It’s very rare to see a lead singer wearing a hoody on stage. First impressions would be, ‘oh dear, this is going to be unenergetic’. But forget that when Asking Alexandria step up to the mark.
Reserved looking vocalist James Murray seems to smash many preconceptions as a front man, with effortless vocal malice instantly making you sit up and take note of what you’re witnessing.
On the back of album “The Irony Of Your Perfection” reviews, such as “one of the most outstanding riffs you’ll hear all year” and “it rapidly kicks arse, violently and with extreme force”, the live set this band put the final nail in the coffin of those who imagine the conceptual “emo” to be a crying wreck, sapped of energy from hating the world.
Live, it’s important for the band to enjoy what their producing. Unmistakably so, with influences such as UnderOath, Killswitch Engage and Blessthefall, this was never going to be the case.
There is a clear evolution in the song writing in Asking Alexandria, with older songs such as “Bite Your Lip And Fake It” still being musically ace (in fact with pounding riffs and breakdowns), but somehow the newer material seems more progressive.
Songs such as “Bitter Revenge Sweet Tragedy” almost force you to at the least move your head, with the more punk based beat and the “Hey! Hey!” that the crowd seem to lay in wait for.
Even the keyboard use in “Wings for the Sake of Falling” seems to euphorically contradict the vocals in an eerie, gut twisting style and song “The Irony Of Your Perfection” has an definite tinge of more brutal Avenged Sevenfold about in the closing solo.
Unfortunately, the poor crowd turn out through the poor promotion marred slightly the potential for a riot, but seemed to not tarnish the vigour of the bands stage presence, and the handful that turned up certainly did not regret doing so.
Don’t get me wrong, the self confessed emo band conform lyrically to the stereotype, with lines such as “scream goodbye, your dropping dead, and it’s all over”. But it’s clear that this is no emo-dribble. In fact, there is no reason why 2008 is the year we all hear of Asking Alexandria.
Friday, 30 November 2007
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Current Trends In Mass Media
The ever growing concentration of the media is increasing the mass media market. Therefore it could be argued that the public are receiving far from a diverse press in modern society. So what are the main trends in mass media today?
Firstly, liberal theories suggest that a self regulated free market would be the best way to ensure the press remains diverse. They also suggest that the press must serve the public in three ways: Inform the voting public of political plans; oversee the government and inform the public of any political unrest, and articulate a public opinion. However, with concentrated ownership in the media, depending on which political stance the owner has, these may not be reported fairly as to not damage their politics.
As the main source of income for media institutions in advertising, often stories may be untold as to not upset the paying advertiser. For example, if a magazine had a regular high paying advert slot filled by a company that uses sweat shops to produce its product, that magazine would be restricted as to what it could say in a story regarding sweat shops, as it may deter the advertiser from using that magazine again.
The Frankfurt School are exemplary in locating trends in the mass media. One point raised by them is the rise of the ‘hollow’ commodity fetishism that has replaced the important values in the media, mainly due to the evolution of the consumer society.
From the points raised above, the trends occurring due to mass media seem to be slightly negative, due to the lack of freedom and diversity in the media the readers/viewers are receiving. The fact political and economic determiners of the media hinder the possible representations in stories could be seen as negative, but without these there would be a very small number of media sources compared to today.
Firstly, liberal theories suggest that a self regulated free market would be the best way to ensure the press remains diverse. They also suggest that the press must serve the public in three ways: Inform the voting public of political plans; oversee the government and inform the public of any political unrest, and articulate a public opinion. However, with concentrated ownership in the media, depending on which political stance the owner has, these may not be reported fairly as to not damage their politics.
As the main source of income for media institutions in advertising, often stories may be untold as to not upset the paying advertiser. For example, if a magazine had a regular high paying advert slot filled by a company that uses sweat shops to produce its product, that magazine would be restricted as to what it could say in a story regarding sweat shops, as it may deter the advertiser from using that magazine again.
The Frankfurt School are exemplary in locating trends in the mass media. One point raised by them is the rise of the ‘hollow’ commodity fetishism that has replaced the important values in the media, mainly due to the evolution of the consumer society.
From the points raised above, the trends occurring due to mass media seem to be slightly negative, due to the lack of freedom and diversity in the media the readers/viewers are receiving. The fact political and economic determiners of the media hinder the possible representations in stories could be seen as negative, but without these there would be a very small number of media sources compared to today.
Photojournalism
Photojournalism works on the public perception that photographs have more sense of the truth than the words on a page. However, with modern technologies and deliberate cropping of images, to what extent is this perception true?
