News of The Day!

It's hard not to keep up with the Kardashians

You would have to be living under a rock, if you haven't heard all the sage surrounding Kim Kardashian. It's the hollywood human headline who is on Australia shores after filing for divorce after 72 days. What strikes me is the amount of young girls who essentially idolise these sisters who are famous for doing nothing except being famous. The Kardashian family live a life so public that as Kim heads back to America to try and deal with the fall out of her divorce will she truly be able to with the intense media scrutiny. Those at the Sydney Airport this week described the media frenzy like something they'd never seen before. While the Kardashian family made the choice to live in the public eye, its time we let them step out of it, even just for a minute.

Air Competition Heating Up

As the industrial dispute between Qantas and its workers begins to move from the front page of our papers, a new player in the Australian air travel market has been announced. Air Australia is set to be another budget airline calling our shores home. For Strategic Airline its a good time for a re-branding with consumer trust in Qantas at an all time low.

Where I am now?

At the start of this semester we had to write about ourselves and why we were studying Introduction to Journalism and Communication - JOUR1111. Over the past thirteen weeks I've shared with you what I've learnt through my lecture reflections and assignments, and now I'd like to share with you what I've learnt about myself, where I want to go, and how I want to get there.

- I realised that more than ever, I want to be sports journalist. I would love to write about something that I'm interested in everyday.
- I would love nothing more than to write on a country/regional paper for a year. Throughout the course it has been described as the best starting place for journalists and something that I genuinely find exciting.

I have also learnt about the power of social media. Over the duration of this course I have learnt about the significant role that sites like Twitter and Facebook play in how we receive our news and the way we will get our news in the future.

If this course has done nothing else, its further increased my hunger to be a journalist.

Lecture Twelve - Steve Molks

In our final lecture, we were treated to a guest lecture by Steve Molks, founder of Molks TV. Essentially Steve has created his own online following, through the use of Social Media. In the fast changing world of Journalism, it is refreshing to hear from someone who has found their place in Journalism through Social Media and writing about something they have a passion for and love.

The lecture also made me reflect on myself, and what I want out of my journalism degree. I am more sure than ever, that despite the challenges I would like to go into print media, with my dream job in sports journalism.

To see just what Steve Molks does visit his website MolksTVTalk or find him on twitter.

Page One: Inside the New York Times

"With the Internet surpassing print as our main news source, and newspapers going bankrupt, Page One chronicles the media industry’s transformation and assesses the high stakes for democracy.

The film deftly makes a beeline for the eye of the storm or, depending on how you look at it, the inner sanctum of the media, gaining unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom for a year. At the media desk, a dialectical play-within-a-play transpires as writers like salty David Carr track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent, publishing material from WikiLeaks and encouraging writers to connect more directly with their audience. Meanwhile, rigorous journalism—including vibrant cross-cubicle debate and collaboration, tenacious jockeying for on-record quotes, and skilful page-one pitching—is alive and well. The resources, intellectual capital, stamina, and self-awareness mobilized when it counts attest there are no shortcuts when analyzing and reporting complex truths." - Sundance Film Description

When it comes to newspapers, there are none more famous than the New York Times. The documentary, Page One: Inside the New York Times, takes a look at just that a year of the New York Times. Documentary maker Andrew Rossi, takes a look at what many describe as a struggling news industry.

In a year in which the 'death' of the newspaper was talked about more than ever, due to the Wikileaks website, there was one clear message from the movie, the news industry is not dying, there is and always will be a need for news.

The documentary has captured the industry at an interesting moment in its history as newspapers struggle to  keep up with the growing presence of news on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The documentary also captures the introduction of the New York Times Paywall, a model that may just be the saviour of the newspaper industry.

If you're interested in the newspaper industry, take a look at the film, showing at the Schonell Theatre. If you don't have time to get there, have a look at this video, which features interview with those involved in the production -

Annotated Bibliography - Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Scenic Rim

Vines, J (2001). News values and country non-daily reporting. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 10, 38-48. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/fullText;dn=200114456;res=APAFT

The author is an academic who has lectured in Journalism at Deakin University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, which demonstrates that she has a strong knowledge of the area. The article uses a range of sources including those who have knowledge of the country newspaper industry to back up the articles idea, however the reliability of the article is questionable due to the fact that it was written in 2001. Due to technological advancements since then one of the key ideas of country towns being isolated due to a lack of technology is outdated, however the key idea of country publications focusing on the community is still seen in country newspapers today. The article is well referenced, with the author citing sources from a variety of different perspectives, which helps to strengthen the article. The language used in the article is easy to understand, making it easy for the reader to comprehend the authors intended meaning. The article is quite helpful to understand the differences between reporting in a country publication and daily publication. One of the key ideas in the article is that country non-daily publications focus more on the ideals of the community instead of the typical ‘if it bleeds it leads’ news value.

Best, M. (Reporter). (2011, October 16). Channel Seven News [Television Broadcast]. Brisbane, QLD: Channel Seven

This clip from Channel Seven news illustrates the difference between the treatment of country news by large media organisations and local media organisations. While the local news organisations focus more on the effect on the local community, the channel seven story uses both facts and emotion and focuses on the bigger story. The story also gives background information to ensure that those who aren’t from the Scenic Rim can understand the story. As this story was a television story on a major network, the target audience was substantially larger than that of a local/regional newspaper. It is interesting to note that the story focused largely on the threat of the community losing its lifestyle as well as the ‘country’ values that exist within the Scenic Rim.  While this is central to the reason that many residents do not want Coal Seam Gas mining, the stories from the local papers focused more on the protest itself, not the effect of Coal Seam Gas mining.  The channel seven story also featured a balancing viewpoint from Arrow Energy who is responsible for the Coal Seam Gas exploration, and Alligence Coal, who are responsible for any future Coal Mining.  In many ways this demonstrates the way in which major news organisation will present an issue of conflict whereas local papers like the Fassifern Guardian and Beaudesert Times are more inclined to report about Community Development. Unlike the other articles, the author has no interest in the region or the impact of Coal Seam Gas mining, meaning a less biased viewpoint is presented.

