Week 10 – Taylor Swift Website and Final Blog Review!

Inquiry: Taylor Swift Website Review

http://taylorswift.com

The Taylor Swift website is designed mainly for fans. As a fan, the website is very visually appealing. This review will look at a few elements of the design of the website including; words, logos, trademarks, colour, font, photos, and white space.

The words on the website are very clear and direct. Most of the words are either promoting an event or Swift’s music, links to different webpages, or embedded tweets and captions of photos (Taylor Swift, 2015). The words on the website can be described as “concrete” (Ames, 2015).

As for the logos, font and trademarks on the website, Taylor Swift has a different unique font that is used for different albums (eras). Her latest album, 1989, uses neon lights to give off an 80’s vibe, just like her album. The audience is able to depict that the words are associated with Swift due to this uniqueness. Alongside this, her website has a small ‘TS’ logo that can be seen in the tab and browser search when on the website.

According to Ames (2015), ‘psychologically, different colours promote different feelings.’ This website contains many colours as well as displaying coloured photos. Without taking into account the photos, the website uses pastel colours, but makes them brighter due to the use of neon lights (Taylor Swift, 2015). The use of white shows elegance throughout the page, the pink signifies friendship, love and feminine qualities, and blue represents both the colour of the sea which is associated with her album, as well as being associated with softness and understanding (Parker, 2015).

The purpose of using many photos is to gain the attention of the reader/visitor of the website (Ames, 2015). As Swift may have a young audience looking at her website, it makes sense to use many images as this will help the reader understand the message more clearly. Fans also like to see photos of recent events involving Swift, which is beneficial to have on the home page.

‘Messages are complemented through photos, graphics, white space and balance,’ (Ames, 2015). Even though there is not a large amount of white space evident on the main page, the links to other pages – and the other pages themselves – contain some form of white space. This white space is also created in the background of some images (Taylor Swift, 2015). This creates less clutter and reveals the message more clearly (Ames, 2015).

Taylor Swift Website
Source: Taylor Swift, 2015

Practical: Review of Blog

This week I reviewed my own blog for visual impact and technical accuracy from a language perspective (Ames, 2015). The layout of my blog is very clear and organised. I have included a search engine, a direct link to my Twitter feed, a list of links directly to each weekly post, and a list of tags used in each post. The headings of the posts attract attention to key points discussed so the reader knows what will be spoken about in each blog. White space has been used appropriately as I have used a white background with black text and green hyperlinks. This makes it very easy to read as well as looking neat and professional.

I checked that I had responded to all weekly requirements and completed all of the blog requirements by checking it against the ‘Blog Task Requirements’ checklist located on Moodle (Ames, 2015). I went through and ticked everything as I read over all of my posts. I definitely believe that completing these weekly posts has improved my writing. I genuinely like writing and this subject has opened my eyes to writing in the media, which I have found a great interest for. I like how it is still a professional and structured piece of writing, but allows you to write in your own opinion using your own ideas. Overall, I still found this task quite difficult as I got slightly behind early on in the term. This made it hard to catch up and stay on top of completing one post a week. There were also a lot of components to each week’s post, which was difficult to keep up-to-date with.

Technical: Blog Review for Technical Errors

After reviewing my blog against the ‘Blog Writing Checklist’, I felt satisfied with completing this assessment task successfully (Ames, 2015). I found it helpful to read my work aloud to fix any mistakes I may not have noticed and I also fixed the mistakes picked up on by my peers. Overall, this checklist was a helpful conclusion to this assessment task.

Reference List

Ames, K. (2015). Week 10 – Impact of Design. 1st ed. [ebook] CQUniversity. Available at: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/149437/mod_resource/content/1/RESOURCE_Wk10_Nonformattedlesson.pdf [Accessed 24 Sep. 2015].

Ames, K. (2015). Week 10 – Blog. 1st ed. [ebook] CQUniversity. Available at: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/149434/mod_resource/content/2/4.%20COMM11007%20Week%2010%20–%20Blog.pdf [Accessed 24 Sep. 2015].

Parker, R. (2015). The Meaning of Colors. [online] Indiana University. Available at: https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/rreagan/Filemanager_Public_Files/meaningofcolors.htm [Accessed 24 Sep. 2015].

Taylor Swift, (2015). Taylor Swift. [online] Available at: http://taylorswift.com [Accessed 24 Sep. 2015].

