Jessica James, Online Journalist?

Polaroid and Grass

2008-04-28T23:26:00.001Z

Wall Planners and Conveyor Belts

2008-04-28T23:23:00.001Z

So right now the dot I should be following is Red, now Red means that I should be spending time on my dissertation....but right now it actually means I should be completing my unfinished and unhanded in Professional Journalism work....but we ran out of coloured dots.

In the Blue Corner we have, 'Library Time', whenever a blue spot is in sight then I must be in the Library researching, reading, writing and the like. Representing always lowering prices...we have the green, no i don't have to be at my Eco-Warrior cult meeting when this coloured dot creeps up, it's there to represent my money, the dosh and dollar. It is there to remind me of my time well spent in ASDA, conveyor belt dreams, suicidal thoughts, ASDA Radio 'text in competitions' and being on the receiving end of chat up lines from foreign men, "I like you eyes, I fancy yousssse".

Cue an extract from my first day back at the delightful Perry Barr ASDA store, at the start of last week. The old bill were in on three separate occasions, and not one or two, a gang, with bullet proof vests on show and radio talk, alpha...over...receiving?
I then get yet another very forward advance on me and my eyes.
I also ask a very hairy man, as I do EVERY CUSTOMER I SERVE ,if he would like help with his packing, after him staring at me blankly and me repeating myself several times he finally opens his trap, making me look an idiot to surrounding customers and staff, "I don't know English".
Then one of the checkout girls behind me, I say girl, I mean grandma, she's pushed past 50 and is trailer trash, so blates has a No1 Grandma chain in her jewellery collection, yeah get me?
Well said colleague bellows from behind me, "I'm from Handsworth mate if you wanna know where I'm from...yeah fucking have that and go piss off...go on, get out piss off you twat."
I then hear a man passing my till, "Shut up you fucking fat bitch!"
"Nobrash!", replies Gran who then gets the last word in too "Fuck off you Bastard."
Then a drunken black man in a nice hat, at the top of his lungs, adds, "God is Black!" however, this was on a separate occasion, but still adds to the madness.

This is where I work. the wall planner says the next shift is this Sunday, theres a green dot there.

Ive touched lightly on Red, but dissertation is a dirty word so I won't continue.
Orange is Production Project, now that's a whole different ball game, I'll save that for when I get used to using InDesign again, so I can then design and create a 20 page 'eco' publication.

Purple is Uni.
I quite like the colour purple because its not on the Wall Planner alot.
I like the next one even more,
Yellow.

Oh yellow, my favourite colour and the key to 'Me Time'.
Except my favourite of the Wall Planner pallet doesn't appear all that often, and the trouble with that is,
it sticks out the most.

Wall Planner, Wall Planner on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Lesbian Studies Institute

2008-02-04T23:42:00.000Z

By Jessica James

The internet is a wonderful thing! I stumbled across an institute for Lesbian’s this week. A certain search engine spat out a link to this website that I couldn’t help but click on. My initial thoughts were that this would be an organisation that was pro-homosexuality, more specifically pro-lesbianism. Yet one should learn not to assume.

On clicking the link for the Lesbian Studies Institute website, and as the loading time ticked away, I had hopeful positive thoughts about this finding, I wondered to what extent this institutes work, studies, and research would educate me further about a community I belonged to? I envisioned positive outlooks on the ‘Lesbian way’ and new information about a minority group, showcasing real life situations, trials and tribulations, statistics and facts. Some of which I was hoping I had never heard of, or even come across before. Previous ‘research’ into the gay community, particularly the’ Lesbian way of life’ educated me in more ways than one, one being dental dams and the other finger condoms. But that’s another story.

“To track, synthesize and expose the secret, social and political corruption of America's powerful, government financed Lesbian Mafia.”

Safe sex aids aside, I couldn’t have been more wrong, one should definitely learn not to assume. On the page finally loading; The Lesbian Studies Institute’s mission statement smacks you in the face, “To track, synthesize and expose the secret, social and political corruption of America's powerful, government financed Lesbian Mafia.” So the Lesbian Studies Institute isn’t hiring new members? Or at least we need not apply.

After the initial shock, I calmed myself and took to clinking links on the website and got to reading various articles, according to the Lesbian Studies Website, the No1 Lesbian controlled ‘gang’ is head by no other than a First Lady, Hilary Clinton, who currently is in the run to be the first female president in history. She is not alone in this ‘number one mafia group’, who I’m sure you have guessed, are high flying female figures. Hilary’s political right-hand bitches are Janet Reno, who was the first, and to date, the only female Attorney General of the United States, followed by Donna Shalala, who served for eight years as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and is currently the president of The University of Miami. The list continues to ‘name and shame’ the members of The Lesbian Mafia, which oddly includes a Women’s Cancer Research Group.

Hillary signals her support of gay rights at a rally in New York.

The Chairman of the Institute is a Mr Steve Lashuk, a man who is proud to make many bold, irrational and highly homophobic statements about Lesbians on his site. It seems that any woman in a high place, of high stature, or anyone with a pair of ovaries and an opinion, is pulled into extreme discussions, and showcased as a feminist activist. A ‘member of the mafia’ who is infiltrating the public sector, and who he claims is part of a world spread organisation carrying out illegal practices and receiving government funding to do so. Lashuk has no qualms in airing his theories on outspoken, intelligent women, either in the media spotlight or not, he offers this advice on how to spot a ‘member of the mafia’, and even offers this so called advice to ‘average’ women, so they too can be aware of these unknown and corrupt ‘feminists’, “When mentioning lesbians to the average woman, the first image conjured is a few butches working in a warehouse or a construction crew or playing on an all butch baseball team. This perception is a dangerous notion because a high percentage have proliferated the medical profession, law, psychology and psychiatry. The mental and physical sicknesses wrought upon women who have chosen to abdicate their womanhood and practice lesbianism is a deep rooted secret which the medical profession doesn't want the public to know.” This man is clearly living in the 1920’s or belongs to a sordid religious cult, one of which becomes more apparent as I skip through his website, searching for evidence about Hilary Clinton being a Lesbian, (which isn’t that surprising) and how women with stature and a high salary to match have slipped through the palm of heterosexual society, into the Lesbian net and away from the safety of being monitored by men.

Lashuk’s website declares loud and proud that, “It's a clinical proven fact that lesbianism is a mental disorder with profound antisocial behaviours, paranoia, violent aggressive outbursts and forever seeking but never finding gratification and fulfilment,” which if a true, makes Lesbians perfect candidates for members of a ‘secret’ mafia gang that is funded by ‘back-hands’ from the government- ‘violent’, ‘aggressive’, precisely the personal attributes that Reservoir Dogs would be proud of, either that, or the U.S Army.

“I receive stares of bewilderment when I describe how the 14 million strong Lesbian Mafia has hijacked the media, academia, psychiatry, courts, federal agencies and all legislative branches of government.”

