All over the web, whether it's on website’s, youtube, blogs, wiki's etc, video is everywhere. From recently conducting research in this area, due to my role of Media Mogul in our human rights project, I have come to see the impact the media has had on video.
Due to advances in technology, video can now be broadcast in many, totally new and different ways. The internet, for example, has allowed anyone, anywhere anytime to make, upload and distribute videos. All you need is a camera, computer and idea for a video and your set. Instantly, your ideas on human rights, or even just a prank caught on tape can be shared and viewed by people everywhere. Think of all the people who now have record deals because of being noticed on youtube, or all the directors of documentaries that can now reach audiences twice as large. The internet has essentially made video on line limitless.
Video has become a very effective way of reaching audiences. It provides facts and information in a fun, audience engaging way. The media has made video extremely accessible and easy to make, encouraging everyone to act and have a voice.
Way back to the beginning of the semester, we talked about the key concept "Media have social and political implications". I think that because the media has revolutionized the way we present information and how accessible it is (video), they have also influenced and shaped how we view social issues. This week in class, we were shown that video on human rights "Our World Today". This video and many others on the net like it, are influencing how we view those issues. The ideas and messages presented in them rub off a little on the audience when viewed. Maybe they raise new questions or cause you to view the issue under new light. Once, I watched a youtube video called Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama. (watch it if you haven't, which I'm assuming is most of you). I realize its ridiculous, but it influenced me none the less! It totally changed my view on Americans in the southern states. It made me feel as though the media in the south, their News Casts, are less legitimate and more of a joke. The fact that they chose to do a story on an imaginary leprechaun made me laugh. I think overall it influenced most how I view Southern Americans. The video made them seem uneducated and somewhat crazy when they showed the amatuer sketch and the lady rambling in the white car about a "crack head". This clip showed me a side of American citizens I really didn't know and has left me with a negative impression of people living in the south. I know it's not a social rights issue or anything, but it is however an example of the power of Video to influence its audience.
Overall, I think that Video has become a powerful aspect of the media. Anyone can use it and the possibilities are endless.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Freedom of Speech or Privacy?
The internet is a thing of my daily life. I use it during and after school to do research and projects, to communicate with family and friends and for entertainment in general. I am one of the billions of people, caught up in the cyber world of the internet. However, when it comes to the issue of publishing and policing on the internet, I find myself caught in the middle.
I think the internet has brought lots of opportunities for everyone. It's provided a place where you can voice your opinion and have people listen. Blogs, Wiki's and even twitter, have made communication ( whether for work or planning a camping trip) faster and more efficient. Relatives, friends and colleagues can talk to each other instantly from all over the world. The net has helped to create a world for middle eastern Women as well. The Bedouin women in Israel are part of an extremely isolated group. The internet allows them to socialize with other women and also boys, something that is otherwise forbidden. In Egypt, Facebook allowed the young generation to socialize and organize. Last spring, a protest was staged using Facebook, against rising food prices. The internet has changed our lives for the better in many ways, but I'm still aware of the problems it has brought too. Internet bullying is a reoccurring issue. Chat rooms, Msn, Facebook and Myspace have revolutionized communication but they have also changed bullying. Now threats, confrontation, comments etc. don't have to be made right to the persons face. The internet has provided a way for bullies to reach there victims anywhere. Now, whether it's after school, over the summer or just a weekend contact is still possible. Also, as much as the internet has given people a voice, it's also created a shield. When you talk to someone online in a chat room or on an online dating website how do you know they are "real"? Is their display picture really of them? Are they lying about what their interests are, where they live, how old they are?
Personally, I think that the positives of the internet outweigh the bad, and that full out policing would take away some of the great opportunities that have been presented by the internet. However, I think that we should all be aware of the risks when using the internet and how to avoid them. My idea of policing, involves teaching kids, teens and adults how to be safe internet users. I think it is a good idea for Parents to "police", be aware and monitor, what their kids are looking at on the internet.
When looking at policing on a larger scale, how do you go about doing that? Who sets up the rules of how the internet will be policed? Who will enforce these rules and how? What will be the punishment for breaking them? These are all questions that make me think world wide policing is a job no one is willing to step up to do. I think awareness and learning are both aspects of policing the internet. Both things help everyone to make smart choices and allow us to recognize when smart choices aren't being made.
I think the internet has brought lots of opportunities for everyone. It's provided a place where you can voice your opinion and have people listen. Blogs, Wiki's and even twitter, have made communication ( whether for work or planning a camping trip) faster and more efficient. Relatives, friends and colleagues can talk to each other instantly from all over the world. The net has helped to create a world for middle eastern Women as well. The Bedouin women in Israel are part of an extremely isolated group. The internet allows them to socialize with other women and also boys, something that is otherwise forbidden. In Egypt, Facebook allowed the young generation to socialize and organize. Last spring, a protest was staged using Facebook, against rising food prices. The internet has changed our lives for the better in many ways, but I'm still aware of the problems it has brought too. Internet bullying is a reoccurring issue. Chat rooms, Msn, Facebook and Myspace have revolutionized communication but they have also changed bullying. Now threats, confrontation, comments etc. don't have to be made right to the persons face. The internet has provided a way for bullies to reach there victims anywhere. Now, whether it's after school, over the summer or just a weekend contact is still possible. Also, as much as the internet has given people a voice, it's also created a shield. When you talk to someone online in a chat room or on an online dating website how do you know they are "real"? Is their display picture really of them? Are they lying about what their interests are, where they live, how old they are?
Personally, I think that the positives of the internet outweigh the bad, and that full out policing would take away some of the great opportunities that have been presented by the internet. However, I think that we should all be aware of the risks when using the internet and how to avoid them. My idea of policing, involves teaching kids, teens and adults how to be safe internet users. I think it is a good idea for Parents to "police", be aware and monitor, what their kids are looking at on the internet.
When looking at policing on a larger scale, how do you go about doing that? Who sets up the rules of how the internet will be policed? Who will enforce these rules and how? What will be the punishment for breaking them? These are all questions that make me think world wide policing is a job no one is willing to step up to do. I think awareness and learning are both aspects of policing the internet. Both things help everyone to make smart choices and allow us to recognize when smart choices aren't being made.
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