The end of the road

As my time as a JOUR1111 student comes to an end I must admit that I’m feeling a mix of relief and sadness. Yes, updating this blog has required a LOT of effort and has at times been very frustrating. But it has also provided me with an insight into the basic foundations of journalism and a new skill in blogging. I have particularly enjoyed blogging about random points of interest and am considering starting my own personal blog in the future. That being said, I can hear the triumphant music playing in my head, and I am ready to submit this bad boy. I’ll finish with a wonderful quote from the ever inspiring Nelson Mandela who has summarised my feelings in a sentence:

 



 
Thanks and I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings :)

Good one Mum and Dad

 

The other day I read an article in the Courier Mail that spoke about the current generation of children who are wrapped up in cotton wool by their parents. These parents are so overprotective that they don’t allow their children to get up to any sort of messy, risky, mischievous or unsupervised activity. Despite being only 18 years of age I don’t believe I have been a victim of this style of parenting. Here is a brief and incomplete list of things I did as a child that would horrify the modern day parent:

·         Cut my entire fringe off by myself at 5 years old. School photos were literally the next day.

·         Continued to climb grandma’s backyard tree despite knowing my cousin had fallen out of said tree and dislocated his elbow

·         Walked to the park with just my cousins. At 9 years old I was the veteran…..

·         Set my pants on fire at 4 years old because I was standing too close to the heater

·         Stole lollies from the local supermarket at 8 years old. My mum was absolutely livid and I didn’t see the light of day for about a week…..

·         Attempted to back flip off a swing at 9 years old. Subsequently I face planted into the sand. It was great.

·         Built mud pies in the backyard with my cousins and sisters AND lived to tell the tale.

·         Got lost a couple of times in the shopping centre. The highlight was having to call mum and dad over the loud speaker so that they could collect their darling daughter from the store.

·         Split my head open as a result of jumping on mum and dad’s bed and landing head first on their bedside table.

I would like to stress how wonderfully caring my parents were (and still are!). Basically I was a free-spirited child who didn’t necessarily think before I acted and my parents weren’t so overbearing that we never had any freedom. I believe they gave us our freedom, but we knew where the boundaries lay. The aforementioned incidents were the result of encouragement from my cousins and my willingness to try just about anything. Anyway, I learnt my lesson after making these mistakes. Isn’t that how children are supposed to grow??

Parents who don’t let their children experience the simple joys of childhood are hurting their kids. My parents gave us just the right mix of protection and freedom and I am thankful I had the opportunity to ‘mess up’ a couple of times on my own.

                                                           That's more like it....

 

 

Back to the gym :)

Last week I made the tremendously difficult decision to return to competitive gymnastics training. Now, before you start thinking that all gymnasts do are roly polys and cartwheels, think again. Not only am I returning to 20 + hours per week of training, I have to make up for the five month break I took from the sport. Needless to say, after my first training back in the gym I felt as though I had torn every muscle in my body. I am not even joking!!!

I soon discovered upon my return that I was more than a little bit out of shape. I only managed seven chin-ups, where I once could do 15. My hands were sore on bars after just 10 minutes, despite once being able to manage a 40 minute session on the apparatus. I literally thought I wouldn’t be able to make the trek up our house stairs once I arrived home that night.

So, why did I choose to go back if I am so unfit?? It’s simple really. Once you are a competitive gymnast, you’re a gymnast for life. The countless hours of training are so worth it when you get a great result at a national level competition and I missed the feeling of having a supreme level of fitness. Then there’s that feeling as you sail through the air mid-tumble. It is a legitimate addiction. Gymnastics is ultimately my passion. I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It feels so good to be back :)

Oh Lance.....

It’s no secret; Lance Armstrong has had a massive fall from grace. It appears as though the allegations about his drug use whilst cycling are very true and to be honest, it saddens me. It’s not only the fact that I chose to do my year eleven English assignment on his autobiography, believing him to be a true hero that hurts me (although that is a terrible travesty haha). It saddens me that people no longer have the miracle of him overcoming cancer AND winning the Tour De France to believe in.

Despite all of this, I am not going to ridicule Armstrong. He probably felt pressured to compete with the best, many of whom were taking performance enhancing drugs. I also believe that his cancer charity work for Livestrong should not be forgotten. He has helped many a cancer patient/survivor over the years.

