Yellow Journalism and Scare Mongering

My final post is concerned with the term “yellow journalism”. It describes a type of journalism and publication which uses large headlines, big pictures and sensationalist terms to appeal to readers. The British Press has somewhat of a reputation when it comes to its obsession with tabloid newspapers, especially when an interesting and controversial story is made public. I am writing about the origins of yellow journalism and its perks and pitfalls when it comes to subject matter. Yellow journalism has also been described as an instigator in moral panics or scare mongering and I shall be providing examples as to how this type of journalism is beneficial and dangerous.

Citizen Journalism and the Age of Misinformation

Citizen journalism has blossomed in an age of internet resources. Twitter, Facebook and news sites such as Now Public  enable anyone with a computer to become a journalist in its most basic terms. They report on events if they’ve witnessed them and they can upload photos of what they’ve seen and all this information is distributed around the public domain. However, I should make it clear that citizen journalism is not limited to the internet. In print publications, they rely on photographs and images, many of which are provided by citizen journalists.

The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz- Critical Review

The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz is the eye-witness testimony of solider Denis Avey. Captured in Libya and sent to the camp E715, it neighboured the concentration camp Auschwitz III, Buna-Monowitz. There he claims to have switched places with a Dutch Jewish inmate and stayed within the concentration camp for a night on two separate occasions. Avey’s account boasts a voyage of an out-spoken, laddish soldier, drawn into the war by the promise of adventure, eventually turned into an emotionally-repressed and fearful individual. While many books have been written by survivors of the Holocaust, this book explores the man who risked his own well-being on a task which was spurred by his need to bear witness to what events were unfolding within Germany’s secret camps.

The Journalist and the Law: How to avoid being sued

There is a delicate balance between journalism and the law. The law has adapted to fit to the new types of media which encompass our world but the balance remains as to how the law can regulate the media when the media is the outlet which brings the information to the masses. If there is a need to know and a need to share, is the law there protecting or hindering?

“Something to be proud of”

For many of us, the responsibility of trying to support a charity simply means putting 20p into the box next to the till at the coffee shop or simply buying Fairtrade goods at the local supermarket. We all try to help any way we can, however, there are a small selection of volunteers in the world who will never stop caring for those who need support. At the Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS), we try to help honour those who never stop and think of the outstanding and life-changing work they do to comfort communities and individuals.

At Hillingdon, West London, we are trying to honour those whose work may go unrewarded or unnoticed and to celebrate the changes they bring. During Volunteers Week in UK, 1st-7th June 2011, HAVS launched the Hillingdon Volunteer Achievement Awards, encouraging those to nominate any volunteers they think deserve to be appreciated with an award. While the nominations go ahead, the dedicated team of HAVS try to put every ounce of their efforts into raising the scarce funds, organising the publicity and standing out in the English rain to encourage members of the community to participate in the volunteer service and what it does for them in turn.

Due to funding, the voluntary service has suffered massive cutbacks in light of the UK recession and the award ceremonies are no exception. Weight up options are difficult when you must take so much into account. If we are to the honour these volunteers respectfully, we must provide them with an awards ceremony to fit.

In order to advance the awareness of these awards and the volunteer sector in the UK, any support or featured links will be very appreciated. Community is something to cherish and something for us all to be proud in.

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These examples were for coursework in A2 Media Studies to advertise a fictional documentary named ‘Tequila Teens’.

10 Things Men Should Never Say To Women

A friend of mine went on a date this summer with a co-worker and reported back later that she left when he said “I love your eyes. They’re so dark, they almost make you look dead on the inside”. Necrophilia aside, why do some men insist on driving girls away with these lines? The man in question was an upstanding man, had girlfriends before and according to this friend, showed no signs out of the ordinary. Starts out like a compliment and then ends in a restraining order. When typed in to Amazon, relationship advice books are scattered everywhere. But most of these seem to be aimed at women? Well obviously some men out there need a little help as well. Here are 10 things men should never say to women. This comes from personal experience and a little help from others.

Is virtual reality just fun or dangerous?

Anybody else born in the 1990s will remember the Sims computer game which created a virtual family which you could control. A popular 3D website is ‘Second Life‘ which was first launched in 2003. Last month, up to 21.3 million were registered with ‘Second Life’ and one can wonder, is virtual reality safe or dangerous?

Some individuals have a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality as has been seen by many crimes, especially concerning children, where the media influences have been a problem. Most in the UK will remember the case of Jamie Bulger in 1993 where the young two-year old was taken from a shopping centre and subject to torture and was finally murdered by two other children, Robert Thompson aged 10 and John Venables also aged 10. It was suggested after the murder, in court, that the two children enjoyed watching ‘Child’s Play‘ which was a disturbing film and that’s when the question was asked, can media influence actions?

In 2007, the popular television series CSI: New York, made an episode entitled ‘Down the Rabbit Hole‘ where a trained assassin was using ‘Second Life’ to track down victims by gaining their trust through the game and meet with them. In reality, several claims have been made against ‘Second Life’ regarding their privacy settings and their avatars. Some have argued that ‘Second Life’ can’t force people to log out of their Avatars so they have no control over how much time some people are staying at the site. This could have bad consequences for the fantasy vs. reality debate but also imply serious health risks. In 2007, Islamic militants were suspected of using ‘Second Life’ to hunt down new recruits and to practice real-life terrorism in the virtual reality world. This in not uncommon with the increase of technology and the availability of social websites where people are free to roam and talk. It’s unclear how many Islamic militants were hired from the avatar website but it’s clear that it did work.

There are even more examples of individual behaviour which can effect others. In Cornwall 2008, a woman was granted a divorce from her husband when she found him conducting several affairs with avatars in ‘Second Life’. It’s hard to believe, but I found several other divorce cases where the spouse was having an affair on ‘Second Life’. It’s unfortunate but that’s what being another character all together can do to some people. They forget they have real-life consequences.

However, some have claimed that virtual reality sites have positive implications for individuals who use it. ‘Second Life’ has been praised by many for building a strong online community. You can help build a community space for yourself and there have been projects for the community such as building a replica of the Eiffel Tower. The site also encourages people to search for their existing friends and then make more friends through them. The virtual reality element helps make the impossible possible. You can travel around by teleporting and even flying to a destination. The community is made real by even having their own currency called ‘Linden Dollars‘. It has been praised by postmodern surrealists who love the ever-changing scenery and the complex characters.

There is the danger from virtual reality websites such as ‘Second Life’ where the online community can become a reality for those who find it hard to distinguish from real life. Even though there have been cases of criminal activity linked back to the users on the site, these are apparently isolated cases. Mostly, people praise the site for it’s escapism and individuals can delve into a world of flying, avatars and projects. It is fair to say that most people need an escape from everyday life such as watching the television, having a stiff drink or participate in a virtual reality world. As long as those who can distinguish between their online life and their real life do not pose a threat, then it can be just seen as harmless fun.

Undeck the Halls- Annoying Celebrities

I’ve been a bit too excited with Christmas this week and I think my bank balance is baring the brunt of it but I decided to list the top 10 annoying celebrities that make you want to cancel Christmas all together and ban them from New Years and Easter as well. Obviously people may disagree so just write the celebrities you want and why.

 

 

Are student protests helping or hindering?

University Students all over the UK have been participating in protests in the last few months to protest against the proposed rise in University fees under the coalition Government. These protests have been posted in news all across the Country but some have claimed that the protests are getting out of hand after protestors attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla last Thursday. These events have sparked a major security concern over the royals and it could be claimed that the student protests are hindering the image of students more than helping the cause.