Corporate Media

Corporate media is a term which refers to a system of mass media production, distribution, ownership, and funding which is dominated by corporations and their CEOs. It is sometimes used as a pejorative term in place of mainstream media, which tends to also be used as a derisive term, to indicate a media system that does not serve the public interest.

Background

Media critics such as Robert McChesney, Ben Bagdikian, Ralph Nader, Jim Hightower, Noam Chomsky, Thom Hartmann, Edward S. Herman, and Amy Goodman suggest that such a media system, especially when allowed to dominate the mainstream media, inevitably will be manipulated by these same corporations to suit their own interests. These critics point out that the main national networks, NBC, CBS, and ABC, as well as most if not all of the smaller cable channels, are owned, funded, and controlled by an interconnected network of large corporate conglomerates and international banking interests, which may manipulate and filter out news that does not fit their corporate agenda.

Propaganda model

Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman have established a propaganda model which purports to explain this bias. The common misinterpretation of this model is that all bias is conscious and centralized. The hypothesis is that the process is decentralized and operates as a confluence of factors, that includes the overt pressure from owners and advertisers, but also by the gradual internalization of the biases and values of the corporate owners, leading to self-censorship.

Other factors include the tendency of journalists to avoid doing original research, instead obtaining news from the same few wire services, such as Reuters and Associated Press, which themselves tend to cover the same news under the same perspective. Due to the desire to reduce operation costs, the mainstream media favor news pieces that are pre-made by these news agencies instead of conducting their own reporting

Impact of the corporate media propaganda model on world events and society

The point of view and statements made by governments, officials, military, police, national security organizations (such as the FBI and CIA), as well as various other political offices are regularly reported as facts and are published without any (or very little) fact checking by the corporate media. Perhaps the most infamous current example of the impact of the propaganda model on world events and societies was during the two-year period following the 2001 US attacks. During this time, according to a five year in-depth research project conducted by the Centre for Public Integrity  the President of the United States George W. Bush and seven high-ranking officials in his administration made at least 935 false statements about the threat posed to the world

In summary, the concentration of massive media firms that control public information is troublesome for the potential for deception misleads the public away from reality. The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs state that these facts raise fundamental issues as they can bear on social issues and possibly control the shape and direction of the nation's economy. It is further derived that  the summits of business now control or powerfully influence the major media that create American public opinion.

   By Mbogo Tausi

    BAPRM 42611

DEMOCRATIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

The democratization of knowledge is the acquisition and spread of knowledge amongst the common people, not just privileged elites such as clergy and academics. Libraries public libraries in particular and modern digital technology such as the internet play a key role in the democratization of knowledge, as they provide open access of information to the masses

 History

The printing press was one of the early steps towards the democratization of knowledge.

Another small example of this during the Industrial Revolution was the creation of libraries for miners in some Scottish villages in the 18th century.

Wikipedia is rapidly turning into a real-time reference tool in which public entries can be updated by anyone at any time. This phenomenona product of the digital age has greatly contributed to the democratization of knowledge in the post-modern era. At the same time, it has raised a number of valid criticisms in this regard . For instance, one could draw a distinction between the mere spread of information and the spread of accurate or credible information. Wikipedia may thus be a more reliable source of information in certain spheres, but not necessarily in others.

In the Digital Age

The democratization of technology has played a major facilitating role. Wikipedia co-founder, Larry Sanger, states in his article that “Professionals are no longer needed for the bare purpose of the mass distribution of information and the shaping of opinion.” Sanger’s article confronts the existence of “common knowledge” and pits it against knowledge that everyone agrees on.

In terms of democratization of knowledge, Wikipedia has played a major role. For instance, Wikipedia has attracted 400 million viewers across the globe and has communicated with them in over 270 languages.