Week 9 – Curation, Storify Review & Active and Passive Writing

Inquiry: Two Examples of Curation

When comparing the two websites – The 25 Best Hotels of 2015 (Trip Advisor) and Gold Standard Hotels (Conde` Nast Traveller) – there are many obvious differences. Trip Advisor is prominently filled with photos along with a small positive quote from a previous guest of the hotel. By having mainly photos telling the story rather than text, the viewer may find this easier to navigate on the page as too much background detail can be distracting from the main element (Whitaker, Ramsey and Smith, 2012). The second website however contains a lot of text and requires a lot of scrolling rather than links to the next page like the first website. Although this contains a lot more information about the hotel and its location, the audience may be turned off by the mass amounts of writing and scrolling (Whitaker, Ramsey and Smith, 2012).

 

Practical: Peer Storify Review

After reviewing Gabby’s Storify, ‘Grease is the word!’, it is clear that the audience could be any age group interested in musicals and/or stage performances. I learnt that the event was held on the 24^th of July this year and that the event was sold out. I also learnt a little about her experience at the event and other audience members’ responses. To make the story more interesting, I would suggest her to provide an – very brief – overview of the show’s storyline. I would also recommend checking over spelling and punctuation to ensure it flows nicely. I really like how she has incorporated her tweets from the event into the story (including photos) and how it is a quite casual, yet professional piece.

Technical: Active and Passive Writing Test

I found the questions on this active and passive writing test to be quite difficult to get exactly right (Business Writing, 2015). I had the general idea of how the sentence had to be changed but still got a little confused which resulted in not getting the answer completely right. After a few attempts, I got better at it but I need to keep practising and using passive voice in my writing to further improve.

Reference List

Business Writing, (2015). Passive and Active Voice. [online] Available at: http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/activepassive.htm [Accessed 23 Sep. 2015].

Whitaker, W., Ramsey, J. and Smith, R. (2012). Media Writing – Print, Broadcast, and Public Relations. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Week 8 – Using Instagram Personally and Professionally

Inquiry: Personal and Professional uses of Instagram:

Personally, I use Instagram to share photos and videos with friends of things I have been doing or to celebrate events in my life (eg. birthdays, holidays, concerts, etc). On a professional level, Instagram could be used as an online advertisement. The business or organisation can upload photos or videos of new products, new store locations, business events, career opportunities, and more! Public figures such as politicians and celebrities also use this social media platform to let their fans know what they are currently working on or what they are up to.

Practical: Instagram Review

Instagram is a free social media network that allows users to share their lives and keep up with other people (Instagram, 2015). Users are able to take a picture or film a video (for up to 15 seconds), customise it using filters and editing tools, and post it to Instagram with instant sharing options to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, or private message (Instagram, 2015). Instagram allows you to ‘follow’ anyone who gives you permission and vice versa, as well as letting you ‘double tap’ or ‘like’ another’s post. Sharing moments in your life in a visual form is a fairly new and exciting way to keep in contact with friends, family, or even fans! Tailoring your images and videos to make them unique is a major feature of Instagram that is easy and fun to use. The people you choose to ‘follow’ will show up in your ‘newsfeed’ whenever they make a new post. You can then choose to ‘like’ this or perhaps comment to share your [positive] opinion on the post.

Instagram is a very popular social media network used by hundreds of celebrities and public figures. Having an Instagram account and regularly posting helps celebrities and their fans or viewers to connect with them and keep up-to-date with events they would like their fans to know about. Brands, businesses, and organisations also use Instagram as a form of advertising for their products or services (Advertising Age, 2013). They can either post them to their own account and build from there, or pay for ‘sponsored’ posts which will automatically show up in everyone’s ‘newsfeed’.

With the many opportunities and ways of using it, Instagram has grown into one of the largest social media platforms since its launch in 2010 with approximately 400 million monthly active users (Instagram, 2015). It is so easy to use and a great way to keep in touch with friends, family, and people you admire.

Instagram
Source: DailyTekk, 2015

Technical: Quiz 8 Reflection

Quiz eight was a test on chapter nine of the English for Journalists textbook. This was quite a large chapter that I found to be very informative and filled with information I did not know about (Hicks, 2015). I struggled with two questions in particular on this quiz; the one on implied and inferred, and the question regarding clichés. After reading the feedback in the review of the quiz, I understood these questions much better and was able to achieve 100% in my next attempt.

