The Blip Blog

DIY #1: Generations of Black Athletes Fighting for Racial Equality in America

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wJ-_144dWa7EUD0RsPl-YRq0i56t5_RA

I placed three important African-American males athletes who represented their generation of racial change. Behind them is an American flag, covered in blood shots, and its symbolism differs amongst the athletes. My image emphasizes their fight for racial equality in a country that prevents them from obtaining such rights.

For Jackie Robinson, it was his fight of breaking the color barrier by being the first black man to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born in America, but didn’t have its civil liberties.

For Tommie Smith, it was him raising the Black Power salute on the first-place podium at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Smith, who won the gold metal for the 200-meter sprint finals, was supposed to represent the best that America had to offer to the world; he was an athlete that deserved acclaim and respect. However, his people were still persecuted and impoverished, and his nation did little to end this. Smith was calling for basic human rights by raising a black-gloved fist during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner.

For Colin Kaepernick, his kneeling during the National Anthem was in protest against the current racial injustice and police brutality of Black Americans. The flag is meant to symbolize the pride and power it means to be American, yet people of color don’t share this sentiment because they are constantly being oppressed by systematic racism. As a member of the community that is over-targeted by police, Kaepernick felt that he cannot be patriotic as he fears his own government.

“Black Power Olympics 1968″ was taken by John Dominis at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wJ-_144dWa7EUD0RsPl-YRq0i56t5_RA

“Jackie Robinson;” Associated Press Photographer, 1940s. https://prospect.org/civil-rights/jackie-robinson-legacy-activism/

“Colin Kaepernick Kneeling alongside Eric Reid during National Anthem;” photographer unknown, 2018. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/06/colin-kaepernick-anthem-protest-timeline-message

“Upside Flag, unknown maker;” https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Upside-Down-US-Flag-339747762723676/

DIY #2: “Bienvenidos a Acapulco”: A Paradise in Hell

Blissnorance: What does this word mean? It is clearly something that this writer made up, but there is a reason for such. "Bliss" is a state of great happiness, albeit oblivious of everything else. "Ignorance" means to lack knowledge, education, or awareness. 

In my PSA video, I have clips that show the beauty and awe  Acapulco has to offer for tourists/foreigners. The beaches, the luxury resorts, the nightlife, and the serene landscapes are all fantastical lures to anybody desiring a vacation in paradise. The Mexican locals appear friendly, serving the needs of visitors so they can enjoy their time even more. 

However, there are frequent cuts between the pleasant clips that presents an alternative view of the "paradise." In these notable scenes, I emphasize the brutality and violence that engulfs Acapulco while unaware tourists/foreigners enjoy their time. While visitors are initially presented with a a positive view of the city, then slowly changes to a wake-up call of seeing pictures and videos of murders and chaos that consumes Acapulco. 

Acapulco is actually one of the most dangerous cities in the world, with drug cartels and criminal organzations running rampant. On the beaches of the city, people have been getting gunned down in broad daylight while foreigners/tourists lounge on the beach nearby.

Blissnorance is the correct word to describe what is going on in Acapulco. When you people enjoying themselves while oblivious to the harsh reality of what’s going around them, it is problematic as it seems that no one cares about a particularly dangerous situation. The city is Mexico’s murder capital, yet tourists/foreigners do not know this and they keep coming.

It does not matter if a man’s body washed ashore on the beaches at one of the most popular resorts. People are blatantly ignorant of soldiers removing the body of a fisherman who was killed during a drug dispute. No one knows about three taxi drivers that were shot at an apartment that was used as their office.

I have a habit of calling people out, and this is a prime example of it. If you are tourist/foreigner or someone that vacates in other countries, one must be aware of the problems that are plaguing other parts of the world. While you are having the best time of your life, there are other people in this paradise who are brutality killed and constantly terrorized as such. My video is very graphic and grisly, with the clips of the murders meant to reinforce the horrors that are happening at Acapulco almost every day. These pictures or videos are from world news agencies, local newspapers, and bystanders; they capture the realness of this fallen city (a lot of it I found on Youtube and journalism agencies).

Perhaps with shocking content, maybe change can occur and Acapulco’s violence can be finally acknowledged and addressed.

The first clip of the video is a welcoming video of Acapulco, and it slowly turns from wholesome material to gritty and bloody content. The last clip, which contains the hashtag #Blissnorance ends with an older American couple detailing what they did in the city that day. The wife, optimistically ignorant, tells the camera that they did so in a safe, socially-isolated way as possible (this was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic). Both are unaware the Coronavirus is the probably the least dangerous thing in Acapulco.

Orwellian 2021 Post

How media/digital companies constantly surveillances you by tracking and collecting your data without your knowledge.

