Entry 08 : Individual Project ( Week 5 - Task 1 )

#Task : Write a short essay of about 400 words about the below stated issue: news and you, again. Who owns the newspapers and TV stations in your country? Do you think this has an effect on the news that you hear?

Who owns the newspaper and TV stations in Malaysia? It look like private corporation owns these but is it the truth? Let's us see some comments about this.

According to Wikipedia, the media of Malaysia include television, radio, newspapers, and web-based media such as bloggers. Many media outlets are either owned directly by the government of Malaysia (e.g. Bernama) or owned by component parties of the Barisan Nasional coalition government (e.g. the Media Prima group, which is owned by the United Malays National Organisation). Since conventional media is so tightly controlled by the government, Malaysia has a lively alternative media scene, characterized by such news portals as Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider which take advantage of the government's pledge not to censor the Internet despite its stranglehold on most mass media outlets.

Furthermore, BBC News stating in their research on Malaysia media profile, 

Malaysia has some of the toughest censorship laws in the world. The authorities exert substantial control over the media and can impose restrictions in the name of national security. 

The government is keen to insulate the largely-Muslim population from what it considers harmful foreign influences. News is subject to censorship, entertainment shows and music videos regularly fall foul of the censors, and scenes featuring swearing and kissing are routinely removed.

The TV sector comprises commercial networks and pay-TV operations. TV3 is the leading national private, terrestrial broadcaster. 

State-owned Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) operates two TV networks and many of the country's radio services. Private stations broadcast in Malay, Tamil, Chinese and English. 

Newspapers must renew their publication licences annually, and the home minister can suspend or revoke publishing permits. 

Around 17.7 million Malaysians were online by December 2011 (InternetWorldStats). 

Malaysia is listed as a country "under surveillance" by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its "Enemies of the Internet" report. In particular, the watchdog cites the harassment of bloggers.

In Malaysia, we have the Freedom of Speech, but in this situation, are we still free to speak? As we know, Malaysia newspaper and TV station are mostly owns by government and although it is self-owned by private corporation, it is an pro-government agency. All the news are obviously and also inconspicuously controlled by government. As an example, Astro cut the BBC's original broadcast news about BERSIH 3.0 happens in Malaysia which censored the interview of protester and videos of  incident and fight. It was first found by public audience and blew up a big conflict within people. Then Astro stands out and admitted to censoring the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Bersih 3.0 coverage but expressed disappointment with the global news channel for failing to understand the satellite pay television provider did so to comply with local guidelines(Ref).

No even in Malaysia, in many other countries, there are media censorship on newspaper and TV stations too. It is due to government need to protect the image of the country and also themselves. Some of the content which is not appropriate or may harm the country or government will be deleted. But, the news reported by Malaysia media is far different from the media from other country. Only pro-government news will be shown and aired especially as headline. The truth is not longer the truth. Although we have been given the freedom of speech, it has a transparent restrictions within it. It does highly affect the news that we all - the Malaysian can seen and heard. And recently, even the personal whom talk about some "sensitive" issue online or at anywhere are being caught by the police and sued by government in the clause of causing the citizen's chaotic. On such, we can easily know how free can we speak and how true are the news that we can see and hear.

By the moments this post are posted on this blog, I might be already in the range of within the risk of being warned. So, do you think who owns the newspaper and TV stations in your country has an effect on the news that you hear? The answer is vividly portrayed. But, truth will never faded. With the advancement of internet and especially the social networking, the truth of the news and the true information of the country are now can easily been known and shared by all people. The twisted message and story will be reveal soon but people also need to be extra careful to identify the true since online news cannot be 100% trusted too.

Entry 07 : Individual Project ( Week 4 - Task 1 )

#Task : Write a short essay of about 400 words about the below stated issue : News and You. How often do you read the paper or watch the news on TV? How important is it for you to keep up with current events?

Are there any connection between news and you? Or it’s just related with you when it is celebrity gossip and entertainment news? Honestly, for me, it’s just sometimes. I've been reading the newspaper and watch the news on TV every day in the past. But now, seriously less and even no. Two years ago, when I am still in home, I will read the newspaper and watch the news on TV every day with my dad. This is due to we have bought the annual subscription of newspaper and also affected by my dad since he will watch all section of news channel every day as long as he is at home. Maybe due to the environment factors, I get affected easily by dad and follow up with all news every day. There are lots of topic can be shared with any others in anytime.

I prefer to watch and listen to the news on TV since it is more interesting and less boredom if compared with reading news on newspaper. I will skip lots of the news and only read those news which have an attracting title. Yet, I not very like those celebrity gossip news. It’s just annoying. But now, living alone in Cyberjaya, my habit of reading newspaper everyday is gone. Now, I will only know some of the news that are publically shared on Facebook many times. There are no TV in the rented room and also no newspaper delivered and I seldom bought the newspaper. It’s just like lose all the connection with the world outside. And again, the environment factor is the big influencer. 

