Internet and Journalism

The web has indeed shaped and changed the future of journalism. The Internet has reinvented our means of communication that has created bloggers and citizen journalists whose influence may be even greater and far-reaching than traditional media channels. The Internet has also changed and dismissed our notions of conventional reporting methods and we are free from the clutches of those few powerful "gatekeepers" in the past. This is because anyone with a mind of their own and thoughts can easily express themselves on the web, where they can be heard. According to a study by PEW Internet & American Life Project in 2006, it was found that there are twelve million bloggers in the United States and 34% of them associates blogging as a form of journalism. With the rising popularity of blogs, this trend will only continue to grow.

One classic example of citizen journalism is internationally-known site "Oh My News" that is based in Soeul. The site even offers RSS feeds, podcasts, and forums that allows room for mass discussion. Even Barack Obama responds to their interview! A new word "netizen" has also been coined in the 1990's and according to Wikipedia, it means "a cybercitizen who is a person actively involved in online communities". Netizens were not only keen in pursing information on the web, but they are also dedicated to spreading the Net to all consumers with common goals and interests, thus making a true citizen of the Net.

Our huge insatiable consumption of news are being met with the mass digital access around the world. With Google's introduction of Google Earth that allows you to view real live satellite imagery in 3D, it is highly possible that internet and journalism will evolve into this direction. We only hope that the Internet will continue to grow and flourish and we will truly have our own freedom of expression.

Political Campaigning

The Internet has transformed the way politics work. The digital wave has shaped the course of how politicians communicate to the masses. A case in point would be Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in 2008. Obama's administrative team has successfully raised half a billion dollars from 6.5 million donors while collecting 13 million email addresses during the process. Obama used the Internet to spread his ideologies globally on the web and as such, created various online communities that enabled wide and efficient distribution. These allowed people to easily access information online and also to explore and participate in these campaigns freely.

On the other hand, in Singapore, it appears to be a different case. The local politicians do not engage in digital elections as vigorously as compared to the US parties. There are certain rules, regulations and stipulated laws that set certain restrictions to political content online. An example would be that the Singapore government has banned all podcasts and videocasts in all future elections. Furthermore, bloggers who would want to write and speak up about the elctions are required to register with the relevant authorities. After registration, in the event that the government finds the content unsuitable, the blogger will have to delete the post(s). This also could be one of the main reasons why young adults and youths are not as apathetic towards politics. Besides the fact that Singapore is not exactly a debating society, schools are also not actively promoting political involvement and educating the students on politics. It could also be because of the youths' lack of understanding of the functions and operations of politics that they seemed to be turned off by politics. Some may feel that one man cannot make any major change in politics, thus the general apathy towards the government and politics.

If only the rules are more flexible, less stringent and more political content is published on the web whereby allowing people to freely access the information and giving them room to express their thoughts, all these attempts might be able to engage young people in politics. Perhaps the Internet can play a more vital role in the upcoming elections.

Multimedia

Samsung Mobile Showcases the Winter Olympic Games Throughout the Years

Rock Out with the Samsung Omnia II's SWYPE Technology

The advertisements are short, simple and cool and it convinces consumers to buy their product. For example, a tie-in with the Winter Olympics is a great move because the event itself is a well-known and highly-anticipated one, thus it creates a lasting and memorable impression on the audiences. Moreover, the Samsung omnia II Swype technology was a newly invented technology that was fun and funky as shown in the advertisement. This shows that their marketing communication has succeeded in capturing the audience's attention. All the visuals, audio and graphics further enhanced the video and persuades the audience to purchase their products as well as creating brand awareness.