Reflections

Sorry for the delay, my computer is so backed up, please be patient while I upload all my posts. The thing is I write them and leave them as draft. The problem with that is that I end up loading them later than they presume to be written. Plus my windows media is still living and working like the 1990's. Once again I would like to make a public apology. Thank you for your sweet time.

Reflections

So many times many question thereselves to see what they are doing is accurate. I for one realized that during the search for stories of my own, I questioned my ability. I couldnt find any original stories of my own. So i go to the source; Television. As I watch tv I see that many news today have the same news to show. Fox News, CNN, even local. All the stories that they cover are the same. But each journalists covers it differently, thats when I realized that its not me. So if I ever come across a story that I find interesting and so do others, I should still write about it because eventhough its the same, its seen by different eyes.

Reflections

Reading and Writing is an easy task to do right?Im afraid multitasking is much simpler said rather than done. To all those who can multitask, teach me! I freak out and I focus my energy on other things. this only happens when I dont like what Im doing. If it isnt dancing, singing, writing, then I wont have any of it down. I need to remember it is multitasking that gets us through the day. I just hope this truama does not occur when I am writing. No that would be called procastination.

How would you feel if your Newspaper(local) shut down?

Many viewers say that it has no effect on themselves because they find the news everywhere now a days. A recent Poll has been brought to the attention of many of those who still buy a newspaper.
"With media coverage of newspaper company bankruptcy filings, threats to close papers, actual shut downs and continuing job cuts, the public is aware of the financial problems. More than half (53%) say they have heard “a lot” about the problems facing newspapers, while 31% say they have heard “a little.” Only 15% say they have heard nothing at all." Just a part of an article written by The Pew Research Center for the Local People and Press. 66% say their news is from the tv, 41% newspaper, 34% Radio, 31% Internet, online newspapers and online tv have less than 15%. What does that tell you? If our Newspaper shuts down, many local posts will just be found on the internet. And as varied as the internet is, how many viewers would really go on the internet just for the newspaper?

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

In September 2007, a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism showed that people who went online for their news gravitated toward topics different from those offered on television. And this statement is fact. Many viewers have free access to whatever story that would like to obtain as for television, which news focuses on whats really happening around the world. Many People have been at faulted including yself to find that the internet news is more convenient than those of television. A leading was researched upon this topic, the article below:

How Do You Get Your News?
With the multitude of competing mediums these days, it's easy to pick and choose your information inputs. Newspapers, television, RSS, Twitter—how do you mix and pick your news sources?

Thomas Baekdal details the patterns of communication over the last hundred years and the shifts that have occurred. If your great-grandparents wanted to stay current on the news, for instance, they had to make a conscious effort to be places where people were talking about it. Now you can have it streamed, beamed, and delivered.

Where do you fall on the chart pictured above? Newspaper reader? Avid talk radio listener? All internet news, all the time? Tell us how you get your news, and where you think you'll be getting it in years to come, in the comments.

How to Watch TV News

Now, lately I would find this comment a fact, but on this particular day hearing this comment makes me believe its certainly fiction." Those who underestimate the knowledge that television is simply mindless is misconscrude and found guilty to their own self entertainment." This comment was written by a Proffesor in some kind of college who believed that what Neil Postman and Steve Powers novel, "How to watch tv News" only brings an opinionated fact. Now, today I learned that you can find knowledge from any resource as long as its accurate. With that being said, I would have to disagree with this quote/comment/opinion. I find many resourceful resources not only through the internet but mostly through the television screen. Some interesting facts that dont even apply to Journalism and yet I have knowledge of them for future reference. For this proffessor to say that I am being misconscruded is not applicable. I have always found television entertaining and fundamentally educational. Everyone has their ways to learn, mine is half of the time stuck in front of a tv box. So what? Its how I learn sometimes and I know Im not doing anything wrong.

Reflections

Right now I can say I love myself, not in any Narcissitic way,just for the fact that I went out and found a story. Im going to keep it a suprise and its nothing spectacular. Its just local news. I havent really figured out how to put it, but its all coming together. So get ready for my first very own breaking news. Its local like I said so dont critique too harshly. Need I remind you that it is my very 1st narticle to write of my own. Like I was there and all.