Details on this website do include scholarly research into the field of ‘feminism’ and ‘lesbianism’, but one man’s feminist is a Lesbian and the other man’s is his wife, which in Ex-President Clinton’s case, is a Lesbian. This Institute is recruiting- investigators, researchers and writers, in order to ‘bring down’ the power that is this secret government funded Lesbian Mafia, that operates on a world wide scale, “I receive stares of bewilderment when I describe how the 14 million strong Lesbian Mafia has hijacked the media, academia, psychiatry, courts, federal agencies and all legislative branches of government,” states Lashuk. Come on Steve, It’s not that surprising! Not as surprising as condoms for your fingers, that come in an array of colours and flavours?
But I suppose that is just another Lesbian Mafia bi-product, in order for World wide dominance over all men and Durex.

Despite this website displaying extreme homophobic comments and theories, surrounding even the idea of ‘Lesbian’, its hard to see the funny side of the matter, until you have navigated your way around the site some more. This website has the largest hate for Lesbians I have ever experienced, and eventually your thoughts on what your reading will turn to those of humour, but there’s still anger, resentment and hate in there too.

To all current ‘Lesbian Mafia’ members and all you new recruits, let’s strap on our weapons and give him a beating the Godmother would be proud of. Alternatively you can catch him on this number, 412-731-8200, if female, sex-toy aided mob violence isn’t your style.

Research into the creative use of…

2007-11-19T16:38:00.000Z

Paper, inks and special finishes

SHEEP POO PAPER

How its made:

* As every craftsperson will tell you, it all begins by using only the very finest materials. We take great care to collect super-fresh sheep poo from the beautiful (and rainy) mountains of rural Wales and take it back to the mill, situated in southern Snowdonia. We don't just make Sheep Poo Paper™ and for our other papers we use waste paper, rag and textile off-cuts and just about anything else we can think of that has good length cellulose fibers in it. Of course, we don't use tree - we like trees.

The girlsWe like trees!

* The sheep poo we have collected is completely sterilized by boiling it in a specially designed pressure cooker at over 120 degrees centigrade (using only the purest Welsh mountain water, of course) and then washed repeatedly over a period of days until it has lost approximately half its original weight (Sheep Fact: a sheep only digests 50% of the cellulose fibers it eats).
* The washing process produces a big pile of usable fibers and, as a by-product it also produces a clean, sterile, rich, liquid fertilizer which we store in a tank at the mill and pass on to local growers. (Do you want some fertilizer? Why not contact us to ask?)
* It takes many hours to beat the cellulose fiber and blend it with other recycled pulps until it reduces to a pulp suitable for making paper. This is a difficult process to get right and the exact method is a closely guarded secret.

Pulp ready for making paperSpecialist equipment

* Using only traditional papermaking techniques we then form the pulp into sheets using special sieves (called a "mould and deckle") and lay them out in stacks using felt in between each sheet to keep them from sticking together.
* The stacked and felted sheets are then pressed under huge pressure to remove most of the remaining water and encourage the cellulose fibers to bond at a molecular scale - this is what gives the paper its strength. Hanging the paper up in the roof rafters of the mill to season them finishes off the drying process.

Sieving - the fun part!

* We also make some of our paper using a very old working example of a 'Fourdrinier' continuous papermaking machine which we periodically hire from a UK papermaking museum - this machine sprays the liquid pulp onto a continuous moving mesh and the water is squeezed out between heated rollers - this gives a stunningly smooth finish, although you can still see the flecks in the paper that come from the sheep poo.
* You don't need to have all the expensive specialist equipment we use at the mill to make a little paper at home though. Why not have a go at making some paper yourself?

Inks

Ink is available in dozens of standard colours and hundreds of non-standard inks which are called Pantones, which have there very own distinct colour, number reference and price!
The following is a list of some of the standard ink colours provided by many label suppliers:

* The ink can be applied in various ways:
o Spot Colour - colours applied using separate plates to add colour in specific areas, each plate having a different image that is printed.
o Duotones - two halftone images, which were produced using different screen angles that are printed over each other. Duotones are generally printed in black and another colour.
o Tritones - three halftone images, produced at different screen angles, which were made from the same image and then printed over each other in three different colours.
o Quadtones - four halftone images, produced at different screen angles, which were made from the same image and then printed over each other in four different colours.
o Process Colour - four process colours, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, printed on top of each other. Each colour uses the same image produced at varying intensities, to reproduce a full colour image.
o High Fidelity Colour (hi-fi) - a method of colour printing which utilizes additional process ink colours to produce a greater range of colour.
o Prismatic Ink - the blending of two or more colours in a single printing unit. This produces a blend of colour that is difficult to duplicate. It is most often used as a security feature.

Specialist Inks

* UV Inks - UV inks provide denser ink coverage than conventional inks. They cause minimal dot gain, resulting in excellent quality when printing fine lines, vignettes and process colour. The ink must be cured by a UV light source, which hardens the ink rather than the ink drying as it does when conventional inks are used. UV ink also provides rub resistance, chemical resistance, colour consistency and opacity. A negative aspect of UV inks is that it has environmental issues which can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions.
* Glitter Ink - Glitter ink contains flucks of shinny mylar that result in a printed image with a shiny reflective look. This ink is used on labels to create special effects.
* Metallized Ink - The use of metallized inks can give your label a distinctive look. They can give your label the look of foil. Different types of metallic powders are blended into the ink such as aluminium powder to create the look of silver and bronze powder to create the look of gold.

Paper Finishing

There are many different types of finishing including die cutting, drilling, scoring, folding, creasing and kiss cutting. There are also many different coatings that can be applied to give a different look and feel.

UV Spot Varnish
Spot varnish is a high gloss UV varnish applied to selected areas of a printed image to enhance the product impact or form part of the graphic design. A raised texture can be achieved using UV Spot Varnish this is known as High Build UV.

UV Textured Varnish
UV textured varnish is a satin effect textured coating applied to selected areas of a Printed image to form a tough protective barrier to the underlying print surface that enhances product impact.

UV Sparkle Varnish
Sparkle varnish is a high gloss UV varnish containing metallised polyester flakes that adds "sparkle" when applied to selected areas of a printed image and will provide "shelf appeal" to a wide range of printed products.

Gloss OPP Lamination
Gloss OPP (oriented polypropylene) lamination provides a wide range of uses across the whole spectrum of printed products. The properties of good gloss are strength and low cost which make it suitable for all the following applications:
Company report and accounts, Brochures, Catalogues, Carrier bags, Greeting cards, Book jacket covers, Magazines, Maps, Labels, Point-of-sale and Displays.
The standard film thickness is 12 micron but 19 micron is available if you require extra durability. Film can be laminated over apertures and a window lamination created.