Reference List

BYOA: Brands and celebrities build their own ads on Instagram. (2013). Advertising Age, [online] 84(14), p.0003. Available at: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/eds/detail/detail?sid=b1d3d8bd-6f51-411a-ad01-40756118de6a%40sessionmgr4005&vid=7&hid=4213&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=86999851&db=heh [Accessed 23 Sep. 2015].

Hicks, W. (2013). english for journalists. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Instagram, (2015). Instagram. [online] Available at: https://instagram.com [Accessed 22 Sep. 2015].

Week 7 – Assessment 1 & Newsletter Reviews

Practical: Assessment 1 Reflection

Before I was required to complete this blog activity, I had proofread my assignment many times to make sure it was grammatically correct and flowed nicely. I corrected any spelling, style, and punctuation errors to ensure this. I then reviewed my Assessment 1 items against the Marking Key Checklist available on the Moodle page (Ames, 2015). I checked that where I had used figures, numbers under 10 were spelled out, and numbers over 10 were written as figures. I checked that my quotations were correctly punctuated and that I only used said or says when attributing a source. I made sure that any sources were introduced using an indirect quote followed by a direct quote and that source attribution was consistent with the news writing style. I also checked the common punctuation mistakes made in 2014 including ensuring semi-colons were not used, that only proper nouns are capitalised, and that the letter ‘I’ is capitalised. Finally, I made sure my style was correct including writing active and succinct, removing any repetition, and publication titles are in italics.

Even though I had proofread my assignment, I found it beneficial to review them against the checklist and see the common mistakes previous students had made to ensure I did not make the same. I believe this in-depth review will be helpful in achieving a higher result as I corrected any errors (even minor mistakes).

Inquiry: Newsletter Reflection

The Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) Newsletter for April – June 2015 has been reviewed for the purpose of this week’s blog post. The types of stories in the newsletter include; obituaries – at the beginning – for those a part of the CSG organisation or just those who were associated; scholarship opportunities for students; book reviews; committee meeting information and discussion results; and regional reports across the world including information on new projects, news, etc. These stories all target the organisation’s audience as they involve those who are associated with the CSG. It would be in their interest to read new developments and projects happening within the organisation as well as reading any news stories to do with the CSG. From the perspective of a science journalist, it would be interesting to follow up on any of the stories in the regional reports. For example, a journalist could write a story on the ‘first Orinoco crocodile reintroduction in Colombia’ as the critically endangered species of crocodile was released in a lagoon in a National Park (Crocodile Specialist Group, 2015). The newsletter is effective in the way of discussing national and international topics linked to the organisation. It provides images from events and meetings as well as providing contact details for group members. Even though I personally find that the newsletter is quite long and there is a lot of text compared to images throughout the newsletter, I may be being biased as I am not a regular reader nor am I particularly interested in the organisation.

Participants at Working Meeting
Source: CSG, 2015

Technical: Quiz 7A and Quiz 7B Reflection

Quiz 7A was a test on chapter five of the English for Journalists textbook. This chapter focused on spelling including commonly misspelt words and the reasons for misspelling them. I found this chapter very interesting and realised a greater importance of understanding the different spellings of words. I received eight out of ten on my first attempt of the quiz as I mixed up principal/principle and practise/practice. After reading the comments on these questions in the review, I then received 100% on my second attempt. Quiz 7B surrounded information provided in chapter eight of the textbook – Style. I answered one question incorrectly due to not further reading chapter nine for the answer to the reader being conscious of technique. After reading the explanation, I received 100% in my second attempt.

Reference List

Ames, K. (2015). MEDIA WRITING – MARKING KEY CHECKLIST. 1st ed. [ebook] CQUniversity. Available at: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/238471/mod_resource/content/1/MEDIA%20WRITING%20CHECKLIST.pdf [Accessed 20 Sep. 2015].

CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER. (2015). 1st ed. [ebook] Karama: Charles Darwin University. Available at: http://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachments/protarea/34(2-a5b9578f.pdf [Accessed 22 Sep. 2015].

Hicks, W. (2013). english for journalists. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Week 6 – Photo Story & Media Kit

75^th Anniversary of the Story Bridge – Brisbane 2015

Rockhampton mother and daughter travellers enjoy breakfast in Brisbane during their long weekend away.

They look forward to the markets on the Story Bridge to celebrate 75 years since it opened.

They are not the only ones excited for the celebration as thousands of people gather at the entrance.

The waiting continues as officials attempt to keep the crowd moving and allow those with tickets for the next session to enter.

After a long wait and a slow shuffle through the crowds, the walk across the bridge finishes with a classic Brisbane delicacy – Potato Slinkys!

