Journal Entry 10: Images

This week’s discussion focused around the topic of television within society today and its relevance and or power that it holds on media consumers. One of the articles pertaining to this week’s discussion focused around comparing the consuming experience of television versus the Internet. The article referred to the two experiences as television, lean back, and the Internet, lean in. What the author meant by this was how when consuming these two mediums, the viewer is taking part is a completely difference experience in which television is more relaxing and the Internet is more active and takes the consumer’s full attention. I can completely relate to this fact and agree with the author’s findings. Since living in London, my experience with television and Internet use has made me have a unique opinion on this topic. When at home in Los Angeles, television served as a form of social bonding. I lived in my sorority house this past year and none of us had televisions in our rooms. Rather, there was one large communal television in which each of us gathered together and watched all of our favorite shows each night. It was a special time in which all of us have the ability to relax, comment on certain aspects of the show and laugh together over the characters we loved on screen. It is a daily activity that I have since missed since living in London. My television viewing experience is entirely different in London. With the limited television channels and overall quality of the television provided in our flats, each of us rely on our computers and the Internet in order to keep up with all the shows we watch back at home. Rather than partake in a relaxing pass time together, we sit on our own and watch our own programs on our individual computers. There is nothing like kicking up your feet on the coffee table and flipping through the channels while watching TV. When it comes to watching television on the computer, it often leaves me frustrated due to our poor Internet connection and is not nearly as comfortable or as valued an experience. When I am on the Internet, it is definitely a lean in experience in which I am actively searching the web and doing a hundred tasks at one time. I will watch my television program online but am often checking my Facebook or email simultaneously. It is a completely different viewing experience. I am less focused and do not find myself fully relaxing as I do when I watch television on the real screen. I am looking forward to my return home when I get to plop on the couch and surf the channels on a lazy day with friends and family together. 

Journal Entry 9: Project Reflection-Museum Admission Fees in London

A couple weeks ago, we had our individual presentations on issues pertaining to obstacles we have come in contact with while living in London. We held meetings with the class as if they were our company and opened up discussion on the topic we presented. One of the topics presented was concerning the recent debate occurring in London on charging admission fees for entry into London’s museums. Ryan’s point was valid concerning the fact that citizens of London who have had yet to be charged for admission into museums would be upset with this radical change. As a student in London, the opportunity to walk into museums without even a thought due to their free admission has largely shaped my experience abroad. Living down the street from the British Museum, I can casually wander in whenever I have free time and when I am in an area with several museums such as Trafalgar Square, I can walk right into any of the museums and gain even more cultural knowledge abroad. Free admission into London’s museums has been culture at my fingertips. I did not realize how special this aspect of London was until this past weekend when I traveled to Paris. Each museum in Paris will cost around 10 to 20 Euros for admission. Paris is a cultural haven and it would have been wrong to not partake in the museums because of money concerns. On that trip, a large portion of my money was spent on admission into various museums around the city and I could see the drastic difference in cultural opportunity between myself and my best friend who is currently studying in Paris. The Louvre is the largest museum I have ever seen. In order to see all of the many aspects of that museum, it would take several trips. Several trips would mean paying for admission each time. That is a substantial consideration when discussing this topic. The opportunity for cultural submergence drastically changes when one is charged for admission into museums. I hope that London chooses not change their policy by beginning to charge for entrance into their museums. It is a wonderful facet unique to London and largely benefits its citizens and students by providing expansive opportunities for knowledge and cultural exploration. However there is one aspect to note regarding London, not all of their museums are free. My parents visited me this past week in London. The two main attractions they were anxious to visit were the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Each of these attractions come with an admission fee. There are five of us in my family and in order for all of us to gain admission into the Tower of London it cost almost one hundred pounds. That is almost two hundred American dollars. I was in absolute shock of this outrageously over priced ticket. My real question is: Where does that money go? I came to immediately understand the passion behind the citizens of London who are upset with this topic. I understand how these two attractions differ from the ordinary museum but in no way should their fees be that high. Overall, this past week I came into direct contact with this issue currently taking place in London. My stance on the topic? All museums and attractions in London should be admission free. With the outrageously high taxes citizens of London are subject to, they deserve free entry into their country’s museums. 

