Hi Readers. Today, we have been together for 32 months. Imagine, another four months, we will hit the big 3 years. Within our relationship, there has been some long distance going on. However, since this is a “modern” year, most of my girlfriends are doing long distance as well. So one can say that us girls travel around the world to find that perfect someone and most likely its becoming a trend .

My lover and I are in our mid-20ish. So yes, we are trying to get our lives together. Both are in grad school and trying to accomplish our own dreams. However, to do that, we need each other’s support and love to make it a dream come true. Weirdly to say, for the past 31 months of our relationship, he never mention the word soulmate. Indeed the word, ‘I love you’ is there…. but personally, soulmate has a deeper and richer meaning. With the long distance that we are having, help each other to realize that my lover is the one that fills my heart in happiness. He awaken me from the tears, and struggle that I have encountered. That struggle has turned into a challenge. A challenge that I truly want to solve. And suddenly, on this day, December 9, 2009, I can feel his words of soulmate. The way he says it, tells a lot. Perhaps I am not good with words when it comes to romance, however he makes my life such a fairy tale. Perhaps that fairy tale is not the right time to tell…. but one day, it will reveal… Happy 32 months love! Please know that I love you too and could never imagine life without you, emotionally and physically.

Yours Faithfully and Always Lover,

Tranqu1l1ty.

Hi Readers!

Before you read my chain blogs, below are the recaps of my thoughts based on my first semester as a Grad student major in communications. You see, I am going to conduct a research for my minor project on my third (final) semester and thus I have began to jot down the details about the pr industry in Indonesia. Please note that all the ideas are cluttered. If there are suggestions, ideas, I am more than welcome for you to comments. Please be critical as well!  This will definitely help to broaden my perspectives on how I would tackle the field. After all, I will be thankful for any critical comments Hope to discuss with you soon!

Thanks.

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After consulting with Dr Brigid, my research question has finally rose to, “How can the social media positively effect the PR firm’s ability to communicate or reach out to their clients particularly in Indonesia?”

Based on my working experience in a PR firm, I would like to focus the social media more into how it will affect the Indonesian PR firm industry in the future. For instance, in Indonesia, clients are hesitant on using social media as a tool to promote their product/increase the public’s awareness regarding their company and so forth based on the low percentages of Indonesian internet users. Instead, the clients prefer to use the conventional media rather than mixing it with social media as a trustworthy source of information tools and how will it affect the indonesian PR firm in the future with the social media.

Perhaps I will elaborate more for tomorrow’s presentation.

See ya!

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Hey all,

Its Tuesday, and unfortunately im not feeling well. The week started with me having a soared throat, slight fever, and yes the flu. *sigh* Enough about me.. let’s jump into this research question of mine.

After reading most of the social media articles, I’ve stumble across questions. Perhaps too many… and that is why I need to highlight the main ones in order to build my minor/major project.

During these quiet moment of mine, I began to wonder how will social media will change or shift the business and practice of enterprise-level operations? With that, is social media considered to be a trustworthy source of information in the professional world? How effective do the social media and conventional media offer to advice, access information, and engage in professional collaboration? and what makes a professional decides based on the social media that they used as their sources?

Any suggestion on how should I select those questions? Shall see if I am able to come to class today. Let’s hope that I’ll feel better… (sigh)

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I came across an article regarding how could one incorporate social media in your company’s or client’s communications strategies by Ron Chow, a Malaysian IT engineer/social media professional from Malaysia. The article is rather interesting and thus I would want to share couple of points that he pointed out.

A statistics that Ron showed that Indonesia has 10% internet penetration, which amounts to approximately 23 million people. A huge number, compared to the neighboring countries, such as Malaysia, which has a total population of approximately 28 million people. Moreover, among the 23 million Indonesians who are online, 48% of them are affluent. Ron also mentioned that 70% of senior executives are online. This highlights that Indonesia’s online population is indeed a big and promising market for social media.

For Ron, what matters most about social media is the experience they leave behind and the meaning the create. That is why social media is a platform for sharing, networking, and engaging people not merely for informing. Social media will be effective, or destructive to a brand or product, depending on how the people create meaning around the brand/product itself.

