AN ONLINE PUBLICATION STRUCTURED AROUND THE INTERESTS OF NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STUDYING JOURNALISM,MEDIA AND PHILOSOPHY
Last update: 3 October 2014
Media
SURF CAMP
A fresh look at the way media represents the wonderful world we inhabit.
The Ghanaian Queen, Ya Asanteswa, as depicted by an artist.
Politics, Women and the Media
Sinazo Mtshengu. 3 October 2014.
As part of a revolutionizing world, the idea of women taking over countries and running states has become both an alarming and celebrated idea. The main focus of media and politics in Africa has always been the idea of patriotic leadership and ideology. While women have fought for political revolutions, the credit of their fights has always been attributed to men.
How do we as the media give fair coverage and praise to women in politics, without reverting to their fashion or the fact that they stuck by their husband’s side, if some of their husbands stray, rather then reporting on what they have accomplished and are doing? Media reporting on female leadership has been used in manner that undermines women in politics and may cause society and the institution of politics to have low confidence and trust in female in leadership.
On Monday 29 October 2014, Boikelto Mongoato from CANRAD spoke on Madibaz Radio about how women have been reduced to their image rather than knowledge. “A woman's body is political,” she said, referring to two incidents that took place nationally, where Lindiwe Mazibuko’s was given backlash for wearing a skirt that older parliamentary members deemed as inappropriate dress code for parliament. This was also the case at an institutional level. Hlumela Bucwa who has become the first ever female SRC president in the history of the NMMU, a few male students had passed a remark saying that in order for her to win, she would have to show them her “assets”. This was a story told by the Press Release host Zanele Titi.
Africa has had only three female presidents, but very little has been reported and said about them; the media industry has been able to divert the success of these presidents to their male counterparts. Libya Ellen Johnson, the first president of Libya and one of the three African female presidents, was able to bring about change in Libya and bring peace in the country torn by war. She shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman (Who are these two people?), awarded for "their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work." The role that the media seems to have avoided, is that of telling the truth about African female leaders. Chimamanda Adichie on her TED talk “The danger of a Single Story”, talks about the danger of knowing a single story, which means, when you are being sold a story that is coming from one side and not from all sides, what you know about a place, country or person is very isolated and one sided.
Nombusiso Gasa, a Researcher, Analyst and Public Speaker on gender, politics, leadership and cultural issues, speaks about the distorted idea of African culture and how the patriotic hegemonic ideologies have penetrated through the African culture and diluted the idea of masculinity and femininity in the African context. Before colonization Africa never had patriarchal leadership. Her research proves that in African culture men and women were equal and decisions were taken by both males and females. She goes as far as saying that in some cultures, the woman is the head. There is an old Xhosa saying: “utata yinhloko, kodwa umama ngumqla,” meaning "the man is the head, but the woman is the neck." This is to say that while the man is the head, I cannot turn or move without the neck. They work hand in hand and each get their recognition.
When looking at the past traditional leadership of Africa, we discover one of the strongest and greatest traditional leaders was a woman, but her story has not been shared. The literature and the media has paid little tribute and attention to her as an African heroine: Ya Asanteswa is a Ghanaian Queen also know as the "Warrior Queen". "If you, the men of Ashanti, will not go forward, then we will. We the women will. I shall call upon you my fellow women. We will fight the white men. We will fight until the last of us fall in the battlefield." These are the words of the late Queen Ya Asanteswa who lead the fight against the British for Ghana; but who is talking about it?
In 1912 the first demonstration of rebellion against the laws and the treatment of the natives in South Africa was made by women, it was a petition with 5000 signatures by a league called Bantu Women’s League. These women were the first to take action against all the injustices in the country, before the ANC was even properly functioning. The literature and history telling of the freedom fighters of South Africa is surrounded around men, and the first true freedom fighter who were women, were never given recognition. Names of women like Charlotte Maxeke, are names you do not hear about in the media, in tribute that play every year in April when we celebrate the freedom of South Africa. Who are the 6 women that went to Cape Town to present their case to Henry Burton, the Minister of Native affairs? No one knows because no one gave them the history of South African women enough and well deserved coverage.
“Media and the manner in which woman have been covered or reported has been a poor reflection on the true intellect of the woman and when a woman is not given her voice and her platform, she loses her power”, say’s Zanele Titi from Press Release. Media has been called to make the public aware of what is happening around the world and to report truth and honesty and media may need to extend the quality of coverage of women in politics has been given.
Why the Spotlight isn't the only place to shine in Media Production
Gareth Fraenkel. 3 October 2014.
The media industry is rich with opportunities and alive with possibilities. It consists of several avenues and those avenues, in turn, consist of even more avenues. However, what is not completely obvious to the onlooker are the intricate, miniscule background operations that exist within every large scale media enterprise. Ever heard of a foley artist? They create the background sounds heard in films and television programmes. Yes, it is an actual paying job. There are a wide range of jobs, much like the mysterious foley artist, that provide a sufficient part to all media production. These positions generate a place that include opportunities for those who part take in some of these unfamiliar, yet undeniably necessary, operations.
The media industry is rich with opportunities and alive with possibilities. It consists of several avenues and those avenues, in turn, consist of even more avenues. However, what is not completely obvious to the onlooker are the intricate, miniscule background operations that exist within every large scale media enterprise. Ever heard of a foley artist? They create the background sounds heard in films and television programmes. Yes, it is an actual paying job. There are a wide range of jobs, much like the mysterious foley artist, that provide a sufficient part to all media production. These positions generate a place that include opportunities for those who part take in some of these unfamiliar, yet undeniably necessary, operations.
A sub-category within the media, popularly referred to as the film and television sector, is classified as a form of media highly unlikely to ever cease to exist. Therefore, that solid fact hints at the wide range of career opportunities available within that field. The film and television sector provides those hungry for even the slightest media career with a large amount of legitimate, in demand and well-paying career options. These possible career involvements are, for example, anything from producing, to lighting design, to cinematography even something as sophisticated as being a gaffer. Just to express the importance of these types of roles, a gaffer is the chief electrician in charge of all electrical technicalities. It is quite a valuable position considering not much can be done without general electricity. This stresses the point of how even those in the background and away from the limelight still provide the actual light, in the form of electricity, and of course, in areas of support to the main media production as a whole.
