It's really quite frightening to think that Christmas is only a stones throw away. I am already ridiculously excited about a visit from Santa, lots of time with family and friends, plenty of food and of course presents! Once I get through this final week of exams I will be so thrilled to welcome the holidays! However, I do have to endure the daunting process of waiting to see if I have been accepted into Vet Science!
I have been proactive this year and have booked lots of little trips ahead of time to make the most of the 3 month break. Possibly on of the most exciting things is going to see Coldplay at the Suncorp Stadium in a couple of weeks. Then we will have a massive family christmas with plenty of water-skiing, wakeboarding, jetskiing and boardgames! Then I'm off to stay in a beautiful mansion in Byron Bay with 22 others for a week over New Years.
While I dream about all of those fabulous activities it is distracting me from the mountain of study I have staring at me, so I had better get back to it.
It has been a pleasure!
Lily xxx
Thursday 8 November 2012
Feisty Ferret
I found this amusing...
http://www.news.com.au/world/ferret-mauled-me-on-my-scooter/story-fndir2ev-1226512833880
Lily xx
http://www.news.com.au/world/ferret-mauled-me-on-my-scooter/story-fndir2ev-1226512833880
Lily xx
Tuesday 6 November 2012
Melbourne Cup
One of my favourite days of the year....well except for this year because I was stuck at work serving drinks to happy punters at The Regatta. By the end of the day I wasn't too disappointed that I wasn't frocked up because the race was a bit of a let down! Not only did I lose $20, none of my family won any money (which means I don't get a share). I have yet to check my $100m lotto ticket yet, though. There could be some money waiting for me there! My pick for best dressed yesterday would have to be Jennifer Hawkins.
Lily x
Lily x
Monday 5 November 2012
Obama Vs Romney
I'm not particularly interested in US politics but I haven't been able to escape it lately. To be honest, I have been ignorant and uneducated about US politics, I've never really understood it. It might seem basic, and you all might already know this but tonight I did some research so I would understand it all better. I found out the differences between republicans and democrats, I also found out what each candidate is campaigning for and I now know that if I was a US citizen, Obama would have my vote! Only a few days until the verdict is handed down.
Lily xxx
The Walking Dead
If there is one thing I would recommend you start watching it would have to be The Walking Dead. I never understood those people who desperately downloaded series', until a friend of mine practically forced me to watch the first episode. WELL, I was completely addicted and I can't get enough...I'm one of those tragic people who wait for the next episode to be released in the USA and download it everyday. Here's a teaser to entice you...
Lily xxx
Sunday 4 November 2012
Lecture 12 - Investigative Journalism
Ross Coulthart said "isn't all journalism meant to involve questioning investigation of facts and opinions presented to us?"
The in's of investigative journalism:
Investigative
Intelligent - should be well thought out. Weigh it up intelligently.
Informed - need to be briefed on the fact. If you're informed, you'll be able to inform. Be well researched.
Intuitive - be able to sniff the air to know that something is going on. Sharpen your intuition skills. Can't be taught but it comes naturally to some. Combination of nature & nurture.
Inside (intimate) - try to get inside. Finding out what is going on. Infiltrate people's heads and lives be careful not to exploit them.
Invest - an investment of time (research), money, relationships.
Two major examples spring to mind when thinking about investigative journalism are the Watergate scandal and WikiLeaks. A successful piece of investigative journalism aims to uncover new and fresh information to deliver to the public. Investigative journalists are considered 'the voice of the voiceless'.
Citizen journalism is becoming more popular and with mediums like YouTube Investigate, more people can present stories of their own. It will be interesting to see how much need there is for professional investigative journalists when most people think they can do it themselves.
Lily xxx
The in's of investigative journalism:
Investigative
Intelligent - should be well thought out. Weigh it up intelligently.
Informed - need to be briefed on the fact. If you're informed, you'll be able to inform. Be well researched.
Intuitive - be able to sniff the air to know that something is going on. Sharpen your intuition skills. Can't be taught but it comes naturally to some. Combination of nature & nurture.
Inside (intimate) - try to get inside. Finding out what is going on. Infiltrate people's heads and lives be careful not to exploit them.
Invest - an investment of time (research), money, relationships.
Two major examples spring to mind when thinking about investigative journalism are the Watergate scandal and WikiLeaks. A successful piece of investigative journalism aims to uncover new and fresh information to deliver to the public. Investigative journalists are considered 'the voice of the voiceless'.