That is why, Ron thinks that to make social media impactful and engaging, the first thing to do is to create a community around the brand or product. The community should be about the brand/product but around it. For instance, if Blackberry wants to utilize social media, it has to build a community about mobility communication.

After the community is established, the next step is to energize the community. One thing to do is to engage them in an online activity, such as online game, and reward them with a certain prize to make them want to participate again, spread the information and interact wth other members of community.

Once the community is established and energized, the members are engaged and the rest is maintaining. Constant communication, answering their question or comments, arrangling offline activities are among ways to do that. After it has been achieved, the positive  effect is word of mouth.

With 25 million internet users,seven million Facebook users, and one million blog owners in Indonesia, statistics has already spoken. The new media is gaining its momentum as a crucial medium to reach Indonesian target audience. This means that it is the best opportunity for PR consultants and their clients to plunge in and take the lead in utilizing social media, and the other brands will follow.

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Thanks Isabella! I do hope that I’ll get the answer through this research.

Ok so week 9 is here! As we all did last week, by searching the 10 bibliography, made me realize to identify on various of aspects towards the new media.

While browsing, I stumble across more information that could act to support the research. The traditional media versus the new media could be one factor. As one would know, the public relations firm uses traditional media, as they first established. Also, it is essential to map the new media and its theoretical field of digital communication and view how the media and communications are in Australia. One shall not forget that young generation shall be included. They generate a particular culture in how they will view the new media. Such new media, for instance, the Internet are allowed for people to create a blogging society. This would definitely lead to the success for public relations firm to operate.

More ideas to come… and yes, please suggest ideas if I’ve missed something… (which I can assure you that I missed a lot)

Cheers,

Nadia

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*I try to comment on your blog…seems like I have to create a new entry…anyway, I think your topic is good:) New media is changing the traditional role of PR in many ways and bring in not only new chances but also challenges. Good luck on your research dear.

I will work hard on mine! haha^^

From, Isabella Han

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Hey ya’ll,

How is ya’ll holiday? Guess mine just flew since I did my assignments for the entire week :S

Yes, about my research topic… Honestly, I have no strong interest on a particular issue (yes, bad isn’t it) however, the web 2.0 that is used for the public relations company catches my attention.

As you guys would probably know, mainstream media is not the only tool that are used with the companies and public relations practitioners. New media such as twitter, blogs and social networks are available for people and have changed the rule of the game when it comes to communication between business and their customers. Already, the more progressive companies are trying to market themselves through facebook and twitter. Many of them do not do a good job because they have failed to recognized the new rule of the game that media and social networks bring to the business of communication.

Hence, it rise the questions on how PR will keep up with all the new media that are available and how to use the effective tools for different companies/clients. Im guessing a research will bring the result, however I believe that there are more to it than that…

Based on my previous job as an Associate, I guess it interest me on how to deal with future client in different field. There must be a “system” that can calculate on how each medium is effective whether its in the oil industry, food and beverages industry, and so on….

New technology is a tricky deal to handle with… so yeah… any suggestions? would be much appreciated

Cheers!

Hi Blog,

I can’t believe I have been neglecting you for couple of months. Grad school is not so bad after all. However, I need to start thinking of what subject I should discuss on for my final minor project. I have the opportunity for being involved on a major or a minor project. Major project consists of 16,000 words while minor consists of 10,000 words. Despite the 6,000 words difference, that does not really bother me as much. I believe that when there are more words to your thesis, more information that you’ll provide, and the more valuable it becomes. The tricky part is that if I do a major project, I will not take any extra class. This is due to the credits that I have met for this particular course. Without going to class, no interaction with students whatsoever, makes my life a bit dull. As I can say, Im not a research student rather I am interested on diving into the real world. Yes, the working world!

