My Point of View

I have gained a great knowledge in producing this blog and I really hope I acquired the basic theories on document design for the used in the future. I have been blogging for the past few months about the publishing issues.

Due to that, I have notified on the multimodality (Walsh 2006) and layout (Kress & Van Leeuwen 1998). Therefore I realised that to design a document is more on creating texts, magazine article, brochure, newspaper and any printed or readable material that consists of words and images in order to give more understanding to the readers so they get the message from it.

In completing this blog, I have adopted some of the theories. Shriver (1997) stated that the readers completely rely on the document to make decision and therefore it is part of the criteria we have to look into so the readers can get a clear understanding of the document.

Once again, many thanks for reading and I hope readers gain something from my blog and all the principles and ethics apply, are the key of professionalism (Hafez 2002).

(180 words)

REFERENCES 

• Hafez, K 2002, ‘Journalism ethics revisited: a comparison of ethics codes in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Muslim Asia’, Political Communication, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 225 – 250.

• Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Approaches to media discourse, eds Allan Bell and Peter Garrett, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.

• Schriver, K.A (1997), Chapter 6: The interplay of words and pictures, in Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, pp.361-441, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.

• Walsh, M 2006, ‘The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24-37.

 

Erykah Badu with Temporary ALLAH Tattoo.

Erykah Badu

Source: www.erykah-badu.com

Senior editors at The Star newspaper was suspended four months ago because they publish a picture of Erykah Badu with temporary tattoos of the word ‘Allah’ on her body. She was scheduled to perform on 29^th February 2012 but the Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim called off her concert due to the picture that was published in The Star newspaper (Ariffin 2012).

Badu was upset because her concert was banned due to that image and she said ‘one paper that published the wrong picture’ in disappointment tone (Ariffin 2012). Malaysia is a country that consists multiracial therefore it is very important to understand and to consider the cultural and the religion sensitivity. The editor was not aware on the sensitivity and also the picture was not the recent one, it was her old picture. The Star then apology for the mistake by publishing that picture (Star 2012).  

Badu was visibly upset during today’s press conference.
Picture by Choo Choy May

Erikesen (1991) stated that the cultural and differences in ethnicity invoked in the nature of the ethics relation itself, it is not necessary the message but sometimes an images on how they form into their own articulation along with their own understanding.

The Star can avoid this controversy only if they are more alert on this kind of issues. Walker (2000, p.89) mentions clearly that ethics is part of pursuing understanding of morality and provide ourselves as the bearers of responsibility of service values. Even though we can understand thru reading but somehow it depending on the readers knowledge (Schriver 1997). 

Information Ministry said that the government committee decided to cancel Badu’s concert because she has not being concern on religious sensitive issues in Malaysia by having that temporary tattoo (Yoong 2012).

Walsh (2006) said that designing document is very important and most important things in designing document are to understand to cultural context of the readers. Due to that they have to be more details to avoid any unpleasant scenario.

(326 words)

REFERENCES

• Ariffin, L 2012, The Malaysian Insider Erykah Badu says disappointed, promoters blame The Star for concert ban, viewed 8th June 2012, http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/erykah-badu-says-disappointed-promoters-blame-the-star-for-concert-ban
• Chooi, C 2012, The Star suspends two editors over Erykah Badu row, The Malaysian Insider, viewed 8th June 2012, http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/the-star-suspends-two-editors-over-erykah-badu-row 
• Eriksen, TH 1991, ‘The cultural contexts of ethnic differences’, Man, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 127 – 144.
• Schriver, KA 1997, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York.
• Walker, M.U 2000, Naturalizing, normativity, and using what we know in ethics. Canadian Journal of Philosophy 26 (supp.), 75 - 101.
• Walsh, M 2006, ‘The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24 – 37.
• Yoong, S 2012, Associated Press Malaysia bans Erykah Badu show over Allah tattoo, Yahoo News, viewed 8th June 2012, http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-bans-erykah-badu-show-over-allah-tattoos-074941033.html