Assessment 3- Factual Storytelling. A Photo Gallery

Assessment 3 of Introduction to Journalism 1111.

For this assessment, I have chosen to tell my factual story through a Photo Gallery (of 8 to 10 images).

Blurb:
This photo gallery is a factual story about my wonderful friend, Jacob Kelly. Jacob is 20 years old and recently announced that he was a homosexual. I wanted to reflect his story of coming out. I did this by conveying his history in his childhood pictures, followed by his depression in a time when he wasn't openly gay. The climax of the story is when Jacob meets his now current boyfriend, Chris. Jacob was very thrilled to meet Chris. They instantly became good friends and are now a happy couple. Jacob says he is now "much happier and content with life".


Telling Jacob's story through the mode of photography was the best way to capture the emotion of his story. A picture tells a thousand words. In this photo gallery there are photographs that reflect:
-History
-Depression

-Interest 

-Glee
-Affection
-Love
-Freedom
-Inner Peace

The audience for this story could be national or international. On an immediate level, people who are, or are close to, a gay person could comprehend the emotion intended in the photographs. However, on a broader level, all kinds of audiences with a diverse range of insecurities, fears or confidence issues would relate to this story.

I choose to title collection of photographs/headline the factual story 'It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn' for several reasons. The title/headline is lyrics sourced from the single 'Shake it out' by the artist 'Florence and The Machine'. The song discusses concealing personal issues and finding freedom in self acceptance by the embracing of a new life. This theme is similar to the theme I was trying to portray in my storytelling photographs of Jacob. Furthermore, the song has personal meaning to Jacob's and my personal relationship.

It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn:

 A story about Jacob Kelly 

                                            

                                                                                          

                                       

Story by Merryn McDonnell. Student Number s2485498.

The evil twin

Here's a link to my 'other' blog.

After watching the 2012 Kony video I was really moved. So much I made it the main topic of my blog. I think it was a really interesting campaign, using social media and the general media to get political change at an international scale. Future of Journalism? Perhaps..

http://afancifulimpulse.blogspot.com.au/

On another note, here's some links!

This is a collection of links I had gathered on my other blog while setting up/working on this blog.

Some are journalism related, some not so much. Enjoy!


Devastation in Japan continues a year after the tsunami-

http://www.news.com.au/world/japan-tsunami-anniversary-recovery/story-fnclkkmm-1226293182226

A journalist in America learns to programme for a story.

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/060605niles/

Allen Jones you have no excuse now...

http://www.australian-news.com.au/codethics.htm

Never seen anything quite like this...

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/tourists-caught-up-in-amazing-dolphin-stampede/story-e6frfq80-1226285904350

Need people to connect?

Simple.

Put some Michael on.

Magic happens...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9oZfSfNP7o

Photo Journalism at it's best.

Simple explanations, powerful stories, each work so well.

Not a lot of beauty, but a lot of love, sad love, but still.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-most-powerful-photos-of-2011

Peace!

Cut to Commercial!

Commercial media. The hot topic for the week 6 Lecture in Intro to Journalism 1111.

Get ready.

Why does commercial media exist?
-One reason. So advertisers can access people.

What is commercial media?
-Profit media production - earning $$ for share holders
-non-government funded media
-Survivals/failures - business success
-Business goal- to generate audiences

Major players in commercial media include the channels (e.g. 7,9 and 10), Telstra and more.

News limited/News corporation has:
-News papers -Cable TV - Films - Magazines -Books -Sports

FiarFax:
-Brisbanetimes.com
-The age
-Financial review
-Sydney Herald

APN Owns:
-Regional news papers
-Digital media
-97.3- My personal favourite radio station. Not because of the excellent talk back or the hard hitting news. Simply because I love the music.

Nine entertainment co.:
-CVC asia pacific (magazines and channels)
-Win
-9 and 10

Southerncross:
-Some regional media
-B105
-Triple M.

7 West media:
-TV, news papers, magazines, digital media
-7
-Sky news

10 Makes:
-Free to air TV
-10/1/11

Telstra Produces:
-phones/bigpond
-Macquarie (Over 40's radio)
-Optus/singtell
-Virgin

Form & Function of commercial media:
-Communication- subscripted
-Form- Sponsored - Subsidised (government money $$)
Function - Commercial - propaganda (fox news) - social

Communication role in democratic process:
-With trust comes interest
-Lead anchors of 9 say "trust us"

People have to know to maintain democracy

Control: ACMA - statutory
- Kyle sandlands was naughty on air... AGAIN!

Social controls on commercial media:
-Internet censored in Australia (government agency)
-State press subsides- news papers shut down
-Journalists based in Indonesia must have a licence.

