Practical: Plan for Assignment 3
a. Identify two possible events that you could cover for Assignment 3.
There are two upcoming events that could be covered in relation to assignment 3. They are the Sarina Show held 1 August 2015 or Comedian Dave Hughes PUMPED show playing live in Mackay held 11 September 2015.
b. Plan how you will cover each event. Do some research and write a background paragraph on these events.
Sarina Show is an annual show held in Sarina. This year is the 51st annual show commencing on the weekend of 1st and 2nd of August 2015. An entry of $15 provides a full day of Displays and Exhibits, Stud & Prime Cattle, Ring Events, Entertainment, rides and of course side show alley. The plan is to arrive early on Saturday morning and stay into the afternoon. This will provide an opportunity to engage with the supporters of the shows and interact with the local community.
Comedian Dave Hughes is in Mackay for one night, held 11 September 2015. The date is rather controversial, so I am curious if this will impact his show. Tickets for this event have been pre-purchased, as I will be attending for personal interests. My seating is in the front row so I wonder if I will become part of the show? The entry is $40 and will run for approximately two hours. There is no mention of other comedians except the key talent himself, which I am sure will provide us with loads of laughs. There may be the opportunity to speak with him after the show, but at this stage it is unclear.
c. Review whether you need to get accredited for either event (if so, start the process), because some events restrict cameras. It’s usually not hard to get accredited, so we encourage you to do so if needed.
Sarina Show is a public domain hence there is no requirement for accreditation. However verbal consent is required if I choose to take identifiable photographs of people. Children must have consent from a parent of guardian.
Dave Hughes is a public figure performing in front of a live audience. Accreditation may be required unless given prior consent. Generally photographs are taken after the event in an approved area, occasionally at a cost to the patron. I suspect this event will allow the approval of cameras, such as personal mobile devices. I anticipate this will then become distributed via several social media platforms by these members of the audience.
d. Identify the main parts of the event
Sarina Show:
- Major show sponsor: Bendigo Bank Sarina Branch; the most important.
- Sugar Industry: Canegrowers Mackay; a focus for the Sarina region.
- President of the Queensland Show & 2014 Sarina Show Girl; interview(s).
- Agricultural: Farming equipment, live stock, interactive farm animals, cattle best of breed, equestrian events; dog showing, rodeo, poultry & caged birds; chance to engage with local community, farmers and animals.
- Local talent: photography, arts and crafts, baking, flora & fauna, children’s artwork; purchase, vote and judge, contribute to the locals.
- Businesses: Lions Club of Sarina, local radio station, volunteer services, local produce, Memphis Moovers entertainment.
Comedian Dave Hughes
- Dave Hughes
- MECC Mackay
e. Identify the people you will try to get a short quote and photo from/of to record on Twitter
Sarina Show
- The major sponsors: Bendigo Bank Sarina Branch;
- Canegrowers Mackay – sugar cane industry;
- Pig Races co-ordinator Norah Gilmore;
- Event organisers;
- Various stall owners;
- Members of the public.
Comedian Dave Hughes
- Comedian himself: Dave Hughes;
- Supporting acts (if any);
- Audience members;
- MECC staff members on duty;
- Professional media personnel.
f. Watch the ‘Why you should plan’ short video on the course website. On your blog, list the three main points from Kate as to why planning is important.
- Time: Flies;
- Find your schedule and have a plan for what the main events are;
- Think about your accreditation, if it is required and be bold.
Furthermore Kate Ames elaborates with 3 additional points as to why planning is important:
- Research facts and people;
- Research logistics;
- Prepare to adapt.
g. You should provide a summary of your planning on your blog.
I have chosen to attend the Sarina Show event. I intend to arrive when the gates open to the public at 9am and commence interviewing shortly after entry. The timeframe is within reason, and I am able to compile a greater collection of material as appose to attending comedian Dave Hughes. Sarina show is also a community event delivering over 50 years of service; and likely to attract thousands of people over the 2-day event. I will also be able to interact with local farmers and community members; therefore expand my social network and public participation. Furthermore, Sarina show will provide various channels of communication that will be used to present stories via the social media platform Twitter.
