Facebook Armageddon set for November 5

Facebook is thought to be in danger due to the actions of an anonymous group of internet hackers who have threatened to shut down the social site on November 5. The group behind the threats is believed to have been responsible for crashing the Australian government website in February 2010 and have issued a youtube statement declaring that "Facebook has been selling information to government agencies and giving clandestine access to information security firms so that they can spy on people from all around the world." The November 5 date carries echoes to Guy Fawkes day and one revolutionary man's actions to bring down parliament in 1605. 

Personally, if I had such amazing computer skills and hacking capabilities - I would find better things to do with my time. 

Lecture on 'Page One'

In an enjoyable change from the standard lecture curriculum, the second last class of this semester took the form of a film viewing in the Schonell Theatre. Journalism students were treated to a screening of Page One, a documentary that details a working year of the New York Times newspaper. I really enjoyed the film and have a new found admiration for the outspoken, gruff and unapologetic journalist David Carr. The film described the collapse of several other significant and prestigious newspapers who had buckled due to the loss of advertisers and the competition from online corporations. The film addressed concerns that the New York Times was in a similarly precarious position and although the subjects acknowledged the need for cutbacks and internal changes, they say that the paper is still going strong and will remain one of the fundamental media institutions. New media platforms such as twitter, blogging, youtube and the iPad were also a topic of conversation, as new journalists and old journalists debated the pros and cons and addressed the critical nature that such platforms have within journalism today.  to the game attested to the critical role that such portals play.

Ethicality and journalistic integrity was a subject of heavy debate within the film as well, especially between supporters of online newspapers as opposed to the journalists working within print media. The scandals of Jayson Blair and Judith Miller were used against advocates of the New York Times who believed that such stories demonstrated the failing nature of the paper and that new stories were covered first and foremost by online journalists. The New York Times adamantly contested such arguments by pointing out that most news stories covered online and other media magazines have their origins in the Times and that the stories are merely being recycled.

The Abrasive Voice that is David Carr

The collaboration of the New York Times with Julian Assange was also central to the documentary, which is an issue that is still getting a lot of media attention within the present. Assange only had raw information and he was aware that it was only through newspapers, like the Times, that he could achieve maximum impact and audience attention. The publication of the Afghan war logs caused a lot of scandal and many other wikileak material is still being researched, verified and published by the paper.

As mentioned, my favourite 'character' within the documentary was definitely David Carr, as his seemingly harmless disposition and raspy voice would lure you into a false sense of security before he would voice an opinion, raise an argument or insult you. Even when Carr was interviewed or involved in panels with other journalists who clearly did not like him, a great deal of respect was afforded to him and you could tell that his opinion mattered.

I thought the documentary exemplified many of the talking points of the lectures, dealing with newspaper values, ethics, controversies, online competition and investigative journalistic practices to name a few. It was surprisingly funny and entertaining, addressing serious issues in an intellectual and stimulating way.

Photo of the Week

Given the impressive thunder and lightning storms we have experienced this past week, I thought it was time to include a photograph of a remarkable weather event or a natural phenomenon that was captured on film. I came across this stunning photograph that was taken after the eruption of a volcano in Chile. A plume of ash and gas reacted with the cool atmosphere, resulting in a spectacular electrical storm that is the very definition of  power and majesty. The remarkable photograph was taken by Carlos F. Gutierrez in 2008 and received 1st prize in the Nature category of the World Press Photo awards. 

Public Beheading of a Sorcerer

In front of dozens of witnesses, a Sudanese man in a Saudi Arabian car park was beheaded following the guilty verdict of a sorcery trial. Abdul Hamid Bin Moustafa al-Fakki was blindfolded prior to being decapitated by the executioner on September 20. Accused of concocting a spell designed to cause a man to leave his wife, Mr Hamid was arrested by a member of the Mutawa-een or religious police. The Sudanese native was denied legal representation and is the 44th person and the 11th foreign national to be put to death in Saudi Arabia this year.  The event was captured on film and shows the mass gatherings of crowds who watched the event unfold and did nothing.



I find it shocking that such events are still occurring and that superstitious and fear of magic and witchcraft is still a driving factor within communities. The punishment itself is extreme and brutal and the lack of legal rights afforded to the accused demonstrates the utter powerlessness such individuals have.

Lecture on Investigative Journalism

Robert Scheer wrote that "what passes for investigative journalism is finding somebody with their pants down - literally or otherwise." It may not be the most profound statement but investigative journalism is all about uncovering truths, unearthing scandals and presenting well-researched and provocative stories to the public. Some of the most controversial and high-impact stories revolve around the trifecta - Money, Sex and Power.

Investigative journalists must be:

• Intelligent and well-prepared
• Informed on their topic and versed in the facts of what they are covering 
• Intuitive - have a gut feeling about when something is not right and what needs to be explored past face value
• Creative - willing to get inside the story in a participatory or undercover sense
• Willing to invest time and energy into uncovering and producing a story

The Deeper Meanings and Purpose of Investigative Journalism

1. Critical and thorough journalism - actively intervene and spend time participating, consulting sources and delving beneath the surface of events. 
2. Custodians of conscience - based on keeping society in line with accepted morals and values and and exposing any civic vice that is occurring.
3. To provide a voice for those without one and to hold the powerful to account - form of social justice by representing the 'little guy' or the disenfranchised.
4. Fourth Estate/ Fourth Branch of Government or Watchdog - represent the interests of the common public and ensure that free information is available to enable the functioning of democracy and to render those institutions and personalities accountable for any breaches in trust or acts of dishonesty. 

