Week Eight

Globalisation of Mass Media

I heard about an interesting news today on 98.7 FM (this morning). I would liked to share it with you guys as I thought this pieces of 'news' were rather relevant to our recent comms class.

Singapore was rank 133 from the survey of PRESS FREEDOM. It may seems that we were very low at the bottom of the ranking but it had a slight improvement from rank 144 in last year, 2008.

At the bottom of the ranking were Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, where their media are almost nonexistent

This piece of information is from http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_444754.html

However, I have researched on another website which has a different ranking with the one reported from the straits times.

Singapore was ranked even lower, 152, out of 195 countries. Singapore has a status of "Not Free" according to the survey of Freedom of the Press.

You may check it out from this website : http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/fop/2009/FreedomofthePress2009_tables.pdf

Put the rankings a side. They key point I will like to mention is the restriction of the press media in Singapore. Is is good to have such a high restriction in our press media? I will like to list out some pros and cons from my own perception of the high restriction in our country.

Pros

- Celebrities feel safe in Singapore as they feel that the media in Singapore respect privacy.
- Our Government controls our press media and set rules for them to make sure all news are healthy to all Singaporeans. For example; no explicit photos/news, the news are almost 100% accurate.

The pros are more of personal perception than about globalisation.

Cons

- We are very restricted with the world news as news are chosen for us to read. It means we will not know any other news outside the box unless we look into other countries media context.
- Indirectly, it makes the press media very mundane and boring.
- It is more difficult for the Singapore press media to diverse out of Singapore. (Unable to expand) Thus, we are unable to globalise our media rapidly.

Things that you may like to comment.
- Singapore's 'Freedom of the Press 2009' ranking.
- The pros and cons about the high restriction imposed to our press media

Week Seven

Relational Formation and Development =)

Physical Appearance

- It exerts a consistent positive impact on relational formation
- It is the biggest impact in the early stages of a relationship. ( In the beginning)

Don't you think? it is quite sad that physical appearance has the largest impact to form a relationship. Indirectly, it means all of us have to look good to attract people?

To look good. Make - up has became a lot of woman's best friend. Make up allows you to hide all your pigmentation, spots, dark eye bags and etc. AND, it is able to enhance your jaw line, cheek bones, pouty lips and etc to make you look prettier. It is the reason why there are more make-up brands establishing in the industry.

Adertisement plays a big part in establishing their branding in the industry. If you notice, most of the make-up advertisement were film in an "ethos" persuasion method. Which they would, empoly celebrities to advertise their products as there were the ones who heavilty relay on make-up.

How true is it??? (to the point i say about celebrities are the ones who relay heavily on make-up)




more pictures here : http://www.topsocialite.com/celebrities-without-makeup/

Week Six

Relationships seem fragile.

http://www.celebpulp.com/more-celebrity-break-up-rumors/

check out this website =) you are able to check ou latest celebrities break up rumours. We always notice and gossip about celebrities daily life as they are the center of attraction. From all their news, getting married and divorce is one of the most common news. Breaking up and get hitch again with another person seems so over rated. It is as if they can get marry today and divorce as fast as on the next day.

This are a few celebrities on the latest update:







Reports are that Rose McGowan and her fiance, director Robert Rodriguez, have broken off their engagement…..again! The couple broke it off and got back together again last summer as well. They have been engaged since October of 2007, and apparently no reason has been given for the split this time











Comedienne Sarah Silverman is not fucking Matt Damon, and is also definitely not with her on again off again boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel. The two funny people are off for sure this time, because Sarah is reportedly dating comedian Rob Huebel, and has been for months! Ouch Jimmy!











Rumor has that Jamie Kennedy and his way out of his league girlfriend Jennifer Love Hewitt have called it quits, after rumors of his infidelity have surfaced. Apparently Mr. Kennedy has been seeing his ex-girlfriend Shannon Funk on the side! Kennedy is blaming his now fired assistant, Miguel, for creating the rumor that he cheated. Kennedy denies all infidelity rumors and is working on patching things up with Jennifer.









The divorce and annulment rate in Singapore is estimated, 7.5 per 1,000 married resident (average of male and female) and has a total of 7,220 cases, in year 2008. The number of divorce and annualment cases has been increasing since 1980 which is only 3.2 per 1,000 married resident and total 1,721 cases.

Results are from www.singstat.gov.sg, you may check out the website for exact statistic and probably other interesting statistic too =)

I am very sure that, the increase in divorce cases do not happen in Singapore only. Comparing to USA, Singapore has a lower divorce rate.
However, why more couples are divorcing in such an alarming rate? (In Singapore)
Maintaining a relationship is much harder than getting into a relationship. (I bet all of you agree)
Here, I would like to point out some ways you can maintain your relationship through good communication.

