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January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012
The Similarities and Differences Between Print and Digital Media
Mark Carrasco
Basak Yuce
COLI 214F
27 January 2012
The Similarities and Differences Between Print and Digital Media
During most of the 20th century, the newspaper was the main source of news for the general public. In 1994, the first online news appeared on the World Wide Web. Due to the appearance of digital news and the increase in the price of newsprint, a number of daily papers began to fade away. Although online news has currently shifted into becoming the main source of news, there are similarities between itself and its predecessor. Some of the similarities include content, impactful language, and its permanence. These comparisons can be found in Thomas DeFrank and Alison Gendar’s Daily News print article, “Getting Steamy!”, and their digital article, “GOP debate: Mitt Romney slams Newt Gingrich as an erratic hypocrite and shameless Washington insider”. Another example where these similarities can be found is in Henrick Karoliszyn’s and Tracy Connor’s Daily News print article, “I Hope He Melts in Jail”, and their digital article, “Courtroom drama: Michael Mele admits killing dancer Laura Garza just as trial opens”. Although the authors of each article posit the commonalities, there are differences in headlining, updating, imaging, amount of information provided, and the size of the articles between the print and its digital counterpart.
DeFrank and Gendar’s print and digital articles, “Getting Steamy!” and “GOP debate: Mitt Romney Slams Newt Gringrich as an erratic hypocrite and shameless Washington insider”, respectively, appertain to Mitt Romney’s and Newt Gringrich’s belittling comments at each other during Monday night’s heated Tampa debate. Both articles have very similar content pertaining to the debate. The articles began by mentioning Romney’s attack on the former Speaker of the House. Coincidently, both articles explained that Romney’s poor performance at the South Carolina Preliminary, where Gringrich won, was the reason behind his aggression. The articles also quoted Romney claiming that his counterpart has, “…gone from pillar to post - almost like a pinball machine - from item to item in a way which is highly erratic and does not suggest a stable, thoughtful course which is normally associated with leadership” (8). The articles then quoted Gringrich’s response; “It used to be pious baloney, now it’s desperate baloney. As President, he’ll be able to open a delicatessen” (8). The insertion of these quotes segues into the next similarity, the authors’ ability to insert impactful language. The insertion of the quotes stated above, have an impactful presence in the article that it is used as a key component to lure readers in. The article, “Getting Steamy!”, even infused the quotes into the image, coinciding the article, in an attempt to lure readers in. Throughout these articles you begin to notice the authors successful usage of impactful adjectives to describe the people involved, such as their description of Newt Gringrich as a “sharp-tongued Georgian” (8). The final similarity between both articles is the permanence that is produced after its publication. People can cut clippings from the newspaper article and save the digital article to view at a later time. There are many more similarities between these digital and print articles. Nevertheless, there are a number of contrasts between the two.
Despite the fact that the authors of these two political articles are identical, the headlines of each article are different. The difference between the print article, “Getting Steamy!”, and the digital article, “GOP debate: Mitt Romney Slams Newt Gringrich as an erratic hypocrite and shameless Washington insider”, has to do with the amount of readers the authors are trying to lure in. The newspaper industry is dwindling; therefore journalists need to create a headline that project heavily to the audience so they can buy papers. “Getting Steamy!” is an excellent example where the author is attempting to lure in readers with an eye-popping title. The headline for the digital article is long and not as eye-popping as the print article headline. The reason behind it has to do with the unlimited space that online authors are given and their lack of competition. Although a fancy headline would help the digital article into luring more readers, the demand for it is astronomically less than that of the print article’s headline. Another difference between the two articles is their ability to update within that same article. Right below the headline of the digital article, the author wrote, “Published: Monday, January 23 2012, 12:32 PM Updated: Tuesday, January 24 2012, 9:47 AM”. This shows that the article may have had a mistake and the author was able to update the same article within minutes. For the print article, the authors do not have the luxury of making a simple mistake because they do not have the ability to update that same article. If there was a mistake made in the print article, the authors may have to follow it up in the next day’s paper. The next difference are the images used in each article. The print article has an image depicting Romney’s face and Gringrich’s face looking at one another. Right by their faces there is a quote that each stated about the other during the debate. Behind the two heads, there is a background of the White House. The image depicted in the digital article has the two candidates staring at each other from their podiums during the debate. The reason behind the prints interesting image has to do, once again, with the author attempt to capture the reader’s attention. The final two differences, the amount of information and size of the article, coincide with one another. After reading both articles, you notice that the digital article vests more information about the debate than that of the print article. This has to do with the unlimited space the Internet provides the authors when writing the article. In the print article, the authors have to concern themselves about space consumption, thus less detail about the debate. Though it may seem great that the Internet provides us with unlimited space to write about whatever we want, James Gleick brought up a good point in his article, “New News Every Day”. Gleick stated, “Relation between information load and information handling typically looked like an ‘inverted U’: more information was helpful at first, then not so helpful, and then actually harmful.” He then goes on saying that the public is suffering mental exhaustion because of this rise of new and more information. The rise in popularity of digital articles is in large part due to the favorable differences between it and its counterpart. Although this may be true, Gleick brings up a great point that more information could potentially be harmful to the readers.
