Stabler sem papers
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[edit] Seminar paper #1
Erselle Stabler 04/02/2008 Digitalizing Movements Seminar paper #1 Grassroots Journalism by the people, for the people
“If it bleeds, it leads”….
Freedom of speech; a right based upon a free society where journalism and public opinion has contributed to open communication across the United States of America and now across the world. The largest form of mass medium was once the newspaper which could reach most everyone’s homes easily, as of today we are moving the communication medium onto the web at a rapid pace, resulting in old formats of journalism going out of business, and forcing the reconstruction of journalism techniques. Journalism has evolved from the progressive era, to the investigative d, where anyone can access it, “a powerful global conversation has begun (pg. 14). Web mediums are being set up to be user friendly such as what Justin Hall created to become known as a blog. One no longer has to be a computer programmer to use the web as a medium for communication, the movement known as open source supports the freedom of user friendly applications on the web. Such applications as mail lists, webblogs, wiki, cell phone to internet connections, broadcasting, and e-mail are the most up to date forms of communication networks on the web.
Networks are coming together quickly, which serves to better connect people who were once separated. In Metcalfe’s law; “the value of a communication network is the square of the number of nodes, or end- point connections. That is, take the number of nodes and multiply it by itself (pg.160)”. In this equation one can see that the power to network with each other has never been so great, so vast, and so extremely powerful. The role of journalism is dawning a new era, a time when all citizens are potential journalist, this will not end journalism as we know it, it will just change and evolve journalism into a new type of communication, among many, and deeper into the lives of society then ever before. The ethics of cyber journalism will presumably change as well; we will face new issues of trust, security, identity, and law. The journalist of the web will be leading us into a very exciting and ever expanding world of thought, expression and communication for one nation undivided we shall travel into the cyber age with freedom and justice for all!
[edit] Seminar paper #3
Erselle Stabler 04/18/2008 Seminar paper #3 People’s Movements, People’s Press (Ostertag)
Social movement journalism exists to create change, and to challenge authoritative control. The growth of print material started as a means to get a point across in the written word, to create and effect networks of people who were concerned with the same topic. Today the written word is moving onto the internet more and more, causing print papers to dissipate, and online articles to take center stage. Communication networks have grown into massive corporations that now own “85%” of the media, so large that no longer can small media companies compete unless we the people seek them out (pg. 16). Without such journalism and documentation of people’s struggles we could lose touch with our culture and our deep humane connection to our communities and ultimately ourselves.
In the beginning of these movements journals like “The Liberator”, started in 1830 by William Lloyd Garrison to fight abolition, were “the only tangible artifact the speaker could leave behind was the printed word” (pg. 25). The introduction of “Freedom’s Journal” by two African Americas helps us see how the networks were established; due to the journals being controversial if they were to get into the wrong hands the journals could be stopped. The creators of this paper set up “agents” in the south, east coast, and all the way to Haiti, so that the journal could network safely. Anti-slavery journal “The Ram’s Horn”, published 1841-1848, was the most successful publication during that time period. The paper grew so successful the circulation was questioned by postmasters of the U.S. as to what could and could not be censored by the postal service.
The Women’s suffrage was the next large social movement to be mobilized by social movement journalism. Maria Stewart from Connecticut helped launch the African American Female Intelligence Agency in Boston 1831, where she was the first woman to speak on behalf of women’s rights. The movements were intertwined at this time, she was not only speaking on behalf of women but also for African Americans too. It seems as if the movements inspired and encouraged one another.
More movements continue to unravel such as the gay rights movement of the 20th century, the Vietnam movement of the 1960’s which inspired equality, and the environmental movement, all of these movements we are still dealing with today. Social movement journalism will continue to cover and reveal such movements of human expansion, but now the medium will be on the internet, with technology as the catalyst for the movement of society.
[edit] Seminar Paper #4
Erselle Stabler 04/27/2008 Seminar Paper #4 The Art of Protest (Reed)
“In this sweet madness all this glory of sadness” – Sarah McLachlan
What is the art of social movements? It is the medium used as the expression for human experiences, such as within social movements. As Reed discusses in his book “The Art of protest”, he introduces music, theater, poetry, murals and film in the first five chapters, as examples of this art used by many to express their group’s movements.
African Americans joined together in tightly nit groups where singing empowered them during the civil rights movement. “We shall overcome” being one of these great expressions of this movement. Collectively speaking, singing was shared by the entire group; it was a unifying act that could not dissect race, sex, and class or any other difference. Singing was an oral expression of such; it bonded the member’s involved in the social movement and created community.
The Black Panthers used the drama of live theater as a means to convey their struggle and aim for civil rights. A form of this dramatic medium can be seen in the Rap music of today. Tupac Shakar a popular rapper, whose mother was a black panther, demonstrates through his rap music the struggles and oppression within his community.
The women’s movement expressed their trials and turbulations through the written word of poetry. Women have been struggling for the women’s movement in waves of expression, coming and going throughout the years. During the 1960’s the movement took shape again and pushed into existence a greater sense of equality for women. Women’s poetry assisted in this development, through the vocalization of women’s needs being heard.
All of these artistic forms of expression were used as a way of communicating social movement activity, including; The Chicanos or Mexican American peoples found refuge in murals of expression during the 1960’s, and Native Americans used film to express their hardships. In conclusion, the oppression of the above groups was expressible and possibly comprehendible through such art forms discussed here. In the social movements in Reeds book, one can comprehend the extent to which art as a form of movement is a way in which social change can happen.
