#biggest overseas education fairs

[antidrumpfs]

Opinion-Joe Biden: We must keep marching toward Dr. King’s dream

From the Joe Biden Washington Post opinion piece August 27, 2023

Sixty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans marched on Washington for jobs and freedom. In describing his dream for us all, Dr. King spoke of redeeming the “promissory note to which every American was to fall heir” derived from the very idea of America — we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise as a nation, we have never fully walked away from it, either. Each day of the Biden-Harris administration, we continue the march forward.

That includes a fundamental break with trickle-down economics that promised prosperity but failed America, especially Black Americans, over the past several decades. Trickle-down economics holds that taxes should be cut for the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations, that public investments in priorities such as education, infrastructure and health care should be shrunk, and good jobs shipped overseas. It has exacerbated inequality and systemic barriers that make it harder for Black Americans to start a business, own a home, send their children to school and retire with dignity.

Vice President Harris and I came into office determined to change the economic direction of the country and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. Our plan — Bidenomics — is working. Because of the major laws and executive orders I’ve signed — from the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Chips and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, my executive orders on racial equity and more — we’re advancing equity in everything we do making unprecedented investments in all of America, including for Black Americans.

Black unemployment fell to a historic low this spring and remains near that level.More Black small businesses are starting up than we’ve seen in over 25 years. More Black families have health insurance. We cut Black child poverty in half in my first year in office. We aredelivering clean water and high-speed internet to homes across America. We’re taking on Big Pharma to reduce prescription drug costs, such as making the cost of insulin for seniors $35 a month. We’re taking the most significant action on climate ever, which is reducing pollution and creating jobs for Black Americans in the clean energy future.

This administration will continue to prioritize increasing access to government contracting and lending. We awarded a record $69.9 billion in federal contracts to small, disadvantaged businesses in fiscal 2022. We’re taking on housing discrimination and increasing Black homeownership. To date, we’ve invested more than $7 billion in historically Black colleges and universities to prepare students for high-growth industries. We’ve approved more than $116 billion in student loan debt cancellation for 3.4 million Americans so that borrowers receive the relief they deserve. And a new student debt repayment plan is helping Black students and families cut in half their total lifetime payments per dollar borrowed. We’re doing all of this by making sure the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share, keeping my commitment that Americans earning less than $400,000 a year not pay a single penny more in federal taxes.

And to help guide these policies, I made it a priority to appoint Black leaders to my Cabinet, my staff, in the judiciary and to key positions in agencies such as the Federal Reserve to ensure policymakers represent the experiences of all Americans in the economy.

But we know government can’t do it alone. Private-sector leaders have rightly acted to ensure their companies are more reflective of America, often in response to their employees, their customers and their own consciences. Right now, the same guardians of trickle-down economics who attack our administration’s economic policies are also attacking the private sector and the views of the American people. A recent poll from the nonpartisan Black Economic Alliance Foundation shows overwhelming bipartisan support for promoting diversity as central to a company being more innovative and more profitable, and central to fulfilling the promise of our country for all Americans. Despite the attacks, we all must keep pushing to create a workforce that reflects America.

For generations, Black Americans haven’t always been fully included in our democracy or our economy, but by pure courage and heart, they have never given up pursuing the American Dream. We saw in Jacksonville, Fla., yet another community wounded by an act of gun violence, reportedly fueled by hate-filled animus. We must refuse to live in a country where Black families going to the store or Black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin. On this day of remembrance, let us keep showing that racial equity isn’t just an aspiration. Let us reject the cramped view that America is a zero-sum game that holds that for one to succeed, another must fail. Let us remember America is big enough for everyone to do well and reach their God-given potential.

That’s how we redeem the promissory note of our nation.

[eaglesnick]

“Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.” (Andre Malraux)

When Keir Starmer was campaigning for the leadership of the Labour Party in 2020 he made ten pledges. Promising to,  “advance the interests of the people our party was created to serve…based on the moral case for socialism”, his first pledge was:

“ Economic justice

Increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse the Tories’ cuts in corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance, particularly of large corporations. No stepping back from our core principles.”

Nothing remotely radical about this, increasing taxes for top earners and corporations is standard Labour party policy, and cutting down on tax avoidance is just common sense. Tory Britain, after all, is one of the few countries in the world to encourage corporate tax avoidance.

“The UK is by far the world’s biggest enabler of corporate tax dodging, helping funnel hundreds of billions of dollars away from state coffers, according to an international investigation.

"Of the top 10 countries allowing multinationals to avoid paying billions in tax on their profits, four are British overseas territories.”  (Independent: 28/05/19)

In order to rescue our cash-starved, failing public services  - the NHS, education, social care, etc - taxes have to be increased, and it is only fair that corporations and the wealthy, many of whom have been avoiding paying tax for years, contribute their fair share.  We all know that in Britain work is taxed while tax relief is given to those on unearned income: tax on earned income is twice as much as tax paid on unearned income.

Despite this Starmer has now abandoned much of his first pledge. There is to be limited economic justice only.  Rachel Reeves, Starmer’s Shadow Chancellor, now tells us there are "no plans” to increase income tax for the rich and there and "no plans” to increase capital gains tax.

According to Reeves, it is Labour and not the Conservatives, who are now the party of business.

“Labour is now ‘pro-business', vows Rachel Reeves." (Financial Times: 19/01/22)

 Keir Starmer’s pledge to look after  "the interests of the people our party was created to serve” has now been abandoned and replaced by  the interests of big business.

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm the leaders of the downtrodden animals are the pigs who lead a revolution against their human exploiters. Over time the pigs become corrupt and betray the animals they promised to liberate, making deals with the very men who treated them so unfairly.

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

I think the same can be said of Keir Starmer: he is man who is becoming more Tory than the Tories themselves, and when we compare his economic policies with those of the Conservative Party it is impossible to say which is which.

[dixiedingo]

I don't talk about this a lot cause it stings still but I was set to go to Towson University after busting my ass in one of the worst education systems in the US.

I was an IB certificate kid (I was missing one credit, so I couldn't get the diploma that they take overseas), and I put myself through the worst academic torture imaginable. I was unmedicated for ADHD while also doing student journalism in one of the best journalism programs in state (we won first place at the student journalism conferences). This doesn't sound like a lot but I was also balancing a crippling fear of losing my spot with the team while balancing a destructive home life, and trying to keep my grades up (especially since my mom passed my junior year; I flunked every final that year and barely passed)

I reassured myself all the time I'd make it. So many anxiety attacks and thoughts of suicide because I didn't think I'd ever go to college. And then I got accepted. But no matter how many short essays I wrote I couldn't get a scholarship. I applied to FAFSA. To get cheaper tuition, I used my dad's address (who lived near Towson) instead of my grandmother's (who has not earned a bloody cent since she's been disabled for years now.)

Biggest. Fucking mistake. Of my life.

They assumed I could pay the other half. I could not. I asked everyone for help, dad included. But no one had the money. So I defaulted. So now I owe the rest of the tuition and whatever I borrowed to cover it.

My credit score is 600 but because I've defaulted on that tuition, I can't apply to any credit cards for a boost. I can't an apartment. And the worst part about it is I moved back to my state where minimum wage is $7.25.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to pay it back, but I don't care. I just know it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to me or to anyone I knew because I wasn't the only one banking for college.

I tried /so hard/ to make great grades and kept telling myself it'd be worth it, cause I'd get a comp Sci degree and pay it off in no time.

And I'm not the only person like this.

The college system is a fucking joke.

[mbbsblogsblog]

Unlocking Opportunities: Pursuing MBBS in Russia

 Hey, amazed to know that Russia is providing easy admission procedure to the Indian students respecting growing number of applicants for studying MBBS.

Russia’s Chief Concern for Indian MBBS Aspirants:

Russia has expressed its chief concern to meet the growing demand of MBBS aspirants of India aspiring to study MBBS in Russia. Russia is making strategic plan for the international students to reduce the obstacles for international students.  The goal of Russia for taking such steps is to promote global education and acknowledge the significant development of the medical industry.  

Indian pupils hoping to pursue MBBS programmes for more than ten years, Russia has continuously distinguished itself as a top travel destination. Thousands of Indian MBBS students have found a home away from home in Russia, where the medical education system is ranked eighth in the world for excellence. These students have gone on to become well-known and accomplished doctors in their professional lives.

Russia warmly welcomes Indian intellectuals for sharpening their skills and knowledge, so that they can contribute their intellectual properties to the global medical industries. By giving chances to the students from diverse countries and cultures, Russia fosters cross-cultural understanding and builds rapport among future medical professionals.

This inactivate may strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Russia.  In the long term it may bring up greater collaboration in the field of healthcare and medical research.    Because of the cordial and friendly ties between Russia and India, the Russian government offers Indian students subsidised medical education. Studying MBBS in Russia is very affordable, which draws a lot of Indian medical enthusiasts who want to become doctors in the biggest nation on earth. Furthermore, Russia is a great place for ambitious physicians to study because it is home to more than 25 respected medical universities.

MBBS in Russia: Highlights

•           Cost of MBBS in Russia Per Year: $4,000 to $8,000 per year (Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 6.6 lakhs per year)

•           Duration      - 6 Years

•           Eligibility     - Minimum 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in 12th + NEET

•           NEET         - Yes

•           IELTS or TOEFL- Not required

•           Top Medical Colleges for MBBS in Russia- 

•           Kazan State Medical University, Sechenov University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Pavlov University, etc

•           Total Tuition fees- INR 14 Lakhs to 50 Lakhs

•           Intakes- September & January

•           Cost of Living- 200 USD/Month

•           Medium of Instruction- English

•           Recognition- NMC & WHO

In Russia, becoming an MBBS student gives you the chance to showcase your strengths in the medical field. You don't need to worry about housing and eating facilities if you're from India and planning to study for an MBBS in Russia because both are available at a fair price.

Ria Overseas is a leading consultant agency that assists you to take MBBS admission in a top Russian country. While taking to the advisory group you will surely get the assured way to join MBBS overseas. The solutions of your problems will be practically dealt.

So contact soon to garb the opportunity!

[thenomadinside]

144 Hours in Taiwan: OCAC Recap

Not by popular opinion, I truly believe that summer is the prime season to visit Taiwan. I have always noticed an undeniable feverish buzz that permeates through the city, especially during the summers. As Taiwan is very community-focused, there is always a wide variety of emerging pop-up shops, community fairs and local events to participate in – everyday truly feels like a new adventure!I created a video mash of highlights from this trip using the app, 1SecondEveryday

Embarking on a week-long journey with my #taclfam

Earlier this summer, I joined a total of 38 representatives and leaders from various TAP chapters, TACL National Board (our parent organization), Political Internship Program (PIP) and Leading Youth Forward (LYF) camp to embark on a week-long adventure to Taiwan. This trip was sponsored by OCAC (Overseas Community Affairs Council), a cabinet-level council whose main purpose is to create international programs to further bridge the gap between Taiwan and America by engaging Taiwanese youth. In the past, I’ve primarily only visited Taiwan to spend time with family so I was excited to embark on this journey with an entirely new group of people.

