Week 5 2/2-2/6

Title of Resource: Legend of Korra Creators Confirm that Korrasami is Canon



Citation of source: Trendacosta, K. (2014, December 22). Legend of Korra Creators Confirm that Korrasami is Canon. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://io9.com/legend-of-korra-creators-confirm-that-korrasami-is-cano-1674384152

Summary of source: Lots of discussion has been had on the topic of whether Korra and Asami from the hit series "Legend of Korra" are officially a couple, or just very close friends. It has been confirmed by the creators that the season finale that showed unclear hints of a romantic relationship was really just that, a romantic relationship. This is a step for representation in the LGBT+ community, because this show is targeted towards youth. The creators express their goal of including LGBT+ characters in their story and the trouble they had getting it approved. They do explain that they are aware that this isn't a "slam-dunk victory for queer representation" because it's not very clear, but it really is encouraging. This decision has been received well by consumers.

2-3 Important quotes: "It is long over due that our media (including children's media) stops treating non-heterosexual people as nonexistent, or as something merely to be mocked. I'm only sorry it took us so long to have this kind of representation in one of our stories."

"Was it a slam-dunk victory for queer representation? I think it falls short of that, but hopefully it is a somewhat significant inching forward. It has been encouraging how well the media and the bulk of the fans have embraced it. Sadly and unsurprisingly, there are also plenty of people who have lashed out with homophobic vitriol and nonsense. It has been my experience that by and large this kind of mindset is a result of a lack of exposure to people whose lives and struggles are different from one's own, and due to a deficiency in empathy––the latter being a key theme in Book 4. (Despite what you might have heard, bisexual people are real!)"

Reflection: I chose to focus on a recent event in media history, where a television show marketed towards a younger audience created a main character that is bisexual. Although it's never directly stated, it's HEAVILY implied, and the creators of the show have confirmed it. They were limited in what they could do due to the network company, especially because of the younger audience, but they still managed to incorporate positive representation of the LGBT+ community, which is a step. Cartoons don't tend to include LGBT+ characters, or they do so "quietly". Two lesbian characters were changed to "cousins" in the Americanized version of Sailor Moon, and the couple of Marcelline and Princess Bubble Gum is extremely low-key. Although I understand that the creators were being restricted in how direct they could be, so I can appreciate this exciting storyline even with it's ambiguity. However, it's sad that most television shows make the identity LGBT+ characters unclear. If you're intending to make a change, go all the way. However, this is an important step, especially because this event takes place in children's television. It's showing young audiences that bisexuality does exist, and it's exposing them to diversity. 

1/26-1/30

Title:Teach, Stream, Be Acquired: Why Online Education Investors Are Hot for Teachers

 Link: here

Citation: Bourque, A. (2015, January 30). Teach, Stream, Be Acquired: Why Online Education Investors Are Hot for Teachers. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andre-bourque/teach-stream-be-acquired_b_6576768.html

Summary: Media and technology are not only improving and changing the way news is circulated, but they are also changing the education system. Itunes and Youtube offer educational resources via internet, which is giving these companies profit and business for these companies. It's interesting to see the way media is affecting lives in more ways than thought possible; people can educate themselves through the internet if they know where to look.

Quotes:
"Lynda.com, a pioneer in this space, knows this well. The online video education provider raised $186 million in financing last year. Founded in 1995 as a training program for web design, the company offers 5,700 online courses spanning linguistics, business, to photography."

"As college fees become prohibitively pricey for some would-be learners, a revolutionary solution has emerged. Popular video sharing sites like YouTube offer video-based lessons on everything from the proper grammatical usage of causative verbs to making cheese. Apple's iTunes U boasts more than 750,000 "individual learning materials" from nearly 70 countries."

