That’s One Small Step For Man,and One Giant Leap For Space Journalism .
Computational Journalism @ Queensland University of Technology.

New City Kings music video “ How Long” with Ray Sinclair

Ray Sinclair - Actors 2018 Showreel

Suicide among tradespeople the construction industry is declining at the same time as demand by workers seeking help from the charitable organisation Mates in Construction increases.

Mates in Construction founding Chief Executive Officer Jorgen Gullestrup, a suicide survivor, said three out of four deaths were men,

He said suicide was a complex issue where a lot of things come together "the right mix"  leading to an attempt.

“Generally, its older men in the 40 to 50 age group, but in construction, the younger males are at a much higher risk, “he said.

Gullestrup who has a Master of Suicidology degree, said a study of apprentices highlighted factors leading to suicide attempts.

 These included workplace bullying, change of job site causing anxiety, a lack of job security, long hours, hard work and poor supervision, combined with a masculine culture have led to a disconnect of young men within the industry. 

“There are three attributes needed for suicide, a feeling of not belonging, a sense you are a burden, a capability for suicide which gives the desire to die and leads to suicide or an attempt.

“Health professionals did not take us seriously but having put ‘140,000’people through the program with over ‘12,000’ volunteers the health sector now works with us researching mental health.

“Mental health was not talked about 10 years ago, today a 1000 building sites are flying the flag, although there’s still plenty to do on our agenda,” he said.  

 Safety Coordinator for Hansen Yuncken and Mates in Construction Connector Grant Allen acknowledged the value of inductions, toolbox talks and pre-starts to "get the word out" raising awareness of the health and safety aspect of mental health and suicide.

“A good mate of mine committed suicide, its close to my heart and I’m passionate about it,” he said.  

Legislation to implement a mental health levy is currently working its way through Parliament, Queensland Government grants 20 per cent of the annual operating budget with super funds, employer grants, sponsorship and donations making up the balance.

Mates in Construction program began October 9 2008 ,an initiative of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, Master Builders and Plumbers Union.

24/7 Helpline 1300 642 111

Article by Ray Sinclair.

KPB 101 " UP FOR ADOPTION"
Queensland University of Technology.

Beautifully Broken / Kintsugi

Beautifully broken,soul stripped bare,
fragmented heart, pain and despair. Tears will cleanse from deep inside,
wounded by love, tormented by mind.

Beautifully broken, seems so unfair,
spirit is strengthened,through love and care.
Life and it's meaning is yours to decide,
emotional scars that will forever bind.

Beautifully broken,so now you know,
journey on,may you reap what you sow.
Sword is strengthened by the heat of flame.
Beautifully broken, heal and grow,or continue to blame .

 
Written by Ray Sinclair on 17/10/15
© October 2015 Ray Sinclair

Social Media, Citizen Journalism and the Death of Democracy

Democracy according to historians existed in some form as far back as 4000 - 2500 B.C in Mesopotamia now known as Iraq.  It wasn’t until 508 B.C democracy evolved into the term we use today, taken from the Greek language (demos) meaning people and kratien (rule) “rule by the people” where male members of the assembly could vote, women and slaves were excluded. (BBC News, 2018) 

Fast forward to the present and the emergence of a new terminology “Cyberdemocracy” self-governing virtual communities. Cyberdemocracy has come about by the advent of the internet and the resultant media convergence. (Hartley, J. 2011) Through the far-reaching web of social media, citizens are now more emboldened than ever before to participate in the political and social discussions generally pushing their own socioeconomic and political ideology whether informed with facts or so-called "fake news".

The idea of the public sphere became fashionable and cemented in history, in response to the work of German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, in his book "The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere" published in 1962. (Leaning, 2009) In short, the public sphere is a space in which members of the society met to communicate and discuss and debate the social and political issues of the time. Habermas regarded the public sphere as a meeting of minds to conceptualise the practice of democracy. (Leaning, 2009)

Democracy, through dialogue, is initially undertaken in the public sphere, a place where private citizens if motivated to become activists for certain causes use this platform to voice their opinions and ideology, to set about change. Activists would often use printed media to spread their respective messages in the form of booklets and pamphlets. (Leaning, 2009) Today activists advocating for change use social media to gain momentum and backing for social and political causes.