Although there are the advancement of technology which allow us to watch the news online and also read the newspaper online, I still prefer to read the actual newspaper. This is due to the habitual of the composition of typesetting. Maybe the other language newspaper done a good job with their website and online news sharing, but the Chinese newspaper company still not so flexible. Hard to find the latest news of the day and also the whole news of the day on the website. Now, they even cut off half of the news that are visible to public because of the sales of actual newspaper are decreasing and less people buying it. The online news can be read only very simple with no much details now. And the news shared on Facebook are mostly concern about the government and celebrity which not really caught my attention.

The times of reading newspaper and watching news on TV is getting lesser and lesser and even no at all. But, luckily, when there is holidays and I get to back home, I still will read the newspaper but less to watch it on TV. Keep up with the current events is quite important for every people and also students. This is because it is the basic knowledge and also direction of the world. We need to know what is happening in the world and especially in our own country so that we are on the track with the progress of all level. Keep track with current event also essentially important to us, the design student so that we know the direction of trends flow and what is attract people now.

Entry 05 : Individual Project ( Week 3 - Task 1 )

#Task : What is theatre? How do you think theatre, as a media form, communicates messages to its audience?

Theatre (sometimes theater in American English) is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance. Elements of design and stagecraft are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience. The specific place of the performance is also named by the word "theatre" as derived from the Ancient Greek θέατρον (théatron, “a place for viewing”) and θεάομαι (theáomai, “to see", "to watch", "to observe”).

          The history of theatre charts the development of theatre over the past 2,500 years. While performative elements are present in every society, it is customary to acknowledge a distinction between theatre as an art form and entertainment and theatrical or performative elements in other activities. The history of theatre is primarily concerned with the origin and subsequent development of the theatre as an autonomous activity. Since classical Athens in the 6th century BCE, vibrant traditions of theatre have flourished in cultures across the world. Theatre probably arose as a performance of ritual activities that did not require initiation on the part of the spectator. This similarity of early theatre to ritual is negatively attested by Aristotle, who in his Poetics defined theatre in contrast to the performances of sacred mysteries: theatre did not require the spectator to fast, drink the kykeon, or march in a procession; however theatre did resemble the sacred mysteries in the sense that it brought purification and healing to the spectator by means of a vision, the theama. The physical location of such performances was accordingly named theatron.

          Theatre has many purposes. It started as religious ceremony, then branched off into social and political commentary. It can be educational, entertaining, or off-putting. It can be the highest and lowest form of art. And even though folks tend to trivialize it, there is some form of theatre in just about every culture that has ever existed on this planet. Its purpose is expression, communication, and entertainment, and probably a hundred more things that don't immediately leap to mind.  In my personal opinions, I do agree that theatre is a very good form of media which communicates multi-meanings and multi-feelings to the audience. Theatre is a different type of media which transmit the stories of different culture or people to the audience with a special feeling. The whole story, characters , stagecraft, stage props, background music, music effects, lightings are  produced in accordance with each play and are to fully convey the whole message. It make  theatre has strong integrity and good appealing. Every elements in the certain play are a media form that used to convey different things even though the dialogue spoken and facial expression can communicate with audience and tell them a message.  Theatre does help to develop the understanding of the ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings of diverse people in different times throughout history .

Ref : 

Definition of theatre : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre

Origin of theatre : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_theatre

Purpose of theatre : http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/7166-what-purpose-theatre.html 
on 10th November 2012

Entry 04 : Individual Project ( Week 2 - Task 2 )

Social / Cultural Group VS Media Preferable

Identify the social / cultural group or what we so called "Target Audience" is one of the emphasis step in every aspects of research. Without the research on social or cultural group, there will be a mess on the outcome which does not suit anyone. In the social sciences a social group has been defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity. An cultural group or ethnic group is a group of people whose members are identified through a common trait. This can, but does not have to, include an idea of common heritage, a common culture, a shared language or dialect. Basically, the social and cultural group can be divide according to the ages, genders, occupation, education level, race, religion and etc. But the common social groups that we can perceived are teenagers, white collar workers, blue collar workers and middle-aged. 

Teenagers.
Ref : http://www.nytix.com/ThingsToDo/new/teenagers.html on 4th November 2012.

Apple products.
Ref : http://globalgoodgroup.com/blog/2012/05/09/are-apple-products-the-best/ on 4th November 2012.

