Ambivalent Mind.

Journalist - 21 and attempting to get my life and career on track.

[jayde-alyssab]

It’s a Trap: JCU Innovation for the Fight Against Cane Toads

The spread of cane toads is increasing rapidly over the western front- researchers at Townsville JCU are pioneering research to eradicate the threat of cane toads to native predators.

By Jemma Boisen and Jayde Baguley

Lin Schwarzkopf, a professor at JCU, is leading research in designing traps to eradicate the toads. With the help of PhD students, Kiyomi Yasumiba and Ben Muller, traps have been designed to attract and trap female cane toads.

PESTS: Cane toads are an invasive species negatively impacting on native predators in Australia. (CREDIT: www.environment.nsw.gov.au)

Originally the traps initial design was only effective in catching male toads and according to Lin, this was ineffective in controlling the population.

“When you want to control an invertebrate species you need to attract females, but we were only catching males,” Lin said.

This is where Kiyomi’s research is particularly important; she studied the calls of cane toads and determined which calls were most attractive to female toads.

“A low pulse rate and low frequency calls indicates a larger male toad which are most attractive to female toads,” Kiyomi said.

Kiyomi’s research has also discovered that throughout Australia the cane toad population reacts and responds to different calls- almost like different languages.

“I travelled around Australia to collect calls and found that toads have different dialects. If the trap with the Townsville call was put in Western Australia, it would not work effectively,” Kiyomi said.

Kiyomi said that toads have different calls due to the local environments. Researchers are working on creating different traps to accommodate the toad dialect.

Ben Muller’s research contains the building and design of the JCU cane toad trap. He gathered information from Kiyomi and used it to design an effective cane toad trap that traps females.

TOAD TRAP: The trap will be ready for circulation late this year. (CREDIT: animalcontrol.com.au)

Ben and other fellow researchers used the trap on Orpheus Island and set traps at 60 decibels and 80 decibels while the frequency rate and pulse rate was the same, they discovered that the louder traps work better. With the louder traps, the low frequency rate and high pulse rate, they are able to attract more females.

“The next step is designing multiple traps with different cane toad calls,

“The traps will be used mainly on Islands with a low cane toad population to help reduce the population or the traps will be placed on Island with no cane toads to help keep them out.” Ben said.

JCU is developing a prototype with a Melbourne firm Animal Control Technologies Australia.

It is estimated that the traps will be ready for mass production is late this year.

[jayde-alyssab]

Dragonball Z- Resurrection F

Did your inner child jump for joy when you heard about a new Dragonball Z movie? Mine did. I jumped online and purchased tickets to go see it with my partner and a few friends. All of us eager to relive the work of DBZ creator, Akira Toriyama, and our favourite characters.

Resurrection F, however, did not bring anything new to the Dragonball Z story and whilst it was enjoyable, it was also incredibly cringe worthy.

As “Resurrection F” suggests, the movie does not introduce a new villain, but instead revives an old one. Frieza, guilty of destroying the planet Namek in the original DBZ story, is revived using the dragon balls and is out for revenge after being killed not once, but twice by Goku.

The whole movie reeks of a typical DBZ arc.

But that’s fine, it’s what DBZ fans love and know.

The cringe-worthy comedy had the whole cinema laughing, Goku saves the day, and Vegeta is as angry and violent as ever.

But what was with the terrible character designs?!

I speak for my friends and I when I say that Frieza’s new form was terribly boring and lacking in individuality. We all agreed that we were expecting a more dramatic transformation to go with his newfound power. Instead we were greeted with ‘Golden Frieza’. 

It’s like paying for a chroma pack on League of Legends. Uninspired and tired.

Don’t even get me started on the design of Frieza’s new right-hand-man, Sorbet.

This is Sorbet.

A leader of a galactic space force guilty for the destruction of planets and this guy is leading them in Frieza’s absence.

Honestly, bring back the Ginyu Force instead please:

(vansolt.deviantart.com)

Fans also had the immense displeasure of Gohan, originally dubbed one of the strongest Saiyan’s, watching most of the fighting in a green tracksuit most likely given to him by his mum Chi-Chi.

