Lesson 5 (week 44) (completely used)

The Historical Content (2)- The Mythologies & Ideologies of Early Digital Media
(News & Technologies)


Lecture:

What is News?

The dictionary definition of the word ‘news’ is “a report of events or previously unknown information”. It is actually a lot more complex than that, News is now just about giving out information. It can  also about informing people, making them aware of specific issues, educating people or alerting their target audience about important happenings or events in their home town or globally.

Although it may seem like ‘The News’ is very wide spread, it isn’t there are many issues that are not raised in the daily news as it just wouldn’t be possible to include every type of interesting news that has occurred in one newspaper or one television broadcast/newscast; so information that would be of public interest rather than individual interest would more likely to ‘make news’.

‘The News’ that the public see is chosen by media experts, as well as the press, those that own/ run newspapers and reports. Everything is very selective; the global new is based around people collectively together from all parts of the world, whereas local news can be distributed to people in a weekly paper to in their area.

Reports and the News can be a very delicate thing, information has to be expressed correctly and to the right audience as topics to some may be more sensitive that some topics to other .

News can be dangerous: too more information can lead to social uproar and moral panic where as too little and the public may think that something is being kept form them, when working in the news sector that has to be an even balance.

Examples of popular 'Newscasts':

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

 ITV News:       

                                                              http://www.itv.com/news/

Newsround: 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/

CNN:

CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/

"News is the communication of selected information on current eventswhich is presented by print, broadcast, internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience. " - (dictionary)

“Perhaps the most valuable news we can receive is warning of a clear and present danger”

Mitchell Stephens – (A History of News pg24)

“The rapid circulation of news is evidence of more than just the desire of individuals to know and tell; it is evidence of a societal commitment”

Mitchell Stephens – (A History of News pg15)

 

Seminar:

In this specific case many peoeple have seen this news to be ‘quite ridicilous’, where as other were actually concerned for the welfare of the cat.

This news story is about the woman who gently stroked a neighbours cat shortly before leaving it for 15 hours in a wheely bin!

Story below:

 

In my personal opinion I don't think that something like this should be on a newscast, although very interesting as it shows how insensitive people can be, I do not think this should be classed a s 'News'. I actually think that there should be a separate program where news that isn't classed as'life changing' should be.

Maybe it’s because I am not an animal lover but I just think that a national broadcast should be of more importance for example showing missing children, or informing people more about topics that are going to affect their lives now and in the future.

Video clips and stories like the woman putting the cat in the bin I think should be left to television programmes such as ‘rude-tube’; broadcasted on channel 4 and presented by Alex Zane the comedian showing the top 50 you-tube videos of interest or of which are comical, alongside videos such as 'charlie bit my finger'.