"Education is at the core of Apple's DNA and iTunes U is an incredibly valuable resource for teachers and students. iTunes U features an amazing selection of academic materials for everyone around the world," said Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services, in June, announcing Apple's updates to iTunes U iPad offerings"

 Reflection: Now that students in Florida are being required to take online classes, it's evident that many schools across the country are implementing policies regarding internet classes because they feel it's important. Online classes are accessible and are becoming increasingly popular.  But there are materials and options besides online classes, there are programs and youtube channels and sites that offer other means of education through media, giving media more power than it had in the past. Many people are looking to the internet for cheaper means of education, especially considering the cost of college. This new convergence of education in the media seems to be a positive thing. It's amazing that textbook print has been transferred to online print, online textbooks are very popular. To see the evolution of education from print to media is an example of the evolution of media convergence.

WEEK 3 1/19-1/23

U.S. Receives 20,000 Copies of Charlie Hebdo - link to source

CITATION:
Laurent, O. (2015, January 22). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from http://time.com/3679625/charlie-hebdo-paris-terror-attack

Summary:After the recent tragedy, demand for the newspaper has increased significantly. People are interested in what paper caused all the hype, and thus America will begin distributing this newspaper. Copies will be available in New York, San Francisco, L.A. and soon Chicago.

Quotes: "Thousands of copies of Charlie Hebdo will go on sale in the United States beginning Friday, more than two weeks after the deadly terrorist attack on the satirical newspaper’s Paris office." 

"Demand for the newspaper, which previously had a circulation of 60,000, has been unprecedented in the wake of the Jan. 7 attack, when two gunmen stormed the weekly’s Paris office and killed 12 people. Eight journalists were among the victims, including editor-in-chief Stéphane Charbonnier. "

Reflection: As media convergence grows, Charlie Hebdo is taking advantage of the recent tragedy and using the exposure/hype/attention to distribute their magazine in the US as well, gaining a larger audience. In Paris, the demand for the newspaper has skyrocketed, and Americans have shown interest as well. This shows the effect of media attention and controversy/strong current events. When an event that gains wide media coverage occurs, the business or source of it all can take advantage of the opportunities that arise from it. In this case, the opportunity to take sales internationally, increasing the audience and revenue for the newspaper. The audience increased and grew larger, meaning the the means of distribution had to also grow and adapt to this new level of popularity. Distribution of a newspaper across countries brings great success and exposure. 

Week 2 1/12-1/16

Title: ‘Broad Consensus’ that Media Violence Can Lead to Increased Child Aggression
Link to source: here

 Citation: Locker, M. (2014, October 7). ‘Broad Consensus’ that Media Violence Can Lead to Increased Child Aggression. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://time.com/3478633/media-violence-children-study/

 

Summary:This article focuses on debunking the myth that violent media doesn't actually cause aggression in children. This has been an ongoing debate. Do violent video games and other forms of violent really affect children? This article explains the science and evidence behind the truth of how media really is a factor in aggression in children.

 Quotes:"This study dispels that notion completely by showing that, in fact, there is broad consensus that violent content can lead to more aggression."

“I think there’s a perception partly driven by the mass media that the field is divided,” said Bushman. “When they report on a finding that violent media produces aggression in children, to find a balance, they find someone else who disagrees with it. It leads to the conclusion that scientists don’t know about this topic and that the field is divided. But the field is not divided. There is broad consensus that violent media leads to increased aggression in children.”

 

 Reflection: With recent events, the world is debating over the effect media has on the world. Are the terrorists in France justified for defending their religion against the satirical magazine, or is media free to share the least censored of media? But media has other effects, and a previously popular debate was: does media violence affect behavior in children? This raises the question: what other effects does media have on society? The responses to this question are endless. Social norms, self esteem, protests and awareness, etc.  If media has such a strong impact on society that it can produce aggression in children, media can rewire the brains of children in other ways too. This should be used in a positive way. This significant impact is borderline brainwashing. Media is psychologically rewiring the brains of children, and that is a scary notion, along with the other negative aspects of media. Media's power and impact is becoming increasingly frightful.

