Topic 3.1 lecture - MED104 Engaging Media

In this lecture Mignon Shardlow looks at four main topics – ‘Why News media is important,’ News is now online…so what?’, ‘The new digital revolution – will new media animate and strengthen democracy?’ and ‘Who will pay for quality journalism?’

Why News media is important: - News media is important because it is the main differences between what makes a democratic country and what doesn’t. A true democratic country relies on how free their journalists are (i.e. free press). In old terms called the fourth-of-estate in which journalism acts as a watch dog for the interest of the general public and keeps them well inform with government activities. Without this in place the public most likely wouldn’t be informed with government activities. This would mean the government would not have to answer for any breaches it breaks whilst in power.

News is now online…So what?: Whilst online media is a relatively new medium offering new platforms to publish and distribute news the traditional Tenets of the media industry will most likely be the same big company’s currently in existence, with some exception. Things that will change is the fact online platforms give journalist more possibilities to be creative using tools which will enable them to provide news faster, have more space for news, links, compare with other - journalists doing the same story, searching possibilities, check archives stories and use the latest online tools for Visual story telling.

Shardlow touches on further issues gyrating around the new digital revolution such as: - will new media animate and strengthen democracy? And who will pay for quality journalism? And how some media info we just can't trust. In which she highlights examples of incorrect journalism - such as the ‘weapons of mass destructions’ (WMD) being in the gulf, a huge error made by the world’s Medias.

Shardlow agrees with Rupert Murdoch, whom she uses as an example that journalism will be fine and continue to grow and develop even amongst the uncertainty surrounding the future of the media and journalism. A future that is unsure of media funding options such as: pay wall, publicly funded news sites and non-profit benevolent organisations. Shardlow finishes her lecture by emphasizes the importance of understand news values (i.e. how the media chooses news topic and which ones make the headlines)…

Topic 3.1 lecture

Playing on the digital commons: collectivities, capital and contestation in videogame culture.

Sarah Colman and Nick Dyer-Witheford (2007) article looks at the relationship between online gaming / fan production and the corporations. The authors discuss how copyright regulation replaced much of the collective traditions from oral culture and how cultural creation is born via the outcome of practices. The two side were distinguished as The rejectionists & The reformers.

The rejectionists, tend to represent the major corporations and industry associations which view the commons activity as criminal and having negative impacts on the future and growth of new media and its related industries.

The reformers, believe that cultural production in a digital world needs to have a more balanced & flexible copyright regimes that will protect, not just authors, but its audiences and sources also within the creative processes.

The paper suggests a need for our copyright laws to be reviewed and amended to accommodate our digital times.

Sarah Colman and Nick Dyer-Witheford (2007). Playing on the digital commons: collectivities, capital and contestation in videogame culture. Media, Culture and Society 29 (6), 934-953.
http://mcs.sagepub.com/content/29/6/934

All the world's a game & copyright (i-lectures)

Listen to a couple of i-lectures last night. The first being "topic 2.5 All the world's a game" by speaker: Dr David Savat

http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=1963&id=38671


David Savat discusses the games, virtual worlds, interactivity and convergence and how these impact on the way we consume entertainment through discussing his own interests such as 'the World of Warcraft franchises.' He briefly looks at the relationships between games, military and Hollywood (i.e. movie making) and argues that computer games.

and the other "topic 2.2 copyright" by Speaker: Dr Em McAvan.

http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=1963&id=38669

Dr Em McAvan discusses copyright, read only / read write and briefly looks at the history of copyright and related technology. She often refers to Lawerence Lessig and the US term 'Fair Use.' Plus how the recording industry often manipulates (e.g. uses loop holes) the law.

Indigenous, ethnic and cultural - by Ramesh Srinivasan

Ramesh Srinivasan's - article looks at how modern media technology can impact indigenous and ethnic communities in a positive way by utilizing database-driven networks in order to help met the needs of their cultural, political and social visions.

Srinivasan argues thorough work he has done he has developed a process where information systems can enable culturally and community-focused goals. Moreover incorporating participation from the people of those cultures and community's, where they can use information systems to preserve, share information and develop collective infrastructures...

Srinivasan - emphasises the process he took, specifically, relationship building he established through the community he was doing a case study on.

He states - "18 months (11/03–5/05) on the reservations, my goal became to develop bonds with as diverse a group of tribal elders,
leaders and institutions across all the reservations as much as possible."

This was a key component for his research to work. By building the nessersary relationship meant the project could interact with diverse networks and power structures across the reservations rather than inherently serve as a tool of those already in deeper connection with the SCTCA. (Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association).

Larry Lessig on laws that choke creativity

Larry Lessig makes some very interesting comparison / stories to explain his point during this ilecture.

He looks at how the world use to be a "Read-write" society, which turned into a "read-only" society.

How the laws in the US once said the owner of a land/property also owns the sky property sat under.

Plus ASCAP vs broadcasters regarding accessing music and how BMI came along, which changed the dynamics.

Ascap thought the public would side with them because they had the access to the best music and there would be a revolt from the public but the public chose BMI due to the accessibility of their music they offered.

Lessig also looks at how the Internet has been able to revise the "read-write" & remix ways of the past and how today's Technology has provided creative tools & tools of speech.

Lessig sees the extremism from both sides those of the 'law' and those of 'fair-use' - the law side making ridiculous commands (take down warning etc..) to take certain content of sites such as YouTube and the 'fair-use' side, specifically our youth, which rejects copyright laws altogether.

He believes there is a need for balance, which can be gained through a private solution, a solution that will show our law makers that, just like BMI offered years ago, their is a way that is still economically friendly and good for business. We need to build on where artist and creators chose to freely give their works to none commercial / fair-use avenues. This is a key component to making this work.

Just like the laws once needed to be changed for technology such as Plans flying over protected property. The Internet technology offers new challenges and our current laws need to be able to adapt to.