I propose that we don’t necessarily have to look the other way from Armstrong’s regrettable mistakes. Instead let’s focus on the tireless work he has put into his charity and the hope he has given to those affected by cancer throughout the world.  

Lecture Eleven: Investigative Journalism

In this, our final lecture, we were introduced (or re-introduced in my case) to the art of investigative journalism. Having completed a course in Journalistic investigation, I felt quite knowledgeable (for once) sitting in that lecture theatre. Investigative journalism is a way in which people can discover the truths of the world and uncover what someone may be trying to hide. Investigative journalism is characteristically intelligent, informed, intuitive, inside and one must be heavily invested. In my opinion it can form some of the most interesting news stories around. In some cases it can provide a voice to those without.

For a well written investigative journalism piece to occur it is critical that the journalist takes a thorough approach and consults a wide range of courses. It also takes breaches of societal norms and brings them to the forefront, essentially exposing wrongdoings. Investigative journalism can hold those in power accountable and make public personalities and institutions whose actions impact social and political accountable also.

Investigative journalists must show initiative and passion in exposing their stories. If it weren’t for the work of inquisitive journalists the Watergate scandal would not have been exposed. These journalists cut through the agenda (as mentioned in my last post) and expose stories to the public that should be of high interest.

However, facts must be investigated by the journalist and nothing can EVER be assumed. This is where investigative journalism differs from PR. Public relations tend to carefully select (and omit) facts in order to present the story in a particular way. This would not be the way of a true investigative journalist!! Observation, interview and analysis are the keys to uncovering a groundbreaking story.

Sad but true...

I was up late studying the other night when I came across this piece of youtube gold. It was in the part of youtube where you find dancing cats and other rubbish that no human should have see. The author of the video dares you not to laugh whilst watching. I’m ashamed to say that I cracked under pressure and found myself sniggering at the creature on the screen. Obviously I was severely lacking and sleep. Anyway, thought I’d spread the love. Does anyone else find this pointless video to be actually funny? Something tells me I might be alone in this.

The time when I didn’t win $100 million…

I have to say that apart from that one time in kindergarten where I won the coveted Easter raffle, I have never really had luck on my side. My scratchies never contain any winnings and my horse has NEVER been the winner in our annual family Melbourne Cup sweep. You’d think that having Irish in my blood, things would be different. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

 I, along with the rest of Australia, held my breath on Tuesday as I waited for my numbers to pop up in the $100 million lotto draw. Sadly, it wasn’t to be for me that night. However, in anticipation of my win I had already come up with ways that I would spend my money. A girl can dream right?? Here’s how I would’ve spent my money:

·         Paid off my parent’s mortgage (I’m a generous soul really)

·         Bought myself my first home and an investment property

·         Bought my younger sister a little car she can learn to drive in (then she can't use mine)

·         Go on a trip around Europe and shout myself to Business class flights

·         Paid off HECS!!!!

·         Shout my friends to a shopping trip. Would feel so good to say “just put it on my card.”

·         I would probably go sky diving, just because I can

·         I’d donate a decent amount to the Make A Wish Foundation. I honestly would.

Other than that, I have no idea what I would do. It has never really occurred to me that it could actually happen. You really would have to be the luckiest bugger around to see all of your numbers on that lotto screen. I can’t even fathom how amazing that feeling would be…

Lecture Ten: Agenda Setting

In today’s lecture we learned how the media constructs reality, otherwise known as agenda setting. We were given a simple definition which basically states that an individual’s conception of reality is socially constructed through a process of communication using shared language. Reality does in fact exist, however, how we perceive it is socially mediated. The key players in constructing this social reality are the media.

There are four agendas that the media has: Public agenda, policy agenda, corporate agenda and media agenda. All four agendas are inter-related and used by the media.
From the lecture the main point that I found was that the media influences stories and has the ability to shape and filter the stories so that the public views them in a certain way. The news story hierarchy of importance is also shaped by the media. By having a heavy concentration on certain stories, the public will begin to see these stories as more important than others.

Two main types of agenda setting were identified:

First level agenda setting theory: The media suggests what the public should focus on through coverage.

Second level agenda setting theory: The media suggests how people should think about an issue.

It is obvious that the media has tight control over what the public gets to hear about in terms of the news. Not only can they control what we view, but at times how we think about certain stories. This can be achieved by simply presenting a story a certain way. This quote from Bernard Cohen sums it up perfectly: “The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about.” The media do it because they can. It’s as simple as that.

