15 January - Update and Discussion

Happy New Year,

Note* This blog is taking on a new twist for the next few months as I explore the graduate course COM 6630, Strategic Communication and Emerging Media. I will be posting weekly updates about topics relevant to changing media and class discussions.  It is my desire to learn, grow, and share what I am discovering during this semester. Technology is driving the landscape of media and news and how individuals consume it.

I am student at Troy University pursuing my masters.  This is an online program and requires the usage of a blog for communication.  My life experiences have allowed me to see many different countries, cultures, and meet amazing people.  I have blogged along the way, but this will have a new strategic focus.  

News, What is changing?

Nearly, all things.  The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.  Early 2021, they published a piece that highlighted eight-in-ten Americans get their news from digital devices.  I knew that this would be a significant number but was surprised how the high digital usage was.  The pandemic created a shift in many aspects, and this is one of them. For nearly 14 months, we were not running out pick up daily newspapers or grab the latest edition from the magazine shelves. We leaned into daily updates from television, radio, and digital outlets.  Did environmental circumstances help fast-forward the use of technology as the primary source for news?  Senior Researcher, Elisa Shearer reported most Americans under fifty are using technology as a primary means to access the news.  Rather than grab the newspaper from the front porch or flip the remote to a news channel they are grabbing a digital device.  Advertisers, political campaigns, and federal, state and local governments are recognizing the change.

Over the last year while I was deployed, I used podcasts for my daily news. I downloaded and then listened on the treadmill or at the gym. I could bulk episodes together and listen to a weeks’ worth of news in relative short amount of time.

Recommendations:

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Ukraine the Latest

NPR News Hour -updated hourly

Technology has made digital media very accessible.  The shows themselves make it easy to get news highlights in 5-10 minutes and if I needed more information on a topic, I could research it on other platforms. Digital media is relatively inexpensive to produce and just about anyone can create a podcast or YouTube program. Yes, there are some outrageous podcasters but ignore those you do not agree with. The First Amendment gives us the freedom of speech.

One may be a bit concerned that a large amount of people gets their news from Facebook. Consumers need to research their news sources. Recognizing that media outlets can have bias, but one needs to understand that up front.  Programs are dedicated to fact checking and keeping the integrity of content.

Americans over 65 are still primarily getting their news from the television. Which makes sense if you have watched a syndicated news hour, most of the advertisements are targeted towards that age market.  Sadly, much of this comes down to money and influence.

Staying up to date on news and being personally informed about matters that impact you and your family is important.  Personal ownership is key, you cannot stick your head in the sand and ignore all matters.  However, everything in moderation. There are many reports published on the harm and obsession with all things digital.   In fact, just this week Seattle Public Schools  a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court. The 91-page complaint says the social media companies have created a public nuisance by targeting their products to children.  From the school district website, “This case is not about eliminating social media, but it is about changing how social media companies operate. The objective is to force these companies to take responsibility for the harm caused by their business practices” (Seattle Public Schools website, 2023). 

My idea would be to create safe spaces where we can get the best news information possible. Not fueled by advertisers and agendas.  Adopting a “leave no trace” principle for media and news would be helpful. We should protect and preserve news and media spaces allowing for responsible readers and consumers. 

Join me next week as we look at the future of news and learn about 5G networks.

#wheredoyougetyournews #keepreading #supportyourfavoritenewssource

References

Seattle Public Schools https://www.seattleschools.org/news/social-media-case/  8 Jan 2023.

Shearer, E. 2021. More than eight-in-ten Americans get news from digital devices.  Pew Research Center (blog), https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/12/more-than-eight-in-ten-americans-get-news-from-digital-devices/

article caught my eye ... for a second

byline: Robert Matas
Vancouver — From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2009 06:53PM EDT

Chef Neil Wyles initially thought news of an arrest of a 25-year old woman in Vancouver for assault with a potato peeler was a joke. He does not regard a potato peeler as much of a weapon.
But Mr. Wyles is also painfully aware of the potential of a potato peeler to cause some real harm. “I often skin the back of my finger with a potato peeler,” Mr. Wyles said in a brief interview Tuesday while cooking lunch at the steakhouse, the Hamilton Street Grill, located about four blocks from where the assault allegedly took place.

Newer potato peelers with foam handles and plastic support are designed to minimize damage from accidents. But the old-fashioned metal peelers are similar to an exposed razor blade, he said. “Your old-school potato peeler [with a] metal handle, if you use it like a stabbing weapon, you could inflict some damage,” he said. “If you use it like a knife, your average potato peeler, your standard domestic one, you could puncture someone with it.”

Yurub Mohammed Arte, 25, was charged Monday with assault with a weapon after stabbing a woman she knew with a potato peeler following a shouting match in a nightclub in the heart of Vancouver's entertainment district.
The incident may be the first time that anyone in Vancouver has been charged with assault with a potato peeler.
“I've seen some strange cases over the years with assaults with any number of things used as a weapon,” Constable Jana McGuinness, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Police Department, said in an interview Tuesday.
But she could not think of another case with a potato peeler, she said.
“Anything used for an assault – a hairbrush, a rock or a baseball bat – could be considered a weapon,” Constable McGuinness also said. “If it is intended to inflict harm, that could be a weapon,” she said.
The incident began shortly after midnight Monday. The Republic nightclub's regular Monday evening entertainers – a musical group called Young, Rich and Famous – had been playing hip-hop, top 40 and party-rock classics. Five-dollar tequila shots were the featured drinks at the club that night.
Ms. Arte, who police say came to Canada from Somalia, became involved in “a verbal altercation” with a 20-year-old woman inside the club. The two women knew each other and had “a history” with each other. The exchange was fuelled by alcohol.
The two women were ejected from the club. On the street, Ms. Arte allegedly bit the 20-year-old woman on the left breast and then sliced her left ear with the potato peeler. Staff from the club intervened and held Ms. Arte until police arrived.
The victim's ear bled heavily. However medical staff at the hospital said the injury was minor. After receiving medical treatment for her ear injury and bite wound, the victim was released from hospital.
Police have not yet determined how Ms. Arte obtained the potato peeler. Constable McGuinness was not prepared to release any details about the type of potato peeler.
Police also refused to release the name of the victim. Neither women had criminal records, Constable McGuinness said.
Ms. Arte was held in jail over night and expected to be released today. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 6.