The second example where there are similarities between print and digital articles is in Henrick Karoliszyn’s and Tracy Connor’s articles “I Hope he Melts in Jail” and “Courtroom drama: Michael Mele admits killing dancer Laura Garza just as trial opens”. These articles are about Michael Mele’s detailed account on how he brutally murdered Laura Garza in 2008. On January 23, 2012, Mele was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The authors decided to keep the content and wording for their print and digital article completely similar and identical to one another. The headline for this story was front-page news of the January 24th edition of the Daily News. This may have played a factor on the authors’ decision to stay consistent with the content for what they believe is to be an important story. Another similarity is the authors’ usage of impactful quotes by the people involved in the article. The mother of the victim was quoted, “I hope he melts in jail”, when referring to the killer’s sentence. The authors’ decision to make this quote into the title of the print article was due to its strong and impactful words that may attract the attention of readers. The authors’ use of words, such as “HE LURED HER”, throughout the article, was to create a sense of suspense for the reader. The final similarity between the articles is the permanence. Just like the previous Daily News examples, a person may cut up the clippings from the newspaper article and save the digital article to view at a later time. These are just a few examples of the similarities between these two articles. However, there are many more differences between the print and digital articles.
The print article, “I Hope he Melts in Jail”, and the digital article, “Courtroom drama: Michael Mele admits killing dancer Laura Garza just as trial opens”, have very different headlines/titles. The print article’s headline is directly from a quote that the mother said of the killer’s sentence. The quote basically summarized what the article was about and due to its shortness and simplicity, the authors believed that it was a perfect title to try to captivate the attention of the reader. The digital article’s headline was long and less impactful than the print’s headline due to the less competitiveness of online news. The next difference between the articles is the ability to update. Underneath the title of the digital article, the author wrote, “Published: Monday, January 23 2012, 11:01 AM Updated: Monday, January 23 2012, 1:05 PM”. Once again, the digital article had the ability to follow up or correct any mistakes on the original article anytime after its publication. Just like the previous example with updating, if a mistake were made in the original print article, there would be no chance on going back to the same article to correct it. In order to correct a mistake, the author would have to follow up on the story in the next edition of the paper. The next difference between both articles is the usage of images. Because it is front-page news, the pictures on the front-cover and by the article are crucial to garner the attention of the reader. The image by the article depicts Mele being restrained by two officers and inserted into that picture is an image of the victim. The article also shows an image of the victim’s mother sobbing. The image of the mother is important because one of her quotes happens to be the headline/title. The main image in the digital article depicts the victim alongside two other women. When you scroll down the article, there is a small image of the killer’s face. The images found in the digital article not as attractive to the readers as the images found in the print article due to its lack of competitiveness. Another difference between the articles is the amount of information that is rendered. Although the article content is the same for both sources, the digital article added on additional links that would allow readers to view other articles pertaining to the murder. The number of information dealing with murder far exceed that of the print article, which leads us to the next difference, the size of the article. In the following weeks, this story should take up less space in the newspaper due to its inevitable lessening popularity. Because of its current importance, the Daily News allowed this article to take up a full page. Even though the physical size of the print article is fairly big, the digital article is larger because of the numerous ads around the article, the other related links, and a special section to allow readers to send in their comments and opinions about the article. If need be, the authors can add on more their digital article because of the unlimited access that the Internet provides them.
