Friday 18 November 2011

Reflection

I write and design my blog based on the principle of social semiotics, which means social and cultural context affect how people understand a document. Thus, reader’s need guide me when writing blog as a document’s functionality is rely on its structure matching reader’s habits, expectations and context used (Putnis & Petelin, 1996).
A blogger must write ethically to avoid defamation and copyright infringement. Blogger must always remember to write original content, provide citation if you refer to other source, quote properly and provide link to original article (Brown, 2007). Moreover, a blogger must be sensitive to culture by avoid using word that is offensive and sensitive to other people. This is because the meaning of document can be different for different people as reader interprets document based on their cultural background and knowledge (Walsh, 2006).
Last but not least, a blogger must know how to design because design features can increase the usefulness of document by increase reader interest and guide reader through the document (Reep, 2006). One can design blog draw upon the design principle: balance, sequence, proportion and consistency (Reep, 2006).
source: Google


References:
  • Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, ‘Writing to communicate’, Professional Communication: Principles and Application, Prentice Hall, Sydney.
  • Reep, DC 2006, ‘Chp 4: Principles of document design’, Technical Writing, 6 th edn, Pearson, New York.
  • Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print visual and multimodal texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, pp.24-37.
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Go for e-books!

As a student, I agree that e-book is more convenient as compared with print-based book. We don’t need to find a book among thousand books in library but we can found an e-book easily through e-books search engine. Thus, e-books should be encouraged.
In the article ‘how e-textbooks, online modules could keep journalism education current’, Capelato (2011) discussed about today advance technology is pushing e-textbooks to replace traditional textbooks. People can save time and money by subscribing e-textbooks as compared with buying a new book (Capelato, 2011). Besides, a new book can become old book after it is published in printed form whereas e-textbooks can update the book once it is released (Capelato, 2011). Today, CourseSmart provides more than 90 percent of e-textbooks at the same time Inkling has cooperated with pulishers like McGraw-Hill and Pearson to provide e-textbook (Capelato, 2011).
A survey done by ebrary in 2007 showed that among 6492 students, 3717 students know that their school library provides e-books while 3132 do not use it (McKiel, 2007). 41 percent of them agree that e-book is good and 64 percent of them think e-book is not confusing (McKiel, 2007). On the other hand, the release of Kindle Book by Amazon in 2009 and iPad by Apple in 2010 have boost the usage and demand for e-books in tablet form (Cornwall, 2010). Thus, many publishers realized that they have to go digital otherwise they would not be able to survive (Cornwall, 2010). There is a prediction that 50 percent of books will be published in e-books form in the future (Cornwall, 2010).


Kindle Book
source: Google

iPad e-book
source: Google

A study by Greg Kozak discovered that produce a printed book take three times more raw materials and 78 times more water than produce an e-book (Siegle, 2009). Thus, e-books are eco-friendly. In addition, e-books can present something that books cannot such as elements on the screen can move around, fall down or jump down (Schroeder, 2010). 
The following is a good example of interesting e-book, ‘Alice for the iPad’:
Alice for the iPad
source: YouTube

Therefore, in order to follow the footstep of technology today, one must go for e-books as it is more convenient and more advantages than printed books.

References:
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iPad-only newspaper? NO!

source: Digital Trends

In my opinion, I do not hope iPad to replace newspaper in the future. This is because iPad is not affordable for everyone and it is inconvenient due to its usability problem. In contrast, the traditional hold and fold newspaper is more convenient as we can get it everywhere and it is easy to read.

According to the article ‘iPad-only newspaper furthers media trend’, Trotter (2011) stated that news consumption will transfer from traditional newspaper to iPad-only newspaper in the future. People can get the latest news faster and choose to read news based on their preference through iPad (Trotter, 2011). Trotter (2011) stated that the continuing decrease of the print-based newspaper circulation further emphasis that iPad is a cheaper and more convenient choice for people.