Lecture Nine: News Values

News values were the focus of this week’s lecture and were defined as ‘the degree of prominence a news outlet gives a story and the attention that is paid by the audience.’ Essentially, it is the amount of coverage a news story is given.
Dr Redman explained that News Value can be determined by the following categories.

1)      Impact: does it make the reader sit up and listen?

2)      Audience identification: does the story relate to what’s happening in the world?

3)      Pragmatics: ethics, practice and current affairs

4)      Source influence

5)      Emotional value

6)      Follow-up

7)      Celebrity status

Different organisations however, may hold emotional value to a higher importance, whereas another may value celebrity status more.

We were also introduced to the 12 newsworthiness factors crated by Professor Johan Galtung. Galtung analysed news from around the world and discovered that 12 factors featured prominently:

·         Negativity: Bad news i.e. death tragedy and natural disasters

·         Close to home: audiences with close proximity relate better

·         Recency: revealing stories as they happen

·         Currency: story that has been in the public eye for some time

·         Continuity: events that are likely to have a continuing impact

·         Uniqueness

·         Simplicity

·         Personality

·         Predictability

·         Elite nations or people

·         Exclusivity

·         Size

Following on from this Galtung contracted three hypotheses:

Additivity hypothesis: The more factors a story satisfies, the more likely it will become news

Complementarity hypothesis: The factors will tend to exclude each other

Exclusion hypothesis: Those stories which satisfy few or none of the factors will not become news.

Finally, we examined idea that ‘if it bleeds it leads’. This simply means that if the event is under tragic circumstances i.e. murder, abduction, disaster, then it is likely to be a leading story. Unfortunately these are the kinds of stories that the public wants to hear about and can be examined by simply switching on the 6 o’clock news. The same can be said for local stories as people are more inclined to listen if they feel they have a personal connection to the story. If not an immediate connection, they generally know a friend of friend.

A year without school....

So it has been nearly a year since I exited the school gates for the last time. Last night I was reflecting on how my life has changed since I left school.

There have been some great things that have come once I ditched my uniform. Obviously I started university where I got to dictate my timetable, was able to sleep in two hours later than I used to and I got to learn about something I was actually interested in. I have had more time to see my friends during the day and do nice things together i.e. go out for a coffee. There is also this beautiful thing where we get a 3 month break over the Summer to ‘re-charge’ our batteries. I also now have more money thanks to a timetable that is far more accommodating. However, there are some things that I’ll admit I have found to be a bit difficult since finishing school.

Firstly, no one cares if you don’t show up to class. There’s no frantic teacher on the phone to Mum demanding to know why you didn’t show up. I no longer have school to use as an excuse for not being able to fill in at work. There’s a lot more assumed knowledge at uni and the standard of work is much higher. And whoever said that uni is easier than school is an absolute liar.

On the whole though, I really do enjoy post-school life a lot more than school itself. I’ll gladly accept more responsibility in exchange for no more uniforms, sleep-ins and more of a social life any day thank you very much….

The Art of Interpretive Dance

If you haven’t yet seen David Armand’s interpretive dance segment on T.V’s Fast and Loose, then you are seriously missing out. David uses his body to interpret the lyrics of popular songs to audience members. The catch is they can’t hear the song at all. All that they have to guess the song is David’s carefully practiced interpretations. This video will have you in hysterics and asking how the hell does he move so quickly??

A Parisian Adventure

In early October I, along with my family, went on the trip of a lifetime to Paris, France. Rather than bore you all to tears with a word for word account of our adventure, I thought I’d tell the story through some of the photos we took. Enjoy!!

Lecture Eight: Ethics

At the lecture this week we were lucky enough to have Donna Meiklejohn as a guest lecturer. Her lengthy career as a journalist enabled her to provide an interesting insight into the ethical struggles that we will face as journalists.

We first looked at advertisements that have caused controversy with the words or images that have been chosen for certain campaigns. The image below was brought on screen causing some students to gasp or raise their eyebrows. This ignited the discussion as to whether using controversy to make a point is ethically okay. I for one thought the ad was clever, effective and definitely got the point across. My ethical radar said it was fine. However, the plot thickens when journalists throw people into the ethical debate.