Week 1 1/5-1/9

Title of Source: Paris Police Say 12 Dead After Shooting at Charlie Hebdo

Link to source: here

Citation: Urquhart, C. (2015, January 7). Paris Police Say 12 Dead After Shooting at Charlie Hebdo. Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://time.com/3657246/paris-charlie-hebdo-shooting/

Summary: The source explains the situation that unfolded in Paris; a shooting occurred at the office of French satirical weekly. It then continues to explain the significance of this act of terrorism: should the media censor its' satire? This was an act of terrorism, and it's the worst terrorist attack in Europe since 2005.

2-3 quotes: "The motive here is absolutely clear — trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the prophet Mohammad. So, no doubt in my mind that this is terrorism."

"PM: We stand united with the French people in our opposition to all forms of terrorism & stand squarely for free speech and democracy."

reflection:   The reason I chose this source to focus on for this week's blog posting is because this act of terrorism is raising issues about freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. The question "should the media censor its' satire?" arises. This newspaper has been threatened several times, and people are questioning whether their publications were worth their lives. However, Obama condemns the shooting, saying we have the right to exercise our freedom of speech.
   This event effects media and how little or how much the media can or should say about politics/life/leaders. However, it is evident that media won't start censoring itself now. According to secretary of state John Kerry, “The freedom of expression that it represented is not able to be killed by this kind of act of terror.”Kerry added that a pen represents an “instrument of freedom not fear,” and emphasized the importance of free speech, “no matter what your feelings were about [the publication].” The secretary said that a free press is a core value that can be “attacked, but never eradicated.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/obama-paris-newspaper-shooting-react-114029.html#ixzz3OCLdJuxW

WEEK 3

Title of Resource: The Choice

link here

 Citation of Source:
Gibbs, N. (2014, December 10). The Choice. Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-ebola-fighters-choice/

   Summary: Time Magazine is notable for announcing a "person of the year" each year. This year's winner was "Ebola fighters." The person of the year doesn't have to necessarily one person, or even a good person. The person of the year is the person, people, machine/thing, or concept that has shaped the world the most in the last 12 months. This year's choice was made because the workers who risked their lives to fight Ebola are being considered heroes. Part of the choice was made by issuing an online poll (results can be seen below). 

Important quotes: "But 2014 is the year an outbreak turned into an epidemic, powered by the very progress that has paved roads and raised cities and lifted millions out of poverty"

 "There was little to stop the disease from spreading further. Governments weren’t equipped to respond; the World Health Organization was in denial and snarled in red tape.
But the people in the field, the special forces of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Christian medical-relief workers of Samaritan’s Purse and many others from all over the world fought side by side with local doctors and nurses, ambulance drivers and burial teams."

"For tireless acts of courage and mercy, for buying the world time to boost its defenses, for risking, for persisting, for sacrificing and saving, the Ebola fighters are TIME’s 2014 Person of the Year."

 

REFLECTION: This title used to be called "Man of the Year" and was a way for writers of the magazine to keep their audience's interest. After the first one in 1945, this tradition was bound to be a success. Time Magazine's person of the year represents the influence of a person, people, machine/thing, or concept, and it also represents the progress or lack of, that the world has made that year. Some magazine picks were controversial. Hitler was named Man of the Year in 1938, and Stalin was given the title twice. Wallis Simpson, a WOMAN, was given the title of "Man of the Year" in 1936. Martin Luther King, the computer, Earth, and "you" (the numerous amount of people who contributed to the user-generated content online) have also won the award. In 1999 the title was changed to "Person of the Year". TIME Magazine held its first online poll to allow users to contribute to the selection in 1998, however they stress that the choice is made independently of users votes. However, this interaction between the magazine and its' consumers is a great strategy, the audience becomes more involved. It is also a clever marketing strategy, this tease of the possible winners makes audiences more anxious to know the results, and more likely to purchase the issue with the winner. I think this title raises awareness about world issues/current events and gets people more involved in the world. It's a clever thing to do, everyone wants to know what's going on so they can be in the loop. I think this years' winner was a fair choice, although my choice would've been Malala Yousafzai.

