Lecture Eight

Public Media. 

*continue on from previous weeks lecture...

*this blog is a summary of lecture and powerpoint by Dr Bruce Redman

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

Nigel Milan (former Managing Director of SBS)

• What is Public Media?

Profit-driven media production

Not government funded (or license funded)

It survives or fails on business success

Its business is generating ‘audiences’

Audiences generate profit through selling advertising

• What is Public Media’s role in a democratic society?

Public Media should have 'Public Value'. 

According to BBC, 'Public Value' is: 

1. Embedding a ‘public service ethos’

2. Value for licencefee money

3. ‘Weighing public value against

market impact’

4. Public consultation

• Who are the major players?

Examples of major players: BBC, ABC, SBS

• What do they make?

What does ABC make? 

ABC

ABC Kids

ABC News

ABC 2 

ABC 3

ABC Local Radio

ABC Radio National

ABC Classic FM

Triple J

ABC Radio Australia 

Movies 

TV series

• The various functions of P.M.

If we continue on with ABC being the example, we can see how it helps to build up a nation by sharing and creating national conversations, sharing national heritage and discovering national identity.

Another key mechanism of Public Media is news. 

- CAFF41% of Australians get their news from the ABC

- Each week 12.6 million Australians watch ABC TV.

- Only source of radio news analysis and ‘current affairs’ (an explanation and analysis of current events and issues, including material dealing with political or industrial controversy or with public policy).

- Only source of lengthy interviews with politicians and nations leaders in the media other than talkback.

• Challenges for Public Media

Although different in orientation –both commercial and public media need audiences.

A simple matter of competition then? –surely the bread and butter of commercial media

Well, not really……..

According to Murdoch. Government regulation of commercial media and big public media:

penalise the poor. (constrain choice, BBC licence fee, Government allocated funding

promote inefficient infrastructure (duplication and waste)

build inaccessible institutions (ABC, BBC, ARD, RHTK)

threaten the growth of independent news and investment in new forms of journalism (How?)

stunt the growth of the creative industries dampens innovation (How?)

• The Future of Public Media?

‘an expanded vision for “public media 2.0” that places engaged publics at its core … educating, informing, and mobilizing its users. … an essential feature of truly democratic public life … media both for and by the public. …’

http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_media_2_0

_dynamic_engaged_publics/#execsum

All in all, we gained an understanding of what Public Media is in comparison to Commercial Media. But what effect does Public Media have on Journalism? According to Robert Richter, Public Media is important because is the last bastion of long-form investigative journalism.It “is such a special vehicle for voices to be heard … [for] visions and viewpoints … ignored by commercial media.”

http://beyondthebox.org/vol.23/BTBSF04_1.html

Robert Richter: independent producer who has made more than four dozen docosfor PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, Discovery Channel

Lecture Seven

Commercial Media. 

This lecture coincided with next weeks lecture - Commercial Media vs. Public Media (next week). 

• The Australian Media Landscape

• Why does Commercial Media exist?

Commercial Media exists as the eyes and ears to advertisers. It is the money makers for both television broadcasters and advertisers. It is a great way for TV to make money off advertising and a great way for advertisers to capture their targeted audience's attention and show off their goods and services.

• What is Commercial Media?

Profit-driven media production

Not government funded (or license funded)

It survives or fails on business success

Its business is generating ‘audiences’

Audiences generate profit through selling advertising

• What do the major players produce?

Major players include: Foxtel, Nine News, News Limited, 20th Century Fox, Fox Sports, Sky News etc. 

Major players produce: Newpapers, film, Cable TV, Magazines, Books, Sports, Radio etc.

• The Form and Function of C.M.

FORM - Commercials - Subscription (Foxtel), Sponsored (9 News), Subsidised (government $$)

Social responsibility of The Media in a Democracy:

1.a truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent

account of the day’s events in a context which

gives them meaning;

2.a forum for the exchange of comment and

criticism;

3.the projection of a representative picture of the

constituent groups in the society;

4.the presentation and clarification of the goals

and values of the society;

5.full access to the day’s intelligence.

