Can a blog really replace a newspaper?

In doing some research for a class paper I came across an article on this website: www.paulgraham.com, entitled 'The Submarine'. Its premise is that PR is like a submarine lurking huge and quiet beneath the news. One particular point the author makes is that
readers subconsciously trust bloggers more than mainstream media sources because there is supposedly no agenda or motive behind that person's 'rant of the day'. Hmmmm. Interesting. Although I doubt its true.

But with all the talk about the disappearance of the physical newspaper, it does make one wonder whether readers want stories that have been strategically placed (i.e. by PR and publicity people) or strategically chosen (by newspaper editors) or if they prefer to just go to the web and find those stories that express viewpoints with which they agree (selective exposure theory). Are readers really that critical nowadays that they question the honesty and motive behind a newspaper article and so it sends them running to the internet for 'honest' writing?

If so, then PR folks should be focusing on touting the merits of online exposure to their clients and explaining to them that the traditional newspaper placement just won't cut it in this day and age. In fact, the Pew Research Center recently released information showing that the internet has surpassed all other media except television as an outlet for national and international news. *gasp* Betcha didn't see that one coming :-) But seriously, where does that leave PR? As I prepare to jump back into the workforce after school, I'm realizing that yes, PR is still about relationships but without a basic understanding of how to utilize social media tools, then you're useless to your client in this crazy world where nobody reads the paper anymore! Sorry I had to break it to you this way :)

Pondering a Rhetorical Criticism of Dancehall music...

So grad. school is back in session and of course all the three courses I'm taking this semester require term papers. But there are just so many things to write on! I've begun taking a serious interest in rhetorical analysis as a result of a very engaging Qualitative Communication class, so that's the direction I'm thinking of taking my academic career. I think it'll fit in nicely with my PR and organizational communication interests. But it's always so hard for me to select a topic to write on precisely because of all these interests. Lately I've been toying with the idea of doing a rhetorical analysis of dancehall music using a feminist approach.

Why dancehall you ask? Well firstly,although I am from the soca islands of T&T, dancehall is probably more pervasive on the twin isles than you would expect. While I believe that soca is increasingly becoming a cultural force to be reckoned with (and not just at Carnival time), dancehall music is arguably still among the most popular genres, if not the most popular genre in the nation. Secondly, B (my Jamaican boyf) has been exposing me to a lot more dancehall than I used to listen to in the past and frankly some of it is very disturbing, not even from the violence standpoint but just from the female degradation/vulgarity/coarseness standpoint. As a writer and lover of words, I enjoy lyrical wordplay probably more than alot of people but I really don't see the need for the slackness.
Thirdly, being an academic and a born and bred island girl, I deal with the struggle within me to want to wine, wuk up and get on bad when my caribbean music is playing even though I know that the musical content is reducing me to body parts for male pleasure.
And lastly, being immersed into the world of Jamaicaness over the last 4 odd years, it is impossible not to notice the differences between Jamaican men and women and those from other Caribbean islands. Does this aggression and sexual attitude stem from the music or has it produced the music??

And then you might ask me why can't I do this analysis of soca?...because at this point in my blog writings someone would probably be tempted to say that I'm a Jamaican basher :-) which I am SO not, why do you think my boyf is from that beautiful place. But my answer to the why not soca question would be that I feel closer to soca and as such, my criticism of the genre could potentially affect that, although some would argue that this is how one becomes an objective critic. Another reason is that I find dancehall music to be blatantly raw and crude (there are edited versions of the songs for radio consumption!) and lacking subtlety, whereas although soca can be construed as sexual, it makes generous use of innuendo and double entendre, so that even as a young child singing the songs, I wasn't even sure what I was singing about (which may not be a good thing either). But I guess I'm just trying to say, that soca is less objectionable to me as it generally doesn't promote 'daggering' and uses euphimisms to soften its reference to womens body parts. LOL.

So there's the argument. 'B' says I shouldn't waste my time studying dancehall music because even though he loves nothing better than his dancehall, he acknowledges that the people are 'ediats' for what they promote in the songs. This is where it comes down to what am I trying to contribute as a wannabe scholar. What would be the purpose of investing my time into this project be? It's a question only I can answer I know...but for me it all comes down to so many things to write on and not enought time!

Carnival and Jamaica...

