Final Paper Progress

As I continued my research, I found more consequences of global sports and the negative impact it has on society. One of them is the exploitation of workers that make the production of sporting goods possible. Multinational corporations take advantage of the cheap labor that these workers provide and make large sums of money from doing so. Although one might argue that these workers are working out of their own decision, it nonetheless violates the basic working/human rights that are guaranteed to these workers.

2054

I am currently just wrapping up on my final paper which is on the future of the media.

One of my resources is the movie 'Minority Report'. Set out in the year 2054, Tom Cruise plays the main actor, John Anderton. He is the head of the Precrime unit, which is a branch that arrests murderers before they actually commit the crime. Aided by three genetically altered humans, called precogs, who can see into the future, the members of this unit are able to see murders before they happen and stop them. The system seems perfect and reduces the number of murders by 90%.

However, six years down the line, the precogs predict that Anderton will kill a man who he doesn't even know in 36 hours. With no way to defend himself, Anderton tries to figure out a way to prove his innocence before he is arrested.

The different lifestyle in this new world is clearly seen even in the first 10 minutes by the advanced technology available to these people. Computer monitors are transformed into holograms, storage of data is on small thin glass like transparent objects, videos are in like six dimensions ( a bit exaggerated ) , identification is done through scanning of the eye and transportation is on a whole other level.

Since my paper is on the future of the media, I was keen to find something on this. First thing that caught my eye was a cereal box. Anderton was sitting on his desk, eating the cereal right from the box, a kids cereal I could tell from the cartoon figures on the box. So what was special about this? They were dancing! The cartoons on the cereal box were dancing! and singing! At first I thought that was really creepy, but after I replayed the scene a few times I concluded that it was pretty cool and smart. Definitely brilliant advertising.

Another thing I noticed was the newspaper. From my other readings, the last copy of the newspaper is 'going' to be printed no later than the year 2016. So I was wondering what the director was thinking putting newspapers in 2054. But this was not just a newspaper. It is like a really really thin monitor. Newspaper thin. When held up the images and articles pop up on the screen, navigation is by touch I think, and when you are done you just fold it and put it under your arm, just like the newspaper we have now. Isn't this amazing?

Almost Done!

I will be writing on the digital divide and what it means to different cultures and class structures around the world. I think it is interesting to theorize how individuals who have limited access along with limited interest would react if there was no digital divide. I just want to say thanks to everyone who shared their input here on the blog and good luck in your future endeavors!

Social Networking: Building the Leaders of Tomorrow

In 2004, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 9 in 10 youngsters from ages 12-17 and 3 in 4 adults used the internet use the internet. Half of those admitted to using the internet at least once a day. A majority of this time is being used on social networking sites. While many people feel that this time is being wasted, research shows that time spent on social networking sites is actually helping people socially and professionally. People who spend a lot of time on blogs have shown higher reading scores on exams due to the heavy usage of text-based sites. Instant messaging aids in communication skills by increasing communication opportunities. There are a bunch more examples of why social networking is so important. I'll post again with more details once my research paper is finished.

What Else Don't We Know?

I was just surfing the web and I came across a shocking article.

Please have a look: The strange and consequential case of Bradley Manning, Adrian Lamo and WikiLeaks.

As I read through the article, I was just shocked to find out the lengths that the government would go to to hide information from its citizenry. Why would an institution that should be protecting the constitution go against the fundamental right of the freedom of speech? As I read further through the article, I was simply saddened by how much control the government has on the media. What else don't we know?

NPR

"National public radio will not regard its audience as a "market" or in terms of its disposable income, but as curious, complex individuals who are looking for some understanding, meaning an joy in the human experience."

I love NPR so much. I grew up listening to it and it's so honest and has the best content that can be found in radio. I love the personalities and all the shows. There's something about familiarity and trust in a particular voice that is like nothing else.

Thank you public broadcasting.

FaceNews

If someone asked me to name common sources of news/information I would probably say the newspapers, television, radio and the internet. However, I can't remember the last time I actually read a Newspaper, or even just flipped through the pages to see the headlines and pictures. I also barely ever watch television so I never get to see the news, unless maybe when I’m at a friend’s house. And ninety nine percent of the time that my radio is on, I'm listening to music. So that just leaves the internet. Unfortunately, I cannot claim to be a regular on CNN.com or any other news website. Despite all this, I don't consider myself as being uninformed or behind the news in any way. So where do I get news from?

Facebook!

I have a pretty wide 'variety' of friends on Facebook, if I can call them that. Geeks, football players, models, authors, musicians, fashion designers, inventors, farmers, critics, cooks, just to name a few. With such a combination, on my homepage I get pretty much all sorts of news. For example, the first five status updates on my homepage right now are:

• Nonso: Haha ha hahaha … Show of shame at the national assembly in Nigeria ( with link and video attached)
• Raye: Has no idea what to do... I did not want SIX guinea pigs...
• Reumac: One toy I would ♥ someone to get me http://www.fastcompany.com/1662302/new-tron-light-cycle-toys-drive-upside-down
• Jb: iFineness - VIDEO: Rihanna on Working With Eminemhttp://bit.ly/bsGxAo
• Maina: Academy Award-Winning Filmmaker Oliver Stone Tackles Latin America's Political Upheaval in "South of...http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/21/academy_award_winning_filmmaker_oliver_stone

If on this one page, in just the first five sections, I can get a combination of information on what is happening in Nigeria, Vermont (the guinea pigs), Disney( the tron light cycle), music (Rihanna and Eminem) and Latin America, then what other news source do I need?

Maybe Facebook should launch FaceNews. Wouldn’t that be a success? You will be able to get all the news that is relevant to you and your friends all on one page. Social networks have a future in media? who knows?

Just thinking out loud J

Final Paper Thesis Development

My final paper topic of global sports is proving to be very interesting and thought provoking. There are plenty of arguments for the benefits of globalized sports but it is very hard to find counterarguments against it. Although it is difficult for me since it is hard for me to see both sides, it nonetheless proves that global sports is indispensable to society. I would look into more sources in order to find the negative aspects of globalized sports.

On my writing

When I first wrote this paper, I realized how much my writing has improved in the last 4 years. I usually take assignments such as this as "another hw" just to recieve a grade. It really got me thinking on how much my writing changed. Maybe it's because I have been thinking alot on how to improve my writing to meet college standards in the past years. However, there's definetly alot to improve on and I am strangely excited to see how much I can learn. I decided to write this blog because I wanted to see if others can relate to this experience. Comments would be much appreciated!

Internet Use on the Rise

According to research by Amy Bradshaw, internet usage has been increasing dramatically over the past 14 years. In 1996 there were an estimated 37 million internet users worldwide. In just 5 years that amount increased roughly 5.5 times. In 2004 that number had risen to an estimated 407 million users. The countries with the leading percentages of internet users to population size in 2004 were Canada, Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Their internet user percentages are 41%, 40.3%, 45%, and 43% respectively. In 2001, the Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI) was started by the U.S. and other countries to narrow the digital divide and work to get open and democratic access to Internet. With numbers like this from 6 years ago, it is almost unbelievable how many users there must be now.

Mediathek Portals

As i have been researching television broadcast models in different countries, I found an article on the latest in Germany, "Mediathek Portals."

