TV, Newspapers... - A Powerful... (?)

Mass media, where information relay become rapidly spread, especially in the days where information these days are as simple as just pressing a button. Still, people are at war over this rather threatening device, just like when fear of balance shift might happen with just a simple message.

For me here in Malaysia, it's pretty obvious that the government controls the media in my country, although some will have a creative flow than the others (such as the Borneo Press). In Malaysian media, most of the media is either owned by the government, or the current ruling party. As much as people can do stuff in the media, it's not as flexible under the watchful eyes of the ruling power, especially when the government will spot messages or issues unfavorable to them (Thus the outsource of some info/content/message). Back when the time where the word Internet is still new and unknown, authorities have used some lengths to establish censorship and to filter any 'malicious info' and unwanted content (such as the banning of The Prince of Egypt and somewhat The Passion of Christ, as well as some OBVIOUS editing in some films in Malaysian cinema, especially the West). It's not until the Internet comes out where info seems free and non-restrictive. This can be more evident that the mainstream media distribution in Malaysia have this eerily similar content to the public eye, especially in Malay and English media distributions, yet the Internet and some private media distribution shows the other side of it.

If time gives, eventually this phenomenon will always be censored sooner or later, but as boundaries are given, we will always have this notion as 'things will never go unseen' aka injustice will never go unpunished. This applies to either side of the party, either the government or the opposition.

In conclusion, authorities will have the power of manipulation on their favor, and if they are smart, they can please the public eyes and have their support or vice versa. Still it's up to all of us to decide whether this practice in authentic or not, given that we have clear judgement on this matter. We can blame whatever we want on any form of idea/content/info, but like any other tool, it is essential for us humans to evolve and move forward.

News - Updates of...

News, as it is, still plays an important role in our daily routine. It comes even with the smallest buzz till the highlighted topic regardless of any medium. As news are regularly shown on TV and newspapers, news nowadays are also shown on various medium citing on various topics. While news has the potential to lead current events for plethora of ideas or solution, misinterpretation of these current problems can also cause uprising and unwanted tension.

Okay, first, personal info, if you guys are interested for this topic, do leave some comments or ideas on the issue. For me, some of my favorite news to dig info from is The Star, whether it's online (which I more or less frequently go) or just next to the library or any stores where the good old newspapers are (as I still prefer reading manually). This is also my father's favorite, being holding that paper since day 1 of my life. But still, that paper alone is not enough, since different publishers will have different approach in the same topic, thus having me to read using a cross-disciplinary research approach, whether it's from other papers, online, stuff like this and that which in some cases really matter. You can't summarize on just one work of news in this case, since the central of topic here is somewhat defines the overall issue being shown to public eye. That's why newspapers and especially the internet were some of the reliable source that I do research and conclude into, as you can re-read it anytime if you can take good care of your medium. So just hearing a rumor is not enough for me, I have to go deeper just to find out what exactly what is going on. So whoever have the simplification of news is just for those seasoned person and to be considered out of date (sad but true, it always happens...), it's really the vice versa of things, in fact, that simplification doesn't really matter at all. Depending on how alert you are, you will usually dig in something out of the ordinary, even when it seems less relevant.

So based on this personal info and experiences, I can say (but NOT conclude) that news are still some of the important updates in our daily lives, and liked it or not, the public loves it, either good buzz or the rather malicious info. In my opinion, news are but many of other issues that we must cope with in our everyday lives. Still, it's best to keep ourselves up to date. As always, they are not perfect, but it's really always WE who have the ability to make it better or for worse.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_journalism


P/S: This time I'm open for comments and ideas regarding this issue, since this is pretty much subjective. What are some of the approaches and ways to handle such info in this days where media is bombarded with this kind of issues? Again, if you like this please leave a comment.

Theater - The Art of Storytelling

A theater is a collaborative fine art form which uses live performance to present experience or real-life or imagined event to the audience in a specific place, usually by storytelling. Some of the elements of theater is that of gestures, speech, music, or dance. The elements of design and stagecraft are to enhance the atmosphere of the theater depends on what it wants to portray.

Some of the early theater were in ancient Greece, where theater play is introduced. At that time, theater plays a significant role in the ancient Greek community, where it tells the story based on their religious activities and myth, politics, law, and and many other applications on their culture. In their myth, the origin of theater is based on the Greek god of wine and theater, Dionysus. This art then expanded to Rome, where the Romans share some common similarities in their play due to their similar beliefs. This has then extended to Asia after the age of Greek and Roman civilization, using it as part of Asia's cultural belief and mythology, such as the Japanese Kabuki, Chinese Opera, and many more. Later, the era of the Renaissance further implemented theater play, giving it  more naturalistic approach.