As the purpose of this overseas trip is to engage millennial professionals, we participated in a lot of government-related activities such as lectures, workshops and tours. We visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also toured the Presidential Office Building, which is currently in its 100th anniversary of being built! One of the biggest highlights of this trip was participating in a formal cabinet-level discussion with the Vice President, Chen Chien-Jen (陳建仁), where we were encouraged to speak our minds and ask any questions we had in regards to Taiwan. It was definitely super informative to hear more about his perspective on certain topics as well as his ideas on how we can be more active in further bridging that gap.

Group photo with the Vice President

We also attended workshops where we learned about industries in Taiwan, indigenous tribes and even got to interact with working professionals! In my visits back, I seldom encounter TA professionals who have successfully uprooted their life in the States to make “the big move” to work in Taiwan. One standout professional’s workshop that I had the pleasure of attending was named Sunny Yang. A Teach-for-America alumni, Sunny works as the Director of Licensing for a non-profit organization called “City Wanderer.” City Wanderer is an educational program that utilizes gamification as an innovative way to aspire youth to step outside of their comfort zones and discover the limitless prospects for their future.

How the game works: In teams of three, participants are assigned a total of 30 “missions” to complete within a three-week period. The missions vary in that they challenge the youth to engage with minorities, interact with other cultural groups and more.

In a way, I see a lot of similarities with City Wanderer and one of the events that I spearhead called ‘The Amazing TAP Race,’ except that it is more targeted and purposeful. After attending the workshop, I was brimming with ideas on how to reiterate and potentially expand the gameplay to enter different avenues and territories for social impact!

Getting in touch with our cultural roots

Of course, this trip wasn’t entirely focused on professional because, I mean, what fun would that be? It just wouldn’t be Taiwan without the obligatory cultural excursions that help educate us about Taiwanese history.

During our visit to the largest interactive museum in Taiwan, PingLin Tea Museum (坪林茶業博物館), we learned firsthand about the tea-making process and how tea differs from culture to culture. Did you know that in the country of Turkey that if you have a crush on somebody, you add sugar to the other person’s cup of tea? On the other hand, if you ever taste a hint of salt in your tea, you might want to avoid that person in the future…

The first (pictured above) was, at first glance, just an installation made out of tangled wires. However, underneath a different lighting, the shadows of the wires revealed the translation, “Beyond formidable obstacles a brighter future shines.” The second quote I came across stated that, “If you aren’t innovating, then you aren’t progressing.” These quotes are a constant reminder that we shouldn’t be scared to be innovative even at the risk of failure, because success is a result of failure.

Eating our way through local Taiwanese cuisine

Without a doubt, the most authentic way to experience the local food culture in Taiwan (or really any country that has them) are through the night markets. It can be overwhelming your first time due to congestion but you will find yourself being drawn to the many delicious “small eats.” During our late night run to the NingXia Night Market (寧夏夜市), we were reunited with the classic favorites such as lu rou fan, peanut ice cream cilantro rolls, and, of course, the infamous stinky tofu.

We found ourselves in quite the sticky situation at the Vigor Kobo Pineapple Cake Factory (維格餅家鳳梨酥夢工場) where we hand-made our own, fresh pineapple cakes! Pineapple cakes are considered a staple in Taiwan, and it’s a common gift to bring back for friends and family. It was way too much fun making balls of the filling, rolling out the dough, molding them and watching the cakes get baked. The entire factory smelled like butter and pineapples — it was absolutely divine!

Learning about film and performing arts in Taiwan

During the trip, we made a detour to visit the Arrow Cinematic Group. They are universally recognized for their work in film production and have produced countless MV’s featuring famous celebrities. We had the opportunity to explore the production set and learn about the equipment they used. They also took some professional photos of us! It was… quite amusing to watch the creativity that went into some of the poses.

We also made a trip to U-Theatre, which is known for performance art and theatre. We learned about the philosophy,”The Tao and Art as One” where “The Tao” means the training of one’s life while “Art” refers to the practice of aesthetics. During the visit, our group was tasked with the difficult challenge of learning both a drumming and dancing routine. Stakes were already set at an all-time high from witnessing a remarkable performance from the high school troupe, but we gave it our all!

…and that concludes the OCAC Taiwan trip recap!

Truly, what an amazing experience this was! Even today, I oftentimes find myself daydreaming about all the fond memories I’ve made on this trip. From visiting a MRT-themed bar to rushing like a madman to cram a Chun Shui Tang (春水堂) boba run in to receiving the best massage ever at Ximending (西門町), I couldn’t have been more grateful to be given this opportunity!

A HUGE shoutout to OCAC for sponsoring this trip, the TACL National Board for making everything run so smoothly and lastly the representatives that participated in this trip for making it as fun as it was. I can’t wait for the next adventure!

This article was written for Taiwanese American Professionals – New York. To learn more about OCAC’s mission and opportunities, please visit www.ocac.gov.tw

[careeroverseas1]

UK Going to Block Dependents Visa from Accompanying International Students From 2024

Quick Highlights

As of January 2023, the UK government will ban international students from bringing their spouse or other dependents with them unless they are studying in a postgraduate course with a research project.

The decision has been taken to help curb net migration.

But the graduation route remains unaffected by updated immigration restrictions. Under this route, Eligible students can remain in the UK for 2-3 extended years.

Students cannot switch to another skilled worker route unless they complete their studies.

Strategies have been implemented to stop "unscrupulous" agents from migrating students.

UK government says it remains committed to the UK's International Education

 strategy.

The target of 600,000 international students will be met for two consecutive years.

In the UK, immigration is at a record high, and the current administration intends to reduce net migration by tightening the profile of immigrants who enter the nation. Net migration topped 500,000 between June 2021 and June 2022, surpassing the number recorded in 2019, and additional data that will be revealed this week is anticipated to indicate that the 2022 figure has increased by at least 200,000.

Visit: UK Study Visa Consultants In Chandigarh

The number of persons who relocate to the UK for at least a year divided by the number who depart over the same period is known as net migration. There are consequences for overseas students, notably in the shape of an updated regulation concerning student dependents that the Home Office and the Department of Education jointly issued.

International students won't be allowed to accompany their loved ones to the UK from January 2024 unless enrolled in a postgraduate research degree (such as a research-based Ph.D. or master's program). International students would not be allowed to bring dependents to postgraduate programs not categorized as research-oriented.

The Home Office reports that "almost 500,000 student visas were issued in 2022 while the total number of dependents of international learners has grown by 75% since 2019 to 136,000 people." Children under 18, partners, and civil partners are considered dependents, as are elderly parents who require long-term care.

Blocking of Dependants May Have Tangible Effect

The new policy is referred to by the government as the "single biggest restricting action an administration has ever done," and according to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is a relative hardliner on the necessity of lower migration to the UK, "We expect this set of measures to have a demonstrable impact on net migration." According to her, the new regulation is "the fair approach to do that enables us to safeguard our government facilities while supporting economic growth through enabling the students who provide the greatest to keep coming here," she adds.

Additionally, Ms. Braverman notes that overseas students permitted to bring dependents will still have a greater burden of evidence to demonstrate their ability to "look after themselves and their dependents."

Gillian Keegan, the secretary of education, says:

"Students are now bringing more family members to the UK than ever. It is appropriate that we are acting to lower this figure while upholding our adherence to our international education strategy, which serves to bolster the UK's educational landscape and significantly boost the national economy".

Students Have To Stay in Study Program Until Completed

International students will never again be permitted to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa before finishing their education. The law is designed to deter international students from selecting the UK primarily for employment opportunities rather than academic pursuits. The Economic Times of India said last year that

"Since it provides a less expensive and quicker track to full-time work in the UK, more and more overseas students are choosing [the Skilled Worker option]. On the other side, before accessing the labor market, students who choose the Graduate Route must pay exorbitant course fees and expenses for the entire program length.

The government is preventing non-real students who are motivated to find employment in the UK from using the Skilled Worker Route as a backdoor.

Will The Policy Change?

It's unclear how much freedom Ms. Braverman will provide as to which students may bring dependents:

"Over the upcoming year, we plan to collaborate with institutions to develop a different strategy to guarantee that the smartest and most talented learners may enroll their dependents at our top-ranked colleges while continuing to lower net migration. This system will be implemented as soon as feasible following extensive engagement with the industry and important stakeholders.

The graduation Route Still remains Unaffected.

Last year, there was worry in the foreign education community that the Home Office might shorten the Graduate Route's two-year maximum stay in the UK to only six months. The Graduate Route will still allow overseas students to remain in the country for two years (three years for doctoral/Ph.D. candidates), notwithstanding the anticipated drop.

Bottom Line

While most students won't be impacted by plans restricting the ability to bring dependents with them, more details about the covered programs must be known before an impact assessment can be done properly. However, we know that any adjustments would affect women and students from particular nations disproportionately. In short, if you want to study overseas and bring your spouse to the UK, apply before the strategy is implemented.

Visit: UK Study Visa Consultants In Chandigarh

Career Overseas is here to guide you…

With changing policies and programs, it becomes complicated for students to fulfill their dream of studying in overseas universities. But don't worry! We at Career Overseas provide the right guidance about upcoming updates and how students can successfully apply for a visa to study in the UK. For more information on spouse visas, contact us at your earliest and get the best response.

[abhishekbajaj01-blog]

The Star Education Fair 2017

The Star Education Fair 2017 is Malaysia’s biggest education fair with an attendance of over 65,000 attendees – offering students the chance to explore both local and overseas study options. At this year’s fair, attendees can also attend free seminars and webinar sessions hosted by industry experts on topics including the latest trends in education, university selection process and much more.…

[greenworldinternational]

Attend Kannur's Biggest Overseas Education Fair Click the link below for free registration 👇 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwi8iV-YYOdfimBW1RuahTIDknvdFdn9uoL4M1QaYVPbvifw/viewform https://www.instagram.com/p/CnV4g30ykRf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[biggesteducationfair]

Book your spot now for the GEI 2020 and interact with over sixty top global universities and benefit from the Open Sessions, Spot offers and more.

[camillemontespan]

evenings in london // pjm x reader

pairing: jimin x reader

warnings: none, this is fluff & angst

a/n: this is my first fic about jimin and i’m not expecting it to get much attention or love - but i wanted to try write something about him! I love to watch his V Lives and thought it would be fun to write a fic where he Skypes the reader while on tour. 

                                ******************************

Jimin scrolls through his Skype call log, sighing with frustration as he notes all the calls that have gone unanswered. It is 10pm right now but he isn’t at home. He is in a hotel room, alone, on the other side of the world. 

You are back home in Seoul. 

Jimin is in London.

A nine hour time difference and a vast ocean separated the two of you. Jimin hates it. 

BTS’ world tour, BE, had launched a month ago. The band were one month into a nine month tour and before he met you, Jimin would have thought nothing of it. He was used to the relentless pace of life in the world’s most popular boy band. Music was his passion; his soul. Without music, without BTS, without his six brothers, he was nothing - at least, that’s what he thought. 

