Assignment #3: Part Two

Article Three:

GWAS Notes: Satchel Shopping

This week, I stepped into a  little piece of heaven I like to call…online shopping.  Satchel in hand, I prepared for battle, not sure if I would come out the other end unscathed…

With Christmas fast approaching, The Shopping Centre is soon to become a playground for ‘jolly’ people determined to find that perfect gift for their loved ones, and perhaps a sneaky one for themselves along the way.

With this in mind, I made the commitment to do all of my Christmas shopping online. Wow. I feel a touch anxious at the thought of not being able to see my purchases in the flesh before I hand over my plastic, however I am determined to pull this experiment off.

I have a confession to make. I am a list girl. With that in mind, I scrawled my present list, grabbed my satchel and…opened my laptop (plastic in hand and ready to hand it over).

GWAS SHOPPING LIST

Mother – Butler’s table (or something of this kind…)

Father – Leather notebook/journal

Boyfriend – Sunglasses, preferably of the aviator variety

Best Friend – A cute summer dress to throw over bathers

Mother

This Christmas, I am determined to purchase something that: a) my mother immediately falls head over heals in love with and b) would never dream of forking out the money herself to pay for it.

And, so I have it. The Butler’s Table. It may have once served a real purpose for butlers in the wealthier houses but will now be used as both a beautiful decoration in my parent’s bedroom and a bedside table.

I found the perfect one at White Port, which stocks the most amazing white furniture and accessories for the home (I am in love!). This one is stylish and made from quality materials, so I know that my Mum will be able to enjoy it for years to come.

Figure 1 Hamptoms Butler Tray from White Port

I shuddered slightly as I typed in my card details and $149.95 was relinquished from my account, I had the feeling that it would certainly be worth it to see the look on mum’s face come Christmas morning. One down, many more to go.

Father

Always the hardest one to buy for! My dad is probably one of the least-fussy people I know! When he says ‘darling I don’t need anything’, I know that he is being completely honest and wouldn’t think twice if I failed to present a large wrapped present for him towards the end of December.

But, not so fast Daddy dearest! This Christmas I am opting for something I know he won’t be able to resist and that he will actually use (and love). A journal. Yes, that’s right, I inherited my love for writing from my Dad.

Moleskine have the perfect addition to Dad’s journal collection. A beautiful black, hardcover journal should be arriving in my letter box in approximately 5-7 days.

Figure 2 Moleskine journal from Moleskine

I decide I like the idea so much I opt to add another pink leather one to my shopping cart. Ah, the joys of shopping (one for you, one for me!).

Boyfriend

This one is easy. I adore shopping for Boyfriend! I am always on the look out for gifts for him and could probably fill a few pink leather journals myself with the different presents he has accrued from yours truly.

This Christmas, my beloved is receiving a new set of shades (and a nice pair at that). Many pairs of petrol station sunnies have come and gone on the way to festivals and the like, but I decide it is time to treat Boyfriend and opt for the classic aviators from Ray Ban.

Figure 3 Ray Ban aviator sunglasses from ESunnies

These shades offer the right amount of sun protection while oozing coolness, something Boyfriend will greatly appreciate! I opt for the black pair rather than the gold rimmed (far too ‘gangster’) and quickly say goodbye to another $256. Sigh. The price of giving.

Best Friend

Best Friend is next and I have it within five minutes of searching. As summer approaches, I was searching for the ultimate beach cover-up. French Connection have some golden buys and it takes me a further half an hour to decide which dress it’s going to be.

With a click of my mouse (and a further swipe at my bank account), I have it.

Figure 4 French Connection dress (perfect for easy breezy summer nights)

This dress had me from the start and oozes Gossip Girl. She is going to be thrilled! Pop goes $79.95 and I pause long enough to decide that no, I do not need another dress.

Satisfied with my online Christmas purchases, I pop my (much abused) credit card back in my satchel and turn off my laptop. I have done far too much damage to my bank account for one day.

Yours Truly,

Girl With a Satchel xo

 

Article Four:

Girl Talk

Body Image. A topic that most of us probably haven’t thought twice about, yet one which is so prominent in our day to day lives. There have been countless times when I have looked in the mirror and thought “why can’t I have a body like [insert beautiful, size 6, supermodel’s name here]”. This week, after the newly released recommendations regarding body image, I began to realise the extent to which negative body image can have a crippling and debilitating effect on people’s lives.

On October 27 2009, the newly formed National Body Image Advisory Group presented its recommendations and Industry Code of Conduct in order to tackle the topic of negative body image amongst young people and the wider community.

Following on from a week that was hellish for Ralph Lauren after that photo, the National Body Image Advisory Group put forward a number of recommendations to the Government in an attempt to decrease the (often) negative views that young people have of their bodies.

This is an issue which I feel very passionate about. Not only is it important that we, as a country, tackle the unrealistic expectations the media places on women (and men), but it is also time that the view of what is a ‘normal’ or ‘right’ weight or body shape is addressed.

Mia Freedman, chair of the National Body Image Advisory Group, is determined to tackle this problem head on. Mia constantly advocates the need to address negative body image within Australia and she uses her blog as the main platform to get this message across. A journalist and former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, Mia even manages to put forward the Advisory Group’s recommendations into plain and simple language for all of us to understand.

