Aliens Everywhere

Being an amid Men in Black fan when I was younger, I was a little apprehensive to watch Men in Black III. What if they'd ruined it? We all know sequels are risky, but a threequel? I wasn't sold to say the least. But, like the good girlfriend I am, I reluctantly sat down ready to watch the third installment for my boyfriend's pick on movie night. And boy, am I glad!

It definitely didn't disappoint. Obviously, watching Will Smith for two hours was always going to be easy... It makes me wonder though - how would our world react to an alien invasion? Are there already aliens living on planet earth, trying to lead a normal human life?

For my last group assessment, we are performing  a presentation about sci-fi, and more specifically, aliens on Earth. Maybe we'll think of a way that we could all live together in peace - unless we already are...

I've just begun a new board on my Pinterest account about all things sci-fi. Take a look here :)

Fun Facts

Today I've decided to relay some facts found in the 2011 Census Data. It's really interesting to compare and contrast statistics from the 2006 survey, and see how our world is ever-evolving. I'm going to be covering same sex couples in Australia, and although I'm all for it, I'll try to keep my opinion out of it as much as possible. Don't want to step on too many toes!

33,714 same sex couples were counted in the 2011 Census. 

That's 67,428 people.  

What I found most interesting though, is that only 96% of these couples ticked the 'de facto' box on the form. The other 4% ticked married. Now, there is obviously no known reason for this - it could simply be because they have been married in a country where same sex marriage is legal. My guess is, though, they feel like they are life partners, and if the government won't grant them an official title, they just will themselves.

The number of same sex couples is 32% higher than that of 2006. It makes me wonder if there were more same sex couples in 2006, but they felt they weren't socially accepted. Whatever the reason, it will be interesting to see the figures in another 5 years time.

Oh, and just one more thing. I've only had Pinterest for a few weeks now, and am still finding my way around it, but check mine out :) http://pinterest.com/lissforsyth/ 

Easy on the Eye

This week, we held our fourth and final media conference. Peter Milne is an experienced photo-media practitioner, and taught us all the ins and outs of visual communication.

We were shown what makes a photo iconic, and how to send a message through a picture. Photos such as the Mona Lisa illustrated how important a picture can be, and how other people send messages through that picture. 

I was mostly interested in Banksy and they way his street art has become globally renowned. Banksy knows exactly the message he wants to convey, and how to capture the public's attention. Some might say he illustrates what many others wouldn't dare to say aloud.

I had received a similar speech from Mr Milne in another course, so I was familiar with some of the captures he was showing. However, I will leave you with this - Banksy's illustration of war within America. It's enough to make anyone stop and think.

Ready...Set...GO!

Unfortunately, this week I was away with a stomach bug :( Without being graphic, let's just say there was no way I could have sat through the lecture without running to the bathroom. Sigh.

So, I emailed my tutor, Nat, and asked her to slot me into a group. You see, this week we were forming groups and beginning the last assignment leg on COMU1152. I can't believe we will be finished so soon and there still feels like there is so much to go! 

I guess I'm just feeling a little behind because I missed the explanations today. But, my group organised themselves and created a Facebook group which I am now part of. Some out of the box ideas are being thrown around and it's pretty exciting having such a creative task. For the assignment we are becoming communication syndicates and have to perform atmosphere tasks. There's a lot of stuff I haven't done before, but hopefully our group can play to strengths and weaknesses.

Oh, also, I presented my speech a few weeks ago. I will admit I was a little nervous! But all went well and at least it's over now :)

The Golden Rule

In our most recent media conference, we had the pleasure of meeting Luke Royes, an online journalist for the ABC. It was interesting hearing the technological side of journalism, as I'll be the first to admit I still struggle with understanding the new social media platforms overtaking text.

Mr Royes explained to us the importance of social media, and the fine line between work and play. With Facebook's constant privacy changes, most of us don't realise how much of our information is public. I was a little taken back when Luke mentioned he was monitored on Facebook and Twitter for months from a potential employer. Like most teenagers, my Facebook is filled with not so flattering tagged photos and silly messages - something that doesn't scream, "EMPLOY ME!" It would be a good idea to take a page out of Luke's book and create a professional Twitter page, while still enjoying a personal Facebook account.

"The golden rule is: don't be a dickhead!" It seems so simple, but it makes sense. Social media leaves so many windows open for interpretation and this can leave us with a few displeased followers.

After Mr Royes' stories about his own pear-shaped incidents, I will definitely be more aware of how I am portraying myself online. 

Check out Luke Royes Twitter account here. The way he describes himself sure made me giggle!

Deep Through the Diaphragm

Today's lecture was a fine example of the saying, 'time flies when you're having fun!'
Tony had the class up on our feet, with a practical lesson on how our breathing benefits our voice. I am pretty lucky I have a friend in the class, otherwise I would have been a little embarrassed singing by myself.

Tony explained how so many people don't breathe deep enough to project their voice. I must admit, I think I am one of those people who 'breathe and talk through their throat' so when I'm trying to talk loudly, I sound like I'm trying to screech. I will begin to focus breathing ALL the way down to my diaphragm, and who knows, maybe there's a hidden opera voice down there.

