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Annotated Bibliography

1: Peer Reviewed Journal article

Robinson, S. & DeShano, C (2011) 'Anyone can know': Citizen journalism and the interpretive community of the mainstream press Sage Journals Online, Volume 12- 963 (p964- 966) DOI: 10.1177/146488491141597

This article reviews a new phenomenon in the world of journalism, Citizen journalists, and what it means for the industry. While many have questioned the ability of citizen journalists to establish their own value system, an integral part of credible journalistic practices, studies have shown that bloggers and other citizen writers are forming their own networks which include the framing of a set of ‘goals, values and norms’ thus making them a credible source of new information and creating a new competitor in the already cutthroat world of journalism. The article outlines the similarities and differences between the two media sources and what this means for the standards and ideologies of journalism.

The frequent use of citations and reference to recent studies adds credibility to an already reliable source. The presentation of information as an article in a published online journal also leads a reader to believe that the facts they are receiving are well researched and dependable. This concept of citizen journalism is reflected article 3 which sources a freelance journalist in Yemen for information about the death of Moammar Gadaffi.

2: Online article

Al-Shaheibi, R. & Gamel, K. (2011, October 22) Gaddafi on display in freezer as row rages over killing. The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved from: http://www.smh.com.au/  

This article voices reports about Gaddafi’s body which was apparently laid in a freezer in the middle of a busy shopping centre for local residents to view and take pictures with following his death on the 20^th October. The article outlines the hours leading up to his death and the confusion surrounding the final moments of his life, with many sources offering conflicting views on how Gadaffi was killed.

The Sydney Morning Herald is widely regarded as a very reliable source in terms of breaking news from around the world, however the plethora of scenarios offered for the death of Gadaffi in this article leaves much to be desired. The journalist has obviously received a wide range of reports from different sources and, not knowing- or not bothering- to check the facts, has included all of them, arguably allowing the reader to decide which end they would prefer. Although the article is extremely comprehensive, it fails to draw any conclusions about the true end of the Libyan dictator and given this article was released two days after the incident, more accurate and concise reporting should be expected from such a highly regarded source. The correct example of how this information should have been presented can be seen in article 4 which offers far more concise reporting.

3: Radio Interview

Dingle, S. October 22, 2011. AM with Tony Eastley. [radio report] ABC News Australia.

ABC reporter Sarah Dingle interviews a freelance journalist about reports of violence in Yemen following the death of Moammar Gadaffi on the 20^th October 2011. According to the journalist, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, half an hour after the news of Gaddafi’s death reached Yemen, sporadic explosions and gun fighting broke out in Sanna and the Port of Aden, both prominent business and residential areas.

This interview leaves a lot to be desired in terms of reliability of the source. Coming from an unnamed freelance journalist, there is no way of checking the facts presented or validating her prediction that the fighting was al Queda trying to move into the Port of Aden.  The interview medium, however, restored some credibility and accountability on the part of the journalist whose voice could be heard, clearly shaken by the situation she was in, giving listeners an insight into the tension surrounding the situation.

The fact that the ABC are interviewing a freelance journalist works to further the argument raised in Article 1 which says that citizen journalists are becoming a far more prominent source in today’s media scene.

4: Newspaper Article

Lyons, J. (2011, 24^th October) Death of dictator ‘stains’ rebels. The Australian, p.4.

This article in The Australian focuses mainly on the consequences of Moammar Gaddafi’s death for Libya and what’s next for the war-torn nation. It outlines the role of the National Transitional Council, the countries interim Government, in establishing a democracy, a goal that begins with elections to be held within 8 months.

Not only is The Australian a well-known and highly regarded source of information, the article also features quotes from prominent Libyan personalities including the NTC leader Mahmoud Jibril, thus making the article credible both in terms of its medium and content.

As in Article 2, there is also confusion as to how Gaddafi was killed with The Australian confirming that it is not yet known if he was caught and executed or killed in a standoff with rebel fighters. The newspaper article, however, offers a far more concise depiction of the possibilities than the online article, probably due to differences in available space.

