My "Journalism" Blog

"Aha!" Moments

2010-03-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

1. audiences control the show by their response.
--for example, when the audience laughs at certain content, the broadcasting company decides what the audience prefers. If it is a racial slur, they continue to air any such related content. It serves as a positive feedback.

2. a few moments of television causes our minds to be susceptible to brainwashing.
--Anything that is displayed, whether it be advertising or something as simple as a show tune, is stored in the brain and absorbed immediately as true. We are forced to like everything we see.

3. bibliophile
--I learned that I am this type of reader. I prefer classes that require constant reading and writing.

Media Ethics/ Media Law

2010-03-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

The First Amendment entails that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, speech, the press, having an assembly, and petitioning the government of its grievances.
It does however create problems for the press in terms of censorship.

As of 2009, there was a new law in South Africa that censored the press.

By: Issa Sikiti da Silva

Journalists, editors and publishers ‘not recognised' by the South African press ombudsman and ‘not adhering to its code of conduct' face the prospect of being jailed for five years or a fine, or both, if they fail to submit their copies or material prior to publication or broadcast, exhibition or distribution to the Films and Publications Board (FPB) for approval. This is according to the newly-signed Films and Publications Amendment Act 3 of 2009.

The aim is to check if the material contains sexual conduct which violates or shows disrespect for the right to human dignity of any person, degrades a person, constitutes incitement to cause harm, advocates propaganda for war. The FPB also wants to ensure that the material is free from inciting violence or advocating hatred based on any identifiable group characteristic.

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) says it is disappointed by the signing of bill into law, calling it problematic and adding that it violates section 16(2) of the Constitution.

FXI acting executive director Melissa Moore said last week: “The Amendment Act constitutes a grave intrusion of the right to freedom of expression. To this end we are of the view that certain sections of the Amendment Act fail dismally in giving effect to the right to freedom of expression.

"Most intrusive"

“The most intrusive element of the act is that, under the guise of the ‘protection of children's rights' the legislature has introduced a system of pre-publication censorship and self-censorship which offends against the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.”

It is believed the law could also be used to curtail service delivery reporting and force journalists to reveal their confidential sources of information - a practice mostly used in many African countries.

This is the first time in post-apartheid SA that such a draconian media law has been introduced, and Moore said this practice will open the regulation of publications, films and games up to abuse and uncertainty and inhibit the free flow of information.

“What they fail to realise is the fact that it is not the prerogative of an organ of state to dictate to society what they may read, see, hear or do,” she pointed out.

New offence

The act also introduces a new offence in SA law, Moore said, requiring that anyone who knows of, suspects or has reason to suspect, that an offence has been or is being committed under the provisions of the Act to furnish the police with a full report of such knowledge or suspicion, failing which such person shall be guilty of an offence.

Furthermore, she slammed the law for promoting unequal treatment before the law.

She said: “It is unequivocally unfair to grant one group of publishers an absolute exemption from the requirement to submit material for classification.

“We don't imply that all publishers should be required to submit their material to the FPB for approval prior to publication. On the contrary, all publishers in the market should be similarly exempt from this requirement. To grant a group of publishers such an exemption would also grant that group an unfair market advantage over the disadvantaged group in terms of time, cost and effort.”

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/15/39677.html

Propaganda in Advertising/PR

2010-03-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

This first image is of a M&M that is telling its viewers to vote red in the 2009 Election. The color red represents the Republican Party.
http://contexts.org/socimages/files/2009/03/m-and-m-red-propaganda-poster1.jpg
It is using the Appeals to Authority technique because it is addressing a certain group to do a certain something.

This second image is bad-naming the Pope by calling him the Anti-Christ.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lucas_Cranach_-_Antichrist.png
It is using the Ad hominem technique, which is when the opponent is attacked directly and not the argument.

Electronic News

2010-03-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

I kept a log while watching a half-hour news show on television. The stories that were reported (in order) are as follows:
-
-
-
-
-
Time allotted to the actual news
-to the commercials
-weather reports
-sports
-happy talk

The lead story was:

Publish Post

It was chosen as the lead because..

The anchor set the tone of the broadcast by...

Internet

2010-03-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

After logging on to Wikipedia, I discovered that there are 12,674 Social Working Websites that are listed. I've heard of the Democratic Party, Marxism, and the Washington Peace Center as Social Working Websites.
Fortunately, I have never used a Social Working Website, so I cannot describe any certain situation that got me into trouble.
I do not know anyone who has used one, either.