There are many types of theater play. A drama is an acting play which the performing actor will play out a specific character or role in the play. A music theater is another type of way to perform the play, where usually acting and music played some significant roles in theater. An opera is where a form of theater was combined with orchestra and the role of staging, dance and singing in a large scale. A comedy, now a genre, includes humor in the theatrical play. A tragedy is that of a history which has significant role in culture, usually telling the condition of the culture and surroundings.

These days, theater play has evolved to appliance of film, animation and so on. Their stage design, dialog, gestures and action can be applied in the film media's script writing, misc-en-scene, acting, and music in film which was introduced during the Industrial Evolution where Europe and America begins to apply theatrical play in the film industry, which then gives America the upper hand during World War 2 when most film talents from Europe had a huge migration to the United States. The appliance of theater play is further expanded in television dramas, sitcoms, advertisements and animation. Later, video games also applied storytelling in their respective titles, starting from the ever popular Super Mario Bros. to a more complex arrays of storytelling in video games using the same format as a theater play.

In conclusion, theatrical play still plays a significant role in media, where humans relate themselves with acting and theatrical play and to dive them in into their 'virtual reality'. As theater is some of the oldest form of media, it is still some of the most effective storytelling device, ranging in different genres and ways to convey messages. As long as people can relate themselves to storytelling, this form of art be an entertainment to enjoy or a tool to relate them to our everyday events that forms us.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre

Cultural Groups - The Rise of Generations

As much as we want to see how mass media has influenced many as of this time, it's best for us to backtrack on what our generation has developed media and their consumption. For this, we'll start out with the very moment when tonnes of media is introduced.

We'll start with the;

1. Baby Boomers

These generation got it's nickname from their critical rise of birth rate at that time. This is the time where television, radio, poster propaganda has pretty much influenced them in their daily lives. This is where the generation asks for a change, having lots of content to tell after the major event of their lives, the Second World War. Seeing the wars consequences, much of their action are on civil rights, trying of bridge the gap between boundaries at that time. Baby boomers expect for their surroundings to change over time, meaning a pace for a 'better world' is critical rather than to stuck in one discipline. This generation uses radios and television as their crucial media for their changes in life, and most notable events recorded in media were their catalyst for a better change.


2. Generation X

These generation is also known as the MTV generation, where the music industry begins to bloom and idols become a central part of their influence. Unlike their previous generations who challenges leaders on their roles, this generation seems to use their own set of mind to portray themselves. They are often viewed as rebellious, but strangely they are the most well educated and controlled generations during these media booms. This might be due to their paradigm shift from one school of thought to another. Most of their media is the introduction of Music Television (or PV), the rise of video games, and the rise of many music genres. They usually use this to portray their expressions, and media consumption is somewhat a way to portray their identity. Their expression is somewhat of a controversy, such as violence in video games and some suggested themes in the music industry, but it does touch out their aspects as well, (meaning to tell that are we aware of this and do we tend to fix it or let it destroy you?) As such, these generation was the more eye opening generations in media consumption, touching the zone which was needed to be expressed.


3. Generation Y

Also known as the Echo Generation or Millennial generation, these groups of people that are gradually influenced by the Internet and the increase usage of technology. These groups usually breaks social boundaries and being able of convey their message to one another regardless of obstacles. These groups tend to make their own content rather then following other discipline, citing for self-recognition against the already contributing generations. These group of people seems to have much interest of themselves that other generation since they saw what other generations mistakes are and tend to avoid it using their own way. Their expectations are much higher, and this might be a problem for them to coupe with other members. Social networking and websites are usually their tools to express their self-recognition to the world. Their media consumption is high, as they are expecting their media to be more advanced and new in a very short period of time, making this group the most creative and intuitive yet the most uncertain in what their future holds, since most of these groups use media rather than making a new one and are uncertain of their ways. Their paradigm seems to be more on themselves rather than accepting other ideas.

4. Generation Z

These generation are mostly influenced by the current Internet and to boom of portable mobile devices. Unlike their previous generation which their media was introduced, this generation lives with every media available from the start (in other words, this generation is much more 'pampered' with their tools are already on the get go.) Everything else seems irrelevant to them and their expectations are much more higher on media consumption. Most of them use media as a consumable item rather than a making a change on it.


In conclusion, as generation passes, it seems that the introduction of media seems to makes a big impact to our development. But when media is evolving faster, and expectations are high, it's best to question ourselves whether media is going to help us evolve or leading us to much more problems. Or as a human, are we able to be efficient problem solvers to our everyday troubles.

That, might be the effort and work in our very own hands.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z

Media Forms - Know Your Media!

In this multimedia platform of communication and message conveyance, there are many different forms of mass media to relay messages which is commonly associated in our daily consumption. As much of their style of presentation is different, it still function as a message conveyor to the people.

