Developing an idea for the individual project (Advanced Online Media)

During the individual project I am developing an idea that will be presented through one of these mediums/ways. Each of them as certain strengths and weaknesses and some of them will work better with my topic idea(s) than others.

Audio– It is known as the theatre of the mind, which makes it a great medium to work with, using the possibility of imagination. I could try and experiment with sounds and different noise to create an atmosphere or a picture in the mind of the listener. It is also ideal for interviews, because the listener is not distracted by pictures or other things and can fully concentrate and comprehend the conversation. However, listeners might be distracted while listening by doing other things and there no pictures to aid the story telling

Video– This medium is ideal in combination with powerful footage and pictures. That might help the story to have an even deeper impact on the viewer. Unless the footage is powerful, there is no point in using it cause it will be meaningless.

Infographics– Data Journalism is a good way to explain gathered data that is more complex and in-depth. This only works if there is enough data to use and explain.

live blogging– When something happens in the world e.g. attacks or on a lighter note an award show, live blogging this event is the ideal way to cover a story while it is developing. It is very time restricted and can only work for certain stories.

Ideas for the project: 

• Future of the (London) theatre?// Theatre: The everlasting entertainment medium?  What makes it so interesting to people? What does theatre offer that movies do not? – Is it the possibility to see celebrities? How will stages and set change in the future and what part does technology play? What does the future hold for playwrights? Will there be more revivals or original plays? West End vs. Fringe Theatre. How can the theatre compete against movies and TV? Why do people still spend money on theatre?

As I am enthusiastic about the theatre, this topic would be great for me to research it in more depth and gain more knowledge. In the project I would like to answer at least several of the above questions in order to have a certain angle for the story.

• Do theatre productions use celebrities just to raise the sales?

Younger generations may not be as interested in theatre, due to endless possibilities of entertainment, theatre may be the last choice or overlooked. Some might say it is old fashioned. However, according to figure published by the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) 2015 was a ‘healthy’ year for the industry.

Best way to tell the story?

For the project I’m in between audio or infographics. Both could bring a unique way of telling the story. Whereas I slightly lean more towards audio as I would like to interview people to add some colour to my original research and data. Infographics could help in creatively presenting data that I gather, with primary research (surveys) and secondary research.

Aggregation and curation (Advanced Online Media)

Aggregation

Aggregation and curation plays an important part in digital journalism, although it is also present in everyday life. Nearly everyone is republishing information that was originally gathered by someone else. Whether, it’s tweeting about an article or sharing a post. In the journalism industry, Reuters and other wire services as well as BBC monitoring play their part in aggregation.

Curation

Helping other by searching in a big mass of information and choosing relevant content from that while authenticating it and providing original research. Then, curators present the collected material.

In reference to curation Andy Carvin a senior strategist for NPR, finds a great way to explain the word ‘media’: “It means being in the middle — in this case, between sources and the public. So curating … really isn’t that different than what reporters have always done; it’s just in real time and a hell of a lot more transparent.”

 

Full article on curation

 

Storify is a great tool to aggregate and curate news stories. Having tried it myself I found that it helped thinking about the story in a broader way, opening my mind to more than just one media outlet. Researching and trying to find the best material for my post made me realize how much information is out there and how difficult it can be for an individual, especially if they are not familiar with the media, to find the best articles, posts and information available.

 

What’s on Stage Awards- Storify

 

One aspect that needs to be mentioned is that a few people in the industry think of aggregation as unethical or wrong. As Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corporation, says “To aggregate is n not fair use. To be impolite, it is theft.” He argues that creating original content as in producing journalism is expensive and therefore it unethical.

I strongly disagree. As long as the aggregators link the original story and give credit to the person who first gathered the information and published, then it can actually benefit the public, especially if additional information or comment is added.

Will smartphones replace our PC’s? (Advanced Online Media)

Some people argue that this generation is dependent on technology and cannot deal with life without their beloved smartphones. We live in a time where a mobile can be used for almost anything. Buying theatre tickets on a bus? No problem. Booking a table for a dinner out, while leaving work? Easy. So, it seems very likely that the mobile phone will replace the old desktop PC in the near future. Many have already started to use their phone in order to access the news rather than buying a paper or watching TV, let alone using a PC at home.

Carolina Milanesi, consumer trends industry expert says: “Will we always need a desktop? No, not all of us will.”  In the future people will be using their mobile phone as their number one choice to access the news and entertainment.

