Week 5

Week 5

ABC Media Report - “The Games and their coverage”
Date: 28th August 2008

Available here : http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2349325.htm#transcript

I Know I’ve already said it, but the Olympics really wasn’t that interesting for me.
This article said everthing I had suspected. So much that I don’t really need to add anything. It is doubtful that any spokesperson for channel seven would have been able to add anything.
Seven sucked. Their Olympic coverage sucked and Sonia Kruegger sucks.
It just gets me mad, I read somewhere recently that Bruce McAvenney was exempt from criticism on channel seven but I can’t agree with this. To many, he is the current face of sport coverage in Australia and surely any reliable source like that should be allowed to choose whether or not they were gonna commit themselves to something properly. Whilst it’s not his fault the Olympics on seven was half-assed he still should have just quit I reckon. Stuff it. Let’s be extreme here, why not? Seven can treat us like monkeys playing day old events and only 10 minutes of something before cutting to another 10 minutes of something else.

Just, makes me so damn mad. Look at this: http://blogs.watoday.com.au/yoursay/2008/08/channel_7s_olym.html

Fairfax media opened up an opinion poll to see what people thought of seven’s job. The ultimate line; it was crap. Although there are some die-hard mentals who actually thought it was good work, this is my favourite,

hi, thought the olympics coverage was great. repeating items is good for those who cannot stay up late, the sick, disabled, shiftworkers etc. you were in a COMMUNIST country, what do people expect? The journalists did work hard and i feel did not deserve a bickbat- rather a bouquet. good job channel 7. db.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAREYOUFRIGGINSERIOUS?!?!?!?!?!
A COMMUNIST COUNTRY?!?! IS TO BLAME?!?!? HAHAHAHA

The Australian lift out – “Standards watchdog should admit sex ad error “
Date: 28th August 2008

Available here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24252440-13243,00.html

This article was interesting. I had no idea this ad was so complained about it, it’s just words after all. But I guess if you can’t shield your children from it. The thing is, ads like this are only successful if talked about, wether or not they’re complaints. I think from a marketing point of view, you’ve got to hand it to them, they did a pretty good job of being noticed.

Personally, I’m not a pansy so I didn’t really pay attention to the ad, or feel a need to complain about it. Maybe the advertisers just new to always rely on the reliability of stupidity.
Stupid people being the loudest people.

Week 4

Week 4

The Australian lift out - “Audience numbers respectable for non-Olympic channels “
Date 21st August 2008

Available here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24214457-22822,00.html

I’m not gonna lie, as embarrassing as it is in a nation so hungry for sports. I don’t really care

about the Olympics. In the past two weeks, I’ve watched maybe four hours in total of the Olympics. Not including the opening ceremony. Which I have to be honest about, after slamming like 8 corona’s, I fell asleep around ‘Nicaragua’.
My point is, as a demographic, I’d personally rather watch cartoons. Say what you like about being ‘trashy’ or ‘stupid’, but there is no better source for current and relevant satire today anywhere else. To call shows like the Simpsons stupid is to call water dangerous to swim in. It is if you don’t think for yourself.
Now being privileged enough to be able to afford foxtel has its benefits, but not always. They still play a lot of crap. But I think that the fact that their audience has grown even more over ther Olympic period is eveidence of how there is a large demographic out there who are attracted to these shining beacons of hilarity. Not everybody gives a hoot about swimming, or how stupid the current line-up of channel 7 celebrities are. I say, good on the nerds who have gotten their toons’ up and and kicking butt.

I’m not even gonna mention how much I agree with the Diary’s digs at today tonight. They speak for themselves.

ABC Media Report – “Lord of the Flicks “
Date 21st August 2008

Available here : http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2338865.htm#transcript

I was excited to hear about ‘Screen Australia’, and the proposed film hub that Adeliade will be getting. It’s sounds exciting and something we can really be proud of. The first ever movie was made in Australia by the salvation army, and I think it’s about time that we get back to what we do best, telling stories. So what if we have a kiwi in charge? Who cares! Most of ‘OUR’ best actors are new Zealand born anyway. They do Aussie better than Aussies do Aussie.
All good film is good storytelling, that’s a fact. Having a background in literature would be an excellent way of approaching this. It sounds very exciting, this interview has certainly sold me on the promotion of Screen Australia. It was very well enforced, and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be a success.