During my first semester, our class has given the students the chance to insert our thoughts about our thesis. As a result, we will begin to see the progress of not only our thoughts, but our ideas on whether the content of the argument is relevant to the major point that we are trying to reach to the audience. Due to my education and experience background, I am much interested in slicing the PR industry that is located in Indonesia. Yes, that is too broad of an issue to discuss, however the focal argument that I am trying to convey is that since social media are booming recently, how can clients trust the issue of using twitter, facebook, blogs, and youtube.com as their new main medium to portray their message! As I have seen or read through much article, I can truly state that president Obama is the only president that uses social media as his main medium to gain support for his presidential election. It is interesting though, Indonesia has been one of those country that “follows” the trends in the United States. I find it very amusing that there has been a 3,000% increase of Indonesian facebook users from the year 2008 – 2009.

Companies in Indonesia are not willing to take any risks regarding the way that they will market their products and services. Fair enough that they are using traditional media to reach their target audience, new and current, however, at this point of year, technology are getting more advance. Thus, why not try the new social media and still use the traditional media as well. The question is, “how come Indonesian companies is not following to the trend of social media? do they think that the medium is not relevant and reliable to reach the end results? or is it because that they know they will bring positive results, however they think that its silly to hire someone in just focusing on the social media?” All these questions are all flowing….

Readers, what do you think? Will this particular research be possible and worth to find out?

Tapsall, S 2001, “The media is the Message”, Journalism: Theory in Practice, South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, pp. 235-253.

Having such a significant role in the lives of humans, technology influences operate to ways that have the capability to adjust on how people think, communicate, and act. The view of media is a way to place distributes information, and thus technology provides the public’s attention. The media includes voice, music, photos, text, animation and video through television, Internet, and print newspaper (2001). The media are able to expand the range of information by experiences and open the social networks. In, “The media is the message” (2001) indicate that media are interactive and conducive that emphasize technology as a tool to complete a task, easy access to obtain reach for information and causes social and culture change. The author describes technology to different approaches and forms and thus living in a new age of technology is changing the way people think, act, and feel.

Technological determinism suggested that evolution in communication had a direct impact towards the society. People are shaping its tools (medium) and in return the tool shapes the people (2001). “New technologies’ transform society at every level, including institutions, social interaction and individuals” (2001, p. 238). This indicates that the channels of communication are the cause of cultural change. For instance, the lifestyles that people live rely heavily on the way they process information. Each communication invention throughout history changed the way people thought about the way that they perceive the world in electronic, oral or written forms. People live in a world of technology that cause the Internet to become a mass media medium as a mass medium. So many people rely on the Internet on a daily basis and it is starting to take over some conventional norms that society has (2001). For example, people are searching for news over the Internet and shopping online instead of purchasing a newspaper or magazine and going to an actual retail store.

Technologies can be used for good, and bad purposes. Neutrality approach is taken that technologies are constructed for specific purposes and, as a result, users can choose and modify technologies for their own purposes. Edge (1995,p. 14) purports, “The social shaping of technology approach allows one to look at factors that influence the speed and direction of technological change, together with causes and effects (Tapsall 2001, pp. 245). This indicates that the messages are received through technologies that are due to how we learn and feel. For example, the radio required to listen and develops the sense of hearing. On the other hand, television engages the hearing and visual senses. Then, with the transferred senses of its everyday lives, people wanted to use the technology again and thus making the medium the message. With everyone electronically mailing each other today, for instance, there is no longer a need to write a letter, forwarding it to a friend will do.

In conclusion, the author portray that the evolution of technology causes political, social and environmental changes. Technology allows humans to conquer their world, which causes evolution as cultures, and ideas are destroyed. At the same time technology become more successful within its own society. The technology uses communication links to spread information from one place to another and enables people to send and receive information. The communication links also are used to interact with different people in the world.

The picture above is taken on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the park near the Yarra River. The image captured the natural beauty of nature while it possessed the serene environment. The wind blew the grass and helps the river flows with such power that it gave the time to appreciate God’s creation.

A woman is walking with her back straight and head held high, showing confidence in life. The background, architecture of the building, provide a solid pattern that portray and compliment the woman attitude as an independent person.

The breath taking image is snapped at the skydeck, Eureka Tower located at the Riverside Quay, Southbank. This fabulous picture is overlooking Melbourne’s beauty of its modern and yet sophisticated city.

