#mcst 2010

[nilyaj-blog]

9 Months of Knowledge in 9 Weeks: A Trimester in Review

I think in addressing what I’ve experienced from this class I have been awoken to say the least. What I mean by this the lens of critical analysis, scrutiny and skepticism I began to approach class work with is now what I’ve begun to view the world through. Less and less as I find myself growing as an academic do I find myself taken in every helping of media that is presented to dosing a healthy layer of salt on each meal. In these past nine weeks of deconstructing the foundation of both organizations and ideals where I had originally thought there was only the surface level content I had been fed, I have unearth had whole world of filled with new ways of approaching our modern day society. In conversation I find myself picking apart today’s popular culture giving further deeper meaning whether it be positive or negative for the content at hand sharing this new found perspective with my either annoyed of fascinated friends.

For example, one weekend I intently watched the LCS world championship an e-sports competition for a game hold dearly to my heart. The following week I’m looking back at the replays and drawing comparison between the broadcasting of the championship and how its misrepresentation of women as broadcasters and analyst harkens back to the broadcasting of traditional sports broadcasting on networks like ESPN. I would go on to conclude that this gender divide only underlines the overarching misrepresentation in video games and its subsequent culture presenting a version of gaming being heavily male dominate when the gender divide among gamers internationally is closer to a 50/50 split but that in not represented in the content of the games or the culture in which they have been packaged into.

As both this class and the years past election comes to a close I don’t think this class could have come at a better time for me. Given how many surprising developments have been made in this past year of things people either had no idea of their existence or there was skepticism that had little evidence. One of the major development of this past year has been the deconstruction of the democratic party with many of the party leader showing obvious bias to one candidate over another. Throughout the election there was a certain level of skepticism to the idea of both candidates have a fair chance of gaining the nomination, not based on their merit or policies just on the political hierarchy that has been this past year’s democrats.

This has cause man on the left to feel like they have been betrayed by the institution. Feeling as if the party was in service to its constituents rather it has been show to been anything but democratic. Which comes off as ironic given the current tide of Republican party being led by a president elect who throughout his campaign has been counter to the overall institution of the party. What I think I will ultimately take away from this class will be present in how I go on as a budding journalist and analyst not of media but of media itself but the society that populates the media's world. Hopefully I can continue this ascension within my life and the literary works that are birthed as a result. Look forward I seek to future develop the essays I’ve produced over this past semester from full fledged essays to easily digested articles and tumblr post then into mini documentaries and video essays so this level of information can reach a mass media audience. I can only hope that my work is not glossed over or overlooked but nevertheless I shall continue the best my mind has to offer. This has been an enlightening semester and in moving past it I leave you with a glimpse of the level of content you can expect in the not so distant future. ~ Jay

[nilyaj-blog]

Sticking the landing

Hello my fellow bloggers if you have been with us for the last three years you have seen us through a troubling dark age, especially those that have survived this past year. Though we can look with heads to the sky our praises have been answered, Yahoo and by proxy Tumblr has been purchased by Verizon a deal to be put into effect in 2017. Here’s what his means for Tumblr, first and most importantly Tumblr’s new grandparent company has expressed that they have no plans to shut down the site, so you all may rest easy as we make our way towards a bright new future. Verizon hopes to further establish itself within digital advertising in adding more media properties to its portfolio that already includes former tech powerhouse AOL. Verizon has also noted that they seek to split up Yahoo from its subsidiaries meaning that Tumblr will once again be able to operate as a standalone organization so you can happily say goodbye Marissa Mayer.

Now not to say that the Verizon buyout doesn’t have troubling possibilities for the site is completely incorrect, to Yahoo’s credit they did recognize the fact that they don’t directly know how to deal with the social media platform. Ultimately their fumbling in handling Tumblr has result in stagnation of the momentum the site once had in 2012 but that doesn’t mean that it is too late to reinvigorate the platform and raise it past its former glory. Now intending for Tumblr to easily beat out the likes of Facebook may be a stretch but that doesn’t remove that possibility. I can already hear your simultaneous groans at the thought of Tumblr becoming a Facebook size platform causing for many new members flocking to the site because it has become the cool thing to do. I understand in your pessimism you find popularity to only lead to the site ultimate downfall but before full accepting that distinction I must first direct you to the case of Vine. Vine being the short form video platform a smaller branch of the already successful platform Twitter is going to be shutting down in the coming months.