But meeting you had ignited a flicker of something else in his veins. You reminded him of the other Jimin he could be. The normal Jimin. The Jimin from Busan. 

The two of you had met a year ago. Jimin had returned to Seoul with the band, planning new music, new performances, new events. On a rare day off, he and Taehyung - his soulmate, his best friend, his fellow 95 kid- visited their favourite cafe to eat ramyeon. They had been determined to eat as much ramyeon as possible, having missed their home comforts while being overseas.

You had been sitting in the corner with your book open on the table and a steaming bowl of ramyeon in front of you. You were in your own little world. You hadn’t noticed Jimin and Taehyung sit down at the booth across from you, though to be fair, they were incognito, both wearing black hats and glasses, keeping their heads down. 

But Jimin had noticed you. 

It hadn’t been long until he made his way over to you and asked what book you were reading. His smile was shy but his eyes were dancing with amusement as you engaged in conversation with him. You were completely unaware that he was Jimin from BTS; even though he was a huge celebrity, you didn’t keep up with pop culture. You knew of BTS, sure, but you weren’t interested in that sort of thing. Your life consisted of studying for college, reading as many books as possible, listening to podcasts and drawing.  Not boybands. And that was what pulled Jimin to you, like a magnet. In that moment, as you told him about your book and asked if he had read it, you treated him like he was just a normal person. Not an Idol. Not a celebrity. Just Jimin.

He entered his number into your phone along with his name. His name had seemed familiar but it didn’t click until you were watching TV at home and his face appeared on screen. You had screamed in shock before gathering yourself to text him, apologising for not recognising him.

He had been glad you hadn’t. 

You hadn’t realised how huge BTS were until you ended up falling down a Google rabbit hole. You watched videos of Jimin performing, moved to tears by his fan dance at the 2018 Melon Music Awards. You watched his previous V Lives on Youtube, smiling as he engaged with his fans, listening to him talk about what he had been doing and how much he missed ARMY. It was a complete education for you. Clearly, you had been living under a rock. 

But, even though you were armed with this new information, you still treated him like he was a regular guy. The more you met up with him and the closer you became, you forgot he was one seventh of the world’s biggest boyband and you just knew him as Jimin. 

Jimin really appreciated that.

You became a couple though Jimin was determined to keep the relationship under the radar. Only BTS knew you. If the media discovered your relationship, Jimin stressed, it would be over. He didn’t want your life to change. He wanted you to keep a sense of normality. 

And so, one year on, your relationship remained under wraps and had gone from strength to strength. When Jimin was in a different country, he would Skype you as often as possible. If it was breakfast time where you were, but bedtime where he was, he would Skype you with a bowl of cereal in front of him. Anything to forget how far away the both of you were from each other. 

Now, he was in London. The Skype calls he had initiated had gone unanswered; but it wasn’t deliberate. The time difference meant you were sound asleep whenever he called. Jimin knew that. But he still tried to contact you regardless because he wanted to hear your voice and see your face.

It was at this time of night, on the other side of the world, when Jimin silently questioned if this was what he wanted. Did he want this life? This life of constant travel, constant pressure, constant media attention? A life where developing human connection outside of BTS relied on strong WiFi and similar time zones? 

Slumping down onto his bed, Jimin thinks of his six best friends. They made everything worth it - and they understood his doubts. But they all agreed that ARMY was the most important thing. Meeting their fans, creating music to make ARMY feel hope and happiness, was what drove BTS and gave their life meaning. To walk away from ARMY, from BTS.. it wasn’t worth contemplating.

Jimin had decided that any relationship formed outside of this bubble was simply a bonus. But, here, right now, in London, he felt like something was missing. And that something was you.

He imagines you being in London with him. Early morning walks to a coffee shop and ordering hot chocolates to drink while sitting on a bench by the Embankment. Trips to the Tower of London and learning about the people who had been imprisoned there. Visiting London Dungeon and getting scared by the ghost stories. Jimin has a feeling you would love it here.

But you weren’t here and at 10pm right now, it was painfully obvious to Jimin. He misses you.

Selecting your name again, he promises himself this would be the last time he would try to Skype you until tomorrow. He doesn’t want to bother you or be clingy. The last thing he wants is to annoy you. But he still hopes you would be awake at 6am your time - sometimes you liked to wake up early before the rest of South Korea awoke from their slumber.

He waits patiently and is close to giving up when he stands up in annoyance. You were obviously asleep. He was obviously being an annoying boyfriend. Scraping his hands through his hair, Jimin scuffs his feet against the carpet, cursing himself for being so clingy. 

‘Jimin?’

Your sleepy voice echoes around the hotel room. 

His heart leaping, Jimin jumps down onto the bed and turns his laptop to face him. 

‘Y/N!’ he greets you. ‘I’m sorry if I woke you.’

You yawn and the sound makes Jimin want to scoop you up into his arms and place butterfly kisses all over your forehead. 

‘I’m sorry I keep missing you,’ you apologise. He shrugs off your apologies. You smile. ‘I’m going to have breakfast,’ you say sleepily. ‘What time is it there?’

‘10pm,’ he tells you. ‘But I can eat.’

You smile and Jimin opens his bedside drawer to pulls out a bowl and a tiny carton of cereal.  He walks to the fridge and takes out a carton of milk. Giggling, you watch him as he prepares a bowl of cereal. He settles down at the hotel room desk and places his laptop in front of him so he can see you. You busy yourself preparing a bowl of cereal too and a cup of steaming hot coffee.

‘Tell me about your plans for the day,’ he says, leaning close to the webcam. 

Jimin eats cereal at 10pm while he listens to you tell him about your plans. You become less sleepy and more animated, asking him how the tour is going and how sorry you are that you keep missing his calls. Jimin tells you he understands that life is hectic and things are difficult right now. You tell him that you wish he was here with you. 

He tells you about London and how different it is to Seoul. You listen to him and can’t help but feel the familiar pang of longing. You miss him all the time but you don’t dare tell him that; you know his life is all about BTS. To make him doubt that would be unfair. Jimin worried about things enough as it was- he didn’t need you to pile onto his worries. 

So, you spend your morning eating cereal and talking to Jimin. He spends his evening eating cereal and talking to you. Time zones are forgotten. It is just you and Jimin. You forget about Seoul and Jimin forgets about London. 

It is like you are in the same room, reunited at last. 

[warninggraphiccontent]

16 July 2021

Food for thought

At last week's Data Bites, I noted how 'Wales' is a standard unit of area. This week, along comes a map which shows that all the built-up land in the UK is equivalent to one Wales:

The map is from the National Food Strategy, published yesterday (and the man has a point).

It has divided opinion, judging by the responses to this tweet. I understand where the sceptics are coming from - at first glance, it may be confusing, given Wales isn't actually entirely built up, Cornwall made of peat, or Shetland that close to the mainland (or home to all the UK's golf courses). And I'm often critical of people using maps just because the data is geographical in some way, when a different, non-map visualisation would be better.

But I actually think this one works. Using a familiar geography to represent areas given over to particular land use might help us grasp it more readily (urban areas = size of Wales, beef and lamb pastures = more of the country than anything else). It's also clear that a huge amount of overseas land is needed to feed the UK, too.

The map has grabbed people's attention and got them talking, which is no bad thing. And it tells the main stories I suspect its creators wanted to. In other words, it's made those messages... land.

Trash talk

Happy Take Out The Trash Day!

Yesterday saw A LOT of things published by Cabinet Office - data on special advisers, correspondence with parliamentarians, public bodies and major projects to name but a few, and the small matter of the new plans outlining departmental priorities and how their performance will be measured.

It's great that government is publishing this stuff. It's less great that too much of it still involves data being published in PDFs not spreadsheets. And it's even less great that the ignoble tradition of Take Out The Trash Day continues, for all the reasons here (written yesterday) and here (written in 2017).

I know this isn't (necessarily) deliberate, and it's a lot of good people working very hard to get things finished before the summer (as my 2017 piece acknowledges). And it's good to see government being transparent.

But it's 2021, for crying out loud. The data collection should be easier. The use of this data in government should be more widespread to begin with.

We should expect better.

In other news:

I was really pleased to have helped the excellent team at Transparency International UK (by way of some comments on a draft) with their new report exploring access and influence in UK housing policy, House of Cards. Read it here.

One of our recent Data Bites speakers, Doug Gurr, is apparently in the running to run the NHS. More here.

Any excuse to plug my Audrey Tang interview.

The good folk at ODI Leeds/The Data City/the ODI have picked up and run with my (and others') attempt to map the UK government data ecosystem. Do help them out.

Five years ago this week...

Regarding last week's headline of Three Lines on a Chart: obviously I was going to.

Have a great weekend

Gavin

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Today's links:

Graphic content

Vax populi

Why vaccine-shy French are suddenly rushing to get jabbed* (The Economist)

Morning update on Macron demolishing French anti-vax feeling (or at least vax-hesitant) (Sophie Pedder via Nicolas Berrod)

How Emmanuel Macron’s “health passes” have led to a surge in vaccine bookings in France* (New Statesman)

How effective are coronavirus vaccines against the Delta variant?* (FT)

England faces the sternest test of its vaccination strategy* (The Economist)

Where Are The Newest COVID Hot Spots? Mostly Places With Low Vaccination Rates (NPR)

There's A Stark Red-Blue Divide When It Comes To States' Vaccination Rates (NPR)

All talk, no jabs: the reality of global vaccine diplomacy* (Telegraph)

Vaccination burnout? (Reuters)

Viral content

COVID-19: Will the data allow the government to lift restrictions on 19 July? (Sky News)

UK Covid-19 rates are the highest of any European country after Cyprus* (New Statesman)

COVID-19: Cautionary tale from the Netherlands' coronavirus unlocking - what lessons can the UK learn? (Sky News)

‘Inadequate’: Covid breaches on the rise in Australia’s hotel quarantine (The Guardian)

Side effects

COVID-19: Why is there a surge in winter viruses at the moment? (Sky News)

London Beats New York Back to Office, by a Latte* (Bloomberg)

Outdoor dining reopened restaurants for all — but added to barriers for disabled* (Washington Post)

NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return* (Bloomberg)

Politics and government

Who will succeed Angela Merkel?* (The Economist)

Special advisers in government (Tim for IfG)

How stingy are the UK’s benefits? (Jamie Thunder)

A decade of change for children's services funding (Pro Bono Economics)

National Food Strategy (independent review for UK Government)

National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says (BBC News)

Air, space

Can Wizz challenge Ryanair as king of Europe’s skies?* (FT)

Air passengers have become much more confrontational during the pandemic* (The Economist)

Branson and Bezos in space: how their rocket ships compare* (FT)

Sport

Euro 2020: England expects — the long road back to a Wembley final* (FT)

Most football fans – and most voters – support the England team taking the knee* (New Statesman)

Domestic violence surges after a football match ends* (The Economist)

The Most Valuable Soccer Player In America Is A Goalkeeper (FiveThirtyEight)