 

 

 

 

 

 Donna told us a story of how she, as a young journalist, was asked to interview the grieving family of three young boys who had been electrocuted. This task would’ve proved daunting for anyone, let alone a journalist with little experience. Donna described how her moral compass told her that requesting an interview from the family was wrong. However, when she put it in to the perspective that she was just doing her job and that this would help pay her bills, she knew she had to get the interview. Donna’s advice was to put the job into perspective and not get carried away with the emotional side of the story. I know I will find this particularly challenging as a rookie journalist; however, it will obviously get easier with practice. As journalists we are lucky enough to have ethics codes to justify our work. These include: Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Public Relations Institute of Australia and Australian Association of National Advertisers.

We discussed three ethical theories that might aid us in making our decisions as future journalists.

Consequentialism: This is the theory that focuses on outcomes. E.g. It might be uncomfortable for you at the time, but in the end will this be for the better?

Virtue: This is the idea of right and wrong. You have to ask yourself if the decision you are about to make coincide with your values.

Deontology: This theory is simply following the rules and guidelines so that you do the right thing. Most journalists will follow this theory on most reporting assignments.

In conclusion, it is obvious that as a journalist I will be faced with some moral minefields. However, at the end of the day I must remember that by reporting on the story I am just doing my job. I have to pay my bills somehow!!

Lecture Seven: Public Media

It could be said that public media are the ‘do gooders’ of the media world. Their mission is simple: serve and engage a public. On the local front we have the ABC and SBS as our Australian representatives. These public media producers dabble in both radio and television production. Internationally, BBC, PBS and TVNZ are just three of a number of public media producers.

To put it frankly the aforementioned production companies care about us, the viewers, more than their friends in commercial media do. Public value is at the core of production and has three main guidelines:

1.       Must embed public service ethos

2.       Must have value for licence fee money

3.       Public value weighs more than media impact

The public media doesn’t have a biased view either as it should be distanced from all vested interests and from those of the government. Its primary functions are nation focused and aim to promote nation building, national heritage, national identity and ignite national conversations.

In order to find the profits lost from lack of advertising on their networks and lack of funding, public media has seen some commercialisation. The ABC Shop, ABC Commercial and BBC Worldwide are all fine examples.

The most important element in Public Media is the good old news. And a less biased version at that!! Public media’s news style is something you either love or hate. It is typically serious, broadsheet style, reports on importance rather than interest, quick and unchecked, boring to some, elitist, of limited interest, poorly presented and out of touch. Some of the issues listed are a direct result of lack of profit.

Consequently, public media has a lengthy to do list if it wants to attract more viewers.

THINGS TO DO 

·         Produce quality

·         Make themselves relevant

·         Engage with democratic press

·         Inform the public

·         Be independent

It’s a long list and the future of public media depends on whether the list is completed sooner rather than later.

 

Annotated Bibliography Assessment

Croteau, D, Hoynes, W. (2006). The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. PineForgePress.Retrievedfrom:http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=s1GYiTi2vgAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=journalism+%2B+public+interest+&ots=5xeLdr8C9-&sig=y3barSR_yO0FCjY_CIbYj-a9K4Y#v=onepage&q=journalism%20%2B%20public%20interest&f=false

David Croteau and William Hoynes, the authors of this book, are both renowned academic and social commentators in the areas of sociology of media and culture. Croteau taught as an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whilst Hoynes is a professor of sociology at Vasser College, New York. Their published works and extent of academic careers indicates credibility in this subject matter. In their publication a key tenet is the concept of promoting diversity and avoiding homogeneity in the media for the benefit of public interest. The authors suggest the best way to promote public interest is exposure to a wide range of ideas to allow better understanding of societal views. To enable this exposure it is suggested that presentation of ideas outside the boundaries of the ‘norm’ in a variety of formats and platforms benefits public interest by encouraging public debate. Further, the authors suggest that a range of ideas should include views that relate to race, gender, political and ideological perspectives to facilitate that debate. This is credible because a democratic society champions free speech and the exchange of ideas. Furthermore, the expansive list of references used by the authors indicates the extensive amount of research undertaken.  

Slater, J. (2012, October 12). The greatest (cheat) of them all. The Courier Mail, p. 22-23.