Matt OPP Lamination
This Matt finish coupled with its smooth texture offers a very high quality image to brochures and book covers. Matt finishes are also particularly suited to surfaces which need to be easily read such as wall maps, but can be prone to scuffing and should be handled with care.

Foil Blocking
These finishes can provide the ultimate in decorative appeal. They are not limited to gold and silver foils, but extend to an impressive range of pigmented, holographic and security foils.
All of these can be combined with embossed images to produce varying tactile effects – Any one of which will enhance the printed message and provide shelf appeal for greetings cards, cartons, magazine covers, brochures etc.

Embossing & Debossing
This is where an image, pattern or logo can be embedded into the paper.

Ilford Classic Papers
Classic Pearl and Gloss papers offer the professional photographer the colour stability you would expect from a polymer coated paper. Manufactured to meet the demands of today’s dye based desktop printers, offering excellent image stability with superb consistency.
With the choice of either traditional gloss or professional pearl finish, the Classic range gives the professional the opportunity to create the right look for a competitive price

Ilford GALERIE Smooth Papers

The Galerie Smooth range of Ilford papers have been developed for “out of the box” usage, which is particularly true with Gloss and Pearl surfaces which utilises instant dry, nanoporous coating technology.
The Ilford range of smooth papers are compatible with the latest dye and pigment ink printers. Also included in the range are Smooth Fine Art Paper, a 100% rag, acid free paper for prints with a traditional fine art look and Smooth Multi-Use Paper. This is a true double-sided coated bond paper, ideal for producing brochures and leaflets.
The range as recently been extended with the addition of High Gloss Media and Heavyweight Matte Paper. High Gloss Media has the same instant drying nanoporous coating as the Smooth Gloss and Pearl papers. It is ideal for creating high gloss, professional quality photographic images. Heavyweight Matte Paper is a double sided coated paper ideal for fine art, high end brochures and presentations

Beautiful

2007-11-18T22:48:00.000Z

The earth turned to bring us closer,
it spun on itself and within us,
and finally joined us together in this dream
as written in the Symposium.
Nights passed by, snowfalls and solstices;
time passed in minutes and millennia.
An ox cart that was on its way to Nineveh
arrived in Nebraska.
A rooster was singing some distance from the world,
in one of the thousand pre–lives of our fathers.
The earth was spinning with its music
carrying us on board;
it didn't stop turning a single moment
as if so much love, so much that's miraculous
was only an adagio written long ago
in the Symposium’s score

Lesbian Mafia

2007-11-03T15:54:00.000Z

Gay or not gay, or just looking to be entertained by someone with some intellect, you should check out New Yorker- Sandi T's MySpace page here.

I'm actually going to be interviewing this fine woman and profiling her, and hopefully spreading 'her word' to the fine readers of DIVA.

Watch this space.

But also watch hers.

EDITORS. Carling Academy 14/10/07

2007-10-15T20:44:00.000Z

I attended the Birmingham stint of the recent Editors UK tour on Sunday.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY BRILLIANT!

The support acts for the night were also talented musicians, sharing much of their obvious talent and stage space with the Birmingham grown headliners.
First support Kissaway Trail.
originating from Denmark, with interesting vocals, at first I couldn't seem to get my ears round, the lead guitarists both passed around the microphone, and this gave the band a whole new sound with each new song they played. Very strong vocally and a very strong stage presence. Especially when all four guitarists (bassist being the fourth) have a microphone stand in front of their face at all times, and in one particular song, which I forget the name of, they all show of their vocal abilities and mash up an impressive harmony. They remind me alot of early Arcade Fire, with a lot more kick and less instruments.

The Kissaway Trail start their own UK tour on November 4th in Norwich, calling at Birmingham again, and finishing in Glasgow on the 18th, go have a listen.

Second support band were Ra Ra Riot.

Immensely impressive!!!

The line up includes:

Milo Bonacci: guitar

Alexandra Lawn: cello

Wesley Miles: keyboards / vocals

John Pike: drums

Mathieu Santos: bass guitar

Rebecca Zeller: violin

....and keyboards 'get involved' with lead singer and cello player taking turns to tinkle.

YES, a cello and a violin.

This band were quiet obviously quiet music 'geeks' that have turned it all around on their peers and wooed them with their apparent musical talent and love for making music, together.

I'll try not mention Arcade Fire again, but seriously they share similar traits, I think thats just because of the involvement of classical instruments, and being highly successful with it.

The string arrangements work more than well with this bands collective sound.

I highly recommend going to see them live, they definitely put on a show.
And if you can't manage that then have a listen to the tracks they have on their Myspace.

Which leaves me to say that EDITORS were just plain and simply OUTSTANDING.

Tom Smith's vocals are nothing short of beautiful.

..and they even finished on a personal favourite 'Fingers In The Factories'.

Go buy their new album, you won't regret it.

You must see them live to experience and understand what I'm saying. Sheer musical brilliance....and EDITH BOWMAN seemed to enjoy her self up on the backstage balcony too, what a top notch girlfriend.

Dissertation

2007-10-12T15:33:00.000Z

My dissertation question is now set.

Handed in this morning and 'signed off', its all official.

And my work load is going to get even more official!!!!

My research question is as follows:

‘How does the presence of the internet allow for a more complex change of cultural ideas, challenging the dominance of powerful global media and ‘westernized’ news values?'

Textual analysis of news websites and blogs will be carried out during my research and as part of my methodology. I will be looking at how citizen journalism and bloggers can impact on the discourse of professional news websites.

I will research the internet and the affect that its presence has on traditional news reporting, and how it creates a contra-flow of news, and look into the flow of news and contra-flow theories within my research.

When carrying out my research I will specifically be interested in looking at the ability that consumers have to create and uphold a complex exchange of ideas and values (reflecting on consumer culture) and how the presence of the internet affects this, and supports the challenge against dominant media.

I will carry out further research into whether dominant new media make ‘note’ of individual voices and interpretations of current news affairs, and how, and perhaps why they do this.

I will also carry out further research in how the internet has created an online community of news consumers and reporters that express their cultural values and views to a what is becoming ‘liberal’ online community, and how and why this is, and do they share the same values as each other, and how do these idea challenge the flow of westernized news values.

I will concentrate on how the internet is a vessel for discourse in the public and professional domain (online), and how it has created a platform for ‘consumers’ to exchange various ideas and values and how it challenges the one-way monolithic flow of western news values. I will research into the interactivity that the internet allows ‘consumers’ to have with the media, looking at alternative online medium such as audio and visual enhancements online, news forums and vlogs (video blogs), and how this challenges the flow and values if westernized news.

...there is alot to be getting on with, and Lit reviews for me to get my teeth into.

until next time.