The forms are:

1.Broadcast:

A distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience using any mass communication medium. This is usually done by using radio waves. Some of the forms to be identified are internet live stream telecast, radios, television advertisements, and telephone services. This is usually related to advertisement or live telecasts.

Started off as a radio broadcasting, the usage of satellites and recently, the appliance of the Internet makes broadcasting a lot more accessible to any other medium.


2.Film

 A film is a usage of motion pictures to portray illusion of movement. This is done by recording real-life movement or animate an object using multiple frames. This is the most common use for storytelling and narration, although it can still be used as other forms of messages. Film is commonly related to animation, visual effects, and storytelling.

Started of with some early video recorders which records and play multiple frames, it evolves with adding sounds and narration with added elements of photography or multiple hand drawn images. These days the film industry gross is really high, reaching billions of dollars. It's still some of the critical media to this day.


3.Video games

A human device which involves human interaction with an interfaces such and virtual reality generated by either 2D or 3D graphics. Once appear only as a single interaction, many added elements such as storytelling, increased graphics, and a more powerful processor helps video games to evolve into an industrial powerhouse.

This medium starts booming during the arcades (or 1st generation of gaming), and then evolves into home gaming consoles and implements storytelling and artistry. Over time, gaming has become some of the most serious business in the industry, with production which sometimes grosses as equivalent of that of a film production.


4.Audio Recording

An inscription and recreation of sound waves. This is usually used to record ambiance and music. Sound can now be recorded and composed to makes another piece of artificial sound. Analog and digital sound are both the main sound records, but also integrated to each other.

This is actually a skill of prehistoric times, where music is played and recorded usually in records, usually regarding rhythms, harmony, timbre and noise. When the phonautograph is introduced, it then evolves to a more mobile and easily used sound recording and can be used for multi-tracking and sound composition. Music is some of the most consumed media. It's usage varies from any appliances of medium.


5.Internet

The Internet is a hub which connects to other networks worldwide, usually by using the Internet Protocol. As Internet transfers worldwide at a high speed, it is the most high paced media consumption due to its availability and speed.

There were usually networks the early days but are not linked to together at one point. With the introduction of the World Wide Web, it becomes the hub to these networks. At first, the Web is only used between one connection to another, but then evolves to everyone taking part into the hub (Web 2.0) making it a hot spot for social networking activities.


6.Blogs

A blog is an informational and discussion site developed via the World Wide Web. This is some of the main usage for diaries, journalism, discussions, analysis, and so on.

Started of as the term 'web blog', it evolves to simply blog, which is used as a noun and a verb. As Blogger was introduced, other services which generates website content was growing. now there are millions of blogs in existence, citing in various topics.


7.RSS Feeds

The Rich Site Summary feed is usually used to publish frequently updated content in the Internet. This is commonly used in sites which has high activity in some certain fields.

This format did not achieve popularity until web browsers started to use these features to frequently update their respective contents.


8.Podcast

A series of digital-media files which are distributed over the internet using feeds for playback on portable media players or computers. It functions almost the same as broadcasting, except it uses the Web capacity of streaming and storing data in the Internet for sharing and viewing on the Internet.

This term is popularized by the iPod, which mixes the word with broadcasting, and since the term is used for online casting.

9.Mobile

Mobiles are tools used to view contents in which are portable in any area. Started of as a portable phone, added contents makes mobiles a more accessible tool to view content as a fast speed at almost anywhere depending on the area.

First introduced in Japan, the addition of downloadable content boomed the mobile industry. As such, media consumption is mostly used in mobile devices due to it's accessibility.

10. Print Media

There are three main printed media which more or less play their part in relaying messages.A book is a collection of written texts, images and information stored in one edge or cover.A magazine is a periodical publication usually containing articles and advertisements and/of purchase by readers.A newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising.

Since the introduction of the printing machine, these form goes under huge publication and eventually making it available to the masses.


Conclusion?

Since these forms of media needed each other to relay message, it is a crucial part to know and understand their forms for further improvement.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_recording_and_reproduction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing

Usage of Media-Good or Bad?

    There's no doubt that in this information society has much of it's help of the introduction of the World Wide Web. Much of it's media form in the past can be easily accessed via the Internet, whether it's a portable document format (PDF), videos, music, games, magazines, news... YOU NAME IT! But whatever the style of presentation of media, whether old or new, it still function as what a media was suppose to be, to relay messages using numerous mediums to one place to another, in case of the Internet, by just a single touch of a button. So, as information become more fast and rapid in the Internet hub, was this the next step forward for human development, or being consumed by the very media who we use to entertain ourselves?

