Journalism, Mass Media and Communication in Australia - Essay Example

Part Character Profile Jason Kim, the founder and director of Auslife. He is a South Korean native and an Australian citizen. Hard work and education have had a major influence on Jason Kim’s life. Currently, he is the director of the Auslife Service Centre (previously known as Club Austasian), a business that provides international students with education and migration services, as well as recruitment services for Australian graduates. “I have been running this business since 1996,” Jason states. Auslife has since expanded into the Chinese market. Jason is originally from South Korea but lived in Malaysia because his father had a huge farming business there. He spent three years in Malaysia until his father’s business became bankrupt, and his family had to relocate to Australia in November 1981. “We had no other choice to come to Australia because old enough and couldn’t go back to Korea to study,” Jason recalls. Jason entered Australia on a tourist visa that was valid for only one year. Since he had to continue with his education, he could not go back to South Korea. Consequently, he had to remain in Australia as an illegal immigrant. Jason secured permanent residency in 1998, meaning between 1982 and 1998 he lived in Australia illegally. When Jason first visited Sydney, the Asian population was negligible. “There was sort of culture shock because, for me, I didn’t see any Caucasian in Asian country.” The first few years were difficult because there were few Asians in Sydney. Even worse, the population of South Koreans was also small; Jason could not rely on any ethnic groups for any support. In school, there were only two students of Asian origin in the school; the rest were unfamiliar with Asians. “I got bullied by teachers and by school friends,” Jason remembers. He had no friends or teachers who were fond of him; this was exacerbated by the fact that he could not speak English and ended up feeling lonely. Although the first year was difficult, Jason was driven to be successful, studied hard, and wanted to improve himself. Over time, his academic performances improved, especially in mathematics. His English also improved, he made new friends, teachers started recognising him, and he became one of most popular students. In year 10, he became the Vice President of the Student Counseling Environment. “To become a Vice President you need to get nominated by the student board.” His academic performances and determination to adjust were crucial to his popularity. “From all our boyfriends, I was the popular guy,” Jason states. Jason was motivated to go to university because he was an illegal immigrant; he knew he had to study hard to secure his future. In addition, Asian culture values education, viewing it as the key to a better life. Jason knew that he was different from other Australians because unlike him, most of them were citizens or had legal visas. He revealed that if he were not an illegal immigrant he would not have dedicated himself to his studies as much as he did. “My uni life was one of most memorial periods. On the first year, I was very freed, especially studying,” he recalls. In first year at the university, he fell in love for the first time, had good experiences, and made many new friends, especially from the Asian community. Jason studied business to help people who are in the same situation as he once was; he wanted to make other immigrants’ stay and adaptation in Australia more comfortable and faster. Auslife offers quality services and most of the clients are comfortable in the country and are fond of the company. Jason was keen to clarify that there is no such thing as the “Australian dream.” Getting a permanent visa does not guarantee success; the most important requirement is to learn English. To thrive in Australia, newcomers must interact with locals and blend in with the society. In addition, one must formulate clear personal goals to achieve success; lack of direction may force some immigrants to go back to their countries of origin. Life in Australia can be good but tough depending on an individuals perspective. Jason concluded by emphasising that Australia is a very good country with a stable welfare system. However, lack of clear and specific goals, poor integration, and poor English skills can make one’s life very complicated. Part 2: Explanation The photograph compliments the profile. Considering the interviewee’s occupation as a director of a reputable enterprise, the photograph shows him in his office, at his workstation, dressed in attire that matches the role of a director. In the photograph, several objects that support the narrative that the interviewee is a business director can be seen. These include a diary, three mobile phones, a laptop, spectacles, and an office desk. In addition, the interviewee appears to be working because his eyes are trained on the laptop screen while his right hand appears to be manipulating the mouse. The photograph has been taken from close quarters, clearly depicting the subject’s facial expression and current activity. Viewers can see that the participant is focused on his work and can relate to the themes of employment and directorship. The photograph has been shot wide, meaning that viewers can easily understand the context of the participant (Goc & Tynan 2011: 312). The participant has an office, so the photograph shows typical office materials. The sharpness of the photograph is crucial in accentuating the physical appearance of the subject. In the profile, it is mentioned that the participant is of Asian (South Korean) origin, and the photograph validates this information. As a result, it is safe to say that the photograph meets photojournalistic standards because it tells the same story as the profile (Caple 2013: 28). The profile is based on principles of story-driven (rather than objective) journalism (Goc & Tynan 2011: 316). It is also structured in a narrative format that encourages flowing readership by any news audience. However, the context of the profile is objective because it is relevant to international students, particularly those from Asian countries who wish to live and study in Australia or already live and work there. Since he is of Asian origin, Jason’s story appeals to this category of students, who can easily relate to his experiences. The profile has also been written using a formal journalistic style. In this sense, the paragraphs are well-organised, the punctuation and grammar are accurate, and the language is formal (Goc & Tynan 2011: 318). It is also worth noting that the inverted pyramid structure of writing has been used to organise the profile. For example, the most important details (e.g., name, origin, and occupation) feature at the beginning of the profile, followed by more information in order of importance. The last paragraph constitutes details that are necessary but not critical to the profile while the first two paragraphs contain information that, if removed, would change the context of the whole profile. References Caple, H. (2013) News values and the multisemiotic news story, in Photojournalism: a social semiotic approach, London, Palgrave Macmillan. Goc, N. & Tynan, L. (2011) Ethics in communication, in Media and journalism: new approaches to theory and practice, South Melbourne, OUP Australia & New Zealand. Read More