Written Assignment Version #2

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The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will become a huge part of Egyptian history. The protests that eventually led him to step down consisted of incredible numbers of Egyptian citizens wanting change. But what was the catalyst of this revolution? What it social media such as Facebook and Twitter or something bigger?

The Colbert Report Blog #11

As of recent advances in technology and our changing media, there is often the question of what exactly is journalism? or what much one do to be considered a journalist? People often question whether shows like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report are journalism. This is a very tough question to answer. These shows do report the news, but not objectively. But does that mean that all other news stations such as CNN or FOX report the news objectively? I would say that shows like The Colbert Report should be considered types of journalism, but perhaps a different type than the “objective” reporting from stations such as CNN and MSNBC. But even though these shows may not be considered journalism, they still have the media-spotlight effect. This occurs when the media has intense coverage of a certain event, or person, for  a short time, but then moves on to other issues soon after. An example of this is the coverage of the events in Egypt on The Colbert Report. Just like other news agencies, his show has had intense coverage of this event, but will most likely move on to other events now that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down.

In a recent episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert reports, or discusses, the crisis in Egypt. He focuses on Hosno Mubarak’s resignation in this episode, which is, of course, the latest news. Stephen Colbert begins the report by stating that Hosni Mubarak has been reported suffering from a severe psychological condition. This is something that I have not heard about in the news in agencies such as CNN or Al Jazeera, which I thought was interesting. Another aspect of Colbert’s coverage was the fact that when he showed clips of the events in Egypt, he showed clips from CNN – which should legitimize him a little bit. However, Colbert does focus a lot more on how the event was covered in the media or happenings in the media such as Anderson Cooper getting hit while in Cairo. Colbert even mocks himself as a journalist in the show by saying “When I found out about the protests, I did what any journalist would do and went to the Luxor in Las Vegas.” He proceeds to make fun of people on the Fox news who share their conspiracies on the issue instead of presenting information about the event.

Wiki Assignment: Wii

In this Wiki assignment, I thought that the Wii group did an exceptional job. First of all they gave a thorough background on the company. But what I believe was really well done was the advantages and features that set the company apart from its competitors. To me, these advantages allow for the Wii to be well above its competition. Everything from the allowance of people of all ages to play – in simple or more complex games for the experienced user – to the compatibility of other systems and games to the reasonable price. One thing that I hear a lot from my friends is the complaint that they cannot play with their old childhood video games anymore because of the always changing systems. Also, the Wii includes so much more than video games now. Users can watch movies, surf the web, get current news and weather, view pictures, and get a decent workout all in one system.

The aspect of this page that I enjoyed the most was the future suggestions. I think that if Wii was to start providing 3D gaming, the company’s revenue would blow the competition out of the water. 3D movies are the “new thing”. People want to be included in what they are watching and this new wave of technology has already changed the movie world. By allowing a person to not only control the game with his or her body but also allowing them to be in the game would be revolutionary.  I also like the idea of advertising live gaming because that seems to be something that is only associated with the Xbox. Even though Xbox is still very popular, with all of the new technology that Wii is coming up with, it seems to be that unless Xbox comes out with something extremely different and new, something never been done before, it will be very hard for them to compete with the Wii.

Media Blog

1/7/11

5:00-6:00 Talked on the phone with friends from home as well as parents

7:00-8:00 Made plans for the night with friends through texting

8:00-2:00 With friends, but texted boyfriend throughout the night 

1/8/11

12:00-1:00 Facebook and homework

1:00-3:00 Watched a movie with friends

3:00-5:00 Read on my Nook

5:00-7:00 Watched tv, checked email, went on the internet and checked current news websites  

7:00-8:30 Texted friends about plans for the evening

1/9/11

12:00-3:00 Facebook and homework, every once in a while I turned on the tv

3:00-4:00 Went on iTunes, bought music, organized library

4:00-4:30 Talked on the phone with friend from home

7:00-9:00 Homework, texting, checked current news websites

9:00-12:00 Read on my Nook

*I believe that personal interactions through media are what I seem to spend the most time doing. Even if I am doing homework or watching a movie, I am usually texting at the same time. Also, since I am subscribed to a few Twitter accounts for news updates, like CNN, BBC, and MSNBC that I have sent to my phone, I am constantly being sent updates about world events. This causes me to constantly check my phone’s messages. I do spend a significant amount of time on my computer for entertainment purposes, such as reading Facebook, checking my email, or checking news websites.