Dear Students,
We are heading to the last three remaining topics as we closely approaching to the end of the semester. I hope that you still find this thread interesting and challenging as we continue to tackle some of the controversial issues that haunts mass media in the past - down to its present times. Undeniably, the relentless power of media brings lots of host to the world we live in. Media is blamed to have caused anti-social behavior, of poisoning the minds of its people due to some depictions of gross deeds and many others. But amid these downfalls are the numerous benefits that mass media had contributed since time immemorial. We are in a state of bewilderment whether its advantages can tap the growing problems thrown to the mass media especially so that media are directly pointed out as a tool in desensitizing the moral fabric of our society.
One added list to these problems is on the issue of corruption in mass media. Yes, that would be our center of discussion today. Initially, I am in doubt whether I shall include this one as a major topic since it immensely an issue within our profession rather than a matter of concern for everyone. But upon discernment, it struck me to know that media practitioners must be wary to their actions. Our deeds and behaviors cannot simply be projected as mere façade because in reality people relied heavily on our jobs as their shield against injustices and shenanigans of corrupt officials. Although I speak on the moral obligation of journalists, please open your minds in thinking why I brought out this issue that might have a huge implication to the people.
So what is media corruption? I don’t have time to browse the net as to its definition, ergo, I could not give you the technical definition to it. It would be suffice if through examples we can elaborately discuss the topic at hand.
Can you still remember the term ‘envelopmental journalism’? This might be the blatant example of media corruption. Payoffs to journalists have become so much a part of the journalistic culture that they have endangered a language of their own. We call it payola, under the table transactions, atm journalism, hao siao, smiling money and other terminologies that have already been familiar to us. The news writer is obliged to write an article that would build up the name of his source or cover up the wrong doings of an official in exchange for the gifts or money he receives. This is without a doubt a form of bribery. You’re compromising your name just for a bunch of money that may ruin your integrity and thus, losing people’s confidence in believing or trusting you.
For indeed, where do good journalists come from? Do they march out of journalism schools as soon as they’ve learned the five W's and the Hs,the rigors of the interview, honed a nose for the news, and mastered the color, the logic, the rhythm, the texture of ideas and events? Are they born of honest and honorable fathers and mothers? Or, do they fall from the skies like manna from heaven? And where do bad journalists come from?
There are no easy answers. At bottom, it seems like the good and the bad journalists co-exist in the same milieu.
I cannot help but to think what had gone wrong to my previous students. They are attached too much to politicians that they have lost their idealism I’ve once seen back when they were still my students. It pains me to know that though novice in the profession they act like a ‘pro’ in maligning the truth and in fabricating stories just to make a good impression to their big boss. I don’t know there real intentions are. But for sure they do it because it’s their bread and butter – call it for survivability sake! But why is it that money remains the by standard of journalists? Meaning, if some one pay you a pretty sum of money, would it be the only time to write a good article? How about if someone approached you and tells you that MR. POLITIKO have a mistress? You refused to write because it might ruin his political career. In a classroom, it’s easy for me to impose to do this thing and avoid this one. You follow what I preached because you want to have a good mark because to do otherwise means failing you. But the real test happens out of the four corners of the wall. It’s when actual scenario unfolds while analyzing how you would cope up in dealing with such kind of situation. This would be the determinant how effective you can be as journalist.
Credibility they say is what others think of us. Ethics is what kind of people we are. Corruption destroys both. It is a problem we cannot ignore. As a first step, let us acknowledge that it is a problem, and let’s talk over it.
Questions:
1. In what way do people can be affected by the deeds or actions of the journalists? Cite examples.
2. Can you give some situations that portray media corruption? (eg in advertising, public relation)
3. Comment on the article above at least in 4 paragraphs.
Note: Be responsible in quoting your source. Don’t plagiarize other author’s work. Submit your work at my gmail account. This is due on february 10, 2011.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Newspaper Controversy
What are the issues/concerns confronting the newspaper industry?
Just like any other medium of mass media, the survivability of a newspaper depends primarily on advertisement which serves as the “lifeblood” of any news organization. While scanning a newspaper I have observed that paid advertisements occupies I think 20% of the entire paper. This poses a critical question to me: Does an ad in any way influence the content of a newspaper? Let’s face it. This is question between the role of a mass media to ferret out the truth or to slant the news in favor of its advertisers. It is fact that newspaper is obliged to satisfy the advertisers, their audiences and the government. They cater to advertisers primarily by suppressing news that reflects badly on advertisers and their products. I supposed that some newspapers will resort to hiding some irregularities involving its advertisers and mislead the public readers just to protect the reputation of a product’s company; otherwise, it means losing their main source of income and perhaps leads to its closure. And to a lesser extent, they cater to government power so as to avoid harassment (for instance, over licenses) and in return, for favors to obtain leaks and other handouts. I would like to believe that there are two existing kinds of newspaper organization in the country: the pro and anti-administration newspapers. The pro-ad newspapers being allies of the government enjoy the privilege from getting a free and easy access to information to receiving gifts in exchange of a favor. On the other hand, we have an anti-government newspaper who suffers from the harassment of the administration and who is deprived from exercising their rights to information.
