What is a(n) (cyber-) aura?

Auras and cyber-auras are interconnected but are not the same. An aura, as defined by Benjamin, has a unique aspect of time and space.[1] These aspects are the differences between experiencing an event and seeing it through reproduced means. Benjamin also states that the reproductions diffuse the experience and reduce the quality of the presence.[2] Such occurrences can be observed by looking at photographs, movies, or other mechanical productions.

Cyber-auras, however, encompass a greater audience, and may create a new unique experience for each viewer. On one hand, an internet video may be seen and interpreted by an individual with one perspective. This perspective can be shared among a larger population to induce a cyber-aura that continues on almost infinitely. An example of this phenomenon is the movie Paranormal Activity. Originally, the movie opened in only 13 theaters.[3] However, the online marketing campaign was revolutionary. Using media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and voting, the promotion for the movie was successful. Each person that watched the trailer obtained their own cyber-aura. This cyber-aura was then encompassed in the larger sphere of social media outlets.

The actual experience of the movie creates the mechanical aura. This mechanical aura may then be evolved into a cyber-aura by the use of internet reactions on media sites. Thus, both cyber-aura and aura are linked but are not the same. They may create a chain that is seemly infinite at a given point in time.

[1]Walter, Benjamin. Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. New York: Schocken Books, 1968, p.223.
[2]Walter, Benjamin. Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. New York: Schocken Books, 1968, p.221.
[3]Rosenberg, Adam. 'Paranormal Activity' To Open Nationwide After 1,000,000 Demands Are Received. MTV Movies. October 6, 2009. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/10/06/paranormal-activity-to-open-nationwide-after-1000000-demands-are-received/ . Accessed February 21, 2011. Internet.

The Knight Digital Media Center

Evaluation of a Web Resource

http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/

By: Jessica Ferrucci

Web resources have become a crucial tool in both the academic and professional realms of research. Many of these resources, however, lack the credentials to be considered a credible source of information. The Knight Digital Media Center, created by the University of California at Berkley Graduate School of Journalism and the University of Southern California Anneberg School for Communication, has retained the proper credentials to be used as a credible web resource. Knight Digital Media is a combination of live reporting seminars held at the two university locations and an online resource for research and tutorials of digital jounalists. The foundation’s mission statement reads,

The Knight Digital Media Center is dedicated to helping good journalists and good journalism succeed in the 21st century by providing training for New Media at all levels – from the traditional journalist making the transition to New Media to the New Media journalist seeking to improve critical thinking and beat reporting skills to the newsroom leader managing change in a dynamic era.

The site is maintained by an advisory board composed of editors, publishers, directors, and designers, all of whom boast titles at other credible news organizations. It is set up blog-style with a tool bar across the top and active links throughout. Its most significant resource is a “Training and Resources” tab which brings the looker to a page with active tutorials under the categories: Reporting, Video, Audio, Photography, Web Development, Mashups, Flash, Social Media, Computing, Public Records, Data Visualization, and Web Design. Each link provides step-by-step instructions for the selected skill set including pictures and numbered directions.

1. Data Visualization: Basics goes through a number of steps for making pie, bar, line, and area charts.

2. The Transition to Digital Journalism provides a recap of online mediums, internet competitiveness, widgets, wikis, and multi-media storytelling to aid print media companies transition to the web.

3. Using Wordpress helps those just starting with web blogging and reporting have an easy way to manage content and make a professional looking site from the start.

These among the many other resources on the site are current, sited with specific authors, and provide relevant information making Knight Digital Media Center a credible web resource.