The Changing Face of Journalism in Digital Era

Journalism in the Digital Era

Gone are the days when people used to wait for the arrival of newspapers at their doorsteps and read newspapers with sips into their cups of tea in the morning. Morning was the time to have glimpses of the world through newspapers. In the 21^st century, people have access to news even when they are on walk or move by means of digital media. Journalism in the present decade of digital media is highly competitive, more challenging and faster. The use of innovative digital communication tools in gathering, reporting, analyzing and presenting news has revolutionized the field of journalism. 

News gathering – News gathering was a herculean task in the years before the present era of digital media. The use of miniature digital cameras has led to the demise of big team camera crews. Correspondents at the site of a breaking story or sports event transmit images from their digital cameras to editors of a newspaper organization via Internet within seconds. Wireless technology has enabled reporters to report the proceedings at court during a sensitive case hearing through SMSes from their mobile phones or emails via mobile internet to the editorial headquarters. As the tools of news gathering have become smaller and smarter, the non-stop round the clock news cycle has become the norm. 

News Reporting – Journalism in the present decade of digital media runs at a cracking pace. The task of news reporting was strenuous before the introduction of digital communication tools. It required journalists to report in person to the editorial department of newspaper organizations on time. Digital media have made it possible to report on a breaking news story in real time. Now, TV journalists do live reporting from the site of a social event or road accident. The minute-to-minute updates of an event or accident, transmitted by reporters through SMSes and emails go online to provide the public with real-time news. 

News Presentation – The style of news presentation is a key to the growth and popularity of print media, electronics media and web media in the present age of digital communication. The immediacy and transparency of news that the modern-day digital media have brought about is increasing the impact of journalism. In this modern media age, people run and read, run and hear, run and see. Therefore, journalists of all media – print, web and electronics are under pressure to present news stories in an easier and more comprehensible way. The better the news presentation is, the more the news provider is popular. 

Competition – In the 21^st century, going online for publicity and promotion is the latest trend. Both newspaper houses and TV news channels have gone online to widen their reach, boost their business and fuel their growth. Through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, they are reaching out to more and more people in a split of a second. Today’s Internet-savvy people who have nose for news remain hooked to social networking sites through their cell phones to get news updates every minute. Journalism has gained momentum due to the neck-and-neck competition between print media and electronics media in the digital era.

Journalism in the present digital age when news is combined with pictures and video clips, has posed threat to the government. Government actions and policies, whether in Washington, London or Delhi are now subjected to instant analysis and opinion polling because of real-time and round-the-clock news.  

   

Journalism has taken a U-turn owing to the faster and more efficient means of gathering and transmitting news across geographical barriers via Internet. At the same time, the pressure of the 24 hour news cycle, the demand for instant news coverage and the growing competition are placing core journalistic values – objectivity and accuracy at risk.

    

The Beauty of the Reaper’s Song in The Solitary Reaper

Describe the beauty of the solitary reaper’s song in The Solitary Reaper

Is there any impact of the solitary reaper’s song on William Wordsworth?  

The Solitary Reaper

It is said that the abstract, silent and profound is the most beautiful. In the poem “The Solitary Reaper” by William Wordsworth, the song of the reaper is a manifestation of beauty that is a ‘joy forever’. The melodious beauty of the song lies in its concoction of different emotions: merriment and melancholy. It is so highly influential that every nook and corner of the valley brims over with its mesmeric melody. The melody of the ‘Highland Lass’ is so charming that it surpasses the song of nightingales in the Arabian Desert and the song of cuckoo birds in the Hebrides. Moreover, the intensity of natural beauty that the reaper’s song embodies cannot be measured. That is why; the poet cannot make out the theme of the song. The spell of the song on him is so strong that he feels being transported away from the mundane world. Wordsworth the worshiper of nature and the lover of natural beauty is so touched by the lyrical quality of the song that he carries the tune of the song in the deep recesses of his heart even after he departs from the place where the ‘solitary reaper’ was singing.     

Follow the link for more English literature notes on The Solitary Reaper 
Relevance of the title "The Solitary Reaper" 
Note on Picturesque Comparisons in The Solitary Reaper

Rachel Bloom's Awesome Remark on Writing

"The number one thing I am earnestly attracted to is intelligence. Writers are thus the pinnacle of intelligence. While actors are great and awesome, writers literally create new worlds from scratch. What is sexier than that? Personally, I don't know why every person out there isn't dating a writer"

English Language Tips on Correct English

English language tips

Here are some English language tips to help you write correct English. These tips are very simple and common focusing on what you should say and what you should not. They are as follows: 

What you should not say

·         He never calls me back

·         He asked me what I would give him back if he gave his pen

·         She never gives back the things she borrows 

What you should say

·         He never returns my calls

·         He asked me what I would give him in return if he gave me his pen

·         She never returns the things she borrows

How-to-Write Tips – Engaging Film Review

English Writing Tips on Film Review 

Writing a successful film review is like preparing a recipe. A film review writer writes an engaging review concentrating on the essential elements of a film just as a chef cooks up a recipe using the required ingredients in right amounts. It is the writer’s creativity, writing style and keen eye for details that make the final result interesting.

