Tuesday 28 October 2014

Citizen Journalism Examples

London Riots (2011) -Hackney

British Soldier beheaded in Woolwich

Icelandic Volcanoes
Indian Floods


Chinese state accused of attacking Apple's iCloud

Title: Chinese state accused of attacking Apple's iCloud


Summary:
This article is about iCloud users being the victims of a middle man that is suspected to be run by the Chinese state, especially in cases where there are connections passing in and out the country. The attacks on the users began on the same day of release as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6plus in China.  The suspected attacker intercepts data that is passed between the user and iCloud.com, Apple’s cloud computing service, by routing all communication between the two through a malicious third party. ICloud.com is known to use the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) internet security protocol so that it can establish a secure connection. In order to get around the SSL, the suspected attacker has used a self-signed certificate, which is enough to trick users of insecure browsers into thinking they’ve accessed the iCloud website through a secure connection. The protocol that is used to secure iCloud is reliant on certificates that are signed by one of a number of trusted authorities to verify that the site being connected to isn’t intercepted by a third party. The attack made use of a self-signed certificate, which claims to be iCloud.com but isn’t supported by a trusted third party. 

Facts/Phrases:

Ø  “This is clearly a malicious attack on Apple in an effort to gain access to usernames and passwords and consequently all data stored on iCloud, such as iMessages, photos, and contacts”, wrote the Chinese internet freedom organisation Great Fire."

Ø  If users ignored the security warning and clicked through to the Apple site and entered their username and password, this information has now been compromised by the Chinese authorities.

Ø  The “great firewall” is a notoriously imprecise censorship tool, frequently blocking sites on a piecemeal basis or allowing access for seemingly random periods of time.

Opinion:


In my opinion, there are two issues that have been highlighted in this article the first being privacy with Apple’s iCloud being in the spotlight yet again as it has been the victim of the attacker (Chinese state), as well as the fact that the iPhone users in China have no privacy whilst using their phones as they are being monitored. The second issue is the Great Firewall of China and how it is used for censorship and consistently blocking site randomly.   

Nike and Apple working on ‘stylish’ new wearable technology

Title: Nike and Apple working on ‘stylish’ new wearable technology



Summary:

This article is about Nike and Apple teaming up again in a coalition in order to create and launch wearable technology. Nike and Apple previously worked together in 2006 for the Nike+ running sensor range, which was connected to the iPod wirelessly. The aim of the new wearable technology is to be more integrated so that it is camouflaged, so that it is less likely to be stolen. The chief executive, Mark Parker, of Nike has worked with the founder of Apple Steve Jobs. . Nike is likely to have a Nike+ app for the Apple Watch and one that integrates with Apple’s new Health application.

Phrases/Facts:

Ø  “I think the form it takes is critical. You can go from the very geeky kind of wearables today – we’ve all seen some of those – to what I think you’ll see in the future, things that are more stealth, more integrated, more stylish and more functional, yes.” – Mark Parker

Ø  Parker said. “So yeah, that’s part of our plan, to expand the whole digital frontier in terms of wearables, and go from what we say is tens of millions of users – right now there’s 25 million Nike+ users – to hundreds of millions.”

Opinion:
In my opinion this article has two main stand point the first being the partnership between the Nike and Apple brand to create a newer form of technology in order to monetise this via advertising and profit. Also, the fact that there is a newer form of technology soon becoming available for the audiences of Nike and Apple it could be extending the gap in the digital divide, as this more pointless development in wearable technology is more of a luxury.  




Monday 27 October 2014

The battle between old and new media

Title: The battle between old and new media


Summary:
This article is about the Jeff Bezos, who is one of the richest men in the world, acquiring the Washington Post for $250m (£164m), and it becoming controversial in terms of paying this vast amount is not enough in the world of internet and New Media. The article states that Bezos is worth $25bn according to Forbes. Bezos has invested a large amount of money in to New Media. The article then goes to talk about journalism and how the costs of the majority of big newspapers are much higher than new media. Bezos outlines the changes of the industry that the internet has transformed the news industry shortening news cycles, eroding long-reliable revenue sources, and enabling new kinds of competition, some of which bear little or no newsgathering costs.

