THE CANDY STORE
This is another Journalism project I worked on last year for Multimedia Reporting. It's an audio-slideshow (made with SoundSlides) about 'The Candy Store' in the Westboro neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Follow the link to watch the slideshow. Hope you enjoy...
THE INTERNET AND INFORMATION SOCIETY
Unfortunately, it's starting to get to be that time of the year where school work has taken over any other forms of creativity I may have. Might be a bit of a lull in original blog material, but I'll be doing my best. For now, here is an online assignment I had to submit for one of my Communications classes: how the internet effects the information society. Hope you enjoy...
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Through three years of University all I’ve done is write papers, and because I’m in journalism, a handful of articles as well. Never have I been able to write a blog post for a class, let alone write a blog post as a marked assignment. It’s the era we live in though – the information society – people want to be able to share information with other people. Some argue that the “going to the library” days in order to complete an assignment or find out new information are all but dead, but that’s not true. Just ask the other 500 people who are sitting in individual cubicles up and down the five flights of the Carleton University library with me. What separates them from the 500 people who were sitting in most likely the same cubicles (and for sure on the same carpet) in 1989, rather than 2009, is that every single person has a computer in front of them. First and foremost, the information society has changed the way that we receive and distribute information. I could have lifted this entire post from Wikipedia if I wanted to, there are 3,892 words written about the “Information Society” there, including citations. I didn’t by the way, but here I sit with the opportunity to take advantage of someone else’s work because of the internet.
The Future?
As a society, we continue to live “in a period of informational exuberance” (Francoli, 2009) where more than ever we have the user, not the owner, of media who dictate the next steps for different internet trends. People are more willing to contribute to networking and the sharing of media content, arguably because it is easier than it has ever been. Research done by Severin and Tankard states that “communication systems are evolving rapidly […] the internet is growing at a phenomenal rate and has started playing a significant role in the economy” (Severin & Tankard, 2001). We see this more than ever in the realm of advertising, as clients and agencies alike are trying to become the “next big thing.” There are copious attempts to perfect Web 2.0-based marketing and some were more successful than others. We see Facebook banner ads promoting everything from beer to candy to deodorant, YouTube videos that made clients more successful through viral means then they ever had been in over 40 years of television advertising, and blogs set up by everyone from the famous (Perez Hilton, Rick Mercer, etc) to the not-so-famous (Adam Stanley). All of a sudden, everyone became a brand. You could send a “tweet” to CTV and the next thing you know, your thought or idea could turn up on the 6 p.m. news. You could attend a wild party to celebrate Alexander Keith’s birthday, and because their Facebook representative was there, a picture of you and your friends might appear on a billboard. Severin and Tankard also state that “traditional mass media advertising aimed at large, anonymous audiences may be a dying communication form” (Severin & Tankard, 2001) and we see this happening more and more through social network advertising. The advertisers are able to direct their banner ads or sponsor events on Facebook to precisely the demographic they want to target, unlike TV advertising which could have anybody watching.
The first age group to live through the information age is the group that sees all the social network advertising focused on them. The marketers recognize that it is the group between 18 and 30 who know how to use social networking more than anyone. That group is classified as the “echo-boomers”, the children of the baby boomers, and it is a very large number of people that will want to buy products. It would be unwise for an advertiser not to try to attract this demographic to their product, and it is usually through any means necessary. It is impossible in this era to escape the pressures of the mass media, but, it is this pressure that allows for our view of the world to be constructed through different mediums. Over time, that medium, when it comes to advertising more than anything, has evolved from newspaper, to radio, to television, and now to the internet. No one has mastered, yet, how to make internet advertising work, but there have definitely been some inroads.
This could even lead back to the age old question of “what is cool?” Sure, millions of people have Facebook – but millions also do not. Does that make them un-cool? Same goes for Twitter, a new player in the social networking game. Twitter seems to attract more of the older and working demographic, so if Facebook is for the echo-boomers, then arguably Twitter is for the baby boomers. By having one or the other, or by having both or none, one should not be socially constructed as cool or un-cool.
The social responsibility theory states that “everyone who has something of significance to say should be allowed a forum and that if the media do not assume their obligation, somebody must see to it that they do” (Severin & Tankard, 2001). This theory, which stemmed from the Hutchins’ Commission in the years immediately following World War Two, could not hold more true than how it does today. Although it came to pass over 60 years ago, the way that social networking has come to fruition the past few years truly allows everyone their place in the world. No one has been able to regulate the internet, but everyone has the ability to use it. People don’t even have to live close to each other to do business anymore. Just how the newspaper was able to be delivered more frequently because of the printing press, the internet has increased the frequency of information delivery too. What is worrisome to society is that people may remain glued to his or her computer screen more than the actual person next to them. But just because I’m writing this, sending a text, listening to music, tweeting, and on Facebook all at once, doesn’t mean that that’s the way society is going.
Right?
