Mediaboss Marketing

Dont believe everything you read in media.

Such a pity that those words are being taken to heart and mind, as they are the opposite of what was drummed into our heads by our mentors, i.e., journalism is the purveyor of truth and possible transformation.

Not even pictures described as saying a thousand words can be believed, as editors cut and paste as they do words, to eliminate bulges in a subjects chin, erase creases from ones forehead, or add a flourish or two to make him/her look picture-pretty.

Electoral campaigns, whether abroad or here, are characterized by awful lies to downgrade opponents and make them look terribly unfit for positions they aspire for. In past Philippine presidential elections, the art of destruction was so intense it left a bad taste in the mouth. Some of the accusations were true, but most of them were simply speculative and false. On television today, one can see saliva dripping from the corners of critics mouths, or the satanic fierceness in their eyes as they demolish the target of their assassination. There is a term for todayshead-hunting bloggers:bastos.

The truthful journalists weapon against charges of false and malicious reporting was and possibly continues to be libel. One must be proven without a doubt that he was out to malign the subject, and a sane court, analyzing the facts of the case and finds the respondent not guilty, will throw the petition out of the window.

Such is the case with social media. It can be used to prop up or destroy an individual and/or commercial product.And who is to distinguish the truth and falsehood of social media reporting?

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Imtiaz Ali of TechMead writes of the positive effects of social media, mainly that social networks helping businesses in a variety of ways.

Traditional marketing mediums such as the radio, TV commercials and print ads are completely obsolete now and demand for thousands of dollars, he writes. However, with social media the businesses can connect with their targeted customers for free, the only cost is energy and time. Through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social site you can lower your marketing cost to a significant level.

The increasing popularity of social sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, social networks has gained attention as the most viable communication choice for the bloggers, article writers and content creators.

These social networking sites have opened the opportunity for all the writers and bloggers to connect with their tech savvy clients to share your expertise and articles. Your audience will further share your articles, blog or expertise in their social circle which further enhance your networks of the followers.

Social networks have removed all the communication and interaction barriers, and now one can communicate his/her perception and thoughts over a variety of topics. Students and experts are able to share and communicate with like-minded people and can ask for the input and opinion on a particular topic.

Another positive impact of social networking sites is to unite people on a huge platform for the achievement of some specific objective. This is very important to bring the positive change in society.

On the other hand, one of the negative effectsof social media or network is it leads to addiction. Spending countless hours on the social sites can divert the focus and attention from a particular task. It lowers the motivational level of the people, especially of the teenagers and students. They mainly rely on technology and the internet instead of learning the practical knowledge and expertise of the everyday life.

Kids can be greatly affected by these social networking sites if they are allowed to use them. The reason is that sometimes people share photos on social media that contains violence and sex, which can damage the behavior of kids and teenagers. It puts the negative impact on overall society as these kids and teenagers involve themselves in crime -related activities.

Karen Fraxier, public relations specialist, writes that social media has changed the way people interact. In many ways, social media has led to positive changes in the way people communicate and share information; however, it has a dark side, as well. Social networking can sometimes result in negative outcomes, some with long-term consequences.

Karen cites a 2010 Case Western Reserve School of Medicinestudy that showed hyper-networking (more than three hours on social networks per day) and hyper texting (more than 120 text messages per day) correlated with unhealthy behaviors in teens, including drinking, smoking and sexual activity. Hyper-networking was also associated with depression, substance abuse, poor sleep patterns, suicide and poor academic performance.

While on the surface it appears social networking brings people together across the Internet, Karen writes that in a larger sense it may create social isolation, according to aBBC News report. As people spend increasing amounts of time on social networks, they experience less face-to-face interaction. Scientists have evaluated social isolation in many studies, and have determined that it can lead to a host of mental, psychological, emotional and physical problems including depression, anxiety, somatic complaints and many others.

Some of the harmful effects people suggest social networking has are: encouraging poor grammar, usage, and spelling, allowing information that may be perceived as fact even in light of evidence to the contrary, exposing children to online predators, creating a culture in which a single mistake such as a racy picture or poorly thought-out comment can cause irreparable harm to your reputation, decreasing productivity as workers habitually check social networking sites while they should be working.

It is inherent on the individual to use social networking constructively, and parents must be especially careful to monitor their children's use of social networking to minimize the potential for negative outcomes.

* * *

With the traffic jams making it impossible to interact on a person-to-person basis, friends have relied on the Facebook to be connected with one another. One of my favorite FB pals is Deedee Siytangco, former press undersecretary, and Manila Bulletin columnist whose son, David, is myinaanak.

My family and I spent one weekend in her resthouse in Tagaytay. True to its name, Bella Vista has a beautiful view of Taal lake, and the very cool air allows million flowers and yellow bells to bloom in abundance in her garden. On Easter Sunday, the place teemed with children from the Mother Teresa Spenellis House of Treasures run by the Augustinian Sisters, to hunt for Easter eggs, and have a lunch of spaghetti and hotdogs. This treat is repeated year after year, and gladdens Deedee, whose late husband Sonny loved Bella Vista so much.

Another blessing endowed on Deedee is her daughter, Sandee who, with her husband columnist and entrepreneur Andrew Masigan, have been running a chain of restaurants called Advent Manila, the same group behind XO46 Heritage Bistro.

The latest Masigan offering is Arroz Ecija, which puts delicious traditional Filipino food in your plate with recipes inspired by life in the 1930s in Nueva Ecija. Attention and taste grabbers are Binghe sa Sari-saring Lamandagat and Seafood paella. There are Cordillera-grown rice, Ilocos bagnet (deep fried pork belly) and Chorizo de Vigan. The desserts are worth trying: kakanin, Ube brownie, sapn-sapin, puto.

Arroz Ecija is on the first floor of Arya Residences, McKinley Parkway Hills, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Telephone number of 02 800 1166.

* * *

Email: dominitorrevillas@gmail.com

Go here to read the rest:
Social media constructs, destructs - Philippine Star