Before photographs were used in newspapers, representation of scenes visually were displayed through carved prints. This allowed the reader to grasp a sense of the events decisive moment, such as an explosion, whereas modern photographers only capture the after effects of events at that scale. Even though the prints were drawn, therefore not representing the truth as well as a photograph, the print allowed the reader to gain an insight into what the incident really looked like.
Anchoring a photograph is very important, as an image is open to numerous interpretations. This can be used to the editor’s benefit, as a photo can be recycled and used in different stories, such as a soldier fighting in Iraq could be used for numerous war stories. Anchoring encourages the reader to view the image in a certain light.
Nowadays, the technologies in place to alter images are readily available, and used to suit the interests of the paper, but in most cases are doctored to sensationalise a story to grab the reader’s attention. Possibly the most memorable of these recently were the doctored images in “The Daily Mail” of prisoners in Iraq being abused; a stunt in which Piers Morgan lost his job. This fact alone conjures questions about the authenticity of photographs in modern media. This also begins to disprove the work of media theorists, such as Sontag, who stated photographs offer a trace of what was there, and provide a tangible proof of something that happened.
Cropping is also an easy means of creating new meaning to an image. Leaving out certain aspects of an image that may sway the direction of a story produces another sense of falsity in the scene. However, in defence, a photograph is always a small part of the frame, and to experience a true representation of the scene, you would in fact have to witness the event first hand.
In conclusion, photography in the past, before the modern technological society, may have offered photographs as evidence of the truth. However, the means to doctor images in today’s society is so widely available and used, that images should not be taken at face value, as they may have been manipulated to suite the needs of the media.
Before photographs were used in newspapers, representation of scenes visually were displayed through carved prints. This allowed the reader to grasp a sense of the events decisive moment, such as an explosion, whereas modern photographers only capture the after effects of events at that scale. Even though the prints were drawn, therefore not representing the truth as well as a photograph, the print allowed the reader to gain an insight into what the incident really looked like.
Anchoring a photograph is very important, as an image is open to numerous interpretations. This can be used to the editor’s benefit, as a photo can be recycled and used in different stories, such as a soldier fighting in Iraq could be used for numerous war stories. Anchoring encourages the reader to view the image in a certain light.
Nowadays, the technologies in place to alter images are readily available, and used to suit the interests of the paper, but in most cases are doctored to sensationalise a story to grab the reader’s attention. Possibly the most memorable of these recently were the doctored images in “The Daily Mail” of prisoners in Iraq being abused; a stunt in which Piers Morgan lost his job. This fact alone conjures questions about the authenticity of photographs in modern media. This also begins to disprove the work of media theorists, such as Sontag, who stated photographs offer a trace of what was there, and provide a tangible proof of something that happened.
Cropping is also an easy means of creating new meaning to an image. Leaving out certain aspects of an image that may sway the direction of a story produces another sense of falsity in the scene. However, in defence, a photograph is always a small part of the frame, and to experience a true representation of the scene, you would in fact have to witness the event first hand.
In conclusion, photography in the past, before the modern technological society, may have offered photographs as evidence of the truth. However, the means to doctor images in today’s society is so widely available and used, that images should not be taken at face value, as they may have been manipulated to suite the needs of the media.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Producing the News
What makes any potential story newsworthy? According to Gauting and Ruge ’81, news values can be broken into nine points: frequency, threshold, intensity, meaningfulness, consonance, unexpectedness, continuity, composition and reference to the elite. Gauting and Ruge believe that any story wound come under at least one of these headings in the news. For example, the accusation that Madeline McCann’s parents killed their daughter could come under continuity, as the story follows on from the main abduction; and meaningfulness, as well as perhaps frequency as parents are rarely accused of killing their own children.
The object of reporting these stories all revolve around the reporter not being biased and corrupt. Events that occur are assumed to be self-evident and developing, and to exist independently. Detecting and reporting on the event is seen to not change the process of events that may occur. Also, the event should occur logically and temporarily before detection.
There are three things to remember when the journalist is reporting a story. Will the story hold the readers attention, and is it important/relevant/entertaining/interesting enough to sell stories? Secondly, is the story prominent enough to report, and is there a possibility of the reporter getting to the event to report it? Finally, is the item consonant with the pragmatics of technical and organisational productions?
There is an important role in the newspaper team, where one person sifts through the many stories coming into the workplace to find and events that are good enough to report on. This is known as the gatekeeper. He/she works to eradicate any media, and has to be imbedded in social ideologies as to not work from a personal whim.
The production cycle follows a simple four step plan: planning, gathering, selection, and finally production. Planning involves knowing of any key dates that are coming up, such as press conferences, protests and political meetings, but also being aware that unpredictable events may occur at any time to report on. Gathering is simply actively collecting information of craft a story from sources and witnesses. Selection is the editing and culling of the gathered news, and finally the production is the forming of the story in a way that would fit audience expectations.