Carnival and Jamaica...the two just don't go together in my mind.
Sometime last year, a Bajan friend and I were talking to a Jamaican acquaintance who was adamantly insisting that Jamaican carnival was bigger (not sure if she meant in size, maybe she meant most popular) than Barbados'. And that in terms of the largest Caribbean carnivals, Trinidad's was first and Jamaica's was second! The impression she was giving was that Jamaica's carnival was the real deal and Barbados' was not!

Now, even with my vague knowledge of Barbados' history I was aware that Jamaica's carnival was indeed an imported celebration much like St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. is imported from Ireland. But at the time of our mini-argument, I didn't know all the facts surrounding the origins of either carnival. And so I decided to do a little research!
According to an overview taken from the National Library of Trinidad & Tobago (www.nalis.gov.tt), T&T carnival originated in the late 1700's. At that time, white slave-owning elites (predominantly French) held balls and fancy fetes. The African and colored slaves were fobidden from partaking in the festivities but celebrated in their own way in their compounds. After Emancipation in 1838, the freed Africans took to the streets where they engaged in mocking of their former white owners by dressing up in costume and reenacting scenes from slavery.

Eventually, the festival began to included elements from the African culture like drumming and stick fighting until it evolved into what it is today. So from this account, Carnival in T&T is deeply rooted in colonial and African practices. It is anchored to the past.

Barbados' Crop Over is also tied to a tradition. The harvesting of the sugar cane crop was a time for celebration among the slave owners and the slaves and it was here that Crop Over originated. The traditional celebration was terminated in the 1940's but was revived in the 1970's by Barbados' tourism board, where it was shaped into what it is today: a celebration of history and culture.

Jamaica's Carnival, according to www.bacchanaljamaica.com, was brought to the island in the late 1989. Unlike the other two festivals mentioned before, it has no ties to any socio-historic occurence. In fact, the various articles I've found point to Jamaica's Carnival as being started by Byron Lee of soca band Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires who was impressed by the phenomenon of T&T's Carnival and subsequently decided to bring the festival to Jamaica.
From this very brief history lesson, we can see that both Barbados' and T&T Carnivals are the real deal...perhaps very commercialized today but borne out of a colonial past. Now I am not one to promote arguments with my fellow West Indians about whose music is better, etc etc. But this one argument did irk me a bit because I do sometimes get tired of the narrow-minded approach that many (not all mind you) Jamaicans take to Carnival and its culture. If you don't like it, then ok, fine! But don't go around bashing soca and carnival on one hand and then claiming your carnival to be the genuine article on the other!
As someone with a Jamaican significant other, the issue of differences between our two cultures was something we had to get over very early in our relationship. But I'm proud to say that now we both have an appreciation and respect for our countries' traditions and music. The things that makes the Caribbean great are these differences, so instead of trying to bring each other down, we should really be trying to uplift all the products of our great region. Ok..finished ranting now. :-)

So a while ago I found Twitter...

Not one to shy away from technology...I usually explore all the latest social networking tools, partly because of the field I'm in and partly because I just want to know what everybody's talking about. Well that curiosity led me to Twitter a while ago but honestly I really didn't put much effort into it. When I started writing this blog I again decided to take a look at Twitter and I must say I'm a bit impressed. So what is this Twitter, you're asking. Well it's really a very very simple concept. You sign up on www.twitter.com with a username and then you update your status. It doesn't need to be an update in the Facebook kind of ' (name) is so excited I just made macaroni pie' sense. It can be an update drawing attention to any link, any site, any issue that you want to talk about. At first I thought that that was all it was useful for, to help people maco (trini word for mind people's business). But there's a function on Twitter that allows you to search! For any word...any phrase. Ok..maybe I'm a getting a little excited, but as a student of PR I'm understanding how this could be useful for our Caribbean artistes and organizations in stimulating a dialogue and getting people interested. Of course, those are the basics of what Twitter can be used for, but with already complicated lives maybe you only need it to keep track of where your favorite artiste is going to be performing this Carnival *wink* I did a search for Machel Montano..arguably Trinidad & Tobago's most popular soca star. And it turned up two measly pages of searches. Ultimately, what I'm saying is that our Caribbean artistes need to stay connected with these communication technologies if we're to make a bigger mark on the world scene. A few days ago a guy I know posted a note on Facebook asking why Soca isn't doing well worldwide. As a PR student the question captured me, as in my own humble opinion I believe that the marketing for Soca isn't right, for many reasons. Using tools like Twitter can only help in getting people talking, getting music and issues out there. The tools are there, we just need to harness them.