A simpler approach to view the comparisons and contrasts of print and digital media is by understanding the framework behind the inverted pyramid of journalism. The inverted pyramid has three parts. The top part is where the important information goes such as who, what, where, when, why, and how? The second part of the inverted triangle is the quotes and supporting information. The last and least important part of the inverted triangle is the general background of a particular article. The print articles from above dive into first two parts of the inverted triangle. The reason that it does not include the third part has to do with the limited amount of space given to each article by the newspaper. The third part may also add on information about the article that the reader may deem as irrelevant. The digital articles from above use all of the parts of the inverted triangle. This is in large part due to the unlimited space that the Internet allows authors to add more information and general backgrounds of the article.
The newspaper became the main outlet of news for the public during the 20th century. By the end of the 20th century, online news began to make its appearance. The easy access of online news and the always-increasing price of newsprint rendered a decline of daily newspapers around the world. Although online news has displaced printed news as the most dependent outlet, there are numerous similarities between the two. These similarities include the content within the article, the impactful language that the author uses to attract the readers, and permanence that both outlets provide when publishing an article. As we saw, these similarities could be found in DeFrank and Gendar Daily News print and digital articles, “Getting Steamy!” and “GOP debate: Mitt Romney slams Newt Gingrich as an erratic hypocrite and shameless Washington insider”, respectively and in Karoliszyn and Connor Daily News print and digital articles, “I Hope he Melts in Jail” and “Courtroom drama: Michael Mele admits killing dancer Laura Garza just as trial opens”, respectively. Although the author of each article shows the similarities, there were many differences between the articles. Some of the main differences include the headlining/title of the article, the way to approach updating an article for a correction or a follow up story, the importance of image placement by the article, the amount of information provided, and the size of the articles. These differences are the ultimate reason behind the shift from print to digital media.
Works Cited
DeFrank, Thomas , and Alison Gendar. “Getting Steamy!.” Daily News [New York] 24 Jan. 2012: 8-9. Print.
Gleik, James. “New News Everyday.” Print.
Karoliszyn, Henrick , and Tracy Connor. “I Hope He Melts In Jail.” Daily News [New York] 24 Jan. 2012: 10. Print.
The Paper. Dir. Ron Howard. Perf. Michael Keaton. 1994. Film.
Yuce, Basak. “History of the Press.” Lecture Notes. N/A. Binghamton University, Binghamton. 10 Jan. 2012. Lecture.
January 24, 2012
When the teacher looks at you while teaching a lesson…
Immediate reaction:
Guilty!
(Source: , via robottomatoes)
January 24, 2012
January 24, 2012
January 23, 2012
They’re taking the hobbits to isenguard!
January 23, 2012
Guerrillero Heroico
Mark Carrasco
Basak Yuce
COLI 214F
23 January 2012
Guerrillero Heroico
A mere photograph of Ernesto Che Guevera transformed him to become one of the most highly recognized and iconic faces around the world. His long black hair and glaring expression can be seen plastered from posters to t-shirts. Though this iconic photo has ingrained Che’s face in the minds of many, the history of this person, a major contributor to the Cuban Revolution, is not as well-known. German philosopher Walter Benjamin recognizes that the mass reproduction of artwork graces it with a closer interaction to the masses. However, it comes at a great price of losing all of its originality and aura. The destruction of aura made him believe that it will eliminate the cult of art. To some extent, Benjamin was correct when concerning the Che photograph. Although the mass reproduction of Che’s photograph did in fact influence his image to be popular with the masses, it did not result in a loss of its aura.
