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