To summarise, the four main Principles are:

• Active Intervention
• Exposure
• Public Interest 
• Fourth Estate/ Watchdog 

Investigative journalists should aim to be sceptical and not cynical - otherwise the job will eat you alive. 

 - it is what the public is interested.

The aim is to cut through the agenda of events and circumstances that are fed to them. John Pilger, an Australian Investigative Journalist believes that "It is not enough for journalists to see themselves as mere messengers without understanding the hidden agendas of the message and myths that surround it."

Some of the Trailblazers within the field who have made a splash and caused serious change include:

W.T. Stead and "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon" - the
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and "The Watergate Scandal"
Chris Masters, Phil Dickie and Shaun Hoyt and "The Moonlight State"
Julian Assange and "Wikileaks"

Types of Investigative Interaction include:
- Interviews with on-the-record sources and sometimes with anonymous sources such as whistleblowers
- Observations on public, legal and social issues and the effects of government and business practices
- Documents including law suits, legal documents, tax records, briefings, corporate financials and freedom of information material

Threats to the field culminate in the expansion of online news platforms. Less money and time is being given journalists to probe issues and therefore the quality of investigative journalism is diminishing. Many journalists also chain themselves to the computers to do their research instead of wearing down their shoe leather and investigating in person. The advent of pay walls may also pose a problem to investigative journalists as corporate owners may be less willing to assign time and funds to a job that is essentially being performed by citizen journalists for free.

Public Relations is also considered an enemy of investigative journalism was PR selectively uses facts to present certain issues to the public and persuade them into accepting a viewpoint. PR is resistant to exposure, with PR officers advising their clients to dodge questions while they clean up stories.

Annotated Bibliography on the Media, Crime and the Acquittal of Amanda Knox

Tales of the ‘Angel-faced killer’ or ‘Foxy Knoxy’ have captivated audiences on an international scale, with the murder of British exchange student, Meredith Kercher, becoming a media sensation and debated topic within Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States in particular. Amanda Knox was convicted and imprisoned for the death of her roommate in 2007 and following a lengthy appeal process was recently acquitted of the crime on the 3^rd of October 2011. The following articles discuss the value and newsworthiness that is attributed to criminal cases, especially when there is a female, sexual element involved. They also explore the impact that public relations has had on influencing the media and the common spectator.

Sacco, V.F. (1995). Media Constructions of Crime. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 539(1), 141-154. doi. 10.1177/0002716295539001011

The author of the article is a Professor of Sociology at Queen’s University and has published a plethora of articles and books pertaining to the study of criminal events. With a strong background in criminology and urban sociology, Sacco is particularly interested in the public perception of crime and the sensational publicity afforded to certain cases. ‘Media Constructions of Crime’ addresses the concept of news values and how crime constitutes a large part of media reportage and discussion. Sacco argues that the perspective of the police is often privileged and glorified in order to illustrate their effectiveness to audiences. The dramatization of crimes involving atypical circumstances or a celebrity element is also addressed, where the media distinguishes clear villains from victims in order to present a compelling narrative to audiences. The article is well researched with reference to other elite criminology and media journals and uses infamous case studies such as the Menendez Brothers’ shotgun murders, the O.J. Simpson trial and Lorena Bobbit incident, in order to exemplify its arguments. Sacco also comments on the shifting interest and evolving definition of appropriateness within the media landscape, as highly sexualized and controversial crimes that would not traditionally have been covered become front page and headline material.

Burleigh, Nina. (2011, October 5). Amanda Knox: Fascination With ‘The Evil Female’. CNN International Edition.   

Author, journalist and contributing editor to Salon.com and Elle Magazine, Nina Burleigh is a respected writer who also acts as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Having written the non-fiction novel The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Italian Trials of Amanda Knox, Burleigh is uniquely qualified to comment on the acquittal of Amanda Knox and offer informed opinions on the treatment and perception of the case within the media. The article was published online by CNN International, which is one of the largest and most reputable news organizations within the world. CNN International covers a wider variety of issues ranging from current affairs to the arts, politics and business. Burleigh’s article is an opinionative piece that criticizes the prosecution and public’s vilification of the female while ignoring the male criminal element. The online story adopts a unique angle that focuses on the persecution of Knox rather than on the actual acquittal, arguing that the Italian mindset is predisposed towards a negative and mistrustful view of beautiful women. Sacco’s arguments about the sensational and celebrity status attributed to crimes involving a sexualized aspect or a compelling perpetrator are relevant to Burleigh’s article, as both authors argue that many other crucial facets of a criminal case are neglected as a result of the media’s desire to focus on what they deem the most valuable and newsworthy element.

Pisa, Nick. (2011, October 3). Guilty: Amanda Knox Looks Stunned as Appeal Against Her Murder Conviction is Rejected. Mail Online.

Pisa’s article is a remarkable example of journalistic misconduct, as it publishes a false outcome of the Amanda Knox trial in its efforts to be ahead of other competing news outlets. The headline reads ‘Guilty,’ with the story offering a fake description of a distraught Knox surrounded by her weeping friends and family. The level of fabrication is astounding, with the article containing fake quotes from the prosecution and stating that Knox and Sollecito were taken back to their respective prisons and were due to undergo suicide watch and routine psychological evaluations. The portions of the article that refer to the circumstances of the murder and the subsequent investigation and prosecution are accurate, implying that research has been performed and that the predicted guilty verdict was simply overlaid on top of the piece. The article appeared on the website Mail Online or dailymail.co.uk that is owned by the United Kingdom newspaper the Daily Mail. Despite its popularity, the online news-site is extremely tabloid-like and is not to be trusted without outside corroboration or a subsequent follow-up report. The article exemplifies the competitive nature of journalism and how news ethics that are hinged upon the truth are often sacrificed in an effort to be the first to break the story.