The next step requires the Government to take responsibility for the issue and endeavour to educate young Australians about the importance of accepting your body as it is and not trying to fit into someone else’s notion of ‘beautiful’.

Of course, this requires cooperation from the media and fashion empires alike. Ralph Lauren, take note: it is not normal for woman’s waist to be as small as the circumference of her neck. Unfortunately if a poor woman were to have this problem, her neck would be unable to support the weight of her own (rather large) head and…well we all know how that ends. With this in mind, I believe it is the responsibility of the Government to take the fashion industry by the reigns (give them a little shake) and show them how we, as Australians, want young people to think of themselves.

Universal sizing would be a good start. It is one of the Advisory Group’s recommendations to the Government and one to be acted upon immediately. Too many times I have gone into a shop, lugged on a size 8 pair of jeans only to find that half of my bum still cannot find its way into the garment. Then, miraculously, I lose two dress sizes walking into the next shop, and (what do you know) I’m a size 6?! This constant jumping between sizes encourages yo-yo dieting which can lead to serious eating disorders.

So, beware Ralph Lauren. Australia is leading the way with positive body image and will not be influenced by your ‘lollipop’ models.

 

Yours Truly,

Girl with a Satchel xo

Keep Calm and Carry On (coming to an iPhone near you…)

Yesterday I was feeling a tad stressed. And I also went on an iPhone application downloading frenzy! I would have normally thought that the two combined made for a dangerous cocktail, ending in a rather large ‘application spending spree’.

However, I stumbled across a free (yes, even better) application called ‘Affirmations’. Today, the application boosted my mood while I was on the peak hour train by telling me that “I deserve the very best in my life”. Cheers!

The next quote told me that “divine ideas are flowing to me”. Hmm…not so sure about this one. I began wondering if such ‘divine ideas’ would be so kind to flow into my assessment. With that thought, I started to feel stressed again about all of the work I had to complete.

As I left the train I realised that I didn’t feel so ‘affirmed’…. maybe I need to download another more affirming application.

All of this got me thinking about the use of technology in our lives, and specifically the vast amount of applications out there for iPhones. Has anyone got some beauties that I simply must have?

But wait…there’s more!

While we’re on the topic of photoshop disasters…here are a few I have stumbled across in the last few days! I could not believe my eyes!

Kiera magically got boobs! (Image courtesy of The Mercury)

And Madonna. Ah Madonna, whose yoga keeps you young and whose limbs seem awfully…ummm…limber.

The "real" Madonna (Image courtesy of The Lipstick Diaries)

I must admit, it does make me feel somewhat better seeing Madge’s wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes.
Anyone else got some photoshop disasters they care to share?

Digital Media. Digital Distortion.

In class last week, we were shown the shocking image from the Ralph Lauren campaign which resembled more of a Chuppa Chup than a real woman. The image speaks for itself.

Ralph Lauren Photoshop Disaster

It startles me to think that the person in charge of the transformations which occurred to this photo would actually think that this image represents an attractive woman. Because, let’s face it, they were trying to make her more attractive. Clearly, women these days must have a greater proportion of their body parts digitally slimmed down (smaller waist than neck? Check.) or enhanced (it’s always the big boobs/small waist combo right?).

Personally, I am appalled by the great lengths that Ralph has clearly gone to in order to achieve this image. For the sake of the company, I would like to think that there was just one person working Photoshop and not a whole team of marketing, advertising and design gurus behind this creation.

Thank goodness it is not only me who finds this image startling. Ralph received an unprecedented amount of publicity when this image was released and it is fair to say that almost none of it was in support of the company. This image has been scattered throughout the media in the last week, with bloggers particularly tearing Ralph to shreds for the distortion of this young woman.

Such blogs commenting on the use of this image include BNET, Mia Freedman’s MamaMia (who shows an unphotoshopped image of the beautiful model next to the photoshopped version) and Girl with a Satchel. Erica Bartle (GWAS) even goes as far to say “what is it with male fashion designers diminishing women?”. Here here.

Unfortunately for Ralph, the story does not end there.

Wow. I am speechless. I’m fairly certain that if a girl was walking around with proportions in this order not only would she not be able to support the weight of her head on her tiny neck, but her waist would no doubt fold in half.

Ralph Lauren Photoshop Disaster. Take Two.

And we wonder why girls these days have an altered sense of what is the ‘right’ shape to be? With the proliferation of digital technology in the media industry over the past few years in particular, there comes a point where our leaders must step in and take action.

Snaps for France, who are toying with the idea that photoshopped images should come with a health warning. Here here. It is clear that such images can not be good for anyone’s self-esteem.

While photos such as those advertised by Ralph have clearly taken the business of photoshopping to the next level, the majority of photos are not as obviously photoshopped. But they are.

Dove are attempting to change this. With or without government support, the company is determined to portray ‘real women’ in their campaigns and promote positive images to the public around the world.

I was actually quite shockedwhen I watched this video. As the video begins, we are presented with a normal looking woman (with normal pimples and disheveled hair) yet as it progresses, somewhere between the 0:30 and 1:00 mark, we are left with a supermodel. And one which we could look like no less, that is if we buy the foundation.

