Post 2 - Emerging technologies

Technology is all around us. Currently, I am typing on a keyboard which is linked to a computer which is also linked to a large network of computers sharing the same Internet system and right now, you are reading this on your own computer screen. A simple example of technology at its prime.
The use of technology benefits each individual in their own unique way. Whether it be used in our homes, for educational purposes, in the workplace or just socially, the ever growing product line that technology has produced influences our everyday lives.
During the process of traditional news gathering, journalists use different methods and apply unique procedures in order to collect the appropriate data to use in their work. This technology could range from one journalist meeting pen to paper, right up to another carrying around a recently emerged touch screen hand held gadget where they store all their notes and critical information.
Emerging technologies provide today's journalist with easy and time efficient devices to guide them in a suitable direction to make their job a little easier. This help could range from the simple use of a mobile phone to communicate with information sources to a wide network of computers which may hold the secret quote to prove their article truthful and yet this is only a fraction of the ways emerging technology has transformed journalism overtime.

Post 1 - News Media Industry

The News Media Industry of today can be branched into many different categories, yet these can all be linked back to journalism.
Journalism is defined as the reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience associated with varied content.
The work produced by the industry can be the result of an article published in your favourite magazine, the dialogue presented in a teen-crazed soap opera or even the images produced when you secretly google "Justin Bieber" on the school computers to feed your sick fetish.
The News Media Industry effects our everyday life without us recognising it as something necessarily important. This is why today, the industry has evolved into such a critical aspect towards the lives of many and even though many may disagree when I state this, plays a larger role in our lives then we have initially assumed.

Just another teen movie?

http://movies.about.com/od/thelastsong/fr/last-song-review.htm

The movie The Last Song stars the contemporary famous actors Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth and follows a storyline which has been set to present it's audience with dramatic romance with unexpected complications.
This movie was brought to life from the ideas of a Nicholas Spark's novel, which according to about.com's Rebecca Murray, is almost identical to the rest of his novels.
The review began with a comparison to an also recent film Dear John whos characters and storyline are also apparently "freakishly similar to those in The Last Song."
Murray continues her review by labelling whole plot idea "Strangers become friends". She believes this idea is used in many recent films, therefore the last song is just another one of those Strangers become friends, teenaged chick-flicks.
Rebecca Murray's review is different from a news story as it presents more opinion than fact. In a news story, you would have had to include mostly fact and almost no opinion on the topic.

This review has been written by someone who has not neccessarily enjoyed the movie or is under the impression it is a copy of all the other movies hitting the box office in 2010. This however, does not mean the article is not well written. Even from the perspective of myself, who enjoyed the movie, the article is constructed in a way which links opinion to fact, and then uses example to prove her 'all the same' theory which leaves the audience entertained and creates a humourous theme for the review.

Youth gangs - opinion.

Graffiti is everywhere, you can't escape it. Gangs of teenage morons seemed determined to deface our city with their juvenile scribblings. Why?
To me it comes across as stupid and thoughtless and costs our city of Wollongong millions of dollars a year. Why should we have to pay for that?
Most graffiti we see is what is known as a "tag" and most gang members have their own individual tags as well as the one that signifies their particular group. For example - post codes, "Warilla Boys", "Port Boys" "Oak Flats Elite" "One Seven Soliders" etc
Why do young boys feel the need to join gangs and what are the consequences? It all begins from the point a youth gang forms, until each current member is locked up.
So is this the end of it? Not yet. Locking members up makes the gang stronger, family members, close friends and keen locals insist on continuing the violence to prolong the name of their "boys", "girls" and suberbs violent history.

No matter how long I gaze at these scribbles, I still cannot identify any talent in the hand of an under developed pre-pubescent boy scribbling “F*** off” or “2526” across people’s prized possessions, or better still, stabbing their ex girlfriend's new romance.
This costs money the people inflicting this cannot afford even with a whole years pay! Leave our cities alone! It will benefit you when you’ve aged and hopefully formed into bigger and better crews, such as the team of employees at your job. As you screen the city’s skyline from your balcony on the hills you will inhale the clean air and thank your community for keeping it’s surroundings pristine and murder free.
Seriously, enlighten me with your reason, your ‘excuse’ for these murders, "tagging" and brawls .

State Of Play

By Hayley Speechley

The film "State of Play" stars an ageing Journalist (Russel Crowe) and a rising Congressman (Ben Affleck) who previously share friendship. This friendship begins to re ignite as Stephen Collins (Congressman) becomes the key link to a series of suspicious events.

Nearing Collins presidential peak, his assistant (also secretly his mistress) is viciously murdered. This is when bitter fact begins to seep through the to the surface and then bends Collin's original game plan.

The film continues by unfolding this 'series of suspicious events' which have called for excessive heated commotion and difficult decision making. All this heated commotion has resulted in Collin's being put under pressure and is being viewed closely by the public eye. This is when the truth is unfolded and after where incorrect fact and unwanted opinion has previously positioned them, Washington insiders come to a conclusion.

In conclusion, the director of "State of Play", Kevin MacDonald, has put together a well structured film and represents his ideas and emotion successfully through the dialogue and camera techniques, which presents his movie as a sucessful one.

Class Activity.

9/03/2010

The search for the identity of four men has begun in response to the recent murders committed near the Rock's area.
Over the weekend, two men gunned down, central to some of the city's most exclusive real estate.
Police report that they believe at least 20 shots were fired last week from multiple semi-automatic hand guns at close range.

As a result of this incident and many similar, Anti-firearm lobby groups have called upon Government to halt the spread of illegal hand guns in Sydney whilst the NSW Opposition leader has accused the Government of letting gun crimes the same as this inncident spiral out of control.

Police having been already aware of the sudden gangland war outbreak, are concerned this incident will provoke a drastic escalation in Sydney's turf war.
"Bob Carr has run out of excuses" states Brogden, "His policing strategies aren't working when criminals think shooting people in highly populated, tourist areas is easy"

Hayley Speechley

Ben Kohler

Ben Kohler (16 years of age) hails from Woonona High School.
In Ben's spare time, he enjoys basking in the sounds of Punk-Rock bands such as the Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Misfits, Black Flag, The Clash and also appreciates a bit of Marlyn Manson! As well as listening to the music his favourite bands produce, Ben also plays the bass guitar which falls into the list of his many hobbies.
On a weekend, Ben entertains himself by "reading alot". He enjoys reading novels written by Stephen King, as well as snooping the internet to find media sources which are usually politically based articles. He likes that kind of stuff!
Ben is currently unemployed yet he feels he should really get a job! Anyone hiring? Unfortunatly Ben would have to be very reliant on public transport, he is almost 17 and doesn't have his L's! Although this doesn't seem to worry him.
Changing schools 5 times and once living in Nowra, Ben must be close to seeing it all! Yet his career path is still being deceided.
From the 10 quiet minutes I have spent one on one with Ben, I have walked away with the knowledge that he is quite smart, has strong beliefs and is a generally nice guy.