I was a little in love with Gohan as a kid, and watching him suffer through Dragonball Z GT and now this has broken my heart.

Resurrection F delivered mostly what I, as a DBZ fan from early childhood, expected: corny scripting, Goku still acting like a child despite being a grandfather now, Vegeta still angry as always and Krillen still can’t land his Destructo Disk and a Destruction God (from Battle of Gods) conveniently on the side-line for when Goku shows Frieza mercy (again) and almost ruins the day.

Go forth and watch the movie, but personally I’ll go watch some reruns of the TV show and enjoy the creativity that came with it.

[jayde-alyssab]

Research Project

This week I had the pleasure of talking to our Samoan counterparts for a research project I am undertaking with our uni lecturers and peers.

I’m really excited to be taking this step in my university degree because I believe an understanding of other cultures is crucial for our society and I’m excited to see where this direction may lead.

I’m hoping that my Samoan partner, Tala, and I can create a thought-provoking research project that can combine what we know of our separate cultures. Who knows, this may even lead to a trip to Samoa in the future!

Here’s to our next meeting and discussing potential research topics!

[jayde-alyssab]

Australian Hardcore takes to Townsville

Tension was mounting at The Venue for the sold out Townsville show of The Weigh Downunder Tour. The crowd was littered around the stage both upstairs and down as they picked a spot to settle in and watch the great show that was to follow. The all-Aussie lineup was not one to be missed and the

At 8.30 Confession took the stage as the opening act and took it upon themselves to set the bar high for the bands to follow. Crafter, lead vocalist for Confession, commanded the attention of all watching and set the atmosphere perfectly for them to jump into the highlight of their set, Fuck Cancer. The song dedication was aggressive and the crowd was sharing their enthusiasm against the disease with the band.

In Hearts Wake followed shortly after Confession and the first thing that was noticeable was the sound lacking from clean vocalist, Kyle’s, microphone. His voice is amazing and it was rather disappointing that the crowd was unable to hear him up until they performed Wildflower. His powerful vocals made up for the quiet beginning and the crowd could feel the emotions being poured into the song, which was another dedication that the audience was happy to support as the building was lit up by phone candles and lighters. Their set was great and all the band members looked at home one stage; although their lighting was enough to give any photographer a headache!

Finally it was time for The Amity Affliction to take the stage. The band took their time, with the restless crowd unwilling to move from the spots as close to the band as possible. Chants were started by audience members eager for the set to be started.

The atmosphere was intense and The Amity Affliction, seasoned performers, walked on stage and started strong with their hit that made number 22 in the Triple J hottest 100, Pittsburgh. What followed was a high-energy, fast paced set that had the mosh pit in full swing and lots of fans jumping on stage to crowd-surf, shake hands with the lead vocalist, Joel, and in some cases, be dragged off the stage. Townsville fans knew no boundaries with Joel reminding the rowdy audience to be respectful of the security guards whilst they enjoyed their night.

It was an incredible set and the crowd couldn’t get enough. “ONE MORE SONG” was the chant of the night and Amity was all too happy to oblige, pleasing the audience with two more songs.

Crap lighting, loud music, rough crowd but the night couldn't have been better.

[jayde-alyssab]

MISSY HIGGINS OZ TOUR OFF TO A GOOD START

Missy Higgins Oz tour opened with the second night at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

Celebrating the release of her latest album Oz, released on the 19th of September, Missy performed her greatest hits, both new and old. This will be her last tour before taking 12 months off to focus on her family.

Missy had two support acts, Jherek Bischoff and Dustin Tebbutt. Jherek Bischoff, the co-producer of Missy’s latest album, Oz. performed three songs, including an original orchestral composition on a ukulele, allowing him to quirkily engage with his audience. Next up was Dustin Tebbutt, a Triple J unearthed artist, who was met with adoration by the audience. He played 4 songs, including 3 off his brand new EP, Bones. Despite struggling with some technical difficulties, Dustin was the image of composure and his music gave goose bumps with the incredible harmonies performed with his fellow band member, Carl.