With regards to producing, it is one of the most respected and most senior positions among the background responsibilities. It is up to the producer to essentially construct the outlay of the entire production. Whether it be a news segment, a television series, an ever-popular documentary or a seemingly simple advertisement, the role of a producer is crucial. This being said, if you are particularly interested in involving yourself with the media world and still want to possess a genuine influence on how things should take place, then producing is a strong stand point. Overall, being a producer gives you a hands on approach with the task at hand and allows for you to have your say and implement your own personal ideas on information gathered by others. This results in a true group effort to produce work of the very best quality. For example, the presenter of a show may be the face of the operations where as the producer can be classified as the brains as well as the visionary of the entire package. Actor and comedian Ryan Reynolds, a movie star often in the limelight as the leading male role, boldly agrees that the producer is the one in charge, " A producer is someone who actually calls the shots."
If the position of a producer may prove to be too daunting, fear not as there are numerous behind the scenes activities that you may find appealing. Based on this statement, the position of a screenwriter in the media field is also highly regarded amongst peers. The ability to come up with fresh entertaining ideas concerning a series or managing to coherently structure a morning news report is not the easiest skill to master. The thought of being paid for creatively expressing your ideas, which in turn will be brought to real life is a very appealing prospect. Those who pride themselves on structure and an immaculate vocabulary will receive a just reward when the news anchor delivers their foolproof news scripts. A morning television broadcast updating its viewers on current events does not just happen at the spark of improvisation, it is backed up by a team of insightful creative scriptwriters. It is possible that nothing of interest would arise if not for screenwriters' research and topic analysises. Paul Schroder, an American screenwriter responsible for several films around the 1970's adds to the notion that screenwriting is a collective process of many. "I could be just a writer very easily. I am not a writer. I am a screenwriter, which is half a filmmaker…But it is not an art form, because screenplays are not works of art. They are invitations to others to collaborate on a work of art," Schroder said. Once again it is a case where you are the one slaving away all night in a corner office sipping away at coffee cup after coffee cup to come up with brilliant and unique ideas but not receiving any external acknowledgement. It may generally be the case but it is important to remember that the concepts and interpretations created by the screenwriters carry the production forth as a whole and many aspects of media stem from a strong reliable force of those who can write well and know what to write about.
Branching away from the so-called internal works of the background operations within a media production, there are the career paths that require a literal hands on approach. A prime example of this is a cinematographer. With this rather intimidating job title, you would be in charge of filming the production; this refers to all aspects of filming. The creativity is endless as the cinematographer aims at generating the most artistic approach possible when it comes to filming. This of course isn't the case for a simple head shot focus during a news segment but when called upon the cinematographer can go all out creatively. Extreme expression of creativity may not be accepted amongst television filming but there is still the requirement of mastering the constant camera shifts and certain tricks that can be just as well justified as being creative. "Every once in a while, when the audience is expecting to see one thing, you have to show them something else." Conrad Hall, a popular cinematographer and renowned for his work in the beloved film American Beauty, often expressed his personal ideology behind the art of filming. Cinematography provides more of a practical background inclusion as physical methods are used to create the visions put forth by the rest of the team.
It is important to understand that behind all media productions there is a strong force of several individuals all pulling their weight and these are but a few of the many behind-the-scene jobs available. Those who are out of the limelight work just as hard, if not more so, than those who are directly shown appreciation for the final product. Behind the scenes it is a well put together constant flow of expertly conjoined processes and duties. You may not receive any recognition for your hard work in terms of popularity amongst the audience but the satisfying reward can be seen in the flawless execution of a tremendous production. It may not be the best feeling to have your hard work go seemingly unnoticed, however, a good appreciation will be received from those truly admiring your work because everyone knows it takes a well oiled machine to operate at maximum capacity.
Creativity Defines Originality
C.S. Lewis wrote, "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
Taking the above mentioned into consideration; is this what Disney did or did they simply steal someone else’s idea…
Marochelle Geldenhys. 3 October 2014.
According to Isabella Tanikumi, Disney plagiarized from two of her works to create the blockbuster animation movie "Frozen".
A $250 million lawsuit against Disney claims the inspiration for the mega-blockbuster film "Frozen" came from the works of a Peruvian author. Isabella Tanikumi, aka L. Amy Gonzalez, filed the suit Sept. 22 in U.S. District County in New Jersey, accusing the Walt Disney Company of copyright infringement, fraud and plagiarism.Tanikumi said the 2013 animated film, which made $1.2 billion worldwide, ripped the tale of an ice queen who is saved by her princess sister, but only after an epic journey aided by a snowman, mountain man and reindeer. Isabella Tanikumi alleged the movie about a princess who is feuding with her sister is based on her life story. Court documents obtained by E! News includes a list of 18 "Frozen" elements that Tanikumi's claims were plagiarized directly from her book. She claims Disney stole the story, characters, plots and subplots from two of her works, "Living My Truth" and "Yearnings of the Heart" (cf. New York Daily News 2014).
According Tanikumi, the Mouse House took elements like "characters, plots, subplots and storyline" from her books. Also, these include both stories having two sisters, a village, betrayal, open doors/gates, and a "moon setting."The alleged similarities include details on the village as well as the story about an older sister who accidentally hurt her younger sister and the younger losing her memory. Tanikumi also claimed that two male characters named Hans and Christoff in her book inspired the male characters in the film. The woman additionally cites "hands to the sky with sprinkles" to compare her book cover to the film's DVD cover (ZeeNews 2014). A representative for Disney said, "This is beyond ridiculous, she needs to let it go."
In addition to the approximate $1 Billion the 2013 animated blockbuster generated, it has also made millions from merchandise, and stands to make millions more from an upcoming Broadway show, spin-offs, and soon even a Disney World theme park ride. "Ms. Tanikumi is a very private individual and does not wish to be interviewed at this time," Tanikumi's attorney, William T. Anastasio told E! News. "As the case moves through the courts, I am sure more information will become available concerning her claims" (NEW YORK (CNNMoney).
How many times have we as media students and/or media users come across a film or novel or an article that we think has similarities or is blatant copying of other work? Unfortunately, it happens – a filmmaker Jim Jarmusch said, “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.”
Whenever media students sit down to write or produce material such as an advertisement or a film, we are struck with the fear that ideas we are about to share are unoriginal. We are scared that what we are going to produce has already been thought of before…and guess what? It probably has.