Google Book Search has been pointed to as an example of democratization of knowledge, but Malte Herwig in Der Spiegel raised concerns that the virtual monopoly Google has in the search market, combined with Google's hiding of the details of its search algorithms, could undermine this move towards democratization

Democratic access to knowledge has also been co-opted to mean providing information in a variety of formats, which essentially means electronic and digital formats for use by library patrons. Public libraries help further the democratization of information by guaranteeing freedom of access to information, by providing an unbiased variety of information sources and access to government services, as well as the promotion of democracy and an active citizenship

Democratization of Information: Focus on Libraries . The focus of the forum was to bring awareness to the social, technological, and financial challenges facing libraries dealing with the democratization of information. Social challenges included globalization and the digital divide, technological challenges included information sources, and financial challenges constituted shrinking budgets and manpower.

The democratization of knowledge is the spread of knowledge among common people, in contrast to knowledge being controlled by elite groups .Libraries play an essential role in the democratization of knowledge and information by providing communities with the resources and tools to find information free of charge.

   By Segesela Blandina

     BAPRM 42663

FEATURES OF NEW MEDIA

Interactivity

It is a two way form of communication. People are able to make individualized lifestyle choice from endless possibilities offered by the market. People are no longer just on the receiving end. New media allows consumers and users to get more involved. This can be seen in simple acts like commenting on news pieces or writing a review for a place. Interactivity includes: hyper textual navigation, immersive navigation, registration interactivity, interactive communications, and interactivity and problems of textual interpretations. It is a “key value” characteristic of new media. Interactivity is a powerful representation of user engagement with media texts. It is also a more independent relation to sources of knowledge, individualized media use, and greater choice.

Digitality

Media data is transformed into binary codes. Binary code allows people to access data in a way that is easier and faster. Everything digital is made up of Binary Code – or zeros and ones. The data can be found as an output. As an output form it can be seen as online sources, digital disks, or memory drives. These outputs are to be decoded and received as screen displays. The opposite of digital is analogue. Analogue refers to the process of storing physical properties in another physical form – like old newspaper archives.

Analogue media is fixed – it does not change. Whereas, digital media is in a constant state of flux. It is constantly flowing, changing, and improving. Wireless connections between computers, servers, and networks are becoming more common. Despite this, many connections still depend on cables and telephone lines. These connects have to be physically dug into the Earth.

Networking

This characteristic is the availability of sharing content through the internet. This involves consumption. A prime example would be our consumption of media texts, and how now we have a large number of highly differentiated texts available in various ways.

Hyper textual

It is a reference to non-sequential connections between all kinds of data facilitated by the computer. For example the hyperlinks that you’ve seen me use in previous posts.It is also an important part of the history of computing, especially in the way that hypertexts address ideas about the relation of computer operation systems, software, and databases to the operations of the human mind.

Simulation

You could link this to previous points in regards to video games. Simulation games manage to immerse people in a “virtual life” that is represented or simulated through digital technology. The definition of simulation is any synthetic or counterfeit creation. It is the creation of an artificial world that represents a real one. This is done through a mathematical model, combined with a set of initial conditions, that allows predictions and visualizations as time unfolds.

Virtual

This characteristic embodies a virtual world that is created by immersion or engagement in an environment constructed with computer graphics and digital video. The users have control over their interaction. For example video games give people a virtual stage where they can interact and somewhat control their virtual lives to an extent.

By Lyimo Joseph.

Economic Contribution of Creative Industries

Economic contribution

Globally, Creative Industries excluding software and general scientific research and development are said to have accounted for around 4% of the world's economic output in 1999, which is the last year for which comprehensive figures are currently available. Estimates of the output corresponding to scientific Research and Development suggest that an additional 4-9% might be attributable to the sector if its definition is extended to include such activities, though the figures vary significantly between different countries.

Taking the UK as an example, in the context of other sectors, the creative industries make a far more significant contribution to output than hospitality or utilities and deliver four times the output due to agriculture, fisheries and forestry. In terms of employment and depending on the definition of activities included, the sector is a major employer of between 4-6% of the UK's working population, though this is still significantly less than employment due to traditional areas of work such as retail and manufacturing.

Within the creative industries sector and again taking the UK as an example, the three largest sub-sectors are design, publishing, and television and radio. Together these account for around 75% of revenues and 50% of employment.

