Week 12 - Photojournalism

It is said that news must be as entertaining as it is truthful. Do you think both can coexist harmoniously in the world of photojournalism?

To my understanding, Photojournalism requires the photojournalists to be able to share stories of life to the people. Photojournalists also uses pictures and narrate the pictures with words. Photojournalists are able to create photos that can impress people by taking an images of reality. As stated by Busst (2012) that photojournalism is a way of life where photojournalists dedicate their lives to tell stories of other people and to document certain events, in which to create news. Every news follows a strong sense of ethics to prevent the harming the credibility of the field. As Wright (2004) stated that ethics is a part of philosophy that is concerned with right or wrong issues. On the entertainment news., there are no specific ethics to follow unless it is instructed by the corporations that own the producers of such news and its basic concept is to entertain.

A photojournalist must know the concept of ethics in photojournalism as to create entertaining and truthful news to prevent from controversies. Lester (1999) stated that the concept of ethics in photojournalism are used to make secure that there are no controversies by the story which is told by a photojournalist.

Apart from preventing controversies, Photojournalist will be more reliable following the ethics as they are not allowed to change the situation in anyway that they documented in the story. For the entertainment news side, in which is basically to entertain has different concept. Some of the ethical codes may be not be followed during the process of entertaining. Photojournalists might lose their credibility or their job at their each particular media organization or corporation if the attempts to break the ethical codes.

In conclusion, merging photojournalism and entertainment news might risks a photojournalist credibility due to breaking the ethical codes of photojournalism.

References:

Busst, N. V. (2012). Telling stories to a different beat: Photojournalism as a “Way of Life”. Unpublished thesis dissertation, Bond University, Australia.

Lester, P. M. (1991). Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.

Wright. T (2004) The Photography Handbook. (2nd ed) Routledge, London.

Week 11 - Information Graphics

Compare the two graphs below. What is the ethical problem here?

Initially, both of the graphs above look very effective in terms of visual perspective. Anyhow, if the reader continues to read the data at the values and variables, there are several complications can be seen on the two graphs. The information graphic is to present information and data with the objective to deliver knowledge to the reader in simple form. According to Lester (2006) stated that information graphic is utilized and illustrated to describe intricate information with possible clarity and it is widely employed to demonstrate an abundant amount of information.

The above graph title shows a quite subjective as it states the difference on softwares between both graphs. Both Microsoft and Linux softwares were not known to be as open sourced which the main problem is the initial title itself when comparing the two softwares. Therefore, both of the graph above are able to deliver the knowledge visually than verbally which this is the main objective for information graphic as Tidwell (2011) stated information graphic as "to communicate knowledge visually rather than verbally."

On the variables, the X and Y-axis are different in both graphs. Linux graph shows there are 10 variables while the Microsoft graph has 11 variables. Both graph don't have same variables and few variables are able to be compares as presented on both graph. However, comparison on X-axis cannot be made as both graphs have different variables. On the Linux graph shows the multiples of 5 for the variables value while Microsoft shows multiples of 10. Hence, the more concern of this if the Microsoft software is used.

According to Pettersson (1993, p. 173) stated, “Information graphics provide the reader with a rapid and easily grasped overall view of a message and are therefore highly suitable as an introduction to and summary of a subject.” Therefore, a graph shouldn't have complications views to the reader because information graphic must at it simplicity and help people to understand what is being represented quickly without prior background knowledge of it.

References:

Lester, P. M. (2006). Visual communication:Images with messages. USA: Cengage Learning.

Pettersson, R. (2002). Information Design. An Introduction. United States of America: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Tidwell, J. (2011). Designing Interfaces (2nd ed.). CA: O'Reilly Media Inc.

Week 10 - Games & Avatars

Do you agree that you are cyborgian in nature?