Keep, D 2009 “The Portable Shrine: remembrance, memorial and the mobile phone”, Australian Journal of Communication. pp. 61-71.

The mobile phone has changed our way of life in which people communicate with one another due to globalization. Mobile technology has become more advance and capable of doing things beyond its initial intention. “The portable shrine, Remembrance, memorial, and the mobile phone” by Keep (2009) has illustrated how mobile phone affects people of expression and social experiences that reflect upon its personal and collective identity (p. 61). The journal further analyzed mobile phone as a diverse way to transmit the personal memories and view it in the form of images, videos, and text message that are encountered in a set of culture norms.

Keep stated, “Digital media has arguably promoted a culture where individuals rely on the memory capabilities of machines, rather than commit information to personal memory” (2009, p. 64). This expresses that mobile phone at the cultural level is presented by the adoption of text messaging, voice calls, mobile phone screensaver, images, and video. The conceptual argument that Keep addresses is that the mobile phone provides people new means of self- expression where individual operates in his or her way to obtain a sense of belongings or information. The role of the mobile phone in self-expression has also been studied from the cultural perspective. Additionally, Keep (2009) illustrates that; “it is our ability to retrieve our memories that is vital to our understanding of self” (p. 64). This indicates that by organizing the photos makes it easier for people to recall their memory. For instance, after a wedding, one will upload a photo to your computer and categorize it under your friends wedding. This is a shift from a traditional collective memory to a individualistic memory.

Furthermore, camera- phones has “shifted the people imagination in ways to capture, store and share our personal and collective memories” (Keep, 2009, p. 65). Camera- phones allow the process of identity and to memorize changes in which way people capture, store, and distribute personal photographs as storytelling (p. 66). People share personal photographs in many ways. Previously, people only recorded special events, however with the invention of a camera-phone, people are recording their personal experience from a common every day events to emotional events. For example, people send copies of photographs through the mail to families or loved ones, frame photographs for display in homes or workplaces that are loaded with emotional value (p. 66). Yet, with this action, relations to build and maintain social relationship are decreasing. On the other note, the author continues to portray that “mobile phone can present innovative ways for people across the globe to participate in plethora of cultural traditions and rituals” (p. 68). This means that mobile phone is becoming a crucial element of culture and rituals to construct meanings.

To conclude, the journal article demonstrates that mobile technology have an impact towards the way that people record and achieve its memories. This is done by creating and maintaining social relationship around us. Camera phones allow people to express and present themselves to the world. The author’s argument can be strengthened if he balances his essay with an opponent’s view. Oral story telling is a rare skill that can powerfully move an audience with its artistry in word choice and performance. However, recording of the same story by video will fail to capture the mood of the audience. At best, the mobile phone can help you remember the mood.

Since it is now so easy to record yourself and post your video on the internet, the invention of the mobile phone focuses more on the individual memory rather than the collective memory. In the past, photo albums brought family and friends together to share the memories at reunions. On the other hand, photo albums online allow people to view the pictures on one’s computer alone.

Berger. BK 2005, “Power Over, Power With, and Power to Relations: Critical Reflections on Public Relations, the Dominant Coalition, and Activism”, Journal of Public Relations Research 17 (1): pp. 5-28.

Berger’s journal, “Power Over, Power With, and Power to Relations: Critical Reflections on Public Relations, the Dominant Coalition and Activism” convey that power will assist relationship in the public relations profession. The author claimed to provide wider aspects on how power operates and developed under the symmetrical public relations theory. Dominant coalition allows public relations managers (top management) become part of the decision-making of an organization where conflicts are involved to handle strategic planning and solve problems for the organization  (Broom & Dozier, 1985; J. E. Grunig & Hunt, 1984; Plowman, 1998, p. 5).

