Introduction Kony 2012 was a film produced Invisible Children which went viral overnight. The video gained 31 million views in a single day and since has gathered almost over 99 million view on YouTube. The campaign was a 30-minute video made by filmmaker and Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell can be considered a political documentary by traditional standards. The political documentary intended to persuade bystander viewers to hold certain beliefs about Kony, a leader of the rebel militia group the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. Viewers were asked to act immediately to raise awareness through social media, local campaigns and political advocacy to capture the rebel leader who kidnapped children. While the film raised a significant amount of money, it has been accused of engaging in “slaktivism” in which one takes action, which has little effect beyond making one feel like they have contributed. Kony 2012 is a prime example of how new technology is changing the effectiveness of political documentaries. Production costs are decreased because digital cameras and editing software are easily accessible. The video was released on Youtube, a streaming platform, which has changed distribution models for documentaries by enabling videos to expand their reach tenfold. Additionally, because Kony 2012 was produced by a founder of Invisible Children there was a synergy between the documentary and the activist group, which legitimized their multiplatform distribution plan and guerilla media strategies, allowing a new model of political effectiveness to take shape through the network public sphere. However, Kony has not been captured and the movement has since died down. One must ask, what is the effectiveness of this political do... ... middle of paper ... ...been put on the technological platform itself and the infrastructure of it, and too little on the social and cultural context of the citizens and users. Communtes basically can not be created with technology if the social and cultural networks are not there, and if users do not see the benefit or are not motivated for using the technology” (Bondebjerg 9) Loss of journalistic standards • Although media today move towards digital online existence, the vast amount of information on digital platforms demand time and skills that will favor eliete users (Bondebjerg) • Loss of authority and credibility normally connected to media that are well established have journalistic standards, ethic and accountability can be seen as a problem Conclusion Technology is important, but more important is the social context and fundamental structure of human cognition and communication
This historical study will compare and contrast the depiction of the “War on Terror” in a pro-government and anti-government plot structures found in Zero Dark Thirty (2012) by Kathryn Bigelow and The Siege (1998) by Edward Zwick. The pro-government view of Zero Dark Thirty defines the use of CIA agents and military operatives to track down Osama Bin Laden in the 2000s. Bigelow appears to validate the use of torture and interrogation as a means in which to extract information in the hunt for Bin Laden. In contrast this depiction of terrorism, Zwick’s film The Siege exposes the damage that torture, kidnapping, and
Throughout the documentary historical videos and photos are incorporated of the gathering of activists and volunteers
From walkmans to CD players to iPods, technology has evolved over the succession of the years; humans have taken extensive steps towards a technological transformation that has revolutionized the manner in which several individuals communicate with one another. Likewise, various humans have opted for more modern methods to connect and contact their loved ones such as speaking on a cell phone, video chatting, e-mailing, instant messaging, and conversing through social media. With these contemporary methods of communication, global interaction has now been facilitated and easily accessible; conversing with individuals from across the world is as transparent and prompt as speaking with individuals within the same city. Nonetheless, these technological
Moreover, Carr’s article mentions that by using technology of any kind, users tend to embody the characteristics stimulated by that technology. He says that given that the Internet processes information almost immediately, users will tend to value immediacy. To explain, Carr gives the example of a friend of his named Scott Karp who was a literary major on college and who used to be an avid book reader. However, since the arrival of the Internet, Karp skim articles online because he could no longer read as much as he used too. He cannot pay attention and absorb long texts ever since he read online articles. Internet...
When it comes to the definition of technology in their articles, both Carr and Cascio have similarities and differences. Both authors are debating about the use of technology in today’s society. Both of their articles touch base on the ideals of “what technology is” in their perspectives. Carr believes that technology is making us want the quick path to information or common knowledge and says the Internet is “a machine designed for the efficient and automated collection, transmission, and manipulation of information”. Cascio also believes th...
Documentary has been heavily associated as a representation of the truth and reality due to its absence of fictional elements and control by the filmmaker (Chapman, 2009). It aims to entice the audience perception of the information presented as fundamental and legitimate (Beattie, 2004). With today's technology, the question of manipulated facts and proclaimed evidences presented in documentaries has heightened concerns in providing the audience with the truth and the real. Hence, with reference to the documentary on "Biggie and Tupac" (2002) directed by Nick Broomfield, we will explore how the documentary has managed to capture the real in terms of structure, style and modes of documentary.
