a conversation
old idea Felt my project was unclear and hard to distinguish, my final solution wasnt apparent and there are better solutions and methods to get my message across. I felt by portraying my message in a physical, threatening manner contradicts my ideas of learning and avoiding scare-mongering media to gain real knowledge. I have therefore revised my project and working from the same themes of ignorance, insensitivity and bad publicity decided to produce a helpful and clear alternative to display information from current world affairs to help educate and make others aware of problems which are affecting them and the world they live in.
the media
In today's media, there is an abudance of information projected at the population, most of these stories contain fictious or loose information which is aimed at generating more emotion and feeling from the audience, thus increasing views through society and generating a higher income for the medias source. Sadly all this does is distract the reader, create false opinions and makes others avoid media as a whole.
In relevence to my project, the added information seen in news articles and programmes is there to scare-monger. This is a poor way of generating awareness to a subject, in particular ISIS, as it creates negative themes towards assosciating with the said cause and also increases people avoiding the subject. Another negative is that people create false opinions on false/poor articles and again leads to bad conversation, communication and also insensitivity. I will try fight against this by stripping the articles down to the bare essentials, containing just proper facts and information and also leaving out anything which spurs emotional distraction.
newspaper idea
Forming a newspaper or collection of articles specifically on stories to do with ISIS and their actions/events. Delete unnecessary information which makes the message unclear, what is there to generate emotional response and to scare-monger. These factors make certain stories unnapproachable and fictious, people dont believe what they read and they become ignorant or desensitised to the matter. If people were to read these articles, they would form a uneducated opinion which generates even more unclear messages on the subject.
Trying to present current world affairs, in particular ISIS in a real state, including just the facts and statistics for people to access, scrapping all the crap and scare-mongering newspaper add on to generate more response. Boycotting modern day media and how articles are written by providing alternative factual information easily obtained through editing pre-existing sources. This would provide people proper facts to make a genuine, clear opinion on the subject which through conversation and sharing of thoughts/feelings generates awareness.
examples in media
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2809260/Poster-girlKurdish-freedom-fighters-Kobane-captured-beheaded-ISIS.html This article is about A female Kurdish fighter for the Kobane resistance movement The woman, known by the pseudonym Rehana, was celebrated as a symbol of hope for the embattled Syrian border town after a journalist tweeted a picture of her making a ‘V-sign’. Unfortunately the article follows on explaining that ISIL had captured and beheaded her. Highlighting certain points and information written in the article expresses my point on adding crap to articles to generate more views. Firstly the headline reads “Poster girl for Kurdish freedom fighters in Kobane is ‘captured and beheaded by ISIS killers’ who posted gruesome pictures online” but more than 2 lines later, the article explains she MAY have been beheaded and that there are images circulating on twitter of a ISIS soldier holding ‘her’ head.
The article then goes on to talk about women serving for the Kurdish forces and how warfare is associated with manhood. I don’t understand the relevence this has to a Kurdish soldier being beheaded after an image of her was congratulated by the west. They’re just throwing in triggers of feminism to stimulate more arguments and opinions from readers.
isis
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS} is an unrecognized Sunni jihadist state in Iraq and Syria in the Middle East. The group originated as Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad in 1999. This group was the forerunner of al-Qaeda in Iraq. It took part in the Iraqi insurgency against American-led forces and their Iraqi allies following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At its height, it enjoyed a significant presence in Al Anbar, Nineveh, Kirkuk, and other areas, but around 2008 its violent methods led to a backlash against it and temporary decline. In April 2013, the group changed its name to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. After entering the Syrian Civil War, it established a large presence in the Syrian governorates of Ar-Raqqah, Idlib, Deir ez-Zor, and Aleppo. In June 2014, it had at least 4,000 fighters in its ranks in Iraq, and the CIA estimated in September 2014 that it had 20,000–31,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria. It had close links to al-Qaeda until February 2014 when, after an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with the group, reportedly for its brutality and “notorious intractability” ISIS are notorious for abusing various human rights, this includes committing mass atrocities and war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing, executing civilians, sexual violence and slavery. More known are those publicised in the media especially stories of beheading hostages captured at the Syria border.
isis opinions
I asked numerous people from different backgrounds and places; ‘What is your opinion on the 9/11 attacks?’ I gave them no other questions or provocatives, as i’ve learned in my life people will captalise, even if wrongly, on other people’s help as much as possible.
