Can you see yourself chasing after celebrities and politicians hoping they’ll give you a most coveted exclusive interview? How about spreading the word about a special function or an awareness campaign about a certain cause? If the above mentioned scenarios sound like you, then you might be interested to take up Communications and Media Studies.

Now, assuming that you live in Australia and are indeed interested in taking Communications and Media Studies, here is some information that you may find useful.

Australia first introduced Media Studies in Victoria universities sometime in the early 60s. It was also taught in secondary school in the mid 60s. as years passed, Communication and media studies were further developed. In fact, several universities have been announced by the Australian government as top universities for  pursuing said course. These universities include University of Melbourne, UTS, Monash University, and University of Queensland among others. Incidentally, it said that these universities have such great standards that they even rank higher than World standards based on the methodology used in the study.

Studying Communication and Media Studies

Media studies, as mentioned earlier, is also introduced to students in secondary school. Eventually, an expanded course in media studies was taught to the senior secondary students in the 80s. This course will later be called the Victorian Certificate of Education. Through VCE, students in the secondary school level, who have an inclination towards Communications and Media Studies, will further develop their skills for the course at an earlier age. It will also help the students which of the branches of Media Studies they would like to major in.

Once you’ve graduated from Communication and Media Studies, you have a higher advantage of entering the fields of Marketing, Public Relations, Media Management, Publishing, Advertising, and Journalism, etc. On the other hand, you can also choose to deepen your knowledge of your chosen course. Instead of joining the workforce right after graduation, you can choose to study further courses like Executive Master of Arts (a course offered in University of Melbourne). This course will help the students to further hone their leadership qualities and features modules on Professional Skills, Discipline, and Applied module. According to the University of Melbourne website, this course is “the first program of its kind in Australia” which was developed in coordination with the government as well as certain agencies in the industry.

Taking a course in Communications and Media Studies can’t go wrong especially if  you have a knack for film making, creative writing, languages, and art history, among others. Remember, however, that having graduated from this course won’t always guarantee a career in the industries mentioned above. So be sure to study hard and graduate with a great record. After all, there are also several other students who are as interested in this course as you are.

The ever growing needs for social network relevance continues to grow and spread across all sectors. One sector that benefits directly from this is the business sector where in the fastest connections make the best opportunities for the market. The high paced competition requires the wider network and the connections that come with it. The same goes for law firms since social networking sites give the best possible exposure right now. Though there’s still more work to be done, sites like Twitter and Facebook make the fastest and widest instant connections. You’d probably have to be virtually off the grid if you haven’t even received news from companies on the more popular networking sites.

Social media networks provide and continue an indispensable information dissemination opportunity for law firms to connect with their clients and update them with the latest news on pending cases and appointments. This capability can take law firms into better terms with their clients as well as create exposure for their firm. It is a viable place to influence the clientèle and a proving ground for the effectiveness of the firm.

The value of social media

Using online social media for the benefit of any company is a strategic move on its own. It is a way in which the company sells its expertise to a less formal market. In other ways, it is also a show of knowledge of the sector and the way the company or firm can help its client meet their goals. But as deeper inquiry on laws and technicalities in the different sectors occur, companies that use the online social media should also be wary  of the pitfalls. I’m sure that you’ve heard of some cases that have been made popular thru social media at the same time, involve companies in a fix because of improper use of the new medium.

Further study into the use of online social media, Aitken Partners, a Melbourne law firm, has found that the use of this new network should still be within the confines or limitations. That means companies should be wary of how people post on their sites when it comes to sensitive issues that may be used against them in the future. Apparently companies and individuals may be liable for legal consequences if they fail to monitor the input on their site.

As companies try to use the online social media for branding their names and areas of expertise, there is still a threat if things go unprepared for and unplanned. If you are planning on using networking sites for the info dissemination and branding, this is something that you should especially look into. Once you look into solutions for these problems, you’d discover that it still requires professional assistance. Alternatively brands use marketing tools such as email marketing services to help reduce time and effort.

Regarding the social media, it boils down to the fact that social media is helpful for companies to boost their influence and visibility but there are things that should still be considered and taken seriously. You really have to make sure that you don’t get hooked on technicalities and loop holes.

Using social media has its consequences. To learn more about social networking responsibilities, please click here.

The creative industry is one of the booming industries today. It is a multi-faceted industry and constantly expands as technology advances. A person who wants to be part of the creative media industry should be able to hone his skills and talents properly, and he can do this by enrolling in a creative media course.

Get Creative

If you are into animation, it is recommended for you to take a degree in Interactive Entertainment, major in animation. In this course, you will be able to hone your creative skills and vision that you are going to need later on to progress in this career. Students of this course will undertake courses in 2D and 3D animation as well as modeling, lighting, texturing, special effects and animation for games, film and television. Students will also be taught the basics of animation industry’s business aspect as well as project management, communications design and copyright law.

Being in the animation industry is very rewarding. Graduates of this program can take a job of 2D/3D animator, concept artist, 3D modeler, animation project manager, character designer and visual effects editor.

For those who want to specialize on interactive media, you can take up a degree on Creative Media, major in interactive media. In this program, students will be able to learn various design aspects for different platforms such as the internet and mobile phones. You will also be taught how to develop interactive content and a deeper understanding of the commercial aspect of this competitive field. Basic web development, content management system and scripting languages are also taught in this program.

The interactive media industry is worth billions per year, and it continues to grow as years pass by. Website manager, flash programmer, interaction designer, web programmer, sound editor, video editor, creative media consultant and creative media developer are just some of the possible careers for you.

On the other hand, those who are passionate in gaming can take up a degree on Interactive Entertainment, major in games design. Not only will you be taught about the latest game animation programs, concept design and game strategy, you will also learn about the psychology behind game play and how to write a good script and characterization. Honing of your analytical and critical skills is also one of the main goals of this program. Jobs such as character designer, games tester, and games designer are available for graduates of this program.

Lastly, those who are into designing and cartooning can take up a degree on Creative Media, major in graphic design. In this program, you will learn computer illustration, typography, cartooning and image manipulation. After finishing this program, it is expected for the graduate to have a high-level design competency in both print and screen-based software.  Also, graduates of this program can get jobs such as graphic designer, web designer and graphic illustrator.

Media studies is simply defined as the field of study that deals with the effect, history and content of mass media. This discipline encompasses various key themes such as journalism, mass communication, political economy, cultural studies and creative industries.

It is said that media studies began in the Chicago School and from the arguments of great American authors namely John Dewey, Charles Cooley and George Mead. The three of them saw the correlation of a good and positive community towards a good development of communication of each individual member of the community. The study of communication and effect of media on people and the society continued to grow. Later on, more schools of thought that focused on media continued to arise.

Today, Australia, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States are just some of the countries that offer good media studies curriculum. Media theories are also discussed in these programs as well as humanities and cultural studies.

Studying the effect, history, and content of mass media is very important. Students who will undergo the programs under media studies will be able to understand how powerful the various forms of mass media are and how they affect our everyday lives.