The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC have covered Moammar Gadaffi’s death from different perspectives, all of which align with the values and goals of both traditional and citizen journalism as outlined in the Sage Journal article. 

The End of Gaddafi

"Infamous Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi has gone out the way many suspected; cowering in a sewage pipe holding a golden gun." According to news reports this morning, Gaddafi was found and shot by rebel fighters in the leg and the shoulder, 'and then he died'. The media have sensationalized the whole fiasco to no end, as we knew they would, lingering on inconsequential details like the gun Gaddafi was apparently brandishing at the time of his death. 'An elaborate gold pistol with a wooden handle.' and the fact that he took cover in a sewage pipe. These details seem to be bread and butter for those writing today's headlines, trying desperately to objectively cover an event that the majority of the worlds population are clearly excited about. Barack Obama was the first leader to announce his joy at the news, promising that 'Gaddafi's death is just one step on the way to creating a Libyan democracy.' Once again, the liberals of the world rejoice as their ideals begin to be implanted in yet another struggling nation.

But I think the wisest thing to come out of Obama's mouth was the admission that we still have a long way to go. Many seem to forget the immense backing Gaddafi received that enabled him to stay in power for so long. What happens to them now? Is the Gaddafi army simply going to disband now they are without a leader? Or is it true what they say, there's nothing worse than a rebel scorned.

Quotes taken from: http://www.smh.com.au/world/live-muammar-gaddafi-dead-as-libya-celebrates-end-of-a-tyrant-20111021-1maya.html

Page One- The New York Times

At school, every time we were told we were going to watch a film in class it was usually code for 'I cbf'd teaching you today and this will hopefully shut you up'. However, Page One the film we were shown at the Schonell this week was incredible. It was beautifully put together and especially relevant for first year university students wondering if Journalism is the right career path for them. The film told the story of the New York Times and posed some harrowing questions and scenarios such as 'Will the Times go out of business?' 'Is print media dying?' 'What's next for the world of Journalism?' 'How will people continue to make money out of news media?'. These are all very poignant and relevant questions in the field of journalism and have some serious consequences for the general public.

While the film attempted to give an unbiased viewpoint of the relevance of the newspaper, it turned into a bit of a biography on the life and times of David Carr. I myself was fine with this focus as I have now come to hail David Carr as the badass of the media industry and officially the coolest person ever.

What the film made me realize and fear however, is the competitiveness and gradual decline of the journalism industry. I've always known being a journo involved some serious hard work and even then only the most tenacious survive, but what I wasn't aware of was the severe layoffs that are taking place throughout the industry. Even the most longstanding and credible journalists are being shown the door; it seems no-one is safe from the budget cuts. This scares me a little to be honest, especially when I don't think my personality is altogether suited to cope with competition.

The film was a stunning and provocative look inside the worlds most famous newspaper, it's history, it's present and what the future holds for the New York Times. Thanks for taking us Bruce!

WEEK 11- Investigative Journalism

"All journalism is supposed to involve questioning the facts presented to us."

To me, investigative journalism is the most important form of Journalism available to us today. It exercises the full purpose of journalism- to inform the public- and uses it as a tool against corruption to keep us safe and those around us honest. If it weren't for dedicated journalists constantly seeking to uncover scandals and travesties, the world would turn a blind eye to the evil things around us. Awareness is the key, and this type of journalism promotes awareness of issues that would otherwise be in the dark, not only this but it equips us with the tools to do something about them.

Todays lecture was both informative and imperative in the study of journalism and I hope everyone was as inspired as I was to be part of the investigative team uncovering the secrets of the next generation.

Will social media one day take over investigative journalism? I don't know about you but I sure as hell don't want to read about the next Watergate scandal on someone's twitter feed. The world still craves decent writing and juicy stories that only those who dedicate their career to journalism can dig up.