Citizen journalism is becoming more popular and with mediums like YouTube Investigate, more people can present stories of their own. It will be interesting to see how much need there is for professional investigative journalists when most people think they can do it themselves.
Lily xxx
Week 11 - Agenda Settings
Explained simply, agenda setting is about how much importance the media places on specific parts of a story in order to have it written then they way they would like it to be. It correlates with news values but it is related mainly with broadcast media, that is, what the journalist believes is the most important part of the story rather that presenting the story purely using the facts. The first agenda is the public agenda. This suggests that the media will present the story in a way they think the public perceive it to be important. The second agenda is the policy agenda, that is, issues that decision makers think are salient, for example legislators. Thirdly, corporate agenda is are issues that big business and corporations consider important. Finally, the media agenda are issues that are discussed in the media. These agendas are not discreet and in their own little world. They are interrelated and are happening all the time.
The media outlets have all the control over what they put on the front page of the paper or the online bulletin. They can misconstrue court cases, make famous people's dinner dates seem more important than the upcoming election and even tell us that Harper Beckham's wardrobe costs 5000 pounds (why do I know that!?) With the technology advancing faster than ever, media outlets follow the masses to pump out stories that are being written 24 hours a day. If we want to stay on top of it, we need to make sure we consume a variety of different trusted media sources to ensure we're privy to the whole picture.
Lily xx
The media outlets have all the control over what they put on the front page of the paper or the online bulletin. They can misconstrue court cases, make famous people's dinner dates seem more important than the upcoming election and even tell us that Harper Beckham's wardrobe costs 5000 pounds (why do I know that!?) With the technology advancing faster than ever, media outlets follow the masses to pump out stories that are being written 24 hours a day. If we want to stay on top of it, we need to make sure we consume a variety of different trusted media sources to ensure we're privy to the whole picture.
Lily xx
Lecture 9 - News Values
News values relates to how important or valuable a news story is. It is the degree of prominence a media outlet gives to a story and the attention that is paid by an audience as a result. We select stories based on how popular they will be with the public. Things like celebrities, local stories and follow ups are considered popular news. Firstly, you want to make an impact. You want to make a reader say 'gee whiz'! Secondly, there is audience identification. News is anything that's interesting, that relates to what's happening in the world, what's happening in areas of the culture that would be of interest to your audience. Then there are pragmatics - ethics, facticity, current affairs etc. Source influence comes next. Journalism loves to hate PR...whether for spinning, controlling access, approving copy or protecting clients at the expense of the truth (Julia Hobsbawm).
It is also important to point out that news values differ substantially across different news services and also across different cultures and countries. People want to hear about news that affects them. The people of Brisbane don't want to know if it's going to be a scorching hot weekend in Sydney, they want to know what the weather will be like where they live! A good journalist will always keep news values at the forefront when writing a story to make sure they are engaging their target audience and providing relevant information. People who want to find out about things going on in different parts of the world may just have to search a little bit harder that the 6pm bulletin to find what they're looking for.
Lily x
It is also important to point out that news values differ substantially across different news services and also across different cultures and countries. People want to hear about news that affects them. The people of Brisbane don't want to know if it's going to be a scorching hot weekend in Sydney, they want to know what the weather will be like where they live! A good journalist will always keep news values at the forefront when writing a story to make sure they are engaging their target audience and providing relevant information. People who want to find out about things going on in different parts of the world may just have to search a little bit harder that the 6pm bulletin to find what they're looking for.
Lily x
Lecture 8 - Ethics
This weeks guest lecturer, Donna Meiklejohn, looks at what is right and what is wrong and how we can analyse why. How do we base our decisions? Journalists have a reputation for not having a moral compass, being cold and not really caring about the emotions and feelings of others. There is a very fine line between what should and should not be published and how something should be reported.
There are three theories surrounding ethics in journalism, Firstly, there is deontology. This is where subscribers follow a set of rules, principles and duties. In effect, you do the right thing ethically by following the rules. All ethics codes are deontological. The second theory, consequentialism, is all about outcomes. It follows the principals of: It doesn't matter how you got the end result. The end may justify the means and the greatest good for the greatest number. Finally, the ethics of virtue whereby the question is asked does it align with the person I want to be. Goodness comes from morally good habits (or dispositions) of character. It is based on virtues based by Aristotle.
