Motivations for Working In the New Media Field

Sitting down and really thinking about it I’d have to say that my motivations for working in new media are:

• Money – I find that my wife works far too many hours in her chosen field as a financial advisor and always seems to be on the road, so I want to be able to take over the responsibility of being the main wage earner so that she can slow down while we try for a family.
• In a small way fame but only because having your name known in the industry will help with networking and getting better work.
• For the good of society – I would much rather be working for a charity or NGO (Non Government Organisation) than for a large advertising company because I think I’d have greater satisfaction if I thought that my work might be helping to make a difference as opposed to making money for the sake of making money.
  

Some of these motivations have started to become apparent in my personal project. I’ve managed to link it with The National Museums & Galleries of Wales (NMGW), which is Wales' premier heritage organisation. ‘The NMGW develops, cares for, studies and encourages access to its collections for the benefit of society in perpetuity. Although an independent chartered body, NMGW is supported by the National Assembly for Wales as an Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB) and receives its core funding through grant-in-aid.’ Because it’s a fairly new area to specialise in I think it’s also a good way to stand out and try and get my name known.

Richard Branson seems exemplify all of these motivations in one way or another. Branson's business empire is owned by a complicated series of offshore trusts and companies. The Sunday Times stated that his wealth is calculated at £3.065 billion; if he were to retire to his Caribbean island and liquidate all of this he would pay relatively little in tax. He’s been involved in numerous record attempts from crossing the Atlantic in record time, the hot air balloon crossing of the same ocean and a few years later the crossing of the Pacific ocean by hot air balloon. He’s also made numerous cameo appearances on TV and film and his high public profile often leaves him open as a figure of satire. On 21 September 2006, Branson pledged to invest the profits of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains in research for environmentally friendly fuels. The investment is estimated to be worth $3 billion

‘Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won’t make people enjoy life more, and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa – and it’s about getting a balance.’
Richard Branson on life, philanthropy, and money.