Digital distortion on women and men must stop. Not only does it present problems for how we see our own bodies, but it is clear that there is a moral and ethical line that should not be crossed (as RL has shown).

Assignment Three: Part One

Background:

• Assignment 3 (Part 1)
• Website: ‘Girl with a Satchel’
• Genre: Fashion and Lifestyle

Article 1:

Glossies Come to Life: ‘The September Issue’

For those Satchelettes aspiring to be a part of the glossy world, The September Issue provides a valuable insight into the inner workings of a global brand such as Vogue US (you can watch the official trailer here).

A commodity like Vogue is a key player in the world of glossies. The mere mention of Vogue’s Editor in Chief is enough to illicit a reaction similar to that of walking through a commercial freezer.

Anna Wintour. A name which has sent shivers down the spines of countless fashion interns and one who has been known to tell designers such as John Galliano that she is “unimpressed’ by his new creations.

It has long been known that Anna Wintour is not afraid to tell people what she thinks. Inspiration behind the popular blockbuster The Devil Wears Prada, Ms Wintour sees her profession as providing a service to the fashion world.

The September Issue allows readers of Vogue (and other glossies) to move past the trademark bob and dark sunglasses and see a deeper side of Anna, as well as a darker side of the fashion glossy world. The movie follows the launch of the September issue of Vogue and yes, this really is the inspiration behind the name. A no-nonsense name for a no-nonsense Editor, who refuses to shy away from culling stories, photo shoots or features, despite the hearts she might break in the process.

Figure 1 Anna Wintour interviewed on The September Issue (Image courtesy of Nitrolicious Blog)

This insightful movie follows the creation of ‘the’ issue. A detail that came as a shock to this Satchelette was the amount of planning and time spent on the September issue’s layout, content and size. The September Issue reveals the planning process which begins in April 2007 and gains intensity and ferocity as the cut off date for the issue looms closer.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that a lot of work goes into the glossies I love to consume. I just wasn’t aware that it took five strenuous months to pull together over 1000 pages of constructed glamour and glitz.

It was at about July 2007 in the movie, that I took my hat off to Anna. The coveted ‘Editor in Chief’ title? She can have it. She deserves it. As the film progresses, the constant culling of stories from ‘the wall’ (see Figure 2) becomes a task that clearly takes its toll on the staff at Vogue. The movie focuses particularly on Anna’s right hand woman, Vogue’s Creative Director, Grace Coddington. As time goes on, it is evident that each time Anna enters the editing room and proceeds to cull another page of amazing photo shoots, a small part of Grace is crushed.

Figure 2 Anna Wintour choosing contents for the September issue in Vogue's editing room (Image courtesy of Paris Breakfasts Blog)

The September Issue explores the interesting and complex relationship existing between Anna and Grace. While it is clear that both women appreciate and deeply understand each other, it is also evident that Anna holds the upper hand and her decisions are final and not to be questioned.

Figure 3 Grace Coddington, Vogue's Creative Director (Image courtesy of Zimbio)

It is Anna’s ability to make brutal decisions which has seen her remain in Vogue’s top job since 1986. She is a cold, harsh woman. Let’s be clear about this: The September Issue was not constructed to reveal Anna as a misunderstood career woman. She has made decisions which have led to her present powerful position in the fashion industry. What is revealed throughout the movie, however, are the cracks which appear in the harsh façade Anna presents to the public.

As the movie draws to a close, we are left with a woman who is undoubtedly passionate about her career and fashion, yet acknowledges the disparate and lonely existence which has come about as a result of her powerful position within the glossy world.

Glossy Rating: 4/5. Insightful, dramatic and inspiring.

Article 2:

Mags: Shop Til You Drop in November

Glossy Review

Pretty pastels dominate the latest Shop Til You Drop cover, indicating the much anticipated entrance into the warmer months. The November issue boasts swimsuits, shoes and Spring Racing, with a gentle reminder that “Brighter Bolder Better” is the way to go as we gradually decrease our black wardrobe obsession.

Figure 4 November 2009 SHOP Til You Drop Cover (Image courtesy of Shop Til You Drop/Ninemsn Website)

The Good Bits

Cameron Diaz (cover & p23). Love her and love any glossy that splashes her on the cover. Somehow, she seems to make the white t-shirt, jeans and ballet flat combo look as though they were made especially for her (never mind the fact that they probably were). Cameron Diaz oozes ‘girl next door’ and seems to look as comfortable in her workout gear as she does on the red carpet. I am not exaggerating when I say that I do not recall this girl wearing an outfit I didn’t immediately fall in love with. I mean, people have even gone gaga over the white pyjamas she wore in The Holiday. Cam just doesn’t seem capable of putting a fashion foot wrong.

‘The Best Summer Trends for Your Body’ (p136) is fabulous. While this concept has undoubtedly been done time and time again by our fave glossies, I still can’t help but lust after all the pretty clothes (regardless of which ‘shape’ they are styled for). I am loving that the girls in this spread are ‘real’ and not all size zero models. This is a characteristic of SHOP which I adore. I enjoy seeing the girls’ names and occupations at the bottom of each styled outfit, it gives me a burst of confidence that I too am capable of pulling off (most of) this seasons’ trends.