Big Brother Artists On Tumblr GIF by G1ft3d

I was always fascinated by George Orwell’s “1984,” a book that details a dystopic world corrupted by totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimes within societies. It identified how an idea, situation, or societal condition can be destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. Based on Stalinist Russia, I examined the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated (*cough*fox news* cough*). Therefore, as a Journalism major, I desire to spot the propaganda, distorted facts/misinformation, and overall BS presented to us by government organizations and the news media.

However, I forgot to acknowledge that it is not only a government or new channel that seems to be controlling our lives. That know what we like or despise. What we regularly do in days. It is something so common to us: When we pick up our phones to check out our social media pages, when we order something from online, or when we searched for interesting topics/subject matters on the web.

amazon GIF by The Man in the High Castle

What is it? Well, it is the media companies.

It is Google, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other corporations that gather all of our date to serve our needs! What we want. What we need. What we think. Everything a human being does for his or her self-interest, they know. And the most disturbing thing about this is how most of us are unaware of this fact.

Hacking Security Breach GIF by Matthew Butler

Heavily investing in its ability to collect, store, and analyze data, Facebook does not stop there. … Tracking cookies: Facebook tracks its users across the web by using tracking cookies. If a user is logged into Facebook and simultaneously browses other websites, Facebook can track the sites they are visiting.

One way Amazon stalks you is by virtual assistants such as the Echo and Echo Show, which includes a camera as well as a speaker. Customers don’t realize that their audio recordings may be uploaded to Amazon’s servers. The company suggests that these voice files help make the Alexa experience better, enabling more accurate speech recognition by learning to process messages from a diverse group of customers.

The main data Google collects here is around your location, though it obviously tracks you through its apps as well—Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps—just as it does on the web.

Everything you do on Instagram is tracked. Almost every online service you use collects information about your actions. Every thumb scroll made through your feed provides it with information about your behavior. Instagram knows that you spent 20 minutes scrolling to the depths of your high-school crush’s profile at 2 am.

Snapchat tracks the mobile carrier providing your cell service. The app collects information from your phone’s sensors including your gyroscopes, and compasses. The app monitors your microphones and whether you have headphones connected. Snapchat also collects information about your location.

The lack of security on hugely popular social networking platforms is an invasion of privacy. The fact that a single company can know almost everything about is disturbing to the core, and violates our natural-borne freedoms.

Big Brother Question GIF by THEOTHERCOLORS

Refugee Visualization Report

For this assignment, I analysed the data concerning the Refugee Population Statistics by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The database that I researched contains information about forcibly displaced populations spanning across 70 years of statistical activities. It covers displaced populations such as refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons, including their demographics. This website is based on three data sources:

UNHCR data collected through its annual statistical activities with some data going back as far as 1951, the year UNHCR was created.
Data provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Data provided by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

The UNHCR estimated that global forced displacement has surpassed 80 million at mid-2020. In my first graph, I state that 45.7 million people are internally displaced people as of mid-2019. In this bar graph, I present a y-axis of years (2000, 2007, 2013, 2020) and an x-axis of millions ( 0M, 10M, 20M, 30M, 40M, 50M). On average, for every 7 years, the amount of internally displaced people would increase by 11 million.

Next, I reported that 26.3 million people are refugees. That is almost 3 out of 5 of all internally displaced people. I highlighted this information with a giant “26.3 MILLION,” and added 5 human figures where 3 were shaded to emphasize how 60% are refugees.

Furthermore, I spotlighted how 39% of refugees are hosted by just countries: These nations and the approximate number of refugees are:

Turkey with 3.6 million people.
Colombia with 1.8 million people.
Pakistan with 1.4 million people.
Uganda with 1.4 million people.
Germany with 1.1 million people.

These facts are bullet-pointed with a yellow star to emphasize their importance, and they are next to a map that details chosen locations of the world.

Additionally, I implemented information that states 67% originate from just 5 countries. It is crucial to list visible data that supports how more than 2/3 of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate and others displaced abroad are just from 5 countries. To help with this, I created a pie chart to showcase the findings. The figures are presented as:

Syrian Arab Republic: 27.1%
Venezuela: 15.2%
Afghanistan: 11.1%
South Sudan: 9.5%
Myanmar: 1%
Other: 33%

Lastly, I generated a hashtag called #REFUGEEREPORT to underline the importance of internally displaced people and refugees in the world.

BAD Habits of Mine (Post 1)

I think my life depends on social media, for better or for worse.

So… The first thing I did when I woke up was to go straight to my phone. Of course, I’m still a teenager who cares that his information be two things: World politics or what a cute girl is currently doing. My feed is rather diverse to say the least, but I do spent a lot of time on whatever posts I have a keen interest in.

First, it was NPR, VICE, and Politico, and after seeing that Joe Biden is officially ending the Trump administration’s legacy, I decided I needed to get my mind off politics. Looking up on stories and posts of old friends was entertaining, and I was surprised that I spent a long time looking at their feeds. Soon after, I went to sleep for 30 minutes before I woke up to watch my favourite show on Netflix (every young American’s favourite streaming service) for another half hour.