The fear of being unoriginal in an innovation-obsessed society such as the media can be very overwhelming and discouraging at the same time. We regularly strive to be different in order to compete for income and accomplishment. The irony is that nothing we say or do derives from an original place – it has all been thought of before.
Melanie H. Axman, a writer, explains that: With human history dating back hundreds of thousands of years, it is safe to assume that someone, somewhere, at some point in time has done all of this already. Save for the continuous introduction of new technology, people fight the same fights, and win the same battles they have for generations. Austin Kleon even wrote a book on “How to steal like an artist,’ encouraging us to "figure out what’s worth stealing, and then move on to the next thing."
What is important to remember is that as media students is that an individual idea may not be original, combinations of ideas can be very original. In fact, the greatest ideas today are unique combinations of concepts. The importance of our own experience as well as the uniqueness of our personal worldview is what make up a good idea. Our individuality is born, not from our thoughts, but through the way we share our idea and through our own voice and opinion. Our ideas become new as they pass through our frame of reference and interpretation of personal experiences. According to Melanie H. Axman, “We harness and exude originality, simply by being our best self. Despite the thoughts and concepts that repeat throughout time, our filter of feelings, past experiences, and viewpoints make them different. The best part is, the world needs our voice and our diversity of thought to add to the orchestra of ideas that prevail” (2012).
Comic book writer and artist, Gerry Alanguilan, gives media students new hope by saying that: “Nothing Can Be Original Anymore” is a mantra that’s often recited in creative circles. I hear it so often that I just want to scream. Supposedly, all ideas have already been thought of, all stories have already been written, and nothing original can be made up anymore. And people seem to so readily accept it. He continues to state that, “The thing is, I most indignantly disagree. Truth be told, I think it’s [nonsense]. To believe it and to accept it is to surrender your very creativity. It’s an excuse to simply copy. It’s an excuse to do what other artists are doing. It’s an excuse to plagiarize, to steal, and to swipe.”
When media students stop trying to be original and believe that nothing original can be created anymore results in the death of adventure and creativity.
Guardians of the Galaxy film poster
“Major blockbuster ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is so far the highest grossing film of 2014 and is simultaneously heavily ripe for pirating. ”
The Many Angles of Modern Piracy
A 360 degree view of the challenges facing the modern student and the filmmakers that provide our entertainment.
Jonathan Fryer. 3 October 2014.
One could assume many things with regard to the archetypal student, but an abundance of capital would surely not be one of them. Therefore the very culture of most students globally is one that varies from multiple jobs, parents’ hand-outs and just generally a life of careful conservation. In terms of expenses, a simple night of going to see a film in your local cinema is not as much of a viable option as it would have been ten years ago.
With the current modern economic climate the price of going to the cinema, as with many things, has increased to an unbelievable extent. But there is more to it than simply natural inflation as piracy has gripped the film and television industry in a very realistic way and the amount of consumers lost to this criminal underworld has grown astronomically among the world’s younger population especially.
According to an article written by Forbes Magazine in June 2013,piracy may not be as detrimental to the industry as the industry itself would have the public believe. In fact, as far as the directors and actors themselves are concerned, the most likely to be advocates in the war over piracy, very little money is lost in their personal capacity. In fact smaller entire projects are often scrapped as risks are less likely to be taken by studios in a financially temperamental climate and when bigger projects are concerned, representatives and smaller, less publicised professions are the ones that ultimately struggle.
On the topic, intellectual property litigator Jonathan D. Rose argues that those within the industry take sides on whether or not this is really even an issue for the industry in the first place, “Would the college student watching the pirated movie download have otherwise seen the movie in the theatre, subscribed to Netflix or bought the DVD?” Rose was quoted asking, “Would the person buying a pirated DVD at a Chinese market actually have bought the genuine article otherwise? The answers to such questions are hard to determine. But it does seem fair to assume that not every pirated copy of an audio-visual work represents lost revenue to the content producer.” This debate of issue/non-issue spreads across to the medium of television as well with Game of Thrones director David Petrarcam quoted as saying that added audiences through the process of piracy generated a much-appreciated, “additional buzz.”
Films of certain quality definitely can break these boundaries however, with enough effort as well as production value, the allure of the big screen can be sufficiently compelling. Many of the same sort of Hollywood blockbusters have the ability to draw young crowds to a cinema, the same sort of films in the mould of The Avengers, 22 Jump Street, Christopher Nolan’s recent Batman trilogy and Sony’s Spider-Man series have the ability and relative quality to get crowds to a cinema and this is not a coincidence. Summer films (U.S seasons) are geared toward being the year’s main attractions and between May and August,most of the blockbusters released in this time of the year are essentially created solely for the big screen as opposed to home-entertainment.
With many recent films, unnecessary 3-D is forced upon many viewers and this can often push the price to range from between R50 and R70 quite easily with the added cost of a few highly overpriced snacks often pushing the price way over the R100 mark. Needless to say this is often too expensive for the average student and can therefore force them toward the illegalities of piracy. For now the ethical standpoint of this world is in doubt with actors and directors alike almost trumpeting it in a bid to increase personal fame, wealth and visibility. Over in the States, steps have been made via legal-streaming sites such as Netflix to curve piracy with a reasonably positive response. All that is known is that there is a long, legal struggle ahead. People will always find a way around new security measures resulting in perpetual work for those combating piracy and those at the very top seem continuously content with marketing what many view to be their main rivals in the modern financial era.
Out of This World Broadcasting
The reality television show set on the Red Planet
Minke Egling. 3 October 2014.
A virtual despiction of what the Mars colony is set to look like in 2024.
A mere decade from now, human-beings will be an interplanetary species. At least, this is the hope of the founders of “Mars One”, a Dutch non-profit aiming to send four people on a one-way mission to the red planet in 2024. The aim of Mars One is to develop an autonomous, self-sustaining society on a different planet and will not only prove as the next giant leap for man-kind, but the filming thereof will also present a new era of universal broadcasting.
From the beginning, Mars One has planned to fund its project partly through a TV show. Now, it's found a partner for that show: Endemol-owned Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) will exclusively follow the selection and training of the world’s first one way astronauts to Mars. DSP is the entertainment company best known for the reality TV-show, Big Brother. With Mars One, it will film what the companies say will be a series broadcast "around the world".
There is a lot of pressure surrounding the broadcasting of the years leading up to the mission as well as the mission itself, as the entertainment deals will have to provide a great deal of funding to match a powerful space transport services company like SpaceX, let alone to mention NASA, which is currently planning its own trip to Mars in the 2030s.
Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, the man behind the Mars One mission says his inspiration for the project came from watching the London Games where the revenue from sponsorship and broadcasting rights was $4 billion for only three weeks of broadcasting."That was because the world was watching," says Lansdorp “The world would certainly want to watch the first Mars landing. We will raise the $6 billion we need for the project by selling the media rights.”
But Dave Wade – an underwriter at the Lloyds insurance market in London who specializes in insuring commercial space projects – is skeptical about the Mars One project. He believes that “the TV producers will want controversial people, difficult people. They want drama,” he says, “that’s not the kind of people you want on a space mission, particularly a one-way mission where the crew are going to be locked up in cramped capsule for months on end. It’s just fraught with difficulties. And they won’t be able to evict anyone from the bio-dome on Mars!”
Mars One has assured that this will however, not be the case for the Mars One TV-show. Mars One sponsor Dan Petrovic says while it's a reality TV program, they won't be casting for conflicting personalities."They will be selecting people on the basis of their health status, mental psychological attitude and they'll be looking for stable people," he said. "People who can get along for a long period of time, such as the rest of their life."
Despite signing up for a seven month long one-way journey to a cold and dusty wasteland with little oxygen and water; in round 1 of the selection process, an astonishing 200,000 people applied to join the mission by submitting applications online (Link to https://community.mars-one.com/profile/ccbe8f3f-1eae-4a11-9010-d85f08ecf8ea) . This figure has been tailored down to a more manageable 700 who, as part of round two, are now being more closely assessed. For the next several years, the series will be covering the different stages of preparation for the mission, starting with participant selection and the finalists — called candidates — undergoing an 8-year training protocol. Filming may start as early as 2015 since the interviews conducted with the selection committee in round 2 could be aired on TV and the internet.Round 3 is the regional selection round, which could be aired on TV and the internet in countries around the world. In each region, 20-40 applicants will participate in challenges that demonstrate their suitability to become one of the first humans on Mars. The audience will select one winner per region and Mars One experts will select additional participants to continue to Round 4. Round 4 will be an international event that will be broadcast throughout the world. The Mars One selection committee will create international groups of four candidates. The groups will be expected to demonstrate their ability to live in harsh living conditions, and work together under difficult circumstances. The groups will receive their first short term training in a copy of the Mars outpost. From the first selection series, six groups of four will become full time employees of the Mars One astronaut corps, after which they'll train for the mission.
One such applicant who has made it through to round two, is the South African UKZN student, Divashen Govender. He says after the interview phase he will be going into training in 2015. “When everyone is split up into crews of four and the teams will be trained for the next 10 years and based on teams getting ranked, one team, four people will go to Mars and never come back.” says Govender.
“This is a social experiment that focuses on the people that would sign for something like this — they have to agree to participate and be willing to go on a one-way mission, knowing that if you go, you can never come back,” said Roy Bank, a producerfrom Lionsgate TV, a production company that was once considered as a candidate to air The Mars One Mission. According to Bank, the selection criteria is stringent: “They’re colonizing Mars and starting a new society, so this group needs to possess a wide variety of skills — from medical to engineering to social as they are going to live with each other.” The selection panel also has to take gender politics into account. The candidates “will serve as a microcosm of a larger society, so it is not only about how they get along but also how they procreate; they have to create new life so the society grows,” says Bank. He calls this mission “a true social experiment.” This series will be different to anything ever aired because as Bank says, “the commitment is so much greater and much longer than TV season(s) would last; even before they would ever be put on a rocket, they need to be willing to go for a longer period of time if not forever. Nobody knows if they will pull it off.” “What makes it such a fascinating social experiment is the ethics of it,” Bank says, “would a show like this be involved in promoting a suicide mission?”
Whether the trip to Mars ultimately happens or not — the producers of the TV series are betting on the high-stakes journey to get there.The format of the Mars One series is flexible, with daily, weekly and even monthly installments a possibility, depending on a network’s needs. While the initial focus will be on the preparation stage, there is also intention to film the actual mission.
It is clear that the world will be able to watch the Mars mission but what is not clear is whether viewers would want to watch it. Chris Chambers is a senior research fellow in cognitive neuroscience at the school of psychology at Cardiff University explains that the candidates face “risks of mental illness caused by prolonged social isolation, a lifetime of confinement within the space of two hotel rooms, and constant surveillance day and night, 365 days a year, to ensure broadcast revenues.” Furthermore beyond questions of psychology, questions of physical illness also remain unanswered. “Living permanently within the lower gravity of Mars will reduce muscle and bone density, and radiation will increase the risk of cancer” says Chambers. It is not clear how these issues will be dealt with. As Lansdorp puts it: "The exact details are still to be determined".
Iain Riddick, DSP’s Head of Special Projects and Digital Media, says, The Mars One mission “is without question a world-first opportunity and the human stories that emerge will captivate and inspire generations across the globe.” Yet the question that rings in the ears of the masses is: come 2023, would you allow your children to watch the Mars One colonists suffering or dying on live television?
Oscar and the Media
An analysis of media involvement in the Oscar Pistorius trial
Asanda Mzayidume. 26 September 2014.
“I’m going home with sort of a sweet taste in my mouth…I don’t have any bitterness, I don’t have any regrets”. These are the words that the late Reeva Steenkamp said as she bid farewell to the island of Jamaica in the Tropika Island of Treasure, a reality show, in which she was a contestant, this was the very podium through which Reeva’s personality came to life. The country at large became accustomed to the ‘real’ Reeva, her personality other than her role as being a girlfriend to the blade runner, Oscar Pistorius. Months later her tragic passing resulted in her death being a key component of another ‘reality show’, the Oscar Pistorius trial. Against the backdrop of a day assigned to romantic gestures and amorous rendezvous, the tragic (alleged) accident that occurred on the 14th of February resulted in a media outrage.The trial not only symbolised a turning point in South African law – as it was the first to receive live coverage – but it also generated a turning point in media coverage of an event on South African soil.
True to their role as watchdogs, journalists from all corners of the world stepped up to the call of duty and gave birth to the media puzzle that excluded little detail of the privacy of the accused, the victim and those who shared their intimate space. As much as media contributed significantly to the shaping of the context of the trial, providing the audience with a barrage of information from which to shape their perceptions, they also contributed greatly to formulating a certain image of the accused even before the verdict had been read by the judge.