Cunningham, C. (2011, 18 October) Anti-Mining Fight Reaches New Heights. Beaudesert Times. Retrieved from http://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/beaudesert/150-anti-mining-fight-reaches-new-heights

The online version of the Beaudesert Times, also featured an article on Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Scenic Rim. The article appears to be originally intended for print, however adapted to feature on the website. Beaudesert and its surrounds are the most populated region of the Scenic Rim, however the paper still has a relatively small circulation. The viewpoint of the Beaudesert Times is quite similar to that of the Fassifern Guardian, and despite the article being almost two weeks old it was still the central focus of the homepage, illustrating that it is a major issue in the community. The article uses many of the same sources as the Fassifern Guardian, however like the Seven News report it gave more background details. One of the main differences found when looking at the articles from country/regional non-daily papers and other media sources is the fact that a balancing sources was not used in either the Beaudesert Times or the Fassifern Guardian, rather the opinion and groups consulted only seem to reflect the view of the wider community.  Amongst the community the paper is seen to be a quite reliable source of information on local issues, which reflects the fact that the paper is written almost entirely with its target audience of local residents in mind.

Battle for the Scenic Rim. (2011, October 19). The Fassifern Guardian, p. 6-7.

The Fassifern Guardian is the local paper in the Boonah-Fassifern Region of the Scenic Rim and has covered the issue of Coal Seam Gas mining and exploration in great detail over the past few years. The paper is thought to be a reliable source of information by many locals who purchase the paper to find out about the issues that affect them, which is one of the main values of country newspapers and reporting. Paper recently won, the Best The Best Newspaper (circulation less than 10,000) at the Queensland Country Press Association conference. The article focuses more on the impact of Coal Seam Gas mining on the locals instead of the facts and figures which are the focus of other articles on the issues, written by those not from the region. While the paper doesn’t present a evident bias in the article, the journalists have in previous articles expressed their concern about the Coal Seam Gas in the Scenic Rim. While some may believe that this impacts on the reliability of the source, the view shared by the paper is the shared by the wider community, adding to the community value of the source. The article, which got a full front page and a spread in the centre of the paper is definitely is in line with the news value ‘if it is local it leads’ a value which is central to Country news publications. 

One in Seven Billion

The worlds population is forecast to reach 7 Billion next Monday. What does this mean for the human population? While the growing population is set to have little affect on those who live in first world nations, its those in developing who will be impacted the most over the next 25 years.

The human population has already exceeded forecasts in terms of the population that the planet can sustain. Problems seem certain in the future however, with famines already affecting many in third world countries. It is only a matter of time before we see the stabilisation of the human population through one of the population controls identified by Thomas Malthus which included, war, famine and disease. 

They say that one man can change the world, but its time all 7 billion people worked together to ensure that we do have enough resources to cater for the worlds growth. 

Apparently the Burgers are No Longer Better at Hungry Jacks - But they're Organic

Hungry Jacks to Change Its Image

In a bid to change their image Hungry Jacks has ditched its current slogan, introduced vegetable sticks and put Calorie information on their menu board. They have also introduced 'country style' burgers made from Organic Beef all around the country. 

Are customers however really concerned about the nutritional value of their meal? Does anyone really go to a fast food chain to purchase salad sticks with the burger? People go to these places mainly out of convenience with knowing that it is not the healthiest food or most nutritional food. 

While customers always take to the new products in the long run, you only have to take a look at the Hungry Jacks Facebook page to see that many customers are upset over the removal of some burgers including the Aussie Burger as well as the changing of the slogan. 

In terms of their new 'Country' burgers is it just another example of companies tagging on the idea of the country or homestyle to simply sell more? The beef industry is full of labels from Angus to Grain Fed, to Organic. Terms which were once used only by beef producers, butchers and fine dining resturants are now common place in our supermarkets and fast food chains. 

Lecture Eleven - Investigative Journalism

Journalists don't just break the news, tell the stories that everyone quickly gets wind of, journalists also uncover the news, dig up the secrets left hidden.

Journalism is important to democracy, with Investigative Journalism particularly important to democracy, by keeping the government honest. One of the most famous investigative journalism pieces in Australian history, a story on Four Corners, "Moonlight State" in 1987 lead to the Fitzgerald Inquiry which investigated corruption amongst Queensland Police. Another more recent example of Investigative Journalism which had a major impact is the Four Corners report, "Code of Silence". The report destroyed the career of former footballer and entertainer Matthew Johns, as well as the integrity of the National Rugby League. 

The immense power of investigative journalism is most evident however when looking at the 'Watergate' scandal. Reporters for the Washington Post uncovered the fact that the Nixon adminstration had attempted to cover up a break at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters which they had involvement in. The uncovering of Watergate, brought down arguably the most powerful man in the world at the time.

Investigative Journalism isn't always as 'sensational', it exists even at a local level, where the aim isn't necessarily to bring down a government, but inform communities. Perhaps the most important thing when it comes to investigative journalism, is to check your facts.

