Assignment 11: The Media = Golden Ruler

I have never had to think about what specifically I believe are the biggest problems in America today but when faced with the question, it was harder than I thought to come up with a solid answer. I believe that Global Warming is by far the largest problem facing America and the world today because it not only is affecting us right now, but will continue to affect us in the future. Another large problem in America is immigration. This is a major problem itself but it also poses problems in many other related categories like poverty, overcrowding of the population, and child labor to name a few specific issues. Thirdly, something affecting the entire country is the war going on overseas. I think this limits resources and government spending is ridiculous regarding war costs. This problem also affects millions of Americans and their families.

These problems are covered by the media regularly, if not daily and this popularity of controversial topics allows the information to be spread far and wide to get the word out that change needs to occur now more than ever. Everyday when I turn on the news, the war is covered and causalities are shown and talked about for about ten minutes. Also, global warming is discussed and the effects that it is having on the world. Also, many celebrities have come about to campaign the stop of global warming which shows that it is a major problem in America. As far as immigration goes, it is not talked about heavily because I believe it is censored somewhat from American media. The government does not necessarily want citizens to know that the border patrol is too weak, that immigrants are taking our jobs, and that these people are illegally living in our country without paying taxes.

I learned a great deal about immigration from my American Pluralism class last semester. Although I learned about it somewhat in high school, college has brought it to the forefront because in college, such raw topics are discussed with an open mind. In American Pluralism, we discussed major controversies relating to crime and the restriction of laws regarding immigrants. We read and discussed stories of specific people being affected by laws set by America and how these laws are affecting immigrants near and far.

Without the media coverage on topics like global warming and the war, I do not believe that I would have a great deal of knowledge about these topics. After all, although the war is affecting me because it is America fighting, I do not know anyone specifically who is fighting in it and I do not think about it on a daily basis. As far as global warming goes, I do not think about it regularly because it is not really affecting me now either. I know that in the future it will but as of right now, it is not. The media has played a crucial role in censoring information the government does not want Americans to know, but they have also informed Americans on important topics that continue to affect us all.

Assignment 10: E-mail Efficiency

In my research of this topic, I found some shocking information regarding e-mail and its usage. To me, e-mail is just another technology that I can use to communicate with others. As a college student, I have never realized the benefits of it. E-mail allows me to communicate with my advisor, my fraternity, my friends, my mom, and my distant relatives ON MY OWN TIME. Sometimes I feel that it even elicits faster responses than a phone call.

When I talked to three adults about their e-mail usage, all of the results were very similar. All three of the adults work in office atmospheres where they are in front of a computer screen for most of the day or attending office meetings. One of the three interviewees has a blackberry with internet capabilities. All three people said that in the business world, e-mail is extremely important. They rely on it to receive and send memos and communicate with their families and friend alike. My mother said, “I don’t know what I would do at work without e-mail because I would be bored all day.” The second person I interviewed stated that she has her e-mail open on her computer so that instantly when she receives an e-mail she is notified. In a way, this acts like an instant messenger feature.

All three people said that they get anywhere from about 20-50 e-mails per day depending on the season, what business is going on, and what is going on in their personal lives. I found it interesting that they all use their business e-mail as their personal e-mail as well. They spend on and off about 2 hours a day depending on whether or not the work they are doing is going to be e-mailed to someone or not. My mother stated that all of the e-mail she receives is important, especially the ones she gets from me which I found to be funny because she also calls me everyday. My aunt and uncle, the other two interviewees, said that most of the e-mail they get is junk. They are pharmacists and they get advertisements and junk e-mail from companies and legal services all over the world.

E-mail simplifies everyone’s lives is an understatement to them. They cannot fathom picking up the phone and calling everyone that they e-mail and nor could I.

E-mail might have some negative implications as well. For starters, it is a less personal approach to communicating with someone but in the business world, being personable is not valued; it is all about getting the job done and doing it as efficiently as possible.

Assignment 8: Convenience and Ease

The Internet is a growing encumbrance of information far too large to explore everything it has to offer. Recently, the Internet has been a powerhouse of video series. Not to mention, YouTube has been an up and coming epidemic for every college student in America and worldwide. Although video is not a new technology, digital video has only been around for a decade or do. The Internet makes it easy to view, post, and record video which is why Internet videos are so popular in today’s fast paced society.
I am a huge fan of Internet video simply because it is easy and convenient. Point then click and you are instantly watching some of your favorite videos or television series. I have seen more recently that many television series are being posted online. An example of this would be ‘abc’ posting all of their television series online at abc.com. They have also developed some new series that are exclusive to the internet and are only available on this website. The website is easy to navigate and includes bios, most recent episodes, and for some shows earlier series are even posted.
On abc.com some shows are Internet exclusives such as Voicemail and Squeegees. When watching Voicemail, I love the fact that I am in control. I can pause the show when I want, browse the Internet at the same time on the same screen, or even watch any episode of the series that is posted in no particular order. Besides OnDemand features now available on television, this is a rather new technology of being able to pause a show and come back to it at a more convenient time. I know that technology is catering to our needs but when really thinking about this, it seemed a little too needy. Making sure you do not miss one ounce of your favorite show only promotes more television watching which seems to be a recent problem with children these days. Now because of Internet videos, children and adults alike can watch what they want when they want it as long as an Internet connection is available.
Another feature I found great which is related to Internet shows is being able to now watch television shows on your cell phones because of their capabilities. PDA’s connect to the Internet and basically act as mini-laptops therefore, again if an Internet connection is available, count on not missing your favorite show.
The length of shows on the Internet seems to be shorter than a one hour television show but that is just because of the cut of commercial time. On abc.com commercials are shown but for never more than a minute which is another reason watching shows on the Internet is more convenient.
Internet and web access are ever advancing. Soon the Internet and portable devices will be like iPods, travel ANYWHERE at your convenience.