How To Watch TV News By Neil Postman and Revised by Steve Power

Now, here is a reason why we either need to protest to get rid of shows that display explicit content or we just block those shows overall. "On the day Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, so did many other people, some of whom may have had reasons as engrossing as, and perhaps more significant than, Miss Monroe's." Why is it that when one famous person dies, it means we all as a population should do so forth. No, I dont believe so. Eventhough I love Micheal Jacksons music and movies, when he died I didnt feel the need to jump off the next highest building or overdose. That person has their own reasoning to why they chose to take their own life, but who are we to say , " Because shes gone, then I should go to" even if the only way of knowing them was through television and tabloids. Its not right. And for all those who was merely a coincidence to die on the same day as Marilyn Monroe, the press and news would not see their individual side but see it as an act of compassion towards Monroe. And the true stories still lie some where with their families and friends. Even with themselves.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers Part 2

"All this talk about news, but what is it? We turn to this question because unless a television viewer has considered it, he or she is in danger of too easily accepting someone else's definition: for example, one supplied by the news director of a television station or, even worse, imposed by important advertisers. The question, in any case, is not a simple one, and it is even possible that many journalists and advertisers have not thought deeply about it." This is a paragraph from the novel. I truly believe that we as viewers should contribute and broaden hour viewing content. Instead of viewing MTV News or BET 106 & Park for our resources in news, we should view news channels such as CNN, ABC, FOXNEWS, NBC, etc. This will help our not knowing of what is really happening in the world.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

What is News? This question was brought up to my viewing as I read more of the novel. When asked this question I thought of the weather or the tragedies that struck Samoa, Filipines, Indonesia, and Haiti. In this novel they were speaking more of "what is" news in our society, what is displayed? As I flip the channels on the televion I notice whats really news on the major channels such as MTV, VH1, BET, E, and other entertainment channels. The latest news are the latest scandals displayed. Tiger Woods interviews and Lean Rimes Adultery scandal. Sexting in school, oh and the most populared viewed, the new Bachelor season. Almost everything was about sex basically. I flip the channel to CNN and The Anderson Cooper Show was on. The show discussed, viewed, and debated on more important topics such as Barack Obama and his new plans for Healthcare, the war in Iraq, troops in Iraq as opposed to Afghanistan, the mission for help in Haiti, mainly topics I would truly be interested in. Not of Sex, divorce, and all that nonesence. To Be Continued....

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

Here are some other things I have learned from this novel. 1. american television is an unsleeping money machine(meaning, you watch it, your basically giving money to the producers, businessmen, all those who contributed to the making of that show). 2. While journalists pursue newsworthy events, business oriented management often makes decisions based on business considerations( meaning eventhough journalists try their best to do whats right, the business world usually gets the bigger cut of the deal). And last 3. Many decisions about the form and content of news programs are made on the basis of information about the viewer, the purpose of which is to keep viewers watching so that they will be exposed to commercials( meaning, commercials are cheaper on news shows). Well thats the rules shown in the this novel, I can only right my opinion. However this is not whats all said about Journalism so I knew there was more to be said.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

What I have learned so far from this novel, "How To Watch TV News", is that the advertisement is what tv is all about. I had thought from the beginning it was all about us viewers. Putting actors even past actors back on television to display their talents for viewers amusement or entertainment. But its not. We as viewers give the rating companies a chase for their money. "Rating companies do not simply count the viewers of a particular show. As we mentioned earlier, they slice, dice, chop, and crunch the viewer information, then report to advertisers who pay them for their statistics." This was a quote from my novel. And now I can just that this is true. Every time we turn on the tv, we cant watch a tv show or movie without breaks of advertisement.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

Even on Valentines Day, its work time. So far, I feel so sick from how I used to watch tv. I find myself now watching Anderson Cooper or anything on CNN. I also was 20/20 and 60 Minutes( occasionally). Its just that I need to broaden my views of news not only for my homework assignment, but for me. Did you know that Barbara Walters is retiring. I always knew her as one of the women on The View( an all women talkshow) not knowing her amazing career in television. She was the first woman co-host on the Today show. was nominated for numerous awards, star of 60 minutes. I wouldnt have known all these things withought actually watching news and this also goes to show that women have a chance in this business too.