Like all forms of journalism, investigative journalisms future is uncertain. More expensive than news journalism, for investigative journalism to continue, media companies need money to support it. While the media companies need money to continue, the general population and democracy will always need Investigative Journalism. 

Lecture Ten - News Values

"The degree of prominence a media outlet gives to a story, and the attention that is paid by the audience"


There are numerous news values with News Values in many ways being the 'newsworthiness' of the story. Different news organisations and countries will have different News Values. Two of the biggest news values that we see day to day are 'If it Bleeds it Leads' as well as local news leads.

Essentially if it 'bleeds it leads' refers to the idea that stories of crime, gore etc are the most newsworthy. A similar approach is seen with the idea that local news leads. This was particularly evident during the 2010/2011 Queensland Floods, when the media coverage was almost solely concentrated on this event.

There are several identified values which determine the newsworthiness of a story. This table from the lecture details some of the news values -

Some critics believe that by editors sticking to the newsworthy values they have neglected to report news which may be more important. News Values and picking what is newsworthy is difficult, after all everyone will find something more important. This evident when looking at publications and what they contain. A magazine like New Idea contains stories almost solely about celebrity gossip, a country newspaper will discuss the price of cattle or grain, a health magazine will have articles which relate to healthy living. The audience is aware of this when they pick up their publication.

Lecture Nine - Agenda Setting

"Agenda setting is the process of the mass media presenting certain issues frequently and prominently with the result that large segments of the public come to perceive those issues as more important than othrs. Simply put, the more coverage an issue receives, the more important it is to the people" (Coleman, McCombs, Shaw, Weaver, 2008)

As soon as you open the paper, or turn the television on, the role of Agenda Setting is clear. The news that we receive and deem most important, is the news that the media choose to make us believe is the most important. The issues of Carbon Tax and 'Boat People' are in recent months, examples of the role of Agenda setting in Australia. The idea that the media shapes our view on these issues is also clearly evident. The media has been quite critical of the Carbon Tax in Australia and unsurprisingly the populatrity of the Gillard Government has dropped to record lows through their support of the Carbon Tax. 

The media doesn't just choose what we regard as important, they create our opinion in the issue. The biggest effect of Agenda Setting, is that we do not have a proper view of what is truly important. 

Agenda Setting Family - 

Media Gatekeeping - What issues the media reports on.

Media Advocacy - The way in which the media promotes issues such as smoking and skin cancer. 

Agenda Cutting - The way in which the media makes important issues seem unimportant by not reporting on them as much as other issues. 

Media Bandwagon - The idea that the media will get on the trends. 

The diffusion of news - The way in which important events/policies are announced. 

Portrayal of the Issue - The way which different media organisations portray an issue that in turn shape the publics perception of the reality. The idea of bias comes into this issue.

Media Dependance - People who use media more become more likely to see the news through the stories the media deems most important. 

The Agenda Setting theory does shape our view of the world. If the media talks about Coal Seam Gas mining every night or Carbon Tax we begin to see it as the most important. While some people will seek other outlets and find the news and important issues themselves, most people are susceptible to the Agenda Setting theory. 

Lecture Eight - Public Media

"The difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens" - Nigel Milan (former Managing Director of SBS)

Public Media unlike media has the ultimate purpose to serve the public instead of making a profit. While we may associate Public Media with the ABC and SBS in Australia there are many other forms of Public Media which we engage with daily, including the Internet and Blogging.

What is the purpose of Public Media?
In many ways the purpose of Public Media is to provide more serious news to the public in a world that is increasingly becoming more tabloid like. Public media is also 'supportive for the democratic process'.

Some of the Historical Functions of the ABC public media include:

- Nation Building
- National Heritage
-National Identity
- National Conversations.

These functions are still relevant today, with the Australian identity often important us.

Just under half of Australians get their news from the ABC illustrating that despite the array of commercial media options Australians are still engaging with public media. One of the biggest challenges for the public media is to ensure that they are independent. The ABC has been criticised in the past of not being independent, with former treasurer Peter Costello believing that the news programs on the ABC tend to be more supportive of the policies of the Labor party and the Greens.

Public Media is important to inform and entertain with the people in mind. We are supposed to at the centre of Public Media, however just like Commercial Media there are still questions over the future of Public Media, with different financial models currently being investigated worldwide.

Lecture Seven - Commercial Media

Love it or hate it, commercial media impacts our lives. Even in our day to day lives the impact of commerical media is hard to deny.

Read the news on Ninemsn? Commercial Media.

Watch Sunrise in the morning? Commercial Media.

Watch the latest episode of Gossip Girl on Foxtel? Commercial Media.

Turn on a game of NRL? Commercial Media.

Open the Courier Mail? Commercial Media.

Despite the fact that Commercial Media plays such a huge role in our lives, do we all really know and understand what it is? Essentially Commercial Media is media that is not funded by the government, which is either paid for by the users or through advertising dollars.

With media and news seen as one of the pillars of democracy there is no denying the importance of Commercial Media in Australia. Some critics of commercial media believe that "Commercial = corrupt; lack of quality; profit over-rides social responsibility" - John McManus 1994

The media has a social responsibility to inform us. While we are still being informed, are we really being informed about the issues which actually concern us? Do we need to know which celebrities are dating? While we get more of these stories because we ask for me, Commercial media will not deliver the pressing issues until we become interested. After all, interest equals dollars.

The future of Commercial Media is up to us. We as media consumers along with business owners can to continue to fund commercial media, or move towards user generated public media like blogs or media produced by government subsidised organisations.

The Real News!