The “rule of the people” or democracy is undeniably a propitious and equitable institution for bringing about peaceful change, although Winston Churchill the British politician and Prime minister during WW2 famously once said: "The best argument against democracy is a five -minute conversation with the average voter" (Deacon, 2012) In effect expressing the notion that the public sphere is best served by the bourgeoisie. This idea is the very reason political grassroots activism has been at the forefront of social change. When civil rights movements gain support or opposition through the public sphere via media reporting. Is this democracy in action? Newspaper corporations using print media and nightly news broadcasts were viewed as the arbiters concerning the arena of the public sphere. Information can be selectively edited to the possible detriment of the true story and thus citizens to make informed choices.

Conversely, the Vietnam War was not censored to the same degree as preceding wars. All wars up to this point were heavily censored by the government at the time. The Vietnam war was the first televised war. It could be argued that the lack of censorship greatly contributed to the change of public sentiment from a war that could be “won” to a war that was both tragic and expensive, costing American lives and taxpayers money. War correspondents literally were embedded with the armed forces and they would broadcast the most gruesome of scenes back to the American public via television sets in the comfort of their lounge rooms. (Censorship after the Vietnam War., 2017) link to Vietnam War video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0oCdTH0jWQ

Political activists who rallied against the war were to use the media to organise mass demonstrations, which is thought to have greatly influenced the American government's decision to end the war, ironically, reported on by the very same media organisations that covered the horrors of the war. 

Censorship by governments is a double-edged sword, on one edge, governments and the media have an ethical obligation to protect its citizens particularly children from degrading pornography and extremely violent images. On the other edge, freedom of speech, expression, and information in the public sphere is the very essence of democracy. 

Modern-day definition of the public sphere has expanded way beyond the era of the educated middle class. The interpersonal and interactivity the internet offers has given most of the developed world a media platform to advocate for political and social change that accords with their ideologies and to find like-minded individuals to support their causes. Social media has given rise to the term “citizen journalist “and the “virtual sphere.”     

The fourth estate, the profession of journalism commonly known as the press is one of the four pillars of democracy. The fundamental responsibility of a free press is to be a watchdog by holding governments and corporations accountable for their actions.

From print media and the daily newspaper, familiar to all people that could convey the same thought to ten thousand minds in the same minute. (Knight Hunt, 1998) to the technological innovation of the internet that can convey the same thought to ten million minds in the same second. 

Despite the speed and enormous scope of the world wide web via the internet, the freedom of the fourth estate remains the channel through which the injured may challenge the oppressor by the law of the nation. It is the means in which the public may know of persons of misconduct and the subsequent arraignment and trail. It is the liberty of the press that affords the bold and undisguised truth to pries its way into the cabinets of governments and ruling monarchs and those of privilege. It is the press who courageously lifts its voice against the prejudices and corruptions of the powerful and influential. (Knight Hunt, 1998)

Social media, the virtual sphere is the modern equivalent to the “London coffee houses” of the 17^th century, where the public can honestly or contentiously, express and discuss the issues of their communities, local, national and international. Today, citizen journalists now have a platform to communicate within the society in which they live. An issue posted online can find support or opposition to respective agendas and within days have millions of “likes” and comments both for and against. This is cyberdemocracy at work.

Governments who are democratically elected by its citizens are compelled by the groundswell of opinion to respond and possibly amend legislation. Petitions in the past used to require the grassroots organisation to obtain 100,000 signatures on paper, petitions are now signed by the click of a mouse, once enough electronic signatures are obtained the petition can be tabled in parliament for elected officials to debate. Democracy in action.