What these innovative portals do is centralize the content from all their channels on the internet (both ARD and ZDF platforms do this) and make this content available on other platforms: cable, YouTube, Facebook, mobile phones, etc. "The main issue is how to bring TV and PC together intelligently and to integrate them into a single device." Content is offered in one place; audio and video from all regional broadcasters, whether it be live, on-demand or downloadable content. Here, internet and television are not in competition, rather they are complimentary. The portals can be accessed online and from a user's television.

Both the ARD and ZDF Mediatheks are portals of the non-commercial German public service broadcasters and are funded by the German television licence-fee payers.

Writing papers

It is interesting to see how so many people's writing styles are very different. Some people are good at writing papers for classes like english, where they must analyze something and come up with some meaning based on the text. I'm not sure if it is because I am in the medical field, but when I write a paper I find myself writing papers in a very "scientific" way. I find that the best way to write research papers is to write the paper as if you are giving a speech, and if the group of people know nothing about the topic. I have gone to several educational conferences related to oncology, and when people explain a topic it is great to have someone explain it to you like you have never heard anything about the topic before. It is a lot easier to understand, and you can see that the information is supported by statistical data.

Sometimes when writing research papers I find it helpful to write my paper based on the information that I have found, and my thoughts about the topic and afterwards I go back through and add in my researched information and citations that support my topic. I also find it helpful to do research papers in small steps. When trying to the paper all at once, it can be overwhelming. I know this past semester I had to write a 25 page evidence based quality management paper based on research that was done at a local area hospital, and statistical information and research found that supported the idea for change. There is so much information that goes into a research paper, and it is really important to make sure that all bases are covered. If something is not explained thoroughly enough your point may be altered or misconstrued. The best thing to do is to break it up into small sections and do it overtime.

The way I write a paper

Since we are all or soon all will be writing our final papers for this course, I thought I'd share some of what I wrote about in my "On my writing" paper.

The papers I write are always directly inspired by the texts the paper is based on. My technique doesn't work quite as well for research papers, but I believe within the frame of the course and what we have read that it could.

When reading the book or material a paper is to be based off of, I note passages, sentences and phrases that stand out to me, regardless of their relevance to anything; if I find it interesting, I mark it. Afterwards, I look at every quote I've marked, find a common element among most of them, and turn that similarity into a thesis. For example, last year I had to write a paper on Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I found that many of the passages I had liked the most had strong religious undertones which covered ideas from many different belief systems, and so that was the base for my thesis.

I'd be interested in learning what other students' techniques are! Especially for research papers! :)

My researching strategy

Before deciding my topic, I usually like to figure out what classmates may or may not be writing on - that way, I can avoid certain topics even though a professor allows topic overlapping (It's a personal preference). I'll do some preliminary research on the topic, using Google, New York Times, etc., and "scout out" possible sources for topics. After I've narrowed down and selected a topic, I'll being my research. I'm at home without physical access to Binghamton University's libraries, so I rely on online journals and archives (e.g. JSTOR), as well as periodicals and blogs (for knowledge). For this class, it was somewhat difficult locating journal based and scholarly articles for my topic, so I began to research in a somewhat broader scope (for me, this resulted in the inclusion of the topic of social capital). I don't always like to do this, but I must if I want to have enough research material with which to write a paper (Google is my BEST friend... well not really, but you know I mean). After I've gathered my research sources, I'll read each at least once, and subsequently as many times as needed in order to gain an understanding of the topic. Then I will write my paper.

EDIT: Something I forgot to mention is: what makes a big difference when searching for materials online, is the way you phrase a search term. For example, if you want articles on the correlation between weight gain and exercise, the obvious search would be "weight gain and exercise". However, other search terms will get you just as many results, as well as other results very relevant to your research that you might not have found. An alternate search pattern for this example would be "weight loss and exercise", or "correlation weight exercise", or "body fat and exercise" or "body fat and weight gain". You get the idea.
Yesterday it hit me to use another search phrase for my research paper, and I ran into 5 sources I didn't have before. 5! That's a lot! I also used the Binghamton University's Library system in conjunction with Google Scholar. If I found an article on Google Scholar, I'd look up the journal it was published in in the BU library database, and find the PDF of the article. Piece of.... well not really.

New Thesis: Globalized Sports

I decided to change my thesis from citizen journalism to globalized sports. Although citizen journalism does interest me, I found myself becoming more and more interested in globalized sports, especially because of the 2010 World Cup that is taking place. Through my final project, I hope I can highlight both the pros and cons of globalized sports and elaborate on the impact that it has on our society.

Go To The Source

We've heard many stories of what is going on with BP and the oil spill in the Gulf Coast from many different news sources. From our readings we've learned that the news channels set the agenda and are often biased. To find out what's really going on, it's best to go to the source. Here is an address from President Obama about what is actually going on and the efforts being made to correct it.

President Obama's Oval Office Address on BP Oil Spill & Energy

In the video Obama speaks about a restoration plan that will have long term goals. He also talks about the 6 month moratorium that was put on drilling and said that they will only allow drilling that is absolutely safe and that the proper technology is in place with the proper precautions taken.

He also goes on to talk about how the people in businesses who have been hurt in the disaster will be repayed. Obama said that BP will have to put forth all funds necessary to help them. A third party group will be set up to manage those funds to make sure all the cases are covered and people/businesses are taken care of.

A main point of his speech was the need to move to other forms of energy. We have already seen a jump-start in the clean energy industry but we need to keep moving creating solar panels, more energy-efficient homes, and clean energy technology.

He ends with a message to take action. We are a strong country. If we just sit back and watch, nothing will happen. We all have to pitch in to better the world we live in.

Power of Internet

I was watching FIFA World Cup South Korea vs. Argentina with my friends until few minutes ago. During the game, I went on Facebook to see what other people have to say about the game, and one post dragged my attention. It was a link to YouTube, which captured a goal made by Argentina. It was literally 2-3 minutes after that goal was made. I was pretty surprised by the speed of Internet users. It only takes few minutes to upload certain information and which means that it only takes a very short period of time to spread the information worldwide. Even though South Korea lost and I'm very upset, it amused me to see how people get connected through the Internet and how World Cup is one of the greatest way to bring everyone together on a global scale.

Social Life Support

I've decided to change my topic to how much people and major corporations have become dependent on social networking sites to perform their daily functions. Gone are the days when people picked up a newspaper for news or kept a planner for birthdates, events, and reminders. Now you can open up one website and all this is available at your fingertips.

People go to Facebook to know what their friends are doing, to remember their birthdays, and even find out who is officially in a relationship with someone. I can't even count how many times I've heard "It's not official until it's on Facebook." Really? Have social networking sites really taken such an important role in our lives? The answer is most likely, YES. People even put the faith in sites such as eHarmony.com or Match.com to find their true love.

Major corporations are relying on these websites also. If you take a look at the data on Alexa.com you can see just how realistic this idea is. Many major corporations get a lot of thier traffic from social networking sites such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. Yes I do consider google to be a social networking site. With all it's amazing options such as email, chat , buzz, etc. how could it not be considered one? Either way, if you look at Google's site clickstreams, Facebook is the main site that directs to them followed by other networking sites such as Youtube and Twitter. Through my research I really hope to find how dependant people and corporations are on sites like this.

