media blog assignment

TV, News as Truth?

2007-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

It’s no new concept that the media plays a big part in shaping how people see and internalize the news reports, magazine ads, radio talks or even music lyrics that become popular beliefs in the world. I have not done personal qualitative research aimed at this topic and cant give stats to my beliefs, but it holds true for me that people (who involve themselves in modern media) seem to let that shape how they communicate with the rest of the world.
Our text talks about news as entertainment and all the bias it creates when dealing with important matters, and how they’re , “almost always chosen for their entertainment value” (Rodman p. 382). And I have to say that I agree, but a more important question could surround the impact that these news flashes could have on younger generations and their morals. The book pointed out an instance where Time magazine asked a number of people on a questionnaire after the September 11th attack, whether we should go to war or not? The results indicated that the majority of people thought it right to go to war, but when a second poll was administered and one of the questions asked was with whom should we go to war with, that same majority of people weren’t sure (Rodman p. 382-383). The leaking of this data, out to the public’s ears could present a huge mess of problems and lead people to believe certain information to hold true when really it is false.
The quality of the news programs has to be entertaining to keep the ratings up, I understand this, and I don’t believe we can blame the news for doing its job as a semi-entertainer. Again, as with many mass communication outlets already discovered thus far I think it’s up to the parents to teach strong morals and boundaries to their children. Letting them know when to discredit something and when to take information at face value.

Life and the Internet

2007-11-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

The internet, for me involves a love-hate relationship surrounding the disconnection of people and the increase in cyber-relations. I believe the world wide web is beneficial for multiple reasons, research, entertainment, work related projects or even to connect with hard to reach parts of the world, yet a piece of me has always been wary of its obvious power.
Our text gives an explanation of the four basic components that make up the internet….

1. Email (private text conversations and mailing list distributions)
2. Information and entertainment services (advertiser supported and pay-per-access)
3. Electronic commerce (advertising, consumer sales and business-to-business transactions)
4. Cyberspace communities (social networks and people with common interests...)
(Rodman p. 324)

After looking over these main areas one can easily see that the world relies on the technology of the internet to maintain a large percentage of their lives. My personal thought is to create a mild resistance against the overpowering technological importance of the day and age we live in. Verbal conversations including work, family and friends are becoming a thing of the past as people are becoming busier and using the internet to save time. I think it’s important that people in general maintain a minimal use of technology, using it when necessary but relying on a more naturalistic reality to keep up with life, in doing so people will be forced to slow down, to make time for loved ones, and to spend moments reflecting. I believe this is vital for mental health; and would be so hard to do for so many people.

I've added an interesting and kinda strange example of the value people place on the internet..it's by an unknown writer but I think parallels my point! :)

Television or Teacher?

2007-10-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

The issue surrounding televisions detrimental effects on children is a controversial one not just for the networks, but for government agencies, parents and the children as well as they are the ones being studied and manipulated.
Our text states that, “critics are less concerned with the lack of educational programming than with what television does seem to teach effectively…” (Rodman p.312). Well my response to this way of thinking raises a question; who says television has to be educational? I firmly believe that if a household, that contains children, decides to own a television then it is up to the parents (who are raising the children) to guide their morals and answer their questions if they should have them. We cannot shelter children from the real world and as much as television, not to mention technology in general, plays a part of our modern society it seems inevitable, even silly to “protect” them from watching shows about violence, sex or any other taboo issue in our American culture.
Creating a wall between life and expectations for children seems to have a reverse effect. I have worked and studied with many small children as I've grown in my academic studies, and I can confidently say that children are curious not inherently bad, and rightly so have many questions. Let them have the questions so we can give them the answers, so they won’t create a fantasy world about some of our world’s most sensitive topics. It is not up to the television networks to raise our kids, the system is set up for entertainment not personal guidance, and if we are allowing our kids to be raised by the television then it’s our own fault and we can’t blame the TV programs for not being the parent.

