Lights. Lights. Lights.

Today was a historic moment, as for the first time I watched the Christmas lights in Winchester illuminate the town square. 

December will soon be upon us and it's hard to believe that another year has passed. This will also be the first anniversary of my blog. I have been blogging for almost a year and what a great year it has been.

After a tough couple of months I am happy to say that Winchester finally feels like home. It's a beautiful place full of beautiful people and honestly I couldn't be happier. 

I spent the evening in the town with my housemates, preparing to see the perfectly placed lights sparkle in the navy sky. It was a bit of an anticlimax but a sea of cheers from the ever-growing crowd soon made this insignificant.

I officially love Winchester.

Narrative And Genre.

According to Long and Wall (2009) the term Narrative refers to "the organisation of textual elements into a pattern in terms of space, time and perspective... 'events' which are ordered through time (temporal succession) and which we conceive as the cause of other events (causation)."

When applied to the medium of film, Narrative plays a crucial role in the development of the fabula (story) and syuzhet (plot). Like much anticipated superhero sidekick "Avengers Assemble", which is a prime example of a classic realist text.

To "avenge" means to "take revenge in retaliation for harm done" (Collins Pocket English Dictionary, 2000). Therefore, the title of the film already allows the audience to construct a fabula in their mind. In relation to this, Bordwell (1985) comments: "The fabula, however imaginary, is not a whimsical or arbitrary construct. The viewer builds the fabula on the basis of... relations of causality, time and space."

Narrative.

Within media, the term Narrative translates as "a set of events" whereby it is the intention of the filmmaker to build suspense. So in "Avengers Assemble", like in any other action film, there will be elements of "false scares" that are designed to live up to audience expectation.

Time.

The typical Narrative will have a beginning a middle and an end, but as filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard states: "Yes, but not in that order." Here, Godard is referencing the "disruption of the 'natural' order of time..." Time is a common feature to many films, particularly when it comes to the old trick of flashbacks and "bullet-time" (think "The Matrix"). These factors contribute to audience satisfaction and enjoyment.

Space.

A sense of space is needed in order to construct the fabula. Realism in film and other media help to produce a coherent sense of reality within the mindsof an audience.

• Quotes sourced from "Media Studies Texts Production And Context" by P. Long and T.Wall

Genre.

Genre can be linked back to 300BC, the time of Greek philosopher Aristotle, who distinguished dramatic modes such as comedy and tragedy which were ultimately "... concentrated in the beginning on producing defining characteristics for particular genres based on historical usage." This is otherwise known as the "structuralist" approach.

The dictionary definition, however, defines Genre as a "style of literary, musical or artistic work." (Collins Pocket English Dictionary, 2000)

Genre is related to audience expectations for example. With themes such as Science Fiction being "devoted" to a particular genre. Theorist Neale (1983) comments: "As far as genre is concerned, expectations exist both to be satisfied, and also, to be redefined."

• Quotes sourced from "Analysing Fictional Television Genres" by K. Akass and J.McCabe

The Art Of Copyright.

In Journalistic terms, Copyright refers to the "branch of the law that enables Journalism to exist as a business."

It was the 1911 Copyright Act that made the breach of Copyright a crime. Everybody has the right to their own "intellectual property" that prevents their work from being stolen or exploited by the public. They can however, either choose to keep ownership or "buy out" the commercial rights (but retain moral rights as sanctioned under the 1988 Copyright Act). 

It is crucial as a Journalist to remember that there is no Copyright in ideas.

This can be made clearer in "The Da Vinci Code Case" where two people sued author Dan Brown claiming they had already published the premise to his novel "The Da Vinci Code" some years earlier. Their case was lost however as there was no substantial proof that Brown had "lifted" anything from the previous book.

Accordingly, it is safe to re-do old stories as long as the source has been accredited and some of it is your own work.

You are also allowed to use Copyright in the context of:

• Comment.
• Criticism.
• Review.

There can be no Copyright in information. Only liable if the information has been turned into news by a Journalist.

This is where the old Journalistic trick of fair dealing or "lifting" comes into play. You can "lift" quotes from articles as long as you credit the source and 

it is a matter of public interest. "Passing off" is out of the question as you could be in breach of Copyright law and could be sued for compensation if it can be proved that you have stolen the work. To be protected from Copyright, the piece of work must be original.

Creative Commons allows people to pre-licence work for anyone to use but this is often limited. It can also apply 70 years after the death of an author or, in terms of music, 50 years from the year in which the work was created.

WINOL Review (26/10/11).

My task today was to review the latest WINOL news bulletin.

Broadcasting every week, award-winning WINOL enables students to get a taste of what it is really like to work in the Broadcast Journalism industry.