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS… WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
I can’t say enough about Justin Timberlake. I mean, the guy has everything. He can sing, he can dance, he can act, he’s like a modern day Frank Sinatra. He has a face that is recognized by not only 12-year-old school girls, but 60-year-old men as well.
J.T. (Courtesy: Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
People of the world know Timberlake as the former leader of the boy-band *NSYNC, a solo musician too, a clothing designer, on the big screen, and the small screen as host of Saturday Night Live and the ESPYs.
But after two successful years, you can also call Timberlake a legitimate PGA Tour tournament host, as the “Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open” wrapped up on Sunday, with Tour rookie Martin Laird coming out with a playoff victory.
Falling just short of the “World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship” for having the most characters in a tournament name on Tour (53 to 48) Timberlake’s tournament is definitely tops for celebrity sightings and endorsements, as music heavyweights Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, TLC, and Ciara all performed on the Saturday of the tournament.
Besides his obvious entertainment prowess, Timberlake is becoming more and more well known for his association with sports, and now more than ever, with golf. He plays to about a 5-handicap, and just recently celebrated his first hole-in-one.
Earlier this year Timberlake also competed in the 2009 U.S. Open Challenge with some superstar athletes like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and basketball legend Michael Jordan, where he carded an 88 at Bethpage Black. He also participated in the 2008 challenge at Torrey Pines where he shot a 98.
His association with clothing mogul Johan Lindeberg has also been well-documented. In a recent interview with Jason Sobel of ESPN, Timberlake was quoted as saying: “I think that Johan Lindeberg has single-handedly done a number on the style of the sport” and it's no wonder that when Timberlake wanted to start a clothing line of his own, he turned to the Swedish styling of Lindeberg.
Timberlake’s golf sponsorship with Callaway has also been a hot topic of conversation in golfing circles. The seven-time Grammy award winner is a Callaway man through and through, yet, when he asked if he could keep a prototype hybrid that is similar to the one that Phil Mickelson uses, his request was politely declined.
When he isn’t selling multi-platinum albums or dating a who’s who of ‘Sexiest Women Alive’, Timberlake also finds time to reconnect with his community.
He recently bought his struggling home course in Tennessee and turned it into the first LEED-certified golf course in the United States called Miramichi Lakes. By no means was it meant to be a vacation destination, Timberlake says, but giving back to the community was his number one priority.
Even with everything going on in Timberlake’s life, he’s still managed to help bring “sexy back” to golf (yeah, I went there) and for the time being there is no chance in him saying “bye, bye, bye” (too much?) to the sport he loves.
WINTERLUDE OPENING 2009
My very first time on-camera. A creative stand-up attempt and an interview with Julie Rocheleau, the media relations spokesperson for the National Capital Commission. From February 10th 2009 (Camera: Kathleen Johansen)
SOME PRESIDENTIAL THOUGHTS
The President's Cup (Courtesy: www.kcbs.com)
Right before I left for a Thanksgiving feast, I was able to watch the Sunday singles match-ups at the Presidents Cup and thankfully, I got to see Tiger Woods close out his newest arch-nemesis Y.E. Yang 6 & 5 to clinch the President’s Cup for the Americans.
After a weekend of cold weather – it reminded me more of a weekend of October golf in Ottawa, and not San Francisco – the Americans came out on top, as they always do on home soil, with a convincing 19 ½ to 14 ½ victory.
The closing ceremonies of the President’s Cup usually mean the closing of another official golf season, as most pros will take lengthy breaks to be with family after a grueling 10 months of travel and mental strain.
Or, if you’re Adam Scott, it’s back to the tour grind for another couple weeks to try to sort out what the heck has gone wrong with your game. Seeing yourself dip from #3 in the world all the way down to #69 has got to be brutal on your mental attitude, and it was put on display for all to see this week, posting a 1-4 record. Had it not been for Ernie Els in his opening match, he would have put up an 0-fer, almost unbelievably, just as Camilo Villegas did in his debut President’s Cup.
The excitement of my friends regarding the President’s Cup, and more than anything, the performance of Tiger Woods, reached whole new levels on Saturday night. Meeting up with people I have been friends with since elementary school for the first time since school started, our conversations usually reach loud, argumentative levels about hockey, football, our schools, or anything else a group of 21-year-old guys like to talk about.
This weekend though, our conversation switched to golf, and after a thorough discussion about the President’s Cup, a friend of mine proclaimed “I have never heard golf being argued this loudly before in my life.” Definitely put a smile on my face.
Some food for thought, as the week at Harding Park comes to a close:
The Kids Are Alright
Besides the mental gaffe by Greg Norman to use one of his captain’s picks on Adam Scott (maybe he was too upset at his separation from tennis legend Chris Evert?) Norman made a great pick by choosing 18-year-old Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa. Ishikawa was only three-years-old when the first edition of the President’s Cup was played, but has already won four times on the Japan Tour this year, looks like a grizzled veteran out there. With a record of only 2-2-1, let that not speak to the way he competed this past weekend. The ‘Asian Sensation’ duo of himself and Y.E. Yang laid a beat down on the duo of Kenny Perry and Sean O’Hair 4 & 3 on Friday, then again to Perry and Zach Johnson on Saturday 3 & 2. They ran into the buzz-saw of a partnership Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on Saturday afternoon, but you live and you learn.
