Sad Bitch Guide to Political Economy within the Media

When it comes to the Political Economy of the Media, essentially all you need to know is which publications are run by whom, which ultimately dictates which information will be released and under what context. Once again I was just told how evil Corporate Media is and that the majority of news I read that comes from commercial media is bias and unethical. Control and Ownership are usually the primary factors in this, however surveillance and regulation are applied in order to manage what news is being released and whether it follows legal and ethical guidelines. 

Drama

However, an argument that I have made and will probably continue to make, is that regardless of which format, outlet or story, everything an audience consumes will most likely come from a particular bias or angle, depending on the said format, outlet and story. However the bias does not end there. Bias continues from the person who has written the story, and bias comes from the person who reads and interprets the story.

There is no way to dictate what is and what isn't bias, we can only assume that through the general human experience, bias has formed an important part in how we create and interpret information. 

It is foolish to call someone like Rupert Murdoch and his media outlets as bias but ignore smaller, independent companies- I'm not against these independent outlets, however the focus on public media bias is less than the never-ending scrutiny News Limited is consistently under. 

In a Nutshell

There is also the perspective that nothing in society is 'natural.' One could  find this as an indication that our minds and thoughts are warped by the information we receive- and this to a degree is true. However, bias is an external force that is entrapped in every experience, in our education, spiritual beliefs, political beliefs and economic background.

Of course there's the rule of ownership, whereby if you own a large and successful corporation and have worked for many years to get where you are, you're probably corrupt and evil. Funnily enough this Tall Poppy Syndrome comes from rival outlets, which makes me wonder where the political economy of the government is really about who can out-sass who amongst media moguls. Its like a crappy reality show, only through print and the occasional public brawl (James Packer we are looking at you).

I'm still unsure whether this was a fight between James Packer and David Gyngell or a scene from a homoerotic film #packerpacksapunch #nohomo

Sad Bitch Guide to The Hipster Movement

Hipsters.

We've all heard of them. Seen them. Rolled our eyes at them and hold our breath around them in fear of our hygiene. But what is a 'Hipster' and why are they taking over the world as we know it?

First, lets look at the physical appearance of the typical 'hipster'- the fashion brands of the well-off-middle-class, yet the maintenance and general grooming of a homeless person. How does the twisted oxymoron, born of the worlds dumbest statement come to be in a society where we have been taught showering is important since the age of three? 

Plaid, beards and beanies as far as the eye can see

One could say that a hipster is the revolutionary figure that deems themselves to be the poetic 'Individual in Society,' who rises against conformity to be the ever existential 'other.' A Hipster would define itself (I use the pronoun 'It' due to my theory that hipsters are not actually human beings) as being 'different' and 'unique.' However my personal summation of a hipster would be:

Hipster (n). a proud breed, the Hipster is a degenerated form of the typical 1967 American Hippy, noted for their strong stance against conformity, but still own the latest Apple iPhone model. This figure can often be seen wearing overly expensive clothes but often abstains from utilizing traditional hygiene techniques. The typical hipster can often be identified by their inability to discriminate between seasonal clothing, perplexing hatred of footwear and an obsession with looking like a member of the opposite sex. The hipster can often be found in universities, public libraries, Apple stores or anywhere with free WiFi.

Spot the difference

Essentially a Hipster is someone who believes that they are too 'individual' and everything considered to be 'mainstream' is overrated. However, in an ironic twist in events, the Hipster is no longer an individualistic movement- the notion of being an individual in society has become mainstream- thus society itself is becoming a reflection of Hipsterdom. From this the Hipster attitude extends to create the 'Alpha Hipster;' a figure who follows every 'trend' before it becomes a 'trend'- at least that is there claim. Here lies the problem: Hipsters have formed through what I call 'The Age of Narcissistic Self-Entitlement,' making it  close relation to the 'Common White Girl.' In simple terms, those born under the 'Age of Narcissistic Self-Entitlement' tend to think the solar system revolves around them (like this year when Joe Hockey introduced the 2014 Australian budget and everyone started complaining because they would stop getting free money and have to start paying $7 to see the doctors? Oh the outrage of having to actually pay for services and work for money.)

The Struggle is Real

Now this isn't a mainstream post about how everything must revolve around conformity (although I will openly admit I love mainstream- from fashion trends to music to food, I will wear, listen to, and eat whatever I like, and not based off whether or not it is trendy), because things that are alternative are just as wonderful and creative- but there is a difference between creative and fresh alternative music, fashion and food and having different views on society without being a pretentious wanker.

The 'Age of Narcissistic Self-Entitlement' needs to end, so I hereby list of my 'Alternative Guidelines.'