 

 EXTRAS: POLL+VIDEO

Poll of this year's considerations for Person of the Year

16.2%

Narendra Modi

9.2%

Ferguson Protestors

7%

Joshua Wong

4.9%

Malala Yousafzai

4.5%

Ebola Doctors and Nurses

4.3%

Vladimir Putin

3.4%

Laverne Cox

2.7%

Joko Widodo

2.6%

Pope Francis

2.5%

Chibok Girls

2.2%

Barack Obama

2.1%

Beyoncé

2%

Jennifer Lawrence

1.8%

Angela Merkel

1.7%

Taylor Swift

1.6%

John Oliver

1.6%

Elon Musk

1.5%

Tim Cook

1.4%

Elizabeth Warren

1.3%

Pete Frates and Pat Quinn

1.2%

Hillary Clinton

1.2%

Christopher Nolan

1.2%

Shonda Rhimes

1.2%

Xi Jinping

1.2%

Jack Ma

1.1%

Bashar al-Assad

1.1%

Tom Frieden

1.1%

Dilma Rousseff

1%

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

1%

Reed Hastings

1%

Janet Yellen

1%

Jeff Bezos

1%

Kim Kardashian

1%

Kanye West

0.9%

Benjamin Netanyahu

0.9%

Hassan Rouhani

0.9%

John Kerry

0.8%

Rand Paul

0.8%

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

0.7%

Thomas Piketty

0.7%

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

0.7%

Mary Barra

0.6%

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

0.6%

Travis Kalanick

0.6%

Rick Perry

0.5%

Ted Cruz

0.4%

Charles and David Koch

0.4%

Harvey Levin

0.4%

Mitch McConnell

0.3%

Roger Goodell

VIDEO FROM TIME MAGAZINE

CONVERGENCE 

 NAME OF SOURCE: Why Convergence? It's the Consumer, Stupid link here

SUMMARY:  The news industry in the early twenty first century was at a state of "disarray" according to Kolodzy's book, Why Convergence? It's the Consumer, Stupid. News companies were struggling to keep the attention of readers, with a decline in audience and a decline in advertising. This caused journalism to be changed forever. Like the article said, "The merger of AOL and Time Warner helped solidify the definition of convergence to mean electronic content delivery, because that merger was the coming together of a content company, Time Warner, with an online delivery company, AOL." Time Warner's convergence was one step in the direction of a new era of digital media. Convergence requires news organizations to rethink the way they create and deliver news and media.

CITATION:  Kolodzy, J. (2006). Why Convergence? It's the Consumer, Stupid. In Convergence Journalism: Writing and Reporting Across the News Media (p. 267). Rowman & Littlefield.


QUOTES: "It was the best of times and the worst of times. Those words describe the state of journalism at the beginning of the twenty first century." 
"Technological convergence has opened up new ways of presenting information." 
"The merger of AOL and Time Warner helped solidify the definition of convergence to mean electronic content delivery, because that merger was the coming together of a content company, Time Warner, with an online delivery company, AOL." 


 SUMMARY: Convergence is what allowed for me to find the source that I used for this blog post. It is easy to understand why digital media is appealing; it's quick to access, easy to understand, and holds a variety of other appeals. The convergence of TIME Warner with AOL led to an era of online media, allowing for TIME Warner to stay at the top of it's game and serve as a strong competition to competitors. This convergence allowed for the revival of their popularity, as they utilized all the methods of convergence. TIME Warner also demonstrated economic convergence; cross media convergence. The more media platforms their content is being viewed and accessed on, the more profits and success. TIME Warner's move towards online delivery served as a stepping stone to a new definition of convergence: media consolidation.