The Not-So-Good Bits

SHOP’s swimsuit feature, ‘Your Angst-Free Guide to Finding the Perfect Swimsuit’ (p91), has me running as far away from the change room as possible. More bikini-styling on real women and less of the twiggy model may have left me in a more elated state, instead of that ‘OMG where is the nearest gym’ feeling. I love summer, but bikini talk? Yuck.

Figure 5 Swimsuit Guide for Summer 09/10 page 91 (Image courtesy of SHOP Til You Drop November 2009 issue)

Some of the prices of the swimsuits also seem a tad ridiculous. I think I may just pass on spending $379 on a piece of material that covers about a tenth of my body. Hint to SHOP, more realistic prices and pieces that real women can wear would be much appreciated. Some inspiration from Zodee may be needed, who regularly use different models in their campaigns.

Figure 6 Zodee Website

Also not happy Jan with the excessive use of advertisements in this month’s SHOP. The most frustrating task is working out where the mag’s content stops and advertisments begin. Harvey Norman, you are not helping (p81). Despite the fact that this feature is clearly labelled ‘Advertising Promotion’, I find myself frustratingly flipping through nine pages of in-your-face colour with the same black-wigged girl looking like she is having the time of her life with the latest gadgets.

Pretty Pages

The illustrations of ‘The New Style Tribes’ (p146) are fantastic and I feel a sudden urge to fall under all the categories: The Festival Dresser (cute cute cute and that ‘I don’t care what other people think’ vibe); The Sartorialist (structured shoulders, flowing tops and tight leggings…sigh); The Faux Luxe (who doesn’t want to look that good in a LBD); The It-Girl Imitator (is that my OTT hot pink Tommy bag in the picture?); The Naturalist (because for some reason I am hearting all things neutral) and the Smart Young Thing (hello Gossip Girl wardrobe…I am in love).

Figure 7 Feature: ‘The New Style Tribes’ page 146 (Image taken from SHOP Til You Drop November 2009 issue)

‘How to Wear More Colour’ (p170) has me inspired to de-black my entire wardrobe and the jewel tones really catch my eye. Following on from my pastel-obsession of late, I fall in love once I turn over the page and discover plenty of news ways to wear pastels (p172). My heart is aflutter. Not so keen on the ‘brights’ page (p174) and the clashing colours make my eyes swirl after my pastel intake. I’ll pass thanks.

Figure 8 ‘How to Wear More Colour’ feature (Image taken from SHOP Til You Drop November issue)

Blosses: Justine Cullen; ACP Magazines/PBL Media

Glossy Ads: Pandora, L’Oreal, Maybelline, Portmans, Wish, GHD and a (large) Harvey Norman featured advertisement.

Glossy Stats: $7.60; 266 pages

Glossy Rating: 4 – pretty tones and perky clothes have me yearning for summer (perhaps don’t eat a large meal before reading the ‘swimsuit’ section…).

(Images taken from November 2009 issue of SHOP Til You Drop)

My Blogging Experience

As we near the end of semester, I thought I would share some of the great sites I have fallen in love with, based on my introduction to blogs. To be honest, I’d never really followed any blogs before this semester started and I started my own, by assessment force no doubt, but still.

Mainstream blog MamaMia has hit the big time lately. Mia Freedman, former editor of Cosmo and editor-in-chief of ACP magazines including Dolly, details the happenings of her everyday life on her blog MamaMia, while still managing to interact daily with her readers. Not only does she encourage comments and feedbacks to her stories, she also invites her readers to ‘guest post’ and share stories of their own lives with the regular readers of the blog. Reading this blog, I must admit, I felt like a bit of an outsider. There were regular comments from a handful of people who interacted with each other, offering advice and help where needed (and where Mia asks for it).

MamaMia

I find her approach fresh and undoubtedlty ‘new age’. While she has come from ‘traditional’ media (glossy magazines) she has adapted her approach to the online audience, which she must be applauded for. Mia was recognised last night for her outstanding efforts as a blogger at Cosmo’s “Fun, Fearless, Female Awards” where she won the category of Fun, Fearless, Female Blogger.

Not really a ‘blog’ as such, more of a ‘latest release’ from the collection, MinkPink has also become one of my fave sites to check. This blog showcases all the latest releases from the brand MinkPink, who I, personally, am I massive fan of. On this site, not only can you check out when certain items have arrived in stores but you can also see what they look like off the rack. Granted their version of showcasing garments ‘off the rack’ involves a size 4 mannequin, but let’s not get into that debate.

This blogging site is important for MinkPink, who do not have their own stores but sell their pieces to different stores Australia-wide. I think this is a clever way for MinkPink (the brand) to interact with their customers across the nation. While their website does showcase their collection for the upcoming season, this blog enables them to let customers know when products have been released and will be able to be purchased in stores, as well as giving them style codes etc, to chase down certain garments that have caught their attention.