What is your take regarding this issue? Can you also mention some of the underlying issues concerning the print industry (magazine, books)today?
Your comment is due until feb 3, 2011.
Just like any other medium of mass media, the survivability of a newspaper depends primarily on advertisement which serves as the “lifeblood” of any news organization. While scanning a newspaper I have observed that paid advertisements occupies I think 20% of the entire paper. This poses a critical question to me: Does an ad in any way influence the content of a newspaper? Let’s face it. This is question between the role of a mass media to ferret out the truth or to slant the news in favor of its advertisers. It is fact that newspaper is obliged to satisfy the advertisers, their audiences and the government. They cater to advertisers primarily by suppressing news that reflects badly on advertisers and their products. I supposed that some newspapers will resort to hiding some irregularities involving its advertisers and mislead the public readers just to protect the reputation of a product’s company; otherwise, it means losing their main source of income and perhaps leads to its closure. And to a lesser extent, they cater to government power so as to avoid harassment (for instance, over licenses) and in return, for favors to obtain leaks and other handouts. I would like to believe that there are two existing kinds of newspaper organization in the country: the pro and anti-administration newspapers. The pro-ad newspapers being allies of the government enjoy the privilege from getting a free and easy access to information to receiving gifts in exchange of a favor. On the other hand, we have an anti-government newspaper who suffers from the harassment of the administration and who is deprived from exercising their rights to information.
What is your take regarding this issue? Can you also mention some of the underlying issues concerning the print industry (magazine, books)today?
Your comment is due until feb 3, 2011.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sex Violence
Read my discussion below and answer the question posted below. You send your answers to my email account at bonsky123@gmail.com. Please be guided accordingly.
What is ‘pornography’?
The 1986 Attorney General Commission on Pornography defined pornography as material that is “predominantly sexually explicit and intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal.” (cited from the article of Kerby Anderson entitled: The Pornography Plagued)
There are two types of pornography mainly; Hard core – it is sexually explicit in the extreme and devoid any apparent content or purpose and the soft core- a mild pornography since depiction of sexual violence is not too harsh.
Another important term that is closely associated to pornography is the definition of obscenity. According to the Miller case, one of the landmark cases which had opened the issue on pornography, the material is obscene if all three of the following conditions are met (Anderson):
a. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest.
b. The work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and
c. The work taken as a whole lacks serious, artistic, political or scientific value.
Forms of Pornography
Pornographic materials could be found and/or shown on the following types:
1. Adult magazines – these are primarily directed toward an adult male audience. Popular examples are playboy and penthouse. In the country, FHM and Pinoy Playboy could fall under this classification. However, this can be distributed legally in all paper stands in the market. If you think this is a pornographic material, then why is it allowed by the government?
2. Video Cassetes- these are rented or sold in most adult video rent houses. People who would never go to the theater to watch pornographic material will get a copy at the video rent house or downloads these materials at the internet. They usually play these materials at the confines of their home for private reasons. Usually video displays a high degree of hard core pornography and illegal acts.
3. Motion pictures – videos or movies which contain extreme sexual activities are shown in theater. The MTRCB classifies this type of movies into “X-Rating” which means only adults or 18 above are allowed to view this film.
4. Television – the most restricted medium in terms of showing intense sexual activities. However, TV is not totally spared from the depiction of highly intimate sex scenes which easily could be viewed by the children. Some programs are not suitable to children, thus, the station flash an advisory message prior to the airing of the program. This is to forewarn parents or guide their children from exposing obscene acts.
5. Cyberporn – hard core pictures, movies, online chat, and even live sex acts can be downloaded and viewed by virtually anyone through the Internet. What was only available to a small number of people willing to drive to the bad side of town can now be viewed at any time in the privacy of one’s home.
Psychological and social Effects
It is believed that brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviors. Male viewers tend to be more aggressive toward women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape.
Activity 5
Question: Do you think pornography can lead to some undesirable effects in human such as committing the crime of rape? Cite one study in the web that can attest or affirm to your answers.
Activity 6
Berl Kutchinsky, a criminologist at the University of Copenhagen, is the most famous proponent that pornography can lead to violence. Find in the web the theory that was presented by this person. What are the flaws or drawbacks of his research?
Note: Do not practice the copy-paste syndrome. Try to analyze to the meaning emphasized by the author and relate this to your own understanding.
