Infographics in Journalism

Infographics, which are essentially a combination of images and text, have evolved into a popular means of communication on many media platforms. They are particularly useful for demonstrating more complex information, presenting data and even jazzing up boring (but important) information. Infographics are a great tool for investigative journalists as it provides an interesting and engaging means of dishing out important facts or evidence in the context of their article.

Designing an infographic is quite an exact act, but seems to be growing as a necessary skill for modern journalists. Not only do they have to be a designer but a content writer as well, to produce a seamless combination that works together to impart knowledge on the audience.

For example, here’s an infographic that compares fast food advertising with the real meal! This one did not require much text as in this case, a picture really does paint a thousand words.

 

Finally, this is my attempt at an infographic for another of my journalism courses. My article was about people using memes as a form of vandalism and so I used Twitter Archivist to get an idea of how topical the phenomenon of memes was and what people were saying about it.

 

 

If you want to check out some more interesting infographics go to this site: http://visual.ly/



JOUR1111 Lecture 11

Week 11’s lecture explored investigative journalism. The immediate thing that springs into my mind for this topic was the Watergate scandal, the investigation by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein that ended in US President Nixon resigning in disgrace. I feel that investigative journalism is very much the same as regular reporting however, the journalist just has more time and resources to compile their story.

Investigative journalism is critical and thorough, as the journalist makes a substantial effort through observation, interviews and analysis of artefacts (documents, leaks, data etc.) and is an active participant. You may wonder why journalistic investigations always seem to involve some kind of corruption or wrongdoing. This is because one of its key purposes is to serve as the custodian of conscience whereby they hold breaches of society’s morals and norms up to public scrutiny. And possibly because those stories are more interesting (we do want people to read/watch/listen to the stories, after all)!

Journalistic investigations expose stories that are in the public interest, serving as a watchdog and a voice to the voiceless, holding the powerful to account. This brings us to the notion of the fourth estate (a term I had been pondering since it was mentioned in The Newsroom!). It refers to journalists balancing the power of the government by representing the interests of those without power.

All this is a very idealistic way of looking at investigative journalism. It certainly does paint a glorified picture of journalists doggedly pursuing a story, staked out in a van with tinted windows and secret rendezvouses with mysterious whistle blowers all in the name of the revealing the truth.  However, the lecture also outlined the threats to investigative journalism. The increase in online news means that the media outlets have less money, so therefore fewer journalists with less time and this domino effect results in less investigative journalism.

In addition, the growth of public relations is bringing about the shrinkage of journalism. PR uses selective facts to make a persuasive case to the public and so with PR dodging questions and resisting exposure, what do journalists have to report on? Bruce’s Star Wars analogy with regards to PR versus journalism is quite apt, both are so similar and yet they are ‘mortal enemies’, though which group is the Dark Side is all a matter of perspective.

A Guide to Singing Musical Theatre

The singing voice is the most individual and versatile instrument which throughout the ages has been a popular pastime. A person’s voice is strictly unique regardless of their level of skill, whilst other instrumentalists such as flutists or trumpeters must master their instruments to develop a recognisable and personal sound. Essentially, everyone can sing! It is simply a matter of training the voice, developing stamina and preventing pain and strain, much as an athlete must do if they wish to become a professional. However, as opposed to building up muscle mass or reducing their race time, a singer can improve their tone and push the limits of their range so that they can sing higher notes. Whilst training is not necessary for a person to enjoy the benefits of their singing voice, professional artists do require very specific vocal technique and care to survive in a demanding and competitive industry. Musical theatre is one such field which places a large amount of stress on the voice, and the body in general, over an extended period of time, including an average of five shows a week and an intense rehearsal period in the lead up to opening night. How do they do it and still maintain high performance standards?

The character of Elphaba, from Wicked, is required to sing a lot throughout a show, across a massive vocal range.

 

Breath support is arguably the most important aspect of singing technique as it results in less strain being placed on the voice and allows the vocalist to better maintain pitch, particularly on a sustained note. Incorrect breathing technique is the most common error made by aspiring singers and often results in the performer being slightly below pitch. Therefore, singers must be very conscious of how they breathe until correct breathing technique becomes second nature. This is particularly relevant to a musical theatre performer who would be focussed on portraying a character and producing emotional believability during a song as opposed to the techniques that must be used.

