Blog 4

Research Topic: Why do you like seeing Hollywood films and how do you interpret them?

Key Concept:

1)    Encoding and Decoding model

In Encoding/Decoding Model, Stuart Hall (1980) proposed a model of mass communication that highlights the importance of active interpretation within relevant codes.

The encoding of a message is the production of the message. It is a system of coded meanings, and in order to create that, the sender needs to understand how the world is comprehensible to the members of the audience. In the process of encoding, the sender uses verbal, such as words, signs, images or video for which he or she believes the receiver will understand. The decoding of a message is how an audience member is able to understand, and interpret the message. It is a process of interpretation and translation of coded information into a comprehensible form. The audience is trying to reconstruct the idea by giving meanings to symbols and by interpreting the message as a whole.

From this perspective, we can say that the audience is the "source" as well as the "receiver" of the film message. We may characterize this communicative process in these terms: The institutional practices of broadcasting are required to produce a program. Circulation and reception are important "moments" in the production process. Thus, reception or consumption of the film message is a "moment" of the production process in its larger sense.

In my research project, it gather the opinions that how interviewees interpret Hollywood film. Using encoding and decoding model, it can detect how interviewees interpret the message of Hollywood film, and compare those result between interviewees.

Regarding to the process of my research, I am crating the questionnaires, I would upload the questionnaire to collect data. Also I am preparing the interview, and start the interview in 3 of April. The interviewees are come from different group such as student and worker. Last, I am still finding more articles that relevant with my project.

Blog 2,3,4

Blog 4

Article: Online Communication Among Adolescents: An Integrated Model of Its Attraction, Opportunities, and Risks

Writer: Patti M. Valkenburg, Ph.D., M.Sc.correspondenceemail, Jochen Peter, Ph.D.

Dates: March 17, 2009

In this article, we focus on online communication in everyday life of teenagers, that is, their voluntary or intentional online interactions with online individuals or groups through e-technologies. It will tell us why online communication is attraction, opportunities, and risks. It analysis three features of online communication are include anonymity, asynchronization, and accessibility. Among which, anonymity is related to my research paper. The anonymity has two ways to influence teenagers’ psychosocial development in positive and negative ways. In positive ways, teenagers can self-disclosure and self-presentation on online because nobody can see their faces. In contrast, online anonymity may also stimulate impulsive reactions, which may result in disinhibited, aggressive, and insulting comments, as well as in cyberbullying and online harassment of peers. Thus, cyberbullying has a potential downside of online communication. The victim of cyberbullying is associated with many psychosocial attributes, such as increased social anxiety, psychological distress, and symptoms of depression in this article. Moreover, this article focused on the following two aspects of identity development are self-concept-clarity and self-esteem, which related to my research paper of develop user’s personal confidence. Self-concept clarity is means that beliefs and opinions about one's self are clearly. Self-esteem is how adolescents value their self-worth.

In my research, I decide to compare the user’s personal confidence of positive and negative. According to above article, “adolescents develop shallow relationships with online strangers or may become victims of online solicitation and cyberbullying. In contrast, it has also been argued that the Internet provides them with many opportunities to explore their identity, find support and information about developmentally sensitive issues, and develop close and meaningful relationships.” Therefore, I will have interview with 15 20 years old to 40 years old the users of golden forum. Through the interview, I hope to find out whether their confidence developments on online communication are different or they are the same. Moreover, I would like to find out how to change the users on online communication, which may are values, feelings, experiences etc. through the interview or questionnaire. In addition, I am going to find out some users from golden forums and arrange to interview. I will invite my friend as my interviewer too. I think the interview will be done within next two weeks.

Reference: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(10)00426-X/fulltext#sec3

Student name: Ip Man Yee 10643173

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blog 3

What is the refined research question that you are setting out to answer?

After my considered and refined, I confirm my research project’s topic is “How the online communities influence user’s personal confidence? ”. I will focus on what reason of users spending time on online communication, what feelings they are using online communication, and what they are discuses or concern on online communication usually.

How does this develop themes and debates explored within the lectures of this module? (Please put down the revised short introduction to your project based on the one in blog 2. Remember that the introduction should include the purpose of your research project, significance and key concept(s) that may be useful for your analysis.)

Recently, Internet is widely used over the world.  Online discussion forums also have been commonly used and online communities are formed. Online communities help to shorten the distance of communication between human across the variety of geographical location and ethnicity. Through interacting online, it is easy to gather a group of people to share some common interest, goal and preference for a similar lifestyle.

Because of the Hong Kong education strategies, people are always trained to be a good listener but not a speaker who seldom to express and share their own opinion. People are lack of confident to express and speak for their own.  Surprisingly, we found that people enthuse to express themselves online in antonymous in many local forums. Through engaging the online communities, people are more confident to talk, discuss and express their own interest and opinion.  However, some people think that online communities just help to develop their virtual confidence instead of in person confidence.