At 9.15 Missy walked on stage to cheering in her slinky silver dress showing her baby bump and began her performance with a cover of Slim Dusty’s The Biggest Disappointment.

Missy played original and cover songs from her album in succession, seamlessly swapping from piano to guitar.Missy gave a stand out performance of Everybody Wants to Touch Me originally performed by Paul Kelly and engaging with the crowd by encouraging them to sing a chorus in Scar.

Missy reminisced about how Australian music had inspired her growing up,the reasons behind the set list for Oz., and the influence that artists such as the late Chrissy Amphlett have had on her career.

Missy shared videos of her teenage years and told stories about her family while she was growing up and at the beginning of a run of songs from her new album, Oz, Missy recalled details of searching through song after song to find the right contribution for her to cover and despite the album garnering mixed reviews, the covers were well-received by the audience.

“I think the highlight of the night was the stories she told about her life and experiences in the middle of her set,” said Gemma, who attended the performance. “It broke up the show nicely and gave the audience some insight and made the show seem almost personal”.

Missy’s performance was not without its disappointment as one fan put it,“sometimes the guitars and drums were too loud and it blocked her singing out a bit which was a little frustrating”.

The acoustics were not the only problem with Missy’s performance. There were lyrical mistakes in The Way You Are Tonight and in NYE she forgot which key to use; however despite this the crowd was enthusiastic and Missy laughed it off with the audience.

Townsville embraced Missy Higgins, a sure sign of good times ahead for the rest of her tour through ‘Oz’.

Story Link here: http://jcnn.com.au/local/missy-higgins-oz-tour-off-to-a-good-start/

[jayde-alyssab]

A response to Mayim Bialik’s post about Frozen.

Now let me start by saying I am in no way opposed to others having opinions and I completely accept their right to have varying opinions on wide ranges of topics. This is merely a response to Mayim’s post and my own opinions on the matter.

Recently a friend liked a post from Mayim Bialik to a link of her thoughts on the movie Frozen and why she and her son’s hated it. I loved Frozen, but I am a big Disney fan and I firmly believe that the traditional themes are indicative of the times they were written in. I do however understand the social implications of these themes and why people feel like they are negative for children. I personally do not agree with all the points made in regards to some of the social issues surrounding Disney movies. Despite this I do feel Mayim’s post is not thought out in a particularly well manner.

Here is the link to Mayim's post: 

http://www.kveller.com/mayim-bialik/mayim-bialik-why-my-sons-and-i-hate-frozen/

Her post is separated into three points so I will address them in the same manner.

  Mayim believes that the plot of Frozen is really the search for love. I find this a little absurd. Purely because while there is an underlying theme of love, it is clear that the relationships between the sisters is the main theme of the movie. Elsa causes harm to Anna and in an effort to prevent it to happening again she cuts herself off from everyone around her, including her younger sister who she clearly has a very strong relationship with. Later when Anna causes Elsa’s outburst she rides off into completely unknown dangers to bring her home and fix their relationship. Strong family relationships are also demonstrated by Kristoff, Sven and the trolls despite their obvious differences (adoption and pets).

  The next point Mayim brings up is “male bashing” present in the film. Her claim is that because Hans turns out to be a villain and manipulating it is teaching young kids that no man can be trusted. This point seems to completely ignore the fact that there are two very prominent male characters that are the exact opposite of Hans and are in fact very trustworthy. Kristoff and Olaf show healthy relationships between friends and family and I feel like it is counterproductive to ignore their part in the movie. I believe the real lesson in the deception is showing kids that not everyone can be trusted. It is not the only Disney movie in which deception is a key part of the plot. Snow White for example features a seemingly kind, old lady give Snow White an apple that puts her to sleep. The Little Mermaid also has an antagonist that lies to Ariel to gain power and stature. It is not only men that are used to portray evil and untrustworthiness. I am aware that there are other males that have been portrayed as untrustworthy as well. I just believe that this isn't an attempt to bash men.