In the essay written by Irving Kristol titled Pornography, Obscenity, and the case for censorship, he emphasized varied points and ideas whether we shall take against pornography or legalized it. He cited two school of thoughts: the radical minds whose view towards pornography is that it is a healthy practice in a democratic and civil society and the conventional thinkers who obviously contradict the former’s ideas saying that it demean or debase the moral fabric of our society. According to the libertarians, there is no way for the government to suppress individual minds from writing or doing something. This is in reference to the issue that showing nudity or expressing in their literary works what is said to be a ‘normal’ human activities of copulating or having sex is indeed a no big deal issue. That is why they called their piece as an ‘art’ rather than ‘obscene’. Meanwhile, these contentions were castigated which relied mostly on its moral aspect – its ethical or metaphysical justifications. For one thing, pornography as D.H Lawrence puts it, “an attempt to do dirt on sex…It is an insult to a vital human relationship. Furthermore, pornography differs from erotic art in that its whole purpose is to treat human beings obscenely, to deprive human beings of their specifically human dimension. It was also reiterated that sex – is both an animal and human activities – meaning it’s really normal. However, in the context of human being making love is a sacred thing just like marriage; it has sentiments and ideals involved in this kind of activity. But when sex is public, the viewer does not see- cannot see- the sentiments and ideals. He can only see the animal coupling. And this really what set us human apart from animals.
Activity 5:
1. Make a 500-word essay any topics that deals with pornography. You may get one of the following titles:
a. Child Pornography
b. An Obscene ‘Art’
c. The Value of Parental Advisory
d. What Went Wrong?
e. Cybersex: It’s growing popularity to youngsters
These are just examples of the title of your essay. You can formulate of your own but focus the body of your essay on the topic at hand.
Criteria for Grading:
Originality – 30%
Composition (Grammar, coherence and clarity) – 50%
Source reliability (facts citation) – 20%
Note: Deadline for submission is on January 20, 2010. Late papers will no longer be entertained.
What is ‘pornography’?
The 1986 Attorney General Commission on Pornography defined pornography as material that is “predominantly sexually explicit and intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal.” (cited from the article of Kerby Anderson entitled: The Pornography Plagued)
There are two types of pornography mainly; Hard core – it is sexually explicit in the extreme and devoid any apparent content or purpose and the soft core- a mild pornography since depiction of sexual violence is not too harsh.
Another important term that is closely associated to pornography is the definition of obscenity. According to the Miller case, one of the landmark cases which had opened the issue on pornography, the material is obscene if all three of the following conditions are met (Anderson):
a. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest.
b. The work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and
c. The work taken as a whole lacks serious, artistic, political or scientific value.
Forms of Pornography
Pornographic materials could be found and/or shown on the following types:
1. Adult magazines – these are primarily directed toward an adult male audience. Popular examples are playboy and penthouse. In the country, FHM and Pinoy Playboy could fall under this classification. However, this can be distributed legally in all paper stands in the market. If you think this is a pornographic material, then why is it allowed by the government?
2. Video Cassetes- these are rented or sold in most adult video rent houses. People who would never go to the theater to watch pornographic material will get a copy at the video rent house or downloads these materials at the internet. They usually play these materials at the confines of their home for private reasons. Usually video displays a high degree of hard core pornography and illegal acts.
3. Motion pictures – videos or movies which contain extreme sexual activities are shown in theater. The MTRCB classifies this type of movies into “X-Rating” which means only adults or 18 above are allowed to view this film.
4. Television – the most restricted medium in terms of showing intense sexual activities. However, TV is not totally spared from the depiction of highly intimate sex scenes which easily could be viewed by the children. Some programs are not suitable to children, thus, the station flash an advisory message prior to the airing of the program. This is to forewarn parents or guide their children from exposing obscene acts.
5. Cyberporn – hard core pictures, movies, online chat, and even live sex acts can be downloaded and viewed by virtually anyone through the Internet. What was only available to a small number of people willing to drive to the bad side of town can now be viewed at any time in the privacy of one’s home.
Psychological and social Effects
It is believed that brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviors. Male viewers tend to be more aggressive toward women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape.
Activity 5
Question: Do you think pornography can lead to some undesirable effects in human such as committing the crime of rape? Cite one study in the web that can attest or affirm to your answers.
Activity 6
Berl Kutchinsky, a criminologist at the University of Copenhagen, is the most famous proponent that pornography can lead to violence. Find in the web the theory that was presented by this person. What are the flaws or drawbacks of his research?
Note: Do not practice the copy-paste syndrome. Try to analyze to the meaning emphasized by the author and relate this to your own understanding.