The answer for the tutorial question above is yes. The reason is we are we are constantly relying on machines such as handphones, car, laptop that we are addicted to it and makes us difficult to live without them. The more we rely on prosthetic, the less usage of our natural or real body parts. This is true as the advances of technology take place, we are nearly can be someone we wished to be with senseless of feeling on what we do or say. According to Clark (2003, p.10) stated that ‘what makes us distinctively human is our capacity to continually restructure and re-build our own mental circuitry, courtesy of an empowering web of culture, education, technology, and artifacts.’

In addition, we cannot live without the machine as they have been apart of our life. Levy (2001) also stated, "we cannot separate the material world- even less so its artificial component -from the ideas through which technological objects are conceived and used, or from the humans who invent, produced and used them."

Another reason for this agreement of the question above is the need of prosthetic is needed to restore information as a memory in other way to help the brain and the body to gain more information. For example is on prosthetic memory, which is the computer. According Landsberg (2004) defined prosthetic memories as "emerges at the interface between a person and a historical narrative about the past, at an experiential site such as movie theater or museum."

In conclusion, we are more depending on technologies as prosthetics and it is difficult for us to live without them as this technology as part of our lives. Therefore we are cyborgian in nature.

References:

Clark, A. (2003). Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Landsberg, A. (2004). Posthetic Memory: The Transformation of American rememberance in the age of new mass culture. NewYork: Columbia University Press.

Levy, P. (2001). Cyberculture. United State of America: University of Minnesota Press.

Week 9 - Cinema and Television

Name your favorite television and film. Explain how the film or television could shape a person's identity.

My most favorite television animation series is Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) and most favorite movie is Thor. This television series and movie have in common on the main character who has the motivation to be the best and respected by other, trying to be the best by went through a lot of obstacles or challenges. In other word, the film or television not only just to entertain audience but to deliver a messages to the audience, in which this messages are the knowledge and this knowledge is known as Cultural Literacy. Schirato and Yell (2000), stated that "cultural literacy can be defined as a knowledge of meaning systems and an ability to negotiate those systems within different cultural contexts. It is virtually impossible to describe and analyze what is happening in any communication context or practice without using the concept of cultural literacy."

Television Series

Movie

The film or television could shape person's identity by the cultural literacy and also the emotion audience (he/she) have towards the television series or movie. Currie (1997) stated, “By imagining ourselves in the situation of a character with destructive, immoral desires, and thereby coming to have, in imagination, the desires of the character…”.

Another way where film and/or television able to shapes a person identity is by the influence of the characters in the movie or television series. According to Fildes (2008), they are the constructed worlds that can fascinate us with alternatives to our own society. Therefore, people learned and influenced by watching television or movie which shapes their identity from just by watching them.

In conclusion, the film or television could shape a person's identity due to the audience have the cultural literacy to understand the television series or movie. It's also could shape a person's identity by the influence from the television and movie, where a person copy the behavior or identity of the characters and apply it to their life.

References:

Currie, G. (1997). Image and Mind: Film, Philosophy and Cognitive Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Fildes, A. (2008). I Watch, Therefore I Think: Teaching Philosophy Through Cinema and Television. Journal of Screen Education, (49), pp. 88-93.

Shirato, T. & Yell, S. (2000). Communication and Cultural Literacy: An Introduction (2^nd edition.). Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Week 8 - Photography

Why do we consider photography as a form of cultural critique? Is every photograph able to do so?

Photograph is a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused onto film or other light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally as Wright (1999, p.1) states that "photography has been used to record all aspects of human life and activity.". Therefore, in a photograph can have more than one meanings embed.

Photograph is also a prosthetic memory. According Landsberg (2004) defined prosthetic memory as a form of memory that "emerges at the interface between a person and a historical narrative about the past, at an experiential site such as movie theater or museum."

Photography usually used the captured images as portraiture. Whether the images captured during the past and present, which to create nostalgia, in many ways shows more accurate representation of life than paintings. Apart from being able to document whatever happened, Photograph could be use to critique culture.