While this blog does provide MinkPink a quick, easy and cheap way to interact with their customers, I feel that there is a lot more they could be doing with their blog. Such as ‘MinkPink on the Street’ where girls are snapped on the streets of Melbourne, Sydney etc, wearing MinkPink in conjunction with their everyday outfits. Sure, this snap happy form of ‘advertising’ has been done and done again, however, I think it’s a very effective way of not only reaching out to ‘normal’ people on the street, but also showing readers of the blog ways to style and accessorise MinkPink creations. Genius!

Finally, I have saved my very favourite blog to lucky last. Girl With a Satchel was created by Sydney-sider Erica Bartle. A journalist and fashionista, Erica (and other contributing ‘Guest Reviews’) blog on the latest happenings in the world of fashion, lifestyle and women’s mags. I cannot sing Erica’s praises enough! I have been reading the blog daily for about seven weeks now and cannot get enough of it! Erica’s fresh approach to blogging means that not only are Satchel readers presented with the latest glossies and happenings in the world of fashion (primarily Sydney happenings, but hey, who’s complaining?), but there are also the regular ‘feature posts’ which delve into Erica’s thoughts on certain issues such as eating disorders (she talks openly about the fact that she suffered from anorexia), her love of God and certain events or functions she attends and feels compelled to share with her readers.

Erica Bartle's Blog

I check this site more regularly than I do The Age for my latest dish of glossy goss. Erica’s easy style of writing and her use of links makes this an easy site to read and navigate and I find it hard to remember a time where I have clicked off a page without reading the full story. I particularly love the Glossy Report cards which detail the latest glossies and rate them, letting the reader know whether the mag is worth purchasing or not. Genius.

Erica has hit the big time with her blog and is closely associated with fellow female blogger Mia Freedman. The two did an interview together a few weeks ago, shortly after Mia’s book ‘MamaMia’ was released. Both bloggers published this interview on their websites, which meant that fellow Satchel and MamaMia readers alike where able to view the interview, and feel like we were actually there. Fabulous use of new media technology and a great way to interact with readers.

I have fallen so head over heels in love with this site that I (almost) cannot go one day without logging on to see the latest story. Another fabulous characteristic of the blog is that it gets updated daily, with sometimes three or four posts in the one day. Rain, hail or flu-infestation, Erica is keen to keep her readers up to date with glossies and is incredibly loyal to her following.

So what do I take away from my loyal readings of such sites? To captivate an audience in such an innovative and fresh way that Erica has. One can only hope…

New Age Journalism

I read a really interesting blog this morning by Tim Burrowes. Tim blogs multiple times during the day on his site Mumbrella. In this particular entry, Tim talks about new types of journalism emerging as a result of new media technologies. “It’s not lazy journalism, but it is ROI journalism – and that’s got PR implications” is an honest account of the new journalistic styles emerging due to the increased pressures on journalists these days.

I particularly liked the quote “for PRs, it means they have to know the publications they are targeting better than ever before”. This puts into context the role that PR companies and agents play in journalism and the ways that new media technologies require even PR agents (the ones who are usually demonised and placed as the ‘bad guy’ in the production of news) must now target journalists in an order to get their brand or client in the media.

Tim talks about this notion particularly in relation to the time constraints he is placed under due to the amount of content he publishes a day. This relates back to the press releases constructed by PR agents, as he gives the example of one he has received that doesn’t have a quote. He notes that this story won’t get published as he doesn’t have time to do ‘old fashioned journalism’ and call for quotes himself.

I like this honesty in Tim’s work as it brings out the relationship that exists between journalists and PR agents and highlights the enormous pressures both are under in order to do their everyday job. As someone who wants to enter the PR field and who also has an enormous respect for the work journalists do in this modern age, I believe too often either one or the other (PR agents or journalists) are constructed as the lazy or ‘spinning’ contributor to news stories. I believe more honest journalists like Tim, who doesn’t try and hide his use of PR, would greater benefit society….and PR land.

Assignment # 1: Evaluating Web Writing

The three entertainment websites to be evaluated include the Daily Telegraph’s Entertainment section (www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment), Ninemsn’s The Fix (http://thefix.ninemsn.com.au) and American website Entertainment Online (www.eonline.com). These websites will be evaluated according to layout, ease of navigation, article content and use of hypermedia.

 

Website Evaluation # 1– ‘Entertainment’ (The Daily Telegraph)

On first glimpse of the Entertainment section of the Daily Telegraph’s online newspaper it is clear that the site exists in correlation to an online newspaper. The plain background and basic layout suggest Entertainment takes a large cue from its parent site, the Daily Telegraph.  The page is structured in a simple layout, with headlines easily distinguishable from other parts of the website. With an overwhelming 3, 531, 741 page impressions, Entertainment stands to be a primary source of information for Daily Telegraph readers interested in fashion, celebrity gossip, entertainment news, movie reviews and Sydney-based events (News Space, 2009).

The ‘Daily Telegraph’ banner is prominent on the top of the page, with links appearing to other News Limited websites including www.news.com.au, Fox Sports and a link to all News Limited newspapers in Australia. Beneath the top banner, the sections of the Daily Telegraph are clear, with Entertainment among them. Underneath the Daily Telegraph’s banner, featured entertainment stories are prominent to the left hand side of the page. These featured stories contain photos for easy identification of the celebrity in question as well as a prominent headline and standfirst.