In the essay written by Irving Kristol titled Pornography, Obscenity, and the case for censorship, he emphasized varied points and ideas whether we shall take against pornography or legalized it. He cited two school of thoughts: the radical minds whose view towards pornography is that it is a healthy practice in a democratic and civil society and the conventional thinkers who obviously contradict the former’s ideas saying that it demean or debase the moral fabric of our society. According to the libertarians, there is no way for the government to suppress individual minds from writing or doing something. This is in reference to the issue that showing nudity or expressing in their literary works what is said to be a ‘normal’ human activities of copulating or having sex is indeed a no big deal issue. That is why they called their piece as an ‘art’ rather than ‘obscene’. Meanwhile, these contentions were castigated which relied mostly on its moral aspect – its ethical or metaphysical justifications. For one thing, pornography as D.H Lawrence puts it, “an attempt to do dirt on sex…It is an insult to a vital human relationship. Furthermore, pornography differs from erotic art in that its whole purpose is to treat human beings obscenely, to deprive human beings of their specifically human dimension. It was also reiterated that sex – is both an animal and human activities – meaning it’s really normal. However, in the context of human being making love is a sacred thing just like marriage; it has sentiments and ideals involved in this kind of activity. But when sex is public, the viewer does not see- cannot see- the sentiments and ideals. He can only see the animal coupling. And this really what set us human apart from animals.
Activity 5:
1. Make a 500-word essay any topics that deals with pornography. You may get one of the following titles:
a. Child Pornography
b. An Obscene ‘Art’
c. The Value of Parental Advisory
d. What Went Wrong?
e. Cybersex: It’s growing popularity to youngsters
These are just examples of the title of your essay. You can formulate of your own but focus the body of your essay on the topic at hand.
Criteria for Grading:
Originality – 30%
Composition (Grammar, coherence and clarity) – 50%
Source reliability (facts citation) – 20%
Note: Deadline for submission is on January 20, 2010. Late papers will no longer be entertained.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Media Construction Of Reality
To understand the foregoing phrase, it would be best fit if we try to describe the variables involved: the term ‘reality construction’. The words may seem contradicting because according to a realist, real cannot be constructed since it is already ‘out there’, given, concrete or it is a finite thing. Others may argue that to perceive something ‘real’ one should accept that fact that it is a product of human social interaction thus, we came out with a term ‘socially constructed reality’ as pointed out by Berger and Luckmann. This social constructed reality is the biggest influence on what we perceive as reality and how we perceive it, especially in the world as we know it today. The main vehicles which convey this meaning: symbols, including language, cultural myths -- larger social meanings of objects, actions, signs, episodes, the structure and practice of our institutions, our rules for congruent action. These vehicles of meaning together construct: our world-view -- our sense of how the world works, what is valuable, why things are the way they are.
To view reality is something that is also universally accepted knowledge, ideas, actions, events and situation. One classical example is that if all Christians believe that God really exist then He is ‘real’. But this doesn’t hold true if only one person or even group of person would claim that they’d seen Jesus.
But how are these viewed realities become universally acceptable? There must be an agent that affirm or reinforced people’s view towards reality. Is this agent serves only to depict what is real or is it an effective vehicle to construct reality?
The agent that I am talking here refers to the media who serves as an active player in the process of constructing reality. According to John Pungente, the media do not present simple reflections of external reality. Rather, they present carefully crafted constructions that reflect many decisions and result from many determining actors. In his paper Media and the Construction of Reality, Stefan Weber highlighted variations in constructivism: the ontological and empirical approaches, which to him are important basis to understand more how media constructs reality. The common thread between all forms of constructivism is that they do not focus on an ontological reality but instead on a constructed reality. The ontological constructivism presupposes the ‘constructed nature of the world as an unalterable fact’. It means that construction of reality is not something made by a man because it is ‘always there, whether one wants it or not’ or simply Reality-As-It-Is-In-Itself. To apply this in the media context, I look at it as something that media will and will always have construct reality even it is not told to do so. On the other hand, the empirical constructivism as what has been proposed for instance by Walter Benjamin, is concerned with ‘constructiveness as an empirically measurable trend on the basis of a non-dualistic epistemology’. This form of constructivism asserts that media is consciously and deliberately constructs reality to the extent of turning a fiction thing to a ‘real’ thing. However, I will not set an argument between these two forms of constructivism but I will be looking more if it is really possible that media can really present the exact reality or it just merely construct for a human to perceive what is ‘real’.
To some extent I agree with the perspective of constructivism. Its foundation is analytically useful as it focuses on the processes of media’s construction of reality. However, to doubt the possibility of experiencing reality sensually would seem futile. No concrete evidences could deny the fact that reality can indeed be experienced by human beings. But to the level of extent on how media presents reality is that which I am not keen to defend. Therefore, it would be safe to say that media serves dual purposes: to present what is only ‘out there’ – the absolute reality and to re-present ‘something’ to make it real - constructed reality. To illustrate the first function, media include or cover genuine events as newsworthy items. Genuine events are independent from mass media and their reporting, they take place whether the media notices them or not and do not change in character if they do. Such events are natural disasters, crime or incidents of every day life (Scherer et.al). These particular events are reported objectively since media is beyond its control to alter anything while these things unfold and therefore it has to present only the ‘absolute reality’ of the event. On the other hand, all media products such as news and advertisements are said to be a construction of reality. Lang and Lang expose the media’s image of reality as artificial and not at all similar to what witnesses on site observe. This is particularly true in news which is difficult to be a true reflection of reality, due to many factors involved in the production of news. Human error, human interest and the fallacies of management all conspire to blur the line between truth and friction. Potter (1998) stated that “news is not something that happens; instead, news is what gets presented. We almost never see news events as they happen. Instead, we are shown the media’s manufactured construction of the events.” Moreover, the media being an agent of socialization can affect our way of thinking and change our perception of reality. We tend to believe that drinking a certain brand of alcoholic beverages as projected in advertisement can bring us real fun and enjoyment and that acquiring a unit of cellphone makes us to believe that we are “in” a society. All of these perceived realities are reflected by this powerful and influential agent – the media.
