The Reasons for the Lack of Media Support/Attention for Women Golfers Compared To Men Golfers

As an international recruit student-athlete freshman for golf in University of Maryland (UMD), any player in the UMD Women's golf team would have been surprised if they were told, "I didn't know there was a golf team," or "I didn't even know there was a golf women's team here in Maryland!" This was hugely disappointing for the players because UMD has started to recruit three new freshmen internationally from 2012-2013 school year, two girls and a boy in the team. Despite of what is happening in Maryland for women's golf, there might be other possible reasons why there is a decline in women's golf in general.

An interview with Quesuan Wigfall, Assistant Director AEP in the Academic Support & Career Development Unit (ASCDU) of Maryland Athletics Department. He shares his thoughts by answering, "What did you think about the University of Maryland Media Department not promoting Womens' Golf than other sports?"

One reason is the lack of publicity in women’s golf in general, shortage of coverage of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) on TV than the Men’s Professional Golf (PGA). Most of it was because of the financial crisis on the LPGA tour. Michael Whan, a recent commissioner of the LPGA in January of 2010, mentioned that four of the twenty-three events in total of 2010 didn’t have title sponsors. With that, in 2008, total prize money was $60 million, that dropped in 2010 and $40 million in 2011. Whan quotes “We were in crisis management.” In comparison, the PGA Tour had signed the 15-year deal with the Golf Channel, which began in 2007. 

Which led to the PGA missing out on the potential economic decline by a margin. The tour still managed to sign new title sponsors of tournaments, and renewed contracts with title sponsors of 12 other events in the year of financial crisis.

Another reason is the popularity of the players on the tour. Since Tiger Woods made his debut, television contracts have massively increased from about $80 million in Woods’ first season in 1997 to nearly $280 million in the year of 2011.

Throughout the years, the TV ratings went high when he played and even more so when he won.

For the ladies, Michelle Wie, a child phenomenon in golf, turned pro in 2005 when she was just 16 years old. She played in couple of PGA tour events herself as an amateur, and at a very young age, just missing the cut by a shot at the Sony Open in Hawaii. She drew many attentions then and even now. Though she has only won two LPGA events in her career after all the success that she had at a very young age. Now, she is only 23 years old, a LPGA member with a Stanford undergrad degree. Since the downfall of her career, with not fulfilling the promise that she once had, given the Nike endorsements, the ads, etc. fans have decreased watching many of the LPGA coverage on TV. It has been said by Mike Whan, that she is not the fault of the LPGA fall or rise. According to Golf Stinks, golf itself is very slow. and the difference between the men and the women is that fans want to see good athletes compete for their athletic ability, not just for their looks. 

Some think that LPGA is promoting the looks on camera mostly.

listen to ‘Why I chose this topic.’ on Audioboo

What Did You Think About The University of Maryland Media Department Not Promoting Womens' Golf Than Other Sports?

Interview with Quesuan Wigfall, Assistant Director AEP in the Academic Support & Career Development Unit (ASCDU) of Maryland Athletics Department.

The Role in Photography with Journalism

I wanted to find out more about the role of photography with journalism and how they differ from any normal photographers. It has been said that photographs can affect people in many ways. It can tell a story or let people received information quickly visually. Photos can engage, increase interest or draw emotions that words could have not, can be said that “image has no age, language or intelligence limits.” Many media and journalism companies would scan the photos or images that have been taken from a photojournalist, in a newspaper or a magazine, to get people’s audiences. From researching online, there is a term “Photojournalist” that is meant to apply an active news/editorial photographers, whether they hold a specific degree in photojournalism or not. These photojournalists tell stories with their images, for most people they immediately would understand an image when they have seen it. Especially today, they would constantly hunt for the images which tell of the day-to-day struggles and accomplishments of our community. For example, if they saw a devastation that has been occurred at that certain time, he would capture the photo and hope for audience to stir on their emotions more effective than the words could have.

Question 1: What makes a photojournalist different from a photographer?

Normal photographers take pictures of nouns such as people, places, and things. Whereas photojournalists shoot action verbs such as “kicks,” “explodes,” “cries,” etc. more of a realistic, non “set up” reality photographers. However, photojournalists does shoot nouns like the normal photographers look for, they can be in standard photos of people (portraits), places (devastation places like I have mentioned above), and other things. Photojournalists tend to seek photos or image that tells a story.

Photography is and remains an important component to us on how it can reach art, especially in modern magazines, where images can persuade just as effectively as it can educate people.

Questions to ask to experts.

Question 2: Do you think that media and journalism companies should pay normal photographers for outstanding photographers that they have shared? Since our technologies have advanced.

Question 3: Do you agree with photojournalists having their title and that they get recruited even though they don't have degrees in photojournalism?

Duty-Based Ethical System Increases Other Issues On Other Cases?