Student Rep Speech (cringe)

2007-10-09T14:21:00.000Z

''......if you don't ask you will never know"

We all need to keep asking questions, we need to keep supporting each other, have resources available to aid our study; continue to have the ability to approach lecturers, to ultimately aid us in achieving our degree's, in this final, and most important year of our University lives.

This final year for me means proving myself, and aiming for what I know is achievable, it will be hard, and however hard that may be for myself, or for you, or the next person, I will be here to voice all your trouble and strifes to the 'big dogs' at the top.

I have had a terrible second year, and I am here, now, with you guys for the long haul, from sheer perseverance.....and maybe a little bit of stubbornness along the way helped too.
I would love the opportunity to represent you all as a student rep, I have the communication skills and finally the right head on my shoulders do it.

So, if you fancy letting me acheive that little bit more in my third year, then vote me in as one of your student reps.

...and if you don't, thanks for taking the time to read this and make sure that you get yourself to Faye's End of Year Ball....cos you know it makes sense.

GOOD LUCK GUYS.

x

a fully functioning lesbian scholar

2007-10-09T13:20:00.000Z

The rest of the world might as well find out through the same medium that has been the fuel for this new, happier and highly determined life that I am living right now.

Today, as part of my portfolio assignment for a Professional Journalism module at the newly named 'Birmingham City University', I pitched my ideas for a series of features, facts, fiction and general information about what it is like growing up with this, dealing with this, and coming out(with this).

...COMING OUT with many feelings and realizations about your sexuality in a world that seems to promote equality- it promotes all the promotion about it, supposedly embraces sexual differences, and orientations, yet at the same time slaps itself in the face with hate crimes, segregation and communities living apart- is a personal journey which I can continue through my studies and produce an interesting collection of articles for a professional newsworthy portfolio.

I am proposing to write very informative (from personal experience and life lessons), very specific and highly 'raw' pieces of writing that will explore the world of young lesbians in our society, the stereotypes, the struggles, the sex, the drugs, the rock and roll, the sensitivity, the longing to love, the needing someone, the sharing, the kisses, the tears, fears and the fights........and that's not all it.

My sexuality does not define me, as I'm sure yours does not. Yes I'm a Lesbian, but thats not me in my entirety, and I through this module and my portfolio of professional work I will hopefully, change, if not stir the ideas and perception surrounding the idea of being a lesbian, or a gay man for that matter.

I can't wait to produce something which I'm sure is close to home to many young, and old for that matter, gay people of Britain. It certainly is for me.

...and I get to do all this doing something which I love- writing.

I'm fully functioning, and it's never been better.

Smooth Operator?

2007-09-24T11:19:00.000Z

I am back at University and a third year! It's all go go go from here, in at ten o'clock this morning and already on form, lets just hope that it keeps up to this kind of standard.

My first lecture of Semester 1 2007 is and was Design For Production.
Which I am very excited about getting creative with.

We were quickly introduced because of a new visiting Lecturer, who seems well up for involvement in our projects.
So assignment 1:

PITCH A BRAND

Now assigned to a group of four, a decision was made this morning to launch a new 'brand' within the juice/smoothie bar market.

What we will be looking to do is create a a brand new brand which can fit into 'The Feel Good' company, 'Innocent Smoothies' and the somewhat independant the already growing market of fresh juice drinks and healthy smoothies, such as and niche juice bar 'Zumo'.

We will frist be concentrating on the launch of the brand itself, but will be incorporating the opening of the first 'juice bar' within this new brand here in Birmingham.

We will be looking closely at the already existing market for research, and look at what our competitiors are already offfereing their 'healthy minded' customers, and then hope to adapt their efforts, mix them around abit, splash abit of design work, marketing ideas, logo's, maybe some carrot juice and some big and bold slogans to promote our ideas to the next level.

I will be looking into Marketing our brand, looking at advertising but mainly merchandising will be my main area of research and production.
I hope to produce a variety of merch for the brand, incorporating aspects of everything bold and bright, fresh and clean, not forgetting smooooooooth......

Intial ideas include slogan t-shirts to co-incide with the new 'lets say things on our t-shirts' craze, which would not only be warn by staff but would also be sold as part of the launch of this new juice and smoothie bar.
Fashion, Music, Healthy Eating, '5 -a-day', Bright Colours, Fresh Products, Fair Trade etc will all be aspects that will aid my design for marketing and merchandising this brand and its products.

To be honest, I really wanna open a juice bar now, I just need the funding.............

I will leave you with my favourite smoothie:

oh and one last thing the PJ smoothie website is just rediculously good on all levels, the design, the user interface, the links, the information and the simple and small use of flash. Take a look: http://www.pj-smoothies.co.uk.

SMOOOOOOOTH.

Long time no BLOG

2007-07-24T11:32:00.000Z

So I have to apologise to the world of bloggers and to be honest- myself- for not keeping up to date with this blog.

Its been hard when all I seem to be doing is working in order to funs my education further and complete my third year.

At the moment I am rather stressed trying to edit photo's that I have taken for a re-submission in my photography module- I have totally forgotten how to use photoshop properly! This as you can gather is not a good thing.

This seems more of a personal reflection, but at least it is about my work in the media.

Speaking of which- I have started freelancing for No TiTLE magazine again, which is an independent music magazine in Leeds. Something in whcih I can write whatever I want! Well as long as it is reflective of the music I am reviewing. Shame it can't count for my work experience for Year 2, something at whcih im cluthcing straws at. ARRRRGH.

Hopefully I am going to obtain a place at ASDA magazine through work, but we will see.

Super Shrink Me!!?!

2007-05-21T11:51:00.000Z

The online edition of the London Paper today published a short cover story on 'Supersized Supermodel' which basically took a very overweight 'eyesore' model and turned her into the 'skinny' model that are constantly represented in the media. The difference is, it isn't through some new fandagled diet or 'make me look ten years younger', in the aid of Liposuction and a few trips to the gym. It is done through using computer software: Abode Photoshop.

The video of the changes is below, take a look.....

How can we truely trust anything in the media? And why is everything made so it doesn't 'offend' the consumers eye?

Being female myself I know how hard it is to live up to societies expectations, no wonder mental illnesses are on the increase, the BBCrelating to benefit claims and depression said that "the number of people claiming because of eating disorders had gone up by 130% from 800 in 1997 to 1,830". in the UK when we are expected to be something that we are clearly not.

Super 'SHRINK' Me indeed.

Reflection

2007-05-18T00:59:00.000Z

I have found it near impossible to get all of these deadlines out of the way as part of my degree.

Just when I think that I have let myself down again, I have picked myself right back up and at this moment am finishing a professional studies portfolio and applying for work experience with BBC Radio Leeds .

I have got really positive thoughts about this and fingers crossed will land me some work experience close to home in the summer.

Producing a Personal Development Plan for my professional studies module has truely made me reflect on my progression on my media course at UCE, and what have acheived over the past year or so. When it comes down to it...I have developed alot.