 

There is much controversy over the best breath support techniques and so many vocalists approach it in a different way, however, regardless of the means it is important to engage the lower abdominal muscles whilst singing. This is done by expanding the belly and sides whilst inhaling and dropping the diaphragm which is a large, dome-shaped muscle that separates the lungs and abdomen. There is no use worrying about looking ‘fat’ whilst singing because if the stomach does not fully expand then the singer did not inhale enough air for sufficient support. As singing is essentially sustained speech, the air cannot be let out in a rush. The diaphragm must remain low and the sides expanded whilst exhaling, using a steady air stream to set the vocal folds in motion. A common mistake for untrained singers is to raise their shoulders whilst breathing. This shallow, upper-chest breathing is only superficial and doesn’t supply sufficient air to sing long phrases. For musical theatre performers who must develop a great deal of vocal stamina, taking a full and supported breath is paramount as shallow breaths makes it significantly harder to maintain a steady air stream and relax the vocal instrument, placing much more stress on the voice and exhausting it very quickly.

For anyone wanting to give singing a go, I hope this is slightly helpful and gives you an idea about how to get started!

JOUR1111 Lecture 10

In lecture 10 we discussed agenda setting and the overwhelming amount of power and influence held by the media. The media play a large role in constructing and shaping the social world and have the capability to dictate what issues are important to society. The prominence and frequency of an issue in the media leads the public to believe that it is more important. An example given in the lecture was the issue of AIDS. Because AIDS is currently taking a backseat to celebrity gossip, the public care less and so the significance of the issue is downgraded. The sickening fact that Justin Bieber’s haircut is getting more coverage than a life threatening disease is another matter altogether.

The AIDS case was an example of agenda cutting, as in most of the truth or reality of the world isn’t being represented. Perhaps the media realises that the public may not want to know the ugly truth that 1.8 million people died of AIDS in 2010.

Media gatekeeping is a member of the agenda setting family which controls the exposure of an issue to the public and is essentially what the media chooses to reveal. This can have a significant impact on political processes. Political campaigns must address the prominent issues in society. And who decides what issues should be at the forefront of public attention? The media, of course. If it wasn’t for the climate change hype in the media a few years ago then the face of world politics may have turned out very different to what it is now. This also links with media advocacy, which is the purposive promotion of a message like “going green”, through the media.

The portrayal of issues in the media is critical in how it is perceived by the public. Thankfully for society there are many media outlets with many different portrayals that allow us to create our own perception of an issue. Without some diversity in the representation of issues in society, the media would reflect the hypodermic needle model in which they inject direct influence into the audience resulting in a one-way, non-thinking uniform reaction from the public.

Other components of agenda setting theory have been evident in the media over the past few years. Agenda surfing, when the media follows the crowd and trends of society was most evident early this year when the media jumped on the Kony bandwagon that was sweeping through cyberspace. The diffusion of news which is the process by which important news is communicated to the public was seen in the reporting of the death of Osama bin Laden. And the new media dependence on Facebook and Twitter, which has become a way of life, means that people are far more susceptible to media agenda setting.

“The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about” (Bernard Cohen,1963)

So, why does the media set the agenda?

Because they can!

Words of Wisdom from the Man of Steel

For more than 70 years, Superman has fought off enemies and saved the world from disaster but finally the Man of Steel has been forced to submit to a greater enemy; the state of modern journalism (who would have thought?).

In DC’s newest Superman comic, his alter ego, Clark Kent has quit his job at The Daily Planet in protest of the state of modern journalism.

"Why am I the one sounding like a grizzled ink-stained wretch who believes news should be about – I don't know – news?" he asks.

His question prompts White (The Daily Planet publisher) to respond with a devastating critique of newspaper journalism: "Times are changing and print is a dying medium. I don't like it but the only hope we have of delivering any news at all is to give the people what they want to read and God help me if a front-page story about some reality star gets them to pick up a paper and maybe stumble on some real news."