The Future

While doing my research I came across a new idea that I would like to look more into. So I decided to change my area of focus from censorship in the media, to the future of the media.

Not just with the media, but pretty much all future is unknown. Looking back a few years when all we had was the newspaper it is clear that we have come a really long way. Furthermore, with all the technological advancements we have now, there is no telling where the media will be in the next ten years.

If technology was the only determining factor then maybe we would be able to make some reasonably well calculated estimations. But we also have to consider the answers to several questions like :

* What is the effect of the new media to the traditional media?

* What will happen to citizen media? will it grow to be as big as traditional media? or will it take over?

* What about the print media? what happens to it after everything moves to the internet?

MOCOM2020 is a project jointly created and managed by Simyo and other organisation that is working on predicting the future of the media. What they have so far is just mind blowing. Checkout the video : Here (I found it very creepy yet interesting, it holds your attention all through! Seriously! )

Through this research I hope to find out what people see the future of the media to be. So if any of you can find time and comment on this post what your ideas and opinions are of the future of the media, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance :)

Change in Topic

What I have decided to research on is how Wikipedia gain popularity and growth in the past 8 years and what has been done to regulate online vandalism. Wikipedia is known for it's openess; the community have the ability to edit anything on the site and it is also the community who can detect vandalism and report it. Even though the site is run by the community which brings the question of credibility, Wikipedia has become one of the 10 most visited site. I will research what opposition and support the community expressed after the "flagging" policy of 2009. I would appriciate it if I could get some feedbacks from my peers, such as what I should focus on, any interesting information and such. Thanks!

Research Topic

My paper will deal with the digital divide and how it will be treated in developed and developing countries. This is a topic that has really sparked my interest due to the complex nature of the problem. The digital divide should be handled differently, depending on how developed the nation is.

Research Paper Topic

The scope of my topic will be the Internet and social media's effects on communities and relationships. I will focus on how relationships and communities have changed for better or for worse because of the Internet. Another focus will be the analyzation of the decline and rise of social capital because of Internet related social media tools.

Communication of the Future

In my paper I’m going to prove social networks are more than just virtual communities but the future of communication. Most of my research is targeted towards Facebook, whereas Facebook provides a forum for both immediate and asynchronous social interaction creating a collaborative, interactive and performative text. I will explore the positive and negative effects this will have on the younger generations that make up the main users.

Research Paper Topic

For my research I would like to focus on media's impacts (or lack there of) on social movements, focusing on the BBC and NPR as models of organizations that do not rely on income, and therefore influence, from advertisers. I'd like to explore how our media structure can be altered within realistic measures to hold more true to issues that are less entertainment, more information.

Non Profit

I want to look into more on how nonprofit organizations use facebook to promote their cause and how effective this method have been in the facebook community. As facebook becomes bigger and bigger within cyberspace, it connects millions and millions of people. In order to spread information or a cause, facebook is one of the methods to use. It is fast and efficient. However, does it actually work? Does it bring massive amounts of people to contribute to the cause? Those are the questions that should be answered.

Research Paper

I am going to write my research paper on the use of social networks and chat lines and the impact that it has on people psychologically. I want to find out more information on the impact in depression, and perhaps even whether or not if effects social anxiety and the need to interact with people. I am curious what the effects are of the use of social networks long term. Since we are seeing that there is an effect on reading and writing skills from the use of social networks, it only makes since that we would see an impact in psychological disorders, and possibly even the increase in social anxiety.

Research paper topic

For my research paper I would like to look more into censorship in the media. I am interested in finding out exactly who determines what is censored from the public? And how do they decide what is to be censored? Many countries in parts of Asia and the middle east are not aware of all that is going on in the world and even in their own countries because of media censorship. What gives anyone the right to deny these people this information?

On the other hand, censorship is not something that just creped up on us the other day, it is as old as human history. It goes all the way back to the Greek civilization. Information has been censored due to religious, political and even geographical reasons. So if censorship was really all that bad for society, don't you think someone would have put an end to it by now?

So maybe some censorship in the media is okay. But how much is some? Where is the fine line that divides censorship and violation of rights?

These are just some of the questions I hope to answer. I realize that censorship itself is a pretty wide topic. So I'm thinking of narrowing it down to media censorship based on religious, political and geographical reasons.

Good luck to everyone on your final papers!

Final Paper Thesis: Citizen Journalism

I would like to write about citizen journalism for my upcoming final paper. I have been fascinated by the rise of citizen journalism and the tremendous impact it has on our lives. Although the mainstream media provides the public with the facts (and many times twisted truths) about the events happening around the world, they fail to address the things that happen on a smaller scale. The advent of blogs have allowed individuals to express their opinions on various global occurrences, and even allowed them to dispute the arguments of the mainstream media. I believe there are more to be understood about citizen journalism and would like to dive deeper into the topic through the final paper.

Virtual Communication: The Norm of the Future

Virtual communication has become an important part of our lives in the modern era. It is fun, it is time-efficient, and it is an easy method of communication. In recent years, virtual communities have been created such as myspace, facebook, and twitter. However, we must not fail to realize the dangers that tag along with these websites that allow us to share our lives with others. For one, it makes us more vulnerable in terms of becoming employed or leading "legal" lives. Myspace and facebook have become sources of information for many employers and law enforcers, and in many serious cases, people were fired or persecuted for the materials that they have posted on their site. Although critics may argue that it is unjust, we must realize that it happens nonetheless. Although these virtual communities allow us to connect with others and meet new people, it also merges our private life with our public or business life. Communication through the internet has brought many benefits for us but we must also take precaution in approaching the virtual communities.

Research Paper Topic

I am going to write my research paper on the citizen journalism. I want to investigate more on its positive and negative sides, and also how it's been growing in cyberspace and how it's been affected by Internet. I also think it's interesting to study the differences between the citizen journalism and the traditional journalism through the media. How people share their opinions and ideas of certain events in cyberspace such as blog, and its growth over time intrigue me to research more in depth about citizen journalism.

Unforgivable crimes in Mexico

Before watching the two documentaries, The City of Dead Girls and The City of Lost Girls, I was already traumatized from watching a movie called The Poughkeepsie Tapes, which is about a serial killer in Poughkeepsie, NY. I was absolutely shocked, disgusted, and also frightened by this movie, in which women are kidnapped, raped, abused, and brutally killed. Just like the movie, the two documentaries open our eyes to such crimes that are also happening in Mexico. I could not imagine myself living in an area where countless girls at my age are raped and murdered. I was very upset at the fact that even police forces may have been helping the murderers to get away from their crimes instead of protecting their people in the city. It made me to doubt the justice system and concern for the future of the city of Mexico. It also made me to doubt about the media coverage. To think about how many stories like this were uncovered or influenced by higher authorities, it made me bitter. One must step in to punish those who might have thought they could get away from their crimes, or give an attention and support for people in the city of Mexico.