According to the book, "Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication," there is no single unified ethical system that all people can follow for complete justice and peace. However, philosophers and religious leaders have developed different ethical systems throughout the years.
One of the four major ethical systems is the "Duty-Based Ethical System." This states that people must follow a prescribed set of rules or duties, regardless of the outcome. These duties can be religious beliefs (duties to God), but also embrace duties to others and duties to oneself.

The Categorical Imperative
In ethical thought, Immaneul Kant, an influential German philosopher, developed a concept of an unconditional moral obligation that does not depend on an individual's personal inclinations or goals. The value of the categorical imperative is that it encourages one to act for the benefit or others first, and not for personal gain.

For news organizations, decisions to publish names of crime victims, or to cover all crimes of a certain seriousness, for example, would fall under the categorical imperative. An example of this in recent journalism, is the Korean actor Park Si Hoo's rape case. The Korean actor has been accused of sexual assault by a trainee in one of the entertainment agencies.

Korean media organizations, usually does not publish names if they are not known in the public eye.

In this case, they have named her "trainee A". However, with the controversy still under going for two months already, many Korean neitzens, who were curious about "A" began to investigate her identity and her background. It has apparently been exposed after a Korean website revealed photos that supposedly belong to her.

In addition to this case, the Korean actor PSH filed a transfer of a prosecution case and its investigation that is currently under at the Gwangju Seobu Police Station, to be moved to the Gangnam Police Station. One of the reasons for this request is that the case has become high profile rape case in Korea at the moment.

Since the police is releasing many updates on the case, Korean neitzens are increasing with their assumptions and judgments about the case.
However, according to the Gwangju Police, they have no intention of letting the case be transferred.

By looking at this case, it is sometimes difficult for news organizations to have control over what is published of the case unless the public spreads through word-of-mouth of their findings. Even though the Korean news organizations have named the victim "trainee A", the fact that they have published this name, increased the curiosity of neitzens therefore began to investigate her identity which led to raise thornier issues in other cases.

Clear Channel with their problems of paying their debt?

Clear Channel Communications, In. is an American mass media company founded in San Antonio, TX in 1972. The company was taken private by Bain Capital, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners in a buyout deal in 2008, resulting for the company operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of CC Media Holdings, Inc. owning 850 radio stations around the country, making them the largest radio conglomerate in the US.

Clear Channel is the largest owner of full-power AM, FM, and shortwave radio stations and several radio channels on XM Satellite Radio. It consist of two main media businesses: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, and the wholly owned Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. Between these divisions, Clear Channel focuses on providing a range of multi-platform advertising and marketing opportunities for partners and world-class entertainment for listeners and users.

Clear Channel focuses on developing innovative and dynamic campaigns for advertisers.
Its Outdoor division operates near one million displays in 45 countries, and continues to expand upon traditional billboard advertising by packaging different displays in airports, rails, malls, and more worldwide. The company focuses on investing in new technologies has led to the growth of its digital footprint. It helped to create the advertising for new features such as countdowns, video, time-sensitive updates and social media integration. Their own Clear Channel’s Media and Entertainment division has the largest radio or television outlet in America with 239 million monthly listeners.

The company also operates online and through mobile services, including iHeartRadio. This is Clear Channel’s free, digital service for live concerts and events such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival; music research services, and program syndication, and many more.

Their goal is to continue their path towards a creative, dynamic and innovative future.

However, in 2007, for Clear Channel to become a privately held company, they sold almost half of their 1,200 radio stations and all of its 51 television stations partly because of their move and the FCC regulations. Even with these sales, Clear Channel is still known as the largest of the radio groups, with its number of stations and markets more than the next three radio groups combined, with the total of 844 stations.

Furthermore though, because of the numerous layoffs in 2008 that they faced, right now Clear Channel has been strategically firing employees in small numbers to fire their way to pay that debt down. According to toledoblade, the company’s debt must be repaid throughout the decade and comes due as soon as 2014.

It also looks like that they analyzed the radio industry is not without its challenges. The widespread changes occurring with the advent of digital radio and the Internet, with this change, there a lot of opportunities that aren’t traditional media therefore the trends may look negative to the normal broadcast industry.

This is an interesting post for today and you must read it

Today's weather was wet and class was delayed.

You TODAY

Hello. My name is Heidi Baek. I am a Freshman and have yet undecided major. I am a student-athlete playing golf for University of Maryland golf team. I am a recruit from England, UK. I think mass media is the collection of resources that can be easily accessed to everyone in the world especially through technology. Since the rapid growing of technology and the usage within the society, personally I think it has good and bad parts about it. This is because it allows all people with the access of technology gain information and find out about the world that is in present. However, with the rapid growing of technology, it can pressurize people to update their technology to the "better" version than they own. In addition with the usage of social media - including blogs and twitter - these will help my in the future because they are used with many people around the world right now. I am able to connect with them easily through this use and also able to connect with the world.