Style of commercial driven media:
-Dumming down - ACA/ Today Tonight (stories including weight loss, traffic cameras/swimsuits/ more THRILLING subjects)
-Tabloidisation
-Desire to please 'micky mouse news'

Challenges for commercial media:
Revenue for advertisers = Less Investment = Less $ for quality TV =More exported production (less original). The option to fast forward through commercial breaks means advertisers are at a loss.

Good news for commercial media:
-Good business models
-News papers as news websites
- Here's text from a slide from the lecture with some ideas..

- QUALITY - Better, bigger, greater content “Audiences want and will pay for quality ...”

- Greater Competition Austereo chief executive Guy Dobson said "compelling content" would be critical to maintaining the audience at his company's FM networks, Today and Triple M. "Hopefully better competition will help us lift our game again, as we always seem to do”

- Move existing customers to digital

- Paywalls on internet sites

That's all folks!

Heres to the Public! Continued

A quote I enjoyed. I agree with this statement. Although I had never really given public and commercial much consideration before Introduction to Journalism, I now whenever I consume commercial media,  can't help feeling like I'm being used...

‘The difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens’

– Nigel Milan (former Managing Director of SBS)

^What we should to be aware of. Just saying. 

Here's the link for the image above. The article is quite interesting. The topic of Australian public and commercial media - http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/philosophy/democracy/stop-rupert-murdoch-owning-every-newspaper-and-tv-station/

Heres to the Public!

Public media was covered in the week 7 lecture of Introduction to Journalism. 

Audiences responses were "Thrilling. An absolute experience. I can't wait to come back next week," said a young woman (myself) while writing this blog entry. 

Public media possesses a 'public value'. For example, the BBC believes in "Embedding a 'public service ethos'." Bruce Redman, Lecturer, told us of how when he was a young boy he had to purchase a licence fee for viewing BBC. Mr Redman went on to explain that the BBC believed in weighing public value against market impact. The BBC also conducts focus groups for audiences and surveys to attain feedback. 

ABC

-ABC 2, 3, 24- low standard. No funding. How sad. However, Mr Redman explained that this was more of how news will be in future. 

- ABC has local radio, radio national, classic FM, Triple J, radio Australia. 

Digital radio is failing currently. We discussed this. Mr Redman explained that digital radio was not taking off due to people listening to the radio in their cars. Mostly. That what our student survey reflected at least. So because listeners usually listen to the radio in the car, there is no real use for a digital radio (not installed in cars currently.)

History of the ABC

-Funded in 1929

-Intended for car listening

-To 'bring the nation together.'

-ABC is governed by charter to 'guarantee the independence of the ABC (not biased).' 

ABC produces

-Drama

-Comedy

-Religion

-Science

-Australian story (one of mine and my mum's favourites)

SBS history 

-Created in 1980

-A 'multicultural channel

-Paul Keating funded 'creative nation'

-Once only public funded - now 80/20 - partly funded by sponsors (why there are now commercials on SBS)

SBS produces 

-news, comedy, indigenous, sports-soccer 

Functions of public media

-Nation building

-National heritage 

-National Identity 

-National conversation

Commercialisation of public media

-BBC worldwide (DVD's)

-SBS (soccer shop) 

-ABC shops 

-ABC charges $75 per second of footage (if you desire ABC footage for a story = You pay A LOT!

Key mechanism of public media

- News

-ABC news CAFF (current affairs)

News style of public media

-Serious

-Broadsheet

-Importance over interest 

-Considered, not quick and unchecked 

News footchain

Huffington Post - Then Courier mail/Sunday mail- THEN ABC (confirmed)

ABC has been regarded as 'boring' and 'out of touch.'

Robert Richter 

-"Public media is the last beacon of long form investigative Journalism"

Four corners 

- Stories that changed the nation

-Gillar piece, cattle torture, Fitzgerald case

Media function/communication style 

The press, entertainment, unity, social, propaganda 

Challenges for public media

-Murdoch says the government should not be supporting the public media- the public media should be "Independent." I personally think it's very obvious why he holds this opinion. As the CEO of many commercial media outlets, why would HE be supportive of public media? I for the life of me can't understand why someone would be opposed to government funding for media. Unless such a person thought the media (ie ABC or SBS) to be somehow corrupt. Considering commercial media has the sole purpose to deliver the audience to advertisers, I would question why Murdoch might be of this view. 

-To keep moving forward 

-Produce quality (despite the lack of funding) 

-Relevant stories

-Engage with the democratic purpose 

- Report to the Public

-Independence 

-Opinion- 'The Drum' an internet site operated by the ABC where unlike their normal policy on Journalism, reporters have views and opinions on the subjects. 

Mr Redman discussed how politicians SHOULDN'T like the ABC. This includes all parties. Furthermore, the ABC should not favourite any political party or person. 

Thats all folks! 

-Merryn.