Citizen Journalism

Citizen journalism allows people to express their opinions and ideas that might have been ignored by the “Big Media.” People tend to passively follow and accept the information from the “Big Media”, which might have been biased or twisted in order to satisfy certain groups of people. However, through citizen journalism, every voice is shared and heard. It allows everyone to express his or her opinions and thoughts freely on a certain matter.
Citizen journalism, however, has problems as well. Because of its small scale, only strong voices are heard by its community. People with negative opinions usually tend to express more about their feelings than people with positive opinions about the information from the mainstream journalism. It is hard to support and assess the validity in one’s claim. Citizen journalism includes information with emotions and subjective ideas combined; therefore it might not be true at all.
In the end, it is very important to balance the citizen journalism and the traditional journalism to reduce miscommunication, and to select certain information that are “true” and accurate.

Virtual Communication

Virtual communication has been an important way of sharing information and ideas in 21^st century. Virtual communication allows individuals to save time from its instant and fast speed, stay in contact with those that are distanced, experience its resourcefulness, and become attracted by its convenience. We feel freedom in the cyberspace, free to share information and opinions.

However, its freedom and convenience might lead individuals to fail to interact with others face-to-face. Virtual communication definitely altered individuals’ communication skills. Young generation has forgotten how to communicate with others face-to-face, which is why we often go through social struggles. It is easy to start a new relationship in cyberspace, but it is hard to continue to grow. Virtual communication lacks sense of emotions, which often lead into miscommunication. Virtual communication also altered young generation’s writing skills. People don’t know how to spell certain words or become confused with grammars. As this happens, I feel that young kids are limiting themselves to virtual community and in return, struggling through their school life. I think that face-to-face communication for an hour is better than virtual communication for hours. It’s more efficient and healthier in a long-term for the new generation. Although virtual communication is convenient and faster than face-to-face interactions, we must balance the use of virtual communication to a certain extends.

Just zeros and ones

I once volunteered at a youth center for troubled youth. Most of the kids who came in were either struggling with an abusive parent, peer pressure or on drugs. Most of the volunteers were college students because the kids seemed to open up and talk to them more than they did to the grown ups.

Last year, they introduced the Buddy Program to this center. The Buddy Program is an online community where these kids could meet and discuss whatever issues they were dealing with. What they did not know is that the grown ups they would not open up to face to face are the same people they opened up to online.

The switch from face to face communication to online seemed to change everything. The kids opened up even more than they did with us, the volunteers. This seems to be the case for more than just troubled youth. Many people have no problem putting up all kinds of information online about themselves. Social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, Meebo and Myspace all have profiles. This is where you put up information about yourself , your names, where you work, where you went to school, your likes and dislikes, all so that other people can see. This information is supposedly put up there so that old and new friends may be able to find you. We

But can you imagine how many other people can find you? Stalkers? serial killers? It's a crazy and unpredictable world out there. How safe is it to have all this information out there in the open? You never know who has malicious intentions. It might feel like it's all just zero's and one's being transmitted, no strings attached. But all in all, I think it's safe to always be cautious about what you put online about yourself. You just never know.

Communication via Virtual Networks

Using facebook and myspace is very efficient in sending messages across to anyone you are connected with. One of the reasons why it is so attractive to users is that one can view anyone's pictures, wall posts and status' within moments. It allowes anyone to communicate with any of their friends in an instant (brief or long) as well as join groups within a community to express views and opinions. However, these networks have just began to integrate itself within society. Because of this, it is complicated to see the direction it might take in the later years. It can significantly lower tradition modes of communications (face to face) and increase virtual communication. As this happens, I can imagine young kids unable to speak and connect with others personally because they have limited themselves through virtual communication. There are things virtual communication that cannot offer to people. To sense emotion from the other people, to express anger or happiness that cyberspace cannot mediate and to express passions, goals and dreams. It is one thing to write down how one feels about a personal issue and another to be able to communicate this through another.

IDK My BFF Jill

Virtual communication brings ease to everyday communication. It this fast paced electronic world, we often feel we don’t have time to pick up the phone, dial, wait for the rings, and possibly get through to who we have to talk to. Also, electronic forms of communication such as texting allow us to get a message across in times when its inconvenient to talk.

The social networks of today such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. allow us to see personal information, photos, and have conversations with friends and people we don’t even know. This obviously causes an increase in vulnerability. Many people don’t realize how much info they are releasing and without the proper privacy this information can be damaging to them both personally and professionally.

As electronic communication grows, the need for the former interpersonal communication skills such as talking in person, speaking on the telephone, and writing letters will start to diminish. With increasing amounts of electronic communication, we have seen increasing amounts of internet slang and word abbreviations. As people continue to use these terms online they also start to integrate into our everyday speech. Many of us have probably seen the Cingular commercial with the girl talking to her mom about her texting bill. Although this is exaggerated, there is truth behind the communication. You may be able to hold small talk like you would in an instant message or chat room, but full professional communication may be hurt largely.

Favoirte Blog

http://blog.daum.net/dreamhaenam/11749

This is my favorite blog

the online community provides me with lots of fun fictures.

Whenever i exhausted or tired, I usually stop by the blog and look for fun pictures.
This blog allows me to laugh

Influence of the blogsphere

Blogging could affect on public opinions and mass media. The Author defines the meaning of blogging as the act of updating a blog. The blogging is two way communication rather than one-way. The meaning of two-way communication is that reader could interact with the author or journalists. Also, the blogging is not capital-intensive, but they are amateurs with a passion. Blogging have four different to measure influence; blgoshere, Blogrunner, bolgstreet, and Technorati.

The Relation Between Blogging and Mass-Media

Internet is great invention to communication among people. In his journal, the author explains the theoretical perspectives about mass media. There are four step in mass media; advertisers, media organization, web site or TV show, and mass audiences. As we know, mass media represents the sum of all the means of communication used for channeling information toward large audiences( Dornescu Ioan Valeriu). However, the alternative media woks as decentralizing agent with the mass-media framework. What I have interesting about the author paper is that blogging challenge mainstream media. Blogging is no longer working as the way to communicate to the people, but it could be the media. In fact, Nadal was the symbol of feminism when the video about her was posted in Youtube.

I believe that we communicate virtually because of the idea that it is easy and it helps us to stay in contact with those that we are far away from. I know that for me I originally signed up for facebook and such to keep in touch with people that I went to high school with. Its a nice idea, I think, to be able to put pictures up of things that you have been doing in life, and you are able to chat with people online as a way to "keep in touch". I think that when the virtual networks first started that was the intention, but for some people it has almost become an obsession. People overuse it for communication purposes, and forget to communicate with people verbally, face to face anymore these days.

I believe that we are vulnerable in cyberspace. I think that there is so much information out there, and like I have previously stated not all of the information available out there is accurate. Also there are new things that people are doing to steal from others, and people are able to stalk people and become predators more easily. There is so much out there, and we are all vulnerable to it. It is important for those using the internet, and parents who allow their children to use the internet to monitor the use and help to protect their children from the dangers that are out there.

Virtual communication changes communication in the sense that people are disconnecting themselves from others, and I believe people are beginning to disconnect from the emotions of having relationships with other people. Proper english is not being used, and reading skills are declining as a result of of cyber "slang". I have friends who spell words incorrectly as a result of increased cyber communication or texting and use the words "cuz" for because, "LOL" for laugh out loud, "shud" for should, and etc. I am curious how the social anxiety disorders have been influenced as a result of increased cyber communication. I know that there are changes and alterations in increased miscommunication between people that can result in unnecessary stress.

citizen journalism

Citizen journalism offers opportunity for interactive communication, but can also be potentially harmful to the careers of those professionally working in journalism. Citizen journalism can be an avenue of sharing opinions, offering advice, marketing, organizing events and movements, and creating communities.