Sport is still rife with doping* (The Economist)

Wimbledon wild card success does not disguise financial challenge* (FT)

Can The U.S. Women’s Swim Team Make A Gold Medal Sweep? (FiveThirtyEight)

Everything else

Smoking: How large of a global problem is it? And how can we make progress against it? (Our World in Data)

Record June heat in North America and Europe linked to climate change* (FT)

Here’s a list of open, non-code tools that I use for #dataviz, #dataforgood, charity data, maps, infographics... (Lisa Hornung)

Meta data

Identity crisis

A single sign-on and digital identity solution for government (GDS)

UK government set to unveil next steps in digital identity market plan (Computer Weekly)

BCS calls for social media platforms to verify users to curb abuse (IT Pro)

ID verification for social media as a solution to online abuse is a terrible idea (diginomica)

Who is behind the online abuse of black England players and how can we stop it?* (New Statesman)

Euro 2020: Why abuse remains rife on social media (BBC News)

UK government

Online Media Literacy Strategy (DCMS)

Privacy enhancing technologies: Adoption guide (CDEI)

The Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset is now available in the ONS Secure Research Service (ADR UK)

Our Home Office 2024 DDaT Strategy is published (Home Office)

The UK’s Digital Regulation Plan makes few concrete commitments (Tech Monitor)

OSR statement on data transparency and the role of Heads of Profession for Statistics (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Good data from any source can help us report on the global goals to the UN (ONS)

The state of the UK’s statistical system 2020/21 (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Far from average: How COVID-19 has impacted the Average Weekly Earnings data (ONS)

Health

Shock treatment: can the pandemic turn the NHS digital? (E&T)

Can Vaccine Passports Actually Work? (Slate)

UK supercomputer Cambridge-1 to hunt for medical breakthroughs (The Guardian)

AI got 'rithm

An Applied Research Agenda for Data Governance for AI (GPAI)

Taoiseach and Minister Troy launch Government Roadmap for AI in Ireland (Irish Government)

Tech

“I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Go Back”: Return-to-Office Agita Is Sweeping Silicon Valley (Vanity Fair)

Google boss Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom (BBC News)

The class of 2021: Welcome to POLITICO’s annual ranking of the 28 power players behind Europe’s tech revolution (Politico)

Inside Facebook’s Data Wars* (New York Times)

Concern trolls and power grabs: Inside Big Tech’s angry, geeky, often petty war for your privacy (Protocol)

Exclusive extract: how Facebook's engineers spied on women* (Telegraph)

Face off

Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet? (The Observer)

#Identity, #OnlineSafety & #AgeVerification – notes on “Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet?” (Alec Muffett)

Europe makes the case to ban biometric surveillance* (Wired)

Open government

From open data to joined-up government: driving efficiency with BA Obras (Open Contracting Partnership)

AVAILABLE NOW! DEMOCRACY IN A PANDEMIC: PARTICIPATION IN RESPONSE TO CRISIS (Involve)

Designing digital services for equitable access (Brookings)

Data

Trusting the Data: How do we reach a public settlement on the future of tech? (Demos)

"Why do we use R rather than Excel?" (Terence Eden)

Everything else

The world’s biggest ransomware gang just disappeared from the internet (MIT Technology Review)

Our Statistical Excellence Awards Ceremony has just kicked off! (Royal Statistical Society)

Pin resets wipe all data from over 100 Treasury mobile phones (The Guardian)

Data officers raid two properties over Matt Hancock CCTV footage leak (The Guardian)

How did my phone number end up for sale on a US database? (BBC News)

Gendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat (Demos, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)

Opportunities

EVENT: Justice data in the digital age: Balancing risks and opportunities (The LEF)

JOBS: Senior Data Strategy - Data Innovation & Business Analysis Hub (MoJ)

JOB: Director of Evidence and Analytics (Natural England)

JOB: Policy and Research Associate (Open Ownership)

JOB: Research Officer in Data Science (LSE Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science)

JOB: Chief operating officer (Democracy Club, via Jukesie)

And finally...

me: can’t believe we didn’t date sooner... (@MNateShyamalan)

Are you closer to Georgia, or to Georgia? (@incunabula)

A masterpiece in FOIA (Chris Cook)

How K-Pop conquered the universe* (Washington Post)

Does everything really cost more? Find out with our inflation quiz.* (Washington Post)

[ataswegianabroad]

Alone Amongst the Gum Trees Part 4 - Digital News Report: Australia - A Murdoch Review

NOTE - this article has been migrated to Medium. As of 2021, A Taswegian Abroad will be closed down, and all of my writing will be published on my Medium profile.

---

After seeing a significant public outcry to my story based on a response to Sally McManus on twitter - I recently spoke with the ABC on being an Aussie overseas and the challenges we’ve faced getting home. The failure once again of Morrison’s government to provide enough vaccines and a proper quarantine system (covered up by the Murdoch Press protection racket) is having real implications on everyday Australians.

I strongly believe that for this to change, the media needs to perform its function of holding both elected officials, and their peers in the press, accountable for such actions.

Until Australia has reestablished media fairness among the press, improved media literacy amongst its citizens, and have mostly removed the cancer of Murdoch’s News Corp dominating mainstream media, we will never break this cycle of government ineptitude, gaslighting, negligence, and outright corruption with little to almost zero accountability.

You don't need to look far for proof. The ones that immediately come to mind for me:

2020 Bushfires and consistent climate change denial - "I don't hold a hose mate"

Freedom of speech is threatened where internet comedians get arrested in their own homes for making jokes about a LNP Deputy Premier

Kate and the horrendous Christian Porter alleged rape case

The four stage plan to make a plan about having a plan for Covid, 18 months into the pandemic, with literally no dates or vaccination targets.

Back in March, I caught onto calls for a Murdoch Royal Commission by former prime minister Kevin Rudd, and since then I’ve been keeping a very sharp eye on the Australian media landscape.

Despite over 500,000 petition signatures and the ramping exposure by Rudd online (leading to a full senate enquiry), the Murdoch press is doing its best to discredit, misdirect, or, blatantly ignore the storm that’s brewing. A couple of major things have caught my attention since that date.

News Corp outlets are still consistently cowing their competitors at Nine, Seven, the ABC, and more into towing the pro-Coalition narrative THEY choose, or, risk facing character assassination. This applies to everyone who dares step out of line: reporters, ministers, producers, senators, editors, presenters, janitors… no one is safe.

This sort of behaviour and influence is not easy to show on graphs and charts, but if you read between the lines, you can see it. Let me show you.

The ABC Presents the Data

In April of 2021, the ABC published a fact-file article outlining the power of the Murdoch press - the first article from an at least somewhat reputable source addressing this that I’ve seen on this topic.

The biggest things I took from it are that despite there seeming to be a diverse ownership pool across many mediums, News Corp (Murdoch) newspapers significantly dominate the national market for print papers, and, have recently been crowned leaders of the #1 source of news for Australians: social media (via mostly viral, opinion, and video based content primarily from News.com.au and Sky News pages on Facebook and YouTube).

Remember this point - spoiler alert: it’s important.

At the recent senate enquiries, News Corp claims there is in fact diversity - focusing on different mediums such as online, social media, radio, television etc. available to represent “diversity”. This is response refers to medium diversity, and is quite frankly a misdirection based on a technicality to avoid the real question. Classic News Corp.

Rudd says “each story published online or broadcast over the airwaves finds its point of origin in a print story, often a Murdoch print story". The former PM is referring to content diversity where factual reporting reigns supreme, and different points of view are given equal time in the sun without the blurring of opinion and fact.

As Kevin likes to say: “pigs might fly”

While you might be thinking “so what? News Corp is strong in print and social, Nine is strong for television and online news, ABC is strong on radio and social, Seven is strong on radio and television etc” - I’d like to ask you a question: where then is the accountability for elected officials in the media?

The Murdoch press won’t say a word about the Coalition’s ever growing laundry list of corruption, negligence, ineptitude or incompetence, but if a Labor politician sneezes, they’re likely to be labelled a Covid super spreader on the front page of 15 national and state papers the next day.

How about this doozy from the Herald Sun in May 2021 after Dan Andrews quite literally broke his back and took medical leave:

I didn’t see one peep from the Murdoch reptiles about Morrison's three day actual disappearing act only last week after his bogus "AstraZeneca is OK for under 40’s / go to your GP” comments.

The key thing to point out here is that the news provider who ranks number one in Australia's largest news medium (social media) is a well known right wing protection racket that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, and there's mountains of evidence that exists to prove they don’t play a fair game.

Let’s Go To the Numbers

To really drill down into how important online media control is, I found the Digital News Report: Australia 2021 (i.e “the report” for the rest of this article), recently published by the University of Canberra by way of the Reuters Digital News Report: 2021

Below I've outlined a number of key headers from the report, and more specifically tried to point out exactly where Murdoch and News Corp are exploiting and manipulating their way into control. The data shows us both what has been going on, and the direction it will likely continue in.

Having worked in digital marketing for the better part of the last four years, I couldn’t wait to dive into this data and explain just how much of a rort this all is for the sake of profit.

1: Local News

Replaced by Murdoch Sky News, Invests in Social Media

“For ‘hard news’ such as local politics, economy, crime and health, local news consumers continue to turn to traditional local news outlets, such as the newspaper or TV. However, for most other news and information, consumers are using internet search and other internet sites to get localised information.”

The report tells us that:

“2020 was a difficult year in Australian news sector, with news companies closing or suspended. This is in part a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it reflects a longer-term gradual decline in newspaper consumption that is replaced by online offerings”

So why did the BBC report in 2020 that Murdoch shuts 112 Australia print papers in major digital shift? CNN covered it too, as did the Guardian. I couldn’t find anything on a Murdoch owned site or outlet. That’s because Rupert is rolling out “Sky News Regional” to replace them all.

The report outlines:

“This year’s data highlights the important role of newspapers in generating a sense of community, particularly among older news consumers . Further, newspapers are perceived to be the best source of information about local government and politics, which is central to the functioning and accountability of local communities. It is important for industry and government to remember that the closure of a local newspaper not only leaves a gap in the provision of quality news, but also a loss of critical information that is connected to people’s sense of attachment to their community”

How on earth does one far-right Sydney run “news” channel represent hundreds of regional communities? Answer: It doesn’t - it’s designed to influence regional voters to think the way that suits the Murdoch press agenda.

2: Impartiality of News

Murdoch Cuts ABC Funding via Coalition, Ramps-Up Online Polarisation

The report tells us that 

“traditionally, values of independence, and impartiality — or ‘objectivity’ — have been central to journalism’s mission and deemed important to perceptions of trust in news. However, in the digital media environment, former demarcations between news, features, opinion, and advertising continue to blur.

“News audiences are becoming more polarised and are increasingly attracted to news brands that offer partisan perspectives.”

What you’re seeing here is that while the data reveals a strong desire for news outlets to attempt fairness, balance, and an impartial approach to reporting - the demographics more likely to use social media (the medium that Murdoch now leads, mostly containing Millennials and Gen Z) are less supportive of impartiality, neutrality and giving equal time. More on this in Part 8.