The most important thing when interacting with other human beings is being able to communicate one another. People’s first mechanical way of communicating was with the invention of the telegraph, which was at first run by gas. It wasn’t until 1836, when Samuel F.B Morse, Alfred Vail, and Joseph Henry invented Morse code that our civilization had would be able to electronically communicate. Soon after, the first telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell which allowed people to vocally converse electronically from miles away. The invention of the telephone was then modified and eventually converted into a mobile cellular phone by Martin Cooper in...
To many Americans, the feeling of being a bystander as countries slaughter their own people has been in legal debate since 1933, it has gradually developed into a concept that can be applied in many situations, both historical and contemporary. The meaning of the phrase genocide is the cleansing of a race or ethnicity in a country. There has been evidence that this phrase can be used to describe past and present day massacres being committed around the world and how media has changed its perception on this issue overtime.
Michael Moore’s latest film, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” presents a critical look at the administration of George W. Bush and the War on Terrorism. In this film Moore investigates the rapid growth of the United States government and its trend of trampling the rights of individuals, and the corporatism that is spawned out of the close ties between big government and big business during wartime. Michael Moore may not convince all audiences, but is successful for its factual accuracy in which the evidence spoke for itself, and at the same time proclaimed Moore's artistry in transposing and splicing scenes to create impressions that supported his allegations and opinions. Michael Moore has employed two main techniques in an attempt to successfully influence his audience; psychological means of strategy, and cinematic techniques of persuasion. These methods, coupled with how they are presented to the audience, and how the audience react, are what Moore uses to create a scheming effect.
Taylor, Rupert. “The Plight of Child Soldiers.” Suite 101. Media Inc., 11 May 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .
These are the words of a 15-year-old girl in Uganda. Like her, there are an estimated 300,000 children under the age of eighteen who are serving as child soldiers in about thirty-six conflict zones (Shaikh). Life on the front lines often brings children face to face with the horrors of war. Too many children have personally experienced or witnessed physical violence, including executions, death squad killings, disappearances, torture, arrest, sexual abuse, bombings, forced displacement, destruction of home, and massacres. Over the past ten years, more than two million children have been killed, five million disabled, twelve million left homeless, one million orphaned or separated from their parents, and ten million psychologically traumatized (Unicef, “Children in War”). They have been robbed of their childhood and forced to become part of unwanted conflicts. In African countries, such as Chad, this problem is increasingly becoming a global issue that needs to be solved immediately. However, there are other countries, such as Sierra Leone, where the problem has been effectively resolved. Although the use of child soldiers will never completely diminish, it has been proven in Sierra Leone that Unicef's disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program will lessen the amount of child soldiers in Chad and prevent their use in the future.
Shaw, Anup . Media, Propaganda and September 11 . 26 July 2002. 27 Mar. 2004 .
...ss social. Our amount of social skills has gone way down over the years. The lawyers and doctors do not have as high of education and the way they interact is not as good. When we talk through messages, it causes conflict resolution, which causes war. What has this world come to, so many kids bring their cell phones to school which distracts them from learning. It is up to the parents to teach their kids the importance of using face to face communication. We cannot back down; limit the amount of electronics they use. We need to make the world more educated with our social skills. If we do not we will begin to rely just on electronics. Connecting through electronic media will never be a satisfactory replacement. “No amount of texting, or blogging or Facebook is as satisfying as a walk in the park with a good friend. Why? Because it is simply our nature” (Stitch 3).
Technology is changing how we think and act at younger ages. The term “technology” doesn’t only mean manufacturing processes and equipment necessary for production, it also defines a social space and could be a social problem which makes a real impact on social reality. Different types of social software affect a variety of aspects and have both positive and negative impacts. It's important to be aware of how a digitally-driven life is changing our education, sense of self, relationships, social interaction, consumerism, and ways of doing business around the world.
With 80% of Americans using internet, and that 80% spending an average of 17 hours a week online (each), according to the 2009 Digital Future Report, we are online more than ever before. People can't go a few hours let alone a whole day without checking their emails, social media, text messages and other networking tools. The average teen today deals with more than 3,700 texts in just a month. The use of technology to communicate is making face to face conversations a thing of the past. We have now become a society that is almost completely dependent on our technology to communicate. While technology can be helpful by making communication faster and easier, but when it becomes our main form of conversation it becomes harmful to our communication and social skills. Technological communication interferes with our ability to convey our ideas clearly. Technology can harm our communication skills by making us become unfamiliar with regular everyday human interactions, which can make it difficult for people to speak publicly. Technology can also harm our ability to deal with conflict. These days it is easier to h...