The purpose of investigative journalism:
1. Active intervention
2.Exposure
3.Public Interest
4. Watchdog

The 'IN's' of INvestigative Journalism
INtelligent
INformed
INtuitive
INside
INvest

Miss Representation MUST WATCH

Storytelling Assignment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5KV7wM6SA

Week 7- Commercial Media

Okay, so I had a lot of trouble understanding this weeks lecture, probably because it didn't involve jelly beans. Nevertheless, I will give it my best shot at recapping and maybe it will help be get a better grip on commercial media. I think the main point of the lecture was to drive home the point that commercial media is basically just a tool advertisers use to attract potential consumers. They are profit-driven and funded mostly by shareholders and survive or fail based on business success. Some major players include News Limited, Fairfax, Nine Entertainment and my personal favorite, Southern Cross Media (which we get at home and no-one else seemed to know about.)
Now the main debate around commercial media is whether it can deliver on both a commercial front ie generate profit AND maintain social integrity by producing trustworthy news and information. Many will disagree and state that commercial media is merely a tool for Government propaganda much like the accusations of News Limited being a broadcaster for the Liberal Party. There are however, several means to prevent this from happening including formal state requirements, legal prescription and state oversight. There is also what journo's like to call the 'Ethical wall' which separates the commercial and social aspects of this kind of media.

Something that struck me as quite interesting in this discussion was the talk of the challenges for commercial media and how they are affecting what we watch. For example, the recent loss of advertising revenue for broadcasting media has lead to decreased investment in all commercial areas. This has in turn majorly slowed production of new material and this is why we're constantly seeing re-runs of the same sitcoms on TV. How annoying! We need to be funding the production of new and exciting content, encouraging creativity and freedom of expression, regardless of where the money comes from- whether it's from Governments or advertisers, there is nothing more dangerous than the stifling of progression.



Found this image as I was writing this entry, seemed very appropriate. Source: mrtrueman.tumblr.com

Week 6- Web News "The Jelly Bean Lecture"

Not going to lie, the best thing about today's lecture was the fact we got Jelly Belly's. However, I also learnt some valuable information about the future of news media and the concept of entitlement. (I was visibly upset when Bruce told us to hand the Jelly Belly's back)
Basically, the major problem facing journalism in this decade is the accessibility of online news. We've been given free access to news and as a result developed a sense of entitlement for it. Now, when everyone realizes they can't afford to give things away for free, it's a little too late and the public are up in arms. In my opinion, the way forward is initiatives like the TIMES+ online newspaper which is offering discounted deals in addition to their news for a small subscription fee. This is the future of online media. I also believe that online news sources need to work together to change the way online media works. If you think about it, if EVERYONE started going 'behind the paywall' readers wouldn't have a choice but to start paying for news but all it takes is one website who decides they can keep giving it away and everyone will simply flock to that one.

The second option here is to increase the quality of payed news and decrease the credibility of free-to-read pages. There's nothing people hate more than an unreliable news source, combine that with billions of ads smothering the news story and people will walk away. Especially when the alternative is well-written, insightful and add-free journalism.

With Web 3.0 on the rise, the opportunities for a paid online news source are endless. Suddenly, information about individuals likes and needs is at the fingertips of advertisers. It's a dream come true for commercial industries and even media sources can now project their stories at a target audience. The concern that people will become ignorant about general knowledge? Can't see it happening. People enjoy seeming educated and well-read on current affairs and for that reason they will seek out the major headlines no matter what.

So there you go, Journo's of the future unite. Either we all pay or no-one does. Never mind that people feel entitled to news for free, things change and we need to face this change together. At the end of the day, people want and need current affairs and quality journalism.