The creative industries in Europe make a significant contribution to the EU economy, creating about 3% of EU GDP - corresponding to an annual market value of €500 billion - and employing about 6 million people. In addition, the sector plays a crucial role in fostering innovation, in particular for devices and networks. The EU records the second highest TV viewing figures globally, producing more films than any other region in the world. In that respect, the newly proposed 'Creative Europe' programme (July 2011)^[5] will help preserve cultural heritage while increasing the circulation of creative works inside and outside the EU. The programme will play a consequential role in stimulating cross border co-operation, promoting peer learning and making these sectors more professional. The Commission will then propose a financial instrument run by the European Investment Bank to provide debt and equity finance for cultural and creative industries. The role of the non-state actors within the governance regarding Medias will not be neglected anymore. Therefore, building a new approach extolling the crucial importance of a European level playing field industry may boost the adoption of policies aimed at developing a conducive environment, enabling European companies as well as citizens to use their imagination and creativity - both sources of innovation -, and therefore of competitiveness and sustainability. Creativity plays an important role in human resource management as artists and creative professionals can think laterally. Moreover, new jobs requiring new skills created in the post-crisis economy should be supported by labour mobility to ensure that people are employed wherever their skills are needed.

In recent years, creative industries have become ‘increasingly attractive to governments outside the developed world’. The harnessing of creativity brings with it the potential of new wealth creation, the cultivation of local talent and the generation of creative capital, the development of new export markets, significant multiplier effects throughout the broader economy, the utilisation of information communication technologies and enhanced competitiveness in an increasingly global economy’.

   By Segesela Blandina

      BAPRM 42663

Importance of E-learning

New developments in e-learning and increasingly sophisticated learning technologies are beginning to make a major impact in universities. Online education or distance learning is becoming more and more popular every day. However, some skeptics say that e-learning is not as effective as traditional methods, because it has a negative impact on student engagement. The impact of e-learning on student engagement depends on a myriad of factors. This article is going to discuss three of the most important of them: learning styles, personality and level of self-discipline.

Learning Styles

One of the most important factors that should be taken into consideration is a student’s learning style. Learning styles depend on how our senses process the information. Everyone learns differently and while online learning may be the best choice for one person, it could be completely ineffective for the other. The three basic types of learning styles are: auditory (listening and speaking), visual (seeing and reading) and kinesthetic (doing).

Visual learners tend to enjoy distance learning and get the most out of it while auditory learners often struggle. Even though the current online education environment is predominantly text-based, some teachers record lectures on video and post them online. Others schedule video conferences with the students. This not only helps students with an auditory learning style, but makes the online learning more personable and therefore, effective for the others.

Since kinesthetic learners learn through doing or experiencing things, a traditional classroom environment is usually more inviting for them. Online educators can help them by implementing as many practical exercises as possible and encouraging them to post in classroom forums and discussion boards. The benefit of e-learning is that students can access a class or a course anywhere at anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can post on discussion boards whenever they have time and usually as often as they wish. They can also email their teachers at any time instead of waiting for their office hours.

Personality

Personality is another factor in determining the impact of e-learning on student engagement. For many people posting online is much less intimidating than participating in a traditional classroom setting, so they are encouraged to participate in discussions and share their opinion. Others prefer face-to-face interaction and they find it harder to express themselves while staring at the computer screen.

Self-Discipline

There is a lot of debate about whether or not online learning is as effective as traditional methods, but everyone seems to be in an agreement that e-learning requires discipline. Students who lack self-discipline struggle and for the most part are not engaged as much as they would be in a traditional classroom setting. If they can’t motivate themselves to work independently, distance learning is not a good option for them.

While the impact of e-learning on student engagement can vary greatly and some argue that it is in fact, negative, more and more schools and colleges implement it in their curriculum. Today more than 75% of colleges offer online courses or degrees and online public schools are not a rare commodity.

  By Mbogo Tausi

  BAPRM 42611