(Hutchins Commission 1947)

How do we keep Commercial Media under control? 

1. Formal State Requirements

2. Legal Prescriptions 

3. State Oversight 

Statutory Control: Australian Government - Australian Commercial and Media Authority

Voluntary Control: Australian Press Council

FUNCTION - Commercials (Austereo), Propaganda (Fox News Channel), Social 

The ‘first duty [of the media] is to shun the temptations of monopoly.Its primary office is the gathering of news.At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted.Neither in what it gives, nor in what it does not give, nor in the mode of presentation must the unclouded face of truth suffer wrong.Comment is free, but factsare sacred.

C.P. Scott (Editor / Owner of The Guardian)

• Challenges for Commercial Media

There is a decrease in the need for broadcasting media and therefore revenue for this kind of media continues to slide down. Loss of revenue means less investment, less money for quality production, more brought-in content, and more repeats of sitcoms and reality TV.

• The Future of Commercial Media?

Commercial Media needs to focus less on their revenue from advertising and more on improving the products that they have to offer. Consumers will pay more if they are getting better quality picture, shows, and service. If they improve their image and content then they will make more money off selling their product to existing and new consumers. They can move their existing consumers to digital TV with will satisfy their customers and ultimately produce more revenue for them in the long run. They can also introduce more Paywalls on the internet. 

After this summary of the lecture, we can see that Commercial Media mainly serves the purpose of making money through advertising and bringing this advertising the the attention on consumers. However, the decline in demand for media advertising has meant less revenue for broadcasters. What effect does this have on Journalism? Well, the news we produce will usually end up on one of these channels, in a newspaper or magazine which survives on the help of Commercial Media. If Commercial Media dies out, then so will these mediums in which we need to publish our work. 

Lecture Six

Going beans.

Imagine you were given 12 jelly beans.

Told they were all yours to eat. 

You were told you eat one.

Taste it. Love it. Crave more.

Then told "thanks, they're $10. If you don't want to pay, give them back."

What would you do? 

Wouldn't you feel like someone was taking away what was given to you? Taking what was, so you thought for a short while, rightfully yours?

This is what Dr Bruce Redman tried to prove to us when he handed everyone in the JOUR1111 lecture 12 jelly beans in a zip-lock bag. We call looked at him with a bit of betrayal, and a bit of disbelief. Not one person in the room kept their jelly beans and headed up the front to pay-up their fee. 

What was this all for, you may ask? 

His point was to prove that putting a price on internet news wouldn't work now that we've had so many years of free access to news in the online media. The public feel like it's their right to get news for free. So what will this mean for journalists. How will journalists get paid if no one pays to read the news they are writing. However, famous online news papers such as The New York Times allows for the public to see basic news stories, but they also have a log-in area where consumers need to subscribe and pay if they want to read more. Also, online mediums allow for news publishers to make more money off advertising and use this to pa their journalists. So no, I don't believe that the fact that people now consume news for free is a problem. News papers still make enough money through other means to pay their journalists adequately. I don't believe journalism is dying, just evolving into new dimensions and mediums. Citizen journalism is growing rapidly in popularity, but it is ultimately the paid journalists that get the news out first and allow for citizen journalists to re-blog or re-tweet. 

Lecture Five

The good, the bad and the ugly.

This lecture dealt with 'ethical' vs 'in-good-taste' in the media. 

eth·ics

  

plural noun

1.

(used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moralprinciples: the ethics of a culture.

2.

the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particularclass of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.:medical ethics; Christian ethics.

3.

moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbadebetrayal of a confidence.

Retrieved from: www.dictionary.com

• His Holiness the Dalai Lama's public talk "Secular Ethics, Human Values and Society" given at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California, USA, on May 3rd. 2011. (www.dalailama.com). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TwSx0520

• Dilbert cartoon about ethics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WTkltRfphM

taste·ful

adjective

having, displaying, or in accordance with good taste: tasteful clothing; a tasteful room.