Improvisational Acting and the Golden Age of Television

2007-10-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Our text writes of the golden age of television being a time of change as it pointed out the state of women’s’ social status in the home. I think this is a very relevant point, but besides the fact that women’s role of the stay- at- home mom/housewife was made into comedy (such as the I Love Lucy show), this act of broadcasting a live act on television sparked my interest and made me wonder how the actual programs would adapt to this style.
For one I believe viewers would see a lot more improvisational acting. The phrase “the show must go on” seems to be fitting here as obviously it would have been impossible to stop the show if a mistake in the script were to happen.
Second the improvisation would affect the comedic quality of the work. Being silly and clumsy were staples of some of the earlier shows and used positively to further the essence of the programs.
Third, the art of improvisation has a great deal to do with raw personality. I have been a performing dancer since the age of five and have done some improvisation on stage. It is a definite rush because of the rawness that is involved. Whether you’re feeling sad that day or have an abundance of energy, regardless your personality will come through on stage as it becomes impossible to “act” and be freely creating at the same time. The quirky characters that are known for this era of television are a perfect example of the effect improvisation can have on comedic acting

The Format Clock

2007-10-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

The evident repetition of some radio stations has never made so much sense to me until I read about the concept of the format clock in our text. Rodman identifies the idea as a, “graphic used by radio programmers showing each of the programming hour” (p.263). Well obviously radio stations are not going to talk about their format clocks on the radio, but it would be quite interesting to find one of the local area….
Well my quest was unsuccessful, although I still find the concept interesting. No doubt some analysis of data calculates and pioneers the radio stations agenda. But the psychology behind the idea of the format clock is interesting to me. What follows with this homogeneous incentive is a dictatorship in radio culture. A few format clocks work and so, many other stations incorporate them into their own programming. What ensues is a fine example of the similarities working class people take part of.
I’ve been driving in my car at times and after tuning into one of my favorite radio stations become surprised by its content. Usually I do listen to the radio in the early morning as I’m getting ready to leave or later in the evening while I’m cooking or reading, but there have been times when I have tuned into a radio station, that I thought I knew well, only to find out that it partakes in a discussion forum from this hour to that, or it has some specialized music hour? So interestingly enough I realize that I am part of the larger statistics as well when it comes to listening to the radio at times it’s most convenient for me.

Satellite Radio

2007-10-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

My personal experience with satellite radio is in depth, an old friend of mine used to subscribe to Sirius satellite. During the time this person had satellite radio we went on many a road trip together, using this as our main source of entertainment while in the car. At first I was excited by the convenience it provided; you could find any type of music, not to mention news, comedy, and weather or traffic stations. I loved the easy programming methods that enabled us to install or favorite stations onto the device so at any dull moment we could just turn the radio on and push a single button to get our top five station selections out of the hundreds of options. Or text points out a few of satellite radio’s perks, such as the fact that the songs are uncensored, the device visually provides the artist’s name and song title, and they have absolutely no static (Rodman pp.246). But after some time of excitement over the instant gratification it provided I started to become less impressed with its technology and more critical of its ambiguity. A major part of why I listen to the radio is to support local stations. And I enjoy hearing the local news, and hearing about any fundraisers that are going on to support the station. I like the feeling of community that the regular FM/AM radio provides.
So now when I am driving, without the satellite radio, I don’t mind when my favorite radio station loses its signal and goes off the air, or when I am in a small town and the only stations I get are country, the local news and……..more country. I think this is not such a bad thing, its definitely not as convenient as satellite radio, but I do feel like I am engaging in community when I listen to the local radio stations.

