Week 12: Photojournalism: The Best of Both Worlds.

It is said that news must be as entertaining as it is truthful. Do you think both can coexist harmoniously in the world of photojournalism?

Week 12, which is the last of week of lecture, is about photojournalism. Can news be entertaining and truthful at the same time in the world of photojournalism? Before answering the question, what is photojournalism? Chapnick (1994) define photojournalism as “a very special breed of photographer who thrives in a challenging, story-telling, sometimes dangerous profession.” It is quiet difficult for news to be entertaining and truthful in the same time as there is a “loop hole” in the ethics of photography.

Gross, Katz and Ruby (2003), states that photojournalist and editor has been “long known full well that all images are manipulated and thus have long engaged in and countenanced a variety of image-altering practice.”  In today world of technology, a photograph could be altered in many ways but in the photojournalism world not all alteration of photographs is acceptable. With this alteration, it will make the news more entertaining and less truthful, but this doesn’t happen all the time. Some alterations are made just to make the photograph clearer, but some of the alterations make the original photograph to look bias and very subjective.

One of the many alterations that makes the news more entertaining and less truthful is which is acceptable in the photojournalism world is adding in important details or the cropping out of very important information. With this alteration, the photo will be no longer truthful; it will change the true picture into a lie.

Another alteration is by giving caption to the photo. This alteration doesn’t involve the picture at all, but it involves with giving meaning to the picture. It is truthful by titling it with the author’s name, or just telling the place of when it was taken and of what, but captioning a photograph makes the audience feel something. This feeling that the audience get from the photograph is sometimes bias and subjective. This is called anchorage. With this power, a photograph that looks so truthful could be view in a different way, thus making it a lie but entertaining.

There are still some in the news industries who use unacceptable manipulations on photograph that isn’t obvious to the audience eyes. With this type of manipulations, it makes the photograph more entertaining and even less truthful. The manipulations are like editing and distortion of main subject of photograph, deceiving the world on how the photograph was made and the use of an application that could significantly change the image.

In conclusion, it is quite difficult for a photograph to be both entertaining and truthful as the news wants it to be more entertaining so that the company will gain more profit and also to create biasness. It is hard to handle the truth of news sometimes and sometime the truthful news are just dull, thus making it more entertaining is the way to go.

Reference List:-

Chapnick, H. (1994). Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism. United States of America: University of Missouri Press.

Gross, L., Katz J. S. & Ruby, J. (2003). Image ethics in the digital age. MN: University of Minnesota Press. 

Week 11: Information Graphics: Who say data and graphs must be boring?

Tutorial Question: Look at the following information graphic broken down into a series of  4 images and answer the following question:

The original photograph is called "Skull with cigarette, 2007" by Chris Jordan. It has a caption below the photographs which reads: "Depicts 200,000 packs of cigarettes, equal to the number of Americans who die from cigarette smoking every six months". Why didn't the photographer just present the information in numbers? Why explain the statistics in graphical form? 

This week, which is week 11, is the week of information graphics. Tidwell (2011) define information graphic as "to communicate knowledge visually rather than verbally." If the photographer just present the information in numbers, no matter what brand it is shown on the graph, the only thing that matters will be the total of  number of deaths. Another reason is because of the range of months that is being used is only 6 months, which is too short to put on a data. There's also not much data to compare it to, even though there is different brands but it is still cigarette. In numerical form, there will be too much data for the audience to read. 

With explaining the statistics in graphical form, as shown above, where it is very stimulating and interacting. With graphical form, it attracts the attention of the eye of the audience. Another reason is showing it in graphical form, it shows the story of the death because of what and by what brand. This is called Narrative, where Altman (2008), define it as "the practice of story-telling." The images tell a story of where deaths come to those who smokes, and when zoomed in, it shows of the brands of cigarettes that causes this deaths. With the help of the subtitle that comes with the photos help the audience further understand the picture. The subtitle of the image acts as an anchorage, to shape how we see things.