The democratic process that is upheld in the privacy of the ballot box remains paramount to society in electing of officials, one person, one vote.  However, the way today's issues in society are debated is not so clear as the rhetoric of past politicians on the hustings. The opinions expressed via Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms can be unsubstantiated and transitional, propagated by mob rule and the 24-hour news cycle. Those on social media with millions of followers have tremendous power to influence other people via the vast reach of the internet. Such people are setting the trends and tone of discussions. They are indeed citizen journalists. The question remains, do they adhere to a code of ethics? Is democracy best served?

In countries that fear the power of social media, such as the dictatorship of North Korea the internet for use by its citizens is banned, additionally, radios must be tuned to the official government station. Listening to any other broadcast channel is illegal. Without open communications, democracy is dead. (Dictators and the Internet, 2007) 

The cacophony of opinions and comment has never been louder in the relative anonymity and unaccountably of cyberspace, so-called keyboard warriors. Conflicting opinions are branded by some as hate speech, not free speech. Religious and political ideologies clash with each side justifying their own agenda.  Professional journalists cannot afford such generalities. The fourth estate is governed by a code of ethics. Democracy and society overall are better served when the code is practiced. Citizen journalists on social media are not bound by the same code. 

"The plain fact not all free speech is good speech. Which means that freedom of speech is not always a sound or just public policy” (W.Berns, 1991) The statement by Berns is most probably true, but sets up an ethical dilemma. Free speech is fundamental to democracy. Where does the ethical line get crossed from free speech to propaganda to hate speech?

 Ethics is a part of moral philosophy once again like democracy has its roots in Ancient Greece. Ethikos translated means something pertaining to character. The writings of Aristotle and Epictetus were concerned with the nature of goodness endeavouring to understand right from wrong. For Aristotle, ethics pertained to character, virtue and moral training. A controversy arises in the clash of different values and principles. What one person may see as just and ethical another may see the opposite. (Sanders, Ethics and Journalism, 2003) 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Ethical journalism strives to ensure a free exchange of information that is fair and accurate, to minimize harm, seek truth and be accountable and transparent. (Society of Professional Journalists, 2014)  There can be a public perception that journalism matters very little. Many journalists have commented on the humbling experience of seeing yesterday's newspaper as today's fish and chip wrapper. Consumers of daily television news bulletins hardly retain information from one 24 hour news cycle to the next. This is a very limited view of journalists and the power of the fourth estate. To quote Victorian journalist, William Thomas Stead "I have seen Cabinets upset, ministers driven into retirement, laws replaced, great social reforms initiated, Bills transformed, estimates remodelled, programmes modified, Acts passed, Generals nominated, Governors appointed, armies sent hither and thither, wars proclaimed and wars averted, by the agency of newspapers.(cited in Snoddy 1992:46) (Sanders, Ethics and Journalism , 2003) 

Journalists are storytellers. They interpret events and communicate the event through written or spoken word. These reports are mediated by the interpretations of the journalists who tell their stories. Unfortunately, there are many who believe work in the media is intrinsically an unethical vocation. (Sanders, Ethics and Journalism , 2003) 

Are journalists simply reporters or do they indeed have a moral duty of care? The journalists Code of Ethics cites: ‘Show compassion for all those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent, Consider cultural differences in approach and treatment’. (Society of Professional Journalists, 2014)  

Journalists work often leads them to situations which raise ethical dilemmas. When is it legitimate, if at all, to lie or mislead another to obtain information? Journalists are engaged in uncovering the stories from crime, to war, to corruption at the highest levels of power that those with a vested interest would prefer not to be told. Ethically do the means justify the end? Where do journalists draw the line from upsetting images of butchered bodies, to details of brutal rape or a murder trial? (Sanders, Ethics and Journalism, 2003) What serves the public sphere and upholds the traditions of the fourth estate?

Citizen Journalism came about by the innovation of the internet and has enabled citizens to produce content in the virtual sphere in the form of blogs, podcasts, and streaming video. It has been lauded as a revolution in news gathering and was thought to lead to a more open and democratic process, one that would take away the sole province of professional reporters.

