Assignment 5

Part 1- Interview anyone who likes to pick up errors in the newspapers or other material they read, or interview anyone about how often they find mistakes in books, magazines, newspapers, or even on radio and television.

I interviewed 3 people to compare which mistakes they find and to see which medium they find the mistakes in most often.

Part 2- Write a 500 word article in the third person about the person you interviewed and the mistakes they find.

Three Waikerie locals commented on the mistakes they find in newspapers, books, magazines, on radio and television and how often they find them.

Sharon Lennell reads the Advertiser, the Sunday Mail, the Riverland Weekly, and the River News. She commented that in every newspaper there is at least one mistake and said they usually spell names wrong most often, especially with best players in the footy score sheets. She also said that in some recipes that are published in magazines or newspapers, they leave out various ingredients. In comparison Gladys Noll said that she doesn't find too many mistakes in newspapers, however she said the choice of words could be different. Mrs. Noll also said that grammar and spelling of names were also problems that she picked up. Pat Allen said she finds quite a few mistakes, particularly in The River News which she reads regularly. The mistakes Pat Allen finds are to do with punctuation, name spelling, and the date or year being "muddled up".

Mrs. Lennell said she finds plenty of mistakes in magazines. She enjoys reading the That's Life publication and said in the Secret Story section they word it differently and use American instead of Australian spelling for some words. Pat Allen said she doesn't buy magazines much but said in Lifeline, the television program times aren't always what they are supposed to be. For example, a channel's programs are listed for a certain program to be shown at a certain time on a certain day, and then on that day the channel broadcasts a different program in that timeslot. However, Pat Allen said she finds more mistakes in books, and sometimes finds two of the same pages printed in books.

With regard to radio and television, Sharon Lennell said she finds mistakes on both mediums all the time. She mentioned in particular the football radio commentators who call out the wrong names and predict goals before the players have even kicked for a goal. She said on television there is a lot of false advertising and said certain stations advertise TV shows on the wrong days. Mrs Noll said she listens to Bronwyn Wade on the Riverland Agricultural Horticultural radio program and also the ABC radio. Mrs Noll said that while the ABC radio does have some mistakes she said they weren't too bad. She also added that she enjoys watching the SBS World News on television.

All interviewees agreed that it's very frustrating for them when they find mistakes. Sharon Lennell remarked, "You expect people to get it right and then they don't." Pat Allen said that when she finds mistakes on television she doesn't know who to ring or blame... "Whether it's the station or the people who write the programs." When Gladys Noll finds mistakes she wonders if the writers or journalists have researched a topic properly and debates how accurate the story is. She added, "It frustrates me if different stories are told about the same topic."

Sharon Lennell and Gladys Noll thought it is worse to find mistakes in newspapers rather than on television or radio. Gladys Noll commented, " I think it is worse because they have to proofread it before it is printed. Television is different. With newspapers they can reread it. Whereas if you say something and two hours later are asked what you said, it is harder to remember." However, Pat Allen said because she doesn't read newspapers that often she finds it more annoying when she finds mistakes on television channels.

Part 3- Once you are happy with the article, print it out and see how many errors you can find. Highlight the text to show how you have fixed the errors.

I have done part 3 but I think it needs more improving so once I have edited it some more and have time I shall add it!

Assignment 4

Part 1

Interview 3 people about their attitudes towards print media, internet, radio, television news and current affairs programs.

Part 2

Write an article that shows how trustworthy they believe each medium, and the reporters who write for them to be.

I interviewed fellow TAFE student Belinda-Jane Clark, Waikerie Librarian Michael Cox and Uni student Emily Hudson about their attitudes towards various media and the reporters/journalists who work for each type.

When I asked how trustworthy my interviewees find newspaper articles and the journalists who write them to be, Belinda-Jane Clark responded as follows...

