Well, it appears as though Disney is set to make a substantial mark on what has long been a childhood tradition.
Remember mom, or dad (or grandmother, aunt, or uncle for that matter), reading you a story before bedtime? Well, imagine lying in bed looking at a computer screen rather than a book. I guess in a world where our use of technology increases almost daily, it doesn’t seem all that unusual, although still hard to imagine, at least for me; it just doesn’t seem right reading off of a laptop instead of an edition from the Little Golden Book collection.
Nonetheless, Disney is daring enough to transition story time from paperback to the web, planning to unveil their new web-based service sometime this week. The article describes this new innovation as an ‘industry-defining moment,’ a web site, accessed with a subscription, that offers electronic versions of hundreds of Disney classics from “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” to “Hannah Montana: Crush-tastic!” (note the sarcasm in regards to Montana being a classic, though its sure to be one someday at the rate its going, but that’s another blog). The subscription costs $79.95.
So, not only will this new digital service replace actual books, but it also aims to replace the family tradition of story time. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but the service is aimed at children 3-12, prime age for storybook reading, and it offers the books being read by actors. So now, instead of mom sitting next to you in bed, she can go to the next room over and work on her laptop after she tucks her three-year-old in with their laptop, which is no doubt pink and sparkly, and presses play!
I apologize, I am really just being devil’s advocate here, I really don’t have much of a problem with this except for the fact that it’s a little sad how rapidly the world is changing, and that such a sentimental part of growing up might disappear, though I must admit I don’t remember story time from my childhood. It actually might be an educational tool, including a section for older children that can read on their own where unfamiliar words can be clicked on and will be recited aloud. It also has chapter books and trivia rounds available with the subscription.
Hopefully, this won’t replace a seemingly ancient family tradition, but rather alter it, making it more interactive and a learning experience for young children.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Guide to Success
Robert Niles has compiled a list that one journalist described as “We-could-build-a-whole-new-school-around-this good.”
The list, in an article so aptly titled “Eight things that journalism students should demand from their journalism schools,” talks about journalism students’ need to extend their education beyond the classroom, take initiative, and be proactive in pursuing a career in the viciously competitive field that is journalism.
So, what are these eight infamous things that Niles so passionately believes every journalism student must demand from their school? Well, the first on the list is role models; students must demand access to working journalists beyond the few that the school brings in as guest speakers. A role model often leads to what’s next on the list, a mentor. Niles says it’s vital that students develop a relationship with a role model to guide them on their path to becoming a part of the news world, actually admitting that his greatest professional regret is not finding a mentor early on in his career. Also on the list are:
Employment Contacts- demand help in getting a job once you complete your education!
A Place to Hack, meaning a place for students to explore and test their interactive publishing skills.
Work Experience & Deep Knowledge of a Field Other than Journalism- students should work outside of journalism to acquire as much general knowledge as possible, providing them with a foundation to base their writing on.
Getting Your Name Out There- find opportunities to publish your work online and build a group of followers before you start looking for jobs and taking interviews.
Passion, not Excuses- demand your professors encourage you to pursue your passion in journalism; don’t accept complaints and gripes from them about the state of the news business, and don’t be discouraged by those that do whine. Go after what you want!
The list, in an article so aptly titled “Eight things that journalism students should demand from their journalism schools,” talks about journalism students’ need to extend their education beyond the classroom, take initiative, and be proactive in pursuing a career in the viciously competitive field that is journalism.
So, what are these eight infamous things that Niles so passionately believes every journalism student must demand from their school? Well, the first on the list is role models; students must demand access to working journalists beyond the few that the school brings in as guest speakers. A role model often leads to what’s next on the list, a mentor. Niles says it’s vital that students develop a relationship with a role model to guide them on their path to becoming a part of the news world, actually admitting that his greatest professional regret is not finding a mentor early on in his career. Also on the list are:
Employment Contacts- demand help in getting a job once you complete your education!
A Place to Hack, meaning a place for students to explore and test their interactive publishing skills.
Work Experience & Deep Knowledge of a Field Other than Journalism- students should work outside of journalism to acquire as much general knowledge as possible, providing them with a foundation to base their writing on.
Getting Your Name Out There- find opportunities to publish your work online and build a group of followers before you start looking for jobs and taking interviews.
Passion, not Excuses- demand your professors encourage you to pursue your passion in journalism; don’t accept complaints and gripes from them about the state of the news business, and don’t be discouraged by those that do whine. Go after what you want!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sensationalism
For those of you who unwittingly, plan to see Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story,” beware.
In an article touching on Moore’s yet-to-be-released documentary, and others, a warning is issued to those who look to documentaries for direction on such serious matters as business, politics, and even the meaning of life.
The article is based on a new report from the center for Social Media at American University, called “Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work,” a report based on information gathered from anonymous interviews with forty-five documentary filmmakers.
Some of the conclusions drawn from the report blatantly defy conventional journalistic ethics, finding that many documentarians opt to substitute accuracy with their desire to achieve social justice in their works. To do so, many documentarians admit to manipulating “individual facts, sequences, and meanings of images,” helping their viewers to recognize the documentaries “higher truths,” aka the filmmakers’ biased beliefs; one documentarian even admitted to allowing their film crew members to break the legs of rabbits in order to get better shots of animals being hunted in the wild.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that controversial filmmakers such as Moore manipulate reality to make their passions the passions of others, but it feels good (at least to those that hold steadfast in their own mindsets, in spite of the yellow journalism and exploitations that overwhelm media these days) to hear some of those that employ these tactics fess up.
Let’s take Moore, for example, whose latest work promises to be equally as manipulative and one-sided as his last- he only exploits his point of view, never showing the other side. Though he has proved to be an expert in none of the fields that he preaches about, he continues to spit, not report, his twisted version of reality to the unsuspecting masses that continue to eat it up.
In an article touching on Moore’s yet-to-be-released documentary, and others, a warning is issued to those who look to documentaries for direction on such serious matters as business, politics, and even the meaning of life.
The article is based on a new report from the center for Social Media at American University, called “Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work,” a report based on information gathered from anonymous interviews with forty-five documentary filmmakers.
Some of the conclusions drawn from the report blatantly defy conventional journalistic ethics, finding that many documentarians opt to substitute accuracy with their desire to achieve social justice in their works. To do so, many documentarians admit to manipulating “individual facts, sequences, and meanings of images,” helping their viewers to recognize the documentaries “higher truths,” aka the filmmakers’ biased beliefs; one documentarian even admitted to allowing their film crew members to break the legs of rabbits in order to get better shots of animals being hunted in the wild.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that controversial filmmakers such as Moore manipulate reality to make their passions the passions of others, but it feels good (at least to those that hold steadfast in their own mindsets, in spite of the yellow journalism and exploitations that overwhelm media these days) to hear some of those that employ these tactics fess up.
Let’s take Moore, for example, whose latest work promises to be equally as manipulative and one-sided as his last- he only exploits his point of view, never showing the other side. Though he has proved to be an expert in none of the fields that he preaches about, he continues to spit, not report, his twisted version of reality to the unsuspecting masses that continue to eat it up.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)