With today’s toxic political cultures from the divided Republicans and Democrats of America to the Brexit leavers and the Brexit remainers of the United Kingdom, citizen journalists are having their say alongside the professional media. Who is fact checking? With inaccurate and emotional propaganda reporting, the audience is left not knowing who or what to believe. (Rogers, 2018)

Part of a quote by American President Abraham Lincoln “This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (Lincoln A, 1863) Majority elected government by the people, in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation is usually involving periodically held free elections, is the definition of democracy. Vital to this process is a free press, the fourth pillar of democracy. Professional journalists are entrusted by the people to uphold “truth to power”. The conflicting views of citizen journalists with limited accountability in the blogosphere and the virtual sphere will continue to divide public opinion.

In conclusion has democracy been better served by social media and globalisation? Or has it led to voter confusion and uncertainty? Who holds the governments and corporations accountable? It must be the professional journalist, assisted by citizen journalists or democracy that has served humanity since the first votes were cast in Ancient Greece will surely be replaced by a system that does not have all societies citizens best interests at its core.

               

 References:

BBC News . (2018). Democracy timeline - A Rocky Road. Retrieved from BBC News : http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/why democracy/timeline/html/non_flash.stm

Censorship after the Vietnam War. (2017, April). Retrieved from Government Censorship: https://govtcensorship.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/censorship-after-the-vietnam-war/

Deacon, m. (2012, November). Why Winston Churchill will always be the last word in political wit. Retrieved from The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9696402/Why-Winston-Churchill-will-always-be-the-last-word-in-political-wit.html

Dictators and the Internet. (2007). The Wall Street Journal.

Knight Hunt, F. (1998). Introductory. What is the Fourth Estate? In F. Knight Hunt, The Fourth Estate; contributions towards a history of newspapers, and of the liberty of the press. (pp. 1-8). London: Routledge/Thoemmes.

Leaning, M. (2009). Internet,power, and society: rethinking the power of the internet to change lives. In M. Leaning, Internet, power and society: rethinking the power of the internet to change lives. (pp. 65-85). oxford: Chandos publishing.

Lincoln A. (1863, November 19 ). The Gettysburg Address. Retrieved from Abraham Lincoln online: http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm

Rogers, T. (2018, February 5). understanding citizen journalism. Retrieved from Thought and co.: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-citizen-journalism-2073663

Sanders, K. (2003). Ethics and Journalism. In K. Sanders, Ethics, and Journalism (pp. 8-9). London: Sage.

Sanders, K. (2003). Why Journalism Matters. In K. Sanders, Ethics, and Journalism (pp. 8-9). London: Sage.

Society of Professional Journalists. (2014, September). code of ethics. Retrieved from Society of Professional Journalists: https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

W.Berns. (1991). Equality and Freedom of Expression: The Hate Speech Dilemma. Retrieved from Hien online: https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/wmlr32&div=15&id=&page=

The River.

Running water speaks of long summers eve,
Weeping willows whisper, you cannot leave.
Sparkling river has stories to share,
where swallows and larks play on the air.

Heron waits , and waits ,its supper time,
Flash of blue, kingfishers flit , branch to vine.
Halcyon water flowing to its end,
with sunlight shimmering on this rivers bend.

Sun majestically sweeps its bow,
summers shadows , fade but grow.
We sat on a bench , in timeless ease,
one with nature , only us to please.

Summer breeze tells of a love affair,
as if you and I were the only ones there.
Seasons change as everything will,
down by the river , I think of you still.

 
Written by Ray Sinclair on 09/01/14
© 2014 Ray Sinclair

Forever Turning.

Your life of promise pain and hurt.
Spring shoots break through crusted dirt.
Youth long faded old bones that ache,
labels you thought mattered,now only fake.

Frozen rivers await the thaw ,
barren trees flower,natures law.
Child of change you became old,
storms that raged,did you hold ?