Citizen journalism can expand upon and expose "traditional media." Tuesday's readings shed light on the power of the internet and blogging and how it may evolve in the future. I cannot imagine a world without traditional media, but I can imagine, and hope to participate in, a world where citizens are actively involved in and aware of both local and global news.

Blog

I have been writing on my own blog for a year now. It's a private space where I express my thoughts and ideas of daily events or issues. I started writing on my blog from frustration. I tend to think a lot, but not so good at verbalizing my emotions. So I decided to create a blog after reading my friend's blog in which she expressed her thoughts freely. Whenever I get upset, sad or confused, I write down my feelings. I organize my thoughts through my blog, and it prevents me from getting frustrated or overwhelmed by my problems and issues. I also put pictures and paintings since I'm art major, and interested in looking for artists' purposes and meanings through their pieces. There are not only inspirational pictures but also my own drawings and paintings so that I can go back to them later and improve myself.

Another blog that I follow is my friend, Susie's blog (http://susiejeong.wordpress.com/). She is currently in Barcelona studying abroad. She puts up interesting ideas and thoughts, and also pictures from all around Europe. I get inspired by her experiences from different countries. It makes me to want to go study abroad as well and experience different countries & their cultures.

Also, I frequently visit my friend, Susan's blog (http://susan-kim.tumblr.com/). She has similar artistic taste with me, so it's very entertaining for me to follow her blogs. She puts up aesthetic pictures, funny jokes, inspirational quotations, etc. Her blog is funny and interesting to follow.

Online Communication

There are a few reasons for people to communicate through virtual networks. Distance is the first reason many choose to use a virtual system to communicate, rather than face-to-face conversations. One other large reason people use virtual networks is because it is not as personal. From my experiences with playing videogames online, it is easy to see that many people act differently when communicating online. Many people act rude or childish because they have a sense of isolation and protection from those they are taking about. It is almost guaranteed that these same people would not say nearly as much, if anything at all, to others if they were standing right next to each other.

Like Chapaa

Like Chapaa is a Kenyan based blog which deals mostly with ways in which one can make money online. “Like chapaa” is Kenyan slang for ‘like money’. In a country where the unemployment rate rises every day, many people, especially the youth have no source of income.

It is very unfortunate to see people who have graduated from college with degrees such as business and law unable to find jobs and end up settling for jobs like housekeeping and gardening just to make a living.

Like Chapaa is a blog that gives hope to these people. It teaches the different ways that people can use the internet to make money such as forex trading, freelancing and e-commerce. It also offers opportunities where people get together and start an online business project. The success rate so far is unimaginable.

I love my country and I feel sad that so many people in my country suffer. I was lucky enough to be one of the people who founded Like Chapaa and through this blog I have an opportunity to touch the lives of people and help them in even the littlest of ways. This is why Like Chapaa is my favorite blog.

Technoblog

Two of my favorite blogs are Gizmodo and Engadget. These are both blogs that focus on popular electronics. I like to keep up with what's new and trending in the world of technology. They tend to cover many similiar things but put there own spin to the articles. I tend to enjoy Engadget's blog layout better. It's smooth design and colorful palette are easier on the eyes. Engadget also is based in multiple countries, so you even have the option of checking out what's hot there.

Doobybrain

Although I never wrote on a blog or contributed to one, I do keep of with some blogs. http://www.doobybrain.com/ is one of my favorites because of its simplicity and content. Although this particular blog is not a reflection on political or social issues, it keeps to date on the newest technical innovations as well as interesting, general videos. I always keep up with this blog because I love how the author of the blog always finds up to date issues, whether it be innovations, issues within new york city or just amazing videos.

Tragedy through Local and Social Media

This week I unfortunately had the opportunity to experience a developing front cover story in my city, including the stories development in social media and within the circle of those in the community affected.

My best friend's 17 year-old cousin died hiking on Friday afternoon and I found out before both her and her family. How? Facebook.

Although the police did not release information before 11 p.m., somehow the high school generation on facebook was able to communicate the death immediately; the news spread on facebook through comments, statuses, notes and pages created in my friend's cousin's honor.

After finding the link on facebook, I saw the story on my local newspaper's website that night, without the girl's name, and in the morning with her name. Over the few days following the story became more detailed and was finally released on Monday in its totality.

Facebook "coverage" of the tragedy developed also. A memorial was organized and advertised and bracelets to honor the girl were sold, all through facebook.

At the girl's funeral today, the way the story unfolded was criticized. It was hard for many to find out the death of a loved one through facebook instead of through a more personal venue. The newspaper also chose to focus on the girl's footwear, sandals, and that she was hiking because she was skipping school for senior skip day; interests beyond those of informing family, friends, and the community were served through the article.

Finding out a death on facebook, and the subsequent transition of the deceased's "page" into a memorial and virtual obituary, is incredibly unsettling. Under a month ago I similarly found out the death of a friend from school on facebook. Though I am of the generation who utilizes social media unendlessly, this was a shock. Are we developing into a society that communicates tragedy virtually before personally? I hope not.

Blogs

To be honest, I have never written a blog nor have I kept up with any blogs in general. It's not the fact that blogs don't interest me, it's just that I have never had much knowledge on blogs until now. Although I don't write blogs, I do write journal entries from time to time where I reflect on my day or express my opinions on various social issues. However, after today's assigned readings, I was motivated to start a blog or contribute to an existing one. I realized that my opinions can make an impact on others and my writings can potentially affect society, even if it is done on a small scale.

I find blogs fun and entertaining. I contribute to two blogs in addition to this one. One is for my housemates and I up at Binghamton. We all post random stories and events that take place in our apartment. The other one is purely devoted to grilled cheese. My friend and I rate grilled cheeses around town and post our findings on a blog. These blogs don’t serve any importance we have them just for fun.

Blogging is such a cool concept. It definitely seems usefully for groups and sharing ideas and thoughts. But the only ones I read are mostly for entertainment purposes. In that case I would say my favorite is Perez Hilton. It’s basically just a guy who posts celebrity gossip and shares his uncensored opinions

Pros and Cons of Citizen Journalism

There are countless possibilities associated with citizen journalism that cannot be found in mainstream journalism. The strongest characteristic of citizen journalism is probably the fact that everyone's voice is heard on a given matter. Often times mainstream media informs the public with information that may be biased in order to serve the needs of the higher authorities. However, citizen journalism allows everyone to voice their opinions on a certain matter. In addition, citizen journalism is done on a smaller scale which may highlight various events that are important on a community level that "Big Media" may choose to ignore. However, as with all things, there are problems with citizen journalism as well. One would be that uninformed individuals will express their opinions as solid facts that must be accepted by the rest of the community. This can potentially be harmful in terms of sharing information because some people might be strongly influenced by the nonsense that these people post on their blogs or websites. If we are able to find a balance between citizen journalism and professional journalism, we could have an efficient media system that can benefit our society in many different ways.