Meeting up with family and friends to celebrate this milestone sure tasted good!

Catching the ferry back to the city was a great end to the day, as well as hearing Brisbane band, Short Stack playing across the river.

Inquiry: Cirque de Soleil Media Kit

“O” – Cirque de Soleil

Media kits are used to support media releases and contain all of the relevant information a journalist needs to write a story (Ames, 2015). O is ‘the timeless aquatic production by Cirque du Soleil [performed] only at Bellagio,’ (Cirque de Soleil, n.d.). Their press kit/media release is located on their website for download here:

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/kits/shows/o/creators.aspx

There are many elements that comprise the press kit. These are:

• Heading
• Introduction
• Creators
• Additional Creative Contributors
• Show Schedule
• Ticket Reservation and Prices
• Group Reservations
• About Cirque Du Soleil
• Media Contact

According to Whitaker, Ramsey and Smith (2012), the basic elements of a news release include:

• Heading
• Headline
• Summary News Lead
• Benefit Statement
• Action/Info Statement
• Secondary Details
• Background Information
• Optional Organisational Identification
• Footer
• Note to Editors

Applying these elements to those in the Cirque du Soleil news release, it can be seen that many of these appear in the press kit.

It would be possible to incorporate these elements into a news story by taking the information from each section and turning it into a review or recap of the events taking/about to take place. For example, the headline could be transformed into a more impacting and eye-catching headline but still using the same information in the process. By the organisation releasing this in a press kit, they have allowed themselves an appropriate base for journalists to write a story. All of the information has been approved by the organisation and by releasing this information, they are consenting to having it repeated and written about by journalists (Whitaker, Ramsey and Smith, 2012).

Source: Cirque du Soleil, 2015

Technical: Quiz 6A and Quiz 6B Reflection

The two quizzes for this week required reading chapter six – Punctuation – of the English for Journalists textbook. The quizzes proved to involve lots of concentration and attention to detail. I achieved full marks on Quiz 6A however received seven out of ten on Quiz 6B. I struggled with the placement of apostrophes and correct pluralising of certain words. I also incorrectly answered a question due to not understanding it properly. I was also slightly confused about the correct uses of hyphens. After reading over the explanations after the first attempt, I then achieved 100% in my second attempt.

Reference List

Ames, K. (2015). Week 6 – Supporting the story: Packaging and supplementing your writing. 1st ed. [ebook] CQUniversity. Available at: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/149409/mod_resource/content/3/2.%20COMM11007%20Week%206%20Lesson.pdf [Accessed 21 Sep. 2015].

Cirque du Soleil, (n.d.). “O”: THE TIMELESS AQUATIC PRODUCTION BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ONLY AT BELLAGIO. [online] Available at: https://static01.cirquedusoleil.com/en/~/media/press/PDF/o/General_Release.pdf [Accessed 21 Sep. 2015].

Whitaker, W., Ramsey, J. and Smith, R. (2012). Media Writing – Print, Broadcast, and Public Relations. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Week 5 – News Report and News Article Review

Practical: Interviewing two people – News Report

Interviewee 1: Mum – Brenda Mallory

What is your greatest passion?

• That education is the key to eliminating poverty
• Gives people an opportunity to contribute to society in a positive way and have a purpose in life
• Without purpose people tend to float along and not experience any drive to achieve
• I firmly believe that when people achieve something, they are empowered
• If people feel helpless and unwanted, I think that leads to mental health issues and a feeling from not belonging.
• This all comes from being uneducated

Why is this your greatest passion?

• From when I was a teenager, I was teaching. For example, I was a gymnastics instructor and a swimming teacher in the days where you didn’t need a qualification but you just had to show up!
• This sparked my enjoyment of being around young people and seeing their sense of fulfilment when through sheer hard work they achieved something.
• I have taken that into my professional career as a high school teacher and after almost 30 years I still think it’s a privilege to be doing the job I do and spending my days enjoying the company of young people.

When did you realise this?

• ABOVE

Interviewee 2: Victoria Hunter

What is your greatest passion?

My greatest passion is reading.

Why is this your greatest passion?

Books can take you to other places and time periods and can really help you try to understand how and why the world works the way it does.

When did you realise this?

My parents always made us [children] read like it was kind of mandatory. But I probably stared to really enjoy it when I got into high school – so around the age of 12. I read The Lovely Bones probably when I was way too young but after that I got really into reading.