Channel 199
One of the significant pieces of the puzzle of media involvement in the trial was the creation of a live coverage channel, which became the ‘home’ for public-knowledge, familiarising the masses with the ins and outs of the South African judiciary system, expert opinion on proceedings, documentaries that provided insight into the personalities of the key figures in the case.George Mazarakis,the new channel's executive producer, explained that the aim of the channel was to inform and educate viewers in a responsible and intelligent manner while providing them with compelling television. The channel became the hub from which the public accessed in-depth analysis on court proceedings, this symbolised a shift in the communication structures that govern South African media as for the first time the public were provided with an opportunity to dissect and interpret the events of the trial as they unravelled. The quality and credibility of the journalism that contributed to the success of this channel should be noted.Not only did the media ensure that the public were provided with a plethora of media outputs from which to access timeous updates, but were catered to from a variety of distribution points as well.
What Is Seen and Heard On TV Is Not Easily Forgotten
The significant contribution of television as a platform for educating, informing and providing a platform from which dialogue could emerge, cannot be disputed. However, one cannot fail to take into account that whenever an image appears on television or the wrong information falls on the wrong ears, this cannot be easily forgotten or corrected. This became one of the biggest downfalls of live coverage of the trial. The first state witness Michelle Burger became a victim of the competitive nature of media houses when her photograph was shown on media channel eNCA. Although the presiding judge brought proceedings to a halt after this incident was reported, what could not be reversed was the violation on the witness’s request to privacy. Further into the trial an image of Steenkamp’s head was placed on screen as Pistorius took the stand, without attending to the technicalities of why the state lawyers chose this approach, the gruesome nature of the picture was enough to evoke emotion from the toughest of characters. The nature of the coverage awarded to media by Judge Mlambo became a topic of debate as critics argued that media houses had diverted from the constitutional agreement. State witnesses were asked to confirm and divulge their personal details such as personal cell phone numbers and addresses while cameras were rolling, this soon questioned the environment that the North Gauteng High Court had soon become. These reasons – and possibly many other factors – led to a number of defence witnesses withdrawing from taking the stand.
Social Media
Under the radar of instant gratification that governs today’s society, it was not surprising that social media channels would also dominate the Oscar Pistorius trial. According to the data driven insight online website, www.ddiafrica.com, the trial of the blade runner increased online traffic tremendously. The site reports that on 1 March, Oscar's trial was generating an average of 26 articles an hour. The advantage of social media was that the public could access minute –to-minute updates on their social media because significant amount of people were at work while the court was in process. Tweets of renowned journalists such as Debora Pattaand Barry Bateman kept the “need-to-know”craving at bay. The beauty of social media is that it exquisitely embeds a plethora of multi-media elements allowing the audience the opportunity of being in the driving seat and making conscious decisions as to what they will watch, read, listen to and when.
When Social Media takes a wrong turn
Social media provides its audience with the power of becoming a prosumer (producer and consumer) of media output, this is not always a good thing as proven by the turn of events during the Oscar Pistorius trial. Not only did Oscar become the punchline of many distasteful jokes on social media, especially on Twitter, the denting of his favourable image as a respected Paralympian soon became unfavourable. Aspiring satirists – whose sketching skills were not up to standard – soon invested their energy in the generating of memes that at times took the attention away from the weightiness of thetrial. It seemed that the mockery and criticism were not enough, because soon fake Twitter and Facebook accounts of advocates Gerrie Nel and Barry Roux were created and added to a general distortion of facts. It is in this very environment where the chastising of presiding Judge Thokozile Masipa began, with many taking to social media to profess their disappointment and disdain at her ruling, resulting in a decision to increase security at her home.
The significant contribution of the media in the formulation of informative articles and providing the public with a contextual understanding of the nature of South African law is indeed a set benchmark, but perhaps the words of the economist Thomas Sowell ring true when he states: ”If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly.”
The Media Industry: Entering the Job Market or Doing It Yourself
Zandile Funde. 5 September 2014.
In April 2013, the Centre for Development and Enterprise suggested that in the past, the unemployment rate in South Africa has been highly exaggerated. However, in January 2014, Fin24, a source for business and finance news, reported that the rate of unemployment for South African youth (between the ages of 15 – 24)is the 3rd highest in world and that it was likely that 50% of South Africans between 15 and 24 were unemployed.Economic crises and underemployment have been seen as global risks; these have been closely linked to issues such as the increase in income inequality as well as political and social instability.
When Dr Bianca Wright, Senior Lecturer: Digital Journalism at Coventry University, UK and former Head: Journalism, Media and Philosophy at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University was asked what she thinks are the difficulties in finding jobs within the Media industry, she said, “The South African media industry is relatively small in comparison to places like the USA or UK. It is also somewhat volatile at the moment due to financial pressures.”
Dr Wright then added the she believes one of the reasons it is difficult to find jobs in the media industry us that there have been an increasing number of publications such as FHM magazine and O, The Oprah magazine which have decided to close their South African versions of the publications. It was reported in April and July 2014 that FHM and O, The Oprah magazinewere unfortunately closing down in May and September 2014, respectively.An article by veteran journalist, Marion Scher, examines the notion of whether magazines will be able to survive the current economic situation. Scher started out as a South African freelance journalist 26 years ago and has noticed a surge in the online readership and a “depressing” decrease in people interested in hard-copy magazines. In her article, she brings up the point that, as much as top-selling ‘scandal’ magazines, Drum, YOU and Huisgenoot are still doing reasonably well, it will not take them long for their readers to start expecting and reading the online versions of those magazines.
Dr Wright said that “there is also an issue with graduates not understanding the needs and demands of the job market. Having a qualification is great, but it alone won't get you a job.” She argues that one has to be willing and able to demonstrate that his/her qualification is coupled with skills and the required experience. Graduates in the media industry have to prove that they are able to use the skills received from their qualification in the working world. One also needs to conduct research on the media outlet into which he/she wants to be employed so that he/she can deduce how they can add value to that media outlet. “Having a degree improves your employability but it doesn't guarantee you a job, nor should it,” Dr Wright said. She further argued that it is important for graduates to learn as much as they can in order to grow from that experience and ultimately increase their employability.
