Notes from today, and reading and blogging assignments for next Tuesday 2/21 and Wednesday 2/22

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Anne Leonard

Today we discussed non-text media and how the change from analog to digital formats, production, and distribution has changed how we interact with various media. Next week we’ll be discussing participatory media as well as issues of access to information and media.

A reminder: the college is closed on Monday, February 20. On Tuesday, February 21, classes run on a Monday schedule, so we’ll meet both Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

For Tuesday, February 21, read Web 2.0; Baker, The Charms of Wikipedia and view two videos: Social Media in Plain English and Social Networking in Plain English. Write one reading response blog post.

For Wednesday, February 22, read Martin, The Politics of Research and write one reading response blog post.

Slides from today are available here.

~Prof. Leonard

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The Digital Age of Media – Pavlik

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Michael.M

The digital age of media, as Pavlik mentioned, has become a rather overly used term these days. With all the technology now who really has the time to watch the news or gp out to buy a newspaper to get their daily dose of knowledge on what is going on in the world? Pavlik mentioned how most firsthand accounts or media that is streamed to them in the moat recent of years has been from the everyday people like ourselves. With all these cameraphones having better megapixels and everyone constantly purchasing cameras, iPads or tablets, there is always someone having one of these at their disposal to capture what is going on. My opinion is why try to censor them when we the people are actually first on the scene way before news and media is there? Though this digital age is taking the media by storm, it leaves us with one question, where have the gatekeepers gone?

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Camara Phone and Digital Devices

Posted on February 15, 2012 by evortega

Camera phones are a big hit in today’s society. According to Pavlik, professional news organizations are looking for photographs, audios, and video captured by lay citizens using their cellphones or other digital devices. Millions of citizen poses devices that can record about anything, making it easy to share or mail with other people. Organizations have taken in amateurish digital photographs in order to cover the biggest and latest event occurring. These new camera devices are certainly contributing to news coverage. They make anyone a photographer and can submit their recording to anyone or to a friend.

 

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Media in the Digital Age

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Liza

According to Pavlik, advancements in our technology have made it possible for ordinary citizens with a cellphone or digital device to become amateur news reporters if they are on-site witnesses to incidents such as a fire in the neighborhood, a robbery, or a natural disaster.

On the bright side, they are able to provide immediate images and/or videos of the incident before news vans can reach the site, allowing viewers to see the events unfold as they happened. However, my problem with this is that what can be considered a news-worthy incident?

I believe there were amateur videos last year of fights in the subway that were featured in the news and ever since then, people seem to be waiting for the opportunity to take out their cellphones to record similar events at a moment’s notice so they could post it to Youtube for their “fifteen minutes of fame.” I remember witnessing a small fire that began inside a moving truck on Halloween night last year – instead of people trying to salvage what they could from the moving truck, many of them took out their cellphones and recorded the fire as it engulfed the truck, thinking that they’ll be able to send the video they recorded to a local news channel and be credited for it.

Granted, it’s common sense for people not to go near a burning moving truck, but have we come to value the idea of “fifteen minutes of fame” over doing the right thing?

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No Boundaries

Posted on February 15, 2012 by darren732

Pavlik describes many variations on digital media and how we as the people are contributing. People are adding to the news content as the on the spot de facto reporter. Many news companies have recognized this and actually encourage it as they will have firsthand accounts and that matters in the accuracy of reporting. This ability to capture news as it happens has crossed not only visual barriers but international barriers as well. Two examples of this are the death of Neda Aga Sotan a Persian student gunned down during the election protest in 2009 that sparked a firestorm of protest from the world . Her death was videotaped thru a camera phone as was much of the unrest at the time due to the Iran’s shutdown of news to the outside world. Still many camera phones uploaded content from that unrest and CNN used it daily during that time. During the overthrow of President Mubarik in Egypt Local and even international news coverage was literally stopped cold as that government blocked what was being seen and heard. Yet the personal videos and tweets still were able to get out showing graphic images of what was happening within that country. These are just examples of how people on the scene are able to capture video, upload, and disperse content be it graphic or informative to the world. Those who have a story to tell have the tools, literally in hand, to disperse it around the world.