Entertainment’s website is easy to navigate, with news stories appearing on the left side of the page and advertisements dominating the right side of the page.  One of the most prominent characteristics of the website is its domination of online advertisements, a characteristic often present in News Limited brands. This is an unfortunate side to the online entertainment section, as it draws its readers attention away from the entertainment stories and onto the advertising (Rau, Chen & Chen, 2006: 259). At times, it is difficult for the reader to determine where the advertising stops and the news stories begin.

At the time of evaluation, Entertainment’s featured story was “Coroner Confirms Jacko Death Cocktail“. The headline of this story was shown in Entertainment’s homepage with a standfirst summarising the main elements of the story. Using only 22 words, the standfirst was able to draw the reader’s attention to the valuable aspects of the story. This is an important feature of online news reporting as it enables readers to scan the page for items they may be interested in, instead of having to read the entire story (Morkes & Neilsen, 1997: 1, 3).

At 551 words, “Coroner Confirms Jacko Death Cocktail” reveals details behind the death of Michael Jackson which could have been summed up in under a few hundred words. This is characteristic of the Entertainment site, being a subsection of the Daily Telegraph newspaper. The article offers no internal links to provide readers with more information within the story and instead directs readers to “Related Coverage” to the left hand side of the main article. This navigational sidebar offers readers the chance to explore related news to Michael Jackson, however it does not delve outside the News Limited sites. The “Related Coverage” links would have been more effective placed as hyperlinks within the article, allowing readers to explore key words relating to the issue. Through the use of only internal links only, Entertainment lacks credibility on issues as it appears bias in the evidence produced. It is clear through the lack of external sources and links to other websites, News Limited is concerned that by directly its readers to other sources, they will evidently lose readership. However, it is clear that news consumption has changed in the age of digital technology and readers no longer consume in a linear fashion and instead prefer to access information that they choose (Yaros, 2009: 1). In fact, if readers know they can trust a site, they will come back for more (Dube, 2003: 5).  By giving the reader access to hyperlinks and other material, online news contributors encourage non-linear reading of news, which the reader appreciates and will continue to visit the site (Yaros, 2009; Dube, 2003: 5)

Overall, while Entertainment can be relied upon as a trustworthy and detailed news source, it is clear that the site’s perspectives are drawn from News Limited. The domination of advertising on the site as well as the plain, block colours create an unsatisfactory experience for the reader. Visiting this site, I longed to be entertained and informed quickly of the latest celebrity news and gossip. Instead, I found myself navigating away from the page with a yawn, a quick calculation of the advertising revenue News Limited would receive from this section alone and a deeper cynicism for Murdoch’s media empire.  

  

Website Evaluation # 2- The Fix (ninemsn) 

Catchy title? Check. Proliferation of celebrity photos? Check. Pointless celebrity juice and gossip? Check. At first glance, The Fix seems to have all the entertainment news basics covered. With bright photos and an abundance of smart looking logos, The Fix certainly is a step up from the dreary drabs of the Daily Telegraph’s Entertainment. However, despite the coloured banners and abundance of celebrity ‘distractions’, the website lacks clarity, in-depth information and external sources.

As soon as the page loads, it is clear that this entertainment site is a creation of Ninemsn. At the top of the page, there are links to all Ninemsn’s sites. Below the main banner, subcategories of The Fix are promoted with links to MovieFix, MusicFix, TVFix and CelebrityFix. Through the cross-promotion of these websites, Ninemsn aims to direct readers of The Fix to other websites they might be interested in. This is to prevent readers from visiting external sites, when they are able to access all the information they need on a Ninemsn sister site.

Above The Fix’s banner are celebrity photos with links to related articles. The use of photos, and other multimedia such as videos, is more effective at “extending the engagement of the general news audience than a dense page of text” (Yaros, 2009: 4).  The Fix aims its readership at young people aged between 16-25 which can be seen through the domination of photos and bright, bold text. While this bright, bubbly website certainly entertains at first glance, the site’s layout creates a tricky navigational dilemma for the online reader. The website is structured in a basic format, with the banner appearing at the top of the page and the featured entertainment stories running the length of the left side of the page. The advertisements appear to be the cause of the problem, taking up half of the page and blending in with featured news stories. This makes it difficult for the reader to determine where the news story stops and advertisements begin. The layout coupled with the background of Tic Tacs alongside Tic Tac advertisements create an overwhelming experience for the viewer.

A feature on Lily Allen dominates the left side of the page, alongside a photo of the pop princess. The headline reads “Lily Allen embarrassed by autograph hunters, jealous of other pop singers” with the standfirst summing up the article in just over 30 words. There is no kicker related to this article, and on clicking the headline, it is revealed that the standfirst is simply the first paragraph of the story. Next to the title of the article, there is a tired emoticion with the word “yawn” next to it, indicating readers feel bored by this article. The use of an emoticion and the ability for the reader to “rate” this article is a useful tool in determining whether or not the news story is worth the readers’ attention.