When asked about why she thinks the media industry has a high volume of unemployment, Siyasanga Sijadu, MA (Applied Media) student said “with the emergence of citizen journalism, the need for professional journalists (particularly print journalists) is depleting daily” but she also emphasized the idea that “young journalists need to create work for themselves by being pro-active and coming up with fresh publications and blogs.” Sijadu went on to add that graduates need to not rely on the limited number of publications (even with radio and television) but rather make use of the skills acquired from their diploma/degree to create innovative concepts and businesses so that they can employ other graduates.
Dr Wright suggests that current student should understand that their qualifications – by no means – ‘gives’ them a right to job. She proposes that one volunteers, finds internships or job-shadowing openings, even at NMMU and to not look past it if it is unpaid. Job shadowing allows students, internsor employees the opportunity to gain information about what a particular job requires. In essence, job shadowing provides better experience than if one were to read a job description or do an informational interview with the employee whose job they would like to know more. Job-shadowing allows the observer to get a better view of the nuances of the job in question.
Dr Wright also warns graduates that a ‘no’, especially the first one should never demotivate anyone and does not mean the end of any career; it actually comes with the territory. “Rejection is part of the game and you need a thick skin if you are to survive in this business. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but when you do, learn from them!” she adds.Dr Wright also added that she advises students and graduates to get mentor (who is their senior)in their field in order to help them with job-hunting and even the various ways that they can improve their employability or even work on their own business ideas.
Blogging is an impressive tool to show that you can write that you can appeal to a certain group of people and consequently increase your following. “Make sure your spelling and grammar are impeccable and demonstrate your research skills by integrating attributed quotes and material into your blog,” Dr Wright said.She also added that those interested in broadcast journalism should consider launching their own YouTube channel or even an online radio show.
An interesting fact Dr Wright also revealed is that, in the United Kingdom, “journalism and media applicants to university are expected to have that kind of experience (blogging, YouTube, radio) before they even start studying.” Such measures should be put into place in South Africa because that would ultimately increase the motivation behind not only finding suitable jobs but also possibly creating a manner in which people could become their own bosses since so many people are using YouTube as a job/career.
One example of a person (one of millions) who uses Youtube on a regular basis isLilly ‘Superwoman’ Singh (http://www.youtube.com/iisuperwomanii) who has become verified (something very desirable) on Twitter. Her Twitter bio interestingly states that she “spent thousands of dollars on tuition, graduated and got a degree. [She] make[s] YouTube videos now.” This adds to the idea that, 1) a degree does not guarantee employment and 2) entrepreneurship is a great opportunity because you not only work in your own time but also according to your own rules.Another motivational story of a media graduate who became entrepreneurial is that of Dr Wright’s past student, Kazeka Mashologu-Kuse who, is the founder of Daring Media; a communication, media and branding company.
Take rejection into your stride and make sure you work so hard that whoever you work with/for will recommend you to the next person. Dr Wright admits she didn’t find work for a few months saying, “I struggled to find a job after graduating. It took months, but it happened because I persevered and I had experience on my CV from freelancing right from my first year.” Also remember that people in the media are arguably some of the best researchers and connectors there are out there. When one knows other people in the media, it is possible that he/she will build their connections even more when they start doing internships, job-shadowing or start their own business. The media industry is such as resourceful business and thus, depending on one’s drive, could be very profitable.
The cover of James Smythe's novel: The Machine.
The Machine by James Smith: A book review
Maryke Low. 5 September 2014.
Beth moved away from the prying eyes of society to an isolated estate in the Isle of Wight. With her husband, Vic, in a special care centre, she starts planning her summer holiday. She’s determined to bring her husband Vic back and rebuild their lives as it were before he went to war – and it’s all possible because of the Machine. She has to be careful though, because the government banned the use of machines a few years ago after stating that the use of these machines is too harmful and dishonourable, especially in the eyes of religious factions. Described as a Frankenstein tale for the 21st century, The Machine by James Smythe captures the theme of hope versus desperation perfectly. This is the author’s third book, among of three other published books: Hereditation (2010), The Testimony (2012), and The Explorer (2013). This was the first (and certainly not the last) James Smythe book I have read. It was easy to ease into the storyline and I had no trouble imagining the pictures Smythe painted with his words.
There are three main events in the plot: The preparation period, the recreation of Vic, and the consequences of Beth’s actions playing out. Since her husband’s return from war, nightmares and screaming have filled the early morning hours of their home – Vic was suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Machine was able to capture his life memories, remove the negative or unwanted thoughts of past experiences, and maintain the life he had before the war – or so Beth thought. The journey with Beth, the Machine, and the rebuilding of her husband starts once three huge pieces of “exercise equipment” was delivered to her door. She immediately set up the machine and the sound of its low whirring starts to seep into Beth’s and the reader’s consciousness onwards. While reading this book I became so accustomed to Beth’s straightforward view of everything, that I started thinking like her - even when I’m not busy reading the book.
The fun starts when Beth starts to rebuild her husband, and despite the warnings of her only friend Laura (who teaches at the same school as Beth) and despite the precautions set out in the forums she found online, she continued with her plans in her own impatient pace. For example, she would let Vic have an hour’s break between intensive daily treatments, instead of heeding the maximum of only three sessions a week. Once Vic got physically stronger and started to fight against having the crown of wires stuck on his head, Beth used drugs to make Vic more obedient during sessions. The only problem was that she was attempting to rebuild her husband with only the most violent of experiences and memories, as that was all she had left of her old Vic – the recordings of his first few sessions with a machine. Beth later realized that something isn’t quite right. Once he looked at her and told her “I love you”, but somehow his eyes seemed out of focus and without emotion. The first third of the book creates hope and then it just fades away slowly as desperation takes its place.
The build up to the plot’s climax is consistent and draws the reader into Beth’s mind and reasoning throughout the story. That is why I feel that the last third was a little too fast-paced in comparison with the rest of the book. I was metaphorically stumbling to keep up with the events that took place. A few days after finishing the book, questions were still running through my mind as to what the book’s real message was – it definitely had an effect on me. Nevertheless, The Machine is a brilliantly written piece of science fiction, and will make you contemplate the less pleasant aspects of life long after turning the last page. James Smythe is also a teacher of Creative Writing classes in London. He can be reached on Twitter and Facebook and regularly writes for The Guardian online.
The Premier$hip Beast
Jonathan Fryer. 29 August 2014.
