All good things must come to an end

It is with great regret that I say farewell to my weekly BCM240 routine of blogging on the topic of media, audience and places; space which may be privately public or publically private. Fear not, loyal followers as I am now an addicted blogger, and have learnt to embrace sharing my personal opinions on the worldwide web and will continue to blog on, in one online form or another.

I relish in my new-found online persona and value my blogging journey.  As my confidence level grew, I embarked on sharing my blogs through other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, expanding my readership. By extending my online voice over social media, my follower base increased. Initially, this was not an easy task as I was hesitant to introduce my Facebook friends to scrutinize my academic handiwork but after receiving their positive support, sharing my blogs with friends and family was well-received and ultimately become a successful self-promoting tool.

To facilitate my research and enlighten my understanding of the given themes, I chose to follow my fellow BCM240 student bloggers material, using WordPress and Twitter as a means of gathering information and handy references.  These online platforms helped expand my own ideas and opinions regarding media platforms, the audience that use them and the space/places we indulge in our media consumption. My newly discovered understanding and self-confidence encouraged my own discussions but also prompted me to want to share my feedback. I began to comment on fellow bloggers posts, sharing my opinions and reflections regarding their work and viewpoints. This action benefited both parties; as I received a chance to share and comment while the blogger received a critique of his/her work. As a result of sharing my opinions, online researching and posting my feedback, my blog audience grew from being restrictively Australian based to gaining global recognition.

Statistically, my current tally of global readers who visit my BCM240 collection of blogs is nudging 300; not bad for an inexperienced rambler. This positive result confirms that blogging is prevalent and socially accepted justifying why the interest in civil journalism is on the increase. This tally illustrates that anyone; no matter what their background or status, can share their ideas online and have their voice heard!

The media, audience and places course outline presented me personally with a plethora of new ideas and new researching tools by incorporated relative links to develop on my thoughts. BCM240 subjects’ research topics tend to be unique and not well publicized, encouraging me to look outside the obvious Google links. By strategically, searching new website browsers, I was able to acquire relevant data and sources that enhanced my online voice. This term, I have blogged on range of specific topics. I have expanded my knowledge of public screens and all the connotations; negative and positive that come with it, the piracy laws that restrict Australian audiences from being up to date with their favorite TV shows and the power that online media gives the fandom community to stay connected and share their fanatical love.

Overall, my blogging journey and success has been a shared one. I have utilised strategies to increase my audience traffic, I have built relationships with my fellow media students and learnt how one topic can be extended into multiple unique blog posts. The process of blogging for BCM240 has been rewarding and a learning experience as I have found blog posting so different to other forms of academic or creative writing. I believe I have improved my tone and clarity, achieving a professional and formal of writing that is appropriate for a public audience while keeping my wit and sense of fun. By incorporating individual stories and photos of my life, I have established a relationship with my audience on a personal level.  I have specifically practiced and taken the time to the structure my blogs so they are both organised and easy to read.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my media, audience and place blogs just as much as I have enjoyed writing them. As you may already know, it is unlike me to go out without a bang, so here we go 🙂

REFERENCES

BonisBoyz 2009, ‘fireworks gone wrong’ youtube video, accessed 26^th September 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nckkYeseKSY&feature=fvwrel- >

Does a bigger screen give audiences a clearer picture?

Proliferations of screens have materialized throughout the public arena providing society with information, with instructions and unfortunately visual pollution. These public media platforms are ubiquitous, attempting to grab the attentiveness of audiences; from the student wandering between lectures at university, the patient waiting quietly at the doctors to the family eating lunch at their local food court. These unrestricted intrusions on society, these subliminal messages have become a cultural norm. But is this constant invasion of marketing, informative or unethical?

Some marketing agencies get it right and place their public screens in the ideal location achieving maximum positive exposure. At my university (University of Wollongong) screens are placed  in high traffic areas such as cafes, in the region of the student car parks and in areas where students spend a lot of time like building 19 (so confusing, I have been here 2 years and still get lost). Likewise, my campus (Campus East) has a large screen in the foyer situated by the office; students MUST walk past it in order to get to the cafeteria. The media content relayed from this screen is primarily resident information; important dates, contact details or photos of past events. You would think, located in prime position and conveying relevant data this screen would be popular but my observational qualitative research exposed this screen as being often overlooked. The audience involved (the residents) pass through this space in a hurry to get food, a coffee or a bus so the screen and its content doesn’t take priority. So how effective are these public screens and their content? I personally don’t take notice of either of these screens, unless there are pictures that appeal to me such as delicious food, ice cream or coffee.

 

(Photos located at University of Wollongong & Campus East -copyright Claire Cresswell)

What about on a larger scale; is digital outdoor marketing ethical? In 2007, the Mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gilberto Kassab endorsed a ban on digital advertising in a public space because of greenhouse gases. “Until we end consumerism and the rampant advertising that drives it, we will not solve the climate crisis” (Worldwatch 2013). This ‘Clean City Law’ rid the city of the digital façade enabling the true identity and urban architecture of Sao Paulo to be reinstated.

Public screens can offer social interaction if the content and the location is audience-friendly. “In a free society we should be able to decide when and where we are subjected to advertising” (Gannon & Lawson 2010, pg 5). Seeburger’s research showed that people were more inclined to watch the public screens while waiting for their friends in a meeting place,  there “they would probably interact with the screens while waiting for someone in the space” (2012, pg 533).

At Campus East, we have screens in the cafeteria area which are ideal for watching a movie as a group/campus or can be run as a social event. This is a great example of turning a private space (usually watch a movie in your own campus room) into a public space (where you can socialise with friends). Public screening of sports at the local pubs is also popular amongst audiences. Big games such as State of Origins and Grand Finals always attract a huge crowd; drawn together by the social camaraderie, the media content and the ideal location.

Photo of an individual at the local FoodCourt (copyright-Claire Cresswell)

These public screens may be bigger but do these media platforms get the audiences’ attention? Do you notice them? or are you another victim of advertising overload? Comment away please!

REFERENCES

BanBillboardBlight 2013, Sao Paulo: Before and After, online video, accessed 21^st September 2013, <http://banbillboardblight.org/video/sao-paulo-before-and-after/>

Gannon,Z & Lawson,N 2010, ‘The Advertising Effect- How do we get the balance of advertising right’, Compass, Southbank House, London, accessed 21^st September 2013, <http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/compass/documents/The%20advertising%20effect%20-%20compass.pdf>

Seeburger, J & Foth, M 2012, ‘Content Sharing on Public Screens: Experiences through Iterating Social and Spatial Contexts’, accessed 25^th September 2013, <http://delivery.acm.org.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/10.1145/2420000/2414618/p530-seeburger.pdf?ip=130.130.37.85&id=2414618&acc=ACTIVE%20SERVICE&key=C2716FEBFA981EF15E4BFB9DBBCB5F1B109B1AC210BBC559&CFID=365575980&CFTOKEN=67565164&__acm__=1380250855_ec5e5f8d2fc09195a4f87c4f62267104>

WorldWatch Institute 2013, ‘São Paulo Bans Outdoor Ads in Fight Against Pollution, accessed 21^st September 2013, <http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5338>