Sawyer, Diane. (2011, October 3). Amanda Knox Acquitted, Innocent and Set Free. ABC News (Television broadcast).

Hosted by veteran news-anchor Diane Sawyer, the ABC News Special Report is a breaking news edition of the Amanda Knox Acquittal. The report contains live footage of the judge’s verdict, capturing the flood of emotions that ensue after Amanda Knox and Raffaelo Sollecito have been cleared of the murder. Interviews with on-scene correspondents, Elizabeth Vargas and Josh Elliott, are featured towards the end of the segment, summarizing the reasons for the appeal’s success and proffering a first-hand account of the verdict and the public’s reactions. The creation of a special report to address the appeal demonstrates the centrality of the Amanda Knox case within the American media, with the ABC team promising full details on their website and in their World News nightly report. The news report demonstrates a unique reversal of the victim and villain roles referred to by Sacco, with the reporters’ commentary empathizing with the persecuted Knox and describing the hostile responses aimed at the Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, who spearheaded the witch-hunt against Knox.  The ABC special edition is very well rounded, using live footage, ongoing host and on-site reporter commentary, identifying broader issues, such as the fact that the Italian justice system was also being tried by the public, and concluding on a sensitive note by reminding viewers to remember the victim and her family.

Photo of the Week

After watching page 1 which captures a year behind the scenes of what is arguable the world's most prestigious paper The New York Times, I thought I would include the following photograph taken by Irish photographer Seams Murphy. The image depicts the wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing heavy legal and political ramifications for exposing thousands of classified United States secrets and documents online for public perusal. Julian Assange and repercussions of his actions have become a massive media phenomenon and the photo evokes the impression of a man who is under intense public and governmental scrutiny and who is the subject of persistent spotlight and inquiry. The blue glow cast over his face heightens the spectacle of the man and the story he embodies, holding the stoic Assange under its eerie and probing gaze. 

The Walking Dead Invade Brisbane

Last week Bruce mentioned one bloggers obsession with all thing zombie so I thought I would include one zombie themed entry as well. Over 8000 zombies were seen roaming across the Brisbane CBD district this Sunday in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Brain foundation. The annual zombie walk which began in 2004 with only 300 participants is rapidly gaining in popularity and continues to grow larger each successive year. Today's zombie walk blitzed the reigning world record held by the US city of Pittsburgh and their 4093 participants, with Brain Foundation officials declaring that they stopped counting at 8000. 

American Troops are Finally Coming home

American President Barak Obama announced last Friday that all US troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the Christmas holidays. The war in Iraq has been an obsession of the media since its outset nine years ago and this news has been long awaited by many American soldiers and their families. However, Obama's announcement has generated significant criticism and argument, especially by the Republicans, who have been supportive of the war and had hoped American would establish a permanent foothold in the unstable country. Obama's chief republican rival, Governor Mitt Romney, went as far to response that "The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government." It is likely that Obama will continue to be both praised and assailed for his decision and whether the withdrawal will be carried out by the end of December as promised. 

Photo of the Week

I came across this photograph in a catalogue of World Press Photo Awards from 2006 and I thought that the aerial angle and almost visible vibrations of the shot were simply superb. The photograph depicts a rodeo bullring with a matador and the image resonated with scenes of bullfights Ernest Hemingway wrote about in his novel The Sun Also Rises. The novel was the first time I paid attention to the popularity and artistry of the spanish traditional sport and was able to see the power and grace behind the brutality of bullfighting. The image below is well balanced and almost abstract in appearance with a flaring of red in opposite corners and the horse and rider splayed outwards in an impossible fashion. The line of white lifts the picture to give it more dimension, adding gravity, movement and tension to the powerful scene. 

World's First Double Amputee Transplant Successful

I found the following article by Lauren Keiper very interesting as I have a fascination with medical breakthroughs and accomplishments and think that they deserve to go reported. Medicine allows man to emulate the gods and the successful transplantation of two hands to a quadruple amputee is an impressive story:

BOSTON (Reuters) - A 65-year-old quadruple amputee has received two new hands in a rare double transplant operation, Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital said on Friday.

Richard Mangino got the two hands last week in a 12-hour transplant procedure by a team of more than 40 doctors, nurses and other medical staff, the hospital said.

Mangino said he's adjusting to the new hands gradually and said now he won't have to "perform a miracle" every day to do simple things like make coffee and get dressed.

Speaking at a news conference seated in a wheel chair with his arms and hands propped on stack of pillows, Mangino said he prayed for the ability to touch his grandsons' faces, stroke their hair and teach them to throw a ball

Mangino, from Revere, Massachusetts, lost his arms below the elbows and legs below the knees after contracting sepsis, a bloodstream infection, in 2002.

The complicated surgery included transplanting skin, tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones and blood vessels on both forearms and hands, the hospital said.

Doctors said Mangino independently moved fingers just days after surgery and called the results a "resounding success."

His recovery will take many months and doctors expect him to regain sense of touch in six to nine months with ongoing therapy to help him learn to grasp and pick things up.

The double-hand transplant is the second performed by Brigham and Women's, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

In May, a team performed a full face transplant and its first double-hand transplant on Charla Nash, a Connecticut woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009.

