mardi 21 mars 2017

Headlines, a frame for our ideas

Computers, mobile phones, tablets... They changed the way that we were using to communicate


Social media changed the way that we have to think, at a point that now, “a headline determines how many people will read a piece,” said a contributing writer for newyorker.com


Digital technologies changed the way that we have to communicate, it is a fact. 
But it also changed the way that the media used to communicate with us. Today, most of the media, TV, newspapers, radios or magazines are also presents on the web. And on this area, all are in competition, because they are equals. Most of the time, the first thing that we see on social media, it is the headline of the article. With a picture or a video, it is one of the best weapons to attract the reader.
“Everyone knows that a headline determines how many people will read a piece, particularly in this era of social media,” even said Maria Konnikova, contributing writer for the newyorker.com. 
In these conditions, the question is: what journalists should do to make their headlines attractive?
Which one would you like to read? And why?
More and more, unfortunately, some journalists opt for the sensationalism journalism to try to sale their newspaper. I think that it is the first danger when you are writing a headline. 
If I had the choice, I woulk like to read the last article and the reason is simple. It makes me wondering a question. Which are these countries? Which are these countries, and once again, does Donald Trump targeted the Muslim community?
The first one is interesting, because it focus on 'Middle East flights" but as a reader, I would like to kow more. 

Post truth area context


The second one, for me, does not give enough information. In this area of post truth, of sensationalism journalism, we do not know if we have to stop about it.
Another constraint that journalists have to respect is the space that they can use for their headlines. This constraint could be a "bad" thing as a "good" thing. It avoids to write too long headlines. But sometimes it is frustrating to cut your ideas.
Write a headline is difficult, according to me, but it is the mirror of your article.
You can find more tips here.

mercredi 15 mars 2017

Has social communication become a problem?

Provost John Ryder

“Digital technologies can sometimes be an obstacle to communication", the provost at the American University of Malta said on Wednesday.


Prof. Ryder talk “Politic by Twitter” was not really about Twitter.“It was a sexy title, but today, we will be more focus on digital communication in general,” as he said. “I have to confess that I’ve never used Twitter,” he completed. “I found a little bit perverse to use only 100 characters for a sentence.” His words seemed to find an echo among the public presents at the Excelsior Hotel on Wednesday night.

"Thanks to the digital technologies, we can easly indentify a common interest"


By digital communication, Ryder included all the means that people have today to speak with others, by using new technologies as Facebook, Twitter or the emails. “This type of communication doesn’t include a face to face. And it could have a perverse effect,”he continued.
Ryder gave as example the recent crises between the US and Mexico about the wall that Donald Trump wants to construct. For the US president, Twitter is an important tool to communicate. “Thanks to digital technologies, we can easily identify a common interest and we can talk about it, even if we don’t have the same opinion,” said Ryder. “But today, the trend is to argue more than talk,” he regretted.
Ryder remembered an interview put on a website that he gave few months ago. “Yesterday, I went to take a look to this interview,” he said. “Under, I saw the comments and there, it was full of bad words against me, and bad words written with the bad spelling of course.”
Ryan pointed that without the face to face, the communication involves less engagement.
Nevertheless Ryan was still optimistic: “I am not opposed to digital technologies.” Among the 50 presents, one man asked to Ryan “Do you think that digital technologies could help to teach? Because lots of people think that it doesn’t,” he said.

Digital technologies as educational challenge

“Education and teaching are very good example of how digital technologies could be useful,” answered Ryan. “Some people think that we will lose a part of the education if we do like that, but no.” 
He reminded to the assistance that some articles shown that students read more anduse more material and online sources with online coursesHe also said that “It is the way how we communicate with the technologies that could be a problem, not the technologies by themselves.”