[edit] Seminar Paper #5
Erselle Stabler 05/01/2008 The Art of Protest Ch. 6-10 (Reed)
The art of protest continues with different mediums used to help create an identity to evolve the movement at hand. Each social movement from the rock music of the 1980’s, to the digital art of AIDS, including the environmental movement of intellectual art, and the cybercast of movements on the web used art to display and intrigue the audience. The movements exist outside of and within the art forms they create, with these mediums not always being the obvious or traditional form of art.
The 1980’s rock culture in America, “rock and roll activism”, was music used to raise funds to support charities. The music videos and recordings were massive money makers in America which helped the charities. The irony is that in the making of these videos for charity, the artists themselves used American culture to portray what they thought ought to happen to better the charities.
The digital art of the social group ACT UP was a medium in which people could better understand the face of AIDS through postmodern art and visual representation of the AIDS victims, which were not always gay men. They tried to convey that real art meant real documentation of a real disease. The group also used its art to say that through action, the movement could progress. ACT UP recognized the role of the media, as active participants in the movement, and used the media to their advantage.
A new social influence arises in chapter eight, the “intellectual formation”, of academia that influenced the social movement of ecocriticism. Ecocriticism ties humanities and environmental studies together, in hopes of raising the consciousness of environmental awareness between culture and literature. Steaming from social movements of the 1960’s involving environmental concerns, to the environmental justice movement, to conservationism, the educational system has held this movement in its form. Today we see sustainability studies taking this form in academia, reflecting the evolution of the ecocriticism movement.
In conclusion these movements are social movements in action, taking the form called “art” to a whole new level of thought, creating change while redefining art and complementing intellectual achievement and growth. The current movement of cyberactivism will continue to expand and the art of the movement will provide insight into the future of social movements as we know them.
[edit] Seminar Paper #6
Erselle Stabler 05.10.08 Sem paper 6 Communication Revolution (McChesney)
The communication revolution is freeing up the gateways of communication media as we know it. We no longer have a strict system of operations in order to publish our thoughts and opinions, or to educate and discuss civic thoughts. In this era of digitalized media, the communication has become a democratic playing field that needs our attention and committed respect in order to stay for the people and by the people. We can connect to the internet freely with very assessable connections, this makes for compatible connectivity among the citizens.
Individual investing in private market shares is possible and profitable, making the internet a wealth of possibilities. Ad campaigns are easily forgotten on the internet, expanding room for the truth! Considering only 5 companies in the U.S. own almost the entire media source in the country, they do not own all of the internet, we have the power to open the doors of independent journalism and raise it to a new level of thought and value with in this society.
A threat of loosing the business of journalism has begun, as journalist are not earning what was once paid, the work has gotten out into the publics hands, and media from all over the world can be found within minutes on the internet. The quality of media however ha snot necessarily improved, thus allowing for the formation of higher quality independent media on the internet.
[edit] Seminar Paper #7
Erselle Stabler 5/17/2008 Seminar paper #7 Insurgency online (Dartnell)
We can now communicate without even opening our mouths in a virtual community, without boarders, or stereotypes to hold us back, we march forward into the modern world of networking in cyberspace, with more “non-state” actors then ever before, “the medium facilitates an identity that is ‘no longer dependent on a territorial community, or on formal organizations but on networks” (pg.22). One of the ways in which non-state actors such as, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), the Peruvian Movimento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru (Mrta) and the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSM), activism is able to happen is through email where we are able to speak faster and more diligently then with snail mail.
Never before have these established networks been so efficient and widely available then in today’s world. And that being said, web activism has brought smaller issues into the worlds view, or governments view that otherwise might never have been seen. This communication network is dense and powerful, “like the printing press, the web has sparked optimism and anxieties in a context in which an ‘information society’ has been constructed as a meta-narrative” (pg.27). On the contrary, as soon as these networks grow too large, we may be at risk of diluting the actual content of such a diverse “mediascape”, as the author points out, “Radio and television were also heralded as tools for new individualism and communities before they greatly increased the role of interest groups” (pg.27).
[edit] Seminar Paper #8
Erselle Stabler 06-01-2008 Seminar paper The New Transnational Activism (Tarrow)
This is book is highly complicated and complex. The author “Tarrow”, worked alongside Charles Tilly in co-authoring the book “Power in Movement”. The book discusses how cosmopolitanism relates to activism and trans-nationalism. Cosmopolitanism is the idea is that non state actors are becoming more powerful in the political dimensions of the world, through global networks such as activism.
“Global forming”; looking at outsourcing and the global market, is a reality to cosmopolitans of the U.S. and globally. “Internalizing”; are domestically oriented affairs, so that no matter how “rooted” in ones cosmopolitanism, they may be, they may intend on the internalizing of their country to be of utmost importance.
“Transnational campaign coalitions are the surest sign that enduring networks of activists and advocates can have an impact on global governance.” (pg. 205)
But why is it important to have an impact globally? Tarrow’s suggested use of cosmopolitanism suggests that cosmopolitans are thinking in a global thought process and that in order to stay on top of the activists’ plight, one might consider transnational activism.
“Transnational activists are a subgroup of rooted cosmopolitans.” (pg.29)
Activism has to start somewhere in order to reach the international or national position, which is how domestic activism becomes transnational activism. I liked this book, as I enjoy challenging myself to comprehend highly intellectual and abstract thought.