Phrases/Facts:
Ø  Facebook itself invested $1bn in the photo sharing website Instagram back in April 2012.

Ø  "For the best part of 100 years, newspapers were a licence to print money, you could sell the same words to readers and advertisers," says Tim Luckhurst, professor of journalism at the University of Kent.

Ø  For the Washington Post, average weekday circulation is currently about 475,000, as against almost 770,000 in 2002.

Ø  "Good journalism costs money. Newspapers need to take reporters off the diary to chase stories. That can take months and might not even result in anything," says Mr Greenslade.

Opinion:


In my opinion this article is crucial in terms of how professionally trained journalists are able to procure great news stories that cannot be lived up by citizen journalists as they are not qualified, also it shows how even with the changing landscape there are certain figures that want to stick with traditional forms of media, in this case the Washington post. The fact that the article consistently plays up the agenda that good and quality journalism costs more, presents the hinting to the dumbing down of audiences with New and Digital media. 

Traditional Journalism: Is it Old News?

Title: Traditional Journalism: Is it Old News?



Summary:
This article is about traditional journalisms decline in the current era as information sharing will never be the same due the drastic change in the last 30 or so years of the media landscape with the introduction of the internet and its benefits compared to traditional information. The internet enables interactive news and use generated content. There is a warning that losing local reporting may shift the power away from the audience and towards the government and major media institutions, giving them more control and influence over them.

Phrases/Facts:
Ø  The drop in subscribers means lost revenue, which causes layoffs and reductions in the quality and quantity of news reporting, according to a 2013 Pew Research Centre report.

Ø  Traditional outlets (radio, TV, papers) vie with the new media (blogs, websites, and social networks). Nearly three-quarters of Americans now get breaking news from friends and family, including social media connections.

Ø  Bureau of Labour Statistics forecasts a decline for some news jobs like reporters and correspondents; it projects growth in areas such as broadcast news analysis and web-based publishing. 

Opinion:

This article in my opinion is prime evidence in the declining industry of newspaper journalists and reporters. This emphasises how the internet is one of the biggest turning points in history in terms of the dispositions of people and how they have made life easier and the access to internet had made news more convenient.  

Sunday 19 October 2014

After Snapchat and Dropbox, it's time to realise that the modern web is hostile

Title: After Snapchat and Dropbox, it's time to realise that the modern web is hostile



Summary:

This article is about the recurring issues with security being controversial in recent months. The denial by Snapchat and Dropbox being hacked has bought the question of security back in to the spotlight. Both the cases of leaked pictures and videos, in terms of Snapchat, and millions of logins available, in the case of Dropbox, have been caused by third-party websites. In terms of Snapchat, the website snapsave.com has revealed thousands of explicit and inappropriate photos and videos. The article then gives the reason of security to why security is important and it is safe to use different passwords for different sites. The article then goes to state that hacking is recurring in all newer forms of media and technology, linking it to the rapid growth stage of Twitter and Facebook where they had theft logins. After Snapchat’s problems, there may be a wider cleansing of the very insecure practice of letting third-party sites have logins. 

Opinion


In my opinion the current era of technology, security has been endangered, as Andrew keen had stated “the internet is killing our culture” it has been quite evident in regards to security and how safety has no longer become priority compare to the latest apps and trends.

Apple unveils iPad Air and iPad mini with Touch ID fingerprint scanner

Title: Apple unveils iPad Air and iPad mini with Touch ID fingerprint scanner



Summary:

This article is about the unveiling of the iPad Air and iPad mini, this is an attempt to rejuvenate the declining tablet sales and try and integrate Apple’s fingerprint-based mobile payments on goods and services online. The new iPad has a better performance compared to last year’s model, as according to the company’s hardware lead the processor is 40% faster and the graphics are 2.5x faster. The thickness of the Air 2 is just 6.1mm. The mini has got its own fingerprint sensor. The finger print sensor used to unlock the device and as a password replacement for purchases through the App Store and iTunes. The article also goes on to talk about how the sales of iPads have slowed dramatically in the first half of 2014, and they have fallen year-on-year for 2 quarters in succession. The article ends with Apple’s iPads are currently being used by the NHS, publishers and other office-based industries, where it is often used instead of a laptop – with increased security, battery life and portability for a lesser cost than laptop alternatives.