Photography is consider as a modern cultural product and it is one of the modernity revolutions. Due to this, photography can be critique culturally. Photography is also a simulacrum as another reason for being considered as a form of cultural critique. Simulacrum is defined as “a copy of a copy whose relation to the model has become so attenuated that it can no longer be properly said to be a copy." (Pronger, B, 2002). In other words, Photograph is a powerful tool to critique culture because it is a real truth which it is a form of cultural critique. For example of the picture below which document the people and certain landscapes of Africa. The picture shows the world wide that the African country suffer from financial and economy problem.

References:

Landsberg, A. (2004). Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture. New York: Columbia University Press.

Pronger, B. (2002). Body Fascism: Salvation in the technology of physical fitness. Canada: University of Toronto.

Wright, T. (1999). Photography Handbook. London: Routledge.

Week 7 - Visual Narrative & The Media

Why is Narrative important when shaping a visual image to the audience?

Narrative is a story-telling. It is a story which consist of experiences, series of events, actors, time and location whether true or fictitious. As stated by Altman (2008), Narrative is "the practice of story-telling". Therefore, a visual image will be just a picture and the meaning of the image will be unknown without narrative.

According to Aristotle, in his work which is focused on literary theory of “poetry”, he says “a tragedy has the following parts: Prologue, Episode, Exode, and a choral portion, distinguished into Parode and Stasimon (Howell, 1968). Basically, Aristotle asserted that a narrative has a beginning, middle and it is structured according to its intertextuality with the help of the Parode (character) and Stasimon (narrator). Therefore, Narrative has its own structures which are beginning part, middle part and final part. This 3 parts are called as Aristotle's Dramatic Structures.

According to Mieke Bal (1997) also stated that narrative has 3 structures but different from Aristotle's Dramatic Structure. He stated first part as Fabula which is telling us what is happened in the story and why it is happened. Second part is plot which made of Fabula or events to form a consistent and coherent whole. Last part is text which represent of information that produced by an agent. These 3 parts has its purposes. Beginning part is telling about how the story begin, middle part is known as climax part where the conflict is happened and final part is the conclusion of the story.

There are two natures of narratives which are Story and Discourse. Story is the chronology of events that is in a narrative. In other word what is told is the story, which means it is the narrative content. Genette (1988) stated, discourse is the “oral or wtitten, that narrates them” which means how the narrative is told. Discourse makes a story clear on how it is to be told. The visual image will produces a story to the audience in a form of picture due to the natures of the narrative. This natures of narrative helps to shape the visual image. Therefore, this will make the audience understand what is the meaning of the image. The picture below is an example.

The picture below show what is told, which is about the war. The first scene shows a group of soldiers were in battlefield. The second scene shows how the soldiers help each other do camouflage. The third scene shows the soldiers are hiding and sneaking the enemy and the last scene shows how one of the soldier help the other soldier who was shot. This is how it is told, which is by creating a picture of different scenes in one picture.

In conclusion, narrative is important when it comes to shaping the visual image because narrative is story-telling. It is also due to the two natures of narrative which is story and discourse which helps in shaping the visual image to the audience.

References:

Altman, R. (2008). A Theory of Narrative. New York: Columbia University Press.

Bal, Mieke. (1997). Narratology: Introduction to the theory of narrative. University of Toronto Press.

Genette, G. (1988). Narrative Discourse Revisited. New York: Cornell University Press.

Howell, W. (1968). Aristotle And Horace On Rhetoric And Poetics. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 54(4), 325.

  

Week 6 - Rhetoric and Persuasion

Before coming to class, bring a print advertisement that you believe persuades the reader rhetorically. Explain your case using the concepts learnt this week.

What is rhetoric? Griffin (March 7, 2011, p.290), defined rhetoric as the "discovering all possible means of persuasions." In other words, rhetoric is a form of communication and argument essential to public audience whereas it is a tool of conviction and persuasion.

In addition, rhetoric can also be defined as a communication that uses language as a means to persuade or convince an audience. As stated by Blair, the term rhetoric does not restrict to only the use of language in speech to persuade the audience. This is because “non-argumentative speech or non-argumentative properties of speech can be persuasive” (2004, p.42). Therefore, it can either be written, spoken or visually presented.