    Some of the very benefits of media these days is that of it's amazing transfer of one message to another, and that just happens right in the very first moment we touch one tool to make an interesting content out there, which means that people can send letters to his co-workers whether their task is cancelled or not or just inviting a friend via online. This fast paced information transfer can also be profitable, such as products which can be sold online or making an interesting content to sell an idea, this means that products can be sold  by a lot of copies for just a few minutes, albeit many consumer in one same time. Some of the really interesting use of media today is through social activity through media. Not only do people contact with other loved ones, but also creating a society which is very interactive, very open, and most importantly very lively and memorable, which is some of the main beauty of media, old or new.

   But whether opportunity comes, vice starts taking over. As much as media these days are powerful and essential, it's also becoming more vulnerable. Turns out this fast paced information transfer can also lead to misleading and somewhat disturbing lifestyle. People in this contemporary world might stirred up more controversy and unrest very easily than that to produce a more productive type of content, and a faster paced relay of information might only makes things worse. Things get much worse for the amount of consumerism in these years, consumer demands are high, marketing is becoming riskier, and one single step of mistake of this fast paced media transfer might be the end of the road. People these days might buy more things than producing things. To make things worse, easily accessible media can also be easily hijacked, and today's society which demands a lot out media will pay the ultimate price.

    As much as media is helping us to move forward and keep on developing in this era of globalization, it is also a huge threat for the misuse of the ever fast paced media. But as much as humans try to go beyond their limits, media is created to extend their most innate potential and desires, as such, the tools that we used today is but an extension of what human can do. In the end, it's up to that single person who will make a change by their innovative ideas, and as long as human evolves, media will certainly grow in the right hands.

   

Disciplinary and Research Approachs

Disciplinary

    Disciplinary is a terms of use for types of knowledge in different set of skills, people, projects, problems, research, etc. It is used either for academic or profession purpose, in which they are strongly associated. There are many types of disciplinary approach and people who are usually accustomed with these disciplinary approaches with academic or profession are usually called specialist or expert as compared to that of a generalist which studies liberal arts and system theories. One example if the usage of disciplinary it that of academic subjects and its topics, such as the Law of Motion by Isaac Newton is strongly associated with physics and motion theory.

    One of these associated disciplinary approaches is the cross-disciplinary approach. This style of approach is used explain one disciplinary approach to another. One example is to know sound design and music, one must know how sound works, usually by vibration and nature, how does natural and digital sound differ, etc. Another example is the studies of politics and religion, such as the Pope, who is the absolute leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican City, and how the Constitution of Medina affects the politics of Medina and the Muslim world.

    The other field of disciplinary studies is inter-disciplinary approach. This style of disciplinary is an organizational unit which involves two or more academic disciplines. It may also combine them into one activity. Some of the example is the paradigm shift, where traditional discipline is compared and contrasted with other discipline to see the similarities and differences. Such one event is the similarities between the Abrahamic religions in belief of monotheism and mythology but different in terms of ritual and concept. The other used in this field is the usage of demography, which is the study of different people, culture in a same place, area or if you may, a hub, such as a country with multi-racial background and yet still unified as one nation.

    Trans-disciplinary is a research strategy that crossed many disciplinary boundaries to create what is called a holistic approach. It is the exploration of relevant issues on multiple disciplines to create a new and deeper understanding on real life experiences. One very prime example is the Abrahamic religion where Christianity is based on the Jewish disciplinary and Islam is based on the disciplinary of both. The other one is the approach on Hinduism and Buddhism where Buddhism is based on some teachings and concepts on Hinduism.

    A qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in different academic disciplines. These research investigates on why and how of problem solving other than what, where, when. This is usually used as a marketing research and social science to study what was needed or reasons to improve marketing or social behaviour. For example, to makes one product needs one than one type of discipline to actually make the product successful, such as home equipment’s, a type of television series, even the brand of video game consoles.

    Lastly, an ethnographic research of studies is a qualitative research aimed for cultural phenomena. For this understanding social and cultural anthropology is needed to make this research. One example is the influence of media in the social and cultural anthropology.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplinary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdiscipline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdisciplinarity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transdisciplinarity

http://transdisciplinary.greenwich.wikispaces.net/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transdisciplinary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnography

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ethnographic+research

Welcome to The World of Media!

Welcome into the world of media. Here we will touch about the anthropology of media, which means studying on what makes producers, audience, or other cultural and social aspects on mass media (Well, that's basically the things that we consume for satisfaction.)

So whatever topics related to mass media in whatever area (newspaper, television,games, internet, YOU NAME IT!!) and how it affects our approach in... well, your life! Depends on your interest, this might be general of or just something that will immerse yourself in the field of your tools.

Well, as long as this study continues, keep watching!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology_of_media