Water Released From Wivenhoe Dam

In fear of a repeat of last summer, water has been released from Wivenhoe Dam. After criticism of the Government last year for not releasing water from the Wivenhoe Dam to use as flood mitigation, SEQ water has decided this year to release water in what is described as their 'standard operational procedures'. The move however has caused criticism with some concerned it will supply problems if we don't have a big wet season.

Many people may be unaware that currently we have another Dam ready to be connected to the SEQ water grid, however the government will not commit to connecting it to the system until 2014/2015.  The Wyaralong Dam, situated west of Brisbane between Boonah and Beaudesert is currently sitting in our backyard, 75% full not being used. The Dam is situated in a rural/farming area with the LNP calling for the water to be made available for Rural usage.

Bali Boy to Be Returned to Parents?

The Chief Prosecutor in Bali has said that the 14 year old boy at the centre of the drug charges will spend minimal time in prison and will be returned to his parents custody after the trial. While the whole story is causing outrage here in Australia it reinforces the fact that no matter where we travel we should follow the laws of the country we are in.

A Day of Unusual Headlines

It is evident that it is a slow news day when a one-eyed shark, a mummified man and a man with a 50kg Scrotum make the headlines.

To read about everything unusual take a look at these stories -

Shark Not A Hoax

Mummification Documentary To Air

The Price of Normality? One Million Dollars

Carbon Tax, Dirty Laundry and the Super League all over again?

Independent Commission Boycott?

With the Independent Commission in the National Rugby League set to be rolled out this November, there are now fears that that Independent Commission may not eventuate. For fans this may not have a major impact, however for those involved in the game, an Independent Commission is generally thought to be a positive step for the game. Fans however should be worried, with all sixteen of the NRL clubs threatening to break away from the NRL and form their own competition if News Limited and the ARL do not meet the demands of the NRL clubs. For those with short memories, the NRL was formed to unite the clubs after the Super-League war between ARL and News Limited. The difference this time? All sixteen clubs are threatening to form one competition instead of the two competitions which divided the fans and players in 1997. If the NRL is truly concerned about winning the territory war, they need to ensure that they can all work together to achieve what is best for the game. 

Carbon Tax Passed With a Kiss

It's official, the Carbon Tax has been passed through the Lower House, with Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd even sharing a kiss to celebrate. Whether the kiss was for show or not, one thing is for certain, tonight many Labor voting Australians will be sitting in their lounge rooms disappointed by the fact that they voted the Gillard Government into power on the back of a lie, regardless of whether they support the Carbon Tax. 

 Labor's Dirty Secrets to be Aired

While Campbell Newman likes to think the only mud slinging he has done was during the 2011 Floods, the Liberal Nationals are getting down and dirty, with it revealed they paid for a dossier of pros, cons and dirty secrets to be produced about the Labor Government. Newman is standing behind the staffers responsible, and has asked the Courier Mail not to publish the file, however it is set to go ahead in tomorrow's paper. This well and truly sets the tone for the next state election campaign. 

News of the Day and One Rumour

Let's start off with the rumour, Jonathon Thurston a Bronco?

According to some sources on twitter, the Brisbane Broncos have made a major signing however they cannot announce it until the player is released from their club. Many people are speculating that the signing is in fact Jonathon Thurston who will be released when they sign-up a replacement. Whether its fact or fiction, its sure to keep the sports media in a flurry, hungry for a story to tell in the long off season. 

Fat Nation, Fat Tax

With the cost of living rising, and Australians already tightening their belts at the thought of a carbon tax, do we really need a tax on un-healthy foods? Education is the key to Australia's obesity epidemic, not a tax, after all, you can lead a horse to water, you just can't make it drink. You can tax people all you like, but if they're ill informed they will still eat unhealthily. 

No Iphone 5 Just Yet

Apple has disappointed loyal fans by releasing the Iphone 4s instead of a new Iphone 5. The power of the Apple brand is stronger than ever however, illustrated by the fact that one little phone has the ability to be a news story world-wide. 

And just for fun for all the Harry Potter fans - 

Invisability Cloak not so Magical

Now I know I can get an Invisibility cloak, all I need now is my entrance letter to Hogwarts. Although there is a scientific explanation, i'm just going to pretend that it is magic. 

RANT TIME!

There is nothing that frustrates me more than people who wrongly report or manipulate statistics to suit themselves. This letter to the editor clearly contains statistics that cannot be corroborated by any other reputable sources.

Just like they call for the media to be honest and report suicide, they should be honest and give the public real facts and real figures.

Here are the statistics on suicide, as compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3303.0~2009~Chapter~Suicides?OpenDocument

News of the Day!

Let's start off with a weather report....Rainy with little chance of sun...We finally get beautiful, hot, sunny days in Queensland and I get off the plane in Sydney only to discover its pouring rain, freezing cold, and it feels just like the  middle of winter. Apparently its the wettest weekend since April and the 'gloomiest in seven months'. Let's just hope the rain clears up so I can watch some football and take photos for my factual story telling assignment.

What's in the news today?

Deadly Identity Mix-Up

An elderly Sydney grandmother has died after the medical tag of a 58 year old cancer patient was mistaken by staff for hers. Regardless of who is at fault, the fact that this mistake occurred at all makes you loose faith in the hospital system. Our system in Queensland is no different with a family wanting answers over their seven-year old sons death in the Ipswich Hospital. Everyone makes mistakes, however when it's matter of life or death, the mistakes really are critical.