The advertisement below is an example of an advertisement that could persuade the audience rhetorically.

The advertisement above shows convincing that it's clearly attempts to persuade the audience that it is important to stop smoking or tp avoid from falling to smoking because it causes bad to people's health such as lung cancer.

A persuasion has proposition and argument. Hwacroft (1999) stated that deductive and inductive are the two basic form of proposition and arguement. Inductive is when the premises provide reasons supporting the probable truth of the conclusion. Hwacroft (1999) also stated that, with induction, the conclusion can be made from one or more premises. As per the above advertisement shows a very blurred and uncleared part of the cigarrate pack, but there are two sentences which has been showed by the product are consequences and notice for smokers which this refers to the premises. The conclusion is that smoking causes cancers.

Rhetorics in advertising is more concerned with the style than the content. McQuarrie & Phillips (2008) stated “rhetoric has been more concerned with how to say things than what to say.” In other words, style in advertising is important in showing and portraying an argument and which includes the elements of visual on how it organized to create a meaning. The advertisement above is an example where the content is less but more with style and it manage to persuade the audience to stop and avoid smoking.

References:

Blair, J.A. (2004). The rhetoric of visual arguments. In hill, C.A., and Helmers, M.H. (eds.). Defining visual rhetorics (pp 41-43). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Griffin, Emory A (March 7, 2011) The Rhetoric of Aristotle: A First Look at COMMUNICATION THEORY (8^th ed.), New York, America: MCGRAW-HILL.

Hwacroft, M. (1999). Rhetorics: Readings in French Literature. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

McQuarrie, E. F. & Phillips, B. J. (2008). Advertising Rhetoric: An Introduction. (Eds.)., Go Figure!: New Directions in Advertising Rhetorics. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

Week 5 - Gestalt & Schema

Gestalt is “not a combination of elements but something new in relation to these, which exists together in their combination, but it distinguishable from it” (Lyons, 2001). Gestalt theory claims that “the whole is different than the sum of its parts”. Gestalt also defined as “the objects we perceive in visual experience are not the objects themselves but perceptual effigies of those objects constructed by our brain according to natural rules.” (Metzger, 2006). This explains any objects that we see through our sight senses are the objects that are coded which constructed by our brain.

Name three laws of Gestalt Theory and provide examples to illustrate your point.

In this journal i will discuss the three laws of Gestalt Theory which is the law of similarity, closure, and proximity.

Law of Similarity

Law of similarity is when we put objects together into groups when they correspond with each other.

In the above example, color has been used above to denote similarity in the image above. You can see alternating columns of black and red squares. Each column is determined by the similarity of color of the circles that make up the column.

Law of Closure

Closure is depicted when we grouped objects together that are not yet complete. It is mostly like we are predicting what the object looks like when its complete.This law states that we are more completing the object using our own views.

In the above example one can depict it as a shape of globe circle. it's actually the shapes of the spikes are been grouped together. It creates the shape of globe circle when group of different-sized spikes arranged in a such way.

Law of Proximity

Law of proximity explains how we see a group of objects and tend to see them as group. It is also defined as how visual elements are grouped together if they are close together (Eysenck & Keane, 2010). This is called “Grouping”.

For example of the picture above, the shapes of flowers with different sizes. Both groups in the picture are forms by two groups of circles show proximity because since the different circles are put closer together.

References:

Lyons, A. (2001). Gestalt Approaches to the Virtual Gesantkunstwerk. Retrieved 20th Sept 2012, from http://www.tstex.com

Metzger, W., & Spillmann, L. (2006). Laws of Seeing. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Eysenck, M. W., Keane, M. T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology: A student’s handbook (6^th ed). Sussex: Psychology Press.

Week 4 - Visual Syntax, Semantics & Pragmatics

Why is pragmatics an important consideration when examining visual communications? Provide relevant examples to illustrate your point.