References:
1) Berger P.L & Luckmann T. (1967). The Social Construction of Reality; a treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Penguin, Harmondsworth
(2) Pungente, S.J. From Barry Duncan et al. Media Literacy Resource Guide, Ontario Ministry of Education, Toronto, ON. Canada, 1989.
(3) Scherer, Helmut., Arnold, Anne-Katrin. and Schltz, Daniela . Media’s Creating Reality: Construction as a Social Process. (Available online at www.allacademic .com)
To view reality is something that is also universally accepted knowledge, ideas, actions, events and situation. One classical example is that if all Christians believe that God really exist then He is ‘real’. But this doesn’t hold true if only one person or even group of person would claim that they’d seen Jesus.
But how are these viewed realities become universally acceptable? There must be an agent that affirm or reinforced people’s view towards reality. Is this agent serves only to depict what is real or is it an effective vehicle to construct reality?
The agent that I am talking here refers to the media who serves as an active player in the process of constructing reality. According to John Pungente, the media do not present simple reflections of external reality. Rather, they present carefully crafted constructions that reflect many decisions and result from many determining actors. In his paper Media and the Construction of Reality, Stefan Weber highlighted variations in constructivism: the ontological and empirical approaches, which to him are important basis to understand more how media constructs reality. The common thread between all forms of constructivism is that they do not focus on an ontological reality but instead on a constructed reality. The ontological constructivism presupposes the ‘constructed nature of the world as an unalterable fact’. It means that construction of reality is not something made by a man because it is ‘always there, whether one wants it or not’ or simply Reality-As-It-Is-In-Itself. To apply this in the media context, I look at it as something that media will and will always have construct reality even it is not told to do so. On the other hand, the empirical constructivism as what has been proposed for instance by Walter Benjamin, is concerned with ‘constructiveness as an empirically measurable trend on the basis of a non-dualistic epistemology’. This form of constructivism asserts that media is consciously and deliberately constructs reality to the extent of turning a fiction thing to a ‘real’ thing. However, I will not set an argument between these two forms of constructivism but I will be looking more if it is really possible that media can really present the exact reality or it just merely construct for a human to perceive what is ‘real’.
To some extent I agree with the perspective of constructivism. Its foundation is analytically useful as it focuses on the processes of media’s construction of reality. However, to doubt the possibility of experiencing reality sensually would seem futile. No concrete evidences could deny the fact that reality can indeed be experienced by human beings. But to the level of extent on how media presents reality is that which I am not keen to defend. Therefore, it would be safe to say that media serves dual purposes: to present what is only ‘out there’ – the absolute reality and to re-present ‘something’ to make it real - constructed reality. To illustrate the first function, media include or cover genuine events as newsworthy items. Genuine events are independent from mass media and their reporting, they take place whether the media notices them or not and do not change in character if they do. Such events are natural disasters, crime or incidents of every day life (Scherer et.al). These particular events are reported objectively since media is beyond its control to alter anything while these things unfold and therefore it has to present only the ‘absolute reality’ of the event. On the other hand, all media products such as news and advertisements are said to be a construction of reality. Lang and Lang expose the media’s image of reality as artificial and not at all similar to what witnesses on site observe. This is particularly true in news which is difficult to be a true reflection of reality, due to many factors involved in the production of news. Human error, human interest and the fallacies of management all conspire to blur the line between truth and friction. Potter (1998) stated that “news is not something that happens; instead, news is what gets presented. We almost never see news events as they happen. Instead, we are shown the media’s manufactured construction of the events.” Moreover, the media being an agent of socialization can affect our way of thinking and change our perception of reality. We tend to believe that drinking a certain brand of alcoholic beverages as projected in advertisement can bring us real fun and enjoyment and that acquiring a unit of cellphone makes us to believe that we are “in” a society. All of these perceived realities are reflected by this powerful and influential agent – the media.
References:
1) Berger P.L & Luckmann T. (1967). The Social Construction of Reality; a treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Penguin, Harmondsworth
(2) Pungente, S.J. From Barry Duncan et al. Media Literacy Resource Guide, Ontario Ministry of Education, Toronto, ON. Canada, 1989.