Blogging

I personally do not use blogging, and this is the first time that I have ever really done anything with blogging. I think that it provides a great opportunity for people to get out there and write about things that they care about, but for me its never really been something that I have participated in. Sometimes I feel that with blogging people can obviously write and say whatever they want about any certain topic, and that information isn't necessarily true. I suppose if I was doing research for the opinion of people, blogging would be resourceful in that people could openly talk about their ideas and feelings regarding a certain situation or topic. It can help to provide a great resource for people to put their ideas and thoughts out there, but I do not know if it is something that I will ever use outside of this class. Perhaps if I found something I was interested in, or did it as part of a community with people that had the same interests I would use it.

Media Events

I was able to get a grasp on the definition of media events after the readings on Thursday. Media events basically have ritualistic characteristics, encompass a large audience, bring resolution, and are pre-planned and pre-organized. An example that was given was the Olympics where it brings people together all over the world for a festival-styled event. For the duration of time that the Olympic is in effect, people are compelled to be a part of something bigger than their routine life. Media events have changed throughout the course of history and still continue to grow as time passes by.

Traditional Media

Citizen journalism is advantageous in a way that it allowed individuals to express opinions and criticism on issue which was traditionally expressed by news corporations. However, the credibility of each entry is questionable; it is harder to assess the validity in ones claim. It would be unimaginable to view a society where traditional media is over dominated by citizen journalism (though we can see this transition today). There needs to be a "big media" that can be credible so that there is some kind of assurance within society that can provide plausable information. Although we can question whether these "big media" are providing us with credited information, laws and regulation can provide some assurance.

Citizen Journalism

Some advantages of citizen journalism is that you are able to read about things from the writers perspective, from some one that is part of the community. It allows for people to relate to them more easily. A lot of times people do not question what it is that they are reading, therefore there is no credibility to the information that they are reading. With citizen journalism any person can write about something that would influence the public towards one idea. The disadvantage of citizen journalism is the lack of credibility. This means that the information that people are getting, is not accurate. This can cause miscommunication, and as a result may cause more issues.

Many people do not trust "traditional" media with the feeling that traditional media is often times bias, and perhaps does not understand their perspective. Traditional media however provides unbiased information, that is factual and more reliable. There are television and media networks that are perhaps more bias towards a political view, but often times the information that they provide is more accurate.

I can not imagine a world without "traditional" media. Personally I prefer traditional media because I know that the information provided by traditional media is more accurate. If we did not have a source of media that provided more "accurate" information, than how would be be able to differ the truth from lies.

Citizen Journalism

One great aspect of citizen journalism is the ability to see events through the eyes of everyday people. This opens up aspects of thought that are often numbed by members of the media who are bound by the writing styles of their respective companies.

One negative aspect of this same journalism is that it lacks the credibility of traditional media. While many people do not trust the traditional media, overall their reports are accurate and verified even if somewhat biased.

Oil Spill Disaster Photos

Hey Guys,
I'm not sure how many of you are keeping up with the oil spill disaster going on right now. Since we have been on the topic of media events lately, and this is one of the largest ones going on right now, I figured I'd post something on this. Below is a link to a gallery of photos from New York Times showing the effects of the spill. They are truly disturbing. They update it regularly so you can go back often to see the progress they are making. From there, you can also link to their main page and read article on the subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/27/us/201005_oil-spill-photo-gallery.html?src=tptw

Journeymen Pictures

After watching the documentaries on Juarez, an "unreported world," I did a little more research on the distribution company responsible for the investigative documentary: Journeymen Pictures.

Journeymen Pictures describes itself as utilizing "a unique knowledge of one of the most difficult markets in the world to become one of Europe's leading factual distributors." The phrase "factual distribution" certainly breathes some metaphorical fresh air, but how can a company like this be so successful in what Journeymen calls "a dumbed-down world driven by the relentless demand of ratings we see international analysis and socio-political coverage slimmed to wafer thin"?

Similar to the Holocaust Museum's approach to the crisis in Darfur, Journeymen Pictures utilizes the latest advances in media and technology to promote and support their films. Their website explains: "Multimedia developments offer diverse and different broadcast potential in a way never possible before. They offer new platforms to a niche previously too small to justify much airplay on terrestrial TV. Recent technological developments are changing all that and we at Journeyman have firm plans to ensure we remain on the cutting-edge to ensure greater returns and viewing numbers into the future."

The site offers an incredible selection of documentaries on unreported worlds like Juarez. Check it out: http://www.journeyman.tv/

Unbelievable Cruelty

The two documentaries The City of Dead Girls and The City of Lost Girls provided prime examples of tragic global events that are not covered by the media. I was absolutely disgusted and shocked at the unforgivable crimes that have occurred and continue to occur in Ciudad Juarez. The fact that these brutal rapes and murders were happening was a shock in itself. However, when the documentaries shed light on the ignorant nature of Mexico's police force and the corruption of their justice system, it made me lose hope for the inhabitants of the city. I even felt ashamed at the fact that I had no knowledge of such events before watching the documentaries. I failed to realize that not all people are blessed with a "normal" life, and watching these documentaries was an eye-opening experience.

Kidnapping in Mexico

It would be unimaginable to see myself living in an area where women are constantly being kidnapped, raped, beaten and killed. Most of us know that kidnapping and rape exists around the world but after watching the video on the city of Mexico, it gave me a different impactual feeling. The reality that law enforcers may have been involved with such occurences has left me terrified. What can the people of this city do to defend themselves when the very insitution that are supposed to protect them are involved in this act? This is the type of issue that we should be more aware of, as well as many other issues that require similar attention.

Compromised

An elderly woman was killed in a bus terminal in Dallas, this makes the five oclock news headlines. Across the border, about 400 women have been tortured, raped, brutally murdered and their mutilated bodies dumped in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. This does not make any news. How is this so? Is it because the life of the elderly woman was more valuable? Who measures the value of a life anyway? And is it by how rich they were? How famous? Or how many peole they helped?

According to the documentary, The City Of Lost Girls, those responsible for these murders are among the richest men in this town. Powerful and influential men. Men who you would not want to vex. Often this kind of men are above the law. Not just in this town in Mexico but all over the world. They either pay or threaten someone to make sure that they are never caught on the wrong side of the law. Maybe the media is paid off not to report on this, or maybe it is just scared of the fat cats behind these heinous crimes.

How many other stories like this do you think we are never told? How many times does the media just stand back and watch because it cannot say anything lest the members of the media themselves, got fired, or even worse, killed?

Think about it. Most of the big media houses are owned by very influential people such as politicians, either partially or wholly. How then do we know that the media is telling us what we need to know when we need to know it and not covering up for their 'employers'?

These days it is not safe to trust only one source of information. As demonstrated by the documentary, the traditional media is sometimes compromised and cannot fulfill its function in society. One, therefore, has to go beyond the traditional media when looking for the truth. I doubt the documentary, The City of Lost Girls, would have been aired on Mexican Prime TV. It was instead put online. This suggests that the internet or 'new media' has become a valuable source of information for the masses especially when the traditional media channels are compromised.

It is sad that the media can be compromised by a few wealthy individuals but it gives me hope that all is not lost. As someone once said, the truth will out.

What is a media event?