On the flip side: 

"news consumers who prefer impartiality are much more likely to say they distrust news on social media.”

“Both the 2020 and 2021 data highlight that these traditional journalism ideals are more strongly supported by older generations and those who use traditional sources of news."

You need not look further than the blatant defunding of the ABC to see how the Murdoch Cancer continues to take over.

So, if the majority of Australians believe the ABC is impartial and does a “good job��, why has the ABC had $783m in funding cut since 2014 by the Coalition government?

Seems to suit the Murdoch agenda pretty nicely.

3: News Representation

Low Media Literacy in Under-Represented Demographics

“Importantly, a large proportion of Australians say they don’t know if the amount of media coverage of ‘people like them’ is sufficient or fair. Those who have low education are much more likely to say they don’t know. This indicates a lack of engagement and adequate media literacy to identify misrepresentation and bias in the news.

“Combined with a lack of awareness about misinformation, lower interest in and consumption of news, these findings confirm the ongoing need for targeted media literacy interventions"

The only way the public can push back against misinformation is by knowing they’re witnessing it first hand. That does not suit what Murdoch is selling.

Misinformation breeds confusion, smoke and mirrors, and is aided by political spin, gaslighting and stone throwing to keep people moderately confused and ultimately giving up on understanding the “truth”, or, deciding their own convenient version of truth.

The closure of the Australian Alternative Press due to revoked funding by Nine and News Corp in 2020 should be enough to tell you the media landscape is gravitating consistently to the right.

4: News Access

People Losing Interest, Murdoch Keeps the Elderly Onside

As traditional mediums (television, radio, and print) are on the decline, social media and online news is on the rise with the aid of mobile device popularity (45% of Australians preferred news devices).

It's not a surprise to learn that during COVID-19, older Australians have increasingly turned to social media platforms to get news.

“The percentage of 75+ who use social media as their main source of news has more than tripled in two years from 3% to 10%. Among this age group, social media is now comparable to print use.” the report states.

While it’s hard to point this as a direct plot by News Corp, this is still great news for Murdoch. All News Corp had to do was weaken the traditional mediums that aren’t making them as much money, and push the audience toward social media. It worked.

75+ votes still count, and they are more likely to click the “clickbait” articles to make News Corp that sweet, sweet ad platform revenue.

5: Emerging New Habits 

Murdoch Funds the Fuel for the Fire

Despite people being somewhat varied on their social media usage for news specifically, the important statistic here is that more than half of Australians consume news videos.

The below statistics from the ABC should set alarm bells screaming. To put it plainly:

More people on social media than ever before

Murdoch ramps up social media content (Facebook posts / videos & YouTube videos mainly), then mega-funds paid advertising on said content

Drives subscribers and views through the roof

Overtakes ABC (yes, the one he’s got his politician friends/puppets actively defunding)

Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

The ABC outlines that: 

“Fact Check has analysed audience data for media accounts on what Canberra University found were the two most popular platforms: Facebook (used by 39 per cent of news consumers ) and YouTube (21 per cent).”

“Data from the analytics site Social Blade shows that Sky News Australia's YouTube channel had more than a million subscribers at the start of 2021, having doubled its following in just six months. Its subscriber base began to pull ahead of Channel 7 and Channel 9 from mid-2020, and by March 2021 Sky had overtaken ABC News”

The University of Canberra report aligns to these trends, and summaries that:

“Australian news consumers are accessing news online from a diverse range of sources including news videos, podcast apps, and numerous social media platforms alongside traditional branded news websites.”

“Although social (media) is the most common main pathway to news online it is common for consumers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to say they mostly see news incidentally while they are on those platforms for other reasons.”

6: Trust and Misinformation

Rupert’s Bread & Butter

“Tackling disinformation and misinformation is complex and won’t be solved by platforms alone. Responsibility must be shared across governments, digital platforms, users, news media and society to make sure Australians can access accurate and reliable news and information online, while ensuring rights to freedom of expression are protected.”

Creina Chapman, Deputy Chair, Australian Communications and Media Authority

This in part ties back to my earlier points in part 3 regarding media literacy - the report indicates that trust remains high where people use both multiple mediums AND multiple sources for news. This is further compounded by the evidence that low educated readers are less likely to know they’ve encountered misinformation.

The report confirms this by indicating:

“The differences between high and low educated Australian consumers in relation to concern about COVID-19 misinformation and their ability to discern it, points to an ongoing need to boost media and information literacy among socio-economically disadvantaged groups in Australia”

The ABC and SBS still continue to be the most trusted brands, however, it needs to be highlighted that “Local or Regional Newspaper” comes in third (62% trustworthy) - the vast majority of which Murdoch owns.

In 2020, survey participants were most concerned about Australian governments and politicians being sources of general misinformation (35%), followed by activists or activist groups (20%).

Despite this, 2021 shows that trust in news has increased in 2021 (43%), rebounding off trust associated with COVID-19 news reporting. The report breaks this down further:

“The data show(s) that concern about journalism as a source of misinformation about COVID-19 is very low (9%). In 2018, we asked about ‘fake news’ and 63% of news consumers said they were concerned about poor quality journalism as a source of ‘fake news’, and 40% said they had encountered it. This signals a possible positive shift in perception of journalism after 12 months of reporting expert health advice about the COVID-19 pandemic.”

"The data also highlight(s) ongoing low levels of trust in news found on social media (18%) compared to trust in news generally. Given much of the news encountered on digital platforms is the same as that which appears on the homepages and front pages of well-respected news brands, the findings suggest that the nature of the online environment itself is one the factors lowering perceptions of trust, rather than the news content."

Creina Chapman, Deputy Chair, Australian Communications and Media Authority states in the report that:

“In the context of online news, nearly two-thirds of Australians remain concerned about what is real and fake on the internet. And a variety of surveys over the past 12 months have shown a concerning portion of the population believe dangerous falsehoods about COVID-19 that have been circulating online.

"Any lack of trust in authoritative or reliable sources of news and information is particularly worrisome during a global pandemic, as it may drive people to spaces where misinformation is more prevalent. This, in turn, increases exposure to false conspiratorial narratives that can result in real-world harm to both individual users and broader societal institutions”

Where does Murdoch benefit here? Same as always: smoke, mirrors, confusion, and spin all wrapped into enormous volumes of social media content.

7: Paying for News and Funding Journalism

Conveniently Avoiding the Issue

“To ensure media diversity and plurality in Australia, a mix of substantive, fiscal measures is necessary to support, transition and stimulate existing news businesses and encourage new entrants”

Anna Draffin, Chief Executive Officer, Public Interest Journalism Initiative

Despite a fair and balanced media being a must-have for any democracy - this is not surprising, given the low amounts of trust for online media content. Overall, given that Australians are not concerned about the poor financial state of news outlets, it’s sad but not surprising that many feel the government should not step in to help.

What is the most dangerous here is the simple fact that when there’s no money to fund decent and ethical journalism, we end up with tabloids, opinion pieces, shock jocks, and anything that just gets you to first: SEE it (an “impression” in the marketing world) and second: CLICK on it. Both of these things make News Corp richer.

Here’s the report evidence:

“A quarter (25%) of left-wing news consumers and 27% of centre-leaning are supportive of government intervention (to assist struggling journalism). However, more than half of right-wing (58%) news consumers are opposed to government assistance for financially struggling news companies."

“This is consistent with the findings that left-wing news consumers are more likely to say they are concerned about the financial state of news businesses (41%) compared to centre (37%) or right-wing (34%) news consumers”.

News consumers who think their political views are represented fairly for online news are another win for Murdoch. This is compounded by the fact that those who think news should take a position are also more likely to pay for that news.

That means if the mainstream media is pro-right wing, for example, then more people look at right wing news and pay for right wing reporting, ultimately leaving the left without funding, and fighting a losing battle. All Murdoch needs to do is discredit who he deems as “left” and it’s game over.

But Murdoch doesn’t need subscriptions. That’s just pocket money for him. With the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code, Rupert & News Corp continue to improve their financial revenue streams through digital marketing strategies (views and clicks) without needing people to pay for fact based, objective journalism.

8: Political Orientation

Stealing the Centre & Making Opinion the “News”

Of all the elements of this report, this one shocks and upsets me the most.

The majority of Australians (61%) identify with the centre-left of politics (30% political ‘centre’ and 31% identify as either ‘very left-wing’, ‘fairly left-wing’ or ‘slightly left of centre’).

Only 22% of Australians align themselves with the right wing, and 18% don’t know their political orientation.

Younger generations have historically been the drivers of progressive social change, and younger Australians are more concerned about the environment and the impacts of things like climate change and equality.

Clare Armstrong, National Political Reporter at the The Daily Telegraph outlines in the commentary that: 

“many young Australians may rightly feel their futures, livelihoods and social activities have been either jeopardised or overlooked by a centre-right government, and subsequently a larger cohort has been pushed toward the left”

To begin in closing, based on this - how do Conservative/Right Wing parties keep winning federal elections?

It’s by doing exactly what we’ve mentioned in the first 7 sections:

Flooding the online and social media landscape with non-factual spin and confusion

This is aided by the bedrock of owning the majority of national, capital city, and regional papers which in turn steer the daily political narrative on television/radio

This is all driven home by bullying competitors into following suit, or, suffering the consequences

There is no governing or peer run body with teeth (or guts) to hold Murdoch and News Corp responsible or accountable

According to the report; 

“Younger generations, who say they feel less attached to their local community, and who also access social media widely for general news, are more likely to seek local news and information from the internet and online platforms.”

As Clare Armstrong also states: 

“Social media has significantly fuelled political polarisation in the last decade as its algorithms, by design, show users more of what they want to see, rather than a broader mix of ideas presented in traditional media.”

In summary - this quote from the Political Orientation trends leaves a long-lasting impression on my psyche:

“Left-wing news consumers (61% of the country) are more comfortable with news that takes a position rather than maintaining neutrality.”

Rupert has them right where he wants them: thinking that opinion is news.

[kcoverseaseducation]

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[purplesurveys]

1083

surveys by chasingghosts

Just a boring word association survey inspired by one of my old ones. Say the first thing that comes to your head. Don't overthink it :)

Keyboard: Monitor.

Dog: Dalmatian.

School: Pencils.

Italy: Roman Holiday. Ahh one of my favorite movies; such a classic.

Fire: BTS, heh.

Table: Chairs.

Mask: Face mask. New normal and all.

Blanket: Weighted blankets. I still don’t get how they work and I keep imagining that a 20-lbs blanket would feel too warm...I guess I’m willing to try it for a night, but I dunno if I would want to spend 5,000 bucks on one.

Gun: That curly-haired blonde dumbass from the US who keeps bringing one around.

Soda: Fizzy. Do not like.

Man: Trash.

Beautiful: Beast. Beautiful and the Beast is the knockoff version, hahaha.

Country: Roads.

Dictionary: Thesaurus.

Play: Playgrounds.