Facts/Phrases:

Ø  The new iPad Air 2 is just 6.1mm, an 18% reduction on the iPad Air. The device also has a new screen with 58% less reflectivity, and an improved 8 megapixel camera. 

Ø  Both new iPads now come with more storage for apps, games, movies, photos and music with 16, 64 and 128GB options available, for $499, $599 and $699 respectively for the Air and $399, $499 and $599 for the mini, as well as versions with cellular connectivity for $130 more. 

Ø  The company was still happily promoting its total sales of 225m iPads since the product line began in 2010, and Cook boasted of iPads outselling every PC sold by typical manufacturers such as Dell and Lenovo in the last 12 months.

Ø  Data from research firm Gartner indicates tablets will represent less than 10% of all computers, tablets and smartphones in 2014, and will continue to decrease through 2018 as consumers cool on buying new tablets, replacing them far more slowly than they do their smartphones.

Opinion:


In my opinion, this is a very intriguing article in regards to apple and security. They are releasing their latest iPad with finger print sensors, as this comes under the controversy of security, specifically the recent icloud leaks, perhaps apple shouldn’t have bought out the iPad it may actually cause the audience/consumer to rethink safety and buy android tablets, furthermore iPads are decreasing in sales already, maybe this attempt could re-generate buzz for apple or maybe they will fall flat on their faces. 

Monday 13 October 2014

The Rise and Rise of UGC

  1. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
A ‘Citizen Journalist ‘is defined as a media user who produces media texts, for example blogs. The also capture events and things taking place live and alter the media in to their own personal opinion.  
  1. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
The first example of news being caught live was the case of Rodney King, he was an African-American. After a high speed chase, the 4 LA officers had surrounded him, tasered him and beat him with clubs. The event was being filmed by an onlooker from his apartment window. The home-video footage had made prime-time news and became an international media sensation, and a focus for complaints about police racism towards African-Americans. The 4 LA Four officers were charged with assault and use of excessive force, but in 1992 they were acquitted of the charges. This acquittal, in the face of the video footage which clearly showed the beatings, sparked huge civil unrest. There were six days of riots, 53 people died, and around 4000 people were injured. The costs of the damage, looting and clear-up came in at up to a billion dollars.
  1. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
Ø  Message boards
Ø  Chat Rooms
Ø  Question & Answer
Ø  Polls
Ø  Have your says
Ø  Blogs with comments enabled
Ø  Social Networks:
1)      Bebo
2)      MySpace
3)      Facebook
4)      You Tube
  1. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
The main difference is that the first hand footage (UGC) is more hard-hitting and emotive compared to professionally shot footage behind the police lines as it is an on the seen account.
  1. What is a gatekeeper?
Gatekeepers are the professional editors and producers who control what is and isn’t shown on the news live.
  1. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
Gatekeepers are becoming less powerful as they cannot control the user generated content and what is shown on the blogosphere, where small minorities are able to project their views and ideologies.
  1. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

One of the concerns is that they may lose jobs, as the institutions now use sources from the citizen journalists, also known as crowd sourcing. 


Examples

The case of Rodney King, he was an African-American. After a high speed chase, the 4 LA officers had surrounded him, tasered him and beat him with clubs. The event was being filmed by an onlooker from his apartment window. Four officers were charged with assault and use of excessive force, but in 1992 they were acquitted of the charges. This acquittal, in the face of the video footage which clearly showed the beatings, sparked huge civil unrest. There were six days of riots, 53 people died, and around 4000 people were injured. The costs of the damage, looting and clear-up came in at up to a billion dollars. 

Another example is the natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for UGC. Tourists were recording one of the worst natural disasters in recent times. In addition, in the days after the disaster, social networking sites provided witness accounts for a world-wide audience, helped survivors and family members get in touch and acted as a forum all those involved to share their experiences.


