Following the development of technology and news media flourished, we could not say who has the absolute privacy anymore, your personal experience may share on the net, and your name is as the search words on other’s blog. Otherwise, you may be able to find a photo of you and somebody’s released by your friend. There is not secret and private information could not be found in this information world. In this day and age, the ordinary even normal stories could not attract people’s eyeballs. There are many High-tech means to threatening the privacy of people, such as search engines, paparazzi and so on. If you have the news value, your privacy will have more attraction. So, to an ordinary person, they may just feel some of complex but did not feel that there is much trouble to themselves. Paparazzi is becoming a huge career, because of everyone has the potential to be, “paparazzi tend to be independent contractors, unaffiliated with a mainstream media organization (Sonenshine 1997)”. Only if you have a camera on your phone and meanwhile you would like to contribute some breaking news. The celebrities have value especially, Some critics argued: “with pictures of celebrities a marketable commodity thanks to the tabloidization of culture” (Bell and Kenedy 2007)The Internet and tabloid and some other media, the growing social phenomenon is they hunt of another’s privacy in order to achieve business and other purposes, such this situation, giving them a lot of benefits. So, it makes the pubic released some of news which captured by himself is no longer just to share, they also can rely on this to be money. The private space is run off to let us fell bewildered. Why cause this situation happen? What kind of consequences will bring about? What should we do? This essay would explore on these questions.
According to the globalization context, the media goes towards to market is the results of the world culture blending. And the network has strengthen the globalization and marketable. This idea proved by a theory which starting from the late 20th century, 60 and 70 early in the America. “Information society” or “post-industrial society” highlights the economic value of information and that the value of information derived from its inherent qualities as a resource. (Hage and Powers 1992). But the capitalist crisis over the last 25 years, with its shrinking profit rates, inspired the corporate elite to revive economic liberalism. The global capitalist market system finally broke through a variety of fetters, defeat against the commercialization of information of resistance force which including the non-aligned countries for new international information requirements of order, speeding up commoditization process of the dissemination of cultural, the global capitalist market system starting focus on the development of information and cultural communication as their new accumulation area after their latest crisis. That’s what makes the liberalism becomes “neo” or new. Now, with the rapid globalization of the capitalist economy, we are seeing neo-liberalism on a global scale.
In this period, “Neoliberalism” is popular in our world. Ritzer (2010) pointed out Neo-liberalism” is a set of economic policies that have become widespread since about end of 19 century. In this word, “Liberalism” can refer to political, economic, or even religious ideas. In the U.S. political liberalism has been a strategy to prevent social conflict. However, economic liberalism is different. In the 18 century, Adam Smith (1776) and others advocated the abolition of government intervention in economic matters. He advocate that, “No restrictions on manufacturing, no barriers to commerce, no tariffs, he said; free trade was the best way for a nation’s economy to develop. Such ideas were “liberal” in the sense of no controls. This application of individualism encouraged “free” enterprise,” “free” competition — which came to mean, free for the capitalists to make huge profits as they wished (Smith 1776). The “Neoliberalism” means a new kind of definition of liberalism. The main point of neoliberalism include reduce government regulation of which could diminish profits. In the media aspect, one of the most obvious features of neoliberalism is “deregulated of media”. As Ritzer (2010) pointed out, the tabloidization of news and intense competition between various media meant that the media away from government and foreign affairs, they changed to focused on the scandals, crime and entertainment. People has become do not concern about the important political issue and event of our society, more and more people are interested on celebrity’s private lives. They concerned about the scandal of elites and enjoy the media to expose celebrity’s personal life. For instance, Tiger Woods as the world number one golf player, his scandal naturally draws large people’s attention on; they followed every process of this event. So to the media, this news is very newsworthy. Tiger Woods held an apology conference on 19 February, 2010, to take newspapers for example, such likes The Guardian, The Times, Daily Mirror are all choose Tiger Woods apology as front-page news in the next day.