Moon lights the night, sun shines by day,
all that lives must decay.
Permanent, just an illusion ?
fools feeble mind,immortal confusion .
Boats on their moorings forever turning.
change will come,are you learning ?

What a drama this life you've led,
chasing love ,your heart has bled.
You must be brave, never hide,
Such a beautiful play , life's worth the ride .

Written by Ray Sinclair on 20/08/16

© 2016 Ray Sinclair

   Silence In Between .

Dark the night,moonshine gone,

spider’s web,gossamer spun.

Barn owl hoots surfs the air,

fox slinks out beneath her lair.

Golden brown leaves mat the ground,

field mice scurry without a sound.

Chilling breeze blows on through,

collar up,foggy dew.

Footsteps fall,ambling pace,

hands in pockets,scarf wrapped face.

Listening to the farthest sound,

where silence in between is found.

Written by Ray Sinclair on 30/03/18

© March 2018 Ray Sinclair

Media professional profile Julian Assange

“You have to start with the truth. The truth is the only way that we can get anywhere. Because any decision-making that is based upon lies or ignorance can’t lead to a good conclusion.”[1] 

Born Julian Paul Assange on 3^rd July 1971 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Julian Assange studied programming, mathematics and physics at Central Queensland university graduating in 1994.[2]He is most famous for founding the media organisation Wikileaks. Mr. Assange has received the Walkeys award for outstanding contribution to journalism in 2011, in addition to his many other awards relating to his continued work to uncover truth to power. Julian Assange currently resides in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London having sort refuge and was granted political asylum.[3] He has been in the embassy since 2012.

There is divided opinion on whether Julian Assange is indeed a hero or villain. Even as he is cloistered in the embassy he is still actively involved in the consequential undertaking of holding governments and large corporations to account for their actions. Does the release of confidential documents via Wikileaks endanger lives or save lives? According to Stephen Richter editor-in-chief of The Globalist, he should be thanked for the dramatic shock he gave the United States government for bringing to light the insecurity of sensitive data, exposing the flaws that led to cybercrime.[4] Interestingly, Assange was once a hacker himself going by the handle of Mendex in 1987. 

There can be no denying the commitment of Assange and the incredible sacrifices he has made to hold governments and organisations to account by publishing documents that uncover lies, expose corruption and perceived injustices. He is basically in self-exiled house arrest having now obtained Ecuadorian Citizenship in a bid to thwart extradition to Sweden for alleged sexual assault charges.[5] The legal case for his release is still on going in the British high Court.

Assange’s career has been greatly influenced by media convergence and globalisation. The emergence of the computer and subsequent development of the internet has connected the globe and facilitated the rapid advancement of the aptly titled information highway with far reaching effect.[6] Globalisation now relies on internet media convergence in a way that analogue media could never have envisioned. If the purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with information, none has been more influential than Assange and his WikiLeaks site founded in 2006.   

Without the ability to receive information via the internet and distribute the unedited information globally through modern day digital media and its ever-increasing formats, Assange may possibly not have contributed to the political narrative and the controversy that has ensued by publication of sensitive documents. His utilisation of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have elevated Wikileaks and Julian Assange to household names.

 According to Professor John Hartley, journalism is in the midst of a major crisis about what counts for journalism and who practices it.[7] He lists Wikileaks alongside citizen journalists and the blogosphere as “amateurs”.[8] Whether the wider community of professional journalists and indeed consumers of media content put Wikileaks in this category is debatable, although WikiLeaks is purported to be funded solely by donations and wealthy benefactors. Rightly or wrongly Assange continues to play a vital role in the Fourth Estate.

Some commentators in the journalism, media and communications field believe that the Fourth Estate is on life support and that Wikileaks and Julian Assange operate in the ether of the Fifth Estate which is not liable to the scrutiny of governments or controlled by big corporations.[9]

If the Fourth Estate or Fourth power is journalism or more commonly known as the press. Then purpose of the press is to inform citizens to make informed decisions about their lives, society and their governance then Assange is probably the very definition of the Fourth Estate which operates in the virtually unaccountable Fifth Estate, assuming all information broadcast via Wikileaks is in fact verified as true. The anonymous sources or whistleblowers that supply Assange and thus WikiLeaks with sensitive and at times classified information are unable to be scrutinized by the wider media community. Assange prides himself on never having published a falsehood which is why governments throughout the world fear his far-reaching power.