    I don’t have much of an argument about the “doll” animation used for the female protagonists that Mayim uses as her third point for her argument on disliking Frozen. All I really have to say is that the features of the princesses never bothered me as a child. They were animated and I completely understood that they were fake and just drawings. Clearly this has become a bigger issue and related to self-esteem issues in our society and obviously I cannot talk for other females. I never found it an issue however.

  Does her 6 and 9 year old really understand these issues? Mayim herself says that her 6 year old doesn’t really know what’s going on as an excuse for him liking one character, but that doesn’t really mean that these are the reasons they don’t like the movie. Perhaps they find it boring? Maybe they think it’s girly or they don’t enjoy musicals.

Was it really necessary to justify her son liking Olaf because he doesn’t know what’s happening? Is that the only possible way he would like someone in the movie?

I wrote this post because I disagreed with what Mayim has written and I figured blog format was a better idea than ranting on Facebook, but feel free to respond if you disagree with me :)

[jayde-alyssab]

Whitsunday community bands together for suicide prevention.

Whitsunday locals took a stand and marched to raise awareness for suicide and World Suicide Prevention Day.

Proserpine teenager Keisha McEwan has joined forces with the Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, Whitsunday Crisis and Counselling and Stand for the Silent B.L.D to organise and host the ‘Out of the shadows and into the light walk’ on September the 6th in an effort to raise awareness about suicide.

The event began at 5pm from the VMR and the walk concluded with guest speakers talking about suicide and its implications and a free barbecue. The walk is held annually by Lifeline as part of activities for World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

Organiser of the walk Keisha was inspired by many of her own experiences and experiences of her peers saying that,

“Our community has been rocked so much and I felt like I needed to do something” and added that, “I was talking to a few young people last month and they all told me they felt like no one cares about their feelings and after that conversation I knew I needed to do something.”

Keisha then began contacting community members to organise the walk and received support from many people, including the mayor who opened the event and Whitsunday Transit who organised a free bus service for those attending.

Keisha, Liz and Sandra, the organisers, walked alongside those who showed up to take part in the event with an estimated one hundred people in attendance, including local police who joined in with the walk through Cannonvale.

The Whitsunday Council mayor, Jennifer Whitney, showed full support for the event.

‘It is a great opportunity to take part and raise awareness of such an important issue that affects so many people in our community,” she said.

“Everyone can make a difference by getting involved in local community events, such as the Out of the shadows and into the light walk and the Council is a proud participant.”

The Whitsunday Region is no stranger to the impact of suicide and depression with many young people in the area battling mental health issues, some unsuccessfully.

Suicide in Australia is the 14th highest cause of death and world-wide is the cause of about 800,000 deaths and towns all over Australia are joining in with the Lifeline event. This includes local celebrities that worked together to create a powerful message about suicide in this video.

Suicide Prevention Australia will be holding a forum at 10am to discuss WHO’s first ever World Suicide Report and are hosting a variety of other events on the day.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression there is help available. Contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 and find out more from Beyondblue.

[jayde-alyssab]

Depression isn't a new word for my family. We learnt it a few years ago, unfortunately it was too late for us to help my sister. 

When you say you suffer depression everyone assumes that you have been through some terrible, traumatic event to suffer it. Maybe the symptoms for PTSD and depression get mixed up in the lack of education regarding mental health issues, I'm not too sure, but depression can and does happen to anyone regardless of home life.

I lost my sister, Brianna, to suicide on my 16th birthday. She felt isolated, unloved and did not feel like we cared about her. All of which is completely untrue. Had we known she was suffering depression, or knew which symptoms to look for, our family would not be one of the many left in the wake of depression. 

For four years I have suffered the anxiety, depression and PTSD left in the wake of losing my sister. I felt guilty for not being able to help her, guilty for any fights we had or any bad things I ever said to her. I was, still am, confused about everything. More than anything I am so aware of how little is done to help people with mental illnesses. Most of the time people don’t even know my depression exists. 

That’s where the danger lies.