Censorship and freedom of speech

2007-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Along with the freedom of speech in the media comes controversy. Creators of art have a motivation for their work, usually it pertains to a message they want to convey and that message is not always going to be agreeable with society’s popular viewpoints at the time. Our text points out that there are four major forms of censorship today: Music labeling, governmental criticism, Chain store restrictions and radio play restrictions (Rodman pp.240). These different levels of censorship create pockets of controversy for the industry in terms of freedom and creativity. Who has the argument beat when there is a 1st amendment? Who is in the right?
In the late 1980s labeling on albums to warn the buyers of any lyrics that might be offensive were added to the cover. This led to chain store restrictions in huge corporations such as Walmart, where the albums profits are very connected. Walmart has refused the sales of albums that contain these labels and therefore initiated the recording industry to adjust to changing the album covers if need be and even in some situations the songs, so they could gain sales from these stores support.
Governmental criticism and radio play restrictions are closely tied with the public’s view that censoring what goes out on the radio is a boundary to closely set up by the government authority and squashes the concept of the first amendment. Although America does not have a completely libertarian system when it comes to the media, the government does allow some private ownership. As this system grants, some private ownership is allowed, and this could be a cause for controversial issues surrounding censorship; the government and the effects of complete freedom of speech. So in reality when I think of who is just in their point of view, the record industry and the artists or the corporations that sell their product, there is no clear choice as to what side to defend. Each side has to make its case and compromise in the end. Although I would say the artist does have has the final decision in the end; change the atmosphere of the album, or risk profits by staying true to the original intent of their artistic vision.

"Covering"

2007-10-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Our text states that “covering” was a concept that was surrounding the idea of profitable discrimination. Rock and roll music, which stemmed from the black community, was a mixture of “rhythm and blues, gospel, and country” (Rodman, pp.220).
A man named Elvis Presley came into the music scene around the early 1950s and shook the world with this new style of music. Well in reality he wasn’t inventing a new style of music. His style was heavily influenced by the black community and Elvis Presley brought that style into the eyes and ears of an adoring audience. People loved the music and the face of Elvis. Putting out this racy music (for its time) was of course controversial but made possible by the color of Elvis’s skin. If Elvis had been a black man putting out that same type of music, critics say he would never have been as successful.
Elvis was wonderful, I agree with his early audience, but it’s interesting to think of what would take place today if this same situation were to occur. There would be copyright law suits, race and ethics wars, and court cases would follow what would be perceived as an unjust and illegal theft of art.
Although we are I this day and age and see things from quite a different perspective than people living in the 1950s would have, I have to say that what Elvis did was in a way a great revolution for the music world. He got the ball rolling for a new level of acceptance into the music scene and popularized a new style of sound that led the way for amazing artists to acquire popularity through their own renditions of that musical general.
Rock and roll in 1950 and rock and roll in 2007 are immensely different, but it’s fascinating that they have the same birthplace. Now that people in general have a much more liberal and open-minded stance on music, and art in general, we can look back and appreciate rock and roll’s true roots. This level of appreciation that we have for the black community’s sound is long overdue, but at the same time creates an education for the music world of today to place an importance on the art itself and not the face on the album cover.
When I was younger and listening to music groups, a big part of my satisfaction came from the artists’ appearance. I would classify there music style by how they looked and in turn identify myself with their style as well. As I’ve grown I’ve come to greatly appreciate the art of music itself, and hear the composition and creativity of the artist a lot more loudly than their clothing or hair style.

Censorship of movies?

2007-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

The first rating system which was put into place in 1930 is somewhat different from the scale we have now. Our rating scale which is divided up into five different categories of parental suggested guidance. NC-17 suggests that no children under age 17 should be admitted regardless if the parent is willing to let the child view the film or not. R rating is put into place to suggest that anyone under the age of 17 needs to be accompanied by a parent. PG-13 is set up so that anyone under the age of 13 needs to be accompanied by a parent if viewing the film. PG simply means parental guidance suggested, and the G rating is meant to say that anyone of any age is welcome to view that film.
The text states that these ratings are controversial because the enforcement needed to back these ratings up is not very strong. The infringement due to the ratings themselves is a completely voluntary censorship, which means some control issues for producers.
I remember being under the age of seventeen and wanting to see R rated movies in theatres. It’s funny because I remember my parents being uncomfortable with bringing me to see them in the theatres. But at home it was a different story. I recall seeing movies such as Stephen King’s IT and all the Friday the 13th movies before the age of 11 years old.
Besides creating a suggested level of censorship the current movie ratings create a societal standard that is suggested for parents to follow. Well some parents will follow the suggestion to heart and agree with it, others won’t. Some parents will just wait until the films come out on DVD rent it and watch it at home with their children, which in the end take away profit from the theatres. This rating scale is an attempt to create order of some kind, and also to some degree put into place to help prevent protests against the theatres for showing kids movies that they might not be emotionally ready for. In the end each family and child is different and it is the parent who creates the rating scale specific for their child.