The readings for Thursday offered various opinions of intellectuals who each offered their own definition of a media event. To sum it up in my own words, I believe that a media event is any event, current or historical, that changes the course of life for people on a global level. In addition, media events have a responsibility of bringing people together through a shared belief or a system. The Olympic example given in the readings allowed me to understand the concept of a media event in a clear sense. The fact that different people from different nations all over the world bond together for a week in order to take part in an athletic festival is a perfect example of a media event. Not only does it bring entertainment and joy for the short duration of time but it also unites people in a way that cannot be done through other events. In accordance to the readings, it highlights the "ritual" aspect of media events where people unconsciously take part in the Olympics in a ritualistic manner. Instead of wanting to watch it, people get the feeling that it is necessary to watch it.

Tragic Death

The video of Neda's death on youtube was incredibly shocking. It showed the brutal death of Neda, a young Iranian teenager who took part in a protest that took place in Iran. The graphic images were not the reason why I was shocked but it was the first time that I saw live footage of someone being killed for being a part of a protest movement. I have always heard of people being killed and hurt for the sake of justice but witnessing it was something that I never had done before. It said in the video that "one voice of a girl became the shouts of millions worldwide." Although it may be wrong to say this, I believe that her death had more meaning than her presence at the protest where people finally witnessed the horrors of injustices around the world.

Historical perspectives on media event

The author argued that media event characterized following 7 elements : disruption of routine, pre-planned, organized outside the media, hegemonic TV love coverage, presented with reverence and ceremony, celebrating reconciliation, electrifying, and integrating large audience. Also, the definition of contests conquests, and coronation added the fundamental types of media events. The author compared with Lisbon earthquake in 1775 and Tsunami in 2004 by supporting several evident that mass communication was developed. What I have interesting about his journal is that when Risbon earthquake was occurred, several newspapers were its catastrophe related with religious interpretation. Otherwise, modern mass media tried to figure out the disaster scientifically.

The City of Lost Women

Watching the videos on Juarez, Mexico was really disturbing. I had no idea that this was something that was happening in the World. The disturbing part isn't necessarily that people are dying, because people are murdered all the time as a result of gangs, abuse, homicide, etc. The part that is most disturbing is that these women are being killed by the same people, and it has been happening this way for more than 10 years. It is unfortunate that all of these people are living within a system where the wealthy are above the law, and they can not trust anyone, especially their government. Many of the people within the community feel that there will never be any resolution.

I can not believe that the law is not further investigating these murders, or as a result is allowing for themselves to be paid off by these murderers for fear of what might happen to them. It reminds me a lot of the drug trafficking that use to occur where the mafias controlled the cities. They had connections with those in high office positions, and those of law enforcement and as a result were never punished for murders or anything else that may have happened as a result of their drug trafficking.

What's even worse is that as the community begins to demand for justice, the law enforcement is falsely accusing people, and forcing them to admit to murdering these women through torture and threat. The entire community is living in fear, and you would think that the national law enforcement would try to solve this problem, but instead they are allowing for this power and wealth to control this community. It just makes people more aware that the wealthy are above the poor, and as this type of thing continues the gap will only continue to grow.

"Communication creates realties"

In the Rothenbuhler portion of the Couldry readings from yesterday, the aspect of "media events" that most impressed me was that "the singular communicative event could produce permanent social change and that infrequently repeated communicative events [participate] in the most basic of social processes" (62).

It is argued that, like rituals and ceremonies, media events define situations, and therefore have the power to create change though those definitions. Rothenbuhler says, "communication creates realities, and this the way in which communication is part of the foundation of the social world" (65).

The ability for media to shape our realities, and also memories, is incredible. With budding technologies and social media platforms, such change can be influenced on an individual level. Some simple examples are listed on the website Mashable: The Social Media Guide: http://mashable.com/2009/05/12/social-media-change-the-world/

Neda

The video of Neda's death has the capacity to obscure the view of the opposition. Although it is apparant that she died in such a unfortunate way, the media portraying Neda in a violent manner inevitably strengthens the views of the protest. It did bring awareness to the situation in Iran but it is crucial to understand that one event does not determine which side is in the right or wrong; the opposition may have values and ideas that are equally considerable. The media, intentional or unintentional, tends to narrate one sided information on the events that has occured and we should take into consideration that what we read or watch is narrowed into one perspective.

major events

911 has agreeably changed the course of modern history. With the events leading to the series of attack and the events that followed after it has shaped politics worldwide and the way we view contemporary society. Fear of terrorism, further suspicion of the government and the war on terrorism are some of the many outcomes that resulted from this insident.

I have to say, within the scope of entertainment and world idols, the death of Michael Jackson is considered one of the major events of the 21st century. With 700 million copies sold worldwide, including his widely covered pedophila charges, he has left the world in shock as televisions, radios and newpapers announced his passing. It was definetly one of the biggest moments in internet history. Internet usage and blog posts spiked, even greater than when Obama was elected president or when swine flu has become an issue in America.

There are many events that definelty should have been announced and stressed through the media. There are way bigger issues than commerical products and entertainment that may effect the course of this country. We are all victims of it; absorbed in our daily lives and blind to what is occuring outside our narrow perspectives, we do not understand how important it is to know how these events are effecting the world. If you taake HIV for example, America has been taught the devastating virus and what it does to one's life. However, we do not understand how important it is to be aware of the disease and to prevent it. The media definetly has a fault in not promoting enough awareness. It is our fault too, for not taking the initiative to take responsibility and prevent it.

Who's Responsible?

I did not have sexual relations with that woman! Recognize these words? They came up just as the Bill Clinton saga was unfolding. I would definitely put this scandal up as a media event.

In Andrew Hepp and Nick Couldry's Media events in globalized media culture, they try to define what a media event is. What is it anyway? Who decides when an event becomes a media event? Or are all major events media events as well?

Is there any media event that you thought shouldn't have been? Like say the death of the king of pop, Michael Jackson. For his fans and music lovers, the cancellation of normal television programming to show the highlights of his life, the endless pictures and stories in all the newspapers around the world and the numerous reports about him in the news were all necessary. But what about the rest who didn't think it was such a big deal? To them this was not even an event. So how does a non-event get to be a media event?

And back to the Bill Clinton saga. What does it matter what he's doing when he is not running the country? I am not saying that what he did is okay, it is definitely immoral and a disgrace. But do we really need to investigate the details? Do we need to hear about it over and over and over again? Do we need to label it an event? A media event?

Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz define a media event on three levels, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic. But who checks to make sure that an event is qualified before it's sent out to be a media event?

The major global events

The three major global events that came up in my mind were 9-11, natural disasters, and the Darfur genocide. I feel that these events have affected global relations, fueled by the use of media.

I instantly thought of the attack on 9-11 when I was thinking of major global events. I was still in South Korea attending middle school as a freshman when it happened. September 11, 2001, I woke up in the morning and saw the twin towers collapsing on television. It is amazing now when I think back to those days. The media has reached all the way to Korea to report what has happened in America. As devastating as it was for Americans to experience this event, everyone in Korea was in some way, affected by the attack for several months. People always thought of America as an impenetrable country. Media from all around the world broadcasted the footage of the crashing buildings. It was astonishing how the global network can change opinions around the world.