The hospital said the hand transplant was successful, but the hands did not thrive after complications from pneumonia and were removed.

There are a few other programs around the country that perform hand transplants.

The first hand transplant was performed in France in 1998, and the first in the United States was completed a year later.

Doctors said about a dozen hand transplants have been done in the U.S. and believe just four of those have been bilateral.

Lecture on News Values

News values within journalism operate within a similar sphere to the principles of agenda setting. They refer to the degree of prominence that media outlets give to certain stories and the attention that is paid to them by audiences. It is hard to establish the cause and effect - whether it is the audience's interests that drive the type of stories covered by the media or whether it is the media that dictates which stories that viewers should be interested in.  News values depend on:

1. Impact - News that is interesting and that has the ability to grab attention.
2. Audience Identification - News that is interesting and relevant to the world. Audiences should be able to relate to what is happening and desire to know more about what is being shown.
3. Pragmatics - Principles such as ethics, facticity, practical current affairs and everyday concerns are an important component of news values.
4. Influence of the Source - The credibility of the source is important and journalism's relationship with public relations is also a relevant factor. PR can spin stories, control access to information and protect and shield clients. Sometimes this can happen at the expense of the truth and it is important not to be blind to this.  

Values are concerned with NEWSWORTHINESS and they differ from region to region and country to country. There are common threads of interest though, common tag lines that have become synonymous with news values include:

• If it Bleeds it Leads! - murder, shootings, accidents, trauma...the world is obsessed with the dark and twisted.
• If it's Local it Leads - people care about what is near and relevant to them. They care about what affects them.

A sense of news values should be intrinsic to journalists, as having the ability to identify what is newsworthy and what is interesting to the public is an incredibly useful quality. Good instincts can go a long way. 

Howard Evans (Editor of the Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981) believed that "A sense of news values is the first quality of editors - they are the human sieves of the torrent of news, even more important even than the ability to write or a command of language."

Many news corporations and journalists have attempted to establish common factors and news agendas within the media. The aim is to discover what news is worthy of a headline and what will garner the most attention. 

There are an infinite number of possible news values and these values are not universal. They differ within certain localities and countries and each they are subjective - different people will have different opinions over what is are the most prominent values.  

News values can include negativity, proximity, recency, currency, continuity, personality, predictability, elite nations or people, celebrity, exclusivity, magnitude, drama, visual attractiveness, entertainment, importance, controversy, unusualness and the emotional. 

Galtung and Ruge developed the following 3 Hypotheses that establish what is newsworthy and what is not (the hypotheses are essentially common sense):

1. The ADDITIVITY hypothesis that the more factors an event satisfies, the higher the probability that it becomes news.
2. The COMPLEMENTARITY hypothesis that the factors will tend to exclude each other.
3. The EXCLUSION hypothesis that events that satisfy none or very few factors will not become news. 

Some of the threats that complicate the perception of newsworthiness include the commercialisation of media and social life (too many platforms to keep track of and too much useless information), public relations (obscuring and subverting the truth) and how ideals of journalism that aim to address hard-hitting and serious issues are sacrificed for tabloidy trash.  

 

Photo of the Week

In last week's lecture we addressed the field of investigative journalism and the need for such reporters to get into the thick of it and put the legwork in. It is not enough to just sit behind a computer or at a phone and do your research without leaving your desk. New forms of technology have enabled this laziness and it is certainly possible to write a good story without going into the field, but the great stories require that extra mile. The following photograph was taken by journal photographer Bill Gallagher and won the pulitzer prize. It depicts democratic presidential candidate and Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson, as well as Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams. Adlai Stevenson's shoes are the focus, worn and weathered, holes forming on the soles, they are evidence of hard work and effort by the candidate himself - not just his political team or staff. 

I also found the following photo of Barak Obama which is clearly an homage to the Adlai Stevenson Photograph and can be seen to embody the same sentiment.

Is the End Approaching for the Simpsons?

It might just be a marketing or salary negotiation ploy but rumours are surfacing that Simpsons may finally be coming to a close. The hugely successful show holds the record for the longest running television series and is a core stable of many television networks who use reruns as valuable fillers. Fox is considering cancelling the show unless the voice talents behind the loveable characters, including Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardly Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, each agree to take a 45% pay cut with their current salaries totalling roughly 8 million dollars each a year. If the show were to end, Fox would still retain massive profits and income from selling old episodes and from merchandising and syndication, suggesting that the show has run its course and its value now lies in back-end profits.

Factual Story Submission

TURNING DISABILITY INTO POSSIBILITY

The perception of beauty has never been a universal notion. Be it blonde or brunette, slender or voluptuous, pint-sized or Amazonian…we each have differing opinions on what we consider beautiful and desirous. These opinions are not constant either, as our ideas of beauty are reconfigured on a day-to-day basis in accordance with new trends and fashions. So we change. We change our hair, our clothes, our height, treating our bodies like four-limbed canvases to paint and drape with colour. So what happens when the canvas itself is reconfigured and the human body no longer resembles the form that we have always known? With the loss of an arm or a leg does our capacity for beauty diminish or does it simply mean that it is time to re-access our traditional views and see possibilities instead of limitations?