I believe throughout a journalist's career they will have to call on all three of the ethical theories to make the right decisions. Some people will have a more difficult time making these decisions where others won't even need to bat an eyelid.
Lily xxx
There are three theories surrounding ethics in journalism, Firstly, there is deontology. This is where subscribers follow a set of rules, principles and duties. In effect, you do the right thing ethically by following the rules. All ethics codes are deontological. The second theory, consequentialism, is all about outcomes. It follows the principals of: It doesn't matter how you got the end result. The end may justify the means and the greatest good for the greatest number. Finally, the ethics of virtue whereby the question is asked does it align with the person I want to be. Goodness comes from morally good habits (or dispositions) of character. It is based on virtues based by Aristotle.
I believe throughout a journalist's career they will have to call on all three of the ethical theories to make the right decisions. Some people will have a more difficult time making these decisions where others won't even need to bat an eyelid.
Lily xxx
Lecture 7 - Public Media
I previously blogged about commercial media so It seems fitting to follow up with a rant on public media.
From the words of WGBH Educational Foundation Conference, Public media is media whose mission is to serve or engage a public...It may be for profit, so long as its ultimate purpose is to serve the public and not turn a profit. In the Australian media landscape we're talking about ABC, SBS and their digital counterparts. Public media is vast across the world. There is lots in Europe, Africa and Canada. Internationally, public media consists of Channel 4, BBC, NHK, PBS, NPR, ARTE, RTHK. Public media is in support of a democratic society. According to the BBC: there is the idea of embedding a public service ethos, value for licence fee money, weighing public value against market impact and public consultation. A lot of us that actually enjoy the ABC are so grateful that we can watch some really good quality television made here in Australia without being interrupted by irritating advertisements.
One of the many advantages of public media is the lack of commercial advertising. It is for this reason that public media doesn't have to rely on the revenue from advertising which in turn gives it a great advantage over commercial media to report unbiased news and events. I will point out that it's impossible for them to be completely unbiased but compared with commercial media, there is a significant difference. This is mainly because public media are not obliged in any way to format their opinion or angle of a news story to support an advertising endorsement or partner.
In this day and age of social media, reality TV and money hungry companies, it's a relief to know you can switch over to the ABC or SBS and be able to watch an unbiased news broadcast (most of the time).
On a final note, I was recently introduced to a new show called 'A Moody Christmas' which debuted on the ABC this week. Check it out!
Lily xxx
From the words of WGBH Educational Foundation Conference, Public media is media whose mission is to serve or engage a public...It may be for profit, so long as its ultimate purpose is to serve the public and not turn a profit. In the Australian media landscape we're talking about ABC, SBS and their digital counterparts. Public media is vast across the world. There is lots in Europe, Africa and Canada. Internationally, public media consists of Channel 4, BBC, NHK, PBS, NPR, ARTE, RTHK. Public media is in support of a democratic society. According to the BBC: there is the idea of embedding a public service ethos, value for licence fee money, weighing public value against market impact and public consultation. A lot of us that actually enjoy the ABC are so grateful that we can watch some really good quality television made here in Australia without being interrupted by irritating advertisements.
One of the many advantages of public media is the lack of commercial advertising. It is for this reason that public media doesn't have to rely on the revenue from advertising which in turn gives it a great advantage over commercial media to report unbiased news and events. I will point out that it's impossible for them to be completely unbiased but compared with commercial media, there is a significant difference. This is mainly because public media are not obliged in any way to format their opinion or angle of a news story to support an advertising endorsement or partner.
In this day and age of social media, reality TV and money hungry companies, it's a relief to know you can switch over to the ABC or SBS and be able to watch an unbiased news broadcast (most of the time).
On a final note, I was recently introduced to a new show called 'A Moody Christmas' which debuted on the ABC this week. Check it out!
Lily xxx
Thursday 1 November 2012
Fishing
I remember previously mentioning that this summer I want to learn to surf...well I haven't learnt just yet but this weekend I learnt to fish! It was fabulously therapeutic. I went down to the Gold Coast, found a perfect spot on a rock at Tallebudgera Creek and got casting. I had to handle live worms (which was disgusting) but once I had threaded them onto the hook and got myself underway it was great fun! At first I thought it was a tiny bit boring because I wasn't get any bites but then just as I was ready to throw in the towel, I caught a Whiting! I was so excited, we packed up straight away and cooked it up for lunch! Another summer skill under my belt.
Lily x
Lily x
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