It is key to remember that Journalism is always planned. Although lacking in a deeply compelling story (unlike last week) there was good justification of statistics to coincide with the amount of fair comment provided, coupled with the relevant general view. By doing this, WINOL has followed one of the critical rules that "justice has to be seen to be done".

Winchester's local unions were quite clearly libelled during the bulletin with the expression of their "outrage" over the live streaming of their meeting, which intended to show the public the "transparency of public authority." Here, they have been identified and the story has been published, therefore through the eyes of the public they have been defamed.

Identification ---> Publication---> Defamation = LIBEL.

The choice to make their meetings public could lead to them being shunned and avoided. Or open to hatred and ridicule. However, the degree of public interest within this story is what makes it newsworthy.

For more information on WINOL visit: http://winol.co.uk/.

A Report From Crown Court (19/10/11).

Law is a common language among Journalists mainly outlining how not to get sued.

I admit, common sense doesn't come naturally to me. I put this down to lack of worldly experience. However when properly put into practice, there's no doubt it plays a crucial part in the everyday life of a Journalist.

For this module I was set the task of visiting Winchester Crown Court.

We walked through steel doors engraved with metal shields that when closed, faced out towards the town. We tread on mosaic flooring up towards a varnished desk where an older man requests to search our belongings. Camera's confiscated as I step through the plastic archway. A red light flashes on the portal. Another man, a similar age to the latter, approaches and scans me. They both wore navy jerseys, like policemen, only without the knock, knock hats. All clear we proceed to the reception.

Waiting outside courtroom one, we squint at a tiny TV screen situated next to a set of double doors. A rape case. Three judges in wigs and black overalls pass by. Walking through the double doors we become overwhelmed by the clinical yet rustic feel of the place. We nervously hold onto the narrow banisters as we climb up three flights of stairs. The public gallery awaits.

We sat observing. We were at the highest level in the courtroom. The kind of level I would assume belongs to the judge. Instead, he is orientated directly below a bronze plaque that hangs directly in front of us. Another shield. Lion on the left, unicorn on the right. Fighting. Fighting over power perhaps? Or Justice? The rule "justice must be seen to be done" comes to mind. 

We sit on pinkish/purple chairs. The kind of colour that will now provoke a feeling of isolation and awkwardness. A quiet voice echoes through the courtroom. The voice of a young woman. A mild typing is heard in the background reflecting the emptiness of this place. The jury appear anonymous, saddened, concerned. The Judge, surprisingly cheerful in his tone, demands they reconvene tomorrow morning.

We get up to leave. I notice the orange carpet quite retro in design. Historical much like the rest of this place. Strange for a relatively modern building.

What Makes A Good Journalist?

A good journalist deals in the "absolute truth" and therefore must NEVER jump to conclusions or lie to the public. A good journalist's job is to "police the police" by always keeping one step ahead of the game and helping "keep them honest", informing the public of key news and developments around the world. Described as a "bloodhound as well as a watchdog", journalists are the source of the world's news and therefore need to be able to achieve good communication to the public through their use of language and be honest in their gathering of information. Therefore, it is crucial that their language is precise and accurate. This has been proved "beyond reasonable doubt". A good journalist needs to be fast, accurate and fair when gathering information/materials by using the power of language to communicate their findings to the public.

[148 words]

So what do you think? Is my response fast, accurate and fair?

The "Spreading Ooze Of Mass Culture"

Ever the cultural pessimist, MacDonald coined this term to describe the effect Mass Culture (Mainstream Culture) has on society.

According to the Collins Pocket English Dictionary (2000) culture is "the ideas, customs and art of a particular society." However when put into practice, I believe it allows for a more in-depth analysis.

Cultural guru Raymond Williams described culture as "ordinary". Unlike MacDonald, Williams is a cultural optimist, believing that Mass Culture has a positive effect on the masses and therefore should be valued within a society. 

This leads me to question: What is "ordinary"? What is culture? And who defines it?

The topic on the agenda today was the much debated issue of TASTE.

Taste is not something we are born with, nor does it stay the same. It is a learned behaviour and is constantly changing as we become "enculturated" into a society. Taste can be used to express our individuality (whether individually or in a group) and it is socially constructed, meaning we are all affected by it. Therefore we as the consumers are "manipulated" into a particular lifestyle that affects the way we think and act. 

Having said that, we shouldn't automatically assume that this is such a bad thing. Strinati says "mass culture is a culture which lacks intellectual challenge and formulation, preferring the undemanding ease of fantasy and escapism." Personally, I like the idea that Mass Culture allows us to "escape" from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Because as Bourdieu quite cleverly states "different forms of culture provide different forms of pleasure."

So don't be ashamed if you watch Eastenders or are a die-hard football fan. My philosophy is that Mass Culture should be valued as a product of our culture. It enriches us and has the potential to dissolve all cultural distinctions.