In this context, Tabloid culture began to rise. There are another several reasons also causing this situation, First of all, following the establishment of a market economy, it breeding for marketization of media industry and become the main body of competition in the market. The media industry has becoming an economy of “seize audiences’ attention”. “The 1990s is the era of escalating social problems caused by globalization and the abuses of corporate capitalism” Ritzer (2010). Internet-based economy has been developing hi-tech spectacle as a means of promotion, reproduction, and the circulation and selling of commodities (Kellner 2004)”. We can see, multi-media has developed by many means, such as the multi-media broadcasting, Internet, digital television and new form of entertainment, it let the “techoculture” to dazzle the public. Because of the technology advanced and global information economy, the media are expanding their culture industry’s power and to get more profit. So, In order to win the fierce competition in the market, the commercialization of media has led to the communicators paid more attention on the improve profitability rather than the cultural essence. They becoming forget their social responsibility, just remember “the reader and the profit is on the most important position”. They gave the material what is the reader wants and prefer to see, they are “what to think about” instead of “what to think” (Cohen 1963). The media’s behavior is driven by the market. It make change from direct the audience in the fast to meet audience’s desire in the recent, the result of it that is various media, media have conveyed entertainment news consciously in order to targeted audience needs. In addition to meet the audience’s needs, the interests of the media related with some companies, advertisers. Advertisers investing in a media depends on the media whether can attract audiences; also depend on whether for his investment in the best interests of return. The entertainment of news is a tendency in the media which gradually goes towards the market. So, to attract people’s interest is not only the goal of the media but also the measure aspect of advertiser. Therefore, some media use the advertiser’s investment as a measure of their success criteria. The entertainment function of Media robs more audience “eyeball”, also won many advertisers.
As we are keen to spy on others privacy, our lives are snooped also inevitable. So, there is the second reason of causing the tabloidization culture, because of the request of the public and market. In China, we experienced about 600 celebrities cell phone number exposed by anonym on the internet, some celebrities ID number exposed on the internet, of course you can easily know some of their addresses. It draws great attention, and it really has people to call them and to try to know celebrities’ lives. Though people dislike this tabloidization culture, thought it is low tastes, but still have lots of people to buy them and watch them. We can see that capitalism has entered the information age, the information network technology representation as the advanced productive forces of capitalism, it impacts entire capitalist production and sociopolitical system has important implications. Thus, digital networks and the globalization of capitalism are considered the main features of the information age. The “economy supremeness “has becoming a belief of information technology, globalization and network. As some developing countries, the expansion and popularity of the news media had a significant impact of their news consumption and their ideas. Western countries focus on the human nature of event, the news timeliness and news values, so the Western media has strong autologous characteristics. While developing countries face these characteristics and the dissemination style, some of the media are completely absorbed, regardless of them whether they should be learned. Meanwhile, Hegemony of West cultural influenced audiences around the world. The Western cultural values also changed news aesthetics of vast audiences.