Finals Time...Pokies Time

Just as the NRL and AFL get ready to go head to head in a bid to win the hearts and minds of supporters this weekend in their respective Grand Finals they're expected to join up to help stop the Pokie Machine reforms. For the government, this could spell the end, with Independent Andrew Wilkie saying he'll no longer support the Labor government if they back down from their election promise. With most Aussies planning on sitting down with mates and watching the Grand Finals this weekend the mass-advertising by the NRL and the AFL will be seen all over Australia.

News of the Day!

1. Will he or won't he?

It's the story that has kept Queenslanders wondering...Will Darren Lockyer play on Friday night? Will he get his fairytale ending? The answer to the first question? No, after much debate and speculation Darren Lockyer will not play this weekend against Manly, after fears it's too soon to play after surgery on his cheekbone. The answer to the second? Only time will tell with  Lockyer announcing he will play in the Grand Final if Brisbane beat Manly on Friday night.

2. At Home with Julia - Funny or Distasteful?

Has the ABC gone too far? The ABC's newest mockumentary, has created controversy amongst those in Canberra, with Julia Gillard herself claiming she won't be watching this weeks episode. Others in Canberra however have gone one step further claiming funding to the ABC should be slashed.

3. Bushfires sweeping the State

After a long dry winter and increased foliage due to the floods last summer, bushfires are spreading across Queensland. Despite fire bans in many parts of Queensland fires in the past week firefighters have been busy protecting homes and land from destruction.

Lecture Six - Paid Content - my view

I recently did an essay on the effect of technology and a shift to paid content on journalism and the future of journalists. Have a read:

The Impact of Technology on Journalism

John Hartley (2005) argues that the creative industries are ‘significant components of advanced economies’ and that in Australia the areas of digital media are growing at ‘twice the rate of the overall economy’. Richard Florida (2002) also identifies the fact that creativity has ‘come to be valued’, listing new technologies as one of the reasons for this, as well as the positive economic effects of these new technologies on the creative industries. In the age of technology creative industries professionals have the ability to become more successful than before. Social and technological changes of the last decade have resulted in an increase in demand for services and intangible products. This essay will argue that this shift away from tangible products creates new opportunities for Creative Industries professionals, increasing their capacity to create a sustainable career. This essay will focus on the fact that the rise of Internet journalism and the use of social media have created new opportunities. It will illustrate that despite popular belief, people are continuing to access news, with the usage of Internet based websites increasing in recent years, even if it is a subscription based service. Finally this essay will investigate, that whilst mainstream media has been declining, online journalism and journalism connected to social media have the potential to be an industry greater than main stream media, one which already has a wider audience, creating sustainable careers.

Journalism is one of the most rapidly changing sectors of the creative industries, with more and more people changing the way which they access their daily news. (Gross, 2010) Research conducted by Roy Morgan International (2010) illustrates that newspapers companies have increased their readership to a wider audience through the use of online media. The New York

Times readership has increased by 78% because of online media.  Traditionally it has been argued that the shift towards news being available as an online service would result in the ‘death’ of mainstream media and journalism. The study however also found that in 2008 readers were willing to pay to access news content, with the readership of the Wall Street Journal increasing by 32% despite the fact that it operated using a ‘paid subscription’ model.

The paid subscription model is one, which News Corps Rupert Murdoch has expanded. Since 2008 the idea of digital newspaper subscriptions has become more commonplace with many companies creating paid iPad applications, which allows users to access the news for a monthly fee. Paid subscriptions have been largely successful, this is evident when taking into account that in 2010 the Wall Street Journal was the only of America’s top 25 weekly newspapers to grow in circulation, with this growth coming from the use of paid subscriptions. (Roy Morgan, 2010)

Although the iPad is a relatively new technology, in 2010, before the release of the Ipad 2, 20,000 people had subscribed to News Corp. companies’ iPad applications including 4,500 iPad subscriptions to The Australian. (Foo, 2010) Whilst the subscription costs a fraction of the price of a regular newspaper subscription it illustrates that the even with the shift away from news being a tangible product, that there is still the potential for newspapers to be a profitable business and create a sustainable career for journalists. (First Ipad Only newspaper debuts, 2011). The iPad itself has a growing market, however even the figures for newspaper usage on an iPad are promising to help establish a sustainable career in journalism. A 2010 Nielsen survey found that 53% of iPad users access the news regularly. (Long, 2010) Whilst news isn’t being accessed in the traditional manner, there is a growing market for the ability to access news from reputable organisations digitally even if payment is required.

The shift away from tangible products has also created new opportunities for journalism professionals, helping to establish sustainable careers. News can be now be accessed quicker than ever and from anywhere that an Internet connection is available. This means that journalists have the opportunity to share more news and break the news quicker. This is evident when comparing the way in which the news of September 11 was broken and the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death.  The Internet played a far greater role in reporting Bin Laden’s death with news articles quickly made available to the public.  (Sullivan, 2011)

Whilst it is commonly argued that social media and citizen journalism has hindered the opportunities for professional journalists, social media has in fact helped to increase the opportunities available to journalists.  The Society of New Communications Research found that over 70% of journalists use social networks as a ‘reporting tool’. (Porter, 2009) Twitter plays the large role the sourcing information, with 47% of journalists using twitter to establish new story leads.  ‘Social Media - Journalism’s FRIEND or FOE?’ (Grensing-Pophal, 2010) discusses that idea that journalists are able to make connections through social media that previously weren’t possible and in turn writing a wider range of stories.

Social networks are also helping journalists find an audience with 43% of social media users getting their news links posted by friends or other users on social networking sites, with Facebook being the most popular accounting for almost 8% of the CNN’s audience. (Hermida, 2011) This helps to illustrate that whilst people may use social networking sites like Facebook and twitter, they still seek news from reputable organisations.

