The Beauty of Words

How do I communicate? By word vomiting.

Long gone are the days where I subscribed to the newspaper, unravelled the pink plastic wrapping and pretend to have read it when I hadn’t. Now, I love the newspaper. Thanks to this communications course I am doing at uni and also the British accented Media Analysis lecturer, I am now more acutely aware of what’s going on the news.

I take communication systems for granted.

In year 7, my science teacher told a gaggle of small 12 year olds in oversized uniforms constantly carrying a dictionary and a map (ooh, me!!) to collect 5 articles in the newspaper that were relevant to science. We then had to summarise it and identify why it was relevant to the subject. I would never collect 5; I would go overboard and collect 7 or 10. It was either because I wanted to show-off that I was article collecting super whiz or because I badly wanted a certificate and become the world’s dorkiest year 7.

Long gone were those article collecting/summarising days in years 11 and 12 when I needed to read the news to understand and apply the course content in business, legal studies and economics. I couldn’t really develop a loving relationship with Ross Gittins column or force myself to read anything to do with Rio Tinto or China or the GFC. It depressed me. It bored me. And I am positive this recollection of economical thingos is boring you right now too.

Why do I write like someone is reading this?

The point of that recollection was to point out that I was (WAS!) a media slob and didn’t really give a shit about what was happening in the world. But now? Well, I’m a changed woman. I’ve started collecting articles from the paper that appeal to me, interest me or articles that will be relevant to me in later life, when I properly become an adult and mature a little. In this communications course, especially Communication Environments, it’s important to note the rise of technology in presenting issues in the media. This inspired me to scour newspapers, blogs and the internets to read up on articles about the rise of various mediums. Oh, and by doing so, I want to sound like a major smart-arse.

In the last 2 days, reading both the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian (the newspapers for “educated” people), I’ve collected a total 9 articles- all outlining how there are new ways information is being spread. New ways in which information reaches people. New sites that inform people. New.new.new.

In America, there is a website now being developed that ‘strips out crime statistics from the Chicago police department and posting it on the internet’. This aims to inform people about crime levels in their neighbourhood. The SMH article writes “Chicagocrime.org became an instant hit and spawned the idea for Everyblock, a website launched in December 2007 that brings a level of detail to news that challenges local media”. This example of redefining the way the news is presented is also seen in Australia with recent creation of the MySchools website informing parents of how their child’s school is doing (MyUni website is also in discussion). I’m sorry, this seems like an essay. Allow me to ramble on a little more please.

Articles I have read in The Australian discuss how websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google are now being used at both a professional level and a personal level. Employers are now being cautioned on setting guidelines for their employees in terms of social media use. This was found after an incident at Telstra after which an employee was behind the Twitter account of the “Fake Stephen Conroy”. Anyhow, this raises the issue that in an era of increased use of social media, the publishing of opinionated content on the internet where everyone can see it is dangerous. Remember that incident with Facebook following the death of that 13yr old boy, whose sister found out he was dead by reading it on Facebook?

This leads me onto another thought path. I HATE the new facebook page layout. It makes me so confused and now lists what I do on MY profile. Like I don’t already know, I DID IT AFTERALL. Caught red-handed, passionate lover and hater of facebook.

This entry is looooooooooooong.

Here is a fact for you, FHM (soft porn) magazine sales have decreased by 29.3% during the time period of December 2008 and December 2009 yet an increase in GQ sales by 132.6%. Holy cowza, they must put some darn good looking men on the cover to make sales raise that high.

This entry makes me think many half-intellectual thoughts about uni. This article was practically stemmed from communications systems research, something that wasn’t even set for homework. The things set for homework, however, will be “done” after this entry. This course has gotten me thinking, something I haven’t done for a while you see, and now I’m just so fascinated with how information is dispersed at such speed and convenience.

I like blogging. Ish. But I wish I was like Mia Freedman and just so bloody damn genius.

Until next time.