First Paragraph – Info-packed

The first paragraph of any write-up should be written in such a unique way as to grip the reader’s attention. Better known as lead, the first paragraph can start with a power-packed or touching dialogue from the movie or a comparison of the movie to other movies of the same genre. The reviewer should stuff the lead with the names of the director, script writer, music director and the principal characters. Whether the movie is a slice of real life, comedy, tragedy, romantic, thriller or an action flick is part of the lead. One more thing to mention in the lead is the film is the celluloid adaptation of a novel or drama, or a sequel of some other movie.  

Second Paragraph – Story-telling

Most of the readers base their decision whether they should watch a film on the story of the film. Therefore, they go through the reviews on the film to have some snippets of its story. So, the lead of a movie should be followed by a synopsis of the film story. The synopsis must be pithy and punchy. It should not be too revealing. The reviewer should not untangle all the threads of mystery and complicacy, if there is any, in the plot while reviewing it. If the movie is really good and a must watch, the reviewer should summarize the story with a focus on the interesting twists and turns in the plot to pique the reader’s interest in the movie.

Third Paragraph – Focus on Character Portrayal    

The readers are keen to know about the characters that their favorite actor and actress have played in the film. They also feel itchy to know about performance. The reviewer should be fair in his judgment on the performance of the film’s star cast. He should concentrate on if the characters are convincing, if the actors have got into the skin of the characters, if development of the characters is related or relevant to the plot. There is no reason for his hesitation to mention the shortcomings in the portrayal of the prominent characters, if there is any.

Fourth Paragraph - Technical Details

Without a mention of the film’s aesthetic and technical details, the review would read dull and incomplete. Cinematography, editing, special effects and sound are among the technical details to ponder upon in the review. The scenes and dialogues in a movie are pieced together with finesse and leaving no fault in the narrative drive through meticulous editing. The picturesque quality or visual quality of a film depends on cinematography. Often special effects are used to illustrate or put flesh on the most prominent scenes.

Fifth Paragraph – Aesthetic Details

Among the aesthetic details, the script, choreography and music deserve to be paid attention in a film review. The success of a film depends on these to a great extent. So, the reviewer needs to mention if the script is taut or loose and which number from the film’s music album is melodious. If the story is reflective of any social issue, if it is narrated using symbols and imageries, if it conveys any message should also be focused on in the review.   

Sixth Paragraph – the Ending   

Another most important thing to be included in the review is the ending of the film. The reviewer should make it clear if the end is a climax or an anticlimax, if it is shot tactfully and if it does leave any impression on the viewer’s mind.

Special Note

Usually, the language of film reviews is spicy in essence. It is somewhat ornamental. The reviewer should pick up adjectives, adverbs, similes and metaphors to shape up his opinion about the above-mentioned components of a film. For example, gripping script, outstanding performance, immaculate cinematography, superb direction, soulful music, etc.  

Follow - How-to-write Tips: Headlines for News, Features & Articles                       

Charles Peguy's Remarkable Remark on Writing

A word is not the same with one writer as with another.  One tears it from his guts.  The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.

English Grammar Tricks: Correct Use of 'Return' as a Verb to Mean Different Things



English Grammar Tricks



Very often, many students are not sure how and when to use the word ‘return’. ‘Return’ can mean a number of things. The correct use of 'return' in English write-ups is one of English grammar tricks. Follow what is given below:

·         To give back / bring back – I returned the books yesterday

·         To hit back – Federer returned Nadal’s serves beautifully

·         To go back – She returned to Mumbai last week

·         To come back – He returned from Australia last month

·         To send back – The students returned the papers to the teacher

·         To pay back – He returned all the money he had taken

Special Note – Some students write ‘return back’ unknowingly. The word ‘back’ should not be used after ‘return’.      



Will the Sorry State of Local Trains Improve in the Regime of Mamta Bannerjee

KOLKATA a metropolitan city is well connected to the suburban areas in north and south through railways. Thousands of people from both northern and southern suburbs travel by local trains to Sialda Station and then to the heart of the city every day. Local trains are the transport lifeline between the city of Kolkata and suburban areas. 

Trains from Sialda Station towards north and south in the evening are many more times crowded than trains to Sialda at daytime. The inner ambience of train compartments with passengers more than they can accommodate is no less suffocating than that of prison rooms with criminals huddled together. The commuters push, jostle and fight one another to make room for themselves in the compartments.

 

People who board trains at Sialda Station take safe position in the compartments. Turmoil arises when trains from Sialda take stoppage at various stations. Trains depart Sialda Station, with each compartment congested and crowded. Adding to the congestion and crowd are the commuters who board the trains at successive stations next to Sialda. 

The situation turns worse when some persons failing to make their way inside the compartments travel keeping their feet on the lower edge and holding the upper edge of the entrance somehow. Some people carrying heavy bags cannot manage to get down at their preferred stations because passengers on platforms start getting into the compartments when trains slow down the pace at the time of entering the stations. 