Today’s audience cultural not characterized by the historical literary and elegant tradition, but had commercial and popular culture trends. Therefore, it difficult for them to have their own deep content can be described. This culture limited in political element, it focuses to show the entertainment function of culture, and with fresh, stimulate, desire as the main features. Today is a pluralistic society, people’s idea are pluralistic. In the marketable economic society, a considerable number of audience in pursuit of material benefit maximization, ignored culture training and quality, even impatient of sitting down to reading books. Internet makes modern people lack of cultural literacy, low aesthetic feeling, they hardly think deeply and become numb and dull. The pursuit of spirit, but more demand for sensual, real-life breaks depressing and drab, empty. The entertainment news and provides some more lively, relaxed, with the leisure culture and fun playing mocked funny way to satisfy the people, this part of the audience enjoyment and game. The psychological the news media, entertainment, is part of the audience to the psychological demand. Contemporary people do not pursue spiritual perception, but needs more sensory stimulation, in order to get rid of the dull and monotony of real life. The entertainment news provided more lively style of culture for relax and leisure, with a teasing and funny way to convey information for people, the entertainment news of media entertainment is to meet the psychological needs of this part of the audience. For instance, in Chinese Internet circles, People become easy to have fame because of powerful social media, for example, ‘Brother Sharp’ who is a Chinese vagrant, has become famous in China because of a group of photos on the Internet, even the media in UK have reported this news. Its title is “Handsome Chinese vagrant draws fans of ‘homeless chic’ (Coonan 2010). ‘Brother Sharp” draws on considerable attention; lots of media are waiting on the street which Brother sharp always appeared for taking picture and to digging his story behind. However, Brother sharp has some mental problem himself, one day he has cried out because of face too many media on the street. His private life is exposed. It including his career, his family information, his experience even his died wife. We can see the strong power of Internet, public opinion on the internet can make a star out of fashion and destroy a person becomes a very easy; some of PR Company and celebrity use this situation to speculation in order to gain benefit. Also to use this situation to destroy a person by expose the scandal and sex pictures of particular celebrity. In a global media culture, celebrities are the manufactured and managed deities of the contemporary moment. Celebrities are the icons of media culture, the gods and goddesses of everyday life. (Kellner 2004)To talk about loss of privacy; Most of the victims are celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people. The most famous issue is crazy paparazzi relentlessly stalked princess Diana, caused a great tragedy. Celebrities’ private life lamentable exposed completely. For example, International movie star Lindsay Lohan goes out will followed by lots of paparazzi even just have lunch. Chinese popular singer Faye Wong from her first day pregnant to her childbirth, everyday her life exposed on the public eyes by paparazzi. As we all know, it may disturb a people’s normal life besides she is a pregnant woman. The whole pregnancy period of Faye Wong seems to become a kind of entertainment big event, and every process has been recorded. To guess the gender of her baby, to report the standard of delivery room, we found every media agency are rushing to report the latest situation, and there are so many people are pay close attention on this news. Many people waiting on the internet to refresh the latest information. After Faye Wong childbirth, people are very interested on the first picture of her second daughter, but because of deliberate protection, any media have not got the photo, after not a long time, one photo named Faye’s second baby appear in every major sites, which photographed by a nurse who claiming she worked in the hospital as Faye choice. The potential paparazzi comes out, and it popular in this information society.
Over driven by the commercial interests and desires of consumers on media culture, it is easy to become a product of cultural nihilism. News media development by entertainment-oriented, it to be fooled by short-term market returns, is making the worse quality of the media. Media as the spokesman for people and society, it is losing the sense of social responsibility and the media’s credibility is decreasing too. So, when the decline trend of credibility derived from?
The revolution of network technology improved the condition for information gather and disseminate and management and it brings people many of convenient. With the explosion of information outlets in the 1980s, On the Internet, we just click several links could be able to have a comprehensive understand on a particular issue, we could finish one news story in a very short time, our attention then drifted from one story to another. It is precisely because this, we appetite much more information than in traditional news times. In order to attract more readers and clients, the major press and media make their best to gather the information. They need more extensive sources. So, the Internet and some tabloid began invitation for the public to play a reporter or paparazzi. Since 1980s, many of the high-tech tools come into ordinary homes, such as video production, high-definition camera, and computer. They started to make the family video, in 1989; American Funniest Home Videos showed its first appearance on TV (James 2002), and it was so successful in the first season. The program was to play several videos, the content were the inadvertent and funny things happen in the ordinary home and recorded by their own home camera. Every week, three videos are chosen by the producers and voted on by the studio audience. The family which gets the funniest video, the winner could win 10,000 dollars. It is also setting the Annual Awards, and is in the running for the 100,000 dollars prize at the end of the season, while the runner-up receives 3,000 dollars and third place gets 2,000 dollars. This show was fashionable, and the program bonuses have aroused people’s enthusiasm. People becoming do not satisfied with only record their family life, they were encouraged to use high-tech means to record some worth to be recorded, because of gradual increased of individual participation on record, and the development of technology ,whether you like it or not, Record and recorded becomes simpler than the original. The life details become more and more easier to be recorded. At the time, People completely equipped with the ability of an amateur photo journalist. “As the technology became cheaper and more accessible, a new crop of self-appointed reporters and editors arrived on the news scene” (Sonenshine 1997). We should thanks for the people who use the camera to record the news scenes; they have contributed various important moments and captured a lot of unexpected events. For instance, they have captured the first hand pictures from 911 by their cell phone- cameras. They were not necessarily to write any good news content or commentary, but only contribute some “Worth seeing” pictures. “The money is not in reporting on wars or famine, but in getting a picture of a celebrity topless. Today’s market is Dodi kissing Diana on a boat in the Mediterranean that sells (Sonenshine 1997)!” It is a very easy way to earn money without any professional requirement. Because of this situation, the media agency indeed improved amount of news information, but lack of authority and meaning. Communications revolution has not “necessarily improving quality of the product or the qualifications of the practitioners” (Sonenshine 1997). It takes the disadvantages of society such as the reliable sources of news and disinformation from Internet. For instance, in order to have interest and sensational effect, some of the media tried to create a birth of new breaking news; the media used Photoshop to composite one celebrity to different bodies. Some news is not true but only can good selling have been reported. So, the news and the media culture becoming more and more tabloidization.
