Communities: Virtual vs. Real

The internet has changed the way people communicate, providing new possibilities for communication. It has enabled an increased connectivity between people by overcoming geographic and social barriers. Communication now occurs through Internet forums such as, email, chat rooms, graphical worlds, discussion groups, and blogs. Now, we can meet someone without seeing their face, knowing their age or gender; people from all over the world can meet in the one place to discuss a topic of interest twenty-four hours, seven day a week. That is by using the virtual communities. The virtual communities is the social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions (using the Internet) long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace. The mediated communication foundation of virtual communities can be seen to be impacting how communication occurs. Factors of change include: the Internets facilitation of interactivity, immediacy, availability, access and collaboration; the digitalization of technologies; and the convergence of businesses and technologies. With these areas changing, communication is revolutionizing into two-way symmetrical communication never possible before. Although it was been said that the real communities are better, but the uses of virtual communities are now important to the public relations industry, because they provide opportunities that will augment public relation communication efforts. As new communication technologies facilitate the postmodern public sphere, public relation practitioners must be proactive towards the up-take and use of these technologies. Such activities can be seen in progress on a small scale, but not to its full potential. Without understanding the principles of how individuals use the internet and how the internet is affecting the structure of communication, use of the internet will be in vain.

For more information: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/277/5324/295

By: Yasmeen Syahiera bt Raman (2009829978)

South-South Information Gateway (SSIG)

Introduction The Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) held in July 1999 called for greater effort in promoting a ‘smart partnership’ nation-building vision among the South nations for solidarity, harmony and mutual prosperity. It also called for a greater flow of news and information between and among developing nations. Following that call, Malaysia took upon herself to support this vision by establishing the SOUTH-SOUTH INFORMATION GATEWAY (SSIG) – a depository and exchange centre for information, news and broadcast materials for all South nations. The idea of the information exchange centre was mooted by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Hon. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, at the 1999 LID and Malaysia undertook to shape the SSIG, its vision, mission and strategies in accordance with the resolution adopted by the 5th Conference of the Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries (COMINAC V) held in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1996. SSIG was established with the aim of promoting the best interests of South nations. It will harness the exchange of information, news and broadcast materials where the South’s perspective will be emphasized. With the setting up of SSIG, it is hoped that it will strengthen solidarity, harmony and mutual prosperity of South nations while cultivating a new communication order that will promote a freer and more balanced flow of information within its fraternity. The establishment of SSIG will serve as a one-stop information centre whereby information on South nations will be made available and presented according to South perspective- a worthy initiative to enable all South nations to be heard and to be visible in the world’s mainstream economy. The rapid pace of globalization demands timely information, an important factor for a competitive edge. It is our hope that the SSIG will provide the catalyst to enhance the sharing of experiences, knowledge and skills in facing the increasing challenges off globalisation.

For more information : http://www.ssig.gov.my/ssig/index.php

by: Zaharatul Mardhiah Azizul - 2009680682

click-click cak

our memories....hope next sem..we can meet together and take more pic....
I love you all......

from: sharina azirah ismail

memo

Dear: mc2225c.....

      Monday: Test  Pr campaign....

      Tuesday: Presentation Financial PR..

     Wednesday: Mid term Special topic...
 
     Just wanna to wish good luck...

     this is our last sem..I will miss all of u...huk..huk....

from: Sharina Azirah Ismail.....

Blogging-It's Good For You

An article from; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type

The reason for blogosphere has taken off maybe the self-satisfaction. Besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many psychological benefits. It improves memory and sleeps, boost immune-self activity, and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery. As social creatures, human has a range of pain-related behaviors. Blogging about stressful experience might work similarly. The frontal and temporal lobes, which govern speech with no dedicated writing center is hard-wired in the brain. According to a study, some activities in this area could foster the urge to blog. Scientists’ understanding about the neurobiology underlying therapeutic must remain speculative for now. Attempts to image the brain before and after writing have yielded the information because the active region located so deep inside. Imaging studies have shown that the brain lights up differently, before, during and after writing. However, some scientists remain skeptical about the value of such image because they are hard to duplicate and quantify. Whatever the lying causes may be, people coping with cancer diagnoses and other and other serious condition are increasingly seeking and finding relief in the blogosphere.



by;
Nur Suhada Anuar

NEW MEDIA: A NEW MEDIUM IS ESCALATING CRISES?

The purpose of the research is to examine how new media can be used to escalate crisis. Through that also, the researcher come out with the 3 objectives such as how do new media and traditional media differ in covering crises?, How new media act as a platform to escalate a crisis? And how can organizations prepare for crises involving new media? In the research, the researches have been used 4 different case studies like the 2008 Edison Chen sex scandal in Hong Kong; and in the USA, New York Taco Bell-KFC rats infestation crisis in 2007; JetBlue Airways crisis in 2007, and the Kryptonite locks crisis in 2004 as their approach, methodology and design to examine how new media can escalate crisis.

Through the first objective, the researchers have been found that the key difference between new media and traditional media is that of gate keeping, the process by which vast array of potential news messages are winnowed, shaped, and prodded into those few that are actually transmitted by the news media. For example, according to Edison Chen scandal, sensitive parts of the pictures were digitally blocked when they were published in newspapers. News coverage was relatively nuanced as readership was targeted at society on the whole. Another key difference between traditional and new media is that of user interactivity. Traditional media are typically one-way communication and do not allow for much participation. Forums and online discussions are an important part of the internet, which bring people together on a common platform, and help them exchange information. Traditional newspapers are bound by space constraints their online counterparts do not face. This is where online newspapers have come to the fore to provide options for readers to comment discuss and e-mail practically every article.

Base on the second objective, the researchers was found that the internet is the key in escalating the crises. A vital element to the internet is that of diffusion, and people have adapted so well to the internet because it is available almost everywhere today. There are relatively low-entry barriers in gaining access to the internet, and this has made it a very accessible realm for all. The speedy escalation of the crises was also cause by using of multimedia which is the information could be communicated only through text and still images can now be told in different ways on diverse platforms. The people can upload online the video that make it all the people in the world could know about that crisis and actually the four case studies found in the YouTube.

According to the last objective of the research, the researcher stated that the organization needs to harness new media and they have to acknowledge the significance of new media in order to battle threats posed by the same medium. Moreover, the corporate communications practice of the organization itself must be distended to encompass both online and offline functions. One key area is the management of web communications which is primarily through the organization’s web site. Besides that, the researchers emphasizes the 4 stages of new media crisis communication model to help organizations view online crisis management as a holistic process.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/search.htm?PHPSESSID=28ucpa8f5935eisi5uink0iua6&st1=NEW+MEDIA%3A+A+NEW+MEDIUM+IS+ESCALATING+C&ct=jnl&go=Go

syaza Izza bt Shahrul

2009278292

"Dianna"