 

That quote was taken from an article on The Telegraph website. Good on DC Comics for addressing present-day issues like the balance of journalism and entertainment, the role of new media and citizen journalists. However, while Superman is no stranger to being news material for the fictional newspaper, The Daily Planet, articles about Clark Kent’s latest career move from newspapers to the blogosphere have cropped up in the Sydney Morning Herald, Los Angeles Times, The News International and San Francisco Times, just to name a few.

Isn’t this an example of the very thing that Superman was protesting? The career move of a fictional (albeit, well loved) superhero is actually making news! But perhaps it really does take a superhero to bring the state modern journalism into the public eye.

Check out the article in The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9628552/Superman-quits-The-Daily-Planet-over-the-state-of-journalism.html

The News: “We’re in the same business as the producers of Jersey Shore”

As a fan of The West Wing, I was extremely excited when Aaron Sorkin’s new show, The Newsroom was aired in Australia. And how convenient that it aligns perfectly with my own study of journalism. Issues that are addressed every week in my lectures are played out for me on my television, in a quick, witty drama.

With the internet providing your own personal choice of news at the touch of a button and the pressures from advertisers, a problem has arisen for broadcast news. How do we get people to still watch our program?

For many news programs the answer is simple: show only what the people want to see. The aim is for people to watch TV, be sucked in by the ads and thus appease the advertising giants. This leads to a problem in itself, and that is the public living in the shadow of ignorance. Broadcast news is spoon feeding us the information we want to hear, sensationalised dramas of overseas conflicts and the latest antics of the Kardashians, as opposed to the factual information we need to hear to be a well-informed community.

In the sermon from the gospel of Aaron Sorkin, delivered by the character, Will McAvoy, the failings of modern broadcast news is brought to bear.  

“The reason we failed isn’t a mystery. We took a dive for ratings”

The Newsroom plays out the dream of any journalist, to win out the battle against ratings and deliver ‘real’ news. But in the real world, is there any room for the media elite? The simple fact of the matter is, that regardless of how hard-hitting and superior the show is, if people don’t want to watch it, then it is all for nothing. One can only hope that people still have a genuine interest in the news and the world around them, not just what occurs in Hollywood.  

Assessment 4: Annotated Bibliography

Coleman, R. (2011). Journalists’ moral judgement about children. Journalism Practice, 5(3), 257-271. doi: 10.1080/17512786.2010.523588

As an academic at the University of Texas, Renita Coleman focusses her research on visual communication and ethics in journalism, resulting in a well-informed insight into journalists’ moral judgement and treatment of children in the media. The author outlines that there are very few written standards to guide reporters on dealing with children in the media and so she initiated a controlled experiment whereby she examined if 99 journalists in the USA held different attitudes, made different decisions and held themselves to a higher standard of moral judgement when children were involved. While the study revealed that journalists are more concerned with correctly representing, protecting and maintaining the privacy of children than adults, their actions did not align with their words as they did not use significantly higher levels of moral judgement with regards to children. The conclusions of the author were justified and well supported by the data and results gathered from the experiment. In addition, the large number of citations throughout the text added credibility to the views put forward by Coleman with regards to this ethically questionable subject. This issue is currently highly relevant with the large media coverage of the international custody battle for the 4 Australian-Italian sisters.

Cary, G. (2012, May 14). Grandmother Kate with Greg Cary.  4BC – Mornings with Greg Cary. Retrieved from http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/greg-cary-blog/please-help-us/20120514-1ym4m.html

This radio interview with the grandmother of the four girls in the custody dispute is obviously significantly biased towards the view of the mother’s family. As such, the accounts of events given by the grandmother may not be credible or reliable due to her direct involvement in the dispute. The scope of the interview is the ruling for the girls to be taken back to Italy and the series of events that led them to move to Australia in the first place. Greg Cary is a respected media identity in Queensland and hosts the morning radio program on 4BC. The questionable credibility of the article is of no fault of Greg Cary or the media organisation due to the one-sided nature of interviews and it was evident throughout the interview that Cary possessed differing information relating to the legal action. This is not representative of the coverage of the issue as a whole, but rather only a snapshot. With regards to the issues discussed in Coleman’s article, the journalists showed no interest in pursuing information about the children further than enquiring about their legal situation. However, although she was a family member, the grandmother was in a position to possibly misrepresent the children as she gave apparent quotes from the four sisters, as well as a second-hand quote from the father.