The object of reporting these stories all revolve around the reporter not being biased and corrupt. Events that occur are assumed to be self-evident and developing, and to exist independently. Detecting and reporting on the event is seen to not change the process of events that may occur. Also, the event should occur logically and temporarily before detection.
There are three things to remember when the journalist is reporting a story. Will the story hold the readers attention, and is it important/relevant/entertaining/interesting enough to sell stories? Secondly, is the story prominent enough to report, and is there a possibility of the reporter getting to the event to report it? Finally, is the item consonant with the pragmatics of technical and organisational productions?
There is an important role in the newspaper team, where one person sifts through the many stories coming into the workplace to find and events that are good enough to report on. This is known as the gatekeeper. He/she works to eradicate any media, and has to be imbedded in social ideologies as to not work from a personal whim.
The production cycle follows a simple four step plan: planning, gathering, selection, and finally production. Planning involves knowing of any key dates that are coming up, such as press conferences, protests and political meetings, but also being aware that unpredictable events may occur at any time to report on. Gathering is simply actively collecting information of craft a story from sources and witnesses. Selection is the editing and culling of the gathered news, and finally the production is the forming of the story in a way that would fit audience expectations.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Technologies of Journalism and the Information Age
The world as we know it is becoming more and more dependant on technology. It makes work easier, leisure more accessible, and communications that were once thought impossible now simple. So is it now fair to say that we live in an information age?
Technology within the world of Journalism has almost certainly raised newspapers to the status it is today. The enhancement of paper mills in the 1880’s meant factories could churn out large amounts of paper to print on. When coupled with the printing press, this allowed faster print cycles and more copies to be dispersed, therefore increasing readership. This was only furthered in the same decade with the production of the Linotype, which simplified the process even more.
The media embraced the web more than any other group in the late 90’s, which allowed for up to date news to be accessed by anyone anywhere at anytime, and furthered readership even more. However, the reliance on the internet can be seen in the international panic caused with the Millennium Bug scare in 1999. The panic led to people predicting the end of the world, and all due to a technology. So if people believe the fall of technology could lead to the end of the world, then does this not foreground the idea that society is dependant on these technologies, therefore living in an information age?
There seems to be no escape from technology even on an individual level. The majority of people sleep with their mobile phones on whilst they sleep, so are never far away from news that may not effect them in the slightest. The explosion of networking sights on the internet such as Facebook and Myspace has led to measures in the workplace to reduce their usage in certain companies. The arrival of Email has led to the postal service being known now as snail mail due to the speed at which travels being almost static when compared its new rival.
All the above examples are examples of information transfer, which shows that society almost has a craving for up to date news and info. But it perhaps could not be said to have evolved into reliance…yet.
Technology within the world of Journalism has almost certainly raised newspapers to the status it is today. The enhancement of paper mills in the 1880’s meant factories could churn out large amounts of paper to print on. When coupled with the printing press, this allowed faster print cycles and more copies to be dispersed, therefore increasing readership. This was only furthered in the same decade with the production of the Linotype, which simplified the process even more.
The media embraced the web more than any other group in the late 90’s, which allowed for up to date news to be accessed by anyone anywhere at anytime, and furthered readership even more. However, the reliance on the internet can be seen in the international panic caused with the Millennium Bug scare in 1999. The panic led to people predicting the end of the world, and all due to a technology. So if people believe the fall of technology could lead to the end of the world, then does this not foreground the idea that society is dependant on these technologies, therefore living in an information age?
There seems to be no escape from technology even on an individual level. The majority of people sleep with their mobile phones on whilst they sleep, so are never far away from news that may not effect them in the slightest. The explosion of networking sights on the internet such as Facebook and Myspace has led to measures in the workplace to reduce their usage in certain companies. The arrival of Email has led to the postal service being known now as snail mail due to the speed at which travels being almost static when compared its new rival.
All the above examples are examples of information transfer, which shows that society almost has a craving for up to date news and info. But it perhaps could not be said to have evolved into reliance…yet.
History Of Journalism II
The role of the press has changed dramatically since the nineteenth century. Possibly the most noticeable change was the number of people it was able to reach with the occurrence of the printing press. Although it was an expensive item, more copies of the print could be distributed, thus increasing the sale and therefore the income of the media organisation.
The role of advertising shifted the media to an economic determinism, as the power of mass advertising was noticed after the abolition of advertising duty in 1853. This gave way for more ‘glamorous’ adverts to be used with no tax to be paid, therefore cheaper for the advertisers but better for the publications as more business was coming their way.