The reason I direct you to Vine is in how it may have survived new has recently come out that a meeting between the top viners and Vine executive where content creators demanded for Vine to pay Viners 1.2 million as well as making a few changes to the site to better suit content creators in exchange Viners would produce 3 Vines a week for the next year. Ultimately when fans of Vine found they immediately began to criticize Viners for being entitled seeming that 1.2 million is more than enough to make a six second video, though they don’t see the bigger picture. Now no one will ever know if bringing back the top Viners would have saved the app but maybe further negotiation should have been made on the matter. A social network investing finances into its top content creators is essential to the longevity of a that depends on people to produce new interesting content the best held example of this is YouTube who manages to have strong working relationships with the majority of its most successful members. This has ensured that even as time progresses the while still be content creators making new and exciting content which bring in revenue for both the creators and company.

How does this investing in content creators apply to Tumblr you might say bloggers on Tumblr who are successful don’t get paid by the site they find other streams of income. This is exactly the case with Tumblr Viners weren’t being paid by the platform so they interacted with third party advertisers as a way to bring in income. The position Tumblr could play is in seeking out emerging bloggers and circumventing that process being a middle man between advertisers and creators allowing them to leverage the platform to advertisers by offering them niche markets they may thrive off of. The issue many companies have when approaching the idea of making revenue off of Tumblr is that their approach is very much driven toward reaching as many people as possible not trying to market to more specific demographics which is what makes up Tumblr, large fairly close-knit communities. Take for example Tumblr’s art community filled with many young artists in both traditional and digital art mediums.

These people are able to develop a rather wide audience of fans that through Tumblr they can interact with establishing a more human connection this is the same way many musicians have been able to showcase their talents leveraging the platform in their favor to gain dedicated fan bases. If Tumblr hopes to gain revenue from advertising they must do so in a more organic fashion. Tumblr needs to reach out to it biggest and emerging bloggers in the many different communities and work out a deal that allow them to do more than they would have alone in exchange for producing a certain number of original post a week. Such as let’s say you’re a digital artist that wants to be able to do a big giveaway where they send out multiple prints to winners that art autographed and can be shipped to even international fans in a timely fashion, this an immense task for one person to handle but under a corporation it’s child’s play. Now the gain Tumblr can use the audiences of bloggers they make advertising deals with businesses that would be relatable to community like Adobe or Wacom. 

Companies that are easily to integrate as advertisers on artist blogs put being able to present it in a way that maintains Tumblr’s “authentic” nature that make the current advertising method an eyesore. Internet users are constantly bombarded with all types of ads they have become a custom to ignore and none has been more obvious than Tumblr. If ads are constantly being scrolled over and ignored because users already are being alerted that they are being sold something that is bad marketing. For Tumblr to succeed as a business they need to reach out to members to find a better way in which to integrate advertisements to ultimately increase audience retention and as a result increasing revenue gained from advertisers. The best course of action is to bring in popular graphic designers on the site working to create advertisements that mesh seamlessly with the platform and creating these in many different forms for different communities. Take for example an ad for a craft brewery owned by Budweiser where the ad is gif of a beer being poured into a glass but instead of it being manufactured by some designer from the ad team it is crafted by someone who is familiar with creating perfectly looping gifs that have a certain human made quality to them these are a lot more effect casue they grab a viewer’s attention for the right reason. Tumblr is a platform born of internet niche culture and for it to survive in the future it must adapt at a corporate level to maintain that. This progressive practice I predict will soon become the norm as companies shift from advertising to the masses to advertising to the communities of already perspective buyers. If Verizon hopes to turn a profit on Tumblr it may want to aim more towards this model of marketing or it may find itself replaced by a platform able to adapt to this way of thinking though these next few years show a bright future for Tumblr

[esaigonzalez]