In graphical form, the audience able to read picture in a sequence. According to Tracey and Morrow (2006, p.51), people organize the knowledge they have learnt into knowledge structure or schema, this is called Schema Theory. This graphical form is not narrative but also instructive, showing the step-by-step instruction of  why and how. Other else from Interactive and Narrative, it also exploratives, where the audience is allow to discover and explore the intention of the graphic designer. With graphical image also you could persuade people, where McQuarrie & Phillips (2008) state that rhetorics has been mainly worried on how to say it than what to say. 

In conclusion, it is better to present it in graphical form than numerical form is because in graphical for, it is able to persuade people on the reason of death is because of smoking of every brand of smoke, it also tells a  story, it is more instructive and let the audience explore what is the photographer is trying to say. The reason on why not to use numerical form, there'll will be too many data for the audience to read.

Reference list:-

Altman, R. (2008). A Theory of Narrative. New York: Columbia University Press

McQuarrie, E. F. & Phillips, B. J. (2008). Advertising Rhetoric: An Introduction. In McQuarrie, E. F. & Phillps, B. J. (Eds.)., Go Figure!: New Directions in Advertising Rhetorics. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. 

Tidwell, J. (2011). Designing Interfaces (2nd ed.). CA: O'Reilly Media Inc.

Tracey, D. H. & Morrow, L. M. (2006). Lenses on Reading: An Introduction to Theories and Models. USA: Guilford Press.

week 10: Games and Avatar in the information age: Don't tell me World of Warcraft isn't real. I got married there

Tutorial Question: Do you agree that you are cyborgian in nature? 

Week 10 is all about the cyber culture. The answer to the tutorial question above is yes. The reason for the agreement with the question is because in the new information age, we can't live without the machine as they have been apart of our life. According to Levy (2001), "we cannot separate the material world- even less so its artificial component -from the ideas through which technological objects are conceived and used, or from the humans who invent, produced and used them."

Another reason why is that in this information age, there's so too many information to "digest" that the brain and the body can handle it. Therefore the need of technological prosthetic is needed. On example is on prosthetic memory, which is the photograph. Landsberg (2004) defined prosthetic memories as memories of a new form that "emerges at the interface between a person and a historical narrative about the past, at an experiential site such as movie theater or museum."

Not only prosthetic memories, we even communicate using technology, for example the usage of the mobile phone or email to communicate with family instead of talking face to face. There is also communicating via the social media. Social media is the media of social interaction. Where in this social media world, human create an avatar or a cyborgian identity to communicate. Cyborgs lives in a simulacrum. Simulacrum "is a copy of a copy whose relation to the model has become so attenuated that it can no longer be properly said to be a copy of a copy." (Massumi B., as cited in Pronger, 2002). Not only that the cyborg live in a simulacrum, even our worldview is created in simulacrum. Where, our knowledge is based TV documentaries, news and cinema.

As we continue on evolving, we never communicating as only one person but as multiple selves. The people we see online, in television or cinema are representation of a self, an avatar or a character in the current period time, the information age. Cyborgs are lived realities not fantasies, but not everyone in the world are cyborgs, there's technological condition that must met.

Overall, in the current period of time (the information age), we depend on technologies as prosthetic, as our identity and made technologies as a part of our lives that we are a cyborg in nature.

Reference List:-

Landsberg, A. (2004). Posthetic Memory: The Transformation of American rememberance in the age of new mass culture. NewYork: Columbia University Press.

Levy, P. (2001). Cyberculture. United State of America: University of Minnesota Press.

Massumi, B. (1987). Realer than real. The simulacrum according to Deleuze aand Guattari. Quoted in Pronger, B. (2002). Body Fascism: Salvation in the technology of physical fitness. Canada: Univeristy of Torronto.

week 9: Cinema and Television

Tutorial Question: Name your favorite television and film. Explain how the film or television could shape a person's identity. 

