Dissertation

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.

a fully functioning lesbian scholar

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.