Yoga: Mat.

Cross: Country.

Happy: Emojis.

Change: Coins.

Orange: The fruit with the same name. Also, hair dye.

Cereal: Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms.

Record: Vinyl records, aka what I would like to invest in eventually.

Jail: The Shawshank Redemption, even though I personally didn’t really like it lmao.

Tank: This made me think of the Elisa Lam case. It’s unfortunate what happened to her but personally, I’ll always be more disturbed by the stories of people who had to drink or bathe in that nasty contaminated water.

Plane: Travel. :(

Machine: Factories.

Empty: Outer space.

Medicine: Nasty taste. Whenever I was sick as a kid my parents/grandma always made me drink Tempra which tastes like shit and it took a lot of effort for me not to throw them back up. I hope kids these days have more better-tasting options for medicine.

Stockings: Uncomfortable. I hate stockings and always dread occasions where I’ll have to put them on. Fortunately I haven’t had to for five years now.

Curry: Spicy and aromatic.

Football: Superbowl. Or is it SuperBowl? Super Bowl? Anyway, that event.

Blonde: Jennifer Aniston, heheh.

Pink: Barbie.

Cart: Online shopping.

Bag: Herschel.

Bourbon: Breaking Bad, though I’m not sure if it was indeed bourbon that Hank/Walt regularly drank. First thing that came to mind, though.

Karaoke: Philippine parties.

Caterpillar: That chemical they release when they’re stepped on.

Wizard: Harry Potter.

Number: Queues, lol.

Tired: Myself.

Baby: Baby videos.

Beach: Moana.

Castle: The first thing I thought of is this big orange castle - that is actually an inn - that I would have to pass by every single morning on my way to school, from kinder to high school. It looked like such a pretty, magical castle as a kid and I, along with probably all of my schoolmates who went the same route, thought a real princess lived in it; it just felt that magical. But as I got older I realized most inns/hotels with outlandish gimmicks are the cheap and tacky ones, so the magic was ruined for me as the years went by, haha.

Rock: Patrick Star from Spongebob, since he lives under one.

Hotel: Top-notch hospitality and service.

Weather: Gloomy.

Beanbag:  Comfort.

Clean: Vacuum cleaners...and my mom.

Angry: Rage.

--

I was inspired to make this when I saw a similar survey on here. Answer true or false, or simply mark an 'x' for what applies to you.

Michelle:

You love anything Disney related. I mean not anything? I wouldn’t want Disney merch of every single thing that could be turned into merch; but I do love Disney movies and they have always been great at creating songs that make you feel all magical and giddy inside.

You find any excuse to go shopping. False. I haven’t created a hobby out of shopping; at least not yet, I think. But going inside H&M several times for the past month to buy gifts for my friends has definitely helped in making me see the appeal of shopping. For now, though, I’d still rather do my browsing and shopping in non-clothing stores.

You’re younger than most of your friends. False. I have older and younger friends, but most of them are also 1998 babies since most of my friends are the people I went to school with.

You have really long hair, to your waist or longer. False. It has gotten a lot longer over the past year, but it’s still only up to my upper chest.

You’re pretty antisocial. False. I don’t like throwing this term around loosely because it’s a real personality disorder. I have also gotten more comfortable with people in the last few years and I don’t prefer to be alone anymore.

You have a pet dog/cat that sleeps in your bed with you. False. Either are terrible in staying in bed.

You haven’t had your first kiss yet. False. I had it six years ago, and I have shared hundreds and probably thousands of kisses after that.

You’re Asian. We finally got one! Haha.

You’re good at cooking. Yeah, this is the biggest false statement in this category.

You have dreams of working as a chef. I can see how it’s appealing, but it was never a career dream of mine. My dad is a chef, though.

Cheyenne:

You’re blonde, but not naturally. I currently don’t have plans to dye my hair blonde.  

You always have your fingernails painted. False. I’m the complete opposite of this, but I do want to start having my nails painted professionally as a way to pamper myself from time to time.

You obsess over things easily, to the point of them taking over your life. True, I guess. I get very sensitive and I overthink and overanalyze a lot of actions and situations that aren’t meant to be more than what they actually are. Just last night and this morning I had a bunch of dreams that had to do with a work-related problem I ran into last night. When I feel anxious about something, they would undoubtedly take over my life and it would take a while to break free from them.

You spend a lot of time on the internet. For almost every single minute that I am awake, yes. Sometimes I’ll attempt to disconnect every now and then - which I’ve been better at, to be fair to myself - but it’s always only a matter of time before I will have to look something up on Google.

Your phone may as well be surgically attached to your hand. True. I will occasionally turn it completely off so that no notifications come in, especially during weekends and holidays; but it stays close to me all the same.

You use Snapchat way too much. False. Not anymore, but I definitely used too. I had Snap streaks of varying lengths with a lot of my friends back then. 

You eat a lot of fast food. True and I don’t really feel bad about it, lmao. I love food that tastes good.

You love a bit of gossip. Also true. Not my nicest trait but I do like to keep updated. I mostly receive them though; I never spread or start any myself.

You’re really good at keeping secrets. It’s not my story to tell, so yes, true. I used to share secrets only with Gabie since she was very forgetful, but obviously I don’t have that kind of person anymore.

You’ve never had a boyfriend/girlfriend. False. I’ve had one and we had two stints together.

Morgan:

You work as a receptionist. False, but my mom used to be one. This was before she made the transfer to a more corporate workspace as a secretary.

You eat a lot of food yet you’re still so thin. True. Runs in both sides of the family.

Your siblings are your best friends. My sister and I have a very casual relationship, and while we’re on great terms we don’t do cheesy nor sentimental. I’m not on speaking terms with my brother.

Not many people see your face without makeup. False. Everybody sees me without makeup all the time precisely because I don’t like putting makeup on.

You spend your money carelessly. I can, especially when it comes to spoiling myself or other people. But I am also equally good at saving if I have to.

You dream of living overseas one day. I can confidently tell you that a lot of Filipinos consider this because the situation here hasn’t been stable for the longest time – politically, because we’ve always been led by incompetent heads; economically, because of the Marcoses’ dictatorship and abuse of power and the country’s funds; and socially, because of all the backward, Catholic stances that my country continues to stand for. I would love to live in a place where I wouldn’t be glared at for holding a girl’s hand or where most people are educated enough to vote responsible people into office.

You have a penpal. False. Never had one, never been interested in finding one.

You’re older than most of your friends. False. I vibe the best with people my age so even if I do have some younger friends, my comfort zone are with those who are also 22.

Most of your friends live out of town. An overwhelming majority of them live in Metro Manila, yes. I live just right outside so technically I’m the one who lives ~out of town~

You swear like a sailor. Eh, not anymore. I still let out a number of swear words daily, though. Just not in every sentence.

Tom:

You have so many nicknames that it’s hard for you to keep track. False. I have a grand total of one nickname, and even that is just reserved for family. Most people just call me Robyn.

You have large feet. False as well. My feet are small and can easily slip into size 5 or 6 shoes.

Most of your friends are of the opposite sex. Can’t say this is true. I can only think of one guy friend, who is Hans. I haven’t been able to keep up with my other friends, like JM and Ed, since most of them are busy with either law or med school, and simply because Covid has kept us from seeing each other.

Romantic relationships make you shy and nervous. Getting into one does. Once settled I’m pretty comfortable, mainly because I enjoy nothing more than looking out for the people I love. I’m not looking for a relationship though; not anytime soon.

You watch reality shows religiously. Eh, I wouldn’t describe it as ‘religiously’ but I do watch my fair share of them from time to time when I just want stupid, too-easy-to-digest content.

Pop music is your favourite. One of my favorites. I used to be shy about liking Top 40 songs but the older I get the more I realized that that’s music snobs’ problem and shouldn’t be mine.

Family is very important to you. Only because I’m Asian and family being ~important comes as a default the moment I was born. I’m not emotionally close with them though and they honestly probably wouldn’t weigh so much if I had to make major decisions, like migrating to the other side of the world or having a civil wedding.

You’re the youngest child in your family. False - complete opposite. I am the eldest.

You call your mother by her first name. False. Save for others who may not have the best relationships with their mothers, why would someone do this? :/

You dream of living in a big city one day. True. Yeah, absolutely. Give me all the construction noises and busy traffic and skyscrapers. I feel like I would be the most alive I’ve ever been once I start to live in a loud and hectic big city.

Harry:

You’re determined and motivated in all aspects of your life. Not always. That sounds exhausting. I allow myself to take a breather every now and then; and if I want to be unproductive for a while, I don’t ban myself from being so.

You’re much taller than the majority of your friends. Haha, definitely false. I belong to the smaller batch. I had a massive growth spurt from ages 9-10 but then it just kinda stopped there lol.

You go to the gym at least three days a week. Not the gym, but I do work out from home with that frequency.

You care a lot about your appearance. Ehhh I’m gonna say false. Having to stay/work from home does that. I like dressing up when I get to go outside though, since I seldom get to do it.

You’re a social butterfly. Trueish. I do like being around people more and more now, yeah; but of course, it’s still a work in progress for me. One thing I’m sure if is that I’m definitely not as introverted as I used to be and I have no problem opening up in a group.

You party almost every weekend. I’d love to, but can’t do that for the meantime.

You’re very straightforward and never repeat yourself. Ideally, yes. I like to move on quickly from things and settle them as fast as I can.

You love to write and have been told you’re talented. I do like to write, just not fiction stuff. Writing is my main talent and so I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it over the years.

You consider yourself intelligent. Booksmart, at least.

You’re a bit of a player. Like, when it comes to relationships and flirting? ...Hell no. Again, very straightforward person lmao I’m either in a relationship or not.

Zack:

You’re in a band. False. Never been and never been interested.

You’re straight-edge. HAH, remember when I claimed to be edge when I was a teenager...I will say that listening to punk throughout high school and being familiar with the straight edge scene gave me a sense of belonging for a time, and it taught me so many important mindsets like positive mental attitude. But I can admit to myself that straight edge was a commitment I failed at, and as the saying goes, “If you’re not now, you never were.” I’ll always be thankful to the movement for helping me keep going during my tough teenage years, though.

You can play two or more instruments. Will it count if I say I know how to play the recorder, maracas, and the triangle? Hahahahaha but in all seriousness, I believe I don’t deserve to bold this.

You’re an uncle/aunt. I’m a godmother, which is pretty much aunt status in the Philippines. My godson is my first cousin though, and him being my cousin takes precedence over the fact that he is my godson.

You love Doctor Who. False. Never got into it.

You’re short for your age and most of your friends tower over you. I’m shorter, thinner, and look younger for my age. Long story short, I look like I’m 16 and I’m the one who gets ID’d the most whenever I enter bars or malls. I always feel triumphant whenever I get to show my driver’s license to judgy bouncers or security guards who look at me all conceitedly, though.

You’ve been cheated on before. False. My ex is heavily against cheating, and I always trusted her.