Mullins' wooden legs designed by McQueen

Thirty-five year old Aimee Mullins is woman who poses the ultimate challenge to conventional ideas of what is sexy and beautiful in a body. The blonde bombshell has featured in films, walked fashion runways and posed for magazine covers around the world, with each public accolade for beauty accomplished on one of her many pairs of prosthetic legs. Born with fibular hemimelia or missing fibula bones, both of Mullins’ legs were amputated below the knee when she was one year old. Rejecting the idea of disability or deformity, Mullins has turned her condition into a chance to transform the human body into art and transcend human boundaries of design and form. Her legs have become wearable sculptures, embracing the poetry and art of design and abandoning the need to replicate humanness. Legendary fashion designer Alexander McQueen designed a pair of beautifully crafted wooden legs for Mullins to walk on in his 1999 London Fashion Show. Made from solid ash, the prosthetics were intricately carved with grapevines and magnolias, creating a pair of enviable legs that epitomized artistry of the human body and pushed the boundaries of functional fashion.

Mullins actively embraces her body’s capacity to change and transform, boasting of her ability to be five different heights. Alternating between a comfortable five-foot-eight to a breathtaking six-foot-one, Mullins is able to defy the limitations of a normal individual to far greater effect than a pair of high-heels. To the untrained eye, her gorgeous silicone pins appear as flawlessly finished legs, drawing attention from crowds not because they are fake, but because they are stunning. One friend of Mullins went as far to exclaim “But Aimee, that’s so unfair,” when she noticed Mullins’ radically increased height during a night out, which is not your typical reaction when speaking to someone who has lost both her legs.

Mullins' pair of "glass legs"

It is no secret that most individuals would shy away from someone who is missing a limb or whose body deviates from the expected form. People will often either avert their gaze or overcompensate by maintaining fixed eye contact, looking anywhere but at the obviously absent limb. With new innovations in science and design, such an expectation is inverted, as onlookers are instead encouraged to not only look and stare, but to admire. Art and science are no longer mutually exclusive spheres and the normally devastating disruption to the human form can open up new arenas for design and creation. In Mullins’ own words, “Poetry matters. Poetry is what elevates the banal and neglected object to a realm of art. It can transform the thing that might have made people fearful into something that invites them to look”. In addition to her hand carved wooden legs, Mullins has in her collection a pair of woven carbon fiber legs modeled after a cheetah, legs that look as if they are comprised of glass or pure crystal, but were actually fashioned from optically clear polyurethane (bowling ball material) and even a pair of unusual prosthetics cast in soil and interwoven with plant root systems. Many of the prosthetics were worn by Mullins when she appeared in the highly acclaimed 2003 film Cremaster 3 by contemporary artist Matthew Barney.  

With the future potential of science and art, the traditionally assigned labels of ‘disabled’ and ‘limited’ are replaced with terms such as ‘super-abled’ and ‘uncharted potential’. Advancements in bioengineering and robotics may reach a level of performance and function that surpass human capability, validating the themes and storylines of many science fiction films. Through the fusion of art, design and science, traumatic changes to the human body can now become a basis for innovation, establishing new platforms for beauty, creativity and function that transcend traditional notions and collective social opinions.

What do you think: Is this body beautiful?
Photograph of Aimee Mullins

Steve Jobs Passes but his Legacy Remains

At just 56 years of age, extraordinary tech genius and visionary Steve Jobs, has passed away after losing his battle with cancer.  The co-founder of Apple Computer has had an incredible impact on the way the world uses and interacts with technology, with his brand recognised for its superior quality and capabilities, from personal computing, digital music and mobile technology. I was already looking forward to reading the biography of the influential figure that is coming out in time for Christmas and I am sure I won't be the only one in line for it.

Photo of the Week

This photograph captures both a breath-taking and tragic moment during a fire in a Boston Apartment. Photographer Stanley Forman was able to capture the exact moment that the balcony collapsed and the mother and child were sent plummeting towards the ground. Unfortunately the woman died upon impact however her daughter did survive the traumatic event. Forman was awarded the 1975 World Press Prize for the image. To me, the picture appears suspended in time and I can construct an entire narrative of the event in my head. In some ways it does not seem real and I have to remind myself that the photograph is not staged or edited. These are real people and the poor girl has what has to be one of the worst moments in her life forever preserved. 

Amanda Knox Conviction Overturned on Appeal

I can't believe that the appeal has actually worked after what essentially mounted to four years of campaigning and PR work on Amanda Knox's behalf. The Italian media had crucified Knox and branded her a remorseless, sex-crazed drug addict during her trial and there is no doubt that they are outraged at the judge's verdict. Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollcecito were officially cleared of all murder charges and were immediately released from prison. The sentence was overturned due to the findings of independent forensic investigators who cast heavy doubt on DNA evidence collected by the Italian police. The Italian legal system has one more chance to appeal the acquittal verdict, however Knox is free to return to the United States in the meantime.

I don't doubt that Amanda Knox will have a chance to make up her legal fees and then some, if she were to agree to an exclusive interview once she has returned to the U.S.

A video of the delivery of the verdict is included below:

Children Struck by Train

I mention this news story because it bears similarities to the previous post regarding the three children killed in their driveways. A three-year old boy and a four-year old girl were hit by a Ballarat-bound passenger train on Old Western Highway at approximately 11.20 am this morning. Both children suffered serious injuries and were flown to the Royal Children's Hospital. The article mentions that they were believed to have been playing on a nearby property when the accident occurred and my first reaction was - where the hell were their parents? Who lets a three-year old and a four-year run off alone with train tracks close by? But after more information was given about the accident and the area I realise that this wasn't necessarily a case of negligence. Some railways run right behind some houses and young children can be creative escape artists. It only takes a minute or two for something to go wrong and the unfortunate events of this morning are a testament to that.