1) Self Disclosure
Learn to share information about yourself and family that you will not tell others but only your family and partner. Your partner will be able to under you more. Moreover, it is able to exhibits trust and commitment to the relationship.

2) Conflict
Conflicts occur as we have different in perception. Conflict can either improve your relationship or break your relationship. However, we have to learn to overcome this conflict by communication and interact with each other. Talk things out and solve it rationally. I believe by accommodating each other will solve the problem.

3) Relational Needs
You need to indentify the short term and long term needs and determine to realize any unmet needs. For example; go for a date at least once a week, as one party might constant assurances in the relationship.

Hey guys =) You may like to comment about some relational needs in a relationship or your opinions in maintaining a relationship.

Week 5

Communication in Relationship

The framework of communication in relationships is in 3 processes. (De Fleur et al 2005)
- Engagement
- Management
- Disengagement

First contact to someone you are interested, how you get interested at that someone --> how u maintain relationship (communication) --> how causes problem in a relationship that lends to break up

I bet all of you have fall in love before.

When we first started to have interest in someone mostly it will be base on first impression. If the first impression is bad you will not be interested or wants to talk to that person at all. First impression consist of physical appearance, the way the person speak, the way they present themselves, their hobby, similarities and differences, proximity and more. Among all these points I feel that physical appearance plays a big part. I know it may sound bad but it is very true. You do not have to be very beautiful but you have to look presentable. What you wear and how you wear actually depicts your character as well. If you wear messily or dirtily I guess no one will wants to be close to you unless you are asking for help and etc.

To get attached with someone is easy but to maintain a relationship is hard. For example, how much you disclose your secret and information to your partner, how you solve conflicts, and what you need and want from your partner. Every one of us is individual and unique. You will hardly find two people with completely the same personality but if you found it there will be problems too. For example, A is a competitive person and she/he has to win all the time and if the other party is the same they will be quarrelling all the time to determine that they win. However, if you find someone with different personality will be conflicts too. Thus, able to solve relationship problems together is important.

There is a question that I will like to mention here which is being asked during lesson time. What are the top 3 things that you cannot accept that you will break off with your partner? Mine answer is rather typical I guess…. 1) Betrayal 2) Family Pressure 3) Future Plans. WHO can actually accept someone that betrays you. Especially women. They will say they have forgiven you but it does not mean that they have forgotten about that matter. The marks and scars will still exist.


Hello peeps =) Do comment about your top 3 things that you can’t accept that/till you will break off with your partner at my comment box for some discussions.

Week Four

This week I would like to touch about non-verbal communication. Do check out this 5mins short clip provided above.

In this short clip, it shows you how you can determine whether a person welcomes you, whether a person is lying to you or whether a person is promising. I totally agree with this clip except * part two which I have yet to test it out.

I split this short clip into 3 parts:

1st part – If a person open his/her arms to welcome you means they are really welcoming you and welcome for a hug. However, if a person is standing like a stiff fish probably he/she does not welcome you or he/she does not want a hug from you.

*2nd part – Your brain is split in to two parts. For right hander they will use their left side of the brain for logical thinking while right side of the brain for creativity. If you ask someone a question and he/she looks to the right side and answer you, he/she is probably lying to you as he/she is using his creativity to come out with a lie. While the left hander will be at the opposite side.

· You may want to try this test by asking random questions from your friend/instructor?

3rd part – Your words may lie but your body can’t lie. Normally when a person who lie to you his/her will move/act opposite or different from what he/she has said or the person will look distracted.

As we say actions speaks louder than words. From one's action, we can see the whole picture and the truth. I totally agree with it. The part that we can least control will be our eyes. Our eyes are “tools” that pass messages and cues to people.

In a face to face conversation, it consists of verbal and non-verbal communication. However, whether the conversations/words are true, the receiver will base from non-verbal cues he/she received.

For example, A says “I Love You” to B. If A is busy looking somewhere else while saying “I Love You” I don’t think B will believe what A has said.

Most of the time we will look at the dynamic features of non-verbal communication such as eye contacts, body movements, gestures, facial expression, space and paralanguage.

SIDE TRACK:
To the girls and boys out there… How you know whether your partner is lying to you? Look straight into his eyes and observe how his/her eyes move!

Week Three

From my point of view, I feel that Media plays the biggest role of changing one's perception of beauty. We look upon celebrities, models and designers.


Do read this article =) Written on 13th September 2009 by Tammy Gallagher.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2169229/how_the_media_changes_our_perception.html?cat=69

This is the summary of how the article shows the perception of beauty changed over years.