A person with his wife and children on a visit to the city cannot rely on local trains from Sialda to reach his home safely. Such is the scenario to witness daily except on Sundays. The picture of lady’s compartments of these local trains is grimmer than that of general compartments. Many ladies who travel to the city for job purposes and on various other errands cannot go back their homes timely as they can’t manage to board trains due to excess crowd and congestion in the compartments reserved for them. 

What is the worst is danger to the lives of the people who travel all the way to their home stations either by standing on the outmost edge of the compartments or hanging almost outside the compartments. At times, some of them face life-taking accidents which hit the headlines of newspapers the very next day. Traveling by local trains on the way from Sialda to suburban areas in the evening is a risky affair.

 

Developments are taking place in the heart of Kolkata to improve the day-to-day life of city dwellers. But, there is no improvement in the sorry state of local trains. Can the suburban people expect to travel at ease on the way to and back from Sialda Station in the regime of Mamta Bannerjee as Bengal’s Chief Minister? 

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A Picturesque Account of My Visit to Puri

My Parents and I are thirsty travelers .We are much fond of travelling .Being confined by the walls and roof of house is not our cup of tea. We make trips to various destination twice a year .After mu final examination was over in the mid of April this year, my parents planned a trip to Puri, one of our favorite haunts.

We took the train Puri Express from the Hawrah station at 10:20 pm on 25th April .I was very excited to reach Puri as soon as possible. We had already booked a room at the Puri Holiday Home for four days. We headed to the hotel from the Puri station. We kept the luggage in the room and took rest for some time. The sea beach was at a stone’s throw from the hotel we stayed in. I was restless to visit the beach. 

A gripping glimpse of sunrise at Puri beach

We made our way to the beach when the sun was about to set in the western sky. A cool breeze was blowing from the sea and the sun was looking a big orange. The waves were neither too violent nor too calm. I was enjoying a stroll on the beach when the waves were striking against my feet. We returned to the hotel after darkness enveloped the sky. 

The electric lampposts lit up the beach to some extent. We could see the restless waves coming and going from the balcony of our hotel room. I was waiting for the first light of the sun to kiss the earth. We left for the beach early at down to capture the beauty of the rising sun in the frames of our eyes. When the sun made its appearance just above the horizon sprinkling a handful of red and orange colors in the eastern sky, I was amused with wonder. It was a divine experience that I can’t explain in words. I sat on the balmy beach and kept on staring on the rising sun for some time. 

Gradually, morning came down. The open and breezy ambiance of the beach was soothing and refreshing. The waves were calm and the surrounding was so pleasant that it touched the depth of my heart. After having a bath in the sea and breakfast at the hotel, we left for the Sun Temple. Thus, three days passed. On the fourth day, we came back to Kolkata.  

By Ranabesh Roy, a class IX student in Kolkata           

Generation Gap is a Myth or Reality

Society has left its odds far behind and come a long way with the pace of evolution in the thought, view, lifestyle and day-to-day life of people. With advancement in every sector of the nation and its society, man’s outlook has changed, needs have increased and demands have grown. The appetite of the 21^st century man for knowledge, wealth, success, prosperity, power and physical comfort is stronger than that of man in previous centuries. It has resulted in the formation of a gulf between the present generation and the previous generation. This phenomenon of the present century is better known as generation gap.

Generation gap is no myth. It is rather a reality. It is felt in the real world when there is a clash between old and new ideas. For example, a man of present generation with a scientific bend of mind considers everything from a logical point of view while his elders do not welcome his innovative ideas. They rather try to impose their superstitious beliefs on him.  A man with modern education hates to abide by old-age prejudices and customs which clutch the minds of the elderly. Today’s youth are more versed with technology than their parents and grand parents. They want their study to be equipped with desktops, their hands to grip high-end cell phones and ears to be plugged with earphones of ipods. Some parents who lead back-dated lifestyle do not understand these needs of their children, although they can afford them. The opposition between the generation that holds firm to traditions of the distant past and the generation that wants to advance with the passage of time bears distinct evidence to the existence of generation gap in the world of real life.

Today’s college goers hang out with friends at some posh café, bar or shopping malls every now and then. They don’t mind emptying their wallets to watch new releases of their favorite Bollywood and Hollywood stars at multiplexes in order to while away weekends. Some parents are easy-going and allow their adolescent children to lead their lives in their own way while some others, though they can provide for such luxuries of their children, find the contemporary picture contrary to that of their times. 

It is a common scenario to witness in metropolitan cities and even in townships that not only college goers but also school goers visit a video parlor more than a library. They feel more comfortable with surfing the internet, checking email accounts, chatting with friends, making friends online, logging on to social networking sites and reading SMSes than reading literary books. Orkutting and Twittering are common activities that most of today’s children, teens, adolescents and youngsters freely indulge in.

These are more than modern fancies and less than necessities. The youngsters of the present generation living in urban areas take fancy to this all to look cool and be trendy. Some parents want their children to feel, not face the hardships that they had undergone in childhood and youth. But, the children don’t take a look back into the bygone days of their parents. They just want to go with the wind and embrace the so called modern culture. Here lies the generation gap.      

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