Jim Slater constructs a well- supported article outlining Lance Armstrong’s alleged involvement in a doping conspiracy. Slater, a journalist for respected Queensland newspaper The Courier Mail, constructs an article which reveals allegations made against Armstrong in the US Anti-Doping Agency’s report against him. There is less emphasis on Armstrong being ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and more placed on the accusations published in the report. Quotes from Armstrong’s manager support his innocence and are included alongside quotes made by USADA chief executive Travis Tygart as a stark contrast. Tygart describes Armstrong as having “pressured team mates to take performance enhancing drugs and to keep quiet about it.” The number of quotes from those supporting Armstrong’s guilt far outweighs the number proclaiming his innocence. Both men quoted have strong connections to the case and their inside knowledge adds credibility to the article. At the conclusion of the article readers are presented with fifteen claims that were made against Armstrong in the USADA report. The last impression left on the reader is one of guilt on Armstrong’s behalf which suggests a bias that is only downplayed due to brief hints of his innocence. There is a hint of sarcasm in the headline which also appears intriguing to the reader. This source appears to be credible due to the presentation of evidence cited directly from the report released by the USADA and the strong reputation of the publishing newspaper. This in turn reduces concern about the author’s seeming inexperience. However, unlike David Kent’s article for Mail Online (cited below), a blatant display of bias is evident despite Armstrong’s unproven guilt. This is not overly concerning as the evidence against Armstrong is strong.

 

Kent, D. (2012, October 14). 'Serial cheat' Armstrong could take lie detector test to prove innocence. Mail Online. Retrieved October 16 2012 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2217691/Lance-Armstrong-lie-detector-test.html

This article was written by David Kent for Mail Online, the online version of the Daily Mail. This newspaper is the United Kingdom’s second most read and is highly regarded amongst the journalism community. The paper’s accolades being awarded a number of British Press Awards including the 2012 National Newspaper of the Year. This fact instills trust in the article’s content. The article is shorter than Slater’s two page spread (mentioned above) and does not allude to Armstrong’s innocence or his guilt, instead addressing both possibilities. Armstrong’s lawyer, Tim Herman, is the sole interviewee and he maintains his client’s innocence throughout and suggests the possibility of a lie detector test to prove it. Immediately after these comments are descriptions of Armstrong as a ‘drug-cheat’ made by the USADA. This back and forth opinion continues throughout the article and does not attempt to sway the opinion of the reader. Herman’s closing quote, “most people had staked out their position a long time ago about Lance. There are fans and there are haters,” offers little insight into the matter, allowing the reader to form an opinion. Whilst this source is considered credible due to its unbiased nature and publisher’s stellar reputation, it does not provide any hard hitting evidence against Armstrong and does not prove his innocence. In comparison to Slater’s article which provides an extensive update of the mounting evidence against Armstrong, Kent’s article provides an update on the situation. It simply opens the issue up for discussion within the public arena and is a story of interest. The image of Armstrong taking a past drug test adds substance to the article and effectively draws the reader in through curiosity.

McEwan, B. (2012, October 18). On ya bike. Ten News. Retrieved from http://tensport.com.au/video.htm?movideo_m=236528&movideo_p=47596

Channel Ten’s Brad McEwan presents this two minute news story as part of the Ten News sports report. Ten News is home to a number of award-winning journalists and McEwan boasts over fifteen years of sports journalism experience. Viewers can feel an increased confidence in the value and validity of the story as a result. Unlike the previous two articles cited which had a primary focus on Armstrong’s guilt or innocence, this story focuses on his major sponsor, Nike, forfeiting its sponsorship. McEwan reveals the decision was made by the sporting apparel company after Armstrong’s decision to step down from his position as chairman of Livestrong, his cancer charity. The journalist mentions Armstrong’s tarnished reputation, giving the viewer background information as to why he made the decision. An interview with Livestrong vice-president, Katherine McLane, further explains the reasons for his decision, adding that Armstrong felt remaining in his position would jeopardise the charity’s future. McLane’s close association with Armstrong adds to credibility of the source and gives the viewer a sense of receiving the ‘inside scoop’. Footage of a 2001 Nike advertisement is shown and McEwan discusses how the latest allegations against Armstrong completely discredit his promotion of the brand. A quote from Nike is shown on the screen and states that “(we) have been lied to for the past decade.” This focus on the effect of the allegations on Armstrong’s sponsors is refreshing for the viewer as it strays from the typical perspectives of Armstrong or his fans being affected. Ten News’s decision to focus on the different perspective shows originality of content and impeccable sourcing in accessing the interview with Katherine McLane. The interesting variety in footage was engaging and relevant to the story, adding to the credibility of this source.

