Conclusion Questions

1. What is the Current network and how does it aim to democratize television? How does this relate to convergence culture?


The current network was created for citizen journalists and aims to democratize television by giving citizens control to communicate and share their voice. It relates to convergence culture because citizen journalists are using different types of media while blogging and creating statuses about various topics. 


2.The “critical pessimists” focus primarily on the obstacles to achieving a more democratic society, namely the power of big media. While the author acknowledges that media concentration is a real problem, is there still hope for a more participatory media culture?


There is still hope for a more participatory culture because everything is going online and entering the digital world. Allowing peoples voices and opinions to be heard is create a substantial amount of participation. Today, social media is the norm for our society and we keep progressing since everything we use is accessible online.


3. While we don’t have any models for what a mature, fully realized knowledge culture would look like, the author describes some prototypes. Describe one or two of the prototypes that you find of interest and explain why you think these are good examples (global frequency, smart mobs, adhocracies, long tail, subscription-based).


One of the protypes I found interesting was the long tail because it is very exciting that ordinary people have a significant voice in how much success a company experiences. People now have a say in anything that is really produced by the company and this is an improvement because people will gain more information a specific topic that they are interested in rather than focusing on something they do not care for. 


4. Why is Wikipedia a good example of an adhocracy (or knowledge culture) and how is this approach different than the intellectual property of the mass media?


Wikipedia is a good example of an adhocracy because it allows anyone to contribute information that has no limit. It is gives citizen journalists authority and offers a great number of topics that improve our knowledge. This approach is different than the intellectual property of mass media because the information is shared by everyone and there is not authoritarian overruling who can control what content. 


5) Where does the power of participation come from, why is it an important political right, and do we still have a participation gap as a society?


The power of participation comes from our need to communicate with each other but also establishing our own signature in the online world. It is an important political right because it is in our constitution that we have freedom of speech. We still have a participation gap as a society because we have different ideas, however there are still some places that do not give the same control to people with technology. Therefore not all of our voices will be heard and some people do not even have an interest in participating in the digital world. 




Questions for Podcasting Ecomonics

1.  How does podcasting fit into the organizational communication in business, non-profit, and academic contexts?
Podcasting fits into the organizational communication in business, non-profit, and academic contexts through advertising and promoting the company. This provides a way for the company to become more exposed and attract other businesses that want to get involved. One of the benefits of podcasting is that the company will be able to reach a higher consumer audience with giving exclusive information.

2.  Why does the speaker say that podcasting extends message?
The speaker says that podcasting extends message because it allows people to listen and learn about different types of products. Podcasting is simply an education tool that encourages people to take action and become consumers of the specific product.

3. How does podcasting encourage participation culture according to the speaker?
According to the speaker, podcasting encourages participation culture because others can create their own podcasts and promote their products. It will get many people to start blogging and talking about the company or product, so its a win win situation.

4. What are the three critical elements of development for a successfully media when the speaker talks about email, blogging, and online ad? Why does podcasting have the three elements?
The three critical elements of development for a successfully media when the speaker talks about email, blogging, and online ads are easy to listen to, displaying effective information, and providing easy access. Podcasting has these three elements because otherwise people would not be able to access the podcast and the important information that it provides to the general public would be lost in space.

5. How does the concept of digital media convergence get applied in podcasting when the speaker discusses the compounding media?
The concept of digital media convergence gets applied in podcasting when the speaker discusses the compounding media because if you add other types of media, the podcast will be more interesting and appealing to people. Music, video clips of interviews, and advertisements are all great mediums to use because it will strengthen the podcast and expand the interactive audience. 

Questions for "It's the Audience, Stupid!", "All the Aggregation That's Fit to Aggregate", and "Photojournalism in the Age of New Media"

"It's the Audience, Stupid!"

1. What is the new approach to storytelling and how is it being used to broaden audiences?

The new approach to storytelling is having more of a focus on the subject that the journalist is discussing. Writers are strictly being more to the point to put out the most useful information to the audience. It is being used to broaden audiences by having a specific area of focus rather just listing information and going too in-depth.

2. How is digital media being used to engage audiences? 

Digital media is being used to engage audiences by making international news more extensive which will increase the audience because it is exactly what they want. 