However, usability guru Jakob Nielsen’s company Nielsen Norman Group has published two reports show that iPad has a number of usability problems. In the first report which published during 2010, Nielsen examined the first-generation of iPad and found that iPad ‘overemphasising the attractiveness and hiding the functionality’ (Schofield, 2010). For example the different function of every application often confuse users as they need to learn different things for every single application and it is complicated (Schofield, 2010). Furthermore, iPad has problem with its touch table format as people easy to touch the wrong place because its touchable area are too small (Schofield, 2011).

The second report which published in 2011 tested 26 iPad applications and 6 websites with 16 testers, who have at least two months experience using iPad (Nielsen & Budiu, 2011). Many usability problems have been discovered including swipe ambiguity, touchable areas are too small and low discoverability (Nielsen & Budiu, 2011). It can be see that iPad’s touchable areas problem were remained as many users always avoid the  registration process with the reason dislike typing on the screen (Nielsen & Budiu, 2011). Users often face accidental activation problem due to lack of Back button in many applications (Nielsen & Budiu, 2011). Moreover, Nielsen & Budiu (2011) found that the iPad’s applications covered limited content and the design of applications were confusing. Thus, iPad is not suitable to replace newspaper.

Walsh (2006) stated that literature text serves a different purpose from hypertext or websites. So, newspaper would not be obsolete as it may provide more information and it is more convenient as compare to iPad.



References:
  • Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print visual and multimodal texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, pp.24-37.
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Video become the main format for online news

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Pictures don't lie? They do.

Most people believe that pictures do not or cannot lie. We often believe that photo tell the truth as camera only records the facts. However, in reality, things are opposite. Thanks to photo editing software such as Photoshop, people can doctor picture and manipulate the truth easily. Thus, photojournalism ethics have been challenged.

An article ‘Orthodox Jewish paper apologises for Hillary Clintondeletion’ which was published by The Guardian (2011) reported that Di Tzeitung, an Orthodox Jewish newspaper had published a doctored image. The paper doctored a photograph of Barack Obama and his staff monitoring the Osama bin Laden raid by removing the image of the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton and the counterterrorism director, Audrey Tomason (The Guardian, 2011). There is a claimed that Di Tzeitung do not publish women’s images as Jewish believe that it is ‘immodest’ to show women’s images (The Guardian, 2011).

The following is the original photo:
source: The Guardian

The following is the altered photo:
source: The Guardian

It can be believed that photojournalist always practice photo manipulation. During an NPPA (National Press Photographer Association) ethics session in Portland, almost everyone in a group of 50 photojournalist admitted that they had practiced unethical tactics before (Gorham, 2011). According to Sherry Ricchiardi, photojournalists have forgotten ‘how and when to say ‘enough’’ as new technology made photo editing easier than before and it is affordable (Gorham, 2011). Therefore, with Photoshop, alter photograph is no longer difficult and photojournalist’s credibility had been challenged. People would not believe the media anymore once it has been discovered to practice photo manipulation and photojournalist is nothing without credibility (Gorham, 2011).

I believe that photojournalism ethic should not be infringed because one of the important missions of photojournalist is to present the truth of the world and to show people as they really are. What is truth? For photojournalism, truth is the photograph with reality viewed, interpreted and captured by photojournalist who holds fairness and objectivity (Parrish, 2002). As a photojournalist, one should act in good faith with the goal of presenting truthful information to public (Parrish, 2002). There are some codes of ethic of NPPA that should be followed by photojournalist: do not manipulate images in a way that can mislead audiences and avoid stereotyping and bias (NPPA,)

Therefore, ‘pictures don’t lie’ is no longer undoubtedly. Photojournalism ethics are important to photojournalists and they should not doctor photograph in the way that will misrepresent news.