A third example, the London bombings on July 5th 2005, provided another opportunity for citizen journalists to influence the mainstream news agenda. No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising. This first-hand view, rather than professionally shot footage from behind police lines, is often more hard-hitting and emotive. 

A fourth example is the package of writings, photos and video footage that 23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, mailed into NBC News. Between his first attack, when he shot two people, he sent the package from a local post office, before going on to kill a further 30 people. In his so-called ‘manifesto’ Cho showed his paranoia and obsession, likening himself to Jesus Christ. 


The fifth example used is of the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008. As bombs exploded across the city, the world’s media got up-to date with events through reports on Twitter and Flickr. 


The next example is the story of the Hudson River plane crash on January 15th 2009 was broken to the world. With a dramatic picture of a plane half sinking in the river, and passengers crowded on the wing awaiting rescue Janis Krun tweeted: “There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.”



Benefits to institutions 

The benefits to the institutions are that they get more than opinion and that they are opened to criticism for example, blogger who get paid, for advertising on blogs.

Benefits to audience 

The benefit to audiences is that they are able to portray their views more freely and this gives support to a more pluralistic environment as there are more than 1-3 views on different debates.

Wider issues and debates 
What effect does this have on the professional journalists if the citizen journalist is able to post up their footage online?


Social
Wider use of social media, for example on twitter people can tweet and retweet stories, incidents, pictures and videos, similarly to Facebook where the audience is able to share their view and opinions online.
Historical
The turning point was the first ever use of cameras to record and send in video graphic evidence to portray the tyranny and reality of the world, rather than a biased view of the newspaper and its institution.
Economical
From an economic perspective, the use of user generated content saves money for them and is cheaper to use compared to journalists.


Sunday 12 October 2014

Buzz Feed Article


Title: 21 Emotions We All Experience While Watching the X Factor
Summary:
This listicle is about the 21 emotions that people experience whilst watching the reality series of X factor. The expressions range from anticipation to panic to the urge to see what they are saying on the internet.  All the 21 emotions are supported by gifs that are moderately humorous.

Opinion
In my opinion, I honestly think that it is pathetic as this article supports how dumb down and idiotic the audiences lives have become that they are reading an article about what emotions they appear to have been portraying whilst watching reality television. My opinion is biased as i have no interest in reality television, as it presents people wither showing off or embarrassing themselves in front of millions around the world. 

Revenge porn could lead to 14-year sentence, new guidelines clarify

Title: Revenge porn could lead to 14-year sentence, new guidelines clarify



Summary:

The article begins on the problem and change of guidance on revenge porn, which is putting explicit images of former partners online. The new guidance is that the Crown Prosecution service suggests it will now carry a maximum sentence 14 years. The guidelines also state that the prosecutions shouldn’t be bought under the obscenity act but the Sexual Offense Act 2003. A spokesperson for the CPS said: “No one should have to suffer the hurt and humiliation of ‘revenge pornography’ – a nasty and invasive crime that appears, anecdotally at least, to have increased as social media use has gone up.  The article goes on to state what revenge porn is specifically.

Key Phrases/Facts:

Ø  “The CPS prosecutes these cases using a range of current laws, and we have now clarified our legal guidance to set out clearly how these cases should be brought to court.
Ø  “Due to the very personal nature of ‘revenge pornography’, prosecutors are being asked specifically to consider the impact on the victims involved.
Ø  “The new guidance also makes clear that the context of each case needs to be considered alongside current guidelines to ensure that the most appropriate legislation is used when prosecuting. The public, and indeed that intent on attacking former partners in this way, can now see clearly that this is a crime that can and will be prosecuted.”
Ø  Last week, figures uncovered by the Press Association showed schoolgirls were among those targeted, while adults had been blackmailed into having sex with their tormentor after indecent – previously private – images were put on the internet.
Ø  There were 149 allegations of crimes involving revenge pornography during the last two-and-a-half years, according to the eight police forces in England and Wales with data on it.