Week 9 was the study of cinema and television. The most favorite television series is Pokemon and most favorite movie is Lion King. What does this television series and movie have in common? The main hero or main character has the motivation to be the best and to be respected by others, also went through a lot of challenges trying to be the best. This the knowledge of a person who is able to relate to the movie or television series. This knowledge is known as "cultural literacy". Schirato and Yell (2000), said that "cultural literacy can be defined as a knowledge of meaning systems and an ability to negotiate those systems within different cultural contexts. It is virtually impossible to  describe and analyse what is happening in any communication context or practice without using the concept of cultural literacy."

How does this film and/or television shape a person's identity? According to Solomon and Higgins (2010), "a persons identity is not determined just by what he or she knows or remembers or how he or she thinks . A persons identity is also determined by what he or she cares about. It is determined by what emotions are most prevalent and how they get expressed. Who we are depends on how we feel about things." In other words not only that the person identity is shape by the cultural literacy but also the emotion he or she have towards the television series or movies.

This is where Semiotics is applied. Inskip, MacFarlane and Rafferty (2007), stated "semiotics involves the study of signs and formalises an attempt to establish the meaning of these signs." In other words, with semiotics, the person able to study the signs that he or she could see in the the movie or the television and make a meaning out of it. This is called connotation, what the sign represents. With the audience having the ability to connote what the character in the television or movie is representing, he or she have the tendency to relate to those characters and have the tendency to follow the traits of identity of the characters.

Another way where film and/or television able to shapes a person identity is by the influence of the characters in the movie or television series. For example, Pokemon, the hero is Ash Ketchum. At the starting of the series, Ash started out with only one pokemon and literally less knowledge of the pokemon world and his target was to be the best in the pokemon world. This determination that is being showed will influence the audience on having the same type of identity.

This is actually called "cultivation theory". Shanahan and Morgan (1999), stated that "this simple hypothesis- that watching a great deal of television will be associated with a tendency to hold specific and distinct of reality, conceptions  that are congruent with the most consistent and pervasive images and values of the medium- may, at first glance, appear to be so thoroughly reasonable and self-evident that one may be tempted to wonder what all the fuss is about." There is also the modeling theory, where Pederson, Miloch and Laucella (2007), state that  it is where "the audience member model their behavior on actions viewed on television, listened to on the radio, read in the newspaper and magazine, or any other way they receive messages from the mass media." In short, modeling theory is when the audience is copying the behavior of the characters.

In conclusion, the film and/or television are able to shape a persons identity due to its influence. Where the audience who have the cultural literacy to understand the television series or show, will copy the behavior or identity of the characters and be one with it, due to its knowledge of the characters.

Reference list:-

Inskip, C., Macfarlane, A. & Rafferty, P. (2008). Meaning, Communication, Music: towards a revised communication model. Journal of Documentation, 64(5), 693.

Pederson, P. M., Miloch, K. S. & Laucella, P. C. (2007). Strategic Sport Communication. United State: Human Kinetics

Shanahan, J. & Morgon, M. (1999). Television and its Viewers: Cultivation theory and Research. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Shirato, T. & Yell, S. (2000). Communication and Cultural Literacy: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Solomon, R. C. & Higgins, K. M. (2010). The Big Question: A Short Introduction to Philosophy (8th ed.). USA: Wadsworth.

Week 8: Photography: Reconceptualising Culture, Memory and Space

Tutorial Question: Why do we consider photography as a form of cultural critique? Is every photograph able to do so? 

During week 8, the topic photography was thought. Why do we consider photography as a form of cultural critique? Is every photograph able to do so? Photograph is a prosthetic memory. Landsberg (2004) define prosthetic memory as a new form of memory that "emerges at the interface between a person and a historical narrative about the past, at an experiential site such as movie theater or museum." Photography was initially used for portraiture, but it superseded and in many ways offered a more accurate representation of life than paintings. In the beginning, people were not generally happy with black and white picture but accepted its artistic nature. Since photograph were able to document whatever happened, it could be use to critique culture. 

