Unit 25

In this section we will be talking about text editing and copy for interactive media. A text editor is a program used for editing plain text files. They are usually provided with software packages or with the operating system itself. When I say plain text files you probably think I mean word documents. I don't. There is a difference between plain text files and word documents. A plain text file is something which is represented and edited by showing all of the characters as they are present in the file. Plain text files are often used for programming and configuration rather than as documentation E.G. detailed instructions and user guides. In the past they were used for this. Documents made in a word processor are generally control characters. They enable functions such as bold, italic, underline, fonts, tables etc. These and other common formatting symbols were once only used with desktop publishing software but now they are used in the simplest word processor. Word processing software can usually edit a plain text file and then save it back to the old plain text file but you must tell word that you want to do that or else it would just save as a document. It's really important that you specify they type of save file, just like with HTML and configuration. It is important to specify proerties relative to the target medium or platform i.e. a mobile phone, tablet or computer screen. In doing so you must specify point size or DPI resolution. On doing so you must preview material relevant to the medium making sure the copy reads correctly within the browser undergoing cross browser compatibility within the browser. You must consider paragraph structure such as sentences and readabilty when taking into account scrolling and positioning regarding interactive mediums.

Before text editors existed computer text was punched into punched cards with keypunch machines. The text was then carried in a box full of brown cardboard cards. It was then read by a card reader. If cards weren't used then it would be paper tape which was generated by teletape machines. The first ever text editors were known as line editors. They didn't provide a window or screen oriented display. To minimise typing they usually had very short commands which would produce the current line. Amongst that was a command to print selected sections of the file on the typewriter.

When computer terminals with video screens became available screen based text editors or more commonly known as the screen editor became commonly used. One of the earliest screen editors was the O28 which was written for the CDC 6000 series machines in 1967. Another early development was the VI which was developed in 1970. Even though it was written over 40 years ago its still a standard editor used today for Unix and Linux operating systems.

There are different types of text editors. Some are small and simple where as others are bigger and much more complex to use. Unix operating systems use the VI editor and Microsoft systems use the notepad which I'm sure you're all familiar with and its very easy to use. Under the mac's OS there is a very simple text editor called Simpletext. It was then replaced under mac OS X by Textedit. Some other text editors such as Wordstar have duel operating modes which allow them to act as either a text editor or a word processor. Now we will move onto proof reading. It is very important to proof read your work. Yes the computer can do that for you by using a built in spell checker but that doesn't always correct the mistakes you will have made yourself. The computer may be in a different language style so when your typing and its on U.S on word then it would replace colour with color. Even though they mean the same it wouldn't look very good if you're doing work for an English client and giving them work that you have produced with American words. So when you proof read you must check the work yourself, read it out loud to yourself and not just the one time. You must do this to make sure that it makes sense.

Fair enough you could type stuff out and read it in your head and think it makes perfect sense but you don't know for sure until you read it out loud to yourself. The spell checker also may not notice punctuation which you have missed out. If you are doing work for someone then it must be at a professional standard at all times. So yes this does mean that you have to have punctuation in all the correct places. This is all to do with handing in your finished work. If you hand so work to a client and it doesn't make sense or the punctuation is really bad then they will be thinking why have I hired this guy when he isn't a professional. They would then write reviews about you and tell people to go somewhere else if they want work done. This looks bad on you and makes you look like you can't do your job properly.

Now onto the media ethics. Media ethics is the subdivision of applied ethics dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet. The field covers many varied and highly controversial topics, ranging from war journalism to Benetton advertising. There is the ethics of journalism. First there is news manipulation. News can can be manipulating and manipulated. An example of this is the governments with censorship and corporations with share ownership. Manipulation can be voluntary or involuntary and those being manipulated may or may not know about it. The public interest. basically what this means is that if military secrets got out or other government related issues got out to the public, it may be of public interest but this is one of those terms that isn't easy to define. Privacy is also a factor in any media. publication isn't necessarily justified even if it's true. Privacy is a right and it's a one what conflicts with free speech. Conflict with the law. Journalistic ethics may conflict with the law over issues such as the protection of confidential news source deception, trespass and similar crimes just to obtain news. Onto the ethics of media entertainment. The depiction of violence and sex, and the presence of strong language. Ethical guidelines and legislation in this area are common. Most media such as games and films are subject to ratings systems and supervision by agencies. Stereotypes. Both advertising and entertainment media make heavy use of stereotypes. Stereotypes may negatively affect people's perceptions of themselves or promote socially undesirable behaviour. Finally we will move onto media and democracy. In democratic countries, a special relationship exists between media and government. Although the freedom of the media may be constitutionally enshrined and have precise legal definition and enforcement, the exercise of that freedom by individual journalists is a matter of personal choice and ethics. Modern democratic government subsists in representation of millions by hundreds. For the representatives to be accountable, and for the process of government to be transparent, effective communication paths must exist to their constituents. Today these paths consist primarily of the mass media, to the extent that if press freedom disappeared, so would most political accountability.