(3) Scherer, Helmut., Arnold, Anne-Katrin. and Schltz, Daniela . Media’s Creating Reality: Construction as a Social Process. (Available online at www.allacademic .com)
Second Orality
I. THE SECOND ORALITY
In his book, Orality and Literacy: Technologizing the Word, Walter J. Ong examines the transformation in consciousness which occurs when oral cultures become chirographic or writing based. By oral culture, we mean, a culture that rely on communicating purely an oral-based and has not been exposed to written communication. It has two forms: primary orality and residual orality. Primary orality refers to language and its use in both thought and speech that exists completely outside of the knowledge of writing. Residual orality, on the other hand, refers to a language that has been exposed to writing but has not completely incorporated it into daily use. Ong had put emphasis more on primary oral culture on the aspect on how human consciousness reacts when oral cultures are shifted to chirographic-based form of language. He took side on oral culture by defending its value and importance as compared to that of written-based language. In addition to pinpointing fundamental differences in the thought of processes of the two types of culture, Ong also had mentioned an emerging form of language culture he dubbed as ‘second orality’. This second orality combines the elements of chirographic (i.e writing) and orality modes but practically uses new technologies in communicating. According to him, the arrival of electronic media has led to a change in our thinking. He has foreseen a society that is more engross in spoken words than written words. Ong had drawn his conclusion primarily on the non-linear structure of an oral culture, which is also to be found in the structure of the internet, for instance. What is also interesting to note here is that Ong made a presumption that the 21st century will become a market of ‘interactivity’ – a place where words (spoken, read, and thought) stream from the screen to the page, from virtual to actual and whose information speed is by far exceeding what McLuhan predicted more than forty years ago. Ong also added that the ‘second orality’ will be a period in which the principles of both and literary culture will coalesce.
This Second Orality also provides us a handful of implications from the human individual thinking and his social interaction to the development of his languages. With the growing opportunities provided to us by the electronic and mainstream media, people are becoming more independent in terms of acquiring new learning, in sharing information and expanding its horizon through its active involvement in different virtual activities. In other words, second orality liberates human from his ideals and actions. Meanwhile, Ong also suggested that people in oral cultures live in close, intimate connection with their environment and with each other. This ‘collectivism’ way of thinking in oral culture was later transformed to ‘individualism’ as reading or writing is commonly an individual activity. Second Orality likewise will generate a strong group sense but will be much more global oriented. This is a case where internet chatting, email, voicemail and social networking become a commonplace for everybody to communicate and to social interact and also to identify themselves as active member in this ‘global village.’ What is also interesting to note here is the way people interact with the spoken and written word now that second orality prevails in the modern world. In print culture we gather news at distance, in an oral tradition people tell about happenings in person. In second orality, people are not a passive player but “contributes to the work in performance. The listener is author, scarcely less than the performer is author (Paul Zumthor, in Fowler 1994). It goes to show that people can freely interact and to intervene in a discourse albeit written or spoken. Since it is participatory, people can verify, add or question information in any forms (documents or video) that will be included in a body of knowledge thus, making it more reliable and accurate. On the other hand, second orality will not only bring positive development in human thinking and to society but as well as the negative consequences. Since people are now immersed with using modern technologies, too much exposure & consumption in it could lead to a destructive effect. It is feared that more people (even literate people) will not engage into reading anymore since it is replaced with modern mode of learning (books versus audio-books and classroom vs. virtual setting). There is a contention also that second orality changes the uses of our language. I am referring those languages that are used in the Internet that for some are quite difficult to comprehend. And lastly, second orality is castigated because it promotes gap to individual member of society since more will be convenient to communicate via phone or email instead of a face-to-face contact which is more personal and intimate than communicating virtually.
To recapitulate and to give light to the topic, second orality seemed to be in effect today and indeed the changes that Ong had mentioned are now taking place. Second Orality emerged because we anticipate it to happen but more so because human continue to embrace to many changes of his environment brought about by cultural and technological developments.