Acceptable

-If you drink Coffee that's fine, but no one cares about the Starbucks logo

-Instagram is a great form of social media,but hold off on posting a photo of Every. Goddamn. Meal.

-Winter wear is acceptable, but only in winter.

-A Mac Laptop is fine to own, but may God have mercy on your soul if you own a $2000 laptop but have no shoes on in public

-Owning an iPhone and Apple Products is practical, but this doesn't mean you go out and buy the iPhone 6 when you have a perfectly good iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5, and 4s and so on.

-Leggings  are not acceptable (Ever.)

-Neither are Uggs (unless you are at home and in winter)

-Nutella is delicious so this is allowed

-Raw Foods are disgusting and unnatural for human consumption

-Arctic Monkey's, Lana Del Ray, Lorde, Birdy, Ed Sheeran are perfectly acceptable alternative artists

-If a bands music sounds like saucepans being banged together, then odds are is someone just got high and started banging saucepans together

-Hygiene is important- for the sake of everyone, have a shower. And shower daily.

Lies

Never Forget.

I know some people out there will disagree with me ($10 says that person is either wearing new-but-worn-out-looking clothes or is a girl who wore bindis on her head to a music festival recently), but its my blog and I will campaign to end bad hygiene until the day I die.

Sad Bitch Guide to Ethics

Throughout high school I always opted for the subject of Religious Education over a real subject (I went to a Catholic school, so some form of religion had to be studied). I mainly chose that subject, not only because the main form of assessment was colouring in pictures of Jesus, but also I could sleep in class without anyone noticing (I had a great maneuver that enabled me to sleep in 90% of my classes in year 12 without detection). However there came a time when we actually had to do something that could be relatively considered work (sort of), and it actually interested me (when I was awake that is.) That unit was Ethics.

My Year Twelve Religion Assignment

Now I, like many people, have gone through changes in my life whereby my ethics have changed, mainly as a way of justifying awful decisions I have made. For example, when I was younger, roughly twelve or thirteen, swearing was just about the absolute worst thing you could do around me. Enter now where I use what many could consider to be offensive vernacular, even in my university assignments. My ethical opinion concerning swearing- "Its just words, its the context of the situation that designates it to be offensive"- actual argument made by me.

Now because I'm in a journalism subject I have to relate ethics to this area, which funnily is the major reason I feel I couldn't be a news journalist. We spoke in our lecture about ranging ethical situations, the major question being "When do our ethics allow us to be journalists, and when do we stop being journalists?"

I believe in accountability, loyalty and (probably my best and worst quality) always trying to help people. And no matter what the role I have is, I don't think there could ever be a situation whereby I could deliberately ignore these ethics just for the purpose of a news story. Example A)- when the worst kind of media scum willfully invade the personal lives of a victim of crime, or their families, for the purpose of a distasteful headline. Is destroying someone else life really worth a byline on the front page? 

The symbol of rebellion against the 2009 Iranian Election- Mistaken Identity

Lets look at Exhibit A) the case of Iranian women Neda Soltani, who became the face of the Iranian rebellion against the 2009 election that looked rigged as hell. The above women, Neda Agha-Soltan, was getting out of her car next to a peaceful protest turned not-so-peaceful, ultimately getting shot by Iranian police. Of course someone caught this scene on their camera phone, capturing Soltan in a compromising 'martyr' image. A thirty second Facebook search was deemed 'research' by a Western Journalist, who deemed a women named Neda Soltani was 'close-enough' to the dead women, and then posted her face and name all over the news.

Close Enough

Soltani, an English teacher who was very much alive, was plastered over the world news as a martyr, As a result she was then hunted down by the Iran government and had to bribe her way out of her own country, spending time in a German refugee camp, simply because no one Facebook messaged her "Hey, are you the dead girl?"

There was no accountability here, and very little ethical judgement about what this could do to this woman's life, especially in a dangerous and corrupt country.

Exhibit B) Kevin Carter's controversial photo 'Sudanese Girl,' which captures a starving Sudanese girl in the African heat whilst a vulture watches on. Carter watched the starving girl for twenty minutes hoping to get a photo of the vulture behind her to spread its wings.Carter later committed suicide after receiving world wide criticism for doing nothing to help the child. 

The fateful photo

Media has the ability to destroy someones life, ruin someones reputation and slander someones very name. Some perhaps could justify wreaking havoc on someone else's life for a news photo or news headline, but unfortunately for my journalism career, that's something my ethics could never allow me to do.