Fan Fiction in the Next 5-10 Years Critical Thinking #3

I believe that Fan Fiction in the next 5 years will be in control of TV shows and movies with changing the way we view these shows in the later future and how we write want to see in TV. We have seen fan fiction take over the world of social media with fans wanting a high demand with mainly the main stars of show being involved in a romance or changing the ending of show or re-writing the show completely in different way. One of the examples of fan fiction being used is when fans of the hit cartoon show Adventure Time re-wrote the show with an all-female cast which was turned into an episode. This one the few of examples of how fan fiction can take over a TV show. In the SWOT analysis each breaks down how the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats if we use this analysis on fan fiction we can discover that with using this we can find the strengths and opportunities that lie in fan fiction and the weaknesses and threats that affect fan fiction. The people who will use fan fiction in the future will be a group people who form a fan fiction organization in which fans who have ideas for their shows to be change can send it to the heads of organization and take interest into changing the show. On the website Qoutev.com it is a forum in which you can search almost anything that relates to media and find a story that has fans whose fiction that changes the story of the show, comic book, or music that fans love. With these website I’ve done some research on the Captain America and Winter Solider romance that fans want in the next Captain America movie, Harry Potter, and the last being the hit anime cartoon called One Punch Man. With reading the fan fiction fans have been really wanting a love combo with Captain America and Winter Solider which can ties in a big circle that fans want to show the heavy relationship between both of these two friends. The next fan fiction being Harry Potter for Draco Malfoy the story being her is she in a romance for love from any of the characters that can fit with her and her personality. The last fan fiction story is about One Punch Man in which the fans want Saitama who is the main hero of the anime to fight against Superman in an ultimate battle which pits two of the strongest fictional characters in a fight. I believe in 5-10 years fan fiction will run the entertainment business in TV and movies in writing the plot, storyline, dialogue between the characters with this TV will be more interactive with fans instead of ignoring their fans and angering the community. For example what Teen Wolf did with the fan fiction romance teasing between Tyler Hoechlin and Dylan O’Brien in having innuendoes and close ups between the two men.

[nilyaj-blog]

Melvin: The father that carried a flask

“Bitch you better listen when I speak my mind” – Nate Staples. Toxic masculinity proliferates all corners of American society all corners of American society but its most potent form resides within the black community. This only further underlines real acts of violence with black communities creating a state in which sons want to be like their fathers believing that their father’s actions define what it means to be a man. This ideal is only further expressed through the hip-hop sub-genre gangster rap

. The archetype of the gangster rapper has evolved over the years but still takes on distinct characteristics having manifested itself in many of the most revered artist within the genre with the Notorious BIG being one of the most notable but you can also look to artist like Meek Mill for a more modern interpretation. Embodied through young men growing up in urban neighborhoods where poverty is more than likely higher than other areas forcing them to commit crimes as a way to survive within their given environment. A lot of these stereotypes within rap have ingrained themselves within the overall stereotypes that plague black males. Tropes like growing up fatherless and as a result struggling to figure out what it means to be a man can be seen throughout even the most mainstream of rap songs.

Art is an extension of one’s self and a result rap has become an extension of the black experience given that most of the genres most prolific musicians are black. Art is a medium by which people can express their inner thoughts and feelings with a basis in poetry having a heavy focus on lyricism and wordplay, rap is a great soapbox for which MCs can air out their grievances as well provoke critical thought. A strong example of an emcee that manages to both give incite gained from his own decision along the way posing provocative is the ever so elusive Vince Staples. This young unorthodox rapper with his Da Vinci like precision and a flow that is comparable. He has in his steady rise to fame managed to perfect his craft faster and to a degree higher than many of his contemporaries.

One of his earliest examples of this prowess is in his song Nate on his second mixtapes Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. The fourth notch in Staples belt when it comes to releasing musical projects. This song tells the story of Vince’s father Nate Staples and Vince’s perspective on him growing up. The song paints a vivid portrait of his surrounds as a child with a music video that metaphorically breathes life into the colors personifying the narrative at hand. From the first line you are in capsulated within Vince’s inner thoughts, the music video plays out in the day in the like for a young boy living in the same conditions as Vince having grown up in a troubled area with the vocals of the songs giving the viewer further context.

The songs place you into the mind of an adolescent Mr. Staples from the first line you become immersed into this world with eerie lyric “As a kid all I wanted was to kill a man”. A line that gets stuck into your head like the rest of the chorus. Throughout the song Vince’s interpretation of his young life gets bleaker as Vince plans out his actions once he becomes a man and justifying in a childlike mindset when he must take such actions. For example, the initial line is followed up by the justification of being like his father’s friends as behave as they do even if that means hoping out of mini vans armed with weapons one intends on shooting rapidly. 

