three vox pops after one another seamlessly, only having to cut a few things out for fear of the video being too long.

I found filming my video diary to be a bit more complicated. Mainly because, I went over the time restrictions by a lot, and so this required a lot of cutting and moving things around. I also found the experience of filming my video diary a bit awkward, and I kept stuttering and saying things wrong which wasted time, and takes. 

Reflecting back on this assessment process, I would say that i have gained a significant amount of knowledge about filming and editing videos, and I feel that if I was set a similar task again, I would be able to complete it confidently. 

If I were to change anything throughout this experience, I would consider lighting in the videos more thoroughly, and I would work on my time keeping skills, and keep to a schedule in order to organise my time more efficiently. I would say however, that the key to this assessment was a newsworthy story that has enough substance to be able to talk about it and ask others to comment as well.

Video Assessment

With so much discussion and debate surrounding the increase in university fees, there has been an increase in demand for better facilities in these universities as well. People want more for their money. I recently found an article on the BBC news website regarding these demands from students, and what some universities are planning on doing about this.

As there has been reconstruction happening at my university since September, I thought that this would be a relevant story to discuss with my fellow students. One aspect of the article that they seemed to pick up on was that one university in particular wanted to build a hotel on their campus. This provoked a variety of responses from the students, as did the rest of the article.

Whether it’s hotels, or better looking campus’, these student’s all seemed to have their own opinions on the current topic.

Video Assessment Documentation

The aim of my video assessment was to create footage that was newsworthy and current. I chose one of three options, which happened to be the multimedia package, and so this consisted of a video diary and vox pops.

I chose to base my assessment on an article I read on the BBC news website about universities improving their facilities and building new ones due to an increase in demand for better facilities, and to attract more prospective students. I thought that this would be an interesting story to talk about because the article mentioned some bizarre ideas, for example, one university claimed to have had ideas to build a hotel on campus, which I do not agree with.

When I spoke to my fellow students, I noticed that they had a lot of opinions on the matter, and so I thought that if they were interested in the topic, then so would other students as well.

This topic is an ongoing discussion with most students and their families, and is a large aspect that we have to consider when attending university. This topic is current, and based on a new news article. It is relevant to most people I know, and so everyone had an opinion on the matter, so finding people for vox pops was not an issue.

Audio Assessment Evaluation

Looking back on my assessment, I am pleased with the topics that I have chosen because they did fill the criteria, as they were newsworthy, and in my opinion, interesting.

I would say that I am relatively satisfied with the overall result, however there are a few things I would change if I had the opportunity. As this was my first time using the Zoom Kit, it took me a while to get to grips with using it. My main difficulty when using the equipment, was achieving equal levels when interviewing people.

When actually carrying out the assessment, I did not realise that it would require so much time, and when recording, it took us multiple takes to get it right, which required patience from both myself, and the interviewees.

I also found that, even though I had not scripted the interviews, just simply written notes of useful questions, they did still sound quite scripted listening back, and it took multiple takes until my interviewees relaxed a little more in to the discussions. In the end, my outcome was that some interviewees sounded more scripted that others, due to nerves, and lack of experience, although I did try to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

As one of my planned interviews did not go ahead as they had to cancel, I was unable to do one of my planned interviews, and so had to improvise and ask a fellow student to volunteer. At first I was disheartened by this, but I was impressed with the substitute interview, and how well it fitted with my themed podcast, and so I do not think it was too big of an issue in the end.

Initially I was happy with my result, however, once I began editing, I had a change of heart. Editing itself, I found the most difficult, as I had never edited anything before, and it was my first time using Audacity, and it was simply a case of lack of experience that led me to difficulty.

I found the interview to be a lot simpler than the podcast to both record and edit, as the interview was one long recording, and did not require much alteration. However, the podcast required more skill. I was also required to add music in the background of my podcast, which again, I found challenging. Actually finding a copyright free track that worked was particularly difficult, as I had to trawl through endless tracks to find the right one. I then had to download it and edit the podcast so that it fitted as well. All in all, I found this challenging and found myself running out of time towards the end of my assessment. Ultimately, as the sound was fitting to the podcast, I was pleased with the outcome of the music segment.

Overall, I am pleased with my outcome, as it was similar to my original idea. If there is one thing I learnt, it is to use my time carefully, and not to over think the production process, as presentation is ultimately the key factor.