The documentary, Chevolution, allowed us to see the historic progression leading to the iconic image. Che, a young medical student from Argentina, travelled across Latin America and witnessed the horrors of poverty and oppression. Appalled by what he saw, he decided to fight against these societal evils. At Mexico City, he met Fidel Castro and an instant connection was formed. Both men abhorred the current Cuban government and began devising a plan to overthrow Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. The plan met with great success and Castro took over with Che as second in command.
On March 4,1960 a freighter, La Coubre, exploded while unloading. What seemed like second later, a second devastating explosion occurred. Both events resulted in countless fatalities and injuries. The next day, Castro called a memorial service in honor of those who passed away due to the tragic events. While Castro spoke words of honor and grief to his people, Che was hidden from the sight of the audience. At this instant, Che found himself gazing into the pained eyes of the Cuban people. A photographer, named Alberto Korda, noticed this interaction and immortalized this moment. He snapped two pictures of Che looking upon the crowd with a strong and grave expression. Korda sent forty different photographs, including those he took of Che, to a newspaper company. The company rejected these photos except for the ones depicting Castros’s speech.
For years, the photographs remained unknown to the public eye until Italian Giangiacomo Feltrinelli came along. Feltrinelli was publishing a book about Che and needed the best pictures Korda had of the revolutionist. He was able to utilize these photos because Korda released them uncopyrighted during the communist Cuban Regime. Back in Italy, Feltrinelli created posters of Che’s image to endorse his book and copyrighted that specific photo to his name. These posters soon took on a revolutionary connation due to a series of different events. Soon after Che’s assassination, the posters were present at a protest in Italy. One year later, Italian students planned a riot to overthrow the current government. They held up images of Che as a sign of rebellion. Artist Jim Fitzpatrick gained access to the pictures and created the well-known reproduction of the photo that depicted Che in a red background. Unlike Feltrinelli, Fitzpatrick did not copyright this popular photo and allowed the world to use it at their disposal. As a result, the mass reproduction of the Che photograph interacted with our modern society.
We can see the Che image on t-shirts, coffee mugs, underwear, tattoos, etc. Chevolution stated that even gangs wore the Che image on their shirts to show their sense of rebellion. People have a strong connection with the reproduced photo because he reminds them of a hip and modern-day version of Jesus. Although most people are unfamiliar with Che’s back-story, they are still able to pinpoint him as a strong symbol of rebellion. Benjamin stated that a mass reproduction of artwork would result in a loss of its aura. In his article, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, Benjamin explained that the loss of aura is when “the technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition”. Alberto Korda took pictures of Che Guevera because of Che’s rise to second in command of Cuba through rebellious means. Even after the constant exploiting and recycling of Che’s image, people still depict that iconic photo as a sign of rebellion, thus rendering Benjamin’s argument as refutable.
The iconic Che image is a worldwide phenomenon that is still constant use today. Che Guevera’s history and the progression of his photo resulted in ever-lasting popularity among people. To this day, it is still synonymous with concepts of rebellion and revolution. Walter Benjamin’s argument reasoning about the influence of mass reproduction on works of art is partially correct when dealing with the Che image. It is true that the mass reproduction of the photo influenced its strong interaction among the masses. However, it’s aura of heroism and courage will last for eternity.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.
Chevolution. Dir. Luis Lopez. 2008. Film.
January 23, 2012
January 21, 2012
From 500 Friends to None
Mark Carrasco
Basak Yuce
COLI 214F
19 January 2012
From a Half Billion Friends to None
Many people believe that Mark Zuckerberg, in only the confines of his college dorm, single-handedly revolutionized how we communicate by inventing a social networking site called “Facebook.” But is this story true? The Social Network was released in theaters on October 1, 2010 and received an outstanding audience rating of 89%. The film received an incredible 126 awards, most notably from the Golden Globes for Best Drama Motion Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Original Score. Director David Fincher, known for his dark and stylish thrillers such as Fight Club, portrays the tantalizing, but fictional, beginnings of Facebook.com. The protagonist, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), is a tech-savvy student at Harvard University and co-founded Facebook with fellow student, and only true friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). Though he is blessed with a brilliant mind, Mark’s attitude and ego leads him to the clutches of several major lawsuits, one of which was from Eduardo. In an instant, the creator of Facebook goes from having 500 million virtual friends to no absolutely friends at all….