One aspect consistent throughout the realm of masculinity is the idea that it is okay to resort to violent actions because that is what is necessary when the time comes. The visual take you down a similar though different path than the song, the child in the song does not resemble a young Staples and that’s not just from analyzing his lack of similar features these two mediums juxtapose one another the film follows the methodical rhythm of the beat but at its own lighthearted pace. Darker tones are consistent throughout Staples’ visuals both directly and indirectly but Nate stands out. The song is from the perspective of a twenty-year-old Staples where the music video takes the approach that might be more akin to a childhood Vince Staples playing out less gritty and violent more like that of a BET made for television movie. As well this isn’t the exact experience of a Mr. Staples but is a both similar and relatable one with strong character depth. In the context of the music video the song is more of a song the young protagonist might have heard on the radio that relates to him.

[ipbyrne-blog]

MCST 2010 Critical Thinking #1

Google, it started as a name of a company and eventually was added to the Oxford English Dictionary as a verb in 2006. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were studying to obtain their Ph. Ds at Stanford University on September 4th, 1998. It started as a private company but was later IPO’d on August 19, 2004. Although the company is public and Jeff and Sergey only control 14% of the shares, they still maintain 56% of the stockholder voting power. Then on August 10th, 2015, Google created a Holding Company called Alphabet, which is now the official owner of Google. So Alphabet owns Google along with many other businesses, and Google owns the Google Search Engine, the AdWords & AdSense platforms, Google Maps, YouTube, Android, and the Google Play store.

The structure of Alphabet’s holding is without a doubt horizontal integration. They own a variety of different businesses in a lot of different industries and sectors which allow them to extend their reach as a company. The horizontal integration does not stop there. Google, which is one piece of Alphabets horizontal integration, is also integrated horizontally with all of its holdings. Instead of vertically integrating like Disney where they would control every aspect of their product from end to end, Google’s holdings are all in different types of businesses where they only control one thing in each of these sectors, their product. They don’t control the platforms their product is used on in most cases, where people are using their products, how they are getting the products and things like this.

By integrating horizontally Google is able to create a variety of products and platforms that are all in different industries allowing them to really spread their reach as a company. In addition, Google makes really great products that often become the industry leader for each sector they are in. Their map service is by far the best map service available, same with their search engine, their ad platforms and their video platform. Not only is their reach greatly expanded because they are horizontally integrated but it is really blown up because they are often the best product available in every sector they are in. And in the case of video platforms,  YouTube by far completely dominates this industry.

YouTube was originally created in 2005 by 3 former PayPal employees. Only a year after it was created, Google saw the potential of the platform and purchased it for the sum of $1.65 billion dollars(3). The reason Google purchased YouTube is because it compliments their main product, their search engine, extremely well. Many people think of YouTube as a place to be entertained but that’s not why Google bought it at all. Sure, YouTube is full of entertaining content, but why Google snatched it up is because they saw the potential it had as a search engine. And as of now YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Is this a coincidence? No. Google saw this coming and they were ahead of the curve like they are with nearly every product they release.

So why does Google care so much about search engines that they were willing to buy YouTube for such a high price? Is it some unethical reason to dominate the internet and steal all of our information? No. Two words. Ad Revenue. Google makes 90% of their revenues from their advertising platform and there is no better place to have an ad appear than as a search result from someone typing in a very specific query. You literally can not have a more targeted ad. And with YouTube being the number one place people go to see product reviews and tutorials, it makes perfect sense that they would want to be in control of this platform that is perfect for advertisers as this is where Google makes all of their money.

In terms of media concentration, this does give Google nearly complete control over the search engine market. By owning the two largest search engines in the world, they are able to capture well over 70% of all the searches that occur on planet earth. This gives them the ability to have massive control over what people are going to see when looking for things on the internet. And unfortunately, Google has been found to skew the search results in favor of their products in order to boost their revenue. From a consumer’s perspective, I can see how this looks bad or unethical. But from a business perspective, I don’t think it is. Google is not a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing people the most relevant information in the world. They are a business and as a business, it is their duty to maximize their revenues on behalf of their shareholders. In fact, Google could actually get in legal trouble if they weren’t doing this.