My depression is not like hers was. I know that I am surrounded by loving people that would do anything to protect me and keep me happy. I think my depression lies within this type of unresolved sorrow that will last until I eventually die. Although my anxiety may make normal tasks frightening, I am still trying my best to create a life for myself outside of this tragedy.

But sometimes I have bad days. I don’t want to get out of bed, I don’t want to talk to people or even exist. But I push through, I make it to the next sunrise and I'm glad I did. I have plans, big ones, things that I have to experience for not just myself, but for my sister who didn't get the chance. I think she forgot just how beautiful those sunrises can be. 

I used to cringe whenever someone said the word ‘suicide’ around me. It felt like a stab, a cruel joke the world was throwing at me to remind me I failed in protecting my younger sister. But I don’t cringe any more. I still have flashbacks, they can hit anywhere no matter what I'm doing - anything that reminds me of that morning and things I repress come back to me like I'm vomiting food back up. I can’t get Bree back, and my family will never be the same. I think that we will live with our depression and anxiety for the rest of our lives. 

We can try and raise awareness though. We can share our pain and experience to help others suffering depression to understand that they are not alone. Suicide should not be a taboo subject. The word ‘suicide’ should not be a dirty word, just as depression shouldn't be so overlooked in our society. These are real pressing issues. Everyday issues that affect our parents, our sisters and brothers and our children. It’s time for people to stop being wilfully ignorant and ignoring the problem and start educating our communities to help understand depression and to better help those suffering. 

So my parents are working with Kirk and Laura Smalley who run Stand for the Silent in America to start our own Australian chapter, dedicated to educating school kids about the impact bullying can have on people and make an active change in school communities and reaching out to kids that feel victimised and alone. 

If you need advice about coping with your situation there are lots of places to get help. Find someone to help you. 24 hour support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14. Find out more about anxiety and depression from Beyondblue.

[themindfulmuslims]

"And as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention."

Recent picture taken in Gaza.

[jayde-alyssab]

Stand For The Silent- The anti-bullying campaign

Stand for the Silent is a movement started in Oklahoma against bullying and its repercussions following the suicide of Ty Smalley who was suspended after retaliating against a bully that had incessantly picked on him for two years. Started by a small group of students and the program has now reached over 833,000 kids and Kirk and Laura Smalley, the parents of Ty Smalley, have travelled across America, flown to Australia to meet with a family of another victim of “bullycide”, and met with various influential characters including President Obama and Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga and collaborated with clothing group Sevenly to share their program and help children understand the effects of bullying.

The program, now four years old, has been a tough journey for Kirk and Laura, I recently interviewed them about Stand for the Silent and here is what they had to say; 

 1.    What is the hardest thing about running this program?

K & L- Probably the hardest thing about running SFTS is the daily struggle to find funding to continue to do what we do, without charging for our presentations and being strictly donation based its very stressful to try and find ways daily to continue. The other hardest thing is being gone from home so much and not being with each other every day. In trying to keep costs down we very rarely get to travel together. <p>

 2.    Did you ever doubt your goals/vision for SFTS?

  K- I personally have doubt creep up on me almost every day honestly. I have learned that if we just keep trying though and refuse to give up that we can overcome any doubts. As long as we stick together we are strong enough to continue! 

 3.    Could you share the most satisfying moment you’ve had with SFTS?

  K & L- There are so very many "satisfying moments" a few of them are: the hundreds of messages we get from kids that say we literally saved their lives, or the ones from bullies that say I never knew what I was doing could cause this and I’m done...I want to help make it stop. Being able to finally come to Australia and meet the DeVries family and spend time with them all was a great moment for us! 

 4.    Has anyone ever shown disdain at SFTS and been negative towards the program?

   K & L- We have had several people tell us that we will never stop bullying, and several more take the stance that bullying is just a rite of passage and something every child has to go through....our answer is always the same. NO it not! It’s this way because we allow it to be that way and it can be changed! 