Tragic Deaths in Driveways

The death of another child who was backed over in his own driveway had prompted authorietes to urge parents to be aware of their children at all times and make sure that the coast is clear before reverseing out of their houses. A three year old boy from Sydney joins two other childern who have been killed by the family vehicle within a six day period. The mother behind the wheel of the four-wheel-drive BMW was in shock following the death of her son and is being given counselling. Among the previous two victims were a two year old boy from Melbourne who was struck by his mother's four-wheel-drive along with his grandfather, and a two year old girl who was also from Sydney and was run over by her father in her driveway. Such deaths are heartbreaking and tragic and not just for the loss of the children, as I have no doubt that the parents responsible will never be able to forgive themselves and will regret not looking behind them for the rest of their lives.  



Amanda Knox Appeal in Concluding Stages

Last semester I wrote an assignment about the Amanda Knox case and the decision by lifetime to turn the crime into a drama documentary starring Hayden Panettiere. I became facinated with the case, largely due to its highly publicised nature and the relentless efforts of the Italian Press to paint Knox as a sex crazed American teenager with a heart of ice. The crime itself occurred in Perugia, Italy in 2007, where 21 year old British exchange student Meredith Kercher was found stabbed to death in her apartment. Amanda Knox, who was her roomate at the time, was convicted for Kercher's murder along with her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. The crime is believed to have resulted from a drug-fuelled sexgame that went to far. The Italian press pounced upon the case, deeming Knox the Angel Faced Killer and painting her as a promiscous devil nicknamed 'Foxy Knoxy'. The Italian court system does not require juries to be sequestered and some depictions of Knox in the media are likely to have impacted their perception of her. The case was also a hot topic of international bulletins and was heavily featured in the British, American and Italian media due to the diverse nationalities of those involved. The crime was not the only aspect heavily featured or debated, as the Italian justice system came under attack for their handling of the case and their method of trial which greatly differs to that of the American System. Amanda Knox has already served 2 years of a 26 year sentence with an appeal verdict expected within the early days of October. Knox and her boyfriend have maintained their innocence throughout the entire investigation and trial, claiming that they were together in Sollecito's apartment the night of the murder.

The case is particularly interesting when considering its radically different portrayal across continents and integral role of the media in shaping the conclusions and perceptions of audience. The press can wield a lot of power and influence when reporting on controversial crime stories and the Amanda Knox trial is a perfect example of the media's ability to subvert opinion.

The tralier for the lifetime adaptation is included below (the quality is very bad but it was the best I could find that was in English)

Photo of the Week

Similar to the Vietnam War photograph of the naked child running down the street in agony, this amazing photograph poses ethical questions, as it is capturing the murder of a human being while the photographer captures the event with his camera. It was taken in South Africa during the Apartheid years and depicts a a male supporter of the African National Congress, using a machete to hack at another man (a Zulu named Lindsaye Tshabalala) who is simultaneously being burned alive. The photographer did not intercede on the man's behalf or try to stop the crime, instead remaining a passive observer. Freelancer Greg Marinovich was responsible for capturing the event and received a pulitzer prize for the photograph of Lindsaye Tshabalala's Fiery Death. When reflecting on the photograph, Marinovich states that:

"This was without doubt the worst day of my life, and the trauma remains with me, despite some twenty years and a lot of coming to terms with the incident, my role and what it means to be involved in murder. This mudered happened a month after I had witnessed the one in Nancefield Hostel, and I was determined to redeem myself by not just being an observer. I neither saved him, nor redeemed myself, though at least I did not act shamefully.”

Lecture on Agenda Setting

Agenda setting is concerned with constructing reality to serve an ulterior motive - a motive that can be either altruistic or self-serving. The way that audiences perceive reality and interact with it is mediated through social life through everyday communication and shared language. The main forms of agenda are:

Public Agenda - a set of topics that members of the public consider important

Policy Agenda - issues that decision makers think are salient

Corporate Agenda - issues that are valued by conglomerates and businesses

Media Agenda - issues found within everyday media

The forms of agenda are not mutually exclusive and are often interconnected and interrelated.

Agenda setting theory acts upon the premise that the news media has a large influence over the public with respect to what stories they deem newsworthy and how much prominence they give them. The main objective of agenda setting is salience transfer, imparting issues of importance from their news media agendas to public agendas. Mccombs describes the process of agenda setting as the following:

"Through their day-by-day selection and display of the news, editors and news directors focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. This ability to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda has come to be called the agenda setting role of the news media"

Agenda setting is a process of building and cutting - there is so much information out there that it is virtually impossible to include everything, therefore it is best to choose issues that serve a wider purpose. A great deal of filtering is required which is not inherently sinister or corrupt, it is just necessary. However, a consequence of the media featuring certain issues more prominently and frequently than others is that the public comes to perceive these issues as more important than others. Unfortunately, this can lead to a uniform way of thinking as audiences fail to seek out wider issues.

Another form of agenda setting that could be regarded as sinister is propaganda, which is often used to promote a certain way of thinking through means akin to brainwashing. One definition describes propaganda as a tool used "to help shape images in the minds of human beings in support of an enterprise, idea or group. Propaganda can be used to substitute one social pattern for another."