First, teenagers are often refer to young person whose age is between thirteen and nineteen (13-19). They are basically secondary school or university/college students. Teenagers often spend lot of their time on the internet and especially on the social network like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and even YouTube and Blogger. They are more prefer to have and share whatever information online compare to printed. This aged group are the generation Y which involved all the digital and electronic media. The teenagers nowadays are fully conquer by Apple products, smartphone, tablets and etc which allow them to have the internet anytime in everywhere.

White collar workers.
 Ref : http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20590300,00.html on 4th November 2012.

Furthermore, the white collar workers are refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work. The people in this social group have less time to meet with other media except from those which are related to their respective work. White collar workers usually having their working time start from 9am to 6pm or even later. This group of people often using the online facilities also but it is less than teenagers. They having their smartphone, laptop, tablets everywhere also but the usage of the internet is more specific and fixed. White collar workers are less interest in testing or trying new things if compared to teenagers. The printed media, written media, outdoor media and broadcast media are used by them more frequently. White collar workers usually spend their time in office or on the road. There are bigger chance for them to see billboard and advertisement by roadside, and listen to the radio in car when  travel from work to home and vice versa.  

Blue collar workers.
Ref : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/weekinreview/20uchitelle.html on 4th November 2012.

Blue collar workers are those whose job requires manual labor. They are less in contact with digital media due to the lower education level they have. Blue collar workers are less bringing their smartphone, tablets by their side since their work does not suitable for them to do so. They are less in using the social network media also. Blue collar workers are more preferable with printed media and written media which they can get to know it easily and will not have to worry about how to operate it. They know how to operate the machine for their work but not so on the electronic media devices.

Middle-aged.
Ref : http://www.bellenews.com/2012/09/18/health/middle-age-starts-at-55-years/ on 4th November 2012.

Last but not least, the middle-aged group. Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings. This group of people are usually in the aged of 40-60 which may not so interest in the advance electronic device in the market nowadays. They are more prefer the traditional old media like newspaper, television, flyers and etc which is mostly printed media and written media. 

Ref :

Definition of Cultural Group : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_group

Definition of Social Group : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_group

Definition of Middle-aged : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_age

on 3rd November 2012

Entry 03 : Individual Project ( Week 2 - Task 1 )

Media Form is the look or appearance of the tools/equipment/ways/medium that we readily use to obtain or impart information.

10 Type of Media Form :

#1 Radio - Broadcast Media

Ref : http://lastradio.com/?p=9 on 3rd November 2012

Ref : http://blog.spreaker.com/blog/2011/02/09/the-end-of-the-radio-industry/?wpmp_switcher=mobile on 3rd November 2012

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by electromagnetic radiation of a frequency significantly below that of visible light, in the radio frequency range, from about 3 kHz to 300 GHz. These waves are called radio waves. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space.

Information, such as sound, is carried by systematically changing (modulating) some property of the radiated waves, such as their amplitude, frequency, phase, or pulse width. When radio waves strike an electrical conductor, the oscillating fields induce an alternating current in the conductor. The information in the waves can be extracted and transformed back into its original form.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio  on 3rd November 2012

#2 Painting - Art as Media Form

Ref : http://www.art-by-tamara.com/botanical/index8.php  on 4th August 2010

A painting is a layer of pigments applied to a surface. It is an arrangement of shapes and colors. It is a projection of the personality of the man who painted it, a statement of the philosophy of the age that produced it, and it can have a meaning beyond anything concerned with one man or only one period of time.

Ref : http://jjbotta.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-painting.html on 3rd November 2012

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface (support base). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is also used outside of art as a common trade among craftsmen and builders. Paintings may have for their support such surfaces as walls, paper, canvas, wood, glass, lacquer, clay, leaf, copper or concrete, and may incorporate multiple other materials including sand, clay, paper, gold leaf as well as objects.

Painting is a mode of creative expression, and the forms are numerous. Drawing, composition or abstraction and other aesthetics may serve to manifest the expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner. Paintings can be naturalistic and representational (as in a still life or landscape painting), photographic, abstract, be loaded with narrative content, symbolism, emotion or be political in nature.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painting on 3rd November 2012

#3 Magazine - Printed Media

Ref : http://www.whosdatedwho.com/topic/7935/ayumi-hamasaki-vivi-magazine-may-2010.htm on 4th August 2010

Magazine is a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it. It is a product consisting of a paperback periodic publication as a physical object.

Ref : http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=magazine on 3rd November 2012

Magazines may be referred to as popular press publications because articles are often written by journalists, who gather information from various sources and synthesize it into their stories or reports. Although a journalist may specialize in a particular type of reporting, journalists are not usually scholars. The audience for articles in magazines is usually the general public.

Ref : http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/instruction/tutorials/explore/articles/magazine.htm on 3rd November 2012

#4 Websites - Digital Media

Ref : http://wikipedia.org/ on 4th August 2010

Ref : http://www.ameba.jp/ on 4th August 2010

A website is a location which connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.