My Opinion:

I believe this article highlights a very important issue of privacy and how it’s changed along with the impact of new and digital media on the audiences. In terms of internet privacy, there is none, as the audience we are prone to literally violation of our personal information, by hackers, institutions like Google and perverts/paedophiles online. The impact that new and digital media has had on the audience is that we have become vulnerable and to media dependent, according to the dependency theory, we depend on the media to be in touch with the latest affairs and breaking news. 

The stark reality of print media's decline

Title: The stark reality of print media's decline



Summary:
This article is a year old; however it portrays the how traditional media has been declining in 2013, as a survey conducted by the pew research centre in the United States, the article throws around statistics that are in favour of newspapers becoming a dying breed of media. The article concludes on how digital media has become the front runner in all 3 platforms and

Key fact/phrases:
Ø  Newspapers' revenues from print advertising have declined from $44.9 billion in 2003 to $18.9 billion in 2012
Ø  You can't sustain continuous large annual losses in print advertising revenue and daily circulation (down 14 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in 2012)
Ø  Pew asks respondents where they got their news the day before. In 2012, 39 percent answered the Web, including social media, up sharply from 2004's 24 percent, the earliest data. Meanwhile, only 29 percent answered newspapers in 2012, down from 47 percent in 2000.

My opinion:

In my opinion, this is a very important article, even though it is a year old it provide sufficient evidence in the significant impact on the news, and how in a short period of time digital media has completely change the media landscape where digital media has become so much more profitable than broadsheets and tabloids. Newspapers are continuing to go in to the decline, this is because apps and websites have become more convenient and easier to access that even 5 year olds are able to access it. Furthermore, the fact that newspapers are declining, implies the domino effect of us as an audience becoming less intellectual and use to a more simplistic structure of news.   

Saturday 4 October 2014

Reddit secures $50m in fundraising from investors including Snoop Dogg

Title: Reddit secures $50m in fundraising from investors including Snoop Dogg


This article is about the social news platform called Reddit, and it addresses the fact that Reddit has secured $50 million (£31 million) in funding from Venture Capitalists and investors. Amongst these investors there are names like the actor Jared Leto and Snoop Dogg. The fundraising was achieved after weeks from banning the “The Fappening” (A community which was dedicated to posting the nude celebrities photo after Reddit was accused of being slow to take action). The images were originally posted on 4chan but The Fappening had provided a home, which attracted more than 250 million views in days.

Key facts:
Ø  Social news platform Reddit has secured $50m (£31m) in funding from venture capitalists and investors including actor Jared Leto and hip-hop star Snoop Dogg, and is preparing to give 10% of the new shares back to the website’s users.


In my opinion, I believe that this shows how institutions have attempted to speed up their response times in crises in order to prevent them happening again. Also, it presents how celebrities are also backing and supporting this institution. 

News Corp to buy property website owner Move for $950m

Title: News Corp to buy property website owner Move for $950m



This article is about Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp putting forward the idea of buying the US Company Move, who is that owner of many property websites, for about $1billion to expand it digital marketing business. The Move’s network of websites is accessed through move. The article also mentions how News Corp and Move had a Joint press release where they announced the recent quarterly results. Further on, it states that News Corp will commence a tender offer for Move shares within 10 days and close the deal by the end of the year. The article also addresses a rumour where Murdoch is eyeing to buy more US newspapers, including the Tribune-owned Los Angeles Times. The chief executive of News Corp stated they wanted to “accelerate News Corp’s digital and global expansion and contribute to the transformation of our company, making online real estate a powerful pillar of our portfolio.” And that they have the intention to “...create the most successful real estate website in the US.”

Key facts:

Ø  News Corp will buy 80% of Move for $950m (£586m); Australian real estate website REA Group, which is 61.6% owned by News Corp, is to take the remaining 20% for about $200m in an all-cash deal unanimously approved by the property company’s board.

Ø  Move.com reaches about 35m people a month.

Ø  7% year-on-year increase in revenues to $61.3m, with adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $3.1m.