Journal Entry 8: Print Media

This week’s discussion in class was focused on the topic of print media. We discussed its relevance in society in this coming day of technological growth and compared its consumption within society today. This weeks class definitely got me thinking in regards to my media consumption here in London versus back at home in the States. Part of the class was dedicated to taking a magazine to read somewhere other than class for a half hour. I can say with certainty that that magazine was the first magazine I have read since being in London. That is a profound discovery for myself. Back at home in the States, I consider myself a magazine addict. I subscribe to several various magazines (Us Weekly, Vogue, Vanity Fair) and whenever I am in line at the grocery store, there is not much you can do to stop me from buying one. Especially when I travel, I find the biggest comfort in curling up with my magazine while on the plane. You would think with the immense amount of traveling I have been doing while studying abroad, I would be overflowing with my magazine archive. However, it is quite the opposite. The cost of buying a magazine here in London is double the price, which steers me in the complete opposite direction from purchasing such products. Not only is the price deterring me from physically buying a magazine but also since my arrival in London, the power of the Internet has completely taken over my media consumption.  My amount of time spent on the Internet has doubled since arriving in London and I find myself completely dependent on it.  Not only am I using the internet as a source for media consumption such as news reports, celebrity and fashion blogs but I am using it a source for communication with friends both in London and home and of course to connect with my family. Rather than purchase a magazine, I go online to the various blogs or the company’s website to receive my desired information instantly with no charge. This demonstrates a pivotal change that is slowly occurring within society today. The Internet serves as an all-encompassing form of media production, which will eventually replace various forms of print media. However, with this week’s class, holding the magazine and turning the pages with my fingertips reminded me of the importance of keeping this form of media alive. Seeing the pictures from the magazine first hand and the comparing their production on line gives a reader an entirely different experience. A unique tradition that takes place is London is the circulation of newspapers on the tube. I can go on the tube and pick up a newspaper that was left behind by previous commuters. While sitting on the tube, I then have the opportunity to view local British news and information brought to me through the newspaper. The Internet will never have the capability to do this. 

Journal Entry 7: Radio

This week we had a great guest speaker from the world of radio production come in and talk to the class. With her lecture, our entire class truly came to realize the amount of work and thought put into broadcasting radio programs. Especially in countries with limited means, the access to radio is so important and can change the communication process of an entire community. We had the opportunity to create our own-featured program which was an interactive look into just how difficult this form of entertainment is. I enjoy the radio most when I am alone and take comfort in hearing the voice of another coming through the radio speaking to me. The evolution of the radio absolutely fascinates me. How it went from the sole source of entertainment in the home to the second place in comparison to the television shows the true evolution of technology. It will be interesting to see what comes to replace the television in coming times. My radio use since arriving in London has drastically changed. In the States, I of course use my car as my means for transportation. Los Angeles means lots of traffic so therefore on my long commutes from home to school or from work to school, I depend on the entertainment brought to me through the radio. My favorite morning talk station is Ryan Seacrest in the morning, which features celebrities coming in to talk about their most recent song, film or product that they are endorsing. I love the way that Ryan talks to the celebrity guest and how the listener gets an interesting view into their lives on a casual level. Also, this show features my favorite guilty pleasure program, Ryan’s Roses. Ryan Seacrest would call the boyfriend of a listener who had called in to express their doubts of fidelity that they are having with their partner. Ryan would call the boyfriend saying he owns a flower company who is having a promotion in which twelve dozen roses will be sent free to the person of their choice. Most often the boyfriend chooses to send them to another woman other than their girlfriend and the drama ensues. It is comical entertainment in the morning when you need a good laugh to wake you up. Also, while in the States I am addicted to the online radio station Pandora. You can create your own interest station and listen to the radio free for however long you want. It has any style music you might desire and is extremely convenient as it can be done through your computer or IPod. Since moving to London my radio consumption has completely stopped. I am no longer stuck in the car for long periods of time and Pandora does not even stream to London so I am unable to access it. We are not equipped with radios in our flat and most often even our TV is broken. I think my classmates can attest to the lack of access we have to the radio. It makes me sad because I know the BBC and many other radio production companies here in London output wonderful programs. Unfortunately, with our lack of radio connection, we don’t have the opportunity to enjoy this simple pleasure in a foreign country.