In addition, the impact of the platform of online communication is far beyond our expectations, because users can get some information on online communication, such as job’s or school’s interview, experience of working holiday, political. That is mean how popularity of online communication nowadays. At the same time, cyber bullying is a serious issue too. It is because users do not need to be blamed for what they talked in antonymous. Then, how the “antonymous” is so important? What power in this “antonymous” term?

This research paper is going to study some local forums and investigate how these online communities / communication influence on personal confidence.

What critical methodologies are you going to use? How are you going to produce the evidence you’ll need to answer your research question?

1) In-depth interviews with 15 20 years old to 40 years old the users of golden forum to investigate the extent of their participation in the online communities.

2) There are around 15-20 questions for the respondents which is hoping accurately to know their views on the cyberspace.

3) In-depth interviews with 5 persons of experienced cyber bullying to understand what their feeling is.

Student name: Ip Man Yee 10643173

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blog 2

Summary statement of what I would like to explore for my final project:

(Research question: How the online communities influence user’s personal confidence?)

A short paragraph on how this develops themes and concepts raised in lectures:

This paper will investigate how online communities affect on user’s personal confidence (positive or negative effect) through studying user’s intention of going online communities, the use of particular languages and style of communication.

Reason of the research paper

Recently, Internet is widely used over the world.  Online discussion forums also have been commonly used and online communities are formed. Online communities help to shorten the distance of communication between human across the variety of geographical location and ethnicity.  Through interacting online, it is easy to gather a group of people to share some common interest, goal and preference for a similar lifestyle.

Because of the Hong Kong education strategies, people are always trained to be a good listener but not a speaker who seldom to express and share their own opinion. People are lack of confident to express and speak for their own.  Surprisingly, we found that people enthuse to express themselves online in antonymous in many local forums. Through engaging the online communities, people are more confident to talk, discuss and express their own interest and opinion.  However, some people think that online communities just help to develop their virtual confidence instead of in person confidence. 

This research paper is going to study some local forums and investigate how these online communities / communication influence on personal confidence.

Method to be used

Two famous local forums are selected which are Golden discussion forum and Hong Kong discuss forum.  They are the best-hit rate sites in Hong Kong.  This paper is going to study the features of these two sites and how they gather the group of people. 

Besides, the users of these two sites will be interviewed through online questionnaire / private message.   The age group of 21-40 will be selected in this interview. It is because they are the most common members of online communities.

Questions are drafted as following for the questionnaire.

1)      Why you would like to engage into the discussion forums?

2)      How many times per day, you will spend on online communications.

3)      What power of discussion forums to attract you to use it?

4)      Do you scare that you will be a cyber bullying target?

5)      What feelings are you of discussion forums?

Student name: Ip Man Yee 10643173

Blog 4

Question: Is our News media companies really not fair?

After the research, I got some useful information.In the article. In ‘Hong Kong’s news media five years after the handover: Prospects for press freedom’, I know that The HKJA & Article 19 noted just before the handover that, with pressures from China growing, “[i]t is self-censorship, rather than direct intervention, that will more likely undermine freedom of expression” (HKJA & Article 19, 1997: 4). In the annaul reports that self-censorship remains a problem, though a changing one. As noted, coverage of China is the main area where journalists hold back. Before the handover Chinese officials warned that “advocating” freedom for Tibet and Taiwan would not be tolerated, and journalists take great care when reporting on these subjects and probably drop stories that might be seen to be crossing the line.  

It remind that when the journalists want to report some sensitive topics, they need special care to handle.

Correspondents Association and the Hong Kong University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme at the end of each year to carry out the investigation so far, the former visited 537 journalists, who visited 1035 people.

Surveys show that up to 90% of the respondents believe journalists, press freedom over the past year as a whole slip, 7 adults agree that the Government is to suppress the freedom of the press sources, reflecting the shrinking of press freedom.

Journalists and generally believe that industry self-censorship in serious condition, have access to information generally difficult circumstances interview.

The results showed that, in order to calculate the score 0-100, respondents give the public in 2014, "Press Freedom Index" score of 48.8, compared with 2013 for the first time the index fell 0.6 release, more journalists ratings fell 3.1 to 38.9.

According to the announcement, journalists interviewed noted that, in the face of difficulties generally get coverage information, and "manipulating the situation to media reports news and information is also common." Government.

Journalists refer to last spate of attacks on reporters have been incidents of violence, including Liu Jin FIG attacked early event, and during the occupation have as many as 30 cases of reporters attacked suspected cases, the situation is unprecedented.

Hong Kong Journalists Association also criticized the Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying during the occupation movement has never held a press conference in response to a question, just look for the selective media organizations interviewed believe that government control of the media coverage of the case generally.

In "The Effect of self-censorship on news credibility: public' s perception of Hong Kong newspapers after the 1997 Handover" I know that if we need to understand self-censorship, it is important to comprehend the motives and reasons behind the acts. The self-censorship practice results form social (external) and psychological (internal) factors. The external factors maybe political, economic, social and extra-legal, while internal factors include journalists’ personalities and inclinations, as well as the media organization’s editorial stance.