The conceptual argument in this study was to explore further how public relations top management gains power in organizations to enforce the direction, objective, and function of the organizations. Berger conducted six propositions on the dominant coalition. In one of the in-depth interview in conflict situations, shows that “power relations occur in multiple dominant coalitions in large organizations” (p. 9). The author portrays that budget and plans review built power relations where practitioners have no voice apart from presenting proposal and support it. However, during a crisis, the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive is part of the dominant coalition where they value public relations highly (p. 10). This indicates that public relations activities are demanded to an excellent communication execution. “Multiple coalitions, shifting coalition venues and roles, multiple checking points on public relations power” (p.15) criticize the six propositions that restricted public relations to do the right thing.

Power with relations can be portrayed by “power with relations, refers to shared power and collaborative decision making” (Kanter, 1979; Rakow, 1989; p. 16). Two- way symmetrical model plays a role where through conversation, compromising, and relationship will develop an outstanding share power with the stakeholder (p.16).  Berger emphasize that Bologh model is viewed femininely and led to gendered dialectic. Hence, diversity of male and female based on different ethnic and cultural background is needed for effective organizations. Yet, Bologh and Rakow (1990, 1989) mentioned that women have less opportunity than men to gain strategic expertise because of women represent weakness, powerlessness, irrationality and emotionality (p. 17).

In conclusion, there are many conditions whether it is inside, around or outside the system that power relations may offer by “dialogue, compromise and shared power (p. 22). The author stresses that even though public relations practitioners may follow the framework in doing the right thing, they are able to avoid the power that they have in turn of dominant coalition. By interviewing the executives based on their experience provides evidence on how to make organizations effective. Yet, more men (17) are being interviewed than women (4). This raised a concern whether the results are legitimate when addressing the issue that men have more power than women in decision-making. Although the author explained thoroughly on how the executive voices are being heard in a dominant coalition, Berger should explore another aspect where public relations executive voices failed to take action and what they do to gain the share power between clients and executive. The journal article is based on a textual analysis where interview is conducted under the Public Relations discipline.

Bertrand, I & Hughes. P 2004 Of elephants, definitions and models: the context of media research, New York : Palgrave Macmillan, pp.1-8.

Research is the main focus to analyze media. The article, Of elephants, definitions and models: the context of media research, by Bertrand and Hughes provide an overview and a clear guidance of several areas in conducting a media research. The article is divided into different sections: to explore various methodologies, to be exposed to paradigms of media research, to interpret the analysis of frameworks based on the data and to discuss its conclusion (p. 3). This article claims that research is challenging and may lead to great results when creating a strong foundation on its objective, following the Lincoln and Giba framework accordingly and respecting the ethical issues.

The conceptual argument is based on “media, culture, communication, research, and an introduction to some of the major intellectual frameworks that have shaped media research” (p. 19). In the opening paragraph, it is observed that meaning can be interpreted differently by illustrating the elephant, as the object, towards the blind men. Creating a mutual meaning require a medium that act as institutions to communicate between two people or more (p. 4). Culture plays essential parts in these mix messages. “All mass media operate within the multiple cultures that has significant sites of cultural activity” (p. 5). The linear communication model is then introduced by the authors’ to exemplify how it “operates by analogy to technology to telegraph (p. 5). This transmission model assumed that it is a one- way process in which a sender is sending a message to the receiver through a medium and is transmitted in a straightforward manner.  

  The authors’ observes Lincoln and Giba (2000: 168) model and “replicate the frameworks that are available in media research” (p. 11). To portray a media research, the authors’ implement the framework as a standard that concentrated on the ethical policies. The policy shall be used to protect the rights of the researcher participants, to avoid violation of applicable law, and any risk of harm of physical, emotionally or financial towards the main idea that are being researched (p. 15). Original images and documents should be acknowledged by the researcher to appreciate the work and to create credibility in the research. Moreover, considering other’s sensitivity shall cross the researcher’s mind to not offend any parties involved (p. 16). The authors’ believe that researchers are aware of the any misleading action in doing a qualitative or quantitative research (p. 17).