Second Orality
(1) Dekker, Annet. Language in Art. (Available online at http://www.montevideo.nl/en/nieuws/detail.php?id=1&archief=ja&showjaar=2002&beginjaar)
(2) Fowler, Robert M., 'How the Secondary Orality of the Electronic Age Can
Awaken Us to the Primary Orality of Antiquity or What Hypertext Can Teach Us About the Bible with Reflections on the Ethical and Political Issues of the Electronic Frontier', http://www2.bw.edu/~fowler, 1994
(3) Ong, Walter, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word,
Methuen &Co. Ltd., 1982 (reprinted by Routlegde, London & New York)
In his book, Orality and Literacy: Technologizing the Word, Walter J. Ong examines the transformation in consciousness which occurs when oral cultures become chirographic or writing based. By oral culture, we mean, a culture that rely on communicating purely an oral-based and has not been exposed to written communication. It has two forms: primary orality and residual orality. Primary orality refers to language and its use in both thought and speech that exists completely outside of the knowledge of writing. Residual orality, on the other hand, refers to a language that has been exposed to writing but has not completely incorporated it into daily use. Ong had put emphasis more on primary oral culture on the aspect on how human consciousness reacts when oral cultures are shifted to chirographic-based form of language. He took side on oral culture by defending its value and importance as compared to that of written-based language. In addition to pinpointing fundamental differences in the thought of processes of the two types of culture, Ong also had mentioned an emerging form of language culture he dubbed as ‘second orality’. This second orality combines the elements of chirographic (i.e writing) and orality modes but practically uses new technologies in communicating. According to him, the arrival of electronic media has led to a change in our thinking. He has foreseen a society that is more engross in spoken words than written words. Ong had drawn his conclusion primarily on the non-linear structure of an oral culture, which is also to be found in the structure of the internet, for instance. What is also interesting to note here is that Ong made a presumption that the 21st century will become a market of ‘interactivity’ – a place where words (spoken, read, and thought) stream from the screen to the page, from virtual to actual and whose information speed is by far exceeding what McLuhan predicted more than forty years ago. Ong also added that the ‘second orality’ will be a period in which the principles of both and literary culture will coalesce.
This Second Orality also provides us a handful of implications from the human individual thinking and his social interaction to the development of his languages. With the growing opportunities provided to us by the electronic and mainstream media, people are becoming more independent in terms of acquiring new learning, in sharing information and expanding its horizon through its active involvement in different virtual activities. In other words, second orality liberates human from his ideals and actions. Meanwhile, Ong also suggested that people in oral cultures live in close, intimate connection with their environment and with each other. This ‘collectivism’ way of thinking in oral culture was later transformed to ‘individualism’ as reading or writing is commonly an individual activity. Second Orality likewise will generate a strong group sense but will be much more global oriented. This is a case where internet chatting, email, voicemail and social networking become a commonplace for everybody to communicate and to social interact and also to identify themselves as active member in this ‘global village.’ What is also interesting to note here is the way people interact with the spoken and written word now that second orality prevails in the modern world. In print culture we gather news at distance, in an oral tradition people tell about happenings in person. In second orality, people are not a passive player but “contributes to the work in performance. The listener is author, scarcely less than the performer is author (Paul Zumthor, in Fowler 1994). It goes to show that people can freely interact and to intervene in a discourse albeit written or spoken. Since it is participatory, people can verify, add or question information in any forms (documents or video) that will be included in a body of knowledge thus, making it more reliable and accurate. On the other hand, second orality will not only bring positive development in human thinking and to society but as well as the negative consequences. Since people are now immersed with using modern technologies, too much exposure & consumption in it could lead to a destructive effect. It is feared that more people (even literate people) will not engage into reading anymore since it is replaced with modern mode of learning (books versus audio-books and classroom vs. virtual setting). There is a contention also that second orality changes the uses of our language. I am referring those languages that are used in the Internet that for some are quite difficult to comprehend. And lastly, second orality is castigated because it promotes gap to individual member of society since more will be convenient to communicate via phone or email instead of a face-to-face contact which is more personal and intimate than communicating virtually.
To recapitulate and to give light to the topic, second orality seemed to be in effect today and indeed the changes that Ong had mentioned are now taking place. Second Orality emerged because we anticipate it to happen but more so because human continue to embrace to many changes of his environment brought about by cultural and technological developments.