The skills that I now possess as a young freelance writer in the media field are for more valuable than they were a year ago.

Its rewarding to actaully look back and realise where you are now and were you have come from.

I mean writing this now, and the use of HTML coding is something that my Online Journalism module has pushed me to do. Well not literally, i wasn't forced or anything.

Fairtrade when your foreign

2007-05-10T21:42:00.000Z

This is just purely for your entertainment.

I also think that despite my intial amusement, this campaign offers something more than humour, I think the images used in this video are very strong and political, also the flashing images and use of obscene audio makes me think that this is some sort of 'brainwashing' parody.

Then again I could be going mad.

Deadline!!!!

2007-05-10T20:57:00.000Z

I have just reliased that I have to hand in all my evidence of 'work'- i.e blogs, news articles, audio and video that I have produced for my online journalism module.

All the above- bar one- I am fine with, the video is what is causing the problem. Well i say problem, I have evidence, just not in a professional context.

Below is evidence that I can, well, 'edit' (to some extent) but the content of the video was something that myself and a classmate were just humouring, so for amusement sake:

Jokes aside, I am all for fairtrade tea, and even other products, I am a fan of fairtrade bannana's and was dubbed Chris Martin on their purcahse by a housemate last week.

As far as my video submission goes, however much it would amuse Paul Bradshaw, I think it is in my interest, (and his) not to submit it!! = ) Although he knows what I'm like.

No, best not.

I need to go and find my audio now...........someone please help me with my time keeping!!!!

Interativity- Map of Pride

2007-05-10T20:26:00.000Z

As part of my Online journalism module we are about to embark, and should have already made a major step towards creating a 'flash' interactive for the UCE newsite .

As part of a group of students I have paired up with Charlotte Dunkley to produce an interactive map of PRIDE07, showing the route of the parade, shops and sponsors involved and external links etc.

I have been in contact for a month or so now, with Pride Event Director David Babbington, and he has provided interesting interview material to use towards our interactive map. I may also approach him for some Video footage for our interactive map, but with his schedule involving preorations for Pride07 I doubt that I will have much luck.

Fingers crossed EH?

Return to Middle Earth

2007-04-23T13:21:00.000Z

Being back in Brum is a God send....a God send to my blog that is.

It has definately been far too long since i posted...i blame this on Yorkshire, and the fact that everything in the North is around five years behind that of the South (generalisation mind you).

Well I am only bitter about the fact that my computer at home is so old, hamsters actaully work up a sweat to run it.

So here I am....technology at my finger tips in the form of a snazzy laptop and a wireless connection.

Expect more blogging, vlogging, snogging and the like.

Not Gay, Can't Sleep, full of Pride!?

2007-03-29T03:01:00.000Z

So I am awake as usual in the earlier hours of the morning, watching green wing and trying to research for more possible articles for Birmingham Pride 07 for our newsite, and I come across this video on YOUTUBE:

I don't know about you, but this seems all very very professional and exciting, personally I can't wait fort his years events in May, and I have been told by the events director for pride, David Babbington, that this years theme- 'United for Equality', is alot more political based.

Gay and Lesbian rights are something that needs to be tackled, homophobia is still rife in this country, and others for that matter. A video below is to promote the gay pride festival in Israel. The video is not what is shocking, what drew my interest to this video are the comments that are left about the video, which include, "God hates fags" and "Your sadistic God cursed gays by creating them gay. Stupid fuck."

Take a look at the shocking comments on the You Tube page, and let me know what you think by emailing me here , or leave your comments.

This is the video:

On a more personal note....

2007-03-29T02:16:00.000Z

..I owe this guy and his lock stock and smoking barrels for getting me through my editing dilemma's in the early hours of this morning.

what the hell was kelly Brooke thinking? Billy Zane!!!! REALLY?????

David loves the site!

2007-03-29T01:59:00.000Z

As you know I have been emailing David Babbington, the Events Director of Birmingham Pride '07 , well I recently received an email apologising about him not emailing my interview questions back sooner, which was brilliant knowing that he was still planning to respond to me, despite a very busy schedule. Not only that though- he praised our efforts on the UCE Newsite

LOOK...he loves it:

So we have people interested, lets keep these hits high!

Stirring it up

2007-03-28T23:46:00.000Z

Last week we all had a talk from The Stirrer website owner and editor Adrian Goldberg.

This talk was along the lines of any seminar talk from an 'outside speaker' in the field of media, but I found myself actually being interested in what he had to say, and pleased to see how much Adrian seemed to enage with us as a group of young professional writers. This 'talk' was arranged by our lecturer Paul Bradshaw , who is monitoring our progression as online journalists throughout our 'Online Journalism' year two module.

So......we all went around the classroom and introduced ourselves and our role for the UCE newsite, "Hi..yes, Hi I'm", "I'm sports", "oh yes I have been covering technology" "yes"...when it got to my turn, (thinking nothing at the time) "I am the gay community correspondant, but I also dabble with fashion and music stories", and that was that.

Later on in the seminar we were seperated into groups to brainstorm ideas for our Assignment 2 assessment- to produce somehing news worthy and relevant to Birmingham for our interactive part of the newsite . Which if you did click the link and go visit it, you would realise it is in serious need of updating.

Okay, so what is there at the moment in my opinion is rediculously simple and after seeing examples of interactive pages, such as this interactive database on the Florida Herald Tribune which is a brillaint example of how to use interactivity on line. The page is there to help tackle the issues of child abuse in the American state through the use of online interactivity. There is a particular page that demonstrates the process of filing a complaint of child abuse, which without this interactivity, and just text would not engage the reader at all.

Although very professional the page in the Florida Herald Tribune , this is something that I would be looking to acheive through this interactivity assignment.

After brainstorming within a group of four girls, myself and a fellow 'head strong' member Charlotte Dunckley decided that the most promising and definately news worthy topic would be Birmingham Pride 07. This would allow us to involve an interactive map of this years pride, the route of the parade history of pride- involving an interactive timeline, lots of colourful graphics and images of this years event and previous years.

This is the point where the need to voice our interactive ideas to Paul Bradshaw and Adrain Goldberg -Stirrer.com came about.

With my role being 'gay correspondant' for our news site, I took it upon myself to voice our ideas and pitch what we had in mind for the interactivity pages, so I voice our ideas as the 'gay correspondant', after which Adrian replies, "Well you would know what they have to offer you in the gay community".

GREAT, he thinks I'm a lesbian!!!

So I went along with it and replied to him as if I was a lesbian as not to offend him, or cause an wierd atmosphere. This little episode lasted several minutes in which I was an 'assumed lesbian'. I am not at all offended by this, I just found it comical that he thought I was GAY because I am 'the gay correspondant', then again, if you put it like that, then it does spell itself out.