While the articles on The Fix are relatively short (Lily’s story is a mere 333 words) there appears to be more room for the site to utilise hyperlinks. In the evaluated article, hyperlinks are not used at all despite a number of opportunities for the site to do so. Instead, the site employs a navigational bar at the bottom of the page which consists of articles that the reader might “Also See”. These links show headlines to further Lily Allen features, however all are published by The Fix or a Ninemsn sister site. To the right side of this side bar, “More About Lily Allen” is present, however when the reader clicks on this link, they are taken to The Fix’s archive of Lily Allen stories. In this case, the website may have linked externally to Lily Allen’s website or even created a biography of the singer.

While the readability of the main home page of The Fix is quite restricted, the articles present on the website do provide opportunities for readers to scan the material and consume the articles within a relatively short space of time. Scannability is an important feature of internet writing as online readers rarely consume the entire media article (Morkes & Nielsen, 1997: 1). However, the lack of external sources and links to pages other than Ninemsn lead to The Fix lacking in authority on entertainment reporting. It is clear that Ninemsn is concerned about viewers leaving their website and not returning, however if the corporation trusted their loyal readers, they would be rewarded with people coming back to their websites as providers of valuable information (Dube, 2003: 5).

At this point in my evaluation of web writing, I cannot help but feel a pattern coming on – large media corporations afraid to link to external sources and point their readers in the direction of more informative sites. With this in mind, it is time to evaluate a non-news/newspaper site and see if there is hope for the external hyperlinks out there.

 

Website Evaluation # 3- E!Online

E!Online offers a clear, readable layout for viewers visiting the online entertainment site. From the basic layout and clean script, it appears that E!Online caters for an older audience than other entertainment sites, such as The Fix or Perez Hilton. MultiChannel Network revealed E! Online reaches a staggering 1.2 million different people each week, with 2, 947, 129 page impressions (MultiChannel Network, 2009). Therefore, the popular entertainment website has some merit in calling itself the “ultimate destination” for anything entertainment (MultiChannel Network, 2009).

With the page loaded, the viewer is inundated with photos of celebrities in relation to breaking news in Hollywood. E!Online banner is relatively small, particularly in relation to The Fix’s large, dominating banner, and takes up only a small part of the screen in the top left corner of the site. Underneath the logo, a navigational bar displays all the sections available to the viewer of E!Online, including News, Photos, Video, Fashion, Red Carpet and Movies. These different links to subsections of E!Online provide a quick and easy way for the reader to navigate to sections of primary interest to them. This is a helpful feature of the website and one that aids the reader in locating information quickly and effectively.

E!Online uses hypermedia, which refers to the “joining of a variety of media, such as text, video and sound, which the Web makes possible” (Bowles & Borden, 2000: 2). The centre of the website is dominated by feature stories, all of which have a large photo of the celebrity in question on top of the standfirst for the article. This draws the readers’ attention to the article containing information on particular celebrities. The right side of the page contains advertisements and links for E!Online’s Twitter page. This prominent divide offers clarity for the reader to determine where advertisements end and articles begin.

At the time of evaluation, the website was dominated with news and photos of DJ AM’s death. The top featured story’s headline read “Travis Barker Will “Never Forget” His “Brother” DJ AM” and contained a substantial standfirst of 47 words. The article incorporates a number of external and internal links to provide the reader with further information about the events mentioned within the story. Keywords in the article are hyperlinked such as “plane crash”, “four people” and “DJ AM”. By using links throughout the article, the author is able to avoid unnecessarily long descriptions of previous happenings, and instead keep the article brief and to the point (Bowles & Borden, 2000: 2).

By employing external hyperlinks, E!Online is not afraid to give readers links to websites, such as Rolling Stone, in order to maximise the amount of information accessible to the online consumer. This increases the credibility and authority E!Online receives from readers and will encourage online entertainment news consumers to continue to visit the site as it is seen to provide accurate and truthful information through external links (Yaros, 2009: 2; Morkes & Neilsen, 1997: 5).

Overall, E!Online demonstrates the use of effective hyperlinks to external stories and information, which is beneficial to the reader and creates more scannable content by eliminating descriptive phrases (Morkes & Neilsen, 1997: 1). The layout of the website enables viewers to locate stories they are interested in within a short amount of time due to the location of the navigational tool bars and “search” bar prominent in the top right corner of the page.

 

Conclusion

Of the three entertainment news sites that were evaluated, E!Online utilises the technology of hyperlinks the most and has the most scannable content for news readers. In my opinion, this makes E! Online the most user friendly in that it does not weigh the reader down with information they do not require to scan the story. The Fix and Entertainment (Daily Telegraph) could utilise hyperlinks in order to make their articles easier for readers to scan.

 

References

Alysen, B., Sedorkin, G., Oakham, M. & Patching, R. (2003). “Reporting in a Multimedia World”. Allen & Unwin, Sydney: 152-213.

Bowles, D. A & Borden, D. L. (2000). Creative Editing, Belmont: Wadsworth:115-121.

Celebrity Fix (2009). “Lily Allen embarrassed by autograph hunters, jealous of other pop singers”, The Fix, 28 August 2009: <http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=451977&showcomments=true&rss=yes>

Dube, J. (2001). “Writing News Online”, PoynterOnline Web Tips <www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=32&aid=41309&view=print>

Kaplan, N. (2000). “Literacy Beyond Books: Reading When All the World’s a Web”, The World Wide Web and Contemporary Cultural Theory, Andrew Herman & Thomas Swiss (eds). Routledge, New York.

