VLOGS: Take Them Seriously!!

I speculate sometimes perhaps just like many others whether vlogs are really the video version of blogging or is it simply Online TV.

It shares the characteristics of a blog showcasing daily updates, RSS feed, comments of viewers etc. The vlog sites can also be compared into online television that provides individual with channels to broadcast their video content.

It may not consist of the professional finishing touches of television network productions. Nevertheless it does contain equal importance in its user generated contents.

YouTube is a perfect general example of social networking site that provides its users with individual channels to upload post and share their video productions.

The issue is however, that the world is yet to absorb the gravity of the power of vlog content.

When potentially threatening information in a video is uploaded online the authorities tend to dismiss the threat it may impose for the future. In example of the Finnish gunman who went on mass shooting in a school; the video he posted on YouTube of his killing intentions were taken too lightly by the police.

This obviously proved to be fatal just the same way the other mass shooting incidents were early this year.

Regardless of criticisms on sustainability in sharing information on vlogs by many, I believe it certainly is the way forward for User Generated Content as it provides the visual, audio and text segments in delivering the message.

On a more lighter note here is a video hosted by Deepak Ananthapadmanabha on latest (rather weird) technology. (Hilarious!!!) It’s a regularly updated vlog by MOJO’S The Circuit hosted in MOJO HD website.

If you cannot view the following video click here.

 

– jessiefer

*Originally Posted on 24/09/2008 on Edublogs as an ongoing journal of what I learnt on a weekly basis as a journalism student at Deakin University.

To STOMP or not to STOMP : That is the question

STOMP! No, it’s not another track by a Hip-Hop Mogul, but is the Singaporean website that represents Straits Times Online Mobile and Print.

STOMP encourages the regular citizen in becoming one with the now media process. Although unlike OhmyNews (mentioned in my previous blog), at STOMP they use a different model of citizen journalism.

Instead of the individual reporting in delivering the story directly, it is being mediated by the journalists at Strait Times in writing up the story based on their information.

However I did manage to stumble upon a blog post that argues this method use by STOMP is not citizen journalism by Cherian George blogging about Singaporean new media, politics and the law. 

The argument is that in STOMP the decision of which stories should go up on the website is decided by the editors instead of vice versa as it should be in citizen journalism.

Perhaps due to censorship laws prevailing in the media in Singapore STOMP might not be as broad minded as OhmyNews would be. 

Nevertheless it sure is stomping its way through into the world of media convergences in an era in which Mr. Nick Davies feels threatened by excessive PR campaigning.

                                                                          – jessiefer

*Originally Posted on 17/09/2008 on Edublogs as an ongoing journal of what I learnt on a weekly basis as a journalism student at Deakin University.

Tools of Reporting or Tools of Turmoil

We are most certainly way past the era where we waited till every Sunday morning to pick up our Sunday broadsheet for that week’s scoop in the news.

The latest news is more of a click, stream and a RSS feed away as I munch on an apple while having morning tea. 

Coincidentally this week I watched the first episode of the new Beverly Hills 90210 to find out how quickly news (mainly gossip) get around within a high school populace through a blog including vlogs run by a fellow student, silver. 

This technology savvy global village is becoming more and more dependent on these tools used by media corporations, professional gossip mongers (i.e Perez Hilton) and citizen journalists to keep them in a newsworthy need-to-know arena at a mouse click away.

This is how the use of technology by anyone who has got a camera to produce information could violate and disrupt our right to privacy in our lives according to Mr. Kevin Sites.

– jessiefer

*Originally Posted on 10/09/2008 on Edublogs as an ongoing journal of what I learnt on a weekly basis as a journalism student at Deakin University.

Ohmy Home-Made News

What do you get when you combine an 89% broadband penetration, in one of the oldest continuing civilizations with one of the fastest growing economies in the world? The answer is simply OhmyNews.com that encourages citizen journalism.

This South Korean website spearheaded by its CEO, Mr.Oh Yeon Ho had proven to be very successful in gaining its readers affection locally by uploading at least 200 articles a day.

 Further they have over 3,000 citizen reporters around the world that keeps help updating the news as it happens. 

This project that persuades every citizen to be a journalist also follows a strict set of guidelines and a code of ethics in order to maintain credibility and privacy requirements in every article submitted.

 As for the citizen reporters, writing for OhmyNews is perhaps the case of five minute fame, the generous tips from the readers or the simple satisfaction of sharing information with the rest of the world.

This turn of reporting not only allow the truth seeking Gen Y population with an alternative news media, but also allows the reporter to be a bit opinionated in their article more than conservative reporting would allow them to.

– jesssiefer

*Originally Posted on 08/09/2008 on Edublogs as an ongoing journal of what I learnt on a weekly basis as a journalism student at Deakin University.

Generation of Choice: Unhealthy for MSM

On my previous blog posts I have been discussing on how the present new media is stepping up to new trends through usage of multimedia, convergences between other types of media through citizen journalism in keeping up with latest technology based informa-craving world.

All this leads us to where as journalists we  stand not knowing which way the news medium is heading.

 Truly enough as John Mullen (ALJ 301) discussed; not one in my circle of friends (which happen to be within the age of 20-30) do bother picking up a news paper to read the daily news.

 We’d rather comfort our rears in front of an LCD screen that manoeuvre us through the news we want to read.

 The Channel Ten News theme song says ‘right here, right now’ and then flashes ‘witness’ on the screen. However what we really want to witness may quite not be what they as media decide their audience may want to know.

 It is a matter of the power of choice; the ability to decide what we need to know is what attracts us into online news distracting us from mainstream media. (MSM)

– jessiefer

*Originally Posted on 25/08/2008 on Edublogs as an ongoing journal of what I learnt on a weekly basis as a journalism student at Deakin University.