You have a big family. Any Asian would bold this, let’s be real. My immediate family itself is small with only 5 members; but my entire family – 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, 3rd cousins (and so on), cousins-in-law, cousins of cousins, aunts- and uncles-in-law, great-aunts/uncles and all – would amount to hundreds of relatives.

You have a nap every single day, without fail. Can’t do that as I have a busy 8-hour shift each weekday and I make up for it during weekends by drinking multiple cups of coffee a day.

You’re mostly quiet, but you can be loud when the situation calls for it. Definitely true. Or when I’m with the right mix of people.

Jenny:

You’re really good with computers. False. I know most things a Gen Z-er would know about, like basic spreadsheet formulas, keyboard shortcuts, how to retrieve files that crashed – basically the stuff that would let me survive at work; but to this day, I will still ask my much-techier sister how to download fonts or open ZIPs or compress photos.

You’re shy. At first; but I no longer have a hard time warming up to new people or situations.

You underestimate yourself often. True. While I know this isn’t a very good trait of mine, I find that it’s actually helpful sometimes? Setting my expectations low helps make me proud of myself whenever I succeed or excel at a task. In the long run, I’m okay with this mindset.

You recently moved house. The last time I did this was in 2008. I’m not looking to move out any time soon either as I make far from enough to afford even just renting a place.

You have a German Shepherd. False. The only people I know who own one is Chelsea’s family, but it’s been like five years since I saw that dog.

You wear baggy clothes. False. Not my style.

You almost always wear a beanie. False. I am never seen with a beanie and I only wear one when I’m in places with a much colder climate than Manila, like Baguio.

You have long hair if you’re a boy, and short hair if you’re a girl. Also false. My hair has since gotten a lot longer, and I’m due for another trim.

You recently got out of a really long relationship. True. Not my choice, but true.

You’re in a band. Again, never been.

Emily:

You’re a really good drawer. You mean an artist? False. At 22, I can only promise you stick figures.

You can’t help but doodle on anything you see. If there’s a pen and scratch paper lying around that are free to use, I will most definitely use up the whole page. Instead of doodling, though – since I can’t draw – I write things, practice my penmanship to make sure it hasn’t gotten all rusty, and whatnot. 

You want a career in art. False. That career path has always been paved for my sister.

You’re basically a personal taxi service for your friends who can’t drive. Hahaha this was essentially me in pre-pandemic days. Driving is such a simple good deed for someone considering the shitty public transportation in my country, and I would’ve been an asshole if I didn’t do anything to help my friends out.

Jeans and band shirts are your favourite thing to wear. Mom jeans and just *t-shirts are overall a great casual combo that never gets dated; but I don’t do band shirts.

You’re always wearing a necklace and lots of wristbands/bracelets. False. I would love more jewelry, though.

You have a lot of piercings on your ears. Also false. I’m not interested in piercings.

Your hair is currently an unnatural colour. False. It’s just black.

Not many people see your loud and boisterous side. I save this for my super super close friends.

You have several friend groups which you move between often. I can think of three off the top of my head.

Jack:

You always seem to have a boyfriend/girlfriend. This was me for six yearssssss, haha. The image I held for the longest time is that I was off the market and was in a happy, fulfilling, long-term relationship; so these days, it can get kinda fun watching people fumble around, not used to seeing me single again after what feels like a lifetime.

You have a fear of being single. I used to, only because I was taken for a really long time. I didn’t know if singlehood would work out for me, or how I would handle it. It took some getting used to but I’m happy now. I’m not looking to date, much less consider jumping into another romantic relationship.

When you’re not in a relationship, you’re a big flirter. Not at all. The flirting/dating scene is just not for me.

You are really sensitive and sympathetic towards your friends. I mean...like any good friend? Lmao.

Music means a lot to you. It doesn’t keep me alive per se, but sure.

You often overdo it when you drink alcohol. I wouldn’t say so. I like chugging a lot within the first 30 minutes (which helps because I’m low-tolerance and get lit way earlier than others do lol) but because I’ve always had to drive myself home after drinking nights in college, I’ve been conditioned to still be responsible with my alcohol and to start sobering up 2 hours before I have to leave.

You have no shame and love to be silly and have fun. I do like having fun in many ways, but I am probably the most rigid among my friends. I don’t really like doing silly dares or skits or dances in public.

You’re impulsive and this isn’t always a good thing. I’m working on it and have been better at it over the last few months. Now I take more time to think about things and weigh them out before I make a decision.

You have facial hair. False. There’s some light hair above my lip, nothing super thick or recognizable.

You have a baby brother/sister. False. I have younger siblings but I call neither of them my baby sibling because they are 20 and 17, lmao.

Nicole:

You’re madly in love with your significant other. I don’t get to answer this anymore. If you met me at an earlier time I would’ve gladly said yes, though.

You want to get married when you’re young. False. I want to get married when I feel mature enough and financially capable of handling a marriage and the things that can come out of a marriage, like a house and kids.

You’re quite petite. I’m naturally petite, yes. I’ve always been on the skinny side and I’m also shorter than most of my friends.

You dye your hair regularly. False. It has stayed black all my life, but I do want to experiment with green.

It’s almost impossible for you to feel the cold. False. I’m very sensitive to the cold and will shiver easily in an air-conditioned room.

You’re really good at flattering other people. Sure, I like giving compliments and reassurances.

You’re very self-conscious. And very insecure sometimes, yeah.

You find it difficult to make new friends. Sure, but only because I like to control the people that are in my circle. I’m not desperate to have hundreds of friends so this isn’t an issue for me.

People often stereotype you as emo. I have never gotten this before.

You’ve come a long way in the past couple of years. What can I say? Been through a lot, been through hell and back, been discarded and doubted, but I’m still here.

The end.

Who were you most like? Cheyenne. Cute name, too.

[adoubleshotdepresso]

And so it began.

I saw the light, and decided to be born. Not really, but I assume that’s how it goes.

hi, hello, my name is Em. There’s a few more letters to the name, but all my friends call me Em, so I thought it was appropriate to introduce myself as that, to you, the reader, whoever you are and wherever the hell you may be.

I was born in 1993, in Busan, South Korea. And that’s basically all I know regarding where I’m from. I was put up for adoption, and my parents adopted me when I was 12 weeks old. I don’t really have much to say about my time abroad, mostly because I was an infant and don’t remember, but also because it doesn’t make me who I am, and has not had any influence on who I am today.

So, adoption hey. You’d be surprised how many people you know are actually adopted. I know a handful myself, and I think it’s a pretty amazing thing. The first question I always come across is; “Do you think you’ll ever want to go back?” And “do you miss or want to find your biological parents?”. And look, depending on the day and how I’m feeling, the answers may vary. Slightly. But realistically, the answer is absolutely not. I have the best family anyone could ever imagine, and my parents are my best friends. I have an older sister who was also adopted from South Korea, Seoul. She’s 6 years my senior and is also one of my best friends.

My family is tight, yo. And we’ve always been that way. My mum is the most dedicated person you will ever meet. She puts her heart and soul into absolutely everything she does. I might be completely biased here, but I’ve never met someone who loves her family so fiercely and would do absolutely everything possible to make sure we are happy and well. She’s always the first person I call when I feel myself go under. She’s a pretty great woman. I know I can always count on her to be there for me and my family no matter what, and one day I hope to repay everything she’s given to me.

I’m so lucky to have a father like mine. He has always supported my decisions and even though some of them have been dumb, he’s never judged me for them. I mean, I get the whole “I told you so” every now and then, but that’s understandable. When I first started having issues with my mental health, dad didn’t really understand what I was going through, as he never really grew up with it nor had any involvement in the area either. But as I got older he really made an effort to understand me more, and ended up being my biggest support beam in my adult life. He’s the sort of person who tells you “I’m just a message away” and actually means it. At my lowest times, it’s nice to know he’s always got my back.

I have one sibling, my oldest sister, who is YOU GUESSED IT, one of my best friends. Our relationship has not always been easy, and there have been times when we wanted to rip each others eyeballs out, but now we’re both a bit older and understand each other better, we couldn’t be closer than we are now. She moved overseas for a while, met the love of her life and married him while still living in America. I went over there a couple of times to visit her, and to be a part of her special day, She’s been back home for a couple of years now, and though we don’t see each other frequently, I know I can talk to her about my struggles too. She’s had her fair share of mental problems, and she still gets through every day, and for that, she’s my god damn hero.

Now we’ve gotten the introductions out of the way, lets get into it. My childhood was pretty normal to be honest. My parents both had stable jobs, weren’t addicts or assholes whatsoever, so we always had food, hot water and a sweet bed to sleep in. Between my parents and their parents, we always had somewhere to go and never had to use babysitters or after school care, which is pretty extraordinary.

Primary school was whatever. And that’s about it. Girls are assholes, and boys were the most fascinating thing in the world. It was average, nothing that bad happened, and nothing spectacular happened either. But shit got real when high school started. For the first year of high school I attended a fancy private all girls here in town, and that was honestly the worst. Not the worst of my life, but for “back then” Em, it was pretty damn bad. I dealt with the usually bullying thing, and I think that’s when all my problems started. Which is kind of crazy because I was probably only about 13 years old when I started to develop depression and anxiety disorders.

Not only did I lose trust in my “friends and peers”, I also lost faith in the teachers and the other adults who were supposed to be there for their students, and to protect them while on school grounds. Well, what a load of shit that was. After holding out for a year, my parents finally agreed I needed to move schools. I was accepted into another private school, but this time it was a co-ed school, and much smaller in size. All in all, it was a pretty good school, but unfortunately I was a very had teenager to please, and hated every single second I had to be there

I started skipping school, chucking sickies every week and avoiding homework, study and assignments. I found it very hard to concentrate, and because of the first year of high school education for myself was an absolute damn nightmare, I had zero interest in my education. I started smoking cigarettes and nicotine at some point in this time, and found it hilarious to drink until I vomited on myself. Looking back now, I should have realised it was something more than adolescent behaviour problems, but what kid goes, “wow, I’m extra cranky today, I must have clinical depression!”. So I kept on being an asshole to everyone around me, not caring about my studies and doing whatever the heck I wanted to do, which included going to parties, seeing boys and lying to my parents. I would tell them I’d be staying with a friend, but lets be real, I was really at a party, getting hammered and kissing lots of boys.

So, high school eventually came to an end. It felt like it was going for an eternity, but I look back now and I wonder where the time had gone. And I think that’s when I realised I was having some real mental health problems. I had a full time job at a chemist, and stayed there for many years, 10 to be exact. I loved my job for a very long time, and stayed there up until a couple of years ago. I don’t think it helped my mental stability, and close to where I resigned, I felt myself crying and having panic attacks in the back room of my work place. I wanted to call in sick every day, rather than go into work and have to face customers and certain staff. I wouldn’t blame work for what happened to me in the end, but I’m sure it didn’t really help either.

That brings us the last few years of my life. And did SHIT GET REAL, my friend. I’ve had the worst days of my life, but have also experienced some of the best. Some of the worst you say? How much time do you have? There’s been a few doozies, that’s for sure. I was in a relationship that started off beautiful, but ended up being the absolute downfall of my mental stability. So many things contributed to my depression, but I dare say the break up, and the loss of my grandmother definitely was the icing on the cake.