After the seminar finished I shared this amusement with my classmate, and cooky housemate Roz(Rosalind Brabner), to which she responded with large amounts of laughter......and who was to over hear and get in on the laughs but
Paul Bradshaw ...I find it wonderful I am now the centre of a run in joke with my lecturer regarding my sexuality! HA!

So Paul, and Adrian I suppose (ha ha ha), I leave you this:

P.S Thanks for an entertaining and informing lecture last week.

Edit Edit Edit

2007-03-28T22:58:00.000Z

I have finally realised why none of my links are working on ANY of my articles on the UCE news site , so after some painful editing of html- I blame new times roman and their 'curly' speechmarks- I think that I have got it sorted, so click away.

I have now finished my article on Birmingham Blaze football team, which features an interview with the teams manager Garry Brown, and posted it on the UCE Newsite , in the Local section.

I am still researching news worthy stories for the 'gay' section of our news site, and I am waiting on an email interview response from Birmingham, 'Pride 07' events director Dabid Babbington, and hopefully will have another story for the gay section on our newsite.

Online Interviews

2007-03-22T16:36:00.000Z

I have had some promising responses from my contacts regarding taking part in interviews via email.

This method works very well for both myself and the people that I have been chasing down for interviews.

Its fast, it's reliable and no doubt convienient to those with busy schedules- they can respond as an when they lack (within a certain deadline of course), and it all works out for both 'parties' involved.

So, in the next few days I should have had responses- and hence more articles that are relevant for the gay community section of UCE News.

I have already received a more than positive response from the captain of Birmingham Blaze- a gay and straight football team in Birmingham, and hope to ficnish this feature with images and links shortly.

Other than this I am looking towards some more Music based articles, review local gigs in Carling Academy and The NIA. Yet I feel that this has less relevance as news on a 'local level'- which is what we are aiming to acheive within the website.

Interviews are obviously something that are core to a promising article.

Perhaps with the growth of online journalism we will see the growth of 'online interviews' and a whole new approach on how to get that well needed quote.

Article Leads

2007-03-07T21:53:00.000Z

Although I am not necessarily struggling to find out the 'gay goings on' in Birmingham, I am just finding that the 'news' stories that I am being faced with are just plain press release type articles and have no scope for creativity or even some sort interest angle, that is away from an act being announced for DV8 or the plans for Gay Pride.

I hope I am not stomping on anyones feet- i.e Julie, with her being fashion correspodant, but I am going to cover the Mencap fashion remix show involving UCE fashion students, that is happening in the City on Friday evening, and then i may perhaps have something different, and that little more challenging to write.

Website problems

2007-03-07T14:44:00.000Z

I just don't understand but whatever links i go through to try and get logged in to post a news article it just won't do it.

I'm going to try a different way today, if not then i will just have to end up posting them on here.

I haven't heard back from come of my contacts so haven't got as many articles as I thought but I am working on it.

Responses

2007-03-04T19:51:00.000Z

I now have replies from all my contacts that I have made regarding news articles for the 'gay community' section for the
UCE news website.

I will be working on some interview questions, and hopefully will receive swift responses and have some rather large feature/profile articles for the site soon.

I am also looking to review some small gigs that i am going to over the next few weeks, including one tomorrow evening, so I will have some in put for the music section of the site aswell.

Contacts

2007-03-01T00:07:00.000Z

This is the email that I have sent in order to persue my articles for the 'GAY' section of our community website.

Hi David, I found your contact details on a regional BBC news website for Gay pride 2007 in Birmingham. I was wondering if you would mind answering a few questions about the event this year, and a few about last years event, comparisons, views, events, excitements etc!!!
I will be publishing the final article, about Birmingham Pride 2007, online, as part of the 'UCE News Site'. It would be brilliant if you could get back to me as soon as possible to let me know, and I will finalize my questions for you, and get the article on the way. I don't know my scope on word count for the article as yet, but I am wanting to make it quite a large feature/interview piece in our Gay Community part of the site, with lots of colourful images. This will be great publicty/pr for PRIDE 07 for the student community. I look foward to hearing from you, thanks for listening.

Jessica.

His contact details are: everevent@blueyonder.co.uk

I am still awaiting a reply in order to write up a large feature article on this massive event. information about PRIDE, are easily accessible on the internet, and from the gay community section on BBCnews site for birmingham I have also found further stories of interest for the site, I am emailing other contacts for leads on other stories.

It is just a matter of waiting for reply's from my contacts.

PRIDE 07 - Gay Community

2007-02-28T23:08:00.001Z

I have been reseraching and making contacts regarding GAY PRIDE in Birmingham this year.

The BBC regional news website for Birmingham has released a statement from the events director, and is as follows:

The plans for Pride 2007 have been revealed. Events Director David Babbington tells us why he believes this year will be the best ever.
"Birmingham Pride began in 1997 and now, in 2007, it’s time to make some changes. Lots of work has been going on between the gay community and Birmingham City Council to give the event some stability, growth, financial input and make it into an event the community and Birmingham can be proud of.
Sparkle at Pride
I am pleased to say we are now moving together under the umbrella of Birmingham City Council, making the event bigger, better, transparent and putting the community at the heart of what happens. The theme for this year is: “United for Equality”". http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2007/02/09/birmingham_pride_preview_2007_feature.shtml

There is much excitement surrounding this years event, and with it being a decade of this event happening, then I can't think of a better time to do a large coverage piece for this- feature, photographs, and I have contacted David for a possible interview. I am also going to persue further articles surrounding the PRIDE event, and interview gays/lesbians that are students at UCE.

GAY PRIDE 07 is going to be my main article as part of the 'Gay' section that I am covering as part of 'Community' section of the UCE newsite that we are to produce in our Online Journalism Module.

Lets Get a Grip = )

2007-02-28T22:10:00.000Z

As part of my University course at UCE in Birmingham, I am undertaking a module in Online Journalism. As part of this Module, myself and class mates are to create an online news site, research, write and post our own articles.

Our lecturer has had difficulty in commiting us, as a group, to this task.

My first thoughts on the fact that we haven't actually got 'stuck in' are that as a group, we don't communiate very well. Either being in class, or online, nevermind on moodle. Why is this?

Moodle in my opinion has become something to catch up on that lecture that you may have missed or to have 'a-go' at a course, or the people on said course, that in reality you don't hardly put any input into!!!
Maybe all this energy (and I am also speaking about myself here) should be put into making something out of this module- An Online News Site, run by not only students, but up and coming journalists. This is an opportunity that we can't afford to pass up.

In my opinion we need kicking in to touch, we need to learn to embrace the course, and work well as a group, and have that 'fuel' for the news individually, or this news website is never going to get on the way.

We wanted a challenge- so lets step up to it!

Its not just Paul we are letting down, we are letting down ourselves. More specifically, Yourself.