Then, after my nourishing entertainment, I became ready for my USC classes. These courses will pretty much destroy my eyes in the long run as I spent the next 4 hours staring at my screen, watching and listening to what my professors were teaching. I have to be proud that at least this was productive activity, but this circumstance details that I dedicate my life to digital media, and without it I wouldn’t be able to accomplish the things I desire to do.

After my long but rather interesting classes, I went to work, and from there I dedicated myself to be skilled employee that only focuses on serving his customers’ needs. Just kidding! I mean I did do my job proficiently, but I chit-chatted with my fellow co-workers as it was a slow day. Thus, it makes me content that I didn’t need my phone to entertain myself. After a long day at work, I briefly spent on time on social media and at 9:30 pm I saw Logan (a great superhero movie by the way), which ended around 11:30. I got ready to go to bed because I had early morning classes the next day.

To say that I have bad habits because of my social media use would be an overstatement. I mainly enter the digital world to either entertain myself or to utilise it for education. I am a strong reader, yet I read news articles and stories from my phone. I pop into classes on my computer because everything at USC is online. I even watch movies and television shows on a digital platform!

All in all, the reason I consume so much media is because I have to. I have to use my phone or computer to enter my online classes. I have to follow news organisations on Instagram in order to read. I even have to use such devices to check the time briefly (perhaps I should buy a non-digital watch)! My life depends on media and even if I desire for a change, not only would it be difficult but it would dramatically affect how I live. Maybe one day I can take a digital detox, trading tech devices for social interactions.

But as of right now, I am forced to be addicted as it keeps my daily routine going.

media-consumption-log-4 Download

S.M.E.L.L Test

Is this News Article Genuine?

https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/01/bidens-swampy-pick-to-run-unemployment-lost-millions-of-dollars-in-pandemic-aid-to-nigerian-fraudsters/

The first thing that struck me about this article is that it is from The Federalist, a conservative online magazine that has pushed misinformation about the Coronavirus and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Right away, I knew this piece would be a bit biased.

The Federalist is financially backed by Dick Uihlein, a packing supply magnate and Trump donor who is best for supporting extremely conservative candidates. Furthermore, DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund that has been characterised as the “dark money ATM” (which means many donors can remain anonymous) of the right, finances the website as well.

Moreover, Jordan Davidson, the writer of the article, is known for her affiliation with right-wing subjects.

Davidson herself is a Christian conservative. She went to Baylor University (the largest Baptist University in the world), worked as an intern at the National Journalism Center (founded by the late M. Stanton Evans, a former chairman of the American Conservative Union, and author of Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America’s Enemies), and worked as an intern for Representative Bill Flores (a former chief executive officer of Phoenix Exploration Company, an oil and gas company) of Texas’ 13th congressional district.

Her pinned tweet on Twitter is, “It’s a great day for media bias and big tech censorship!” By observing her ever-busy feed, I can see other articles by Davidson that claims “Biden’s Unity Branding is False Advertising That Will Sow More Division” or that “Joe ‘Moderate’ Biden Wages War on Life By Ordering You To Fund Overseas Abortions With Your Taxes.” Davidson’s perspective is clearly conservative, and will establish this narrative to paint the Biden administration as a deficient, bureaucratic spoils system.

It is true that the subject of Davidson’s piece, Suzi LeVine (Biden’s pick for an interim leadership position in the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Adm. program), was the head of the Washington state’s Employment Security Department (ESD) when it was attacked by criminals taking advantage of the unprepared benefits-processing systems during the pandemic. However, this is extremely misleading because Davidson either left material out or just made it up.

One, the article Davidson sourced did discuss the background of Levine, but it also mentioned that Washington was one of many states that were targeted by such criminals. A piece from cnbc.com stated such fraud claims went up 35% to 40% all over the country, and many top state officials were unprepared to face this crisis.

Two, Davidson’s own article neglects to mention that there was other factors that contributed to why ESD lost $600 million due to fraudulent payments (over half of it has been recovered): the pandemic itself, a desire to process claims quickly for the growing numbers of jobless workers, a small ESD workforce, and fraud rings that were waiting with stolen identities from past security breaches that did not involve ESD.

Three, Davidson has called Levine a “major player in the Democratic Party” who was reported to have donated “hundreds and thousands of dollars to the Biden 2020 campaign and other ‘Democratic causes.'” Although, she doesn’t source this information, and emphasizes Levine’s connections to Biden and other top Democrats in order to paint her as a party insider.

Jordan Davidson uses conservative curse words (such as “Democratic Party”, “left-wing”, or “President Joe Biden”) and misleading facts to paint Suzi LeVine as an incompetent, establishing-leaning, and corrupt politician to entice her readers. Even if this information is true, everything from the title to its skewed content heavily implies a right-wing message.

All in all, Davidson kept her conservative readers interested by portraying Levine as another swampy, inept, liberal politician that won’t solve any of America’s problems.