 5.    Running SFTS must take its toll on you emotionally, how do you cope with repeating your story?

   K- Doing presentations every single day is very hard on me not only emotionally but physically as well. I relive the day we lost Ty every time I speak, sometimes three and four times a day. To be able to continue I put myself in a place in my own heart and head that I have made and realize that by doing what we do it is saving another baby in this world from doing what ours did. It doesn't make it better....but it does make it doable. 

 6.     Do you have any plans to extend your program beyond the USA?

  K & L- We actually now have chapters in sixteen different countries and as you know even in Australia! I believe we can grow to have stand for the silent chapters in every country in this world. 

 7.    When presenting at schools what is the most rewarding part of the day?

   K -The most rewarding part of the day when presenting at schools is usually right after our presentations, when kids pour down from the seats and just want to connect, hug, tell you they care....

 8.    Laura, for you what is the most rewarding part of Kirk travelling and visiting schools?

L- Knowing that what we do is helping save kids’ lives is wonderful, but I really wish we didn't have to do this because we miss being together so much 

 9.    You often get kids asking for your help with their depression and problems, do you find it overwhelming at all?

K & L- Being asked by so many children to help them and to solve their problems does get overwhelming at times. But you know the majority of them just want to know that someone does care about them, they don't all even expect you to solve their issues, and they just want someone to listen! We have become great listeners. 

 10.  What is the one piece of advice or wisdom you would give to anyone that asks for it?

K & L- The one thing I want everyone to know and to always remember is this: You are somebody! You have the right to be here! You have the right to be who you are! And we love the somebody that you are....just exactly the way that you are! Believe in yourself above all! Because we believe in you! 

  Recently an Australian chapter of Stand for the Silent has been introduced, working in collaboration with the Smalley family, to help spread awareness on the effects bullying can have on an individual’s welfare and the consequences that can occur. 

If you are interested in either starting a chapter or joining the anti-bullying revolution you can contact Kirk through his website: http://standforthesilent.org/ or via the facebook page “Stand for the Silent”.

Kirk Smalley at a school presentation- taken from the SFTS facebook page.

T-shirts made available in the Sevenly SFTS campaign with $7 of every shirt donated to SFTS

LINK TO MORGAN FRAZIER's VIDEO, Hey Bully

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAgPvqzboUQ

[jayde-alyssab]

Welcome back

So my first semester of my Journalism course is over, done and dusted! So far so good with my results too! Sitting on a distinction in my Journalism class and my Sound and Media class! Only need my photography results now!

I've decided that because I got a pretty good mark on this blog (90%) I'm going to keep it running. Hopefully I can start writing some things people are interested in and pick up some followers and start gaining some relevant experience.

I've done a few things over the past couple of days that I will probably write about- including the Townsville "In Hearts Wake" show and a trip to Magnetic Island for the first time. 

Bye for now!

[jayde-alyssab]

Holidays? Woo!

Here we are, it’s the end of semester 1 and I’m stuck questioning if journalism is the path for me. I’m lazy, uninspired and journalism is a competitive field in which I have very little to offer. So I’m stuck, scrambling for alternative careers short of managing some retail store for the rest of my life.

Anyone reading this may think that those obstacles are nothing, they’re tiny hurdles and all I have to do is push myself that extra bit, but to me they are mountains. My anxiety is so crippling that the things I used to believe I was good at now seem as hard as learning another language would be.

Not to mention that for some stupid reason, I refuse to resign myself to writing the same typical bullshit that you see every day in the news. I want to be exciting and do exciting things, I want to travel and take photos and make documentaries and not be stuck working for some newspaper or channel in Australia.

I’ve also been considering “science journalism,” learning how to convert scientific reports into articles suitable for the general public to read. It seems interesting enough and different enough to appease my mind.

I’m just conflicted as to what I want. I’m 20 now, and I need to get my life in order, but I’m more confused than ever. Perhaps next semester will help me decide where I really want to go with journalism. My writing and my photography are much too lacking for what I really want to do. But given time perhaps I will become more confident in my abilities and journalism as a career choice.

For now, I’m questioning journalism as the right path for me. 