Brief Interview

2007-02-20T04:57:00.000Z

On the Couch with Dead Disco

……a rather comfortable, expensive, once was a very large cow kinda couch to be precise. Not that I sat on it! However, I did prop my posterior on the sinks in the Lav’s, where my laid back chat (actually horizontal at this point, I blame it on the vodka) with Lucy Catherwood, Marie France and Victoria Hesketh took place.

Okay so first of all girls I’m sorry that I’m actually half cut at the moment

Lucy: Oh don’t worry its not that we are actually sober to be honest, Victoria’s had a few
Victoria: Yeah I think we have a matching problem with the Vodka

(Laughs)

Amazing set, did you enjoy it?

DD: Oh yeah….Definitely
V: It was a lot better than I thought it would be
L: I hurt my finger during the set (shows me a slightly bloody finger) I need like a Simpson’s plaster, that would sort me out

So, What’s the workload been like up until your single launch?

V: It’s not work its pleasure
Marie: Yeah, I wouldn’t call it work
L: We have had some late nights though, we didn’t get back in Leeds till 4am today after recording, then we had sound checks here earlier
M: And there was the balloons that we had to blow up as well

Yeah, I noticed. You’ve got a space theme going on out there, did you get your hands dirty with the paper mache planets?

L: Yeah we got well into it (laughs); we wanted more space stuff out there though
M: we were gunna dress up and everything
L: but there isn’t a fancy dress shop anywhere in Leeds that sells space costumes, like from the Jetsons.
V: Yeah. What’s that about?
L: Sort it out
M: Dya remember that maid from the Jetsons?
V: That robot, Oh yeah (stands and does strange robot movements)

The space theme seems to have gone down well with the merch…..

L: yeah we were trying to keep it all with the art work and stuff from our singles and all that
M: the T-shirts we’ve got with the woman Cyclops
V: and the robot badges…and the flyers saucers
L: oooh the flying saucers

Yeah I have had way too many of them, I think I was reliving my childhood a bit too much, so anyway what’s the best thing about being in Dead Disco?

V: the free make up

(All laugh)

L: we get loads of it
M: what’s the name of that one….

…Mac?

M: no, Versace
L: we do get quite a lot, loads more names
V: Ruby and Millie!!…Mac Schmack!

Ive seen the results of your shoots on your myspace page, they good fun then?

L: yeah definitely, even if from time to time the gay make-up artist does try it on
V: people have said I look like Annie Mac on the pictures (stands and looks rather annoyed)L: they say it all the time
M: people always say we look smaller as well
L: It’s the best thing ever though when you go on someone else’s page and they have your song on their profile
M: its like ‘arrrrgggh
V: that’s OUR song!

How was shooting your video?

V: So much fun
M: And our director Sann was brilliant!

It’s your first and last single release on the Fierce Panda label, right?

M: yeah, hopefully we’ll do want everyone else has done after getting a single out with Fierce Panda…..go on and get an album out and just keep going and going. Hopefully.

How was Leeds Fest for you?

M: I enjoyed Leeds sooo much
V: Yeah it was brilliant!
L: Absolutelty! We would have loved to have got weekend tickets and seen the whole festival but we can’t hack staying in tents
M: We got there on the Sunday, but enjoyed every minute of it
V: I don’t think I could have stayed in a tent, why would you want to stay in a bin bag propped up with sticks?
M: She wouldn’t have been able to cope
L: Yeah, her without her ghd’s, she can’t cope without them, look at her hair

But it’s curly?

M: yeah she does it with the straighteners
V: clamp and twist though, clamp and twist, I wouldn’t have been able to cope
(Laughs)

So what happened to Reading?

M: was there an unsigned stage there?
L: it was just regional wasn’t it, up north
V: we were asked about Leeds but Reading wasn’t mentioned
M: yeah but we would love to be there next year.
DD: yeah next year definitely
L: would be brilliant.

And at that we leave the pleasant settings of Coco toilets and head for the bar yet again, and I’m off to munch more of those flying saucers, the sherbets got a kick!!!

www.deaddisco.co.uk

Published Work

2007-02-20T04:53:00.000Z

Written for ‘No-TiTLE’ Magazine
DEAD DISCO single launch party
w/ The Clerks, Heads We Dance

Coco, Lower Briggate, Leeds
September 2006
Jessica Barlow

The night started off with me stood at a bus stop frantically looking for a pen, or any sort of similar instrument of which to write with. With no I idea where the hell I was going when I was just a mere spectator in the evenings plans, I now was reviewing the little shindig and had the task of getting my scatty and at this point rather panicked self to a little place known as Coco at the lower of Briggate.

Easily said and done, situated next to the newly refurbished Mission, Coco is nicely tucked away in the cobbled gay quarter at the lower end of Leeds. I quickly found it’s cute, cool and chrome ways urging me to spend more than I could on the very impressive cocktail list. Coco seems at this point a perfect little hide away for the launch party for single ‘Automatic’ from the trio Dead Disco.
Automatic, a perfect eltro-indie wave single, which can be compared to that ever so familiar sound of Blondie, is the last release on Fierce Panda Records, and in my opinion is definitely a high note to leave the panda with thanks to the Leeds lasses. The B side single ‘Too Late’ is worthy of a release on its own, continuing the ladies strong new wave sound. The EP is even blessed with a remix for the title single and enhanced with the Video to ‘Automatic’ which was directed by Samm of the Klaxons.

With all that under their belt before the night even began I was very much excited about shaking my arse and drinking excessively to celebrate this launch. The girls, Catherwood, France and Hesketh were headlining the night, for obvious reasons, accompanied by a Perisian/Mancunian based power indie/pop punk band ‘The Clerks’, and the newly established local four piece band ‘Heads We Dance’, who kicked off the party like a newly born mule with extremely large feet.

Heads We Dance, (and my god we did), played their first ever gig tonight and by golly gosh it was good! When they announced that they had been together for just FOUR WEEKS I nearly choked and ate my cigarette. And if that doesn’t explain how good these lads are then I don’t know what else I can try and eat that isn’t edible. HWD are a very healthy mash up of raw Killers and Franz Ferdinand with a massive electro synth feel. And it feels good. As first impressions go I don’t think that they could have hoped for a better one, I would expect to see these three guys and their girl, popping up all over the fucking place with more gigs up in the North, make sure you catch them before they start charging for their pins- which they were handing out like sweets.

Middle man The Clerks later powered out a song titled ‘The Fight’, and this was pleasantly received by the party people. It was raw and heavy yet still managed to keep and electro punk sound pumping. The male vocals of Max, think a very straight sounding Brian Molko, worked more than well with the female harmonising. From song to song male and female vox swapped around and mixed together, meaning that their sound kept bringing something new to the crowd through the set, and they loved it. Add The Clerks to your ‘things I like from France list’, tres bien!