Ø  News Corp said on Tuesday it would pay $21 a share, a premium of 37% on Move’s closing price in New York on Monday. Move’s shares rose 17.7% to $18 in premarket trading.

Ø  Zillow agreed to buy Trulia for $3.5bn in July, combining the top two US real estate websites.

In my opinion this article is very significant in terms of highlighting how Rupert Murdoch is almost the millionaire in a Monopoly of the Media and demonstrating the vast amounts of power him and his company have in persuading companies to hand over their businesses. News Corp continues to dwarf any or all of its competitors in almost all niches.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Media Leaders in the UK


Media of the United Kingdom consist of several different types of communications media:

Ø  Television  
Ø  Radio
Ø  Newspapers/Magazines
Ø  Web sites

The UK has a range of providers, the most prominent being the state-owned public service broadcaster, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). The BBC's largest competitors are ITV plc, which operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, and News Corporation, which holds a large stake in satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting and also operate a number of leading national newspapers. Regional media is covered by local radio, television and print newspapers. Trinity Mirror operates 240 local and regional newspapers in the United Kingdom, as well as national newspapers such as the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror [1].

The BBC

In terms of television BBC own BBC 1,2,3,4, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament, BBC Alba and BBC red button. BBC possess a wide range of Radio stations they are, BBC radio 1, BBC radio 1Xtra, BBC radio 2, BBC radio 3, BBC radio 4, BBC radio extra, BBC radio 5 live, BBC radio 5 live sports extra, BBC radio 6 music, BBC Asian Network, BBC Local Radio, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Nan Gáidheal, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle. BBC has a future media division which is in charge of all of BBC’s digital output; this includes BBC Online (which is home to BBC news and sport on demand, as well as BBC iPlayer and CBeebies and Bitesize. Also, BBC Red Button (Digital Interactive Media).

ITV

ITV plc is divided into three divisions: ITV Broadcasting Limited, which operates the TV networks (including the ITV News Group, which runs the ITV regional licensees); ITV Studios, which comprises both UK and international production, ITV's facilities businesses and Global Entertainment which exploits programme rights; and ITV Commercial & Online, which runs itv.com (including ITV Player) and ITV's advertising sales arm, and has responsibility for ITV plc's shareholdings in Freeview, Freesat, SDN and YouView.
ITV own 12-15 regional Television licenses. The channels that ITV own are:
Ø  ITV2
Ø  ITV3
Ø  ITV4
Ø  ITV Encore
Ø  CITV
Ø  The store
Ø  Time shift and HD feeds for ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and ITV Encore


News Corp
News Corp is owned by Rupert Murdoch and has a large stake in the UK with BSkyB. In the print platform News Corp owns:
Ø  The Sun
Ø  The Times,
Ø  The Sunday Times
Ø  Press Association.

They own the HarperCollins book publishing company, as well as Sky network television and having a 39.1% in the UK and Ireland. The cable television channels they own are Fox New, National Geographic channel International, Nat Geo Wild, FX, FOX and Syfy. With regard to the Internet/Digital media they own Foxsports.com (a website with sports new, score, statistics video and fantasy sports), Hulu (27%) (This is an online video streaming site partnership with NBC Universal and the Walt Disney Company), Flektor (They are a provider of Web-based tools for photo and video editing and mashups), Slingshot Labs (Web development incubators), Strategic Data Corp (Interactive advertising company which develops technology to deliver targeted internet advertising), Scout.com, Whatifsports.com (a sports simulation and prediction website), Propertfinder.com and Sherlock publications (Owner of Hotproperty.co.uk).

Trinity Mirror

Trinity Mirror is a large British newspaper magazine and digital publisher. It is Britain’s biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and people, and the Scottish Sunday mail and Daily Record. Only recently Trinity Mirror launched their website UsvsTh3m.com and Ampp3d.com on an experimental basis. UsVsTh3m is a website similar to Buzzfeed focused on quizzes and Flash games, edited by B3ta founder Rob Manuel and running the Tumblr platform. Ampp3d is focused on data journalism and uses the Word Press platform.





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