Conclusion: Caused by the global information economy, social changes, maximize the benefits of competition, to promote global expansion of capitalism and commercialization, tabloidization of culture derived from economic competition of the market, while globalization to strengthen the global more intense market competition. Internet has confounded some people’s values and cognition of cultural phenomena. Thieme (2000) has said, Cyberspace is seen as the host or hive of much mimetic and viral diffusion and infection. However, it also brings many convenient and other advantages. Facing the strong flow of information, people began to become more irritable and difficult to focus attention on one object in long-term, therefore, the media needs a strong stimulus to makes better sales of their media products. This also makes only paying attention to visual stimulation of the tabloidization culture more popular today. This is a modern technology society’s major problems, but also frequently led to discussion and criticism of modern social phenomena, which makes more and more people call for primitive life to escape from this “information anxiety” (Saul 2000) and tabloidization culture.
Reference:
Bell, D. and Kenedy, B, M. (2007) The Cybercultures Reader. London: Routledge
Cohen, B. C. (1963) Press and foreign policy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Coonan, C. (2010) Handsome Chinese vagrant draws fans of ‘homeless chic’ [Online] available from <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/handsome-chinese-vagrant-draws-fans-of-homeless-chic-1915812.html> [4 March 2010]
Hage, J. and Powers, C, H. (1992) Post-industrial lives: roles and relationships in the 21st century. London: Sage publications, Ltd
James, M, M. (2002), There’s No Place Like Home Video. America: University of Minnesota Press
Kellner, D Media Culture and the Triumph of the Spectacle [Online] available from http://www.uta.edu/huma/agger/fastcapitalism/1_1/kellner.htm [24, May, 2004]
Moron, James. (2002) There is No Place like Home Video, University of Minnesota Press
Ritzer, G. (2010) Globalization: A Basic Text. UK: Blackwell publishing
Saul, W, R. (2000) Information Anxiety. Indianapolis : Que
Smith, A. (1776) The Wealth of Nations. London: Penguin Books Ltd
Sonenshine, T. (1997) Is Everyone a Journalist? [Online] available from <http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2325>[October 1997]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6801633/Modern-life-causes-brain-overload-study-finds.html Modern life causes brain overload, study finds
Today, we are living in an information society; information plays a key role in society. Information technology is applied in education, production, scientific research, health care, enterprises and government management, also wide applied in family. It promotes for economic and social development. To our lives, it has creating a huge and profound impact, fundamentally changed people’s lifestyles, behaviors and values. However, we can also see the explosion of information society negative affect in modern life. In the several of them, the obvious is to take the information explosion and the spread of disinformation. In the article above, believe that the information overload may be having a detrimental effect on our brains. Is it real? Why did he say that?