As Industrialization began, so does modernism. Photography is one of the revolutions of modernity and it is consider as a modern cultural product. Due to photography is being consider as a cultural product, thus it can be critique culturally. Another reason why photography is consider as a form of cultural critique because photography is a simulacrum. What is simulacrum? "A common definition of the simulacrum is a copy of a copy whose relation to the model has become so attenuated that it can no longer be properly said to be a copy." (Massumi B., as cited in Pronger, 2002). In short, the photograph is the real truth. Since photograph is considered as the real truth, hence it is a form of cultural critique. Photograph is a powerful tool to critique culture. 

According to Wright (1999), the photograph has the ability to "show people what they would not normally see, bringing issues to their attention through challenging their conventional perspective of life." Wright (1999), stated that "the role of photography in the service of revolutionary activity is both to promote a particular viewpoint and to educate." Due to the role of photography to promote a specific viewpoint and to educate people, it is a form of cultural critique. 

But not all photograph is in a cultural critique form. This is because some photographs have different views from its cultural form. Also some photographs portray lies and also some photographs are difficult to understands. Photograph is a form of art that not many people understand. Another reason is that some photographs are taken to be kept as memories, not to be critique on like the example below. 

Reference list:-

Landsberg, A. (2004). Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture. New York: Columbia University Press. 

Massumi, B. (1987). Realer than real. The simulacrum according to Deleuze and Guattari. Quoted in Pronger, B. (2002). Body Fascism: Salvation in the technology of physical fitness. Canada: University of Toronto.

Wright, T. (1999). The Photography Handbook. London: Routledge. 

Week 7: Visual Narrative and the Media: An Image speaks a thousand words- because I made it so

Tutorial Question: Why is Narrative important when shaping a visual image to the audience?

In this week lecture, we covered the topic visual narrative and the media. With the knowledge that have been thought to us during this week lecture, I am going to answer the tutorial question that has been stated above. But what is Narrative? Narrative is story-telling, it consist of a series of events, actors, time and location. According to Altman (2008), Narrative is "the practice of story-telling". Without narrative, a visual image will be just a picture and the definition of the image will unknown. 

A narrative has two natures; Story and Discourse. Story refers to the chronology of events that is in a narrative. Story is WHAT is told, which means it is the content of the narrative. According to Genette, discourse is the "oral or written, that narrates them." In other words its HOW the narrative is told. Discourse makes clear on how a story is to be told. Due to this nature of a narrative, the visual image now produces a story to the audience in a form of a picture. This two natures of narrative helps to shape the visual image, thus making the audience or the consumer understand what the picture means. For example the picture below show what is told, which is about the war and how one of the person is shot and how it is told, which is by creating a picture of different scene in one picture.

Another feature of narrative that makes it important is that it has a paradigmatic and syntagm. Jackson & Amvela (2000), stated that Syntagm is "sequence" and Pragmatic is "substitution". Syntagm is the element in a narrative that must have a liner configuration and relationship, where this elements are signs that produces meaning in connection to the signs before or after it. While pragmatic is the one element in the configuration that could be substituted/change for another element belonging to the same category. Due to this features, it will be difficult to shape a visual image without narrative cause there won't be a story line in the image and signs that will relate to each other that will generate meaning/story. In the picture below shows where syntagm is applied. The picture shows the sequences of the image moving left to right. The cat could be change into a dog or any other animal, as long as the storyline of the image is not ruined.

Also one of the reason on why narrative is important to shape visual image is because of one of its component which is focalisation. According to Fulton, Huisman, Murphet and Dunn (2005), "focalisation refers to the viewpoint or perspective from which the narration is told, positioning narrative voices, who may or may not be characters in the story, in relation to events and other."  Where focalisation is where a perspective is created. With this component it helps to shape the visual image into a perspective for the audience. Thus it will be easier to understand. 