Television

2010-03-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

A clip from 500 Days of Summer--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVNgYXFi_Q

The length of the video: 1:51

A description of the video: This video is of a boy who has just experienced young love for the first time. He ends up dancing [to the song You Make My Dreams Come True] all over town while on his way to work, drawing others in to dance with him. He even draws in a bird!
the name of the corresponding chapter in our textbook: Movies: Magic From the Dream Factory

Question: Why is an animated bird shown interacting with the character who is dancing down Main Street?

Answer: The character is depicted as a hopeless romantic. The image of the bird is similar to the animated birds in Walt Disney's Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and Beast.

Magazines

2010-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

The Name of the Magazine will be: Nutrition and Aging
Concept: What you should be eating to look, feel, and live better.
Readers: This magazine will be aimed at women of all ethnic backgrounds, ages 16-40 years, with topics focused on self-image and health.
Possible Competitors: Allure Magazine, Health and Fitness, Skin Inc., etc.
Possible Advertisers: Weight Watchers, Martha Stewart, Lush Cosmetics, Jamba Juice, Local Farmer's Markets, Bare Minerals and Rare Minerals, and finally, Curves.
5 possible articles featured in the premier issue:
-"Ditch the silicone – grow your own breast implants"
-"Vitamin E – powerful antioxidant protection"
-"Do you need a calcium supplement?"
-"Beauty sleep:why you need it and how to get it"
-"Top 10 Anti-Aging Foods"
Cover: The title of the magazine written in Indigo with a healthy food dish as the cover page.

Movies or Recordings

2010-02-28T18:33:00.001-08:00

My favorite movie 2009 would have to be "Avatar". I saw it in 3D at the theaters. The plot involved all aspects of a great film. It entailed a combination of action, comedy, romance, drama, etc. It displayed the reality of corporate globalization and what detrimental affects it can have on society.
Here's a link displaying the reviews for the movie Avatar:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar/

Books

2010-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Books are influential. They encompass morals and key messages that can be useful to you, that is, if you let them.

One such book is, "The Time Traveler's Wife" (and yes, there id a movie on it). It has two main characters that deal with an extraordinary problem in a very ordinary world. The focus of the story however, is the wife of the time traveler. From as long as she can remember, her future husband time travels into her time zone, teaching her of the world. As she gets older, the friendship turns into romance. The novel portrays the main character as a women with extreme strength who manages to deal with her problematic situation to the best of her ability.

Another book I find most influential is "Pride and Prejudice". Jane Austen has portrayed her main character as a strong female as well, which I have found to be most agreeable. A woman in a time of very little independence and freedom, manages to find herself and her self-worth.

Another great book in its time is "The Great Gatsby". This novel encompasses the idea of the American Dream during the "Roaring 20s" and its consequences. Jay Gatsby is a perfect example of the life lesson that "money cannot buy [you] love".

Media Impact

2010-01-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

As alluded to before, the media greatly impacts our society. If it didn't have enough followers, it wouldn't work as well. It has conditioned us to accept everything as "they" see fit. "They" are the music industry, fashion industry, video games, etc.
Video games can have a huge impact on children who play it regularly. Children will model the violent behavior that can be displayed throughout each game, however subtle it may be.
The random sampling method will be used to research/experiment this type of media and its impact on the community. This experiment will prove the Bullet Theory, which implies that the media effects the direct flow from the media to the individual.
The method that will be used for this experiment will be observational and cultural studies by selecting a random group of children ages 7-12 to play video games and to play board games for 1 hour each. Their behavior will be recorded and then observed after they play violent video games for one hour and then will be exposed to board games for another hour. This will determine whether there is a correlation between violence in the media and its influence among the youth.

Mass Autobiography

2010-01-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

Books:
Authors intelligently depict daily problems, mapping out solutions through the character(s) actions. Sometimes, the ending can be agreeable while at other times, it will not be. This idea illustrates life's unpredictability and highlights the consequences of any such action. An author does this by focusing on a character's two-sided nature that conflicts with itself, which later creates the centralized problem.

In terms of reliability, books portray the most truthful facts. They are sent through many processes that have been purposefully created to "fact-check". Although most arguments in a book can be passive, they do not necessarily force themselves on its audience as would television and movies.

Newspapers, Magazines, and the Internet:
Depending on what publication you read, most writers can be biased on the subject of which they are writing on and it is important to know whether that is the case. Unfortunately, that is how stories are made. If it is, the reader is only introduced to one argument instead of the issue as a whole. It is up to us, the readers, to figure it out.

Movies, Television, and the Radio:
These three forms of media directly influence the public. It is here that social norms begin and end. For example, slur words and sex are continuously promoted in music. This whole idea of being thin and promiscuous has young women undermining their own images/identities to fit such ridiculous social norms.