3. Give three specific examples of how you can incorporate storytelling into an article you write?

The three specific examples of how I can incorporate storytelling into an article I wrote are effectively giving information that is easy to follow and understand, having a strong focus on subject, and keeping my writing informative but simple.

"All the Aggregation That's Fit to Aggregate"

1. What does aggregation mean?

Aggregation means that experts are combining all the information they have into one collection of writing and it is also grouping things together. For example an editor might be an aggregation because some of them taking information from different writers and combine them onto their own website. Another term for aggregation is Collaborative journalism, which brings multiple reporters and journalists together.  

2. Why does the author describe Arianna Huffington as "the queen of aggregation"
Ariana Huffington combines all the information she has from different sources such as blog posts, videos, and news publication writing. By achieving this, she is bringing in millions of people who want  a main focus in the stories they read. The author says "Huffington has therefore hired a small stable of experienced journalists, including a few from here, to produce original journalism about business and politics. 

3. Is aggregation a threat to professional journalism? 

Aggregation is definitely a threat to professional journalism because it is mainly taking what all the expert journalists have to say and combining it into one story or collection. The person who has the ability to grab different types of media that they did not publish themselves is also copyright. The author also states that everyone is becoming an aggregator and there is really nobody left to deliver the real information or news. 

"Photojournalism in the Age of New Media"

A professional journalist receives a photo captured by a citizen journalist…
1. What are the positives?The positives are that the photojournalism is becoming a new form of media since the photos captured can be shared through social networking and it does not matter if the owner is an amateur or professional. "The technical benefits of new media to photojournalists in crisis zones are equivalent to unrefined digital omniscience. Journalists and news organizations are able to make their important stories widespread through the use of photojournalism because it is going beyond their own "existing technical capabilities."

2. Why does the professional journalist need to be careful?
The professional journalist needs to be careful because an amateur journalist could possibly publish their work and take credit for what they wrote. They need to have the appropriate citation for the original source so that they do not get caught with copyright issues. The real focus of the story also becomes somewhat lost with the amount of retweets and Facebook shares occurring on social media.

3. Why might the content of the photo be called into question?
The content of the photo might be called into question because the photographer could not have permission to share it or the content is unethical. The problem is that professional journalists could take it on the opposing side and say the content is unethical "since the original source could not be verified."

4. How does citizen photojournalist impact the job of the professional photojournalist?

The citizen photojournalist impacts the job of the professional photojournalist because of money issues. Citizen photojournalists do not need to payed as much as the professionals and they can receive credit for something considered more valuable than what they were payed. Also citizen photojournalists could easily upload their photos to the internet during natural disasters instead of professionals who have to be brought out to the scene by transportation. The citizen photojournalists also has a more realistic approach since they could be more involved in the experience. The author states that "The sudden influx of raw images from areas ravaged by political conflict and natural disasters may be a wealth of information, and news organizations with limited budgets may be more inclined to rely on citizen journalists on the ground, but they do not necessarily constitute the narrative storytelling at the heart of valuable photojournalism."

Youtube as a participatory culture

YouTube has become an acceptable and dominant form of social media in today's contemporary society. YouTube users are given the ability to create videos with their own content and pages in which others can subscribe to. This is a demonstration of media convergence because it is combining different forms of media together and creating an interactive experience between the user and the viewer. YouTube is a free social media site and any browser of the Internet is able to view the videos. YouTube as a participatory culture allows people from all over the world to become a part of creative social network, especially in today's youth culture.

Another feature of YouTube is that its a great source for consumers and producers who are either searching for a type of talent or aspiring entertainers. One of the designs of YouTube is to illustrate originality and express your message on a global scale. If your video reaches 1 million views on YouTube, you receive money because of the variability and popularity of your channel. In recent years, YouTube has also allowed companies to use advertisements to promote their various products. This not only makes YouTube an entertainment site, but also a progressing business. YouTube allows every consumer to participate whether they are a creator or viewer of the videos.

YouTube has "relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement" since people are able to view videos and contribute to the site efficiently. Also there is "a strong support for creating and sharing one's projects" because users are able to share their videos with anyone. When a user is searching for a specific topic, Youtube gives them the most updated or the most bizarre videos on the site. YouTube also includes how-tos that actually help viewers which is considered a mentorship according to the article. Overall, YouTube has proved to be a great social media site because there is great connection between everyone and people are engaged with each other.