The success of The Social Network relies heavily on how Mark Zuckerberg’s character was portrayed on screen. Analyzing Mark along with protagonists from other successful movies, such as “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “Ironman” (2008), one notices that viewers respond to films that feature egotistical braniacs who suffer from many internal conflicts. These narcissistic Einsteins were successful in keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with their cunning comments and unpredictable actions.
Before indulging into the plot summary, it is important to note that although most of the characters are based on real people, most of the scenes are fictionally based. The movie begins in a heated verbal exchange between Mark and his girlfriend, Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) about his college endeavors. Mark’s crude and belittling remarks eventually pushes Erica to leave him and his egotistical personality. In retaliation, Mark posts an online attack against his ex-girlfriend on his blog and decides to drink his sorrows away. After downing too many drinks, Mark decides to lash out against all Harvard women through the creation of a site, “The Facemash.” Its sole purpose is for users to vote between two pictures of female undergrads and decide who is “hotter.” By hacking Harvard’s database, Mark is able to obtain the necessary information needed to complete his tirade against Harvard women. On that night alone, the site results in a traffic overload due to over 22,000 online visitors. Ironically, his rash and immature actions lead to the indirect beginnings of the success that is Facebook. This scene at the bar is an important introduction for me to grasp the concept of Mark Zuckerberg’s character. His crude, yet sly, comments to Erica indicate that he is neither modest nor humble about his intelligence at all.
After a university ban of “The Facemash”, Mark’s image among his classmates is tarred and damaged. However, fate had it in the cards for Mark to be approached by rich twin brothers, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer), and their friend Divya Narendra (Max Minghella). The three Harvard students are searching for a programmer to help them develop a Harvard dating site. They deem Mark to be the worthy person to fill the position due to his rapid success with, “The Facemash.” In return, the Winklevoss’ and Divya promise to restore and enhance Mark’s reputation. Immediately after agreeing to join their business endeavors, Mark rushes to his friend and future business partner, Eduardo. He informs Eduardo about this social networking site idea that he had just thought of. Mark has difficulty convincing Eduardo to financially invest in the idea. Eventually, Eduardo falls as yet another victim to Mark’s crafty ways and ponies-up a starting fee to get the site running. During the creation of this site, Mark purposely avoids the twins and Divya by claiming that he believes that their project will not result in any sort of progress or success.
When the Winklevoss’ and Divya promises Mark that creating a Harvard dating site would restore his image among his peers, I believe that Mark has no desire to revive something that he does not deem important. To him, his peers are not worthy of his intellectual presence. To this potential reward, Mark responds, “You’d do that for me?” I noticed that this line is a reused quote that his ex-girlfriend threw at him during their fight and emphasizes his lack of interest for the project. In addition, the business prospect serves as a sore reminder of the unforgettable chain of events that occurred after his breakup. I found it interesting and ironic that Mark, a socially inept genius, wants to create a social networking site that would allow him to virtually communicate with his peers. This reveals a hidden desire that Mark, though he puts up a pompous front, is actually a lonely soul in need of friends and attention.
The plot continues with Facebook stirring up positive reviews among the Harvard crowd. Eventually, Mark and Eduardo decide it is time to expand Facebook’s potential pool of users. As a result of their hard work, Facebook goes public to other several prestigious schools and quickly gains popularity all over the country. At Stanford University, Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the flamboyant co-creator of Napster, comes across Facebook. Immediately falling in love with the idea, he seeks a business meeting with its creators. During the meeting, Eduardo is uneasy about Sean’s intentions and later accuses the encounter as the “Sean Parker Variety Hour”. Eduardo wants nothing to do with Sean, but it is already too late. Mark takes the bait that is in the form of Sean’s sweet words and decides to take his suggestion and move the headquarters of Facebook to California. Though it is obvious that Eduardo does not think this is the best idea, he unwillingly agrees with the move to California. Once again, Eduardo is coerced by Mark’s devious methods.