The dependency on advertising soon emerged, as £20 million was the revenue of advertising in 1907: a huge figure. The power of advertising was also able to put publications out of business, such as left wing print which was boycotted by advertising for obvious reasons.
Politicians also noticed the formation of the mass of the population that the media was now reaching. As parties wanted to gain votes from society, getting their voice heard in the media seemed like an ideal format to use.
A mass society was from here on established, with mass media, mass advertising and mass politics reaching most of the populus. It could be said that this furthered the consumer state we now live in: competition for the best “stuff” forces people to go out and buy more.
In modern society, Journalism has now swayed more to lifestyle writing. This may have come about with the nature of employment allowing for more leisure time, thus appealing to people with hobbies, sports interests and other lifestyle choices. It allows readers to feel their identity is being targeted and explored, as well as allowing them to search for how their image within their lifestyle choice should be.
The role of advertising shifted the media to an economic determinism, as the power of mass advertising was noticed after the abolition of advertising duty in 1853. This gave way for more ‘glamorous’ adverts to be used with no tax to be paid, therefore cheaper for the advertisers but better for the publications as more business was coming their way.
The dependency on advertising soon emerged, as £20 million was the revenue of advertising in 1907: a huge figure. The power of advertising was also able to put publications out of business, such as left wing print which was boycotted by advertising for obvious reasons.
Politicians also noticed the formation of the mass of the population that the media was now reaching. As parties wanted to gain votes from society, getting their voice heard in the media seemed like an ideal format to use.
A mass society was from here on established, with mass media, mass advertising and mass politics reaching most of the populus. It could be said that this furthered the consumer state we now live in: competition for the best “stuff” forces people to go out and buy more.
In modern society, Journalism has now swayed more to lifestyle writing. This may have come about with the nature of employment allowing for more leisure time, thus appealing to people with hobbies, sports interests and other lifestyle choices. It allows readers to feel their identity is being targeted and explored, as well as allowing them to search for how their image within their lifestyle choice should be.
Assignment 7 - Runningham Student Protest
Angry students at a Wishingshire University barricaded themselves in their vice-chancellors office on Thursday, resulting in the college backing down to student requests.
Police were called after six students, infuriated with recent claims that the University of Runningham will charge the top end of the top-up fees, intruded into the building.
After weeks of lobbying the vice-chancellors office to discuss the fees but with no success, the actions of the six protestors, believed to be studying Fine Art, finally forced the college to give in, and a meeting has been scheduled.
“We are furious that this college has decided to charge the maximum £3,000 in top-up fees to students, when we are seeking nothing in return but long-term debt.” Amanda Donne, Student Union President said.
“Certain members of the student body obviously felt so strongly about this that they decided to take positive action.”
A police spokesperson confirmed that eventually after negotiation, the six students emerged, and were taken to Wooley Green station, but were released later without charge.
James Robbins, a third year photography student, said: “I think it’s great that these students decided to make a stand and to demonstrate how serious the issue of student finance has become.”
Mary Monkton, head of communications at the Arts University, said: “We appreciate that the students are unhappy with the new legislation but we are very disappointed that a small group decided to adopt such aggressive behaviour.”
Top-up fees were introduced into England as Universities say they need more money, to which the Government replied in 2004 that Graduates, based on their financial background, should pay for the benefit of having a degree in the form of a loan.
Repayments are made after the Graduate’s income exceeds £15 000, at a minimum of 9% of all earnings over that year.
300 words
Police were called after six students, infuriated with recent claims that the University of Runningham will charge the top end of the top-up fees, intruded into the building.
After weeks of lobbying the vice-chancellors office to discuss the fees but with no success, the actions of the six protestors, believed to be studying Fine Art, finally forced the college to give in, and a meeting has been scheduled.
“We are furious that this college has decided to charge the maximum £3,000 in top-up fees to students, when we are seeking nothing in return but long-term debt.” Amanda Donne, Student Union President said.
“Certain members of the student body obviously felt so strongly about this that they decided to take positive action.”
A police spokesperson confirmed that eventually after negotiation, the six students emerged, and were taken to Wooley Green station, but were released later without charge.
James Robbins, a third year photography student, said: “I think it’s great that these students decided to make a stand and to demonstrate how serious the issue of student finance has become.”
Mary Monkton, head of communications at the Arts University, said: “We appreciate that the students are unhappy with the new legislation but we are very disappointed that a small group decided to adopt such aggressive behaviour.”
Top-up fees were introduced into England as Universities say they need more money, to which the Government replied in 2004 that Graduates, based on their financial background, should pay for the benefit of having a degree in the form of a loan.
Repayments are made after the Graduate’s income exceeds £15 000, at a minimum of 9% of all earnings over that year.
300 words
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