Chris Jefferies- accused by the British media of murdering his tenant because he looks weird

Sad Bitch Guide to Covering War/Trauma

I was relatively excited for this week’s lecture on ‘Covering War’ (and by relatively excited I mean I was only 10 minutes late to class that morning). Strangely enough I've always found war reporting to be the major form of journalism that I am interested in (other than being a column or feature article writer where I can blast my opinions). Maybe because I watch too many action/war movies, but it’s a totally thrilling concept of being in a war torn country and documenting social upheavals, death, destruction and other psychologically damaging events (which the movies oddly never seem to touch on?).

But the main issue that comes into this is of psychological damage.

No one ever seems to touch on the effects of war, on both soldiers and the journalists/ photojournalists that experience once they come back. And not just in war, but in any traumatic event- such as natural disasters, crimes, epidemics, crashes and terrorists attacks.

So in terrific media fashion, here are the things movies, televisions shows and books have taught me about surviving any form of traumatic event

-You will most definitely survive a mass weather disaster if you are attractive, have a camera in hand or are Jake Gyllenhaal -The Day After Tomorrow

-You will find a way to get rid of that asteroid moments before it hits the Earth, even though the whole process is completely illogical and Bruce Willis can't pull off being a scientist -Armageddon

-Always ignore the trained professional who tells you that a dormant volcano directly next to your town is about to erupt- he doesn't know anything- Dante's Peak

-Aliens that managed to kill half the human race in a matter of hours haven't mastered the concept of hygiene and avoiding bacteria yet, so Tom Cruise is safe for another day -War of the Worlds

-Large cruise ships don't carry enough life boats - Titanic

-If you live in a large metropolitan city in America, good luck- every bad disaster movie ever

-We're gonna be doin` one thing and one thing only... killin' Nazis: Also Brad Pitt can pull of the Texam psycho killer character as being cool. He also looks dashing with a mustache- Inglorious Basterds

-Liam Neelson is perpetually 'The Man'- Schindler's List

-The soldiers on the opposing side are the worst shooters ever... unless it comes to shooting your best friend, then their aim is perfect- any war movie ever

-If you're a teenager and someone invades your country, you should definitely form a guerrilla group- Tomorrow When the War Began

-Run faster you Bastard- Gallipoli

-If there is a disaster or a war, and you are working with an attractive member of the opposite sex, the death and destruction will definitely force them to lower their standards to go out with you- every movie directed by someone who is haunted by their high-school rejection by the popular kid.

I definitely watch too many movies, however I'm going to assume that the media coverage of war zones is limited quite like the foregrounding in movies.

For a war zone to make the Western  Media, there are certain qualifications to achieve regarding death and destruction

Essentially the formula goes:
10,000 Muslims = 1,000 Asians = 100 non-English speaking Europeans = 50 English Speaking Westerners = 1 White American

However if a battle has the potential to spark the much-hyped World War III (what a great movie would that make!) then the story will be all over the news for about a fortnight until everyone gets board and starts reporting on the story of a man on a surfboard getting hit by a dolphin. (See North Korea, See Syria, See Russia, See majority of Africa, See the Middle East for approximately 20 years)

Essentially if you are a White American, preferably middle-to-upper-class, famous would be better, then congratulations! News of your death will reach all corners of the globe and we'll probably hear about it for the next three years. If you are non-English speaking, non-Christian background, poor with a dark-complexion- sorry better luck next time.

Sad Bitch Guide to the Tights-as-Pants Crisis

I've said it once, I will say it again- tights are not pants.

This abomination was once designed with the destiny to warm women's legs so they can still wear reasonably length dresses and skirts well into winter, however fate took a turn for the worst when bad dressers everywhere replaced actual pants with tights and failed to incorporate another item of clothing over top. 

 Preach

It hasn't stopped there.

Young girls and women everywhere choose to incorporate crop tops with their see-through leggings, in order to really accentuate their camel toe. And plus since tights are usually worn in winter, what better way to keep warm then to wear half a shirt. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a post against crop tops- they are a great invention but if you're not going to meet it half way and wear something either high waisted or relatively long (not tights) then you might as well slip on some thigh-high boots and call yourself a streetwalker (only wearing a quarter of the recommended amount of clothing isn't high-fashion, its just over-sized underwear).

Nothing quite like camel toe in the morning.

As for tights with rips up the sides- Just No.

 They found a way to make tights worse- R.I.P to Rips.

I have worked at a shopping center for three years, and every time I have worked for the extended trading hours on a Thursday (often called 'Late Night,' to make the fourteen-year-old's feel cool for staying out until 9pm), and out of the thousands of girls wearing these broken leggings, I have never seen someone look good in them- usually I just assume they tried to fit into Size XXS at Supre, but just called it a day when their legs didn't fit and ripped the seams.