Overall, this media concentration does provide the public more good than bad. Information is more accessible than ever before in the history of the universe and this gives people tremendous power. Now people can literally learn about anything they can think of thanks to Google and their search engines. You can find products you would have never known existed, and find people you would have never been able to connect with before by simply typing in a few keywords. You can literally find anything that a college, university, or book would teach you via a Google search for free. Google’s search engines give people more access to information they would have otherwise never been able to reach and this makes mankind as a whole so much better. To argue that this is a bad thing would be like arguing the introduction of books or writing was a bad thing because it gave people information they previously could not access.

So in conclusion, Google purchasing YouTube does provide Google with immense control over the search engine marketplace but at the end of the day, this has without a doubt benefited the public interest at large. People who argue against this would likely be the same kind of people who were saying books and writing would be the downfall of human civilization. Knowledge is power, and thanks to Google people all over the world have more access to power than any other time in human history.

[mediachronicle]

MCST 2010 Critical Thinking #1: Media Concentration due 9/28 @ 11:59pm

Chose one corporate media conglomerate from the list below, research its history, its ownership and holdings, and controversies about both or either. Then, analyze the structure and strategy of those holdings (vertical integration, horizontal integration, something else?). Finally, trace one of its media properties (i.e. Disney’s acquisition of Marvel) and analyze how its structure/strategy allows the corporation to maximize this property and all the myriad ways it employs and distributes that property. Identify any conflicts of interest or other ethical issues with the corporate conglomerate, evaluate what role it plays in media concentration, and assess whether this concentration benefits or harms the audience and the public interest at large: 

The Walt Disney Company

NewsCorp

Time Warner

The Washington Post Company

Tribune Media

Gannett Company

NBC/Universal-Comcast

CBSViacom

Google

Yahoo

Facebook

Explain your assessment of this media concentration case study in a minimum of 1000 words with a minimum of three substantive images, videos or other media that either demonstrate, illustrate, or otherwise support a point you are making or provide additional data or information. The images should be integrated strategically within your narrative where they make or support your point, not collected at the beginning or end of your post. You must also include hyperlinks (hyperlinked text, not a URL cut and pasted into the narrative) to a minimum of five individual popular press articles/sources.  Popular press sources are usually national (but may be local or regional) journalistic news source from around the globe that employ professional journalists and editors with a vetted editorial process (not a blog or social media).  They are usually print newspapers or magazines that also have an online presence, although some are only online or are broadcast entities). You will need to locate international sources, as well as domestic, but for familiarity’s sake, U.S. examples include: 

The Washington Post

The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal

The Denver Post

NPR

NBC

CBS

ABC

Al Jazeera

Fox News

MSNBC

CNN

The Atlantic

The New Yorker

Slate

Salon

Time

Newsweek

If you have any questions about sources, let me know and/or ask our embedded librarians for help.

Don’t forget to tag your post properly. This assignment is due on your blog Wednesday, September 28 at 11:59pm MT.

[ipbyrne-blog]

MCST 2010: Media Reflection #1

Where do you get the majority of your news? Why do you choose the source and medium you do? How do you use it and how often? Do you share this news with others? If so, with whom and how? If not, why not?

I personally get most of my news from a few different websites on the internet. The reason I prefer this medium is it’s accessibility and how frequently it is updated. You can access your favorite news sources anytime from any device that just makes it so much more convenient to stay up to date. I usually access it on my smartphone or laptop and I probably look at my favorite news outlets at least once a day. I personally am not a big sharer of news and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I shared an article on social media or something like that. I think the reason I usually don’t do this is because it has most likely already been shared and I really don’t ever feel the need to share an article.

What is your favorite source of media entertainment (television show, radio program, podcast, films (theater? streaming online? Netflix?), etc.)? Why do you choose this program/source? How do you use it and how often? Do you use it alone or with others? If so, with whom and how? If not, why not?