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The Zening of the recording Moguls.Is less really more?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by ragoo8111

Making grounds for a pretty sound argument David Malitz writes about an online rock band that defies the norm by cutting out the greedy recording labels. We have seen countless situations where recording artists creativity has been stifled by the hedgemony of labels like Sony,Columbia and Arista to name a few. One famous case is that of Prince a very talented superstar who refused to keep his name in defiance to the label for enslaving him in a contract that purely benifited their profit line and not his best interest . Thus becoming an obstruction to his craft. Prince protested and had the support of his fans . In a very bold move he tattoed slave on his cheek and announced that hereafter he will be refered to as “The Artist Formally Known As Prince.” or “The Artist” for short. The possition taken by Radiohead the band in Malitz’s article will never have such misfortune. They have cut out the middle man using such social conduits like Face Book and Youtube to get their talent out there .”You can’t buy “In Rainbows” in stores, or at iTunes or Amazon.com. It is available exclusively through Radiohead’s special Web site, www.inrainbows.com, as a free download. Or as a $2 download. Or as a $10 download. It’s up to you what you pay for it.” Malitz (2007). In fact their website gets jammed quite regularly. Am I wrong to assume that the digital term “Viral” has replaced “Platinum recording artistes.” the world wide web allows millions to access this talent instantaneously. Has less really become more ? In terms of a smaller workforce or production team ,putting out mostly high quality home videos. Imagine if this band had to go through the motions with an agent and talent scout. This procedure takes an eternity their sucess will also be limited to the descression of the scout. They might have never seen the light of day. Perhaps only remaining ,confined to the abyss of their garage for practice and the local pub in town.Digital media is fast becoming a “Game changer” or “The changing of the guards.” Affording them their niche and a tremendous following as well. Watch out Mr label because just now you might be labelled obsolete….

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Free at last, Free at last….but for how long?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by matty65

Free books, free newspapers, free movies, free music, free, free, free and if it’s free, it’s for me. gobble it up; eat by our fill. When your about to burst, take a deep breath, loosen the belt a notch and then dive back in. Hey what the heck it’s free, or is it? Napster (and its copycats) was the only truly 100% free digital media site that I can remember and look what happen to them. Now most of us are stuck with paying a dollar a download on I tunes. I think its important to remember that the World Wide Web is very young and still growing and maturing. I think that as the Net grows in sophistication and organization all that is free will seize to be. So Elton needs not fear. The middlemen whom she loves, and who personally i’d like to give a swift kick in the pants, aren’t going anywhere. They will simply be redefined.

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Media in the Digital Age, Pavlik

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Suly Paredes

The evolution of media and technology has evolved extremely. Just like what Pavlik says in his journal, society is the new newspaper. We as a society use the internet to spread a not so detailed. Whether it’s through blogs, emails or digital photography, people who have access to the internet can spread anything that had happened within the current period of that moment in time. Pavlik states that by 2017 the print media will no longer exist. I believe that in order for the print media to fully disappear, there would have to be a very big useful decide or piece if technology that will be great enough to keep archives and have easy access to, as well as have no bugs in is system. Technology today is the main attraction to a business mans eye. He wants to buy the company in which the popularity keeps rising in order to make a massive profit. The fight will never end until the bigger man has everything sands nothing else is left or advanced enough to purchase. The digital media will soon take over in a much higher rate, but for the time being, society debates over organizations and which one is much more interesting to society.

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Record Companies Disappearing?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Ian Pei

Music today has been flowing out from the World Wide Web by the millions and some artists have been found because of it. Most of them have recorded their songs themselves to get their best out to the public and trying to use inexpensive programs that can help improve their music and online programs to distribute songs. Online websites that musicians and artists use are seen everywhere such as “Myspace, Facebook, imeem,” and any other sites that can provide groups with the abilility to distribute their product. But what effect does this have on the music industry and record companies? Because of this, prestigious record companies are having trouble finding artists to market and promote and are worth promoting to high social status. And, Serona Elton implies in her article how record companies are fading away and “fewer recordings will be made.”

So is there a way to keep the record companies a profitable occupation and hopefully develop more companies?

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Media in the Digital Age

Posted on February 14, 2012 by mbottaro

Television is not what it used to be.  I say this, because of the attention many networks bring to themselves.  Pavlik states that the censorship that some stations have such as Arts & Entertainment (A&E), Home Box Office (HBO) and the Weather Channel do not censor much of the media they show.  These types of stations have very little gatekeeping and display content such as violence, death, nudity, tragedy, etc.

Pavlik also states that since the digital age has began, video production has expanded greatly.  Nearly anyone can log onto Youtube, create an account and begin to create and produce videos.  However, Youtube does monitor videos to try and block content such as nudity, abuse and violence, but there are many videos and display abusive language and acts that make people want to commit suicide.  So maybe this isn’t and advancement in the age of digital media.

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