So, I need to find out the motives and reason for these news media in Hong Kong and figure out the relationship between and political economh approach media ownership and media content.

References:

BBC NEWS

http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/china/2015/03/150327_hk_media_freedom

HKU POP SITE - Whether the Local News Media have Practised Self-censorship

https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/chinese/popexpress/press/self/

Clarke, J., Hong Kong's news media five years after the handover: Prospects for press freedom, Asia Pacific Media Educator, 12, 2002, 44-61.

http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=apme

Sun, Yuwei, "The Effect of self-censorship on news credibility: public's perception of Hong Kong newspapers after the 1997 Handover" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper 13839.

http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4846&context=etd

Research Progress

Finished the design of survey, will interview in next week (around 27/3-8/4)

Starting research

Hello, I am Audrey Pun, a student from UWE, I am studying in Media culture and practices. Now I would like to ask your opinions on some social issues, this will only take you a few minutes, and the information you provide will be kept stictly confidential.

1. Gender

• Male
• Female

2. Age

• 18-22
• 23-27
• 28-32
• 33-37
• 38-42
• 43-47
• 48-52
• 53-57
• 58-62
• 63-67
• 68-72
• 73 or above

3. Education Attainment

Primary or below

Secondary 1 to Secondary 3

Secondary 4 to Secondary 5

Secondary 6

Secondary 7

Tertiary, non-degree course

Tertiary, degree course

Master's degree

Doctoral degree 4. Which of the following channels are your main source of news?（Interviewer to read out the first 7 choices, multiple answered） 以下邊一種渠道是你主要既新聞來源？（讀出頭七個答案、可選多項） Television Radio Newspapers Magazines Friends Family members Internet Others 5. Are you satisfied with the existing freedom of press in Hong Kong? 你滿唔滿意而家香港新聞自由程度? Very satisfied Quite satisfied Half-half Quite dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 6. Do you think the news media in Hong Kong are responsible in their reporting? 你認為而家香港新聞傳媒既報導負唔負責任? Very responsible Quite responsible Half-half Quite irresponsible Very irresponsible 7.  Do you think the news media in Hong Kong have any scruple when criticizing the Central Government? 你覺得香港新聞傳媒係批評中央政府既時候有冇顧忌? Yes No 8.  Do you think the news media in Hong Kong have any scruple when criticizing the HKSAR Government? 你覺得香港新聞傳媒係批評特區政府既時候有冇顧忌? Yes No 9. Do you think the news media in Hong Kong have practised self-censorship? 你覺得香港新聞傳媒有冇自我審查? Yes No 10. Do you think the news media in Hong Kong have given full play to the freedom of speech? 你覺得香港新聞傳媒有冇充份發揮言論自由? Yes No 11. Do you think the news media in Hong Kong have misused or abused the freedom of press? 你覺得香港新聞傳媒有冇誤用或濫用新聞自由? Yes No 12. Please use a scale of 0-10 to rate the credibility of the news media in Hong Kong, with 10 representing absolutely credible, 5 half-half, and 0 being absolutely not credible. What rating would you give the media? 請你用0至10分評價香港新聞傳媒既公信力。10分代表非常可信,5分代表一半半,0分代表非常不可信,咁你會俾多分? Student name: Pun Shuk Kwan, Audrey (10644377)

Blog4

Literature ReviewLink
 I found this article quite useful for analyzing the Traditional media and New media, it states that Traditional media are generally characterized by their relatively limited methods of delivering information about social, political, and economic events. Newspapers carry factual stories and editorials accompanied by a limited amount of imagery. TV, of course, delivers pictures together with some factual coverage, some editorial coverage, and a significant amount of advertising. In the case of both newspapers and TV, content is usually produced and selected for distribution by an elite minority. Most importantly, it is generally unidirectional. That is, there is no productive engagement on the part of the reader; it is an exercise in information consumption only. New media, however, blur these distinctions in new ways. On the web, one might still encounter traditional journalism on the sites of the main newspapers. Blogs are examples of this, but they are qualitatively different for a variety of reasons. Even further removed are Twitter comments ('tweets'), YouTube videos, Facebook statuses and many, many more diverse phenomena. Traditional outlets have been modified with the introduction of the option to leave comments on the stories presented.


Link
 This article talks about the relationship between New media and young generations, i analyzes different aspect of the relationship, marketing, entertainment and freedom etc. I found this article useful because it provides solid number chart that analyze the reason of teenagers using with New media, what would they and why they do, it all provides. On the other hand, it also study the elder generations usage of New media. Overall the article provides comprehensive study in both of young and elder generations.


Research Progress
  I have completed two of my interview with teenagers that how they thought the relationship between the New media and the Traditional media, and the funny thing is the both pointed out some interesting thought. They both thought that the enviornment of politics in Hong Kong would have big influence with it, such as freedom of speech, media filter etc. After the interviews, i would add some more questions with it and to study deeper the influence of politics in Hong Kong of how could they affect the New media and Traditional media.


Cheng Siu Chun Adrian