To talk about the drawbacks of information, information overload and disinformation are very worth to discuss. We usually feel “information bombing” in this information society, why do we have this feeling? Compared with life in a less rapidly changing society, more situations now flow through the channel in any given interval of time- and this implies profound changes in human psychology. Toffler 1970 has analyzed two causes from Angle of psychology and physiology in his <Future Shock>, Fist of all, our attention tend to focus on only one situation at a time in general, the increased rate at which situations flow past us vastly complicates the entire structure of life, multiplying the number of roles we must play and the number of choices we are forced to make. This, in turn, accounts for choking sense of complexity about contemporary life. Moreover, the speeded-up flow-through of situations demands much more work from the complex focusing mechanisms by which we shift our attention from one situation to another. If the frequency of events and information flow too fast, we can hardly keep up, and its consequences is people fall into chaos because of subject to excessive sensory stimulation, it makes people confusing about the boundaries between fantasy and reality.’ This situation is caused by the rapid development of the information society. Speeding up of things movement, the essence is projected in the thinking of information on the retentively and sustainability have been reduced and shortened, our attention has been decentralized by various things. From the point of view of dialectical materialism material plays a decisive role for consciousness. The rapid development of information technology breaking the limitations of time and space, the popularity of the Internet, making an unprecedented mass of information could be unimpeded in global network. Explosion of information promotes the emergence of change; society should try to cope with too much change in such short time, so it makes people feeling disturbed and anxiety.
These revolution could see everywhere on the information society, for instance, in order to enhance the speed of communication, the Internet communication began to take advantage of new letter combinations, abbreviations, shorthand prefix and the way of making new words. For instance, 4ever is equal to “forever”, BTW is equal to “by the way” and so on. In the words of communication with people on the net, also has added to information, including image and words, emotional expression, sensitive and emotional characteristics to create new symbol to convey the ideas. These abstract texts have to large extent concentrated information. Speaking in a objectively way, we need to get the maximize information content in a minimum period of time, thereby we enhancing the transmission of messages in a particular amount of time; but in the meantime, we also increased the learning, understanding and memory requirements of these words. In today’s post-information age, people could not absorb the information with the whole meaning, and with ideologically coherent message. Instead of that, more and more by some short, component-style surrounded by information, such as advertising, short news, and some abbreviations. We should not only be able to digest large amounts of information in a short period of time, but also could combine and summarized them into a complete new concept or a new image in the same time. Information’s diversity brings to cultural diversity. There are distinct symbol of different groups, and different regions. So, they are all set up barriers on understanding, and remember the information in our lives.
The information society not only taught us a lot of knowledge, but will also make our dull and mechanization. Because of the rapid development of Computer technology and network technology, making the Internet rise as a form of new information media. When people encountered some of the problems that they do not understand, there are many information could be found on Internet. Google and Wikipedia at least play an important role in my life. For me, I am a Chinese student, I am not sure when “Victoria period” is, first step in my mind is to search on Wikipedia. So, Internet to me, whatever in academics or relaxed are the same important. As long as you have question publish online, there will be many people to answer the question, we could see lots of relevant information appear on Internet. Through Internet people can easily browse other people’s ideas and thoughts. Even more, the Internet Age has changed the way of people in research, writing and so on. In the era of network media, search tools and digital libraries will be omitted many areas of traditional study, to type several words on Internet instead of to reading several books and making several notes. At the same time, network allows essay splicing, editing, and copying become even easier. At first, person is changed from who ask the question, then to a person who find the answer from books, and to type words to find information in recently. A growing number of scholars becoming much more lazy, and have a excuse that search on Internet is too save time and convenient way, more and more people becoming from “academic human” into “information human”. On the one hand, the richness of Internet information is provide a convenient new way for the audience to address their information needs; On the other hand, due to the increase of the amount of information on the Internet is not in direct ratio with the quality of information. Huge number increasing in information is making a negative effect on the quality of information. So, “disinformation”, and news lack of authority could see everywhere on the net. Meanwhile, there is another problem we should pay attention on, there is lots of the mixed information flooded on cyberspace, and resulting people could see various resources at one time. To a same issue, some information may useful, some may are misleading information. The users need to distinguish the information by themselves. Therefore, “information anxiety” (Wurman 2001) exist, and it may intensified in the future. He believes that: Information anxiety stems from people could not pick the information which they need and really useful to them. And he also claims that “information overload” will let the people who become mechanical information query.