Ref : Google Dictionary on 3rd November 2012

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a set of related web pages containing content such as text, images, video, audio, etc. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator. All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website on 3rd November 2012

A website represents a centrally managed group of web pages, containing text, images and all types of multi-media files presented to the attention of the Internet users in an aesthetic and easily accessible way. All websites enabled through the Internet constitute the World Wide Web (WWW). 

Ref : http://www.ntchosting.com/internet/website.html on 3rd November 2012

#5 Smoke Signals - Primitive Media

Smoke Signals.
Ref : http://history.howstuffworks.com/native-american-history/smoke-signal.htm on 4th August 2012

Primitive media is the media and medium that use by the ancient to communicate in the very past time. Smoke Signal, a means of communication used by North American Indians, especially in the plains and southwest. The smoke signal is also one of the oldest forms of communication in recorded history. It is a form of visual communication used over long distance.On an elevation the signaler built a fire of material that would make heavy smoke, such as damp grass. By passing a blanket across the fire, he created separate puffs of smoke that conveyed information by their number and spacing. Many camps had signal outposts to warn of an approaching enemy or to announce the sighting of buffalo.

Ref : http://history.howstuffworks.com/native-american-history/smoke-signal.htm on 3rd November 2012

#6 Speech - Spoken Media 

Ref : http://mistea.edublogs.org/2011/10/31/speeches/ on 3rd November 2012

Ref : http://www.thedailyrash.com/another-obama-speech-writer-dies-from-exhaustion on 3rd November 2012

A speeches is a form of public speaking. It is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter has more of a commercial advertisement connotation .

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speeches on 3rd November 2012

A speech is a form of communication in spoken language made by a speaker before an audience. It is also the form of utterance characteristic of a particular people or region; a language or dialect. It is manner of speaking, as of a person and also a field of study devoted to the theory and practice of oral communication. Speech can be define as any public form of expression, as spoken or written language, visual depictions, or expressive actions. 

Ref : http://www.definitions.net/definition/speech on 3rd November 2012

#7 Electronic Media

Ref : http://www.electronicmedia.co.za/

Electronic media are media that use electronics or electromechanical energy for the end-user (audience) to access the content. This is in contrast to static media (mainly print media), which today are most often created electronically, but don't require electronics to be accessed by the end-user in the printed form. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public are better known as video recordings, audio recordings, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD-ROM and online content. Most new media are in the form of digital media. However, electronic media may be in either analog or digital format.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media on 3rd November 2012

Electronic Media is information or data that is created, distributed and accessed using a form of electronics, electromechanical energy or any equipment used in electronic communications. The common equipment we use on a day to day basis to access Electronic Media is our television, radio, computer, cell phones and other devices transporting information to and from us by means of electronic involvement.

Ref : http://www.electronicmedia.co.za/ on 3rd November 2012

#8 Film - Film and Broadcast Media

Ref : http://invadenola.com/2012/04/new-orleans-film-society-upcoming-films/ on 3rd November 2012

Ref : http://www.impawards.com/1983/national_lampoons_vacation_xlg.html on 4th August 2010

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still images which when they are passed past a projector gives the viewer the impression of movement. A film is produced by recording photographic images with a camera, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects. The process of filmmaking has developed into an art form and industry.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film on 3rd November 2012

#9 Billboard - Outdoor Media

Ref : http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/05/clever-and-creative-billboard-advertising/ on 3rd November 2012

Ref : http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/05/clever-and-creative-billboard-advertising/ on 3rd November 2012

Outdoor media is a form of mass media which comprises billboards, signs, placards placed inside and outside of commercial buildings/objects like shops/buses, flying billboards (signs in tow of airplanes), blimps, and skywriting. Many commercial advertisers use this form of mass media when advertising in sports stadiums. Tobacco and alcohol manufacturers used billboards and other outdoor media extensively.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media on 3rd November 2012

A billboard (sometimes also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically showing large, ostensibly witty slogans, and distinctive visuals, billboards are highly visible in the top designated market areas. Bulletins are the largest, most impactful standard-size billboards. Located primarily on major highways, expressways or principal arterial, they command high-density consumer exposure (mostly to vehicular traffic). Bulletins afford greatest visibility due not only to their size, but because they allow creative "customizing" through extensions and embellishments.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard on 3rd November 2012

#10 Written Media

Ref : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4315518719965&set=oa.283511201768480&type=1&theater

Written media offer access to readers whom you might not be able to address orally. It is a relatively inexpensive way to reach a large audience and also a permanent, indisputable record of what you've said — for both you and your audience. Written media give a chance to think your message through carefully and double-check it before you deliver it.

Ref : http://writingforresults.net/Acro_3/3_medium/2_writtn.pdf on 3rd November 2012