My favorite sources of media entertainment without a doubt is online streaming(Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc). I really enjoy the streaming services because they are able to produce really high-quality TV shows that do not have to be as censored as they normally would if they were to be made by a traditional cable network. I usually watch it on my TV at home or on my laptop if I am traveling and I use it every night as I prefer to fall asleep with the tv on. I almost always use it with my wife because we both enjoy the same kind of tv shows and movies.

Tell me about the most significant media event you have experienced (via the media, not in person). Where did you see/hear/otherwise experience it? What was the experience like? Were you alone or with others? Why is it the significant to you? What is its lasting impression on you?

The most significant media event I have experienced was watching the all of the news coverage on 9/11. I remember we were called out of school when it happened and when I went home the footage of the planes hitting the towers and the towers collapsing was playing over and over on the news and I will never forget seeing footage of people jumping from the building. I think this event was so significant because it was the first time not only was I watching people be killed but I also saw people take their own lives which was a really crazy thing for me to see at the time.

[kelsietree-blog]

Breaking Into My News Habits

     As a college student the majority of my news comes from my Facebook newsfeed, twitter and sometimes, although rarely, it will be through television. Television is rarely used due to the lack of access to actual news channels, or a television for that matter at the moment.  My cellphone is the easiest medium to keep up with news considering it is never too far out of reach and is the fastest means to get to sources such as Facebook and Twitter. Mostly through these mediums I follow pages such as ESPN, Good Morning America, and the comedy relief of TMZ.  They don’t necessarily report what some would call the important things, which is a pitfall. Yet also the reason I still find a way to stay in tune with multiple other news outlets.      I access the news multiple and at various times a day. Depending on my workload, my free time, and my sheer want to procrastinate, my use can severely fluctuate.  I find it hard to share news with the entire medium to large list of people that could view my posts, because I honestly do not have the time for the many arguments that take place over certain posts. I find it more constructive to share the links in direct messages to the audience I feel it necessary to share it with. From there it seems as though the conversations can be productive yet at the same time, involve a great enough variety of opinions to still discuss issues and topics.      My favorite source of media entertainment would by far be Netflix. Although I do frequently listen to various radio stations on my short commute to school. The radio provides music and the frequent talk show component that I find interesting only if there isn’t any other songs on.  I choose Netflix because of the vast variety of options it provides.  It is a simple way to unwind at the end of a long day that usually starts with an early morning practice and ends after long school day for me. With Netflix, it is also extremely easy to become engrossed in certain series and fall in love with the characters and the stories they share. Listening to the radio, you can get a quick glimpse of stories when people come on the radio for a brief moment, but it is nowhere near as in depth or detailed as a Netflix story can be. Which is what I look for in entertainment, a good storyline.      The easiest way for me to access Netflix is by streaming it on my computer. With the radio I really only listen to it in my car. Which, due to the lack of technological advancement in my later model car, is the only option. The radio of course is used when others are around to fill the possibly terrifying awkward silence that could come whenever someone is riding with me. Netflix on the other hand, is my personal time and space. I’ll take and give suggestions on what to watch, but I in no way feel the need to watch Netflix with other people. Maybe it’s so no one can figure out my dark side. The side that’s reluctant to admit being addicted to watching the endless hours of possibilities that Netflix offers.      The most significant media event I have ever experienced was quite recently actually. The USA Women’s National Soccer team winning the 2015 Women’s FIFA World Cup will be a memory I keep for the rest of my life.  Soccer, especially women’s soccer I feel is finally gaining some much earned exposure and recognition finally. The USWNT had significant media exposure through social media, ESPN, even just the massive amounts of fans wearing the team’s gear.  I was in full television attendance for every game the team played throughout the tournament. Checked into every minute of the games, there was a certain energy that the women had that was thrilling.      I would have to say the experience was truly one to remember. Personally, it reminded me why I love to play soccer. Being able to watch women you idolize be successful for reasons other than what the media typically likes to portray in women was amazing. The players’ actions spoke louder than any news outlet or reporter possibly could.  On the other hand, the experience is great because it brought to light on a more public scale the inequality of men to women’s soccer. In not only wage, but in terms of the pitch they play on as well.  The USWNT winning brought together, my team, my family and I’m sure many more teams and families.  This event truly left the mark in my mind, that I can have whatever I work for, and never settle for mediocrity just because someone or something says you should.