According study finds above, one of the pioneers in information studies, Torkel Klingberg (2008) has indicated: “our brain have limited capacity for processing information, and has limited working memory, information overload may lead our overflowing brain to disorder.” To make a further description, we are living in an information explosion age, people’s attention was dispersed by a great extent, but sensory stimulation would also plug on people’s mind. Overall, information helps today’s people a lot, but also let people become more and more dangerous.
Reference:
[1] Klingberg, T. (2008) The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory. London: Oxford University Press
[2] Toffler, A. (1970) Future Shock. London: The Bodley Head Ltd
[3] Wardrop, M. (13/ 12/ 2009)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6801633/Modern-life-causes-brain-overload-study-finds.html. (04/ 03/ 2009)
[4] Wurman, R, S. (2001) Information Anxiety. US
Alexander McQueen found dead
This is a hard news!
This afternoon about 15 on London time, Alexander McQueen found dead in his home in London. He is only 40 years old. This news was verified by McQueen’s company. After medical care personnel arrived, they announced McQueen dead. The police through the initial investigation revealed that McQueen was suicidal, the scene did not find any trace of homicide.
Prior to 9 days, his mother had just died. He has said in his twitter that he can not accept the fact that her mother left. 
He felt very sad. Today, he finished his life, it is From February’s London Fashion Week is only two weeks time.
McQueen is a young and special designer. He is famous in today’s fashion world. McQueen was born in East London, his father is a taxi driver. When he was a child, he usually helps his three sisters on the production of clothes and then deciding to become a fashion designer. McQueen left school at 16 years old and started to become apprentice of a tailoring clothing store called ‘Anderson and Shepherd’ and then he worked for well-known theater clothing brand ‘Angels & Bermans’.
McQueen’s clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles. In his 20 years old, McQueen worked for a designer called Koji Tateno, after which he went to Milan, Italy, and worked for the designer Romeo Gigli.
McQueen returned to London in 1994, and began to teaching in the most famous fashion design schools in the local – St Martin’s School of Art and Design. He tis eaching in tailoring.
Alexander McQueen has received four times ‘British Designer of the Year’ title, he was recognized as the godfather of fashion.
He was loyal to himself, as a homosexual, in the summer of 2000, McQueen has married with a 24-year-old documentary film director George Forsythe. His design is as special as himself, has a strong personal style. His designs shook the entire pop world. He bold and sexy design makes many people got crazy. Alexander McQueen’s design objects, whether she fat or thin and he only focus to highlighted the woman’s self-confident, smart and sexy. He said he hoped that his consumers could not only wear the clothes he designed, but also hope that they will be strong and brave.
He was fantastic and the conference, all the things that were his original. Alexander McQueen said: “In my fashion conference, you can get when you attend a rock concert given all: power, stimulation, exciting and passion.”
Whether you like him or not, he is unique and talent. He has shocked the world of clothing performance and famous fashion industry. Fantasy and reality, conservative and debauchery, tradition and taboos is his key words. His designs are taking religion, sex, death elements onto the runways for the fashion industry has brought a new situation.
British ‘Vogue’ magazine editor Alexandra Shulman said McQueen for generations of designers have extraordinary impact. She said, ‘Each year, McQueen would be with his fantastic inspiration for us to offer the most exciting fashion and design concepts, as if he were the inspiration will not dry up. His death will be a great loss to the fashion world , but also for all losses.
Recently, Alexander Mcqueen’s official site has been closed. There are some words on his website:
· On behalf of Lee McQueen’s family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee’s family.Lee’s family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.
McQueen respected his own design team, respect to the original designs. He always has passion and the pursuit of art. For him this choice, at this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying we believe in 11,02,2010 the skull logo will always be the classic fashion in our heart.
Goodbye, Mcqueen.
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