Reflections

Now I know that this is a blog and all, but I am to go out in the world and find stories of my own and display them on my blog. I am freaking out because so far, I havent found squat! I want to progress, but really in White Center? The most highlights that occur is the Annual Jubilee Days that happens in the far future (July or August too far)or the carnivals that isnt exciting. I was going to write a piece on the UW events, then I realized? What significance does that have towards me? Only that I have friends that go there and that they do an annual POLY DAY which gave me a great idea! I will cover Poly Day. So now I am stuck waiting for Poly Day to arrive which is in 3 months. In the mean time if anyone has any suggestions please comment and I will be more than happy to cover it. It just has to be an appropriate topic and an actual event that is going to happen not already has. Thank you.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

Chapter 1: Are you watching television, or is television watching you? For one chapter, it is surely powerful. Already in the beginning I have inflicted this emotion of dismay not towards the novel, towards myself. You see, in the opening sentence it says, " Chances are you have at least one television set in your home that is used by most members of your family." Which is true, I do have a television set in my household, I have more than one. And yes, every member of my family watch the television set so already I knew I was going to read something that would make me humiliated as a person and it did. Now, in my career we are to view many news and whatever catastrophic occurs we as journalist are suppose to be on top of it. Well, as I read on, I realized I am by far the worse journalist, I am closer to a Gossip collumnist which is basically the bottom of the pit in Journalism. The average news that is consumed in our world today is not close to the reality shows, sitcoms, documentaries that are viewed. 20% of news is viewed and its decreasing as time goes by. We as a society have given up on the importance that television has given us, to see what the world is really goilng through.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

I haven't really introduced the novel that I am reading. Its pure entertainment, the real deal stuff. I was given this novel by my teacher so that it would provide some inspiration to find myself in the world of Journalism. The novel is titled, "How To Watch TV News by co-authors Neil Postman and Steve Powers. The background of these authors Steve Powers and Neil Postman is recognized within television. With Powers winning an Emmy award in 1981 for his reporting on the Channel 5 NEWS FOX in New York or being the first reporter to cover John Lennon's death, his remarkable career also had its down which was one of the reasons why this book was created. Neil Postman wrote 18 novels including the famous Amusing Ourselves to Death which was translated into eight languages and sold 200,000 copies world wide. Each author has brought a different knowledge to the table. And thats the greatness of this novel, to have all this knowledge and wisdom for many upcoming journalist like me or just readers in general.

How to watch tv news by Neil Postman revised by Steve Powers

While the world of television is mostly populated with the latest sex scandal or celeb spotting, we fail to see what our "popculture" has become; all about the "Image". Mainly minds are so consumed with television viewing its not whats on thats effective, but what we are not watching. In the novel How To Watch TV NEWS, I found that the career that I am persuing has fallen from grace within the world of television. Did you know that in order to have a new show on the air, it will costs you $500,000.00. Sounds like alot? On the contrar, to have sitcoms, reality shows, just the entertainment itself kind of shows, they would cost you over 2 million dollars. Now what does that tell you? I myself have indulged into shows that are mearly for my likings, but it just goes to show that we as a country have painted an ugly picture that many would say is not productive.

Umaga Dies at age 37

Breaking news for the Samoan community. I’m writing this because it is the right thing to do, especially when one of are breaking stars from our island of Samoa has passed. Edward "Umaga" Fatu has just recently passed on December 5, 2009. How sad is it to end the year with a death? He suffered a massive heart attack that led to the bleeding of his nose and his body stiffening. His wife found him on the couch in this manner at their home in Texas and immediately called 911; there he was hospitalized and was treated with critical condition. He was in intensive care, but it was too late. Etiuati (Umaga's name pronounced in his native language Samoan) was pronounced dead after suffering a second heart attack at 7:00pm. I know I’m late with this news. I just found out on pacificflavah.com owned by my brother Siona Siva. Now, our island of Samoa has already suffered devastation with the earthquake and tsunami that left us with our people injured and killed. To hear another life has passed at such a young age. I feel so sad. What did we do to deserve such misery? I guess we will never know. He was 36.