Let me be fully honest- I think girls - all shapes, sizes and appearances- are beautiful (My sexuality has been questioned by Katy Perry a few times now). But the fact that we live in 2014 and we are still to scared to fit beyond a size 8 is absolutely ridiculous. 

Some people are naturally skinny and happen to fit size 6 and size 8. That doesn't mean that women who are size 10 and 12 aren't just as attractive, and it certainly doesn't mean women 14, 16, 18 and + aren't incredibly beautiful either. 

 There are pros and cons of every size, but not one of them is better than the rest

We all strive to fit in clothing all because the number on the tag looks more appealing- believe it or not, even a slim size 6 girl won't look good in every outfit she tries on. 

It can feel depressing when all of your friends around you are short and skinny, whilst you not only have curves, but also reach nearly six feet in height; but they way you look does not define who you are or how you should be. 

But no matter how thin you are, or thick, or tall or short- tights are never the answer. By working together we can end the tights-as-pants crisis, along with global warming.

Remember, just because it zips doesn't always mean it fits.

 

I'm just going to leave this here

Sad Bitch Guide to Photos and Shit

News photography is becoming increasingly relevant to journalism. Some may say it is because they was we consume knowledge is rapidly increasing and a picture is the key to 'the real news.'

I just say it's because people are lazy and don't want to read a couple of paragraphs.

However what makes a good photo? What are the effects of enhancing images? How can a photo change the way a story is viewed.

In the lecture we were asked to choose out of three photos that were of essentially the same situation, however one of them was newsworthy. Living and being educated in Townsville of course the activity had something to do with Jonathon Thurston (I'm surprised there isn't a subject on offer based around him- great player but overexposure is horrific). The photo was taken at his uncles funeral- and no it wasn't displayed in the obituaries, it was front page news (why?).

 

The fact that someone lurched around a graveyard for a photo of a football player crying at a funeral disturbs me more than the fact that this is considered front-page news. But this won an award (most creepy photo published) so I guess that makes the questionable movements of the photographer justified.

In order to have an effective photo it needs to be front and center, and full of emotion. There's nothing quite like stalking a grown man until he breaks down in tears (satisfying.)

However in many cases, such as television news, actual substantial photos aren't even necessary. For example when One Direction visited Australia last year the news stations saw fit to include video footage, not of the actual boy band, but instead of throngs of screaming girls for five minutes (captivating.) 

Next we enter the wonderful world of internet and magazine publishing, where you can play the game of 'which image is actually real, and which ones have been heavily edited.'

Lets look at this wonderful edit of Justin Bieber being helped out of his car by his bodyguard.

The Original

The 'more realistic but still fake' edit

This image will always be relevant. Always.

We all know just how viral the Internet can make things, primarily if it's a bad photo of someone. It's especially if it's a bad photo of a celebrity, because we really cant handle the fact that they are good looking and talented people, so therefore we must make them look ugly.

Even Queen Bey can't escape the combination of Tall Poppy Syndrome and the power of the Internet.

Don't worry Beyonce, your thighs look amazing!

When we enter the area of magazine publishing, retouching is used more than Microsoft Word. Even a Size 6 model is retouched, pinched in, prodded, illuminated, and essentially made to look nothing like themselves. The aim is to create a completely unrealistic representation of a physical appearance (nobody's skin is that clear).

Apparently cellulite isn't allowed- I don't care you're still sexy Kimmy K.

But this isn't to say photography is always fabricated and unless. Sometimes important stories require a photo that is almost iconic as the event itself, that represents the entire scene, such as the fated but iconic World Trade Center photo.

News photography is still relevant, just don't go hiding behind graveyards to get your photo (reeks of desperation).

Sad Bitch Guide to Story that is a Fairytale

I have no idea what the actual aim of this task is (I'll be 100% honest), but essentially I have to take a news story and replay it as a fairytale.

Once Upon A Time there was a young boy who was unsure how to act around other children.

He would often cry, throw tantrums and he had not learned his words yet.

His mother and father tried desperately hard to help their son, but nothing helped. The doctor diagnosed him, but little was to be done. The little boy was angry, and didn't know how to take turns.

One day his parents found a magical place called The AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism, and enrolled their son straight away. The Foundation answered their prayers and soon their son not only stopped throwing tantrums, but also learned his words.

After a few years the little boy was then able to go to a mainstream school after completing all of his goals, and both he and his parents lived happily ever after.

(Told you I didn't really get the task, but the story is special to me as I used to work at the AEIOU Foundation and continue to work with Autistic children. AEIOU really is a fantastic place, and this 'fairytale spin, is based off an article in the Townsville Bulletin published 21/4/14.)

Happy Days