Hopefully.

Week 3

Week 3

ABC Media Report - “Txtng Rls!
Date: 14thth August 2008
Available here : http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2330972.htm#transcript

I rly lik’d this rtcool. It was vry vry n4matv. I lrnd soooo much. Hps. I hv dsigh’d 2 tlk lk ths 4 the ske of proov’ng how crzy it is.
It took me like four minutes to write those sentences. So I don’t wanna hear about how useful they are. I think that David Crystal’s research is correctly undertaken and I accept his results. Nobody over the age of fourteen actually talks like that or writes like that.(I also count people who haven’t mentally progressed past the age of fourteen, like fully grown men who think rat tails are a good-looking haircut, and actually use the word ‘youse’ and expect to be taken seriously.)
And of course kids wouldn’t use in schoolwork. That’s just stupid and to actually believe that kids would hand up a piece with that in it would be surreal. If the kids that dumb. Then sure, but cahm’onnn


Caaaaahm onnnnnnnnn.

I think when you consider that human technology has always been about making our lives easier to handle, of course shortening the way we communicate is a possibility. But when the social attitude is to not accept these methods of communication as formal, but rather, informal, they will always be treated as such. Maybe in 50 years the social attitude on ‘txt’ng’ will change, but until then it will not be considered as intelligent. Maybe one day we’ll all look back on this DB8 and ROFL. But until then, we can only W8.

The Australian lift out – “Some shows really are wall-to-wall advertising “
Date: 7th August 2008

Available here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24176663-7582,00.html

I’m not saying that I found this article , or RTcool, very shocking. This isn’t a new issue. In no way. But I wanted to mention what I thought was awesome. How well this is satired in popular culture. I talk for example about the American comedy ’30 Rock’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36wUmJGzvA&feature=related funny stuff. But it’s not the first to do it, and won’t be the last.
The thing I have a problem with, is how there’s supposed to have been a blank period. I don’t believe that advertisers went straight from to promoting their products on game shows to not doing it at all. It’s always been there, and always will. We expect it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaSLTb7njVE classic. Classic.
I don’t think this article even needs to exist. The advertising industry has long used what people tune in to and watch at the cinemas to shlock their wares. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv79rMpSlF4&feature=related

But the advertisers have every right to do so. I may not agree with some of it, I won’t agree with a lot of it actually. Most product placement only appears in so-called ‘trash tv’ anyway. Their aimed at a low-brow audience anyway, so lets get on with it, if you wanna watch your ‘so you think you can yodel’ brought to you by Telstra, and KFC and Dell computers, then god bless you, get into it.
If you are disappointed that tv shows are corporate whores, don’t be. Just watch something on the ABC, or read a book, or google yourself, I don’t care.

In relation to my reading review, the reading is focused on the techniques that the newspapers use in their layout and positioning to attract the readers attention, and how it communicastes message through design. In applying that theory, i have gathered some examples of the different techniques that are written about in the reading, and showing they work. I would also post a question about a classmates blog, but I don't think anyone else is on this site anymore, i;m gonna have to go find someone new. sorry, my bad.

Week 2

Week 2
ABC Media Report - “The Gruen Division?“
Date: 7th August 2008
Available here : http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2323653.htm
Firstly, let me state the first thing I remember about this show on the ABC that has turned into a freight train of success for the ad-free network. When the logies were on late last year, there was a tiny amount of uproar over the fact that every chance he got, Andrew Denton (who at the time had begun as the co-producer and creator of the show) had shown a specific bottle of beer to the cameras. The beer was a fake brand.
He got away with it because he stated that Security and the producers of the logies were too busy keeping an eye on the chaser.

Read about it here, http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/05/abc-viewers-fooled-by-fake-ads.html
I thought this was a brilliant way to start a show. It got me interested from the very start, from the very first whisper here, I was hooked. Until I actually watched it.
I know there’d be a couple of lecturers and tutors who might not agree with me, but I can’t honestly say that by the end of the season I really cared about the show. It’s not because of petty things like Wil Anderson is not funny. And let’s face it, he isn’t.
Let’s all point at someone who isn’t funny.

That’s right Wil.

The thing that really got me was the choice of regular panelists. Mainly, Todd Sampson.
Why? Because all the wonder, the amazement, and every little thing that I felt was creative and interesting about advertising. Well, all that died the second he opened his mouth.