I found it very fascinating that Mark pulls deceitful stunts on his only true friend while in the search of making millions of virtual ones. This scene indicates the beginning of an end to the friendship between Mark and Eduardo. Throughout the early stages of the plot, I took notice to Mark’s jealousy of Eduardo’s involvement with the “Phoenix,” one of Harvard’s elite and exclusive clubs. Though it was not clarified, the atmosphere of the movie led me to believe that Mark plants a story to Harvard’s newspaper in order to defame Eduardo’s name. However, his plan backfires and the article deems Eduardo as the co-founder of Facebook. Mark fervently believes that his friend does not deserve the same credit as he does in the creation of the website. Sean’s influence on Mark serves to further facilitate the end of their relationship. Not knowing how long Eduardo can bare Mark’s antics kept me in suspense and guessing what will become of their friendship.
While in California, Mark decides to make Sean the president of Facebook without any consent from Eduardo. After obtaining his new position, Sean meets with a company that plans on providing Facebook with an angel investment of a half million dollars. Mark quickly jumps on the idea and tricks Eduardo into signing what he had thought to be a guaranteed agreement to have 34% of Facebook’s stocks. In reality, it was actually a contract to diminish Eduardo’s 34% share of the company if Facebook were to add on more stocks. As these results were inevitable, Eduardo’s shares diminish to 0.03%, leaving him with virtually nothing. Finally realizing Mark’s deceitful actions, Eduardo confronts Mark with a plan on suing him for the whole company.
After much deliberation, the Winklevoss twins and Divya also decide to sue Mark for stealing their idea of a social networking site. They are in utter disbelief how much attention Facebook received over an idea that they formulated. During the legal battle, Mark states that he did not want to do business with the Winklevoss twins and Divya because he wanted to start a company with his good friend. At this time, Facebook prospers with over 500 million users. I find it paradoxical that Mark drives his “good friend” out of the company through unfair means. Though he gains 500 million virtual friends, none of them can replace the friendship he had with Eduardo. I believe that the blessing of Mark’s genius also served to be his curse that caused him to be sued and lose his only friend.
This brilliant film suffers from several problems and inconsistencies. First, I felt as if I was bombarded with too many details in a short amount of time. It is near impossible for a movie to cover all the details of a real-life event and this movie suffers from portraying insignificant occurrences. Though Eduardo’s relationship with his psycho girlfriend is entertaining, this component does nothing to add to the film’s plot. Another problem was the emphasis on Mark’s yearning to join the Final Club at Harvard University. One of the key aspects of the movie is Mark’s jealously of Eduardo’s involvement with the club. This led me to believe that this event occurred in real life. However, Mark Zuckerberg himself stated that he had “no interest in joining any Final club” (“Tales of a Real-Life Zuckerberg”).
The conclusion of this 4-time Golden Globe winning film reveals the outcome of the impending trials. Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark allows me to have access to the deep yet troubled mind of the modern genius. His inspirational acting leaves me yearning to discover the next best idea that can revolutionize the world just like Facebook did. Before filming, many believed that Eisenberg could only portray awkward and Michael Cera-esque characters. The Social Network demonstrates that Eisenberg can brilliantly render a character in a more serious role. Though the movie may suffer from minor problems, the plot and its brilliant components shine through. I give The Social Network a quality rating of 9 out of 10 and I highly recommend people to watch this film.
Works Cited
“Tales of a Real-Life Zuckerberg” Mergers, Acquisitions, Venture Capital, Hedge Funds - DealBook - NYTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/tales-of-a-real-life-zuckerberg/>.
“Rotten Tomatoes-The Social Network.” Rotten Tomatoes. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. <www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-social-network/>.
“IMDb - David Fincher.” The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000399/>.
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