The Premier$hip Beast
An alarm rings, a ten-year old child excitedly rubs the sand from his eyes and pulls out a fresh blue shirt, emblazoned with a round badge upon the heart as well as the name and number “19, Diego Costa” adorned across the back. As recently as twenty years ago, this child would be in London itself, ready to latch onto his father’s hand and begin the exciting journey across John Major’s capital to Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club, the self-christened ‘pride of London’. However, it is instead 5am on the West Coast of Australia and these are some of the sleep-deprived lengths that a Premier League fan has to go through in the modern era, this is now the very nature of the proverbial beast.
Image:
Didier Drogba, a major part of the reason the Premier League is so popular in Africa.
In its most straightforward form, the Barclays Premier League is a men’s football division that takes place on the land that prides itself on being the birthplace of the game across both Wales and England. Yet when viewed more cynically, it is presented as some form of showpiece theatre that often loses sight of its supposed identity and focuses more on the controversy or personalities around the field than the football actually being displayed upon it.
This rise in popularity is a lot more depressingly deliberate than younger fans might think. Throughout the course of the 1980s, English football realised it was in a relative depression, the ‘birthplace of the beautiful game’ had lost sight of what its aims were and how to go about them and, as a result, had suddenly found itself host to low attendances, even lower revenue, hooliganismand decaying stadia.
Meanwhile, across the continent leagues such as Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A were instead prospering in comparison. The situation was not at all aided by the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985 in which thirty-nine fans were killed under the brutality of hooliganism on the part of Liverpool fans who were found guilty of crushing Juventus fans during a European Cup Final. This resulted in all English clubs being banned from European competition indefinitely (eventually decided to be 1990). This lack of cross-continent competition resulted in more revenue problems for the English League as well as an almost fatal lack of brand exposure.
However, once this ban was lifted, a glimmer of hope was restored as Manchester United managed to claim the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1991, signalling the start of a massive rise in the popularity of the English game. The powers recognised that the time to strike the market was now upon them and so the Premier League was born. At the start of the 1992-1993 season a shiny new trophy, points structure and two extra teams were introduced (making 20) and a beast was born that was not to be lightly rivalled by any sports organisation across the planet. This coincided with a resurgence in British pride as well as identity that the nations working force sorely needed following the Thatcher reign, this sort of Beckham/Spice Girls brand renaissance ofculture is best summed up by a quote from Mancunian and British filmmaker, Danny Boyle: -
“Manchester reinvented itself. It didn’t wait for a leader to do that. In fact it took the disinterest that was clearly shown to it by Margaret Thatcher’s Premiership and took it as a signal to do it itself. There are some great Northern cities that are not beholden to anyone. No matter how bad it gets they will regenerate themselves. The football teams – especially Manchester United – are a symbol of that. ”
Twenty-two years later and the Premier League is an international brand, so much so that there is an international channel, called ‘Premier League Productions’, that most of Asia and Africa receive that is essentially a twenty-four hour shrine to the greatness that is Premier League. This is all very well, and the English Football Association has surely done very well to manage to sell millions of replica shirts to people all over six continents year after year, but with all these gains surely there is a loss to be made somewhere.
That ‘somewhere’ is not however to the detriment of the Premier League itself. Instead teams and their respective leagues all over the world take a massive hit as the countries in which the Premier League finds itself popular (most of the Africa and Asia for example), find themselves so transfixed on the action taking place in England as well as the rest of the European leagues that they often find themselves completely disregarding the local teams. Port Elizabeth, for example, is currently the home of South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Chippa United, yet their first game of the season, a 2-0 success over Platinum Stars, drew only an estimated 4000 fans to the gloriously modern Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The reasons for such meagre levels of attendance are seemingly endless. The notion that South African football is not up to the required level of our European counterparts is one of the main reasons and does indeed bare a lot of merit as the national team consistently struggles to make its mark on the world stage. Yet the fact that the Barclays Premier League continues to market itself in such an aggressive manner does not help leagues in these ‘rival countries.’ In June 2012 it was revealed that Spain’s Real Madrid and England’s Manchester United each sold 1.4 million replica shirts, at approximately R600 each, over the course of the five previous years.
Another, quite simple, reason for the Premier League and its counterpart’s success is simply its quality. The fact that the league draws some of the world’s best players by being able to offer some of the world’s largest salaries means that it draws all the best players from all over the world. This means that as a South African, for example, you would need to tune into the Premier League over the course of the past twenty-two years to get your weekly dose of the country’s best players such as Lucas Radebe, Benni McCarthy or Steven Pienaar. Since its change in format the Premier League has become incredibly international.Currently an average of 32% of starting players are English, while at the start of the 1992/1993 season there were only eleven foreign starters in the entire league.
This massive foreign influx not only diminishes the local quality of the nations that these players are from, but similarly increases the Premier League’s popularity in those countries and further weakens those leagues. Famously, legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and club owners, the Glazer family, were criticised in 2005 for signing South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung under the accusation that he was simply a gimmick hired to aid shirt sales and increased popularity in the foreign market. Despite this notion, the man became something of a cult hero at the club and a vital player in some of the bigger matches where he specialised in pressuring teams high up the pitch and coming up with vital goals. Oddly though, in the same summer as Park was sold to Queen’s Park Rangers, United dipped into the market once again to get hold of up-and-coming Japanese playmaker, - Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund, another move that cynics regarded as aneconomicallymotivated decision. This is hard to argue when you go back to the cold figures and discover that before his departure in 2003, between the years of 1999 and 2002 more David Beckham shirts were sold in Asia than in the rest of the world combined.
The Premier League cannot be stopped; similarly there is rotation between leagues in Spain, France, Germany and Italy as to the exact placing in terms of popularity but essentially they’re all interchangeable in the way in which they run world football economically and in terms of coverage in a monopolisation of power run by UEFA that the rest of the world’s footballing federations struggle to contend with. This is all part of globalisation and the modern world, football fans can either choose to accept it or take the initiative and invest in football at local level by going to games, spending money on South African teams and raising that child that wakes up early to catch a game in his home city.
"I Love you," replied the Mirror
A closer look at the traits and troubles of being a ‘modern narcissist’, with reference to social media as a possible cause of narcissistic behaviour in people.
Maryke Low. 29 August 2014.