The President is Black!

Today is an historic day for the United States and the world. Today Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American to hold the position. I didn't see the whole speech but the scene was definitely awe-inspiring. There were people as far as the eye could see. Having gone to school in DC and being familiar with the National Mall, it is still a little unbelievable that there could be that many people. I've been watching NBC coverage of the event all day. The way they've been covering this inauguration is nothing less than spectacular...it feels like every reporter is covering this story, from every possible angle and with such professionalism. You have to admire the American news machine sometimes. But I digress..the President is Black! I wish him luck.

Island Hoppin'

My February Vibe magazine came in the mail yesterday, with one of my favorite rappers, Kanye West gracing the cover. Vibe is one of the many entertainment magazines I enjoy reading because it features urban artists who are on the come up, in addition to highlighting fashion and pop culture trends. This month's cover stories include a report on the making of the Notorious movie (which I have yet to see) and Kanye's proclamation that he is rap! LOL..That one made me smile.

But another reason I read Vibe is for their occasional Caribbean mentions. And what do you know, in this month's issue they mention Trinidad & Tobago! Yup..T&T was selected as one of Vibe's February hotspots which won't empty your pockets. Of course, the mini-blurb is about Carnival, our biggest annual event which takes place this year on February 23-24. They shout out Cascade restaurant Battimamzelle (www.coblentzinn.com), infamous (think Akon) nightclub Zen (www.zen.tt) and Cara Suites (www.carahotels.com) in Claxton Bay as 'essentials' of a trip. Hmmmm.
While I am familiar with Zen and Battimamzelle, I hadn't heard of Cara Suites before and I wouldn't necessarily call it an 'essential' for T&T Carnival, as it's pretty far from the Port-of-Spain Carnival action that a tourist may want to experience. But that's a very good look for all three businesses. I wonder how Vibe chose those places.


In other Caribbean news, I know I'm kind of late on this...(blame it on the New Year and my boyf. B coming back after his vacay and the start of school) the 25th Annual Jamaican Sting was held on December 26th of 2008. Well, with a Jamaican boyfriend I can't escape the analysis of who really won the Mavado/Kartel clash, but from a publicity standpoint it's interesting to see how the two artistes are navigating the harsh public opinion. Kartel almost immediately released a diss response to Mavado's abandoning the stage at Sting following an interview the two did (separately) following their performances. While I'll reserve my judgement on an event that promotes violence and in which you can barely hear what the artistes are even saying :-) it is interesting to watch how the two artistes manage their image.

It's the start of a New Year!

It's the start of a New Year!

Haven't written anything here in while have I. Well that's because the full weight of grad school came crashing down on me between October and December. Was a tough few months but I made it out alive. Since the last entry I've done a few interesting things (well interesting to me)...first of which was attending the National Communication Association (NCA) conference in San Diego. Having never been to the West Coast it was something I'd been looking forward to and the trip didn't disappoint.

For those not in the know..the NCA is the 'oldest and largest national organization to promote communication scholarship and education' (www.natcom.org). Every year they host their convention where scholars from all over the U.S. and the world come to present the latest research in many areas of communication ranging from political communication, to PR to rhetorical communication. As a newbie I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. First off, California is gorgeous!! Reminded me of being back home a bit. It was good to get away from the freezing east coast weather. Then there were the panels I attended. There were some really interesting presentations on reputation management and image repair which sparked ideas of things I'd like to do my thesis on. In fact I wrote a paper for a final on Apologia and extramarital affairs of politicians, something I hope to expand upon and submit to the NCA conference next year. As someone profesionally interested in PR and publicity, I find the reputation management line of research muy interesting.

Apart from the excitement of the conference, it's a new year! New Year means new beginnings and I have a few resolutions I'm working on, the everpresent 'lose weight' is still at the top of the list :) And then of course, classes begin anew next week. This semester I'll be taking, Journalism, Qualitative Research and Public Opinion and Attitude Change..all in all I'm looking forward to tackling this New Year head on.

Signing out for now.