Retrieved from: www.dictionary.com


This lecture we were greeted by a guest speaker who gave out chart handouts, in which we had to mark where we thought each ad belonged. We had to decide whether the ad was made ethically or in-good-taste, and how ethical/unethical vs tasteful/distasteful the ad would be deemed in today's society. The chart was as follows: 

I'd have to say, the more interactive lectures make sitting down for an hour (especially for someone like me with a very small attention span) more bearable and pass faster. I guess I never really thought about comparing ethics with in-good-taste when it comes to media and this lecture changed that. It also made me question how much you could actually get away with in advertising and how different people react to this material. 

Assessment Three: Annotated Bibliography

The credibility of citizen journalism - new media vs. old media

“Journalism is the gathering and disseminating of new information to a wide audience about current events, trends, issues and people,” (Bainbridge, Goc, Tynan. Pg. 17). It is a form of communication that is professionally used to quote, document and present current happenings. This Annotated Bibliography will focus of the death of Michael Jackson and how citizen journalism was used in conjunction with professional journalism. It will critically engage with a range of texts from the fields of Journalism and Communication to discuss the reliability of this changing form of media. The mediums which these texts are coming from will be; television news report, online article and blog which highlight the 2009 event. The analysis taken will convey both the similar and contrasting opinions between each medium in order to account for their credibility.

Harrison, J. 2009. From the Biggest Job in the World To the Best Job in the World: Case Studies of Communication Campaigns Using Web 2.0. Section 1. When Grandpa gets to Google: Web 2.0, communication campaigns and case studies. Retrieved: 23/10/11

The birth and expansion of citizen journalism is a direct result of the advancement of technology, namely the Internet, throughout the past two decades. The Internet allows us to write and publish our own stories, views and opinions, and share them publically. In the Case Studies of Communication Campaigns Using Web 2.0, Harrison begins his discussion of today’s use of the web with the quote by McLuhan (1957). “Today we are beginning to notice that the new media are not just mechanical gimmicks for creating worlds of illusion, but new languages with new and unique powers of expression,” (Harrison, 2009. Pg. 1). By opening his discussion about web usage with this quote, Harrison is writing in favour of citizen journalism and other forms of ‘new media’ which have evolved in recent times. He says that “The balance has swung away from professional content producers to consumers’ who are also producers,” (Harrison, 2009. Pg. 2). This demonstrates that information on the web is increasingly being produced by the general public and less by professionally approved means of publication. However, his opening quote suggest that this has not proved to be a downfall but instead allowed us to evolve into new and more ‘powerful’ things.

ACESHOWBIZ, 2007. Lisa Marie Presley Blogs About Michael Jackson’s Death and How it Affects Her. http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00025327.html. Retrieved: 23/10/11

The blog by ACESHOWBIZ, published in 2007 gives us an insight into the citizen journalism which reporting on something as publically unsettling as the death of Michael Jackson. The death of singer, songwriter and performer, Michael Jackson was a 2009 event which shocked the world and caused public outcry. The public demanded immediate answers to the cause and actions which ultimately lead to the King of Pop’s death and the quickest way to spread this news what via the Internet. “Bloggers, who use the medium of the Internet, subscribe to the journalistic ideals of an obligation to the truth and the public’s right to information,” (Bainbridge, Goc, Tynan. Pg. 21). This suggests that all information on the Internet, by standards of ethics, should be true. However, the increase in new media forums has a direct correlation with the decline in credibility of news sources. By analysing and using the example of ACESHOWBIZ’s, 2009, re-blogging of Lisa Marie Presley’s personal blog written just after Jackson’s death, we can draw on our own opinions about the credibility of citizen journalism. The blog directly quotes Presley throughout its text, but what make it seem credible is the connected hyperlinks which direct us immediately to the original blog. However, how are we as the public, to be sure that this is truthfully Presley’s blog and if it is, how are we to know if what she says is accurate? This however is an issue that is not only faced with new media forms such as blogs, but also stills a concern with old media. As responders we have to make our own informed decisions about which information to account as credible or dismiss as fiction.