The Agenda Setting Family comprises of:

1. Media Gatekeeping - controls the flow of messages through a communication channel (the internet is is a problematic medium when it comes to gatekeeping.
2. Media Advocacy - purposive promotion of a message which is often sponged to the public (such as health and safety messages)
3. Agenda Cutting - deciding what is and is not newsworthy ( unfortunately issues like AIDS are often shunted to the background)
4. Agenda Surfing - the media will jump on the bandwagon when trends arise, following and reporting on issues that audiences are currently interested in or obsessed with
5. The Diffusion of News - how, when and where news is released and those who are responsible for deciding
6. Portrayal of an Issue - the way an issue is portrayed will often influence how it is perceived by the public
7. Media Dependence - the more depend a person is on the media for information

Photo of the Week

Talk about capturing the moment - this iconic shot features the infamous murder of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby, while he was being taken into custody. Oswald was believed to have been responsible for assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, with this photo being taken just two days after the police arrested him. The photographer, Robert H. Jackson of the Dallas-Times Herald, received the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for the photograph. 

The Controversy of Reporting Suicide

As a result of the horiffic murder/suicide that occured in Paddington, tutorial members debated the ethics of reporting suicides within the media and reflected upon past attitudes within journalism on the issue. We are all aware that publicising events generates interest and creates ideas among audiences and the concern of reporting instances of suicide is that it will encourage copycats among the public. During to the turorial i was alerted to the fact that Australia once had one of the worst suicide rates in the world, particularly among youg males living in rural and isolated areas. Of course I had no idea just how many suicides had occured due to the media's reluctance to report on the issue - and i can understand their reluctance but to me it just seems like the country was in a permanant state of denial. If no one acknowledges the existance of a problem, than nothing can be done about the problem and all these deaths are just being swept under the rug. A lot of good can be done by raising awareness and impressing upon the public the reality of the situation. Audiences are more likely to donate funds, identify warning signs and argue for government intervention if the problem of suicide is made more public. Foundations such as Beyondblue are in a better position to reach more people if they have the support of the media and the community. For example, when the Governemnt was made aware of the significant problem of adolewscent suicide in outback Australia, they were given very real incentive to assign funds to help with the problem, setting up programs and support groups within the community. In my opinion, I believe these stories should be reported on and discussed but I would consider it unethical for the media to release photographs or footage of the crime or its aftermath.

If you or someone you know think you need some help or just someone to talk to, please call any of the numbers listed below:

• Emergency appointment with your local doctor (General Practitioner) check the White Pages for the phone number. You can find a GP in your area who has had extra training in mental health by looking at the beyondblue Find a Doctor List.
• Contact your local public hospital.
• beyondblue info line - 1300 22 4636
• Lifeline - 13 11 14
• Suicide Helpline Victoria - 1300 651 251
• Kids Help Line (free call) - 1800 55 1800
• Mensline - 1300 789 978



Lecture on Public Media

Monday's lecture explored the attributes of Public media on a national and international level and highlighted the key differences between Public and Commercial media.

Nigel Milan, who was a former managing director of SBS, argues that "the difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens."

The primary objective of public media is to serve or engage the public. Supported by the government and funded through by taxpayer's money, the form is not supposed to be a market-driven entity and although it might engender a profit, this should never be its ultimate focus. Within Australia, media institutions such as the ABC, SBS and their subsidiaries (ABC2, 3, SBS2 etc.), along with Radio ABC, Triple J and Classic Fm are typical examples and heavily utilised forms of public media.

On an International scale, institutions such as the BBC (funded by television license fees, UK), Channel 4 (UK), PBS and National Public Radio (U.S.A), TVNZ (New Zealand), arte (France), NHK (Japan), RTHK (Hong Kong) and DR (Denmark) exist with an identical purpose to Australian public media, although there are variations in their operation, in accordance with their own laws and codes. They are funded by license fees, donations, government contributions and taxpayer money.

Community Media forms are local outlets for the dissemination of news and information and can have public and student contributors.

The Role of Public Media within a democracy is to facilitate conversation and support of public and democratic processes. The grounding principle is that it should always have public value.

Public media should include programs that cater to a large range of people, generally aimed at universal appeal. Provisions for minority groups should also be included as opposed to mainstream issues and ideas. It should not be concerned with things like ratings or profit but rather quality and entertainment. It should function within issues of nation, concerned with nation building, national heritage, identity and conversations. Cooking programs and entertainment shows are also a feature of public media, designed to serve and interest the public. However, there are always commercial aspects to everything which is exemplified through the appearance of shops and services such as the ABC shop, the World Game Shop and translation and data cast facilities.

The ABC - founded in 1929, ABC is broadcast all over the world through radio and television and includes a lot of programs that are not made in-house. Independent works are preferable and cheaper to broadcast.

The SBS - launched in 1980 under the banner of a 'multi-cultural' channel, this company ranges from programs such as Skynews, to music shows such as Rockwiz, documentaries, foreign programs and world sports. A lot of unique and quirky stuff that is increasingly rare within mainstream or commercial media channels will be broadcast through the SBS.

Aside from a slew of television programs, and films, Public Media is also heavily concerned with the news, although it operates in a different manner to news broadcasts by commercial stations. Within Australia, a tremendous majority of the population rely on the ABC for their news, with statistics revealing that the number is as high as 41%. The style of public media news is seen as the deciding factor, as it is less tabloid-like, foregrounding important and serious issues and presenting well researched and fact-driven pieces. The downside of this style, is that it is seen as boring and elitist, failing to spark interest to those who might tune in for the first time or who just want the headlines.

Some problems and criticisms that the ABC faces is the danger they risk when they are critical of the government and political factions, as these are the institutions responsible for its maintenance and funding and it is never a good idea for you to bite the hand that feeds you. There is also a belief that public media is performing too well and are capitulating to commercial pressures by focusing on ratings and competition with other channels over their ingrained responsibilities to the public.