Factual Storytelling Assessment

Battle Scars: A Tale of Childhood Cancer 

There is a post card hanging up in Maddy Ryan’s room quoting the great Nelson Mandela. “There are few misfortunes in the world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill.” It’s an interesting poster choice for a teenager but perhaps these words resonate with Maddy more than most. After all, she is a cancer survivor and has endured more hardship at 15 years old than most people do in a lifetime.

In September 2010, Maddy then thirteen was having scans on her left leg, thinking the diagnosis would be shin splints. As a competitive gymnast who trained 20 hours per week, an injury like this was pretty normal. So, when the doctors at the Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital sat her down to explain she actually had bone cancer, her world as she knew it changed forever.

“When the doctors told me I had cancer I got this sick feeling in my stomach and started crying. The first thing I asked my doctor was ‘am I going to die?’ He reassured me they were confident they could cure me. I felt like that wasn’t enough though.”

Even as she recalls this harrowing experience Maddy doesn’t show much emotion. Her eyes are fixed ahead and she gives extremely eloquent answers for someone so young. The only hint of discomfort I notice comes from her constantly fidgeting hands. Despite her obvious strength of mind, her body is still frail and recovering from the effects of chemo and a new knee joint.

Just four days after the initial diagnosis came the first of 20 rounds of chemotherapy. The drugs that were helping ‘make her better’ made Maddy so nauseous that she couldn’t even look at food. Her body was sapped of every of last ounce of energy and there were days when she never left her hospital bed. Mum, Janine, stayed by her daughter’s bedside throughout the entire ordeal and even left her job to care for Maddy.

“There was no other option and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s emotionally draining watching your child feel so sick, it’s the worst thing I’ve experienced as a parent.” explains Janine.

A long scar on Maddy’s left shin and knee are evidence of the eight hour surgery that saved her leg. Had the cancer spread any further Maddy would have been faced with the task of learning to use a prosthetic leg.

“As soon as I woke up I asked Mum if I still had both of my legs. I was high from the pain killers and my legs were numb from the anaesthetic. I cried when they showed me they were still there.”

Instead she was given a new knee joint and part of her shin bone is now titanium. She is known as ‘Robo girl’ amongst doctors at RBCH and thanks to her $75,000 leg she is literally one of the most valuable teenagers walking around Brisbane. That’s right; she’s walking again and is not impartial to walking on her hands either. It’s an ex-gymnast’s habit she just can’t kick.

“Even though I can’t do competitive gym(nastics) anymore I’m glad I can at least do school gym. I’m just grateful I have two legs,” says Maddy, a sincere look of gratitude enveloping her face.

Her comment is thought provoking and forces me to reflect upon my own attitude towards life. A silence lingers in the air and I make a vow to appreciate the simpler privileges I have. Perhaps sensing the impact of her words, Maddy looks awkwardly around the room. She doesn’t like people feeling sorry for her; in fact, it’s one of her pet hates. Maddy insists that people have no reason to feel sorry for her, especially now that she is in remission. She has the gruelling nine month post-surgery chemo regime to thank for that.

The ‘R’ word in the world of oncology brings both a sense of sheer relief and uncertainty to the families and patients. There are no guarantees that the cancer won’t re- invade the body. Not until the long awaited ‘five years cancer free’ milestone is made are families able to relax and pull down their ‘cancer relapse’ radar. Five years is when Maddy can finally say ‘I don’t have cancer anymore.’ Until that day though, Maddy vows to live as normally as her body will allow her to. She is ready to move on with her life, a process that has already begun.

Not only has her hair grown back, but with it has come an offer from a prestigious Brisbane modelling agency. They didn’t even notice the scar on her leg.

 “At first I hated being the only one with short hair. The modelling scout said it brought out my features and since then I’ve grown to accept it,” she admits. 

It looks as though Maddy will have to throw out her collection of twelve scarves she once used to hide her bald head. If she has it her way there will be a ceremonial ‘burning of the scarves’ in the backyard and she’ll never look back.