The sunrays peeked through the curtains and forced Henry Parker to open his eyes. He sat up in bed and turned his head and smiled – a beautiful sight greeted him. Those deep blue eyes, medium-length shiny brown hair, not to even mention that perfect body! And a charming smile – a smile capable of manipulation and lies. He leaned down and kissed his reflection, and winked before putting down the mirror. Similar to the tale of Narcissus in ancient Greek mythology, Henry has fallen in love with the person he saw reflected in the mirror or (in Narcissus’s case) the reflection of himself in the river’s water. Narcissus fell so deeply in love with himself that he was unable to move away from his reflection in the river, and it is then that he understood why most women have fallen at his feet throughout his lifetime. He remained there and later died - his last word to himself was “Farewell.”
Since the early 2000’s with the launch of Myspace, social media has played a huge role in how people view themselves and others in terms of achievements, physical appearance, and how popular they are among other social network users. Modern narcissists seem to be unsatisfied with only self-praise, but also thrive on affirmation from others, even if it is a stranger on the other side of the world who ‘liked’ their Facebook profile picture.
Is there a difference between showing traits of narcissism online and being a full-blown narcissist in the physical world?
Narcissism is seen as a personality disorder at its most severe, and the self-loving culture today may be caused by social media which promotes ideologies of the ‘perfect self’ (and may serve as a tool to turn masses of people into self-loving, inconsiderate narcissists). Social media can be described as online interaction between people expressing only their good or chosen qualities and measuring their self worth by the amount of affirmation they receive from others in the virtual world – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are excellent examples of virtual worlds which are simply arranged pixels displayed on your computer screen.
What is the reason behind media houses that want to change people’s views about their own self-worth and their capabilities for the worse?
It might serve as a disguise from the self (being self-reflective is not on the agenda) and to shift away the people’s gaze from what’s really going on in the world to their own reflections. Vanity and conceitedness are like cloaks of consumerism, especially for people between the ages of 16 and 30, but it seems like more and more people of all ages own a Facebook or Twitter account. The 21st century can be seen as the age of technological innovations and a million ways to make your life easier (and the consumers lazier). The underlying message is strive to be the perfect person.
In a book called History of Mirrors Dating Back 8000 Years, written by Jay Enoch (2006), states that “the first known manufactured mirrors were located in Anatolia approximately 8000 years ago. We can assume mirrors were used much earlier through observation of reflections in quiet pools of water and in water containers”. Once the person recognises himself or herself in a mirror, they may experiment by practising various expressions or movements. Since the invention of cameras and films (sequences of moving images), the way in which we see and display ourselves have significantly changed over the centuries. An example of this is the process of taking photos as one usually has a few seconds to prepare a pose.
Does this mean that it is an untrue depiction of oneself, and merely a practised expression of self to impress others?
Action photographs, on the other hand, are mostly taken while the photographed person is unaware of it. The difference between action photos and planned photos lies in the knowledge of having a photograph taken of you or not being aware of it at all. This unawareness can mean that you are caught on camera without your defences up (maybe except for famous stars who are used to being followed continuously by the paparazzi and fans).
The process of posting a photo of oneself on a social network like Facebook can be tricky for some users. In order to get that look right, you have to practise and observe yourself by taking a lot of photos in which you might try out various pouts and poses. After carefully studying each selfie, you decide on the best picture to post, and wait excitedly for someone to comment or like your photograph. A sense of pride and acceptance may develop if the reactions of others are positive and vice versa – if your virtual audience reject your post (by reacting negatively or by not reacting at all), a sense of worthlessness and despair might develop over time. There are a few differences between the mythical Narcissus and the modern narcissist. “The Narcissus did not use the social medium of his day, namely, talking to someone else. He turned [the voices of others] into his own voice in his own head. Listening to our voices is no longer enough. However self-satisfied we may be, we need more. We actually need the real voice of others, or perhaps their touch; we are not self-sufficient and indifferent to the world and its other voices” said Simon Blackburn in his book Mirror, Mirror: The uses and Abuses of Self-love (2014). The social media user seeks constant affirmation from others, in order to temporarily establish their worth and dominance over others. On Twitter – the retweet option, being followed and following those who you strive to be; are things of great value to modern narcissists as it serves as their virtual form of affirmation and acceptance. Facebook has more options when it comes to the interaction between users: there are millions of interest groups one can join; the chat option provides one with the chance of interacting with other personas. Getting ‘likes’ on Facebook is of upmost importance – and if someone challenges your grandeur it is easy to just delete their comments or remove them as friends. In the virtual world you can be anyone you choose to be – only showing a customised version of yourself: your alter ego. That means that it’s not you, it’s only a mix of your best/chosen qualities you wish to display.
There’s a difference between showing traits of this personality disorder and being a full-blown narcissist. In John Ashmun’s book, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): Traits discussed (2011), he says that “narcissists are extremely sensitive to personal criticism and extremely critical of other people. They [the narcissists] want to be seen as perfect or superior or infallible [to others], next to god-like people/icons- or else they are worthless. They can't tolerate the smallest amount of disagreement. In fact, if you say, "Please don't do that again -- it hurts," narcissists will turn around and do it again harder to prove that they were right the first time.” The focus on the physical self is a way of avoiding self-reflection and reinforces their apathy towards others in the virtual and physical world.
Interviews:
Name and age:
Simbulele, 24.
Occupation:
Junior Quantity Surveyor
Social network account/s owned:
Facebook, Whatsapp
How often do you log in?
Daily
What are your main activities while logged in?
Chatting takes up about 90% of my time
Any comments on your experience of using social media as a communication tool, and the extra functions it offers you?
It really makes life much easier
Do you believe that one's profile is a true depiction of the self? Why?
No. From the start you have the chance to pose as anything you want.
Name and age:
Etienne, 58.
Occupation:
Practice development manager at
an insurance company
Social network account/s owned:
Facebook, LinkedIn
How often do you log in?
Once a week
What are your main activities while logged in?
Sending or replying to messages.
Any comments on your experience of using social media as a communication tool, and the extra functions it offers you?
To be honest, it’s a bit of an irritation sometimes, especially when people post irrelevant statuses.
Name and age:
Melissa, 13.
Occupation:
Student at primary school
Social network account/s owned:
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp
How often do you log in?
Every few hours or when my cell phone alerts me
What are your main activities while logged in?
Chatting to my friends, posting funny pictures on my wall or looking at my friends’ profiles
Do you believe that one's profile is a true depiction of the self? Why?
Maybe only a certain part of a person is shown, but I guess it depends on the person
The Narcissit: Psychology of Demons