Questions for Social Media Use Soaring & 10 Social Media Tips Every Business Needs to Know

1. What did you learn about growing trends in the use of Social Media?

I learned from the growing trends in the use of Social Media that Facebook is not the most dominant site anymore. I find it a little hard to believe, but since other social media sites have devoured such as: Twitter and Instagram, it is not very surprising. Our generation always wants more and new applications to discover since we have been living in the face of controlling media for quite sometime.

2. What takeaways do you see from the data?

The takeaways I see from the data is that that television seems to be the "key drive of social TV interaction." When TV shows are airing such as Game of Thrones, especially during the Red Wedding episode, Twitter was exploding with tweets comments from viewers about the show. Also that iPhones and the internet have initially become social norms of society.

3. How does business uses social media?

Businesses use social media to promote their business through advertisements and to try to draw in a larger consumer audience. This would help advance in the business in the world of marketing because they would have more customers.

4. Where you surprised by what "social media is NOT?"

I was not surprised because businesses use social media in different ways then we do. We use it for interacting with our friends, while businesses mostly use it for advertising. Businesses want to attract people to their products but also want to display information that is more convenient for us.

5. Describe some of the things that "social media IS."

Social media is the interactions between people and the way we share information from anywhere in the world in a free, public, and easy way. Also, it is one of the fastest growing networks in history and the most accessed sites on the internet. At this point, social media has become a major cultural trend of today's generation.

6. What are the takeaways for business from this article?
The takeaways for business from this article is that social media is used to gain a larger consumer population. Advertising should be used effectively to get the message across to expand the name among large audiences without striving too far. Since social media is public, creating a business page on there is the best way to promote your business.

Political Reaction to Senate's Immigration Plan

The Senate's Immigration Plan has been a popular topic discussed in politics recently. President Obama once again demanded that the Senate provide a way for undocumented immigrants to become citizens of the United States. Most Democrats are supporting Obama's speech on the immigration bill, while Republicans are opposing it and want to focus on heavy border control. Even though the majority support a pathway for citizenship, there is still some questioning. According to the polls, both parties agree that adding border agents and a 700 mile fence to seperate the United States and Mexico is an effective plan. When it comes to immigration, the United States should allow immigrants to become citizens because that has always been our symbol that we are the land of freedom and opportunity. However in the past few decades, the controversy between illegal immigrants and the border of Mexico has become astronomically worse. Even though final decisions have not yet been made, there are still some Republicans that do support some kind of reform. Back in July, Republicans and Democrats fought over border control and the path for citizenship and while both parties have different ideas, there is hope that some sort of immigration reforms will be achieved.

Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Commitee recently said that he is "against creating a certain path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants." During the summer, the senate approved the comprehensive immigration bill which would allow immigrants to get green cards in 10 years and apply for citizenship 3 years after that. After researching more on the immigration reforms, I found that most Republicans believe that there should be a special category: "legal, but permanently non-citizen" whom will be able to work and pay taxes, but unable to vote. The major benefits of making immigrants become citizens is it will boost and help the economy. This approach is possibly effective, however it does not completely solve the issues of our broken immigration system. Now the Democrats are looking for GOP support to push for a more satisfied immigration reform.  There is still hope that the Senate will eventually pass a bill that will create a process for the undocumented to become citizens since it has been a prominent topic.

President Obama is offering a plan to fix the immigration system and there is a possibility that the pathway for citizenship will be reinstated. He gave a speech on June 11, 2013 "highlighting the benefits of immigration reform." I would say I have some sympathy for people who have come from all over the world to restart their lives in the United States. Once I heard Tolu Olubumni share her story, I feel that people especially like this should be given a chance to become a rightful citizen. Deporting dreamers is going against what the United States believes in. Our country was built on dreams since it was an innocent wilderness at first. The United States started from an immigration standpoint since many of us are of european decent, asian decent, or african decent. President Obama stated that "40% of fortune companies were started by first or second generation Americans." All United States Citizens are technically decendents of immigrants if roots are traced back far enough. In this video, President Obama discusses the Senate's immigration plan for the United States.