I’m not going to point fingers and blame someone else for what happened, but okay I am. The break up I experienced was enough for me to want to die. Literally. My grandma who I was very close with was dying, and my ex didn’t really care. We used to fight all the time, even at the beginning of our relationship, but it only got worse. And even evenB when I thought it wouldn’t get worse, it definitely did. I started drinking a lot, and abusing prescription medication, Valium mostly, but also some sleeping medication too. One day, I was feeling very low, and begged my ex to come back home. I told him every 10 minutes he didn’t respond to my calls or text, I’d take another pill. And I did. I also felt like it was necessary to extinguish cigarettes on myself. The physical pains of the burn was a welcoming distraction to the storm raging inside my head.

After that, it was all a blur. I overdosed a couple of times, some I was able to manage myself, but two more times to come I would need medical attention. The first time I was hospitalised, I called a bunch of friends for help because I thought I was about to die. I don’t remember making the call, and I hardly remember leaving my home in ambulance. Once I gained consciousness again, I was forced to go see a therapist even when I declined. And let’s just say, therapy is not my thing. I have tried again and again to go, and to find that connection with a therapist but never really got remotely close enough to ever trusting one.

The last few years have definitely had its up and downs. I bought a house a few years ago, the house my grandparents owned when I was growing up, and not long after I moved in, I met my parter. I had known him for a couple of years before we started seeing each other, and not long after that, I asked him to move in. It was only a few months into our relationship, but it felt right. You know when you know and I can’t really explain much more than that.

I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say everything gets easier when you’re older, and your problems you experienced before seem to fade away, I’m here to tell you the truth what it’s like to live with a severe depressive and anxiety disorder. Not every day is easy, and sometimes, the bad days feel like they’re never going to end. It’s easy for some people to hop online, and talk about how easy it was to get out of their own heads, and all you have to do is look on the bright side of life.

Because no. It’s never as golden as what influencers try and tell you, and it’s definitely not as glamorous as you see and read online. Some of the worst days I have experienced have made me feel like there is no possible way out. So, hold onto your seatbelts, and grab your Kleenex, because shit is about to get real.

[hihtagra]

Myths about a Career in Hotel Management

Choosing a right career is very important for an individual. There are careers beyond Medical, Engineering, Management, Fashion Designing, Interior Decoration, Law, Corporate Relations, etc. that have equal or greater scope. Many other rewarding careers exist that most of us are not even aware of. The few of us, who are daring to take the chance, lack the right amount of knowledge. The remaining others are discouraged by their parents and become sceptical. Thus, they end up following the sheep. One such rewarding field is Hotel Management.

Often, when people hear Hotel Management, they visualize a man who wears a white chef coat with an apron. He either cooks the food or serves it. In today’s scenario, most of the people still think that Hotel Management is just about cooking or serving food. But, in reality,  the field has grown tremendously  in recent years and stands apart as a rewarding career in itself. If you are also one of those who have such common misconceptions, then read on this article.

Here are several myths about a career in Hotel Management, and a quick reality check: 

Hotel Industry & Hospitality Industry are the Same Thing

The Hotel industry is a component of the Hospitality industry as a whole. The Hotel industry is only one small piece of the Hospitality Segment. The Tourism and Hospitality industry also includes aviation, cruises, theme parks, restaurants, fast food joints, event management, housekeeping services, transportation, estate management and much more.

Hospitality Industry is just about cooking and serving skills

Many of us feel so as we don’t know the industry dynamics at all. People who do not work in the hospitality industry do not know the amount of skill that is required to operate it. It is true that it is not rocket science, but the successful operations within the industry are quite methodical.

Hotel Management is much more than just cooking or serving food. It is a serious business that involves food and beverage production and service going up to housekeeping department – who maintain clean and comfortable environment in the hotel, front-office operation – who ensure smooth operations between departments and looks after the needs of the guest on arrival and during the stay in the hotel, event planners – who are involved in conception and completion of the events such as conferences, festivals, etc, and sales and marketing people and accounting department to name a few. Hence, there are numerous specialized career paths to explore in a hospitality industry.

This industry is an amalgam of effective management strategies and planning, practicing control tools, operation management, marketing and sales tactics, skilled employees, staff development and routine training. There is a definite value in their measurable, calculated approach.

Job Options in the Hospitality Industry are Limited

Do you like to be lively, enjoy singing or dancing ? Perhaps you would do well working as a performer on a cruise ship or showing your bartending skills on a floor. Do you love social media? Working as a social media marketing coordinator or consultant for independent hotels could be your cup of tea. The point is that, within the hospitality industry, you are constrained only by your personal ideas and not by opportunities.

All Hospitality Workers are Maids

It is true that there are a plethora of jobs such as bellboys, maids, servers, and other similar positions that do not require formal training.

However, with the right education, you can bypass these low paying positions and jump start your career as restaurant, hotel supervisor or manager, housekeeping supervisor, lobby manager, front desk executive, bar manager, wine steward, or event planner. These positions are more interesting and offer much better pay.

For more details please visit our Hotel Management Campus area: 

AGRA CAMPUS | SHIMLA CAMPUS

The Hospitality Industry is Glamorous

On the other end of the spectrum are those who believe that working in the hospitality industry involves only mixing with celebrities and the rich and famous. While this does happen, but most of the time it involves just plain hard work, learning new skill sets and performing new challenging tasks.

It’s hard to find a Hotel Job and that too is low paid.

The Hotel Industry is said to be an industry with most employability potential. It is rated  as the biggest employment provider worldwide. The industry has lot of potential for technological adaptation. The Industry is full of opportunities and in times to come it will be the industry with maximum growth potential for freshers. The time span from an entry level position to a managerial position in general has reduced to 2 years in some leading hotel chains. When it comes to landing the best jobs in the hospitality industry, skill set is the key, and social media is playing a growing and critical role in finding qualified individuals to fill job openings.

The Industry is full with job openings and career opportunities but only if one grooms her/himself as per the industry standards. The Hotel Industry is paying good salaries at entry levels as compared to many other career avenues and it has started good innovative practices on work life balance. In near future it is forecasted to be among the best rewarding careers.

Once you graduate with a hotel management degree, there are limitless opportunities waiting for you. You are eligible to join hospitality sector as a operational trainee or management trainee moving up the ladder as a manager to director operations in few years. The initial salary is approximately INR 15000 which goes up to lakh per month and more with experience. You get to work with international and national chains like Marriot International, Hilton worldwide, Hyatt, Carlson, Oberoi’s, Taj, ITC, Jay Pee, Radisson and many more International hotels, Fast food, Fine dining chains. If you get an opportunity you can take a transfer easily from India to overseas. So, it’s not wrong to say that your degree can become your passport to the world.

The Hospitality Industry Requires You to Work for Long Hours

Yes. Till 2015, it was correct at entry level positions or during industrial and vocational training schedules. Things have improved drastically and HR managers in Industry are now talking about work life balance, recreational activities, family benefits and many more. Jobs in the hospitality sector offer plenty of variety in terms of skill enhancement when it comes to the number of hours worked. Few organisations have now adopted a culture of 5 days week work schedules.

Because the hospitality industry is a 7 day a week, 24 hours a day kind of business, you can choose a position that works around your schedule. Day shifts, night shifts, broken shifts are always available.

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Hospitality Jobs are for the Uneducated

The hospitality industry offers a dynamic work environment, so it is true that an expert with a skill set of a particular field might do well here; but that does not mean that individuals who work in hospitality sector are uneducated.

Today hotel management is a career by choice and the process to be accepted into a top program is rigorous in reputed Hotel Management Institutes. The curriculum for a top hospitality program will include fundamentals of management, business communication, marketing, accounting, organisational behaviour, economics, law, foreign language, behavioural sciences, environmental science, facility management, computer science, among many other technical subjects.

You Are Restricted To Hotel Industry after Pursuing Hotel Management

With a hotel management degree one is not constrained to the hotel industry only but sky is the limit. This industry offers a number of exciting and diverse career opportunities, which are directly related to the HM degree such as, Accommodation manager, Catering Manager in hospitals, conference centers, care homes, etc.

Event Manager:  working in exhibitions and fairs, conferences, product launch, etc.

Airlines: work as cabin crew, culinary manager, flight attendants, etc.

Travel & Tourism Sector: open up avenues such as travel agents, sales managers, and tour managers, etc.

One can work as skilled human resource in cruise or in a casino.

One can work as skilled human resources in multi-cuisine fine dine restaurants, fast food outlets.

One can opt for Government Jobs as Management Officers or can pursue a career with armed forces in catering division.

One can work as Public Relation Officer in many MNC’s

One can opt for a career as free lancer

One can be a content developer

Work as a professor in education sector and many more new avenues are opening up for them.

Visit Now: To make your career in hospitality join hands with HIHT

                 Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism Agra and Shimla

Only those with Low Score in School should go for Hotel Management Degree

It takes a lot more than just marks to own a Hotel Management degree. One needs to be skillful to be a part of this exciting yet challenging industry. The vast course curriculum it encompasses within itself certainly doesn’t make this course lack in knowledge management. Student scoring high marks are also opting for this rewarding career as it not only provides exposure in terms of meeting new people or developing one’s overall personality, but with globalization, it is one of the fastest-growing industry, and is ranked 2nd in terms of employ-ability after IT sector. So, today is the perfect time to get started.

Women Don’t Have Good Prospects in Hospitality Industry

Despite significant progress in many years, it is still believed that women can’t do well in hotel industry orthe industry doesn’t provide healthy environment for them. Many hold a perception against women stating they are not firm enough to make any decisions. But hospitality industry is quite incompetent without the grace and elegance that a lady brings with her. Take an example of guest relations – women employees are more preferred over male due to their pleasing personality, and women also fair better at verbal and interpersonal skills, and are also good at handling pressure. According to the many published reports women perform large chunk of hospitality jobs, and the proportion of women in senior positions has also increased. So, it is fair to  say that the industry today holds more potential for women than ever before.

Skills Required:

Good written and spoken communication skills

Good Interpersonal skills

Pleasing personality

Ability to keep calm during stress

Business skills

Energy and enthusiasm

Technical Skills

Career Path to Follow In Order To Pursue Hotel Management after 10+2 (In any Stream)

Path 1 – Pursue graduation in Hotel Management for 4 years or a 3 year recognised Diploma of AICTE

Path 2– Pursue short Diploma in Hotel Management for 1 year, then pursue internship.

Career in Hotel Management selection is one of the most important and calculated decision of one’s life. One needs to explore and understand in-depth career opportunities and not depend on half knowledge/information, and land up with a wrong career choice. Making the right career decision is hard but can bring you the huge amount of happiness and satisfaction. Hotel Industry is beyond cooking, serving food or operator answering phone call on the second ring and surely has a lot of scope in the coming years, and with globalization it is going to stay as a leading career choice, it has large employment opportunities.