Train and Bus Meet Deadly End

A train in Argentina collided with a bus on Tuesday morning on September 13, and then a second train crashed into the wreckage as a result of the relentless peak hour traffic. Over 212 people were injured, with emergency services working extremely hard to quickly extract the victims and rush them to hospital, Unfortunately, 11 people have already been declared dead and this is unlikely to be the final death toll. Footage of the aftermath of the tragedy is embedded below.

9/11 Ten Year Anniversary

Last Sunday marked the ten year anniversary of one of most prominent terrorist attacks of our generation> I still remember waking up that morning and going to watch cartoons before school and was just bombarded with report after report of the terrorist attacks. The footage went on for weeks and the rest of the world fell away and we knew that this tragedy would have lingering consequences for years to come. The following site depicts the dedication of the memorial and enables visitors to access information about victims and portals to offer support: http://www.911memorial.org/

Photo of the Week

This past July I went on an overseas trip to Europe and one of my final detonations was Amsterdam. Aside from taking a bike tour, gorging myself to flotation on dutch pancakes and visiting the Van Gogh Museum, I made sure I visited the House of Anne Frank. The twelve year old Jewish girl is one of the most associated faces with the tragedy of the holocaust, injecting identity among the masses of nameless corpses that are synonymous with the nazi regime. The house has been converted into a museum and displays several photos of Anne and her family. The photo that hid me the hardest and evoked the most tragedy and despair was that of Otto Frank, returning to his empty home (which had been his self-imposed prison for so long) having been the only survivor within his family. His wife and two daughters were killed during the war and even without this knowledge, the photo is most definitely that of a broken man.

Lecture on Commercial Media

Commercial media maintains a critical role within the Australian media landscape, with its accessibility extending from free to air television channels, newspapers run by News Limited and Fairfax Media, Pay TV channels such as Austar and Foxtel, not to mention the large variety of radio stations. It is a profit-driven form of media production that serves to keep advertisers happy.

Unlike government supported public media, commercial media outlets have shareholders and investors who are motivated by the need to generate audiences and who depend upon the success or failure of a media form for their own business. The cost of pro ducting commerce media derives from subscription, sponsorship and sometimes subsidisation through government funding. Within Australia, the major commercial media contributors and their associated assets are:

News Limited - an Australian newspaper publisher owned by News Corporation

• The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-mail, The Sunday Mail, The Mercury
• GQ Australia, Vogue Australia and Big League 
• news.com.au, theage.com.au
• Brisbane Broncos, Cowboys Rugby League Football

Fairfax Media Limited - one of Australia's largest and most diversified media corporations

• The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, The Border Mail
• CFO Australia, AFR Boss and AFR Smart Investor magazines 
• Fairfax Digital
• domain.com.au, RSVP
• Southern Cross Broadcasting, Satellite Music Australia

Nine

• Free to Air television - 9, GO, GEM
• ninemsn, ticketeck 
• Women's Weekly, Cosmo, Cleo, Zoo, FHM, Woman's Day

Win

• Free to Air TV and radio - mostly rural based
• TPG
• St George Footy Club

Other prominent commercial media outlets include Southern Cross, Channel Ten and Seven West Media.

Commercial media plays an important role within democratic society, however it can often be torn between two competing interests such as profit and social service. The social responsibilities of commercial media are to report the truth and keep the government and other interests in check and hold them accountable for their actions. However, commercial media is market driven and owes their allegiance to their investors and advertisers more than the general public. There should be an ethical wall that divides the profit and public interests, yet this boundary is sometimes crossed.

Because commercial media exists within a competitive environment, the public has access to wide variety of competing stories as stations and newspapers compete for headlines and are motivated to produce faster and compelling accounts.

However in some countries, social controls do operate within commercial media as some governments will restrict and censor the type of content reported and broadcast. Within China, the "great firewall of China" exists that prevents access to corrupting and networking sites such as Facebook, for fear that it will influence generations for the worse. At one point, Egypt, to no avail, tried to shut down the internet, to prevent footage of the riots and violence leaking overseas. Even in Australia, there are efforts to produce "clean-feed" internet sites by prohibiting certain forms of media being shone, however this is highly problematic as who gets to decide what is and is not appropriate. In some countries such as Indonesia and East Timor, they have issue licenses for journalism that can be revoked at any time if the organisation believes that you have done something offensive, this is a liberty we take for granted in Australia and every day, more and more citizen journalists are created.

The Style and Consequences of Commercial Media
CM has gained a bad reputation for being corrupt, self-serving, lacking in quality and prioritising advertising interests over the good of the public. The consequences of CM is a type of tabloidisation of the news where it is dumbed down and given in broader terms due to the overwhelming desire to satisfy the superficial interests of the public. Basically, giving the public everything they want rather than what they really need and just like spoilt children, the effect of this will ultimately ruin them.

Future Challenges
The revenue for advertising within commercial media is continually decreasing and with the proliferation of free to air channels, audiences are stretched over a thinner base between countless competing interests. The loss of revenue ultimately inhibits the ability to produce quality media as there is simply no money for it, so instead we get bombarded with constant repeats of sitcoms and imported dramas.

But as we move into the digital era, a glimmer of hope persists as advertisers will switched to digital portals of promoting their products. As budding journalists, we hope that the public will continue to want and pay for quality journalism, no matter whether of not they access it through traditional forms of media or new digital formats. We can also view this as moving away from corporate media dominance to an expanded public sphere.