At 18, he may have channeled his inner David Duval, with the sunglasses constantly being down over his eyes, despite the overcast conditions in San Francisco. Could have been the nerves? But how could you blame him. Sunday singles saw another chance to take down Perry, who, at 49, was the oldest person in the competition. He took full advantage of the opportunity, as Ishikawa won 2 & 1 and prompted Perry to say “he sent me right into retirement, that kid.”
Not be out done by a high school student, the American contingent of 20-somethings also performed very well. Sean O’Hair (27) finished up for a record of 2-2-1, including a convincing singles win over Ernie Els. He did, however, lose a bunch of money to assistant captain Michael Jordan in a practice round. Anthony Kim (24) also had a good week finishing with a 3-1 record, also including a big singles win. He was helped along by some of his veteran teammates during the team portion of the event, but his singles win proved that he could turn it on if needs to.
This is all very good news for the game of golf, as when the Olympics rolls around in 2016, we may see some of these younger guys rolling just into their prime. As Johnny Miller stated during Sunday’s broadcast “…wouldn’t be surprised to see Ishikawa as the #1 ranked player in the world 10-15 years from now” and although TW might have something to say about that, Ishikawa has all the tools to do it.
Little People, Big World
I can’t say enough of the performances by Tim Clark and Canada’s own Mike Weir this past week. By the end of the broadcast, I was pretty sick of hearing jabs at Clark’s 5-foot-7 frame by Miller and Dan Hicks, even as he poured in eight birdies on Sunday for a 4 & 3 victory. The little man with the big putter (the only man in the even to use a “broomstick” for a putter), finished the week with a 2-2-1 record, and played true to the steady style which saw him knock off Tiger Woods in the Accenture World Match Play event earlier in the year. Captain Norman called him his “bulldog” and it’s looking as though this success may transfer into 2010 and his first win on North American soil.
Weir (standing 5-foot-9) also performed well this week, finishing with an identical record to Clark at 2-2-1. He was primed to take a win from Justin Leonard on Sunday, but after finding out that the Cup had already been clinched by the Americans in the Woods/Yang match before theirs, they decided on a Halve. Although nothing could compare to his dominance at Royal Montreal in 2007, where he was a captain’s pick, finished 3-1-1, and took out Tiger Woods in a singles match up, he will continue to be Canada’s main representative for the next couple of years at least.
The Man
It wasn’t like I was going to go through a whole column without mentioning Tiger Woods. What he did this week can go down in the books as one of the greatest performances in a team competition in history. He joins Mark O’Meara and Shigeki Maruyama as the only men to finish 5-0 at a President’s Cup, but neither of those guys did it in such dominating fashion. His pairing with Steve Stricker was a match made in heaven, and arguably he got carried in two of the matches, but when Woods needed to show up, he did in a big way.
We saw some flashes of Tiger’s swagger circa-2000 with huge fist pumps and also the now infamous club twirl/walk towards hole on 18 on Saturday. We also saw him extract his revenge on Y.E. Yang after the PGA Championship loss – beating him not only with partner Stricker, but also on Sunday in singles, Woods’ point clinching the cup for the Americans.
This week, he played up to his world no. 1 standing, and after going 1-1-2-2-11-1-2 in his last seven stroke-play events since August, and going undefeated at Harding Park, he’s looking forward to a bit of a break. Coming back from knee surgery last year, Woods won six times on tour this year, and this week could have merely been a coronation for a Player of the Year award. Funny enough, he’s not out of the running for a Comeback Player of the Year award, too.
Even though Tiger didn’t take any Majors this year (his best chance was dashed by the aforementioned Yang at the PGA) 2010 sees a return to some of Tiger’s favourite major championship venues: Augusta National, Pebble Beach for the US Open, and St. Andrews for the British. We could be on the edge of another fantastic season from The Man.
About Me:
- I'm at Milano Pizzeria (44 Seneca St, Ottawa). http://4sq.com/csi34R
- @cgcooper I'm here until Monday! Let me know if you're up to anything tomorrow and we should try to hang out
- The pleasure was all mine, @brocktsmith! Great to see @kpare21 @graemeowens @JessHuddles @brierdodge as well... @di_nic and @hsaffs tmrw?
Blogroll
- Bob Weeks Editor-In-Chief of Score Golf Magazine
- Canadian Eh? Another fresh blog by a fellow J-Schooler
- Flagstick Magazine Eastern-Ontario’s #1 golf publication
- hSaffs Fresh blog by a friend from High School (and University!)
- Jason Sobel ESPN golf reporter/blogger
- Mary McGuire – Journalism Prof at Carleton My multi-media professor at Carleton.
- The Style Guy GQ’s Glenn O’Brien chatting everything style
- This is Jeff Jeff Close’s Blog
Calendar
Archives
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