Besides, Maddy has too much to look forward to in the next little while to even think about what she’s been through. An all- expense paid trip to Paris, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is on the cards in the next two weeks. It will be a holiday well deserved for the entire Ryan clan and a chance to re-charge the batteries worn out from Maddy’s two year battle. I have to laugh though, when Maddy reveals the sense of humour that helped her get through treatment. The story of how she came to choose her ‘wish’ is a crack-up.

“Make-A-Wish said I could ask for anything and at first I just said I wanted an iPad. After a while I thought, actually l can do better than that, how about a trip to Paris?” Maddy grins with a ‘why not?’ shrug of the shoulders.

Although she refuses to accept the accolade, Maddy Ryan is an inspiration. The one word that makes her squirm with discomfort when used to describe her is most fitting. I can’t help but smile as I watch her leave the room, a slight limp in her step. She is a straight ‘A’ student, model, guitarist, cancer survivor and inspiration to many. If all goes well where her health is concerned, you can’t help but feel that the future is full of promise for Maddy Ryan.     

Bridge to Brisbane

Okay, so I decided to sign up for the Bridge to Brisbane this year. Who wouldn’t want to raise money for a well deserving cause AND get exercise at the same time. A LOT OF EXERCISE. It seemed like a great idea at the time. I was still feeling that post-Olympic euphoria where you suddenly consider any athletic endeavour you attempt to be entirely possible. ‘Why not?’ I thought, and promptly signed up for the 10 kilometre race. How hard can it be?

                                                                  It's hardly a mountain......

Well since then the euphoria (and the motivation) has faded and I’m feeling nervous about ‘the big run’. I went for a six kilometre run last week and the burn in my thighs has only just faded. Oh well, I’m still going to give it my all. There may be tears (and heart failure) along the way, but raising the money will be worth it. However, there may just be one less journalism student around UQ come Monday…. Wish me luck J

Lecture Six: Commercial Media

Upwards and onwards!!! For our sixth lecture we moved away from journalism skills and into the realm of journalism studies. Commercial media was our first taste.

The major players in commercial media are:

·         News Limited – newspapers, cable T.V, Film, magazines, books, sport

·         Fairfax Media – newspapers, digital media,

·         APN – Regional newspapers, digital media, radio, outdoor advertising

·         Nine entertainment – Free To Air (FTA) T.V, magazines, digital media

·         Win – FTA T.V, radio, sport, tele-communications

·         Southern Cross – FTA T.V, radio

·         Seven West Media – FTA, newspapers, magazines, digital media

·         Ten – FTA T.V, tele-comm

On the other hand, we only have two major public media players:

·         ABC

·         SBS

Commercial media exists for one main reason. MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!! It is a business, first and foremost and at the end of the day is profit driven. If not for its primary customers, the advertisers, commercial media would essentially fail. Money is made from advertisers who pay big money to expose the world to their products. Contrary to public media (where government funding is provided), commercial media’s key focus is the customer.

There are three forms of commercial media; subscription i.e. Foxtel, sponsored i.e. Channel 9 and subsidised i.e. government funded. In terms of the way they functions there are three options; commercial, propaganda and social.

With social media these days we tend to be bombarded with advertisements (breakfast radio crap anyone?) and the element of the ‘public sphere’ seems to be lost. This is obviously due to the commercial media providers chasing profits (which is understandable). There is a need for a provision of balance between commercial and social aspects.  But how can this be done?

Some suggestions have been put forth and already implemented including government agencies regulating content, state press subsidies and some countries have even introduced licensed journalism. All of these suggestions are in practice around the globe, however, they all come with problems. If governments are to keep censoring media content, where will they know when to stop? What happens if the government can’t handle a controversial issue but the public can? Don’t we live in a democracy??

Over the years commercial media has changed from a “truthful account of the day’s events”, into a dumbed down and money greedy form of media relying on tabloids. Perhaps commercial media giants could take a lesson from Global Media who state “Our audience is our only agenda.” Now wouldn’t that be nice?

 

I Went to a Fairy Party and This is What I Saw...

I have to admit, when I was invited to my good friend’s 16^th birthday party and read it was a fairy theme, I was more than excited. A bit of an unconventional theme for a 16 year old but nonetheless fun. Of course I jumped at the chance to re-live my six year old glory days where my fairy party was THE talk of grade one (I’m being serious, it was amazing).  