Ryan Seacrest in the morning:

Journal Entry 6: Branding

This week’s class discussion focused around innovation and featured a brilliant guest speaker who discussed the world of advertising and product placement. Prior to his presentation to the class, an interesting question was brought up during the class discussion: Do I recognize US culture here in London? Since my arrival in London, I have marveled at the implementation of American brands into London every day culture. The most notable American brands I have come in contact with here are Starbucks, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Chipotle, Apple, and even our most notable fashion brands such as The Gap and Nike. Upon first arriving, seeing those brands made me feel a sense of joy and relief because they served as a connection to home for me. I knew I could seek refuge in knowing that some of the every day comforts from home were here in London. In regards to each of these brands, however, the companies are making large profits by having their brands overseas in pounds because they are charging the same amount of money for a product as they do in US dollars in the States. For instance, a Chipotle burrito will run the average student in America about eight dollars where in London a burrito costs eight pounds. Clearly there is a dramatic increase in price between the two continent’s pricing. I have quickly come to realize the profit that these notable American brands benefit from by selling their products overseas in a stronger currency. In regards to American fast food brands such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Burger King, I was in awe of the difference in marketing these brands have made in their establishments overseas. The typical McDonalds or Pizza Hut in the States are considered low culture establishments with quick service and meager surroundings. They are associated with poor nutrition and a way in which to pinch pennies when buying food. However, upon walking into the modern functioning restaurants of McDonalds and Pizza Hut, my mouth immediately fell to the floor. I couldn’t believe how this low scale common American fast food institution is considered an upscale eatery in London. Even traveling to other countries such as Copenhagen, the 7 11 brand convenience store is a highly frequented grocery store. The difference in advertising and marketing overseas versus America has been truly fascinating. Rather than seek refuge in these standard American institutions, I have actually found myself going in quite the opposite direction due to the price increase and overall desire for the true London experience. My favorite London brands abroad have become EAT, Costa, Pizza Express and in regards to clothing brands Top Shop.

                                                          McDonalds America

McDonald's London

Some of My Favorite London Brands

Journal Entry 5: Meeting Remotely

This week’s discussion topic focused on meeting remotely and the most effective way to conduct a meeting. Our reading focused on management strategies that should be implemented and considered when structuring a meeting within a company or organization. Ironically this topic was prevalent within my past week here in London. In Tuesday morning’s class, we have a large social project ahead of us to complete this semester in which we gather in a team to organize a fundraising topic to implement social change on a certain topic we choose.  This past week my two other team members and I finally chose to sit down together and discuss what exactly we planned on doing for the project. Looking back, I can see both positive and negative aspects that took place during this meeting and now after assessing this week’s reading, our team can implement these techniques into our future collaborations. When deciding upon a time to meet, it was not done efficiently. We continued to tell one another yes yes we will meet sometime this week and continued to brush it off without implementing an actual time and place. Rather, I finally put my foot down and called them one evening during the week and told them I would come over to their apartment to discuss the project. For our next meeting, it would be far more efficient to set a certain time and to choose a place, which will be more constructive for us to work and collaborate. An apartment creates a more relaxed environment with easy distractions whereas a coffee shop or library will create a more diligent atmosphere. With this stage in our lives, the meeting time is the most important aspect to consider when conducting a meeting. As each of us are traveling each weekend to different places and having different class schedules, finding the right time to meet with one another is key. As we experienced in class this week as well, we had a guest speaker Skype in to talk to us from Egypt. It was important to realize the time difference as she was hours ahead. We gave her great thanks for making her workday even longer and Skyping in to teach us at 9 p.m. her time. Scheduling is such an important aspect when coming together to work.  As we finally sat down to work there was no one leader. We considered one another equals on the project and therefore we all were eager to participate and lend our own opinions. For the next meeting, it would be more efficient to assign each of us a certain aspect to focus on rather than spewing out random ideas and having no strong focus on who is doing what.  The reading referred to the leader of a meeting as a facilitator. A facilitator is someone who can direct the conversation, keep the meeting on track and in a sense is a moderator for the entire gathering. Since the project is equal we cannot necessarily have one lead facilitator but in a situation like this, we can assign certain tasks for one another to complete the work efficiently. I could be in charge of keeping the meeting on track, Jamie could be in charge of researching the media related to the topic and so on. By mediating the tasks, we can have more quality research on each aspect of the topic. Overall, professor Robinson said the most important aspects of a meeting were to send an email prior to the gathering and both starting and finishing on time. I will incorporate both of these aspects for the next meeting and am sure to find a much more efficient time spent working.

