8 years ago
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Can Animation Be Journalism?
AN AIRLINE PASSENGER recently opted not to go through the full-body scanner at San Diego International Airport. Instead, he requested the full-body pat-down. But when the security officer explained what would happen, the passenger said, “If you touch my junk I will have you arrested.”
The passenger captured the entire event on his cell phone video camera, and the raw video has gone viral.
A Hong Kong-based news operation creates animated videos of news stories, like the airport incident. Watch the video above.
Is the animation an appropriate way to handle a news story? Could this be the future of journalism?
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16 comments:
Personally, I think the way they handled the story was strange and inappropriate. It may be more entertaining, but the video made it seem like the story was supposed to be funny. I think using animation may be useful when trying to explain a part of the story, like when they showed how the scanners worked, without actually having to get people to volunteer showing their bodies on the scanner. However, a whole story like this, with the reporters animated as well is a bit odd.
I think this was purely meant to poke fun at United States citizens; it somewhat shows how those in Hong Kong view us, and they way in which they do is pretty sad. However, I do think that it is a bit inappropriate, because someone watching, not fully knowing all the background information would think that there is something terribly wrong with United States officials, which there is. Yet, I think that as a news cooperation, they could have been a little more serious of the matter. I think it would be a little different if the Hong Kong-based news cooperation was showing a video made from someone unaffiliated with them.
This concept has the potential to be a GREAT aspect of Journalism however few may believe this due to the content in the video. The idea of creating this animated videos is a great idea - the unnecessary content. Giving your audience a visual as to what occured during the event should be ideal in any news story. However in order for this animation to have an effect of people, the individuals creating the video must take it serious and take a professional approach to the video.
- Taisje Claiborne
Using animation can be a great journalistic tool to explain something visually - look at almost any story involving an incident with an airplane mid-flight. This example, however, shows that anything taken to an extreme is a bad idea. How many serious news outlets feature lesbian encounters because the woman doing the strip-searching found the now-naked searchee attractive?
Entertaining, somewhat, but the future of news it is not.
I think the animation news will become popular in the future. This is because the number of the journalists are decreasing now, I think the TV producers want to make the news program cheaper. The animation news is less cost than normal news because the animation news does not need people. I aslo feel this news is strange but in the future it is going to be a common news program.
I think that animation could have a place in respectable journalism; just not the type of animation I saw in this particular video. It seemed to poke fun at what was a serious news story. I read something in the news just today about this very same thing happening to a women at Boston's Logan Airport. What happened to her was humiliating. Who wants to be randomly selected for a full body scan that shows you completely naked with just your faced blurred out? I equate that with having a hidden camera in a dressing room where a complete stranger can see you undress without you even knowing who they are. The alternative of being taken away, barefoot, to a private room and basically being felt up from head to toe isn't much better. There has to be a more dignified way of ensuring the safety of the flying public.I wonder if these invasive and humiliating scans have ever prevented a single incident of potential terrorism, and wouldn't dogs trained to detect explosives be much more effective? This is a serious issue and turning it into what is essentially a cartoon is just wrong.
I really don't think it was appropriate and definitely doesn't make the news company look respectible. I mean isn't creating animations of recent news stories what South Park does, not a news company?
I think the video was a shot at how Americans are handling airport security post 9/11. The video clearly and intentionally poked fun at having to be taken into a private room and receiving a full-body pat down. Also, the man who opted not to go through with the pat down was was made victim of humor. I can understand journalism wanting to be more digital, but if it is simply headed in that direaction to add entertainment, society needs to resort back to the kind of journalism that was made to inform people about news that affects lives, minus the entertaining aspect.
i believe that the animation, when used correctly, can be a useful tool in the future of journalism. It can help create a visual guide to a story. However, the video in this case did not accurately portray what was happening in the story, i.e. the pat down happening in a bedroom. This video actually distracted me from the actual story. If this was a comedy news show, like a Japanese daily show, i would be ok with this. However, if this was shown on a serious news show it is disgraceful.
I believe that this animation definitely decreased the seriousness of the news story. It made it seem like the Hong Kong-based news company was making fun of Americans and the lengths they have begun to go through to keep people safe. I do believe, though, that animation in certain cases can help people visualize situations that news stations would otherwise be unable to portray.
Using animation as a form of journalism could be either good or bad. If the animated story that is being reported on is accurate and properly delivers the story, then it's fine. However, animated news may not be taken very seriously as a form of journalism by most people. For example, this particular story being reported on by this Hong Kong news operation is most likely not being taken seriously by many people. It just looks like a joke, and like many people above me have said, pokes fun at America. This animated news may be the future of journalism if people are continuing to show interest in it. However, it may be used more if the animated stories being reported on appeared to be more professional and not as ridiculous.
Using animation as a form of journalism could be either good or bad. If the animated story that is being reported on is accurate and properly delivers the story, then it's fine. However, animated news may not be taken very seriously as a form of journalism by most people. For example, this particular story being reported on by this Hong Kong news operation is most likely not being taken seriously by many people. It just looks like a joke, and like many people above me have said, pokes fun at America. This animated news may be the future of journalism if people are continuing to show interest in it. However, it may be used more if the animated stories being reported on appeared to be more professional and not as ridiculous.
I personally don't like the animations but I think that they will become more prevalent in the news and other media in the future. i think it appeals to a younger crowd or generation. The present generation of kids and teenagers revolve their lives around video games and so these animations catch the attention and interests of the younger generation. I also went to the first extra credit event, PhIJI, where Temple professor Susan Jacobson discussed her studies of this new form of animation in the media. From listening to her, I can definitely see these animations appearing more often in the media.
The video posted here is strange, but using visuals to help tell a story is both entertaining and informative. Visuals help people retain the information. Videos used commonly, like "live" videos of reporters standing in front of the camera are boring. Animations will bring the news back to life because they will portray actual events that may not be able to be directly video taped.
This is just another form of mass media. It was discussed at one of the extra credit presentations earlier in the year. It is journalism, but it will not replace the traditional ways of reporting stories.
I think the animation is pretty cool! It would enable journalists to create animated videos of event reinactments or sattires such as this one.
Better safe than sorry, these guards are going to be looking at people's bodies all day long, its not going to be very sexual. It's not like passengers will have to get naked. America's too uptight about nudity, I'd rather have a guard see an image of my body through a screen then to risk being blown to pieces.
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