Media Analysis: Digital Entertainment (music presentation)

When worlds collide through music

            The past is meeting the future in music with a reemergence of older formats such as vinyl and newer threats such as illegal downloading.

            One of the best things going for music right now is how the new media for the industry is cooperating with both the older media and the new media in other industries. An example of the newer media not displacing the older ones can be seen with the vinyl format gaining a “second life.”

            Before the days of cassettes, CDs and MP3 players, vinyl was the format in which all people bought and listened to their music. This was most popular during the 1970s but faded during the 1980s when the cassette took over.

            Now, there is a niche audience that has brought vinyl back into style, and record labels are releasing music for vinyl again.

            But, of course, we’re now in the 21^st century — a time where practically everything has gone digital, a time of “I want it and I want it now” and a time where social media seems to have overtaken the human race.

            From the once popular MySpace to the extremely popular YouTube, music has been able to be shared and sent easier than ever. This does not just have to be friends sharing new songs with each other; there have been a number of artists, including Drake and Justin Bieber, who have gotten their start on YouTube.

            But just as there are positives with new media, there are also negative impacts. Most sharing of music nowadays is done through illegal means, such as downloading from YouTube or places like BitTorrent. Illegal downloading has cost the music industry billions of dollars. While it may not hurt the artists who are making tons of money through concerts, sponsorship deals and the like, it’s the people behind the scenes, such as the people at the record labels and the audio producers that this is hurting.

            In music, the past is meeting the future, and while we have to look ahead, we must do so ethically and with caution.

Tom Albano podcast

http://www.buzzsprout.com/43324/265563-tom-albao-podcast-episode-001

http://www.buzzsprout.com/43324.rss

Media Analysis #2: Not everyone should say, “I’m a journalist”

Not everyone should say, “I’m a journalist”:

Cartoon: What if there were only citizen journalists?

A person can write a status about a news topic, post photos of an ongoing weather catastrophe, or post videos of baseball game highlights, but that does not make him or her an actual journalist.

            A journalist is someone who has taken time out to get trained in the field. He or she has studied journalism or a communications-related field. He or she is a contracted writer for something like a newspaper or an online media source.

            These journalists are trained in the ways on the strategies to write a news story. The most common, as explained in the following graphic, is the inverted pyramid.

The Inverted Pyramid, the most common way stories are written in journalism.

             A Huffington Post piece mentioned the opinion of a journalist from 60 minutes, Morley Safer, on citizen journalism. He states he’d trust it as much as “citizen surgery.” This is because we now live in a world so full of news media and social media that any individual can take bits and pieces from stories and transform the story with at least one skewed fact, an inaccuracy, or a quote taken out of context.

            These “citizen journalists” are probably not conducting interviews with the primary sources the story is supposed to be about, something an actual journalist does time and time again. Ann Friedman of Columbia Journalism Review gives important advice on conducting them.

            Know your subject. Don’t ask the obvious or assume. It could end up embarrassing. Journalists are supposed to offer insight and explanation.

           Ask the hard questions. Journalists are watchdogs, and they can explain or find things the everyday citizen couldn’t. Not everybody can be a Woodward or Bernstein.

Finally, conversational interviews can offer opportunities for follow-up questions and capturing emotions.

            Don’t forget deadlines, too. As much as citizens can provide timely updates, they’re not under that pressure that journalists are.

            Now citizens can help a journalist — by providing media of ongoing crises, or offering insight from an unreachable location. However, some just are looking for their 15 minutes of fame.

            Newstateman.com's Vicky Baker shared a story about how the context of a photo used in stories in several media outlets was fabricated, but not before these outlets used the photo and had to retract. How’s that for an embarrassing day at the office?

            Citizens can be help, but if they can’t get trained, then they’re not real journalists. They should then step back and let the professionals do their jobs.

Podcasting

1.  How does podcasting fit into the organizational communication in business, non-profit, and academic contexts?

Organizations in the worlds of business, non-profits, and academia can use podcasts in order to extend their message to their audiences. This does not mean necessarily advertising products or services, however. What this means is that the podcast caters to the audience and covers topics the target audiences want to hear.

2.  Why does the speaker say that podcasting extends message?

Podcasting extends the message because there is a voice and/or image that can go hand-in-hand with the message. Podcasts often provide insight on subjects from various angles that can make the listener intrigued and entertains, making them willing to continue to listen.

3. How does podcasting encourage participation culture according to the speaker?

Podcasting encourages participation culture in that one of the big tips given was to cater to the audience. The speaker made mention of Whirlpool, and said they do not do a podcast based on how to wash clothes or advertising their products, but rather issues people would have about their product (ex: washer breaks down). In addition, iTunes and RSS feeds can give an idea of just how many people are downloading and/or listening to the podcast. Finally, participatory culture allows for listeners to call in and talk with the host or guest about the subject at hand or to leave feedback about the show and how it can improve.

4. What are the three critical elements of development for a successfully media when the speaker talks about email, blogging, and online ad? Why does podcasting have the three elements?

The three big elements or tips that the speaker gives are: to mention sponsors in a way that they don’t annoy the listener, to cater the show to the audience and not the product you are trying to sell, and to keep producing episodes. The speaker gave statistical information on how listeners to radio will get so annoyed at the advertisements that come with the programming that they will turn the radio off. He made mention at the end of one podcaster that did it right by placing the ad about 3/4s into the program — the audience would be less annoyed because they already have been entertained by the program and know more is coming. For the latter two, the speaker made mention of Starbucks’ attempt at a podcast. The podcast had negative reception for its episode, followed by two great episodes, and then it was stopped. The speaker says you need to get the podcast right on the first episode to be successful, and then you need to keep up the momentum of good episodes by continuing to follow-up with newer episodes.

5. How does the concept of digital media convergence get applied in podcasting when the speaker discusses the compounding media?

As mentioned before, media convergence can be found with the participatory culture involved with podcasts. On the digital level, however, there are video podcasts, which can give both a voice and a face to a message at hand. However, the speaker mentions that it’s just as easy to listen to and/or download a podcast, as it is to tune in to a local radio station. The speaker says that the day when car radios can have Internet access there can be a way to get access to podcasts from there.