SkyNews, 2009. Television News Report. Breaking News report on Michael Jackson’s death. Confirmation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMLcLIdzJY Retrieved: 23/10/11

The live, breaking news, television report by SkyNews on the 26 June, 2009, is an example of a type of professional journalism. Television reporting, although not considered a ‘traditional media’ form, is becoming increasingly less popular as a medium of consuming news. Professional journalism is being taken over by citizen journalism through mediums such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook, which have taken the world by storm over the past two decades. However, its content is more regulated by professional publishers, and news is presented by academically acclaimed journalists. This automatically makes for a more credible source than a media blog or social networking site. In the events of Jackson’s death, the breaking news coverage by SkyNews allowed views to see live footage of the scene at the hospital and held interviews with people present at the scene. The report claimed to have had the death of Jackson confirmed by family members which made the tragedy a reality. SkyNews, in conjunction with other professional news teams (in this case, Los Angeles Times) worked collectively to present a cohesive news report. This rebounding information from other alike mediums is something which is similarly used by citizen journalists, and is the soul essence of ‘re-tweeting’ or ‘re-blogging’. Similarly to the way SkyNews made reference to the Los Angeles Times, ACESHOWBIZ made reference to Presley’s blog. Therefore, if we still deem second-hand information from one professional news source to another as reliable, then there is less to doubt about the credibility of citizen journalists re-posting.

BBC News, 26 June, 2009. Written News Article. Singers Michael Jackson Dies at 50. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8119993.stm Retrieved: 23/10/11.

Conforming to more traditional forms of media, written news articles don’t differ greatly from today’s use of blogs. The shift in the past two decades, from printed media to online media has meant a slight change in its style, however, it’s use of now combining different mediums such as video, pictures, text and hyperlinks, into one article has a allowed for consumers to have greater access to supporting information. In the article by BBC News, on the 26^th June, 2009, the publishers clearly support their information with backed up sources such as live news reports and links to other reports. This immediately increases their credibility. Live coverage is an advantage that news sites have over citizen journalists as they are fed the information first had and have the equipment available to stream such footage. 

Lecture Four: Ekka Holiday

This lecture was done on the week of Ekka, as a result, it was done as a recording and posted online. I'll admit that I forgot about it being cancelled and showed up to the lecture hall to find an empty room. But I saw others come in after and back away slowly as they came to the same realisation, so I can take comfort in the fact I wasn't alone.

To be perfectly honest, I found it hard to listen to a recording online rather than showing up to a lecture. It's harder to engage with the content when there isn't a person physically in front of you. I tuned out a lot but by the end of it, it was far to long to sit though again. I'd say that's why some people still show up to lectures these days, even though everything can be done online. I'd never hear anything if I was to sit at home and just listen to recordings.

So I guess I can say I picked up one of two tips for radio or television resenting/recording. The difference between them and the way you have to speak, but I probably didn't hear as much as I should have.

Unsuccessful.

Assessment Two: Telling Factual Stories

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people don't just happen. 

- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross 

We meet so many people in a lifetime, but very few make a big impression on our lives. Some may stay with us for a lifetime, and others only pass our lives by. When I met her, I knew this quote was true. She was one of the strongest people I knew, who had the most tremendous heart and a smile that was larger than life. To be in the presence of another human being is just so awesome. To be shocked and amazed by their sheer beauty is something special. It is to be arrested. But in a world so selfish and materialistic, we often miss the amazement. 

We met just shy of two months ago, on a late night shift. Both of us in training. Her confidence was overwhelming at first, and I felt uneasy being in the presence of her and the guy next to her. They seemed to get along far too well for two people who had just met. But I knew nothing of their past. It was one that was to be kept a dark secret.