Journal Entry 4: Negotiating through Email

This week’s discussion centered on negotiations by specifically looking at the art of communicating via email. Our discussion in class had every one brimming at the surface with information to add because in our day and age and especially our changed circumstances abroad, each of us are dealing with this global form of communications. I thought what better way to really evaluate this topic in comparison to my every day life here in London than to look at the emails I sent out this week. I wanted to evaluate my emails by comparing their effectiveness and context in regards to tonal cues, length and purpose. As I look at my list of emails from the week, it is astounding to see the difference in the context of emails I was receiving back at USC versus now here in London. Back at SC, my emails consisted of daily mass informational emails from my sorority, countless emails from professors commenting on the slightest details regarding class assignments, various messages from USC Annenberg on internship opportunities and the rest mainly consisted of little interests I partook in such as fandango fan mail and fashion sights updating me on their latest apparel. What a change now as I glance as my weeks email intake. I now have countless flight, transportation and hotel booking confirmations either from the companies or my friends forwarding me their travel documents, talk mobile updates reminding me to top up my phone and the rest consist of daily reflections of my life here in London to loved ones back at home. No swarms of emails from professors or nonsense updates. Prior to coming to London, I never really sat down and wrote a daily email reflecting on my day. Even though I was far from some family members at USC, I would never have used email to communicate with them. The various call every now and then would have sufficed. However now as I experience new and exciting things each day here in London, I find myself glued to the keys of my computer and forming detailed emails on a daily basis. I decided to pick a few emails I sent and pick them apart in regards to the aspects we discussed in class to decide whether or not my emailing skills abided by what my professor described as most effective. This week I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark so I decided to send my dad an email regarding the weeks finances. I titled the email: Hi Dad! It was short and concise. I got to the point and wrote everything that was necessary for my dad to understand. It was an important topic we were discussing so instead of the caption I used, I should have been more specific so he knew what he was getting into prior to reading the email. We discussed in class how it is difficult to incorporate empathy into an email. However, I find that to be untrue. I have taken the time in each email to thank my dad for allowing me this wonderful experience. I have the ability to write out my words and express fully what I want to tell him. Nothing is there to distract him from my words and he knows the time I took to write it out means my sincerity. I applied to an internship this past week. I have applied to countless internships before so I found the structure to my email to abide by what was discussed in class. I titled the caption: Whitney Griffith Internship Submission. I was short, concise and to the point. I ended the email with every means of contact and an appreciate tone overall for the company to take time for reading my email.  These emails were definitely low culture forms of communication: black and white and to the point. I found myself negotiating by the end of back and forth with my internship application due to the fact I am in Europe and their company is back in the States. I have to account for time change (They may think I am late in responding when in fact I am experiencing a large time difference) and how to negotiate a proper interview from so far away. All of these different aspects I have to account for when communicating globally.