The shift away from tangible services has also helped to create opportunities for specialised journalists. Research by the United States Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010) has found that journalists who have a specialised knowledge in areas such as science and technology will have greater career opportunities as there is now a wider, more global audience base. The Department of Labor also found that online newspapers and magazines provide the greatest job prospects for journalists in the coming years, illustrating that the Internet has helped to increase the capacity for journalists to have a sustainable career.

Although less profit is currently made from online journalism and other services and intangible products, the Internet currently looks to provide a sustainable career for journalists in the years to come.  Revenue made from Internet journalism is increasing, making the future careers of journalists look promising. Between 2003 and 2008 profits from online journalism grew by $1.5 billion dollars. (Farhi, 2008) Author of ‘The Vanishing Newspaper’ Phillip Meyer has even identified online journalism as a way for companies to grow and cut costs at the same time. Whilst the ‘payoff’ may take longer Meyer believes that using the internet to cut costs and grow will leave news companies better off (Farhi, 2008), predicting that newspapers will cease to exist in 2040.  (Murdoch, 2005)

The fate of journalism is debated amongst experts however, when asked to comment on the effect of the internet on journalism, founder of The Daily Beast, Tina Brown commented, ‘It is largely a good thing, but not without its growing pains. I see this very much as a transitional phase we are in…there is no doubt in my mind that when this volcanic realignment in media has finally shaken out… we will see a golden age of journalism and video.’ (Yarrow, 2009) With many industry experts positive about the future of internet journalism, it has the potential to help professional journalists continue to have a career even with the problems surrounding print based media.

The Internet is largely seen as the future of journalism, however Internet already plays a large role in journalism with over half of American’s accessing their news online. The New York Times had 13,372,000 online users compared to 1,120,420 weekday print readers in the same time period. (Karp, 2007) Whilst there is disagreement over a business model which will see journalism continue to profitable, there is clear evidence to support a sustainable career in journalism as news shifts from being a tangible product to, in most cases a service.

Medill School of Journalism Professor Rich Gordon believes money can be made from Internet journalism. Gordon (2005) attributes the money that can be made through Internet journalism to improvements in advertisement, including behavioral advertising. Gordon believes that in many specialist fields of journalism, sufficient revenue is already being made as companies within those industries are using advertising to target those interested.

CEO of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, also believes that the future of journalism is positive and that those who are ‘bold’ will succeed. (Murdoch 2005). Whilst Murdoch’s model for the future of journalism relies on the user paying and not advertising revenue he still believes that technology has resulted in the future of journalism being ‘more promising than ever’. Some experts also believe that the Internet may help to ‘revive’ the newspaper, with the Internet also seen as a way to help increase the falling circulation of print media. This was evident in the case of local newspaper in America, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which charges viewers for access to their site. The relatively small circulation increased by 2,000 in six months, with publisher Walter Hussman Jr. attributing this growth to the Internet site. (Farhi, 2008).

Journalism is changing along with the way in which we access our news, however the Internet looks to help create a sustainable career for journalists. With advances in technology and more and more people relying on the Internet as a source of news, journalists are presented with a wealth of new opportunities, including the opportunity to reach a bigger audience and publish better stories. Although the future of journalism is still relatively unknown, expert opinions seem to indicate that there will be a sustainable career in the age of the Internet for journalism professionals, with Internet journalism also providing the opportunity for organisations to expand their print circulation.

Reference List

Foo, Frann, 2010. “Rupert Murdoch reveal iPad newspaper app sales figures as Steve Jobs rejects ‘nation of bloggers’. The Wall Street Journal. Accessed May 8^th 2011.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/rupert-murdoch-reveals-ipad-newspaper-app-sales-figures-as-steve-jobs-rejects-nation-of-bloggers/story-e6frg996-1225874602477

First iPad only newspaper debuts. Adelaide Now. February 3^rd 2011. Accessed May 24^th 2011. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/first-ipad-only-newspaper-debuts/story-e6frea6u-1225999325098

Florida, Richard. The rise of the creative class: and how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. New York: Basic Books.

Gordon, Rich. 2006. “Online opportunities make journalism’s future bright, despite gloomy feelings, “ ORJ: Online Journalism Review. October 2^nd. Accessed May 2011.

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/051027gordon/

Grensing-Pophal, Lin. 2010. “Social Media: Journalism’s Friend or Foe?”. EContent. Accessed May 3^rd 2011. Doi: 13812220

Gross, Doug. 2010. “Survey: More Americans Get news from Internet than newspapers or radio.” CNN, March 1. Accessed May 15^th, 2011. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-01/tech/social.network.news_1_social-networking-sites-social-media-social-experience?_s=PM:TECH

Hartley, John. 2005. Creative Industries. Victoria: Blackwell

Hermeida, Alfred. 2011. “Facebook’s growing influence on the spread of news,” REPORTER.NET. May 9^th. Accessed May 2011. http://www.reportr.net/2011/05/09/social-media-influences-spread-news/

Karp, S. 2007. “Newspaper Online vs. Print Ad Revenue: The 10% Problem.” Publishing 2.0. July 17^th. Accessed May 2011.

http://publishing2.com/2007/07/17/newspaper-online-vs-print-ad-revenue-the-10-problem/

Long, Mark. 2010. “Early iPad users willing to pay for Digital Content”. Top Tech News, October 22. Accessed May 15^th 2011. http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75729&full_skip=1