[jayde-alyssab]

ONLINE & PRINT REPORTING

Sometimes I question whether journalism is the right choice for me. I’m not very good at keeping to rigid structures unless it’s for an essay. I have my own writing style and the format required for journalism may make me feel restricted and lacking in originality. But, practice makes perfect right?

Image retrieved from- http://blogs.agu.org/sciencecommunication/files/2011/03/Inverted_pyramid.jpg

The different ways stories can be presented for impact is quite intriguing. How does a story hold the most impact to the necessary audiences? How does an individual write a story that is appealing and straight to the point? The inverted pyramid is a simple way of remembering the layout of an article, the most important information first and then extra information after.

The words “a journalist is never off duty” has been sticking with me since they were first mentioned. How does one determine which events are newsworthy, I know it is a combination of things that have been discussed throughout this semester and most importantly the news values present. But how do you decide which lead and angle is the best, and which audience you want to present it to? The rest of writing an article seems pretty straightforward- keep it neutral and unbiased, no comments or opinions, source information appropriately and you have yourself a seemingly credible article. But it is the beginning of writing the article that stumps me.

This lecture covered so many basic points and fundamentals of journalism that seem vital to keep in mind when attempting to build a portfolio, such as basic writing techniques and journalistic terms when it comes to interviewing potential sources.

The internet offers a way to broaden the journalistic field and journalists are now expected to be experienced with multi-media platforms, and the way to write stories online varies from print stories. Online journalism is important as young people rely on the internet for social interaction outside of school and the workplace. I know personally, I receive most of my news online and I won’t bother with an article if I am not drawn to the title. 

[jayde-alyssab]

INVESITAGTIVE JOURNALISM

The idea of investigative journalism sparks an image of spies and undercover operations into my mind. The types of things that may have drawn me to being an investigative journalist as a child. The reality of it, whilst still important, is rather bland in comparison to the imagination of 5 year old me. Now when I think of investigative journalism I think of political scandals and stealing money. Not as many car chases and definitely less threats. 

Reading the lecture notes on investigative journalism, I can’t help but liken in to the role the female protagonist in Zoolander plays. A journalist attempting to follow up on a tip and write an important and relevant investigative piece that highlights corruption and scandal. Zoolander also features the things I imagined when I was younger, but hey, anything to make a future career seem amazing.

I do like the idea of working on large projects with a group of people- the kind that inv. Journalism calls for- I feel as though it is something I would enjoy more than writing short articles with no real substance. I know that to write a decent piece of investigative work it needs to have public interest, and I know that the piece needs to be well thought out and provide the public with information that serves them some purpose. But I do feel like the only topics worth investigating are usually political stories- whether it be about corruption or money scandals.

I think the values of investigative journalism are worth noting and important to remember if ever deciding to partake in the investigative process: you are helping people make informed and good decisions, you identify threats to communities and people, and you reveal the truth to those who would otherwise be in the dark. One day when I am more motivated and interested in the stories I am writing I will partake in at least one investigative piece. For now, I am too lacking in those qualities to even consider such a path. Perhaps I should pretend I am a child again, and investigative journalism is more akin to the work of spies. I’ve been watching Burn Notice lately, I could pick up a few things.

[jayde-alyssab]

POLITICAL ECONOMY

Political economy is like a strict parent who doesn’t want you to watch the Simpson’s in case you pick up bad habits. In the media this censorship determines how information is provided to the audience. You may want to watch a program about the new-found conflict in Thailand, but that’s not what your cranky mum (a.k.a big business’s) are going to make money off, so forget it. Those big corporations, they run the show and I can’t stand it.

Image retrieved from-http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130519234549/simpsons/images/5/51/The_Simpsons_Movie_90.JPG

The dominance of financial propaganda leaves a bitter outlook on mass media and is a conflicting factor when I consider journalism as my future career. The idea of “selling out” my beliefs to appease to a higher body or currency has forever been the key factor in any distaste I have of journalism. I don’t want to pretend that the biggest issues are the ones I’m being told to write about.