McKerrow, G. (2012, October 4). Deported. Channel 7 - Sunrise.  Retrieved from http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/watch/30773999/sunrise-news-break-october-4/

This report by reputable Channel 7 journalist Georgina McKerrow on the popular morning news program, Sunrise, is an account of the 4 sisters being taken from their mother and brought to Brisbane International Airport so as to be returned to their father in Italy. The television medium lends itself to the most dramatic and emotional telling of the story and this can often lead to exaggerated and misrepresented reports. However, in this case, the credibility of the report cannot be doubted as the reporter’s commentary is paired with the actual footage of the four girls being forcibly removed from their home. The credibility and unbiased nature of the report is evident as the footage of the distraught mother is followed by the court ruling which declares that the girls had been unfairly influenced by the mother and her family. On the other hand, it does raise the ethical questions posed in Coleman’s article with regards to representing the children through the media. While the faces of the girls and their mother were pixelated for privacy from the public, they have certainly not received privacy from the media who have taken extensive footage of the family.

Petersen, F. (2012, May 15). Australia: four sisters go into hiding to avoid repatriation with father to Italy. Global Post. Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120515/australia-teenage-girls-italy-hague-convention-child-abduction  

Freya Petersen, a reputable journalist and previously a reporter and chief of staff for the Sydney Morning Herald, is the Queensland correspondent with Global Post, an American news site that focusses on international reporting. This article, written in May 2012, was relatively early in the media saga of the four girls caught in the middle of the custody dispute. It reports that after having lost the family court appeal, the four girls had gone on the run with their great-grandmother to avoid being returned to their father in Italy. The author portrays the girls as victims and uses statements from them as evidence to support the abusive nature of their father, therefore creating an obvious bias towards the plight of the children and totally neglecting the viewpoint of the father. Through use of the direct quotes, the author was able to appeal emotionally to the readers through the text medium. While the article has respected the privacy of the girls to a certain extent by not using their names and photographs, the issues discussed in Coleman’s article (cited above) with regards to misrepresentation of children in the media and the credibility of ‘vulnerable parties’ as sources, places doubt upon the overall reliability of the article. 

JOUR1111 Lecture 9

“News is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And it’s only news until he’s read it. After that it’s dead.” (Arthur Evelyn Waugh)

News values refer to the degree of prominence a media outlet gives to a story and the attention that is paid by an audience. But what makes a story newsworthy and how do they know?

What makes a story newsworthy?

Over the years there have been a number of lists compiled, spelling out the importance of certain values in the news. One value that continues to crop up is negativity or bad news. This is certainly obvious when you turn the TV on and you are bombarded with stories of car crashes, murder and natural disasters. If it bleeds, it leads, right? Another value that occurs frequently on these lists is that of elites and celebrities. People seem to want to know what their favourite movie star is up to and keep track of the activities of people in power. Proximity and the notion of if it’s local, it leads, is another key value.

The big six values which encompasses most of the defined news values, including the values mentioned already, are significance, proximity, conflict, human interest, novelty and prominence.

Essentially, newsworthiness involves telling the factual stories that people either need or want to know and of course by extension has the all-important role of selling newspapers and maintaining high ratings.

How do they know?

According to Harold Evans, having a “sense of news values” is the defining quality of an editor, serving as “human sieves of the torrent of news”. Realising and creating a story that people want or need to know about is apparently an instinctual thing. There are no formal codes or rulebook to follow, but rather journalists learn on the spot and ‘go with their gut’.

Shift in power

News is no longer one way and there has been a shift in power to the audience. The audience now has a means to speak whereas they used to have to passively accept what and when a story was presented to them. The people have more of a role in dictating news values and highlight the weighting of certain values in society as they are able to openly discuss and report on stories on the new platform (the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, blog and the list goes on).