Native American press

2007-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Our text comments on ethnic presses and how they relate to change in the concept of news. More specifically a change in how society relates its values and politics to one another.
The Native American press was founded 1828 in Georgia. A tribal leader for the Cherokee peoples decided to embark on this form of mass communication because he believed that literacy was the root of the white mans power and so wanted his people to engage in that power as well. The paper was first named Cherokee Phoenix, but upon moving to Oklahoma the paper’s name was changed to Cherokee Advocate.
Some interesting things about the paper include…….

1. The type was cast in the Cherokee language
2. The man who started the paper felt that the issues confronting the Cherokee tribe were not specific to them, but included other tribes as well so the name changed from Cherokee Phoenix to Cherokee Advocate in the year of 1829
3. You can read the Cherokee Phoenix from archives dating back to 1829.

Besides transmitting important information about social and political issues this paper was a small revolution in diversity and integration. The Cherokee Advocate started this thought even with the expansion of the paper from changing the name when it first started out. The mission behind the paper understood that by reaching more people, more readers, that one thing in common can create unity, a community for social change. Making what’s known and important to a specific group accessible to anyone at all brings about a small scale equality of freedom for the minority groups.

Colonial Publishers

2007-09-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Early forms of self liberation could include written/printed literature. It gave people an opportunity to analyze and interpret their own thoughts and feelings instead of being told how/why to react to something. The English monarchy was fearful of the freedom books might give the people. They saw printed literature as a threat to their power. The English monarchy wanted complete control of what went into the minds of the people. Our text states that, '' this repressive restraint was in place from the beginnings of English book publishing well into the 1690s (Rodman pp.71). Well actually their is still a mild oppression of thought. The smaller society rewards personal freedom or choice of thought even to the point of holding strikes and rallies, we feel it is important to have individual voices heard, but at the top of the ladder the government and religious leaders are still interested in a conservative lifestyle. They don't go so far as to ban us from reading, but they do take part in what's allowed on our schools, as far as literature goes, there is still a quiet fear of complete freedom and the more educated people become the more power they have to think on their own. Their is still a fear of complete freewill, without governmental influence, but I think fear is a natural instinct, loss of power and hierarchic moldings in society could lead to anarchy and revolts. So some fear is beneficial to keep us in line as people, and obviously education and books are a direct way of leading people to make individual choices in every area of their lives.

Peoples choice study

2007-09-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

After reading through the workings of the Peoples Choice study I found it very interesting that the findings lead to the conclusion, "that the main effect of the campaign was reinforcement, in that the media strengthened attitudes that were already held by the voters" (Rodman, pp.40-41). the text also talked about how the people going into the study already knew how they felt about the the political leaders and would find, even sub-consciously, external information; whether it be from social groups, individuals, print or a technological medium to reinforce their own perceptions of what they believed to be true. I think that you can take this concept and apply it to everyday life. we could look at body image, self-perception, inter/ intra-personal relationships, mass communication, world and political views or even how a person might connect a certain color or song with a specific emotion. I don't think the average person consciously seeks external energies that will lead them to constantly reinforce their being, but if we take into account the good friends we have, the choices that we have made to study a certain field, our personal methods of transportation, even the clothing we where, it becomes so certain that we could conclude in light of the idea that individually we are each creating our own smaller realities within the larger trends of society, and wouldn't it make sense that we create that reality to fit us comfortably or at least in a way that makes sense.
The research also found that the opinions of the voters changed and in a way started to reflect the opinions of those around them, but at the same time kept the personal values of the individual voters. This concept could be broken down into a social- survival skill. trying to keep the peace in a way,but it also can be seen through the lens of the Social Desirability Response Bias.A theory that explains the comfortable need of 'gelling' with the larger mass to avoid being ridiculed or judged. "Research participants are concerned with how they will be perceived and evaluated by the researcher or by other participants. As a result they sometimes respond in a socially desirable manner rather than naturally and honestly. People are hesitant to admit that they do certain things, have certain problems, or hold certain attitudes" (Leary, Behavioral Research Methods, p 99-100).