Pragmatics is the study of the context which contributes to meaning. It is defined as “study of the interpretation of utterances, especially how the context of a situation influences their meaning” (Hartley, 2011, p.211). It is usually influence the meaning of the signifier and the sign when the meaning is determined by the pragmatics such as codes, modality, sender, receiver, and context.

In addition, some theorists defined pragmatics as the study of general language, some defined as the study of communication, others refers to the study of language for language’s communicative function ( Allot, N., 2010).

It is important to consider pragmatics in visual communication as it is the study of hidden meaning. Whereas. sign is form by the signifiers which is syntax. The signified and connotations of the sign are the semantics. The meaning is determined by pragmatics such as codes, modality, sender, receiver and context. Therefore pragmatics is an important consideration when examining visual communications because to avoid missinterpretation of text and sign.

As an example:

The above picture shows a hand gesture sign. In European countries it is a sign of peace. But people in other country may have different meaning and interpretation for the sign such as it is the sign of number or “playboy”. People Interpretation might be right and might be wrong because they can't predict the image easily. It is clear that "we can predict the degree of tact that required by the situation".(Leech,1980, pg.114). Therefore people can only predict any sign of images where the meaning determined by pragmatics which are coded in certain situation and places.

In conclusion, the study of pragmatics is important cause it helps to understand the issue surrounding a text and interpretation of a meanings where it is found in the text. It can be seen as an answer to certain questions about meaning whether in the text itself or the context.

If all visual communication is subjective, what is the point of studying?

Visual Communication is communication that relies on vision. Why we study visual communication because it is part of our everyday lives and it helps to understand the differences of perceptions and ideologies of society. However, if all visual communication is subjective, it can be concluded that there will be no specific answer or interpretation and it is hard to decide and determine what represents the interpretation of the majorities. Thus this will cause problems to business economics in terms of advertising when they do not know the actual of their product's marketplace.

References

Hartley, J. (2011). Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts. New York: Routledge.

Allott, N. (2010). Key Terms in Pragmatics. London; Continuum International Publishing.

Leech, G.N. (1980). Explorations in Semantics and Pragmatics. University of Lancaster, Amsterdam : John Benjamins B.V.

Week 3 - Semiotics Revisited

To my understand semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. Chandler (March 4, 2005) stated, “The Shortest definition is that it is the study of signs.” This theory is to understand the meaning of analyzed pieces information on a subject. There are three basics things to analyze subject which are identifying sign, denoting what is perceived and connoting the coded.

Provide examples of signifiers, signified, and connotations.

According to Barth, sign is the combination of its signifier what is perceive through senses and signified the meaning we associate with the sign (Griffin, 2011, p. 333). Barth also defined signifiers and signified as:

Signifiers – “The physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses; an image.”

Signified – “The meaning we associate with the sign.” (Griffin, 2011, p.333)

Connotations – "The socio-cultural and 'personal' associations (ideological, emotional, etc)" (Chandler, March 4, 2005)

The above picture is an example for signifiers, signifieds, and connotations. The signifiers of this picture is Toyota 86. The signified is the image which is the car. The connotation based on the individual's own perception whether the picture of the car does convey those perception or not. The picture above will have the connotation for luxury, exotic, standard, high quality, popular car brand around the world though it is not written in the picture itself.

From a certain point of view, semiotics appears to be a paradoxical discipline, meaning we find it all around us and, yet, nowhere specifically.” (Porcar. C, 2011). The study of sign is everywhere. On the picture, apart from the design and color of the car, the trademark also has the meaning. “Reignite You Passion” trademark of this picture means that the car is standard, high quality, elegant and better performance.

References:

Chandler, D (March 4, 2005) Semiotics for Beginner. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html

Griffin, Emory A (March 7, 2011) Semiotics Theory of Roland Barthes: A First Look at COMMUNICATION THEORY (8^th ed.), New York, America: MCGRAW-HILL.

Porcar, G. (2011). Sign and Meaning: A Semiotic Approach To Communication. Journal for Communication and Culture 1 (2011): 20-29. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ubd.edu.bn/