Questions for "Virtual Revolution" by BBC Part 1, 2, and 3

1. The web is celebrated as the revolutionary technology that is great
leveling of humanity creating equal opportunity, equal access, and equal
potential. However, there are only a quarter of people on the earth who
can use it. How do you explain the controversial augment here?

The controversial augment is that the web does not offering all of these possibilities since only a quarter of people on the earth can access it and find information. The only way for the web to fulfill equality is allowing everyone on the world to have the benefits of technology as well as complete access.

2. How is Wikipedia the best example to implement the leveling ideas of the
Web rooted in the cultural revolution of 1960s, namely the
Libertarianism in the counter culture? How does it explain some of the
digital convergences?

Wikipedia is the best example to implement the leveling ideas of the Web rooted in the cultural revolution of the 1960s because like the Libertarianism movement, it expressed a mixture of both left and right wing ideas combining and rejected censorship, state control, and mainly focused on individual free will which allows everyone to share their ideas and opinions. It is a way for people to have a freedom to write what they want. This is exactly related to the idea of Libertarianism. It also explains some of the digital convergences because it is bringing ideas together on digital media.

3. How does the Web make it possible for different kinds of digital
convergence?

The web makes it possible for different kinds of digital convergence because the web takes ideas from unimaginable locations and combines them into one revolutionary technology. On the web, we can search for information via google, we can play games, we can communicate and connect with friends via social networking, and the possibilities are endless. The web is a place where everything comes together to make life and communication more convenient.

4. How can the Internet become a challenge for traditional authority? Use
the political landscape changes in some counties to illustrate your
answer.

The Internet can become a challenge for traditional authority because there is no single individual who has complete control over the what can be posted. Nowadays, almost everyone is a journalist somehow by writing or sharing stories on the internet. In such a digital world still, the control on the internet is very limited, however the government can still block people from certain types of sites.

5. Do you believe that getting information free can set us free eventually?
Why or Why not? Do you see any concerns of the complete freedom or
self-expression without limit on the Internet? Why or why not?

I believe that getting information free can set us free eventually because the world will become a more literate place. If people are able to think for themselves, that is a freedom. The internet has given us the freedom to learn, connect with other people, and gain some knowledge. There are some concerns of the complete freedom and self-expression without limit on the Internet because millions of people share it, it is publicly owned. If there a story on the web and someone does not approve it, there can be some issues, especially with hackers. One of the most risky operations would be the search for government information the Internet.

6. In traditional media communications, it has the “vertical” authority. In the
Web commutation, it becomes “horizontal?” How do you explain the
change? How does this create the possibility for digital media
convergence?

The change in web communication is horizontal now because everyone has a chance to share their ideas and opinions on the Internet. We all contribute to the web and are creators of our own media. Traditionally with vertical authority, there was one person with the majority of control and authority. This creates the possibility for digital media convergence because everyone is coming together to form the web and it is providing ways to collectively become involved. The digital world is convergences all the previous types of technologies and media to reach media convergence.

7. Why is that the Web is free critical for the success of the Web itself? How
does that clash with the corporate business philosophy? How does that
pose challenges for copyright issues at the same time? What will happen
if the Web is not free?

The Web is free critical for the success of the Web itself because without these freedoms, people would lose their opportunities to get out their word and communication will dramatically decrease. The users have a vast amount of contribution to the internet so it basically works off what people create. Also without freedoms, the internet would lose popularity and digital media will slowly fade. The internet would return to almost a dictatorship and the world would be instantly different technologically and most likely socially as well. It clashes with corporate business philosophy because the Internet was unimaginable at one time, it is an incredible and exhilarating experience. The accessibility on the internet is dominant, but there is no single dominator who is making money. Large corporations are rather disappointed since there goal is to make money off of what they create. That poses challenges for copyright issues at the same time because once a user posts something on the internet, it immediately becomes public information even if it is private. Many people can access this information and steal it for their own satisfaction. This makes it extremely difficult for the government as well. If the web wasn't free, its amazing qualities would be lost. Some do not realize how much of a convenience the Internet is  today. It would be a devastation to enter a digital world where accessibility was limited. One of the major problems is that a monopoly would form and society's ideas, dreams, and thoughts would vanish or be controlled by vertical authority. The Internet is most known for being the greatest achievement of humanity and perhaps without the freedoms it has, the equality of all people wouldn't exist.