References:
  • Gorham, J 2011, Mass media 11/12, 7 th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York.
  • Parrish, FS 2002, Photojournalism: An introduction, Wadsworth, Stamford.
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Thursday 25 August 2011

Screen vs. Print Document Design

What is Document Design?
Document design is ‘the field concerned with creating text’ (Shriver, 1997). It incorporate books, pamphlets, posters and other document that combined words and pictures on ways in order to help readers achieve their specific goals for using the text (Shriver, 1997).

Print document, can be defined as print-based document which belong to monomodal text, for example newspaper (Walsh, 2006). In contrast, screen document is considered as multimodal text in non-print form which may incorporate images, music, sound and other, for example email and internet (Walsh, 2006). Thus, there are some different between print document and screen document design.

Print Document
source: Google

Screen Document
source: Malaysia Kini

Differences between Print document & Screen document
Writing Structure
For print document, writer can write the whole content and build arguments carefully as they can “control” the reader (RedShaw, 2003). Reader will read the whole document from introduction to conclusion (RedShae, 2003). Thus, information can be presented in a logical sequence, supported by peripheral cues (RedShaw, 2003).

According to Dr Jacob Nielsen, 79% of web users only scan the webpage instead of reading word by word (RedShaw, 2003). This is because reading from a computer is 25% slower than reading a print document and it may increase eyestrain (RedShaw, 2003). Therefore, a web document must has a combination of concise, scannable and objective in order to improve its usability and attract reader (Neilsen & Morkes, 1997). Due to most people only scan the page, some guidelines must be used to employ scannable text (Nielsen, 1997):
- highlighted keywords
- meaningful sub-headings
- bulleted lists
- one idea per paragraph
 - 50% word count than conventional writing

Layout
 ‘Print design is two-dimensional, which much attention paid to layout’ (Neilsen, 1999) whereas ‘web design is simultaneously one-dimensional and N-dimensional’ (Neilsen, 1999). On the other hand, each view of print design unit is created for a fixed size canvas while screen design allow a scrolling experience for the user as opposed to a canvas experience (Neilsen, 1999).

Reading Process
Print document reader read the whole content (RedShaw, 2003). Writer will know ‘what they have read previously and what they are going to read next’ (RedShaw, 2003). Reader will not get enough information if they scan print document without reading line by line.

Screen document reader always scan the page by picking out keywords or sub-heading (Nielsen, 1997). Reader for multimodal text (screen document included) need to simultaneously process the mseeage in words, images, movements and sound (Walsh, 2006).

References:
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New Forms of Media Publishing

source: Google

The mainstream media (print-based text) is now challenged by new forms of media publishing (multimodal text) including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and alternative online newspaper. Based on a survey done by the Pew project for Excellence in Journalism, 41% of respondents get news online, 10% of them only read newspaper and the rest read news online and newspaper (O’Dell, 2011). This showed that the ‘textual shift’ (Walsh, 2006) has altered our communication nowadays.

What is ‘textual shift’? It means our literacy change due to our environment is full of visual, electronic and digital texts today (Walsh, 2006). This has affected the traditional journalism as people switched from mainstream media to new form of media publishing, which provide unlimited and unhidden information.

Mainstream media (print-based text)
source: Google 

New forms of media publishing (multimodal text)
source: Google

Twitter
source: Google

Twitter has altered the roles of traditional journalism as ‘twitter had ‘broken’ the story before the mainstream media had own even altered their regular programming’ (Berkowitz, 2008). There was an example showed Twitter reached out to people faster. Twitter first released the death of Michael Jackson before it was confirmed by the mainstream media news (Munk, 2009). On the other hand, research showed that 60% of bloggers and 36 % of online reporters use Twitter to search for stories (Rao, 2010).

Affordance means ‘what is made possible by the modes used’ (Walsh, 2006). The affordance of Twitter is it allows multimodal text with 140 characters as status update. We can update readers right after we get something new. Based on the examples and reasons above, the emergence of new media ecosystem has altered the way we communicate.

References:
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