I know I will be nervous giving my speech though. I'd prefer to speak in front 200 people than the 15 in my class. My theory is, if I can't see them, they can't see me. But there will be no hiding from the uni students waiting on my wise words of wisdom. (or just waiting for me to finish my speech so they can go back on Facebook)

My speech is in 2 weeks, and because I have some medical trips to do next Wednesday, I will be missing the first round of speeches. Best of luck!

Persuading our Peers

The art of persuasion must be in sync with the type of audience we are persuading. If I made a five minute speech on why pink is a better colour than grey, I bet that I would leave with almost all the females on my side. However, no matter how hard I tried, I'm not sure I could completely persuade the males. Unless, that is, I knew how to pitch a perfect persuasive speech.

That's what we started covering in class this week. Our next assessment is to write a five minute persuasive speech about anything in the world. Sounds pretty simple, right? That's what I thought too, until I realized there are quite a few elements to consider.

There are four questions we should ask ourselves before constructing a speech.

1. Why am I giving this speech?
2. What do I want them to know?
3. How will I know I have achieved this?
4. How much time do I have?

The layout of a persuasive speech is much like the inverted pyramid, in my opinion. 

Firstly, there are the "must-know" facts - the most important aspects of the speech, and if you had to choose, these would be the facts the audience must know. 

Secondly, there are the "could know" facts - the interesting aspects that provide additional understanding.

Lastly, there are the "if time permits-maybe" facts - all elements in this category should be add on's that you won't mind being cut.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do my speech on yet; the opportunities really are endless. At least I am going into this aware of difference elements I need to consider.

Why Not You?

Week 5 already??? Week 4 hosted the Ekka Holiday, and I spent my day downing a scrumptious Dagwood Dog and spending far too much money. I did win a small dolphin toy. 2 games for $12 = dolphin toy. Nothing like the exhibition for a bit of value for money! Anyway...

Week 5 brought another media conference guest, Frances Whiting. I really admired her optimistic attitude towards the spiraling reputation of journalists. I remember my first week of uni - 3/4 of my lecturers told me journalism was dying and not a smart place to be heading. Ahh, thanks? But Frances made a really important point, "If someone has to make it, why not you?" I will remind myself of that every time I am second guessing my chance in this industry.

Ms Whiting cemented in to our brains the importance of building a relationship between public relations and journalism. You want someone to remember you. When the journalist is being sent 100 emails a day, you want to be the one they remember.

As a journalism/communication student majoring in PR, I really appreciate how the two co-operate. I realize they are completely different types of text, but when push comes to shove, they rely on each other. It gives me hope for either career path when a journalist comes in and everything she tells can relate to PR.

Frances changed career paths at 28 years old and the reason she chose journalism was because of her love of writing in high school. My love of writing was exactly why I chose journalism to study this year. I hope I can have just as much success in my future.

Check out Frances' twitter account here

Inspirational Insider

"When you see a dead person for the first time... it's very traumatizing. After that, it becomes a part of your life."

Sounds like the words of a murderer, but it's quite the opposite. It's the words of Rwandan journalist, Robert Mukombozi. Like many journalists, Mr Mukombazi has covered countless tragic news stories. The above quote was his answer to how he keeps hold of any sanity.

Our Public Relations class had the privilege of hosting Robert Mukombazi during a media conference. I was amazed by this man's determination to stick to his ethics no matter the consequences. 

This may sound a little dramatic to anyone who is not aware of Mr Mukombazi's story. "If you pursue this story, you will be history," he was told by his government. Obviously threats did not sit well with Robert, who became more determined to uncover the truths of his government. 

I cannot begin to imagine the life of Robert Mukombazi. I wonder if, when he was completing his degree in Uganda, he thought one day he would be forced to flee his country after finding his own name on an execution list. I bet not.

I was truly touched by Robert Mukombozi's story of truth, ethics, and heart, and although I hope to never be  in half of the situations he was, I would be proud to be half the journalist he is.

Here We Go

Week 2 of uni already done and dusted. My lecturer, Tony, also taught me last semester, and I was so excited to see he is still entertaining classes as crazily as ever! To some, he may seem over the top, but he really knows how to capture an audience and make himself stand out from the crowd. If I want to go anywhere in this business, I know I will have to do the same.

Today we learnt about the very basics of a media release. It relates to an upcoming assessment, and as always, must mention the 5 W's and the H! This is, of course: who, what, when, where, why and how. If you look at any news article or information piece, each will answer all of these questions within the first paragraph. A writer must capture the attention of her audience, and this is done by giving them every important detail immediately.

The media kit assignment will be my first real taste of writing within PR terms. As a journalism student, let's see how persuasive I can get!

Hello Again!

Anybody who followed me last semester on my Jour1111 blog, welcome back. Anybody new who has stumbled upon this, welcome. If I am speaking to absolutely no-one, oh well.

I like to think I have figured out how to do blogs by now. I tried to create one on Wordpress but confused myself far too much, so I figured it took me the whole of last semester to work out how to use blogger.com, why stop now?

I'm a first year journalism/communication student, and, like Jour1111 last semester, it is part of my assessment for my Public Relations class to blog about what I learn and find interesting.

So, let's see how we go. I'll be back soon.