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The high concentration of ownership in media allow a few individuals to control what the general public hear and see. My number one priority should not be worrying that I’m spitting out enough propaganda to keep the advertiser’s happy.

I just want to know what is happening in the world. I want to relay that information to people who need and deserve to know. I want to tell the truth in an industry where the truth should be the number one priority.

The quote, “I propose a new definition of quality journalism. Quality journalism is useful journalism. Not only narrowly useful – whether like trains will be running or the time of the local fete, although that kind of journalism will always have an important place – but useful to people in being engaged, knowledgeable, connected and powerful citizens. Much of what we now call quality journalism fails this test,” is a good example of the way political economy effects standard journalism  

It’s the end of semester one and I am really beginning to consider where I want journalism to take me and what path I want to leave. I know that I need to begin putting together a portfolio now, but I need to decide what medium I would like to present to and which audience I can best appeal to whilst keeping my personal morals and ideals intact.

[jayde-alyssab]

Battle of the Ethics

Discussions about ethics are rather intriguing and can challenge the personal beliefs of individuals. The question that is raised most often is, how does someone know if they are acting in an ethically correct manner? Ethics are a matter of personal opinion. Sure there are widely socially acceptable ethics, but when does the line blur?

Discussing ethics in journalism is a very conflicting topic. As a journalist you are more than likely going to be in completely unfamiliar situations and as someone who would like to be a photojournalist and travel the world, being in unfamiliar situations will occur more often than not.

But when do I draw the line and stop doing my job to be human and help people in need? As a journalist I will be expected to document various events and occurrences. But if I can help someone in need and miss out on an opportune moment, should I?

The ethical conduct really ties in with my desire to do war coverage. If I see injured children will I really be able to put up an emotional blockade and continue to do my job? Or will I help?

The class discussion we had about Carter’s iconic vulture photo is really quite interesting. Discussing ethics with peers is a good way to gain an insight into your classmates thought processes and personal ethics. I think I came across as really harsh and unsympathetic in our class discussion because I feel as though Carter’s photo justified the means. He was there to do a job, and that photo caused enough outrage to draw attention to what was happening. Although, I must note that I do not feel like he did the right thing if he did not offer any help to the child whatsoever.

In reality I have very strong opinions but I am a sook. But ethics are such a touchy subject and opinions may vary so widely depending on someone’s age, background or personal experience.

But as I wish to become a photojournalist I have to try and be objective about Carter’s photo. I believe that the photo really demonstrates the severity of poverty in third world countries even if it does not convey the magnitude of the situation. The method may have been poorly executed, but the photo really invokes emotions in me and I believe that is the job of a photojournalist. They portray strong emotions in their photos.

[jayde-alyssab]

War and Trauma Journalism.

This week’s lecture discussed war, famine and disaster journalism and what entails covering stories during these events. I am highly interested in covering war and disaster. After learning about what entails war journalism I feel as though it is something I can do. Even if I only do it once. I would like to do war coverage because I believe that it is important to portray the stories of not just the political parties involved, but of what the citizens feel about the conflict and how war has affected them.   My biggest worry is that I cannot build the emotional blockades that our lecturer told us were important when undertaking this type of journalism. However, I also believe that emotional attachment to the victims of war or disaster is not always a bad thing. I believe compassion may be a good trait to help you relate to the people you will be talking to and taking photos of.

The technicalities of war coverage and the entitlements of the journalist are also such a significant thing to consider when deciding whether you would like to go ahead with traveling to dangerous environments. The discussion in our lecture about the journalist’s rights when dealing with being offered these types of jobs is something that has me quite curious about other journalist’s experiences and the type of hardships that they encountered whilst overseas.

I keep asking myself harsh questions. Will certain countries have problems with female journalists? Will I have the emotional stability to pursue this career? How often are the rights of the journalist upheld? What sort of trouble might I face? Will I be ready for it?

I have experienced my own trauma on a different scale to what other people suffer on a daily basis, I need perspective.

This blog post sums up my feelings on war coverage better than I could hope to say:

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/06/19/my-thoughts-on-war-photography-by-charlie-atkinson/