Murdoch, Rupert. 2009. “Journalism and Freedom.” The Wall Street Journal.  December 8. Accessed May 20^th 2011.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574570191223415268.html

Roy Morgan International. 2008. USA, UK & NZ Newspapers transforming rather than disappearing with growth in “Online” Media. Accessed 20^th May 2011. http://www.roymorgan.com/resources/pdf/papers/20071204.pdf

Sullivan, Danny. 2011. “Google & The Death of Osama Bin Laden,”Search Engine Land. May 2^nd. Accessed May 2011. http://searchengineland.com/google-the-death-of-osama-bin-laden-75346

The Future of Journalism: Yesterday’s Papers. The Economist. April 21^st 2005. Accessed May 25^th 2011.

http://www.economist.com/node/3896039?story_id=3896039

United States Department of Labor. “Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.” Last Modified September 29, 2010.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos088.htm

Lecture Six

The internet is changing and so is journalism. So what did I learn about the role of the internet in telling news stories? Perhaps the most obvious thing to come out of the lecture, is that the way we get news from the internet is changing. In order to make money, media companies have to be smart. How do they make money from something that people have gotten for free for so long now? The answer offer them access to content that they previously didn't have access to. Whether this will be successful in an Australian market however is yet to be seen.

Online news is also changing in the respect that it is about to become more personalised in the wake of web 3.0. If you only want to read news about sport then you will be targeted with sport. If you're location is Brisbane, then Brisbane news will be targeted at you. The way we view news and receive news is about to change. Hyperlocalisation, which will help deliver specific news will also help generate more money through targeted advertising. The future of journalism is unknown, however the future of journalism is also exciting.

Lecture Five

Ethics are important. They are the moral principles which help govern our behaviour. Without ethics, whether you be a doctor, a lawyer or a journalist,  the boundaries are not clear. When ethics and codes of conduct are not followed, trouble follows. Just look at the News of The World scandal, or 'Chopper-gate', both issues where ethics weren't thought about, outraging others in the media business as well as the audience.

What are the ethics for journalists and why do they matter?
It is the duty of a journalist to tell a truth. If journalists don't tell the truth, don't uncover the lies how can the wider public know the truth. Media is important for democracy, important to politics. If the media doesn't tell the truth, doesn't uncover the lies of politicians than the general population will remain ill-informed. The Australian Journalism Code of Ethics sets out the following ideals for journalists to uphold:

- Honesty
- Fairness
- Independence
-  Respect for the rights of others

If journalists don't follow these ideals, there are no boundaries, the credibility is weakened and the public loose trust in the journalists to tell a story. If a journalist doesn't follow the code of practice how can the audience be sure they're hearing the real story?

Lecture Four

Radio isn't the medium that I would like to get into however I still found the lecture on tell stories with sound interesting. I found it almost startling however that whilst other forms of media have a shrinking audience, radio is continuing to grow. When you think of radio, especially AM radio which mainly delivers news, you think of a small, declining audience. It is interesting to find that this audience is increasing as we become more time poor and look to catch up on our news while we are doing something else. Radio is the perfect companion to multitasking.

Radio also offers a way to get the viewers opinion, quickly and easily. While television can incorporate the tweets and the emails of the viewers, radio has the ability to better tell the story of the viewer, bringing the viewer into the lounge room, car or office of the other listeners, easily and effectively, especially through talkback radio programs.

What tips did I learn about being successful on radio and journalism in general?
- Don't give up - whether it be when your looking for a job in radio, or trying to get an answer out of someone your interviewing, don't give up...Just look at approaching things differently.
- Read the newspaper, immerse yourself in the news. Know more about the world around you, and in turn learn more about yourself.
- The human story and the human experience is important. The listeners want the human story.

Media Production and Usage Diary

The Aim: To Record, Analyse and Evaluate my media usage and production over a period of fourteen days (two weeks).

What is media? The idea of media is constantly changing, with the media reaching the wider population in more ways than ever before. There is no real inclusive or exclusive definition of what's media, and what isn't, therefore I decided to record my time spent using/watching/listening/reading audio media, visual media, television, social media, the internet and smart phone applications, as well as my time spent producing this blog. Media, especially content on the internet and social networking, plays an increasing role in our lives. Just look at the way we use media has changed in the past two years. Whether we realise it or not, media plays a significant role in our lives, a role which is constantly increasing with technological advances.

Did you know? - 2009

Did you Know? - 2011

The Results:

Over a period of fourteen days I spent 2780 minutes or the equivalent of almost two entire days (46.3 hours), consuming or producing media. Almost half of that time was spent watching television, with a large amount of my time time spent watching news programs, Australian dramas and sports related programs.  Facebook was the only media which I consumed everyday, only because of the convenience of accessing Facebook anytime, and anywhere using the iPhone application. 

Analysis:

Over the two weeks I found that I had a tendency to frequent many of the same news sites, watch the same television shows, and listen to the same radio stations. I also found that most of the time this was due to convenience. If the radio station was tuned to NOVA I would listen to NOVA, if my dad was listening to 4BC, I would listen to 4BC, if the television was on Channel Seven, then it would stay on Channel Seven. The 'Wordle' below illustrates what products and services I consumed the most:

Surprisingly I listened to the radio more than I used the Internet (excluding social networking). Over the two weeks I accessed news through television, online, newspapers and talk back radio, as well as Facebook, which linked me to news through pages which I had liked including 'The Queensland Police Service' and 'The Brisbane Broncos' as well as friends who posted links to news articles. 