Kissane, E. (2008). “Writing Content that Works for a Living”, Content Strategy, Writing, Business, November 4, 2009 (No 271): 1-5 <www.alistapart.com/articles/writingcontentthatworksforaliving>

Masters, M. (2009). “Travis Barker Will “Never Forget” His “Brother” DJ AM”, 30 August 2009, E!Online, < http://au.eonline.com/uberblog/b141820_travis_barker_will_never_forget_his.html >

Morkes, J. & Neilsen, J. (1997). “Concise, Scannable and Objective: How to Write for the Web” http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html.

Multichannel Network (2009). “E! www.eonline.com” <http://www.mcn.com.au/Upload/ChannelPDF/E!.pdf >

New Space (2009). “The Daily Telegraph statistics, 2009” <http://www.newsspace.com.au/dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment>

The Sunday Telegraph (2009) “Coroner Confirms Jacko Death Cocktail”, The Sunday Telegraph, 30 August 2009: <http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sunday-telegraph/cornoer-confirms-michael-jackson-death-cocktail/story-e6frewt0-1225767365080 >

Yaros, R. A. (2009). “Mastering Multimedia”, American Journalism Review, Aug/Sept 2009 issue: 1-4.

Citizen Journalism Revolution

I found this video extremely helpful in explaining the concept of citizen journalism and how it relates to new media. The hosts describe citizen journalism as providing “rare and exciting glimpses into the world around us”. I think this is an important way of looking at citizen journalism, however, again it is important not to discredit the professional journalists that exist within both traditional and new media outlets.

I was amazed that so many citizen journalist websites and editorials exist, and the fact that, as the video reveals, CNN devote an entire section to citizen journalism, really emphasises the fact that this phenomenon is not going away and it is an important part of our lives which will provide us with information that may otherwise be unattainable.

Journalism in the Digital Age – Issue #1 Citizen Journalism

Gillian Ursell’s article ‘Dumbing Down or Shaping Up?’ reveals interesting characteristics of the impact new media technologies are having on journalistic quality. I found this article really interesting as it discussed the changing nature of journalism now that new media technologies are constantly being invented and taking over from the ‘traditional’ role that journalists played within society (Ursell, 2001: 176).

Ursell’s account of the multi-skilling which is occurring in the professional journalistic field was particularly interesting. She argued that the introduction of new media technologies in the newsroom has led to a disintegration of distinct and specialist skills. Instead, the new emphasis is on the “multi-skilling” of journalists. That is, within the newsroom sphere, journalists are now expected to be able to be able to write, edit, present and sometimes film and produce their work in order for their story to make it into the newsroom. Sparks (1991) argues that this multi-skilling of journalists leads to the labour exploitation, as well as detracting the core of journalism away from journalistic principles and practices. Ursell argues that the expectation placed on journalists to be able to perform in such various ways leads to the deskilling of others within the journalistic field, as well as a decrease in exceptional news content and stories.

While this article focuses on the expectations placed on journalists with the introduction of new technologies, I think that an important aspect to take note of is the opportunities that new media technologies provides the general community to become involved in the process of news writing and agenda setting within the news. Citizen journalism provides general members of the community the chance to become involved in providing other members of their community information and facts which might not otherwise be made available by the media. I believe the ability for citizens to become journalists could present a number of positive outcomes for society including the chance for minority groups to get their voice heard, politicians perhaps being ‘outed’ for actions and decisions which impact the community, and general members of society having the ability to provide the media with information such as videos and photos to improve the content and authenticity of professional journalist’s news stories.

Citizen journalism relates to Ursell’s article as it demonstrates another pressure placed on professionally trained journalists. That is the possibility that a member of society has the access to technologies which will enable them to ‘tell the story’ for the journalist. Therefore, this adds another strain to the already complex and pressured life journalists lead in the age of new media technologies.

While attributes of citizen journalism may be beneficial to society, I am extremely cautious about the notion of someone out there, an untrained, average Joe, having the ability to manipulate and create news content that could have a detrimental affect on society. This is something that I believe we need to be wary of in the future.

As new media technologies continue to grace the stage, it is important to exercise caution in the authority and credibility we allow such ‘journalists’. It is important to note that citizen journalism is not going to go away. In some ways, it is up to the media outlets, if they are professionally controlled such as online newspapers, to decide what they will and will not publish in relation to citizen journalism. Citizen journalism isn’t a concept that we should discredit immediately, as often the content could be incredibly news worthy and we will benefit from it. However, I believe that there is still, and will continue to be, a prominent place for professionally trained journalists who will deliver us the higher standard of journalism and who we should continue to support with the advancements of digital technology.

References:

Sparks, C (1991). “Goodbye Hildy Johnson: The Vanishing of ‘Serious Press’, in P. Dahlgren and C. Sparks (eds) Communication and Citizenship. London: Routledge.

Ursell, G. D. M (2001). “Dumbing down or shaping up?: New technologies, new media, new journalism” in Journalism and New Technologies, Volume 2(2). Sage Publications: 175-196.