Second Orality
(1) Dekker, Annet. Language in Art. (Available online at http://www.montevideo.nl/en/nieuws/detail.php?id=1&archief=ja&showjaar=2002&beginjaar)
(2) Fowler, Robert M., 'How the Secondary Orality of the Electronic Age Can
Awaken Us to the Primary Orality of Antiquity or What Hypertext Can Teach Us About the Bible with Reflections on the Ethical and Political Issues of the Electronic Frontier', http://www2.bw.edu/~fowler, 1994
(3) Ong, Walter, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word,
Methuen &Co. Ltd., 1982 (reprinted by Routlegde, London & New York)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My Cue on News Blackout
Who wouldn’t forget the Manila hostage crisis which had taken the lives of nine individuals who were gruesomely killed by a policeman in that fateful day of September 2010? This has made our country one of the most dangerous places in the world to live in, which is at par to that of war-stricken nations including Iraq and Afghanistan as viewed by some tourists all over the world. This pathetic event had caused much trouble on the part of Philippine government because it cannot directly pointed out on whose going to be punished for the failure negotiation. Our police authorities are pointing fingers to all those who directly and indirectly interfered to the failed negotiation including the media, saying that the media’s live coverage during that deadly hostage-taking incident may have jeopardized the police operation. Then there is a proposed news blackout during a hostage crisis and similar incidence. Let us try to analyze both sides. On one hand, media should have set limitations as to what extent should they cover such as delicate event especially when a life is in danger. I personally believe that media is partly should be blamed for this mess. P/Insp. Mendoza went berserk when he saw his brother on television forcefully drag by police authority for allegedly with the latter’s concealed contact to him, making his brother an accessory of the crime. While the media was putting emphasis on this, nobody had anticipated to the perpetrator’s raged reaction. He counter attacked his captives by firing his guns to the victim’s body. All of them had sustained more than two gun wounds, an indication that he was totally dismal and fury for what he saw on television. On the other side of the coin, the media who are used to covering all kinds of obnoxious events from a war to massacre to pity crimes should not be told as to what kind of material they will be published/broadcast or not worth to be published or broadcasted. This is a curtailment of press freedom. It is our credo that media people has responsibility to deliver reports to all sorts worthy of public interest including to what had happened in manila. The public has the right to know to what is happening to his surroundings and that what media is owed to its public – free yet accurate information. But the question will rise again on what if? Should the media continue to deliver news reports while unfolding a sensitive event such as hostage drama where the perpetrators have access to television? My cue here is not for the government to pass a bill just to legislate with has supposed to be an organization’s internal standards in conducting such kind of an event. It is not necessary because I perceived it as something which government tries to control to the undertakings of the media. It would simply mean that they can impose on what the media has or has not to do. We are not anymore under authoritarian government wherein anything that is reported by the media against government shenanigans is restrained. Media serves as the fourth state in a free government apart from executive, legislative and judiciary governments. Each has specific function and cannot therefore encroach to the work of another. What I specifically would like to share is for each news organization to review its existing guidelines on how to deal with this matter. I want that guidelines not media centric, meaning, to what is only perceived good for the organization but most importantly it should be people-centered and that is, lives should not be compromised in favor to a good lead or exclusive coverage. We have moral obligation to the people to disclose all vital information that affects our well-being but we also have social responsibility to exercise utmost care to sensitive issue. This should always bear in mind to all our journalists.
Friday, October 1, 2010
MY HOPE
Is there still hope for the Philippines?
Poverty, greed, inequality..the list is endless, we could all talk for hours or type for hours about it, but everyday, when we step out of our doorsteps all of those hit us in the face. But i am not a pessimist. I have high hopes for this country that one day we will try to rise from the mud and make ourselves stand to its own feet. Nobody would dare to laugh at us again by other nations invented name tags on our country such as the land of indolent people, land of helpers, land of slaves and many more name calling that are truly far from reality. the tragic death of those tourists in the manila hostage taking had brought us in the international limelight again. the shameful response of our authority caused much hatred from our neighbor country china. We cannot help but just to accept their negative comments making our ears open for their obnoxious remarks. There would be revenge and clash back but i remain optimistic that sooner or later, the two would make appease and eventually heal its wounds. Let bygones be bygones as the old cliche goes. But i hope this bad dream wont happen again. I just hope also that our people will not be forgetful about that fateful day of sept 27 2009 wherein hundreds of people were drowned caused by bagyong ondoy. a lesson learned is to be caring to its environment. let there be no waste in our sorroundings although this is close to impossible. Let everybody has it own good caused for the benefit of mankind.
Is there still hope for this country? A big YES.
I think what everyone needs is opportunity.
The government needs our cooperation.
A non-governmental organization wants our supports.
A poor needs an opportunity to get a job to provide something for himself and his family.
For every person, faith in God.
Poverty, greed, inequality..the list is endless, we could all talk for hours or type for hours about it, but everyday, when we step out of our doorsteps all of those hit us in the face. But i am not a pessimist. I have high hopes for this country that one day we will try to rise from the mud and make ourselves stand to its own feet. Nobody would dare to laugh at us again by other nations invented name tags on our country such as the land of indolent people, land of helpers, land of slaves and many more name calling that are truly far from reality. the tragic death of those tourists in the manila hostage taking had brought us in the international limelight again. the shameful response of our authority caused much hatred from our neighbor country china. We cannot help but just to accept their negative comments making our ears open for their obnoxious remarks. There would be revenge and clash back but i remain optimistic that sooner or later, the two would make appease and eventually heal its wounds. Let bygones be bygones as the old cliche goes. But i hope this bad dream wont happen again. I just hope also that our people will not be forgetful about that fateful day of sept 27 2009 wherein hundreds of people were drowned caused by bagyong ondoy. a lesson learned is to be caring to its environment. let there be no waste in our sorroundings although this is close to impossible. Let everybody has it own good caused for the benefit of mankind.
Is there still hope for this country? A big YES.
I think what everyone needs is opportunity.
The government needs our cooperation.
A non-governmental organization wants our supports.
A poor needs an opportunity to get a job to provide something for himself and his family.
For every person, faith in God.
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