All asked were able to distinguish ISIS as an Islamic extremist collection and the group behind beheading several western journalists and reporters over in Syria. Although this is correct, ISIS should be known and responsible for all their acts which is currently tearing through Iraq and Syria alike. Popular emotions included disgust, distress, anger and sadness, whilst a minority also stated they were scared and prepared for a world war. No persons gave any details on any other events commited by ISIS and none were able to make sense on why they were doing it, and why the west are not doing much in terms of retaliation. As a conclusion and general overview at the opinions recieved, i would say as a populous we seem to be only distressed and opinionated on facts we have been given, meaning that unless you have researched ISIS’s wrong doings, you would have a very basic understanding of what they are actually doing, as supported by my findings. A person shouldn’t be aquired to read up on the disgusting and gruesome facts behind ISIS, but as i’ve seen recently, sparking up debates on social media with no sensible argument, points or knowledge and also criticising them with no substantials, is not only an act of idiocy but i believe also disrespectful and insensitive on those who have fell victim. In no way do i support what ISIS do, but the west retaliating because of a few deaths of their own citizens, and not because ISIS have killed the innonect public, held hostages, destroyed military bases and the rest, is very self-centered and ignorant.
classified letters “A national security letter is an administrative subpoena issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in authorized national security investigations “to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities”* Usually, important information is striked out with a thick black mark, classifying important and sensitive information only understandble to the recipient. I thought this would be a good technique to use when highlighting the facts and statistics in the articles. It’s a clear indicator, unable to see past and also doesn’t break a piece’s readability. There’s also a sense of irony, where i will be striking out the unnecessary information instead of the important information.
*National security letter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_security_letter
headlines
CUT OUT THE CRAP - literal, cut has a double meaning (ISIS) aggressive? CUT THE CRAP JUST THE FACTS - literal, states the book is just full of facts FACTOID (tabloid + fact) REALITY - claims that what is inside is reality CLARITY - same as above, provides clear facts, no distractions THIS IS REAL THE REAL ISIL FACTUAL NO MORE MEDIOCRE MEDIA NO MORE BOYCOTT BEHEADING THE MEDIA STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
references Russell Myers (2014). Former ISIS hostage condemns immoral beheading of ‘’innocent’’ and ‘’humanitarian’’ British aid workers. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ former-isis-hostage-condemns-immoral-4456708. Ted Thornhill (2014). Poster girl for Kurdish freedom fighters in Kobane is ‘captured and beheaded by ISIS killers’ who posted gruesome pictures online. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2809260/Poster-girl-Kurdishfreedom-fighters-Kobane-captured-beheaded-ISIS.html. Rob Crilly (2014). John Cantlie says Isil hostages were waterboarded for trying to escape. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11188312/ John-Cantlie-says-Isil-hostages-were-waterboarded-for-tryingto-escape.html. Cathy Otten (2014). Traumatised by ISIL, Yazidis seek help. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/ news/middleeast/2014/10/traumatised-isil-yazidis-seekhelp-2014102695410680300.html. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2810598/Up-70-Syrianarmy-chiefs-beheaded-Isis-jihadis-make-advance-second-cityIdlib-held-Assad-s-forces-year.html
unknown (2014). Iraqis say ISIL used chlorine gas in attacks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aljazeera. com/news/middleeast/2014/10/iraq-isil-chlorine-gasattacks-20141024145426293714.html. unknown (2014). ISIL ‘publicly executes Iraqi journalist’. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/ news/middleeast/2014/10/reports-isil-executes-iraqijournalist-20141010194149556427.html. Anna Coren (2014). Teen who escaped ISIS: ‘My friends were raped’. [ONLINE] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/23/ world/meast/coren-isis-khanke-refugee/. Sam Webb (2014). Up to 70 Syrian army chiefs beheaded by ISIS after jihadis make advance on second city of Idlib that has been held by Assad’s forces for more than a year. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2810598/Up-70Syrian-army-chiefs-beheaded-Isis-jihadis-make-advancesecond-city-Idlib-held-Assad-s-forces-year.html. n/a (2014). Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_ and_the_Levant.
development
development of headlines and front page aims i am after: - a traditional, subtle header - doesn’t distract from the pages - doesn’t take anything away from the writing/message -sums up what’s in the pages - gives information on what to expect
header inspiration
header development
clarity times clarity times no more mediocre media - the real facts
clarity times striking out the crap
clarity times truth
clarity times truth
facts
reality
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2014
clarity times shining light on the facts in media
NEWS FACTUAL
INFORMATIVE REAL TRUTH
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2014
NEWS FACTUAL
INFORMATIVE REAL TRUTH
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2014
clarity times clarity times PROVIDING REALITY THROUGH CLARITY