In the 1960s, Television (TV) was considered as a privilege and not everyone owns a TV.

After 1970s, TV slowly becomes a norm and TV has become a necessity in our life. This is when the media strongly affects OUR perception of beauty.

The media set the image of beauty and push this look in the highest rated television shows, movies, TV advertisements, print advertisements, music videos, posters, and anything else which can portray a visual image. The lists of the "most beautiful" people are compiled over and over again further blatantly telling us what beauty is. Human changed their perception rapidly from what they see from the media.

Perception is influenced by psychological factors and social factors.

Social Factors

- Media uses celebrities, beauty pageant, advertisement, competition, movies and etc to influence us.

For example; a movie has a very beautiful woman (main lead/celebrity) and everyone on the earth says that she is very beautiful.

* The image of the female lead is the image that the media wants to “enforce” on us.

However, the image that the media wants to enforce to us might not be good or true. For example; to be a model you have to be very thin. A lot of teenagers inspire to a model and they will wish/need to have that particular image. Thus, there is an increase or eating disorder diseases .

Trend is also influence by the media. What the celebrities wear are the most 'in' look and people will follow it.

- The media would repetitively show the same kind of image to the public till we are "force" to turn to that image.

For example; in a fashion magazine, there will be a section about how celebrities wear, how they do their make up, their new image and critique on them. At that section, they will show similar kind of look and that will set the trend.

Thus, I conclude that media changes our perceptive of beauty in a positive and negative manner

Week Two

1)http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_427341.html

2)http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_429194.html

A group of teenagers plan to suicide as one of their close friend, Witaya, claims that a world war was coming and that they had to die in order to be resurrected as slayers who would save the world from demonic attacks.

This case actually happened last year 23rd of August. However, the case was brought up on court recently.

This news really caught my attention. It’s amazing how a group of teenagers had such a strong belief for their religion that they could take their live so easily. From what I have read, the 8 boys played World of Warcraft and Online games like other normal teenage boys. I believe that they belong to the Allies Faction (in the game) which requires them to slay demons. They could be too engrossed in playing the game and bring what they see from the virtual world to reality. OR. It might be someone who influenced them that they could have special powers and the boys eventually believe in it. And came Witaya, who told them they can save the world from world war III by taking their own lives.

For someone to take their own live is never an easy task or a day thing. I believe the boys were under "brain wash" whenever they go for their weekly ritual since 2006 to 2008 at Witaya's house. Someone else or Witaya could have been guiding them through the ritual and telling them about their beliefs of they will be resurrected as slayers who would save the world. Through this period of "brain wash", I believe that the boys were persuaded under 2 factors; Logos and Pathos.

Logos: This definitely does not sound logical to me. However, the teenagers were still young and they were easily influenced by what they had being told. They brought what they have seen from the virtual world to reality. Thus, the teenagers believe in whatever they have been told.

Pathos: I feel that it might be due to the environment created at the ritual. The atmosphere at the ritual makes them feel "holy" and well taken care of from their religion. In the situation like this, the boys were easily influence/persuade by the speaker. I feel that parent should communicate more with their children and know what they are doing. The mind of a child is innocent, they are easily persuaded and they are mostly unable to differentiate what is right and wrong.


Key Point: Persuasion is one of the key points of Rhetoric. Under Persuasion there is 3 points, which are Logos, Ethos and Pathos. For someone to be persuaded, one or more of these 3 points must be used.

COM101 Communication Blog

Blog created for COM101.

This is my Communication Blog. I called it mich's communication box.

My blog name address is e - media - circus. There are reasons to it. I have a bad time thinking of what names should i give my blog and make sure the hits/traffic will hit the TOP! Thus, I use encarta to look for nice words which are relavant to media. Fortunately, i found two beautiful words media circus.

The meaning of Media circus:

media gathered at newsworthy scene: a group of journalists and photographers who gather at the scene of a news event or at the home or workplace of a person who is in the news

SO! i think somehow its a little related to what i will be doing for the next few weeks. AND! i like the word circus! As we think of CIRCUS, it means fun fair with games, animal shows, magic shows, roller coasters and etc. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY! circus is a place for us to have fun and make noise!

SO GUYS GUYS! do make some contructive NOISE to this blog alright ? Be it you are from SIM or not. Be it you are from COM101 or not. I need your few mins at least 3 times a week? it will better if YOU can visit this blog EVERYDAY!

THANKS ALL =) i gonna start studying for my COM101 quiz tomorrow!

* for any private comments or improvements you may email me to " michmedia@live.com "

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