T.S. (Todd Sampson, Thug Smug, Thinly Satanic, etc.)
He continued to, weekly, explain why advertising was a corrupt and evil business, and in doing so, revealing himself to be one of those guys who seems to be envious of the success of others, and probably a real drag to know in real life.
He wasn’t very well balanced out by his (i guess you could say) opponent, Russel Howcroft. I liked Howcroft, he was your average Australian, had a sense of humour and was what I believed the advertising industry within this country to be; funny and clever. But even he couldn’t balance out old Sourpants Sampson .

Howcroft.
It was interesting however, to hear the terms of semiotics used on television. When they used simple explanations for the process of signification, and separating connotations from denotations. It was interesting to hear how the current industry uses these terms. I’ll give them that.
I also should mention that I like Denton, he’s clever, funny and has attained a nesting spot within the Australian media that affords him respect and almost fear I guess. Few peeps could take on the Packers and live to tell the tale like Denton.
The Australian lift out – “Free Tibet ads on Seven “
Date: 7th August 2008
Available here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24138953-22822,00.html (but scroll down a bit please)
I selected this because I can’t believe this story was not bigger. It may be that someone is trying to bury it by leaving it here, but come on. It should be bigger I feel. Not earthquake big, but a hell of a lot more important that Brangelina. Pfft, so what, you have a brother from Nicaragua and a sister from Somalia and a cousin from Darfur and a vaccum cleaner from the Solomon islands. Doesn’t matter. 15 million dollars, jeeeeze, at least it went to charity. But I’m ranting.

My point is, apparently Get Up paid over 10, 000 dollars to get the ads on, and even sent one to Kevin Ruddy Wilson who has pledged his support. I can honestly say, I am impressed with the Seven network for deciding to do this. The games is a tricky issue. There are people screaming (not stating or telling you, but SCREAMING) that it is immoral to support an Olympics held by a country that continues to violate the rights of humans. I personally believe in not looking at the nonsense about China “revealing itself to be a country of the world”. Screw China proving itself, it’s not what the games should be about. It should be about the pursuit of excellence. My theory is, don’t support the Chinese. I’m glad to see the ad’s are on tv. It’ll will work to balance out opinions from viewers. I can;’t think of a better anchor than these ads. Watch one here. http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/OlympicSilenceIsNotGolden&id=373

Also, check out this nifty little piece of writing if you wanna see how a blog is REALLY done.
http://randomclicks-horatio.blogspot.com/

Reference
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, 'Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout' in Bell, Alan & Garrett, Peter (eds) 1998, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford, Chapter 7, pp. 186-219.

The reading seems to be abput the basic process that happens when an infdividuals sights a front page of a newspaper, and the functions of the combined elements and what effect that has on the reader.

Week 1

Week 1

ABC Media Report - “New research on Australian Internet usage-part 1“
Date: 31st July 2008
Available here : http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2320016.htm#transcript

Quick comment: The most standout piece of information shown in this story is that kids WITHIN AUSTRALIA are accessing the Internet and various social networking sites from as young as FIVE YEARS OLD.
FIVE.
I’m pretty sure that’s repulsive.
At five I was running around the backyard with a hose and drowning toys in my sandpit. Ah well, water restrictions I guess.
Given that only 2/3rds of parents admit they supervise the children whilst they’re online, and that they tend to stop around the time their children turn 11 is kinda terri - fying.

Concepts from my course work that inform my perspective on this item: Being as we’ve only just begun, I can say that the interviewee, Christena Singh, author of the latest Sensis e-business report, uses her official role as the author and ‘learned person’ to influence the story; an example of ethos (personality and stance).

The Australian lift out – “TV hacks into sports briefs “
Date: 31st July 2008
Available here :

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24104575-22822,00.html

Quick comment: This story just made me chuckle, I had no idea this was a common occurrence within journalism, and I imagine from an industry point of view, it must be a real pain in the neckside to deal with. Good to see that individuals also within the industry that are often the subject of written pieces sympathise with journo’s i.e. Michael Clarke subbing the cameraman, and the cricket journo’s deliberately ruining the tv shot is just pure genius. If that’s Australian journalism then God bless the Journo’s.

Clarke on his way to make a grown cameraman cry.