"I expect 'news' articles to be trustworthy- they are meant to be telling us truthfully what is going on. However I understand that some owners of this media would prevent certain articles even being printed, if it were going against their views, or would impact them financially. When it comes to other articles in the newspaper, like human interest or celebrity gossip, I take it with caution as you don't know why they have produced that story in the first place-for example, is there an underlying reason why they are always picking on Lady GaGa? I can't say I don't trust journalists per se, but you can always spot someone who is trying to lead you in a certain direction."

Michael Cox stated the fact that journalists have to sell newspapers therefore they always try to sensationalise a story to make it more readable.

However he did add, "Freelance journalists who are not connected to a particular paper are probably more trustworthy. Overall I tend to be wary what I read in articles and tend to question some of their findings."

Journalists sometimes delete information or twist the meanings of their articles. Emily Hudson suggested that journalists don't necessarily change or omit facts for their own purpose but rather for the employer they work for.

She said, "I believe it is illegal to report nonfactual information, but there is a difference between writing lies and altering the truth to make it sound more exciting and dramatic. For example, the Delhi Games was reported to be an epic disaster, and this was backed up by 'horrible pictures of collapsing bridges, leaking rooms and decrepit rooms for athletes'. What they omitted, in many cases, was the rest of it all; the beautiful gardens, spectacular arenas and a country that was so excited to be welcoming visitors and competitors to their country."

The interviewees were all in agreement that they wouldn't trust information from the internet solely for educational purposes due to misinformation. Belinda-Jane Clark believes cross-referencing with books as well as the internet is the best option. Emily Hudson said she would trust the internet less than other educational sources especially if it is from an "unreliable, un-referenced site". Michael Cox would rather use a reputable database such as Britannica because he said the information is more likely to be checked before approval. However Mr. Cox added, "...information does change, for example, scientific theories like evolution."

Emily Hudson said she has to check that the information she finds over the net is correct because she is studying for her University degree. Michael Cox and Belinda-Jane Clark both admitted that they don't always verify the information they find over the internet, but they both still try to look for inconsistencies and try to make sure the sites are reputable.

Overall Michael Cox and Emily Hudson believe the internet is a powerful tool if utilized properly. Belinda-Jane Clark and Mr. Cox think that everything from the net should be taken with a grain of salt, because there is no one to check all the sites. Two of the interviewees also said it can be used by "cunning religious/political crackpots" to brainwash people into believing their ideas to form a group of supporters. However, Belinda-Jane and Emily Hudson agreed that the genuine websites are full of great and quality information.

Belinda-Jane Clark sums up the opinion of most of the interviewees when she describes how reliable she thinks radio presenters are:

"On news shows and talkback-very reliable, they need to have the facts before they present them. But on things like morning shows, they can speak without backup, making allegations etc. that may not be fully backed up by facts."

Emily Hudson said most of the radio shows are made up of the presenter's/writer's opinion which makes what they say unreliable and Michael Cox said the radio presenters/writers tend to "exaggerate, elaborate, and milk issues for all they are worth" to keep people listening.

All the interviewees believed TV news reporters/readers were more trustworthy compared to journalists who work for current affairs programs. Current affairs programs were deemed less credible, less newsworthy and are described by one interviewee as, "overdramatised, horribly inaccurate" and that they, "make a soap opera out of reality".

Two interviewees thought that newspapers were the most trustworthy out of the selected mediums because "... their work is forever evidence of right or wrong doing" and "...there should be more research and more reliable sources." The other interviewee said that it was too hard to decide as a lot of mediums are owned by the same people/companies but believed that the internet was the least reliable because, "it is such a massive source of information and it makes it harder to filter the good from the bad."

Despite the fact that they find it "dodgy", Emily Hudson and Belinda-Jane Clark use the internet most often and also use it for educational purposes. Michael Cox uses newspapers most often and for educational purposes would also use: newspapers, magazines, and research journals that specialise in particular topics. He added, "I wouldn't use the internet too often."

LOLcats

Some LOL cat pics for you! They always make me smile :D Enjoy