PASSIONATE GENERATIONS

A high school teacher and soon-to-be university student both revealed their greatest passions in an interview today.

Teacher, wife, and mother of three, Brenda Mallory, said her greatest passion is education as it is the key to eliminating poverty.

“Education gives people an opportunity to contribute to society in a positive way and have a purpose in life.

“Without purpose, people tend to float along and not experience any drive to achieve,” Mrs Mallory said.

Recently coming back from travelling in the United Kingdom, 18-year-old Victoria Hunter said that her greatest passion is reading.

“Books can take you to other places and time periods.

“They can really help you try to understand how and why the world works the way it does,” she said.

Both Mallory and Hunter realised their passions were important to them when they were young.

Mrs Mallory said that her enjoyment of being around young people and seeing them achieve something through their hard work was sparked when she was a gymnastics and swimming instructor as a teenager.

“I have taken [this] into my professional career as a high school teacher and after almost 30 years I still think it’s a privilege to be doing the job I do and spending my days enjoying the company of young people.”

Hunter said that her parents always made her and her siblings read as children.

“I probably started to really enjoy it when I got into high school.

“I read The Lovely Bones probably when I was way too young but after that I got really into reading.

Link to tweets:

Teacher, Brenda Mallory – "Education gives people an opportunity to contribute to society in a positive way…" pic.twitter.com/MSTOv2yB9t

— Monica Mallory (@monicamalloryy) September 19, 2015

Victoria Hunter, 18 – "Books can take you to other places and time periods." pic.twitter.com/ClLoSXSdbA

— Monica Mallory (@monicamalloryy) September 19, 2015

Inquiry: Discussion of Good Journalism/Media Writing

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/dropping-my-phone-in-the-toilet-changed-my-life/story-fniym874-1227487365736

‘Dropping my phone in the toilet changed my life’

This article, written by Jodie Speers, tells the story of how dropping her phone in the toilet one morning changed her life (for the better!). The story had an impact on me as I spend a lot of time on my phone whether it is for; socialising, study purposes or out of boredom in my downtime. I really like the way the article is written – how it is in first person and written informally. It makes it seem more genuine and like the author is talking directly to the reader. The author discussed how being disconnected from the digital world for a while made her appreciate what she had around her that little bit more and to actually look up at her surroundings. This piece is an example of good journalism and media for these reasons. It relates easily to the reader, it communicates through its platform effectively, and it is written in a way that provides the reader with the appropriate information in an intriguing and grammatically correct manner (Hicks, 2013).

Source: Adams, 2015

Technical: Quiz 5A and Quiz 5B Reflection

As there were two quizzes to be completed this week, I was required to read two chapters from the textbook. I found the first quiz (Reporting Speech) to be quite challenging in terms of the punctuation aspects – when and where to use speech marks etc. I received seven out of ten on my first attempt but 10 out of 10 on my second. Quiz 5B was not difficult for me personally and I received full marks on my first attempt.

Reference List

Hicks, W. (2013). english for journalists. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Adams, M. (2015). Help! I Dropped My Phone in Water!. [online] Angie’s List. Available at: http://www.angieslist.com/articles/help-i-dropped-my-phone-water.htm [Accessed 19 Sep. 2015].

Week 4 – Planning for Ass#3 & Reviewing News Stories/Media Releases

Practical: Plan Stories and Prepare for Assignment 3

At the beginning of this term, I had a look at all of my assessment for my courses. I noticed for this course that Assignment 3 involved covering an event and live tweeting throughout. I had already booked my tickets for Emmaus College’s annual musical performance of ‘Grease’ and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to make a start on the assignment. With this in mind, I will still complete the requirements for this weeks’ blog ignoring the fact that I have already covered the event.

Two possible events that could be covered for Assignment 3 are:

• Emmaus College Musical Production: Grease
• Yeppoon Village Festival

Emmaus College Musical Production: Grease

I plan to cover the Emmaus College Musical Production ‘Grease’ event. This event is to be held on designated times over three days. The four performances will take place on the 24^th, 25^th and 26^th of July 2015 at the following times:

• 24^th July – 7pm
• 25^th July – 1pm and 7pm
• 26^th July – 1pm

The cost for a ticket to the show is $22 for concession and $33 for adults (See It Live, 2015). I will be attending one of these four shows and will gather information before, during and after the performance. Some of this information will include how many tickets were sold, quotes from attendees/performers (if available), program information and items for sale at the theatre. Emmaus College puts on a musical performance annually at the Rockhampton Pilbeam Theatre and this is the first year that they are presenting four shows rather than the usual three. This event will not need accreditation for photos, videos, or information gathered from the event, as it is not permitted to take photos or videos during the show (electronics must be turned off during the performance). Anything else will be retrieved with consent or taken from available public information. The main part of the event is of course, the performance itself. However, if it were to be split up, there is; the entering of the theatre (opening of doors, seat allocations, merchandise purchase and candy bar), the first act, the intermission, and finally, the second act. I will also attempt to gather quotes from either; the people I attend the show with (family/friends), participants (cast/crew) or an organiser if available.