It wasn’t always possible to use a mobile phone for most of the tasks that we are able to use it now. The earliest smartphones had not enough battery life and processing power to cover our needs. But according to Christina Bonnington’s article in Wired we will use smartphones as our only computers and the change is coming soon.

With our phones we can tailor the news to each of us, Apps like Feedly or the news app iPhones let you customise the news, from choosing your favourite newspapers or magazine to only getting news about entertainment or politics.

Another thing that a phone can do that a PC can’t, you can get updates on your phone on a regular basis. Whether you’re in bed, sitting on the couch or, if you’re brave enough, taking a bath. Wherever you are your smartphone is, therefore you can receive the news and entertain yourself with watching the latest US Drama on Netflix. All that just with a compact device.

Microsoft is planning to turn your smartphone into a computer that you can use anywhere. The company wants to use their new windows 10 to allow their users to plug their smartphones into a screen. The basic concept for replacing the pc with your mobile device is to plug in your phone, use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Using Netflix or AppleTV will enable the user to enjoy entertainment in the comfort of their own home, without a big PC.

International Business Times

However, there are reasons why using your mobile phone as a source for entertainment isn’t the best possible choice. The screens are too small to get the full benefit of watching a movies or TV show. Therefore, it might hurt the quality of entertainment if the phone is not plugged into a bigger screen.

Does Leonardo DiCaprio deserve an Oscar? (Audio Journalism- vox pop 1)

Leonardo DiCaprio is going to play a man with 24 personalities in his new movie ‘The Crowded Room’, which he also produces. In the movie the schizophrenic man  successfully defended robbery and rape charges by arguing that the crimes were the work of two of his 24 personalities. People are already arguing if this movie will make him finally win an Oscar.

Evaluation of Multimedia Journalism (video) and my Final Project

The Multimedia Journalism module was very interesting, creative and a lot to do. It taught me how to get the skills needed in online or multimedia outlets. For example, where you not only have to research for your work but also write and produce several multimedia videos or other media. In many  cases nowadays, online publications require their journalists not only to do the work of a traditional journalists (e.g. writing, researching, etc.) but know how to film, edit and produce a video. During the six weeks of video journalism I’ve learnt basic video skills. I have also learnt how to use Final Cut Pro and edit all my work. This was very intimidating at the beginning because I had never done that before and it looked very difficult. However, after I’ve learnt how to use the program, even if it was only the basics, I really enjoyed using it and creating my videos. Looking back I think I could have been more engaged with the work, maybe try to be a bit more creative.

For the final project I did a news package, which is a video about a current topic in the news and includes different media, such as pictures, interviews, voice-over.

I did have fun doing the interviews and editing the clips together to create a final three minute video. I learnt how to do everything by myself and to try and make the video engaging for the viewer. I started with interviewing students asking 1. Have the high tuition fees influenced your decision in going to university? and 2. What do you think about countries where university is at low or no cost? I did more interviews that I needed so I could choose the best ones for the final video. Then I wrote down information and facts that I wanted to include in my news package. After I’ve established that I was looking for pictures that I could use when I would do the voice-over for the introduction and some other parts of the video. I filmed the university and the student accommodation where I and interviewed the students.

During this project I learnt that I actually really enjoyed editing, I didn’t expect that because it seemed too technical at the beginning and I’m not very good with technical things. I have found out that I like multimedia journalism and that really enjoyed doing on-camera interviews. I have also learnt about some of my weaknesses. I should have started earlier so I could have changed a few things If I needed to. I also should have gone out to interview more people, especially people on the streets. Looking back I think it would have been better to interview people in different locations. This way the video has different angles and backgrounds.

Overall I had fun during the module and doing the work. I have learnt enough basic skills that I now know I would like to learn more about video journalism.

Labour suggests that tuition fees deter students from going to university

For the final video project I have created a news package about tuition fees and how they may have affected prospective students in their decision to go to university. This is an important issue for students as going to university is a decision that will affect the rest of their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbno34jr5RE

According to a recent analysis of application data the demand for extra university places is much lower than expected. Instead of an expected additional 60,000 places, only 12,000 students are taking up places in autumn 2015.

The Labour party has to confirm if they want to cut the tuition fees. Their university spokesman, Liam Byrne, believes that the current fees of £9,000 per year are discouraging students to go on to higher education.

However, UCAS has published figures showing that applications from school leavers for full-time undergraduate courses had reached record levels.

Furthermore, there are countries in Europe, such as Germany and Sweden, that offer higher education at low or no cost for students in the EU. These countries are known for their good standard of education, even though university education is not accompanied by fees that might deter students from entering.