Analysis of Media use

When analysing my Media use Log, I looked at the amount of time spent on each medium and where and when I used it most. I then used this information to come to several conclusions about my own relationship with Journalism and Communication and how it is influencing the new generation of users. (See below for Media use Log) 

Social Media- The immense majority of the time spent on social media wasn’t a surprise to me given our generation’s well-documented obsession with Facebook and Twitter. I also run my own personal blog which takes up a fair bit of time. Spending an average of thirty minutes at varied times throughout the day in contact with social media means I am constantly up to date with the happenings of friends and family and often major news events such as this week’s house fire in which eight women and children perished. Over the last two weeks, my news feed has also been bombarded with farewells for a boy from my local high school who committed suicide; the amount of information about this very private incident that is available on Facebook is incredible and I’m having trouble deciding whether it’s a source of support for the family or an invasion of their privacy. It certainly seems like a support network for the boys’ friends through this very difficult time.

This reliance on social media means the journalism I receive is often via people’s status updates and ‘groups’ which have been created to remember a particular event. As a result, the news I receive is very short- usually a small sentence- and contains only the most vital information. My constant access to this medium suggests that I will be up to date on the latest news literally as it happens however my knowledge on the particular event will be limited and tainted with personal bias. Further current affairs that I receive come from online news and then TV news. I don’t even remember the last time I picked up a newspaper. I access online news sporadically, usually the Sydney Morning Herald site when I want more information on a news story or am researching for an assignment. Because there is no word limit, I find online news to be extremely long winded and I rarely find myself finishing an article however the wide range of articles available- from breaking news to feature stories- at the touch of a button is too convenient to pass up.

Television- Second on the list was television, in which my usage was split between current affairs and entertainment sitcoms. I prefer breakfast telly such as ‘Today’ over nightly news because it allows for not only current affairs but a comment on the latest social research and often provides a wide range of professional opinions on topical issues. Access to these programs means I am not only up to date on natural disasters and oil prices but the latest technological and social trends and this week’s pop psychology.  

Music- Music plays a massive part in my daily life, often providing a background to study and social networking. I listen to music mostly via my computer while studying, iPod while exercising and radio when driving. Music is fantastic for relaxation and motivation alike and I find it can change my whole perspective.

SMS- The fact that the majority of my time spent communicating is via technology such as computers and mobile phones means that my communication skills may be lacking in that I have become accustomed to speaking in short hand and using colloquial language. I try to compensate for this by spending a small amount of time each day writing in a journal or working on assignments.

My relationship with Journalism and Communication is one of convenience; I access it first in the most basic and palatable form (social media) and then when I’m after something deeper I turn to online news websites and breakfast TV for an easy explanation of current affairs. I communicate, like most teenagers, via the simplest means possible and listen to music to enhance my mood. I also like to express myself and my opinion in an online blog for the world to see and often feel the need to be validated by people’s response to what I post. For young people today, journalism and communication are simply two more things that are at our fingertips and while a Facebook addiction may not be the most productive thing in the world, the exposure of young people to news and current affairs is empowering us with more knowledge and information than any generation before us. This newfound power is paving the way for one of the smartest, most well-informed and worldly generations we’ve seen, and there’s no limit to what we can achieve. Here’s to the future. 

Media use and Production Table

Media type	Social Media			News Media			Television		Communication and other forms of Media
	Facebook	Blogging	Twitter	Newspapers/ Magazines	Radio	Online news	Current Affairs	Entertainment (sitcoms)	SMS	Music
10/8	10mins	30	2		15	10	30	60	30	10
11/8	20	10				20		90	10	30
12/8	30	30		30	10		20	30	15
13/8	20		5			5			20	15
14/8	35	15					20	30	15
15/8	20	20	10			10		120	20	20
16/8	30	10						30	10
17/8	25	40						60	10	10
18/8	10	15	10			10		90	20	60
19/8	20	10							10
20/8	20	30						30	20	60
21/8	20	30	10		45	10		30	20
22/8	60	60	15			10		120	10
23/8	30	40	10					60	20	20
24/8	10				30		30		15	15
Subtotal	3845	340	62	30	100	75	100	750	245	240
TOTAL (Mins)	4277			205			850		485