Anyway, upon arrival on day of party I was a little nervous. It looked as if the ominous clouds were threatening to burst open and drench us all. But it wasn’t to be. It must have been the magic in the air, for the day soon transformed into an image of perfection. This was no ordinary 16^th birthday celebration.

Fairy wands and intricate costume make-up were the order of the day. Hugs and squeals of ‘Oh my God, you look so cute,’ were the standard greeting and there was not a teenage scowl in sight. Perhaps it was the flashback to youth that added to the festive cheer.

A round of good old hide and seek was enough to keep us entertained that day. We were just glad to be in each other’s company. There were gasps of ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ as the birthday girl opened her presents and smiles of relief as she announced her adoration for each gift received. What a refreshing sight. An entire group of teenagers who were all getting along and who didn’t need alcohol to have a good time. Who’d have thought?

I guess sometimes it’s more fun to escape back to your childhood, even if only for a few hours. At the conclusion of the party we made a decision. ‘We should have fairy parties more often, just because.’ Nods of agreement all around. And with that, the fairies left and re-entered the world of reality.   

My Dirty Little Secret...

We’ve all seen the media hype surrounding T.V shows Being Lara Bingle and The Shire. Everyone’s bitched and moaned about the ‘rubbish’ that dominates our screens. ‘No one watches that crap’ seems to be the general consensus among the public. Or so they’ll have you believe. I’ll admit I feign disgust at the trivial content of these shows, but it’s all an act. Hello, my name is Taylor and I am addicted to trashy T.V. There, I’ve said it, you can start judging me now.

I secretly love trashy T.V shows. I haven’t stooped to The Shire yet but I’m willing to give it a go. Wife Swap and Dating In the Dark are both guilty pleasures of mine and that’s not where it stops. I’m currently so addicted to Dance Moms that I just HAD to watch the next season online, before it came to Australia. Is that sad? Probably, but I know I’m not the only one harbouring this secret.

Why do I love it so much? That’s simple. I love sitting down to these shows because of their easy viewing. No brain function required. Simply sit back and relax. Before you know it a couple of hours have passed and the most strenuous thing you’ve done is ponder which six year old is going to win the ‘Ultimate Supreme’ beauty queen title. For a couple of hours life is simple.

So, next time you’re sitting at home watching Toddlers and Tiaras with the curtains drawn, remember you’re not alone. I’ll probably be watching the psychotic pageant mums and killing off my brain cells too.

For those of you yet to experience the magic of Toddlers and Tiaras, I invite you to have a sneak peek. I promise you won't regret it.

Lecture Five: Picture Stories

 

1991 Pulitzer Prize Winner: Perfect example of ‘capturing the moment’

Picture stories are not a new concept. In fact Aboriginal cave paintings date back thousands of years. Since then we’ve seen picture stories pop up everywhere including T.V, photos (who’d have thought?), games, advertising, graffiti and even the humble five dollar note.

Still images are just as effective at telling a story as an entire feature length film or a news article. The key is ensuring that the framing, angle, focus, exposure, timing and skill of “capturing the moment” are all in sync. This, I’m afraid, is easier said than done. The photo we were shown of Jonathon Thurston at his uncle’s funeral did manage to have all of these elements. What’s more is it was taken on a Samsung phone, eliminating the myth that you need hi-tech equipment to take an amazing photo. I could feel the emotion that must have been at the funeral just by looking at the photo.

Moving pictures are a relatively new way to tell a story. The first movie was shot in the late 1800’s and is one of the most popular ways of storytelling. Imagine having to go to the cinema just so you could your fix of the daily news. Well that’s what they did ‘back in the day’. Now, thanks to the invention of television, Internet, social media and use of eye witness video, we have access to the news 24/7. There are more citizen journalists than ever before as a result of the mobile phone features now containing a video camera. The London Bombings in 2005 proved to be the catalyst for citizen journos providing footage. Video journalists can whip out their camera or phone, film their story and upload the footage straight away. The world is now a very convenient place if you have the right tools.

A picture can tell 1000 words if you happen to capture it perfectly. Let’s be honest, perfection is hard to come by. Pictures can break down cultural barriers as they often don’t require words to interpret. For journalists today, they are pretty darn important. Now, because I’m pretty deep and full of wisdom I’ll leave you with a quote that sums it up perfectly. “If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture.”