Yeppoon Village Festival

I plan to cover the Yeppoon Village Festival taking place from the 21^st to 23^rd of August 2015. This annual event is Central Queensland’s major music and arts celebration, involving plenty of variety of music, performing and visual arts, children’s festival, street theatre, workshops and food and market stalls. All entertainment is free including entry to the event. However, this year they have added Poolside Sessions which requires ticket purchase due to the headlining acts; Kasey Chambers and Russell Morris. General admission tickets are $30 and child tickets are $10. This Poolside Sessions event will take place at Mecure Capricorn Resort while the rest of the festival venues are The Strand Hotel, Keppel Bay Sailing Club, The Pacific Hotel and Yeppoon Town Hall. This event will not require accreditation for photos, videos or any other information, as it is a public event held for the entire community. Attendees are welcome to capture anything they wish at the event. The main events over the course of the three days it is being held are all listed on the website under the heading ‘Program’. There are separate programs for each day as well as a separate music program, visual arts program, etc (The Village Festival, 2015). This can all be seen on the website: http://www.thevillagefestival.org.au. The people I will attempt to get a short quote from to record on Twitter are; family/friends I attend the festival with, other attendees, one organiser, one special guest (eg. band member, singer, etc.).

After watching the short video, ‘Why you need a plan’ on the course website, I took away three main points from Kate as to why planning is important (Ames, 2015):

1. Time waits for no one – make sure you are aware of the main events of the occasion and what times these will occur. This will ensure you are prepared to cover these events and gather the required information.
2. Research – before attending the event, get to know about it so you are prepared on the day/night. This includes finding out who is going to be there, how you will get there, where you are allowed access, etc.
3. Accreditation – ensure you are permitted to take photos, videos and use names with or without consent at the event. This is very crucial as it is a legal matter.

Inquiry: Review Two News Stories

Robert Pattinson talks about his new film, The Rover, with Dave O’Neil (news story)

The main issues with this poorly written entertainment news story is the lack of information provided to the reader and the informality in the way it is written. First of all, the title reveals that Robert Pattinson talks about his new film in the article, however, there is only one quote from Pattinson out of the entire story. In fact, the movie, The Rover, is barely even mentioned apart from one short paragraph giving very minor details. The main topics in the article revolve around Pattinsons’ role in Twilight, making fun of the star and the movies, as well as making jokes surrounding Pattinson’s bodyguard and his career in the marines. This somewhat rudely written piece leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable and mislead (O’Neil, 2014).

Drought worst in living memory (Agforce, 20 May 2015)

What is good about this well-written media release is that it provides all relevant information. Not only does it present readers with the current issue, it also backs it all up with evidence and reliable sources. The media release also reveals the actions being implemented to attempt to resolve the problem and results from research conducted (AgForce Queensland, 2015). These attributes have all resulted in a good quality media release.

Technical: Quiz 4 Reflection

I did not really find quiz four difficult and did not have any specific problems as the chapter cleared up a lot of confusions I had about grammar rules (Hicks, 2013). I received eight out of ten on my first attempt at the quiz but received 100% in my next attempt.

Reference List

AgForce Queensland, (2015). Drought worst in living memory: AgForce survey. [online] Available at: http://www.agforceqld.org.au/index.php?tgtPage=news&id=view,478 [Accessed 9 Aug. 2015].

Hicks, W. (2013). english for journalists. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Media Writing: Why you need a plan. (2014). CQUniversity: Kate Ames.

O’Neil, D. (2014). Robert Pattinson talks about his new film, The Rover, with Dave O’Neil. The Sydney Morning Herald. [online] Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/robert-pattinson-talks-about-his-new-film-the-rover-with-dave-oneil-20140619-zs99j.html [Accessed 9 Aug. 2015].

See It Live, (2015). Grease. [online] Available at: http://www.seeitlive.com.au/Home [Accessed 9 Aug. 2015].

