Uncategorized – ET Digital Media Portfolio

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On video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, user-generated content has a significant cultural impact on how media is created, shared, and understood. Traditional media is produced by media institutions such as agencies and news organizations (Deuze 2007). Participatory media platforms allow regular people to become creators, editors, and commentators, as well as distributors of content. According to Dekavalla (2002), authenticity in creator culture is associated with sincerity, where individuals can openly express their views, thoughts and emotions so they appear genuine. During livestreams on the TikTok platform, creators are able to build rapport and trust with the audience. Interactions and comments are in real time. The UGC creator is seen as a person who is trustworthy and real, rather than a constructed persona.

This article explores how user-generated content on participatory media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok reshapes audiences’ roles and public narratives in media production by transforming viewers into active participants. It also argues that participatory media has redefined journalistic voice.

One of the significant cultural changes brought by user-generated content is the shift in audience identity. Unlike traditional media, where the audience is passively watching but hardly engaging, the audience on participatory media is not just observers and receivers of information. They play a big role in shaping the narratives. As a result, user-generated content has become a major cultural force that reshapes audience experience and how media is produced (Burgess & Green, 2018).

Another useful way to understand how user-generated content creates intimacy with the audience is through video production and vlogs. In reference to Michael Rosenblum’s “five shots” that were demonstrated in Session 5 (Murdoch University 2026), the lecturer introduced key ideas of common shots in sequence shooting. While Rosenblum’s techniques are often used by professional filmmakers, independent creators use them to structure their videos so they feel more engaging and personal (Dancyger 2007).

One good example is when a UGC creator films an A-roll video of “Get ready with me” or “A day in my life.” The shot usually opens with a shot in their personal space, often in the bedroom or showing what they are doing through a Point of View (POV) shot to make the audience feel like they are part of the video rather than watching a scripted performance.

Another important cultural impact of user-generated content is how it has redefined journalistic voice. Traditional media, such as journalists on television, appear neutral when delivering the news. In contrast, content on YouTube and TikTok often relies on personal delivery. Creators speak to audiences in urgency and a conversational way, often drawing on their personal experience. This changes how credibility is formed online. Rather than depending only on professional authority, trust is increasingly linked to relatability, personality, and perceived authenticity (Hund, 2023).

In conclusion, the sense of intimacy is heightened between creators and audiences on participatory media platforms. It also highlights that user-generated content is not just a casual format, but creators also adopt a strong understanding of visual storytelling to attract their audience. Further, the rise of user-generated content in journalism suggests that journalistic voice does not disappear but rather that journalistic communication adapts to creator culture.

References

Deuze, Mark. 2007. Media Work. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Dekavalla, Marina. 2022. “Facework in Confessional Videos by YouTube Content Creators.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 28 (3) 135485652210858

Burgess, J., & Green, J. (2018). YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture (2nd ed.). Polity Press.

Murdoch University. 2026. COM109 Session 5: Infographic: Five Shot Rule plus One

Dancyger, Ken. 2007. The Technique of Film and Video Editing : History, Theory, and Practice. Amsterdam ; Boston: Focal Press.

Hund, E. (2023). The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media. Princeton University Press.

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Photoshop plays a major role in today’s digital visual culture. It gives creators the ability to produce visually striking images across photography, editorial media, and advertising. As discussed in Session 7, Photoshop allows images to be edited and manipulated digitally, making it possible to reshape them into entirely new visual forms (Murdoch University 2026).

There are many ways this can be done. Creators can use adjustment layers to enhance an image’s colour, brightness, vibrance, hue, and saturation. Tools such as object selection also make it easier to isolate parts of an image or remove backgrounds entirely. More recently, Photoshop’s Generative Fill feature, powered by AI, has expanded these possibilities further by allowing users to remove or add elements to an image through text prompts.

These tools open up exciting creative opportunities, but they also raise important ethical questions. While Photoshop can help creators push visual boundaries, its widespread use can blur the line between creativity and reality. According to William John Mitchell (2001), digital imaging complicates the idea of visual truth. This becomes especially problematic when manipulated images are presented as though they are completely real and natural.

One of Photoshop’s greatest strengths is its power to create polished and compelling visuals. This is especially visible in editorial media, where photographs are often heavily retouched and airbrushed to produce aesthetically pleasing images for magazines. While this may enhance the visual appeal of the final image, it can also create ethical concerns. Readers may begin to see these altered images as natural, shaping unrealistic expectations of beauty and appearance.

This can have wider effects on public perception, confidence, and body image. When audiences repeatedly see idealised and heavily edited visuals, they may compare themselves to standards that are not achievable in real life. As Kleemans et al. (2018) suggest, exposure to such unrealistic imagery can negatively affect how people view themselves. Overall, Photoshop is both a powerful creative tool and an ethically complex one. It allows creators to experiment, enhance, and reimagine images, but it also comes with responsibility. When digital edits significantly alter reality, creators should be truthful about what they show to the public. One way to encourage transparency is by including a disclaimer to indicate that an image has been digitally edited. Ultimately, Photoshop should be used not only creatively but also responsibly and ethically.

References

Murdoch University. 2026. COM109 Session 7: Photoshop. Lecture slides.

Kleemans, Mariska, Serena Daalmans, Ilana Carbaat, and Doeschka Anshutz 2018. “Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls” Journal of Children and Media 12(1): 93-110

William John Mitchell. 2001. The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post Photographic Era. Cambridge, MA; London: Mit Press

Category: Uncategorized

The Power and Ethics of Photoshop: Reconstructing Reality in Digital Visual Culture

References