In conclusion, the reason why narrative is important when it comes to shaping the visual image to the audience is because narrative is story-telling. Another reason is the dualistic nature of narrative which is story and discours and lastly, is the narative features which is the paradignmatic and syntagmatic features which hepls in shaping the visual image. Lastly due to its component to be able to focus an image to a certain perspective, it helps in shaping the visual image to the audience.

reference list:

Altman, R. (2008). A Theory of Narrative. New York: Columbia University Press.

Fulton, H., Huisman, R., Murphet, J., & Dunn, A. (2005). Narrative and Media. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Genette, G. (1988). Narrative Discourse Revisited. New York:  Cornell University Press.

Jackson, H. & Amvela, E. Z. (2000). Words, Meaning and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology. New York: The Cromwell Press. 

Week 6: The Ancient Art of Rhetoric and Persuasion

Tutorial question: Before coming to class, bring a print advertisement that you believe persuades the reader  rhetorically. Explain your case using the concepts learnt this week.

In this week,  Chris covered "The Ancient Art of Rhetoric and Persuasion". The advertisement above is an example of an advertisement that could persuade the reader rhetorically. What does rhetoric mean?? Griffin (2009), defined rhetoric as the "discovering all possible means of persuasions." In other words, rhetoric is a form of persuasion. It is the tool of conviction and persuasion for the popular mass. So the advertisement above is a form of persuasion. It is persuading the reader to buy the product. McQuarrie & Phillips (2008), stated that "mass media brand advertising is the largest organized persuasive endeavor in the world of today."

A persuasion must have a proposition and argument. According to Hwacroft (1999), "there are two basic form of reasoning; deductive and inductive." The above advertisement is inductive. What is Inductive? Inductive is when the propositional premise seems to be true and provides enough support for the conclusion. Hwacroft (1999) explained that "induction begins with the particular, and draws conclusion that are either general or particular." Hwacroft (1999) also stated that, with induction, the conclusion can be made from one (or more) premises. So this advertisement is showing a very blurred and uncleared mirror, but the are which has been sprayed by the product is clear and clean. This is the premises and the conclusion is that with the use of the product, all of the dirty an blurred window will be clean and clear after using this product. 

Rhetorics in advertising is more concerned with the style of the advertisement than the content. According to McQuarrie & Phillips (2008), “rhetoric has been more concerned with how to say things than what to say.” The advertisement above is an example of where there is style but less content, but it still manage to persuade the public to buy the product. 

There is problem with visual rhetorics, is that visual text is difficult to interpret because it is ambiguous and vague. But visual rhetoric is a mixture of both words and images, and image can make meaning of words clearer and vice versa. Yeshin (2006) also states that images have the ability to give out more information more accurately and faster when differentiate with words, also images can be “absorbed” and remembered by the individual with less effort and it has potential to provide entertainment to the individual.  The advertisement above demonstrating the ability of the product via visual image that manage to captures the public eyes and persuade them instead of using words trying to explain and persuading which might bore them. 

The advertising style consist of the medium, genre, strategies of production and creative imagery to show an argument. In other words, a poster conveys a persuasive visaul argument, but a music video conveys a different persuasive argument with different affects on reader. If the advertisement above were to be a commercial, it will persuade the public in another different way, where the public will be able to see the product at "work". 

In conclusion the advertisement above is an example of an advertisement that persuades the reader rhetorically because it is persuading the public to buy their product. It is an example of an inductive propositional argument, where the propositional premise of the advertisement seems to be true and it provides enough support for the conclusion. When it comes to advertising, the style of the advertisement s more concerned than the content. 

Reference list:-

Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory (7th ed.). Glencoe, IL: McGrawHill.

Hwacroft, M. (1999). Rhetorics: Readings in French Literature. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. 

McQuarrie, E. F. & Phillips, B. J. (2008). Advertising Rhetoric: An Introduction. In McQuarrie, E. F. & Phillips, B. J.  (Eds.)., Go Figure!: New Directions in Advertising Rhetorics. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

Yeshing, T. (2006). Advertising. London: Thomson Learning.