Research encompasses analytic work that is designed to produce outcome with wide applicability around the world. The authors’ directed toward the ethical policy and is focused on the long-term aspects of research to contribute the intellectual foundations in an academic sector. Moreover, the authors’ supported its term in a critical strategy based on the Lincoln and Giba framework, which includes any discipline. Bertrand and Hughes used textual analysis as the observation and with that, there are no critical comments regarding this article, as the evidence is concrete and the authors’ and I share the same believe to protect the rights of researcher’s work. Furthermore, the title is situated perfectly to the context of the article as it articulated the main idea.

Newman, F & Gibson. M 2007 “Monoculture versus multiculinarism: Trouble in the Aussie Kitchen” chapter 6 Ordinary Lifestyles : Popular media, Consumption & Taste (ed) David Bell & Joanne Hollows, pp. 82-98.

The role of media and its diverse culture shifted the Australian cuisine that led to shape up its lifestyle and identity of Australia (p. 83) is addressed in the Newman and Gibson’s (2007) article, “Monoculture versus multiculinarism: Trouble in the Aussie Kitchen”. The discussion is focused on how to create awareness through the cooking programs that are broadcasted to the multicultural people in Australia. However, such difficult tasks can only invite criticism towards the program and thus brought the conclusion that the main challenge is how will the media present their ethnic food appropriately to a multicultural audience? (p. 98).

The conceptual argument carries the complexity of various cultures into identifying the Australian dish by positioning Australian identity based on fish and chips. The authors highlights that fish and chips are originally from Britain that are “associated with British working-classness” (p. 86). Based on the history, the British men that are flown to Australia have no other choices but to cook fish and chips as the icon of freedom (p. 86) to feel connected with Britain.

During the authors’ research through television programs, Kylie Kwong cooking show in Heart and Soul, depicts the negativity of addressing the local food in Australia. The authors’ failed to believe her credibility based on her cultural background and by applying the local ingredients to produce Chinese food and used the term “rustic peasant stuff” (p. 93). On the other hand, Gondola received a slightly better appreciation from the people in Australia. The people are able to accept the idea that its basic ingredients resemblance the local ingredients between Italy and Australia. Yet, it does not fully satisfy the authors’ thirst for delivering the monoculinary in Australia to its diverse culture (p. 92). Additionally, Aristos in the Surprise Chef grasp the authors’ attention due to his use of the main ingredients in Australia, which are tinned pineapple and bean mix into various kind of meals (p. 97) along with his background of running his fish and chips business.

As a medium, television transmits messages to people in identifying the Australian culinary. Since television is in a globalized form, it is very difficult to deliver an unambiguous message to the people in announcing Australian identity and lifestyle. The authors’ stated, “The food media clearly have a crucial part to play in defining and negotiating ethnic and class identifies here” (p. 90) and thus the Authors’ compare and contrast several cooking program to overview the different angle that the show is stressing on how essential it is for the media to target the multiculture audience with the monoculture culinary

In conclusion, the cultural identity that is covered by the media are integrated with way that people perceived the meaning of the message based on the cultural background. The authors emphasized on the television-cooking program as a base to measure the Australian identity and to avoid the limited amount of people from knowing its uniqueness of Australian cuisine due to the many immigrants. Additionally, it indicates that criticism gives inspiration to further questions the program in order to accumulate the main message rather than drawn to the attention that are directly pointed out. Delivering such intricate message will consume a lot of time, however, with the approach in continuing the trend of its cooking program will broaden the people’s mind in how they will encounter its Australian ethnic dish, fish and chips.

Michael Jackson, known as the greatest entertainer in the world, passed away on June 25, 2009 due to a vascular cardiac attack. I was awaken, early in the morning, by the shocking news… “Michael Jackson died at 50″. Feels like a dream… and hoping that the king of pop being dead is just some bizarre rumor. However, not all your hopes can come true. He did died.. yes at a young age.. He has done his duty….

For those who missed the memorial, please click here for a full view. Worth the look guys!!!!!

Thank you MJ for breaking the barriers between blacks, whites, asians, and latinos as well as spreading your love through your beautiful songs….. You may not be here physically, but your music will live forever in our souls.

Big condolences for the Jackson’s family… May God give you the strength to hang on…. Rest in peace MJ…

Love,

Tranquility <3