The Village Festival, (2015). The Village Festival. [online] Available at: http://www.thevillagefestival.org.au [Accessed 9 Aug. 2015].

Week 3 – Storify and Issue Review

Practical: Register a Storify account

After creating my own Storify account and attempting my own story, it has become obvious the usefulness of Storify as a way of representing a news piece. On Storify, anything can ‘make the news’ but the most prevalent stories are those that are top stories in the media at the current time. Storify effectively organises large amounts of information into a shortened, more manageable layout. With the input of social media links, readers have access to lots of information in a small space and the option to read further if they wish.

My Storify page can be found here!

Inquiry: Issue Review

The call for a ban on Vegemite was an issue that stood out to me in this week’s news. I would not say I am a regular consumer of the product but I was interested to see the reason as to why it may be taken off supermarket shelves.

Sky News released a short video broadcast about this issue. Their lead paragraph stated, ‘Australia’s iconic vegemite is said to be taken off supermarket shelves in some remote communities because of fears it’s being made into “cheap grog”,’ (Sky News, 2015). The online story was retrieved from ABC News (2015) with their lead paragraph reading, ‘The Prime Minister has warned against a ban on Vegemite in remote communities after reports the spread was being used to make home-brewed alcohol, saying the last thing he wanted was a “Vegemite watch”.’ Finally, the printed story was collected from The Sunday Mail. The lead paragraph written in this print said, ‘Australia’s iconic Vegemite faces being ripped from supermarket shelves in remote communities because it is being brewed into booze, fuelling drunken mayhem,’ (Viellaris, 2015).

These three stories share common features. The broadcast and the print article both focus their lead paragraph on Vegemite being used in remote communities to be turned into alcohol. The only difference between these two lead paragraphs is that the print article adds that this issue fuels “drunken mayhem”. This concludes that The Sunday Mail are focusing their story around the dangers to the remote communities as a result of this problem while the broadcast values the removal of the product itself. Meanwhile, the online story concentrates on the political side of the issue; what the Prime Minister’s view on the situation is. This adds another dynamic to the story about whether the rumoured action to solve the issue will be one that goes ahead. As can be seen by reading each story, they all approach the issue from a different angle according to their target audience and how the company operates and displays information.

Technical: Quiz 3 Reflection

Reading chapter three was quite a challenge. There was a lot of information to take in and a lot of mistakes to be careful of making. The beginning of the reading was a little confusing as it took me a while to get the hang of reading an incorrectly written sentence and understanding what was wrong with it. My first attempt at the quiz resulted in an eleven out of twelve that I was quite happy with but of course, I wanted to receive 100%. I achieved full marks in my next attempt. I did not really find any of the questions difficult apart from getting a little mixed up in the last question.

Reference List

Abbott warns against ‘Vegemite watch’, (2015). [TV programme] Sky News.

ABC News, (2015). PM against ‘Vegemite watch’ despite home brew reports. [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-09/vegemite-watch-unlikely-pm-says-after-reports-of-home-brew/6684188 [Accessed 9 Aug. 2015].

Viellaris, R. (2015). Addiction Spreads. The Sunday Mail, p.4.

Week 2 – Twitter & Trendsmap

Practical: Register a Twitter Account

The practical activity for this week required registering a professional Twitter account and ‘following’ at least 20 different journalists. My Twitter profile is shown below, along with a list of the people I follow:

Inquiry: Trendsmap

After reviewing Trendsmap (trendsmap.com) for the top Twitter trends on a particular day, it was discovered that a lot of the major trending topics and stories were also current headlines in the news across the nation. In the Brisbane area, some of the top stories of the day included Hiroshima, Auspol, and the Ekka (Trendsmap, 2015). It is obvious that the reason for these being some of the most trending topics is because of their relevance in the news at this time. Today marked 70 years since the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima which sparked worldwide discussion on the event over social media as well as in the news (Carney, 2015). Auspol was trending in Australia as it stands for ‘Australian Politics’. This seemed to be a hashtag which was not just for this particular day, but a topic that is almost constantly trending as people like to take to Twitter to discuss their thoughts and opinions on politics. With such freedom to voice your opinion in Australia, even organisations, firms, journalists, and politicians themselves such as the ABC and Wayne Swan are contributors to the trend. The Ekka was also one of the major trends of the day as the Ekka (Royal Queensland Show) runs from the 7th of August until the 16th of August, resulting in lots of excitement and news surrounding the event.

