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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Who am I?

I am a mature age student studying a Bachelor of Journalism.  With age generally comes a wealth of experience and wisdom. I say generally because age is not always the defining condition for wisdom. Performing arts and poetry are my passion. As a person I am loyal, punctual and mindful of how my words and actions can affect others. Many years of studying philosophy have enabled me to improve myself as a person, learn about myself and what my core values are and what they mean to me. Philosophy has taught me unity over division and empathy for others who may not have the advantages in life that we often take for granted. Creativity, loyalty, punctuality, empathy for others and humour are my core values. I find a connection and tranquility in nature, love to travel and I also enjoy experiencing the richness of other cultures.

What do I stand for?

I stand for fairness with its foundation in reason and for those that have no voice to speak for themselves.  I have a sense of social justice for those that have fallen by the wayside and for those that need to be helped up not pushed further down. I endeavor to understand the complexities of living in a capitalist system with the need to prosper as a nation but not at the expense of decency and values. I try to see the light in the dark. Optimism sometimes fails me. With self-reflection this enables me to observe the clouds of doubt and dispel them.

Why is this important to me and what is my experience?

As a journalist it will be my responsibility to report in a factual and unbiased way where ever possible. This enables consumers of media to make fully informed choices and to disseminate the words of influential people and those they influence on their merit alone. As a communicator I would like to think I could ignite a spark of reasoned thought pertaining to the content of a story, to encourage dialogue and not opinion based on propaganda. We all have our short comings and imperfections. We are products of our upbringing influenced by our parents and the zeitgeist of the time.  None of this precludes us from self-examination and inner reflection. I have been able to reflect on my past and discard negative values and judgements through my twenty year study and tutoring of practical philosophy. This enabled me to see the present with a view to the future. You cannot change that which you do not acknowledge. In my early years I served as a Royal Navy Clearance Diver. This gave me discipline, endurance, loyalty and a sense of humour. I learned the importance of working in a team.

What is my vision?

As a journalist whether I report on impropriety or just some light-hearted banter that puts a smile on people’s faces the content will be fair, factual and unbiased. If the opportunity arises I would like to travel and bring unique and thought-provoking issues to light. My vision is to get people to reflect and question rather than make judgements based on partial knowledge. Everyone has a story and it will be my job to tell that story.