Evaluation: 

Newspapers

Over the two weeks I didn't spend as much time as I normally would reading the newspaper. I mainly used the newspaper to access local news, purchasing the Queensland Times and The Fassifern Guardian, and using free online content to access news which affected the wider population, including Australian and International news. The graph opposite illustrates that over three quarters of the the time spent reading a newspaper, was spent reading local publications (The Queensland Times and The Fassifern Guardian). Over the two weeks I found that whilst I enjoy reading the newspaper, the inconvenience of going to the local shop to purchase the paper, meant often I didn't read a newspaper unless someone else brought the newspaper home. 

Radio

Over the two weeks I found that the radio was a convenient way to access the news as well as entertainment. I was surprised by the amount of time I spent listening to the radio, not realising before now that I listened up to an hour of radio on days that I wasn't at home. All of the time that I spent listening to the radio was in the car. I spend quite a lot of time travelling, living forty minutes from the train station and twenty five minutes from work so its not surprising that I listened to the radio as much as I did. I found that the main stations that I listened to were Nova FM and 4BC. I didn't access any Podcasts, illustrating that the radio is something that I listen to when travelling, and not something that I go out of my way to consume. 

Television

Television was the most used form of media, using television to consume entertainment as well as news and current affairs. Some of the shows I watched were a a mix, including Sunrise which has elements, of news, entertainment and current affairs. I found I accessed my television news from the same channel, which was also the same channel which I watched shows purely for entertainment. The only time I seemed to change channel was when I watched the sport. I found that that I tended to watch this channel as I found not only the shows more enjoyable but I also found the way in which the news was presented nightly more engaging than other channels. Whilst I tended to gain my news from the one source on television, I supplemented this by reading from a range of online news sites, owned by different companies. The main reason that I watched television (other than news programs) was to relax or to watch the football. I also found that whilst I appeared to watch a lot of television, often the television would be on in the background whilst I was reading or using the computer, making it hard to record an accurate television consumption. 


Online

I found that my time online was split between three main sites, Brisbane Times, Ninemsn and Yahoo7. I used news sites to access news quickly and easily and also found them to be good sources of information on a topic or issue which I had heard about but wanted to know more about. I spent the most time on Ninemsn as it is the homepage on my computer and therefore each time I went on the internet, I was able to quickly read the news without actually searching for the news. I have however found that since I purchased an iPhone, I read the news less online as a lot of the sites I used to visit on the internet such as Facebook, my emails and banking are accessible on my phone, using applications. This means the need to actually go on the internet on my computer is now less than it used to be and I have found that I'm not consuming as much news online. 


Other sites that I visited online normally had to do with Uni, such as lectures online or research for assignments and tutorial preparation. I used the internet less than I thought I would have. This is because during the two weeks that I studied my media usage, due to personal reasons I was not home often and didn't have time to access to the internet. This also meant that when I did access the internet it was for study rather than for leisure, as I had little time during the two weeks to play games or watch videos on YouTube. I still visited sites like Facebook everyday, mainly because I could easily access them on my phone. 


Media Production

The time spent producing media focusing mainly on my time updating my blog as well as the time that I spent posting statuses on Facebook. I found that like my internet usage, due to personal reasons I updated my blog less than I would have liked to, and less than I had in the previous weeks. I also found that I rarely posted a status on Facebook, posting one status and one check-in in the two week period. This was not however and unusual behaviour as I rarely update my status. I also found that on the days that I did update my blog, I would make more than one post, spending up to two hours on posts for my blog. I found that I had a tendency to spend large amounts of time at once updating my blog because I find writing for my blog enjoyable and almost addictive. 


The large amounts of time I spent at once updating my blog, meant that I spent the same amount of time updating my blog as I did on Facebook, which I used everyday. 


General Observations and Comparisons:

Using the results of a survey conducted using JOUR1111 students I have made the following observations about my results and media usage compared to other journalism students:
- I use less internet than most students, with over a third of students reporting they used more than four hours of internet a day. This however is most likely due to the fact that over the two weeks that I recorded my media usage I had little time to access the internet.  
- Like most of my cohort, I have one Twitter and one Facebook account, with the twitter account being established for the use in this subject. 
- I own an iPhone along with almost half of the JOUR1111 cohort. I believe that this is more due to the popularity and selling power of the iPhone than anything else. 
- I spend most of my time online using Facebook. Almost 90% of those surveyed also spent most of their time on Facebook, illustrating that social networking sites like Facebook are becoming a large part of our day to day rituals, including my own. 
- On an average day I watch the same amount of television as most people surveyed (anywhere from under an hour to two hours) however on some days I may watch less television and others I'll watch more. The main reason for this is that I'll only watch shows that interest me. Normally, I watch the same shows, and rarely watch something new. 
- On the days which I was travelling I listened to just under an hour of radio, with over half of the JOUR1111 group surveyed listening to under an hour of radio a day. Like the majority of these students I listened to the radio whilst travelling in the car, which suggests that radio is primarily listened to because of its convenience. 
- Like many of those surveyed I got my news from a variety of sources, which was expected as news is so easily accessible in a variety of mediums. 


It's also reassuring to know I'm not the only one who doesn't like filling out surveys, with most respondents indicating that they're not particularly interested in surveys.  

Conclusion: 


Over the period of fourteen days I've managed to learn a lot about myself and my media usage. I enjoy using a variety of different types of media, and like many people my age, use Facebook daily. I would be interested to record my media usage again over a two week period which I wasn't as busy with family issues and see if the results were different. The biggest discovery I made from recording my media usage and production is that I will consume the type of media which is most convenient at that time which means over the course of a day I'm exposed to a wide variety of media.