Event planning Overview/ comparison – Sarina Show vs Comedian Dave Hughes
| Sarina Show 2015 | Comedian Dave Hughes
PUMPED live show – Mackay |
| $15 Entry | $40 Entry |
| All day event – 9am to 10pm | 3 hours approximately – 8pm to 11pm |
| Date: 1 August 2015 | Date: 11 September 2015 |
| Sarina Location – 30 minute drive approximately | Mackay City location – 5 minute drive approximately |
| Parking available | Parking available |
| No accreditation required | Accreditation may be required |
| Sponsors; Event organisers; Community organisations; Public; Displays; Exhibits; Live entertainment; Rides; Side show alley; Local produce; Agriculture; Animals. | Dave Hughes; Staff; Audience. |
Inquiry:Review the following two pieces and respond to the questions on your blog
a. What do you think could be the main issues with this poorly written entertainment news story?:
Figure 1: David O’Neill Source: The Sydney Morning Herald (2015)
There are a number of issues clearly identifiable within this news story titled ‘Robert Pattinson talks about his new film, The Rover, with Dave O’Neil’.
- Poor grammar, spelling and punctuation;
- Angle: Actor Robert Pattinson or his security guard?
- Unidentified 5 W’s and 1 H;
- Blocks of text too large.
Before conducting a review, I researched the author Dave O’Neill and discovered he is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, writer and a radio personality. I was surprised discovering he was a writer due to the atrocious grammar, spelling and punctuation of his article; which I would have assumed was written by an uneducated amateur. Further investigation revealed criticisms about O’Neill referring to him as a ‘bogan’, ‘yuppie’ or ‘hipster’, reinforcing the illiterate language presented in his article.
Furthermore, the angle of the story is highlighting the security guard more so than focusing on the main interest, that being famous actor Robert Pattinson. O’Neill reveals Pattinson as his ‘friend’ after recently disclosing having only known the actor for a few hours, then proceeds to address his name in a casual state that his fans may refer him to.
In addition, readers will find his article confusing; the main points have not been identified within the first few paragraphs. These refer to the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where & Why) and 1 H (How). The information is difficult to navigate consistently with the layout being organised in large blocks of text. The majority of the information is irrelevant and unclear for the purpose of the story. Overall a very poorly written entertainment news story that provides no valuable information or pleasure to the reader.
B) What do you think is good about this well-written media release?
Figure 2: AgForce Logo Source: AgForce Queensland
The following well-written media release titled ‘Drought worst in living memory: AgForce survey’ clearly identifies what you would expect to read in a media release.
- Good grammar, spelling and punctuation;
- Angle: overview of the situation, response from a senior representative within the company, and statistics collected and presented in relation to a survey.
- Identified 5 W’s and 1 H included within first paragraph;
- Small written paragraphs and sentence structure.
The introduction clearly identifies the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where & Why) and 1 H (How) within the first two paragraphs. This is required to engage the reader as well as provide an expectation of the information that will follow.
The angle of the story identifies the issue, being that Queensland farmers are experiencing the worst drought in living memory. In support, AgForce General President Grant Maudsley provides further insight in to the matter whilst also reinforcing a positive approach that will rectify the situation long term. These opinions are presented by regurgitated information and direct quotes.
In addition, results from two surveys were conducted and incorporated into the press release with the use of dot points. Dot points are an effective way to display information that is important however does not require the use of sentence structure.
Furthermore a contact name and phone number have been provided at the end of the article for those who wish to seek further information or directly contact. Overall a very well written media release that provides valuable information and resources to the reader.
References:
O’Neill, D, 2015, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 19 August 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/enter tainment/robert-pattinson-talksabout-his-new-film-the-rover-withdave-oneil-20140619-zs99j.html
AgForce 2015, AgForce Queensland, viewed 19 August 2015, http://www.agforceqld.org.au/index.php?tgtPage=news&id=view,478
COMM11007 - Media writing 