Dead Disco closed the nights celebrations in true style. Their set which started with City Place, an earlier release on the Dance To the Radio label this year, followed by their new b-side song Too Late, and The Treatment which is unbelievably catchy and my personal favourite, was bloody brilliant! More of the set saw…Riding Low, Stop The Clock and the finale, single release Automatic, saw DD put on the best live performance that Elaine, aka Mama Catherwood had ever seen. Quote.

Their new release Automatic, is available on CD for 3.99 and Vinyl for 2.99 in Crash and Jumbo Records in Leeds, Amazon and on I-tunes to Download. Yet I doubt by the time you read this they’ll be any copies left, after the single and undoubtedly their whole set went down a storm!
Dead Disco’s stage presence is fun and full of life, and they really get into their music, I can see DD heading for the bright lights of stardom at an extremely nauseating speed. These girls look, sound and should be the part!

With what is becoming an era where female fronted bands are breaking the business with the likes of The Long Blondes, Metric and Be Your Own Pet hitting the indie scene running, Dead Disco are not going to fall flat on their pretty little faces!

Go buy Automatic, it would be a crime not to.

www.myspace.com/deaddiscohq
www.myspace.com/theclerks
www.myspace.com/headswedance

Digitalization Of News- An Extract

2007-02-20T04:07:00.000Z

Information Super Highway

The internet has had a global effect on communication, where the creation of virtual communities exists online. These online communities are ever more reliant on receiving their news online and in ‘real-time’, within the new online economy electronic communication is instantaneous, making the concept of ‘real time’ news a reality. The internet “is a medium of multimedia content, interactive communications, electronic mail, and much more” (p.61, J.V Palik, Journalism and the New Media, 2001) which can only fuel further advancements in the field of online journalism.

Technological advances mean that we are now ‘real-time consumers’ of news through the use of an online format. “print news organisations update their online product every ten minutes throughout the day, assuming that the public is increasingly impatient with anything less than real-time information” (p.97, Going live, P. Seib 2001). Technological advances have always changed the way in which we consume news through the use of not only the internet, but from the earlier advancement of the ‘writing tool’, from typewriters to ‘Ceefax’ on BBC channels. Now it is having to adapt to our ‘needs’ and assumes that as an online community we want the news as fast and updated as the technology itself.

Within the 1970’s researchers in the field of advances in journalism within the United States had “a hunch that paper may not be a viable means of distribution for much longer” (p 49, New Technology and the Press, R. Winsbury, 1975). Although an obvious statement, even early on in technological advances, figures in the field of media were aware that advances in technology and the globalization of news, would certainly have an effect on the distribution, and ultimately the consumption of news. Even the way in which journalists themselves would carry out reporting the news, and the medium that they would use was questioned, it was considered that eventually contemporary methods would be “replacing the traditional type writer and altering their work style” (p. 45, New Technology and the Press, R. Winsbury, 1975), something that the internet and the explosion of an online community and news consumers can only support.

Potential implications for news companies have arisen because of developments in technology, where these advancements have to be followed and kept up to date with by the newspaper companies. This is in order to deliver news through the medium that consumers are demanding. This development of online technology and the growth in use of the World Wide Web, and the power of computers- “ in the first part of the twentieth century, computing power was doubling every three years…now it doubles every eighteen months” (p. 186 J.V Palik, Journalism and the New Media, 2001)- means that the mass media have also had a drastic change in the way in which news is displayed, because of increased amounts of technology. This increase in technology changes the way in which news is visibly displayed to us, it’s now on a screen, and ultimately the way in which we as society actually consume news. This increase in computing power has obviously lead to the increase of online news consumption, with web pages being up dated by the minute, and website hits increasing, this is the birth of the Online Newspaper

The Online Newspaper

Interactive News

An aesthetically pleasing web site can only add to a larger amount of consumers of news. The webpage that is displayed is a great factor in the audience figures that a news website attracts, and it has to provide what the consumers of news expect.

“Contextualization is paramount in online news coverage; links, easily accessible background material, and effective search tools should allow the news consumer to find additional material to help place a current story into its historical or other context.”
(p. 45, Journalism and the New Media, J.V Palik, 2001)

These attributes of an online newspaper is what ultimately attracts the reader. After studying two separate news websites, The Daily Mirror and The Birmingham Post, it is apparent that online newspapers, as a print newspaper would, follows certain design rules. The visible display of an online newspaper is obviously different to that of a traditional print newspaper, yet there is a definite set of ‘rules’ that are followed, even by separate newspapers. This is something that through changes to online journalism, consumers have expected, this is what

“news consumers want; the opening screen should draw attention to what’s new, whether it’s through scrolling text, well executed information, graphics, or some other technique” (p.44, J.V Palik, Journalism and New Media, 2001)

Online news has become increasingly popular with consumers being able to interact with their newspaper, responding to posts and involving themselves as ‘citizen journalists’;

“the internet is a medium of multimedia content, interactive communications, electronic mail, and much more” (p.61, J.V Palik, Journalism and the New Media, 2001)

The internet is not only fuelling an online journalistic profession, but is also allowing consumers themselves to ‘interact’ with their news and allowing that ‘much more’ to occur.

WHY?

2007-02-08T14:35:00.000Z

hmmmm............Online Journalism......why?

Well one reason is, your reading this right now, and if your reading this now you are part of a heavily expanding online readership.

The internet at the moment provides far more than getting travel insurance on the cheap, that designer bag or a thai bride, for those that way inclined, it's a whole new open world of thoughts and feelings, opinion pieces and ultimately front page news.

Online journalism is become something that up-and-coming journo's not only need to consider, it is becoming something that they must embrace. News consumption online is ever expanding, and as technological advancement is ever going on, then the role of the traditional journalist must also change in its advancement.

With the 'help' of the internet, journalists are able to create a 'real time' news situation, where the reader is aware of the stories as soon as they happen, rather than waiting for the six o'clock news bulletin or for it to appear on the evenings front page. Not only do readers have a hightened level and speed of news intake on the internet, they have the ability to interact with the news inself. Posting responses to breaking news bulletins, and being involved in news forums and developing further informed disscussions within an 'online community'.

Hmmm....BLOGGING....what I am doing right now, and what you my friend, are reading. A somewhat irrelevant and pointless speech (to you), about why online journalism is so important, a point in itself, that online journalism reaches a wider scope compared to traditional print journalism. Blogging is an opportunity for anyone to voice there opinion to the world, this is also true of the news on online, online journalism has created the 'citizen journalist', a concept that print journalism cannot offer. Everyday citizens are able to provide the news, aswell as contribute there opinion on the day's news story, an example would be the images used in the London Bombings. Grainy, raw and original images from the source of the breaking news story, as it happens, at the scene.

*cue sales pitch*

So get the news as its hot! HA! Switch to Online.