I consider Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti as another major global event. Both had such a huge impact, not only in their own countries, but also on a worldwide scale. Through the use of media, people around the world was notified and asked to support the relief of these countries.

I feel that some global issues should have become more represented in the media. For example, the civil war in Darfur was an underreported event that started to gain media coverage only after the situation started having global effects. Darfur was not the only country to experience conflict at this time. There were many civil wars and minor military conflicts occurring in the Middle East that were not reported in the media. We, however, didn’t have enough information on such important events because the media is more interested in covering stories that would evoke the interests of the public. I feel that it is important for the media to prioritize what they cover in terms of the impact that certain events have on the global community.

The cyberspace often times creates debates for people around the world and changes the way certain global events are understood. It's a way of expressing thoughts and ideas on certain global issues. People have mixed opinions on certain events and the cyberspace acts as a medium for people to openly speak their minds to others. Some information becomes added, or even twisted, in many cases. For example, a lot of conspiracy theories arose after the events of 9-11 that stated the government took part in the terrorism. In such cases, I believe that people pick out what they want to believe and develop their own truths on major global events.

HIV

HIV is serious desease in the world. However, People did not know exactly what is it. In my case, i think i do know understand or have interest in HIV untill i have watched the video "Lesson from South Africa." South Africa have suffered from the HIV disease. However, goverment and people tried to diminsh the rate of HIV affectyion by using the radio or broadcast. In the end, they could reduce the rate of HIV in South Africa. people would fingure out what HIV is and that could lead to decrease the rate of HIV in South Africa.

Information Poverty and the Wired World

The internet has become a big factor in shaping the world. Although it has been a method to connect everyone together, there are some places that still do not have this kind of advanced technology. People think introducing the internet to developing countries could help them to grow economically and culturally, but in reality its effect is not so great. The gaps between the developing countries and developed countries have become greater, causing issues for those who cannot access this new age information. Some countries will continue to stay back. We need to realize the seriousness of poverty in some of these places. I believe that we shouldn't worry too much about the effect of introducing the internet but we should first attempt to stabilize the countries. With all the money that the world wastes on useless things such as wars and consumer products could have helped out poverty, hopefully bringing us all together economically socially and politically.

HIV/AIDS Awareness

I was amazed at the South African government's efforts to aware the public about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. In a country where more than 20% of the entire population is affected with the epidemic, It would only seem logical that the government take the initiate to inform them. However, what makes the system so successful in South Africa is the fact that the public also take an interest in becoming informed about HIV/AIDS. It was disappointing to find out that the same initiatives are not being taken by the public in the United States. Although the government cuts health cut budgets and consider other domestic problems more important, HIV/AIDS is nonetheless a problem that continues to exist in our nation. The numbers are reaching an all time high in Miami where teenagers engage in unprotected sex. Since HIV/AIDS is a disease that cannot be cured, the numbers will only continue to increase if public awareness is not promoted. In the worst case scenario, the United States will see frightening high rates of HIV/AIDS like in South Africa.

Media as a positive influence

All the readings up till now has created doubts within me about the role of mass comunication around the globe. However watching the documentary on how communication has been used to promote HIV awareness reminded me the potential the global network could have to improve the well being of society. It was astonishing how society itself in South Africa has takin the initiative to promote awareness within its community. I feel like the media in America has not been able to promote the same awareness because it has been too occupied with other issues. As coverage was limited to the commercialism, domestic issues, the war on terrorism and of course, celebrity life, awareness of AIDS did not have a huge impact in American society. Of course we all learned about it in high school but it has not been stressed how important and how crucial it would become when situations get worse.

Neda

It’s videos such as the coverage of Neda’s death that are both disheartening to the human race and Media coverage. This video was shoking. How could human beings do this to one another? We continually announce that we are “intelligent life.” These are not intelligent actions. Many animals don’t even behave like this. They will fight for their brothers and sisters to maintain their species. If we were so intelligent, blood shed by our own kind would not happen.

Again, we see the media running after the gore. You rarely see peaceful protests in the news. Once someone dies, the media is all over it. It’s very upsetting.

Neda

This image of Neda will stick in my head forever. I can’t believe this image produced from such a small technical gadget was mass reproduced to the rest of the world. Cyberspace has transformed Neda into a symbol of Iranian protest movement. It is crazy to think that youtube, twitter, and facebook have such power. I think the biggest problem is how this form of journalism challenges the realms of state. These vivid images were not altered or censored in any way. This use of media can definitely bring on political change.

Response to the footage of Neda's death

I still vividly remember when I first watched the videoclip about Neda Agha-soltan. It was my parents who told me that there was an incident in Iran. They were discussing how she was shot in the chest to the point that blood just gushed out of her nose, eyes and ears. I was so curious so I went straight up to my room and searched it on youtube. Surely, it was the first video that came up. After watching the video, I was so shocked and utterly grossed out by it. I could not close my mouth from the shock. The footage was stuck in my head for days and couldn't stop thinking about it.
The cyberspace could play such an important role in our lives. Her death shook the world. Countless websites, newspapers, and television covered the protest movement in Iran. The footage of her death was mass-reproduced and alerted people all around the world on what is happening in Iran. However, the cyberspace and media have not only positive effects, but also negative sides as well. Openness of cyberspace sometimes triggers certain situations to get out of proportion. For example, the footage of Neda's death was all over the internet, hence it was available to everyone including underaged people. Although the media helps to disseminate important information, violent or inappropriate content should be censored.

The looked over media events

While many individuals link media events to disasters and politics (with due cause) I feel that there are events that often get overlooked. There was recently a media event surrounding the new iPhone which was found and sold to an online review site. This one man, with a piece of technology in his hand, was able to create a media event around himself and spread his opinion to others. This lead to even more heated debates when Apple lost points in its public image while trying to retrieve the phone. From this one man and his created media event, came new questions and opinions about the integrity and responsibility of one of the most sought-after and respected companies in the world.

South Africa and Mass Media

It is so interesting to see how the public reacts to a disease such as HIV/AID's. In the You Tube Video posted about Florida International University exploring South Africa I found it so interesting to see that it was the public that demanded for certain things to be done to save lives. It was interesting to hear how the public challenged the government to create a program that prevented mothers from spreading the disease to their children. This was done through education, mass media, and collaboration through the public.

It was interesting to see all of the education that is being done with the public, and that even though they know that HIV/AIDs is in an issue, many of them still don't understand a lot about the disease. They are unaware of the signs and symptoms, and have questions or doubts about the medications due to the side effects. As a result many people still practice unsafe habits and this is why education is so important. The public at times complains that they are always talking about this disease, but it is important for the researchers and journalists to continue educating the public. They have come a long way, the use of condoms has gone from 28% to about 70%, and that is a major accomplishment.

Now if South Africa can demand this type of change, than any government if they work together can help make changes within their own government.

communication

Reading Internation Communication by Thussu, I have become more aware of the major thought process occuring during the times when communication became vital in society. It astounded me that many theories were made in order to understand the role of communication in a society as modern as America and the impact it had on developing countries. My conception of communication always has been a one-dimentional view and as simple as the may appear to be, it is actually bigger than any dimentional view of it. The way it has impacted relations around the world could not have been predicted before the advancement of communication and even now, it is not clear what steps globalization will take.