Looking at news stories in relation to the Ekka trend, it was found that tweets were being used in news stories as well as organisations using tweets to promote or provide information about the event. This article from The Brisbane Times had this tweet embedded in their news story:

Source: Jeynes and Quelch, 2015

RACQ took a quirky approach to inform the public about the difficulty of parking at the showgrounds by posting a photo from 1927 of a very busy parking lot! This appealing but helpful post encouraged readers to take public transport to the Ekka as to minimise traffic and build-up over the city. It can also be seen on the official Ekka Twitter page that many organisations including 7 News Queensland and Queensland Agriculture have promoted the event by tweeting them using their Twitter ‘handle’ (@TheEkka) and using the hashtag, #Ekka.

Technical: Quiz 2 Reflection

Reading Chapter Two of English for Journalists really opened my eyes to the complexity of grammar and that it is not all black and white. This chapter focused on the rules of grammar, which I found to be very helpful in general to improve my speech and writing. It took me a few attempts to achieve 100% on the quiz which was a result of not properly understanding what the question was asking. I would say I struggled mostly with verbs and the rules surrounding them however completing the quiz assisted with fixing this problem.

Reference List

Carney, M. (2015). Japan marks 70th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing. [online] ABC News. Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-06/japan-marks-70-years-since-hiroshima-bombing/6676444 [Accessed 6 Aug. 2015].

Hicks, W. (2013). English for Journalists. 20th ed. Abingdon: Taylor and Francis, pp.16-29.

Jeynes, R. and Quelch, J. (2015). Ekka 2015 guide: tickets, dates, transport, parking, showbags. [online] Brisbane Times. Available at: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/ekka-2015-guide-tickets-dates-transport-parking-showbags-20150806-gisrn6.html [Accessed 6 Aug. 2015].

Trendsmap, (2015). Real-time local Twitter trends. [online] Available at: http://trendsmap.com [Accessed 28 Jul. 2015].

Week 1 – Different Purpose/Different Writing

‘NRL Takes Control of Gold Coast Titans’

The first news statement, ‘NRL Takes Control of Gold Coast Titans,’ is aimed at fans of the Titans as well as sponsors or others interested in the football club (NRL, 2015). This is clear to the reader as the terminology used is easy to read and understand and the article itself is short – maintaining the reader’s interest. The angle of the story is suited to what readers would want to hear – keeping specifics to a minimum and having most of the story told through quotes from members of the club and those involved in the matter. The key message in the statement is to assure readers that the clubs’ aim is to stabilise the club at this point in time and that they will look at other options in the future (NRL, 2015).

‘Five-year blueprint convinced NRL boss to save Titans just weeks before Gold Coast NRL club would have folded’

It is evident that the second news story in the Gold Coast Bulletin takes on a similar audience. It appeals to fans and sponsors of the football club but is written in a manner to regain respect for the Titans team. It is also taken from an angle that includes more specific details in regards to the financial side of the situation and the drug scandal. The key message revealed in the statement is to build up the Titans reputation again, clear up rumours, and to make it clear to those interested what their new intentions are (Meyn, 2015).

‘NRL takes over control of Gold Coast Titans amid drugs scandal’

Again, the third piece is aimed at fans and other members of the general public, however presents the story in a more professional style. The information is based on the controversy around the situation and reveals – with quotes from involved parties – new information regarding what the club intends to do next and responses to said controversy. The key message in the press conference was that the Titans will not let the drug scandal affect their teams’ performance and with the security of the new club, they intend to get back into focus (ABC News, 2015).

Reference List

ABC News, (2015). Gold Coast Titans taken over by NRL, placed in voluntary administration after drugs scandal. [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-24/nrl-takes-over-control-of-gold-coast-titans-amid-drugs-scandal/6247574 [Accessed 17 Jul. 2015].

Meyn, T. (2015). Five-year blueprint convinced NRL boss to save Titans just weeks before Gold Coast NRL club would have folded. Gold Coast Bulletin. [online] Available at: http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/five-year-blueprint-convinced-nrl-boss-to-save-titans-just-weeks-before-gold-coast-nrl-club-would-have-folded/story-fnj9yd9w-1227237781936 [Accessed 17 Jul. 2015].

NRL, (2015). NRL Takes Control of Gold Coast Titans. [online] Available at: http://www.nrl.com/nrl-takes-control-of-gold-coast-titans/tabid/10874/newsid/84020/default.aspx [Accessed 17 Jul. 2015].