It was a long eight hours that finished up at six in the morning. A shift as stressful as those, would lead even a non-smoker onto a smokers break. I swung the back door to the ally open and saw her silhouette sitting in solitude on the end of the stairs in the distance. Back curved over and hand cupped around her ear. I knelt down. Put my arm around her, "do you need anything?" I asked with grave concern. "My puffer please, I can't breathe!" Her voice was heavy and I could hear the struggle in her breaths. My stomach knotted as I search her Guess bag and realised that it wasn't there. "Are you sure you brought it with you, darling? It's not here..." "Yes!" she panicked. "I never leave home without it. Please, find it!" I looked again and then glanced up at her, not taking my eyes away from hers. "I think you need to put the phone down," I said suggestively as I gently reached up and removed it from her ear. I had no idea who she was, but I knew she needed me. I moved in closer and hugged her, "just breathe for me, love. Just concentrate on your breathing." 

She slept for an hour before waking to the sound of a delivery truck, backing up in front of us. She took a little while to register where she was, before she lifted her head and looked at me. Her smile was back, and the pain in her eyes was replaced with embarrassment. “I guess I should explain,” she chirped. “You don’t have to say anything, don’t worry.” “No, no, I want to tell you... I need to.” I sat and listened to what seemed like the script of a movie.  She began telling me about the man who was on the phone, and the recent loss in her life.

I learnt so much heartache in the hour that followed. The quote 'never judge a book by it's cover,' really rang true. Her best friend had died in a car accident the month before. It was a week before her birthday, and her friend had been waiting for her call. She decided it could wait and never rang, and that night her best friend died. Her car rolled four times before hitting a tree. “I have nightmares all the time she said. But every time it’s me driving the car. It should have been me that went that night, not her. I should have called her it would have changed the whole thing.”

I went numb. The whole hour, I could hardly say a word. What was there to say? What do you say when someone else’s life comes crashing down right beside you? There are no words, no language consoling enough to heal such wounds. I pulled her closer, and kept my arm around her shoulder. We sat in silence for a while. Not an awkward silence, but one that felt mending. Just to be in the company of another person was healing.

Finally I drew in a deep breath, “so when’s her eighteenth then?” I questioned about her best friend. “It’s on the second,” she replied, “why?” I got up and walked inside, returning ten minutes later. She looked puzzled as I pushed the door back open and sat on the edge of the step. “We’re not working on the second anymore. We have some celebrating to do.” 

 “I guess I should continue telling you about that call,” she murmured, the smile slowly fading, but never gone. Her phone rang again. It was him. He was a Muslim man, twenty-six years of age and ran his own business. A few businesses actually. His whole life revolved around family. He married for the soul reason of raising kids, but as he learnt that his wife was baron, he felt he had no obligation to her anymore and turned back to my friend. He wanted a divorce, but his parents told him, that he would be a disgrace to his family. If he left his wife, as a non-virgin, she would be worthless to any other Muslim man. She would never marry again. 

We became so close over the next month, to the point of inseparable. Things with her and that man became increasingly more complex. He wanted her to convert religion. He wanted her to move states. Threats followed. His wife began threatening to turn him into his family if he ever left her. She promised to make his life hell. That night, we got the call that he was in hospital after trying to commit suicide. We sat together all night, praying that he'd make it through. That he'd be okay. Then one day, his mother caught them fighting and the divorce papers were finalised.

She’s still not gone though. She comes back all the time, scarred from the drama that was tied to the marriage. He knows he’s done wrong by her, but nothing will be able to mend that. He proposed to my friend last week. I told her she was too young to get married. Still too immature and naive. ‘Young marriages never work out,’ I told her. ‘Your parents will never accept this,’ I tried to explain. But then she asked me to be her Maid of Honour. How could I be angry at her anymore? She just gave me one of the greatest gifts anyone could receive. To be in the presence of another human being is amazing. To be such a large part of their life, is a timeless feeling. We should always cherish the people who pass through our lives. Respect everyone we meet, because we never know what burdens, pains, or hardships they hold on their shoulders.