The public sphere was Jurgen Habermas’s original concept in 1962 that has evolved from the London coffee house culture where people assembled to discuss ideas, debate and opine current affairs[10] to the present mass communications of digital media with social media platforms dominating the internet. Assange was astute enough to quickly adopt this new progressive platform of social media with tremendous success in the publishing of sensitive documents that WikiLeaks deemed to be in the public interest, in addition to pleading his case in the court of public opinion.

Corporate brands like Nike, Apple and Coca Cola have all realised the enormous market potential of the public sphere via the internet through social media and have invested heavily in the promotion of products. Politicians initially slow to adopt social media as a legitimate platform are now playing catch up. President Obama used social media effectively. It also enabled President Trump to bypass main stream media and get his message to masses without news editors tailoring his message to suit 

their agenda, likewise Assange. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram have become the new “London coffee house”[1] where conflicting views on both sides of politics has taken centre stage over concise, accurate news reporting and constructive debate.

The main stream media, politicians and government seek to hold on to the narrative. The internet and social-media have taken away to a large extent their control of the narrative. Main stream journalists have endeavored to deal with this change and have attempted to control the widening reach of social media.[2] Julian Assange and Wikileaks have been instrumental in disseminating information into the public sphere and whist this has created many critics and enemies, conversely it has to others made Assange a champion of truth and justice in their opinion.

Assange and his associated whistleblowers risk their lives and liberty to publish intelligence documents. One such case was that of the American Private Bradley Manning who gave WikiLeaks the gun barrel video in July 2007 called “Collateral Murder” and was subsequently convicted and incarcerated.[3] Assange choosing to make this public via YouTube, brought about an inquiry and shone a torch on the brutality of the United States in the Iraq war.

In summary Julian Assange has made politicians, governments, the military and big corporations around the globe constantly think twice and question their actions for fear of been exposed as corrupt, unethical and morally bankrupt. Some will say he is a danger to democracy, others that he holds up the principles of the Fourth Estate in which a free press is the very foundation of democracy.

As contemporary society has embraced the technological advances of the internet and its social media platforms, there is a certainty that social media and the Fifth Estate is not going away, and neither is the likes of Wikileaks and Julian Assange. 

1] Assange J, ‘Julian Assange Bibliography, 2017’: TheFamousPeople. TheFamousPeople Online, 2018. Web 24 April 2018 <https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/julian-assange-6527.php>.

[2]Michael R, ‘Julian Assange’: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2018.Web 24 April 2018 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julian-Assange>.

[3] ‘Julian Assange Bibliography, 2017’: TheFamousPeople. TheFamousPeople Online, 2018. Web 24 April 2018 <https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/julian-assange-6527.php>.

[4] Richter, S, ‘Julian Assange: Villain or hero, 26 July 2011’: The Globalist. The Globalist Online, 2018. Web 24 April 2018 <https://www.theglobalist.com/julian-assange-villain-or-hero/>.

[5] Michael R, ‘Julian Assange’: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2018.Web 24 April 2018 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julian-Assange>.

[6] Flew T, Globalisation and Global Media Corporations: Understanding global media Corporations (New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2007) ch 3 at 66.

[7] Hartley, J. Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts Fourth Edition (London: Routledge, 2011), at 151.

[8] Hartley, J. Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts Fourth Edition (London: Routledge, 2011), at 151.

[9]  Adams, S. ‘Julian Assange’: Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence, Paper Presented by admirers of the example set by former CIA analyst, Sam Adam, 23 October 2010 (London, 2010).

[10] Hartley, J. Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts Fourth Edition (London: Routledge, 2011), at

217 – 218.

      

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