Assignment 7: Music Creates Feeling

As I am sitting here writing this, my roommate's music is blaring and unappealing. His music always puts me in a bad mood because it is metal: the only genre of music that I despise. On that note, music has a profound impact on the attitudes and day-to-day feelings we encounter.

The iPod (iPod referring to all mP3 players for the purposes of this) has been a revolutionary piece of technology which allows someone to listen to whatever they want, anywhere they want. This new 'anytime, anywhere' feeling that the iPod represents is what is so appealing about this hand held device. What is intriguing about the iPod is that one can develop playlists which may represent different genres of music, or are entitled by what kinds of feelings one will experience when listening to the music in that playlist. Music evokes feelings; it can brighten up our day if something that is playing reminds us of a happy childhood memory, or it can even ruin our day. How many times have you heard, "Change the song! It reminds me of my ex-boyfriend."

Music is a part of everyday life and because of this, more and more people are jumping into the iPod revolution: one in which not only the thoughts and behaviors of ourselves and others change our attitudes, but one in which music plays a key role in also.

Yesterday my friend and I were driving to her apartment and on our way their, we always listen to Journey. Why? This is because it brings about feelings of our friendship that we both feel are just between us, a special bond that we share when we are in the car together. We play Journey because it makes us happy and also because when we are listening, we know what parts each of us sings and what parts to dance to. This feeling of connectivity though music has played a key role in the maintaining and starting of many new friendships in my life.

Another way that music can influence our feelings and ultimately our lives is through the radio. We all have our favorite radio stations and we know why they are our favorites--because they play songs that make us happy and songs that we just happen to always be in the mood for. That is the way that human beings think, as cognitively social creatures in which the world is surrounding us. When the radio plays a song that I love, I think how could the radio possibly keep playing songs that are my favorites. What I am unresponsive of are the hundreds of songs that go by in my unconscious mind that provoke no feelings at all.

When I am in my car and stopped at a red light, what differentiates my thoughts between that obnoxious man who is blaring his music next to me and the person I aspire to be playing 80's music behind me? It is the music that they are playing what creates feelings of like or disgust. Another similar circumstance is when you are on iTunes and other people's shared playlists come up. When we are looking at what other people have on their iPod's, we are subconsciously evaluating them. Are we seriously judging people by what music is on their iPod?

Assignment 6: Harry Potter XVI???

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Website Address: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417741/

Release Date: November 21, 2008 (USA)

I chose this movie because when the first Harry Potter movie came out I was in sixth grade. It was something that everyone was into at that time so I jumped on the bandwagon. Since I saw the first movie, I have been a Harry Potter fan all the way; this means that I have gone and seen all five movies since the first one's release.

The website that previews the sixth Harry Potter movie features a complete casting and pictures of everyone next to the role that they play. It also features a forum in which people can comment on the preview of the movie and what they are to expect. This film might not be like others because there has already been a book entitled Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The website also includes facts about the film such as its running time and details about where it was filmed. At the bottom of the page, the website features a section that says, "Other Recommendations for Films". This is basically a section that describes and shows other films that the viewer might be interested in which are related to the film the viewer is currently looking at. Included in this section were the other five Harry Potter films such as The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, and The Order of the Phoenix.
Something that I thought was particularly interesting on the website was that frequently asked questions were shown and you could click on them for the answers. These were questions that I actually had myself so it was quite helpful. If you had a question regarding the movie and it was not under the F.A.Q., you could ask it and the website would do its best to answer it by posting it on the forum for other viewers to see.

Information that I learned from the website are such things as the cast and what other movies they are in. Also, the website appears to be frequently updated so if anything were to come about regarding the new Harry Potter film, it would be posted for all to see.

At the bottom of the website, there are links to movie trailers, ring tones, and games relating to the new movie. These are all features that may be promoted by the film itself to bring in revenue.

The purpose of this website overall was definitely to inform the audience of the main facts relating the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The website absolutely encouraged a continuation of the seven movie sequel because of the pictures of all of the other five movies featured towards the bottom of the page.

Assignment 5: Are Those Real?

We shouldn't necessarily be worried about life on other planets, global worming, or weapons of mass destruction, but what we should be worried about at times is the mass media. The media puts on a show for everyone to see in which different people play different characters and act out different roles. Do you honestly think that the woman in Home and Garden Magazine is actually a perfect prim and proper housewife with a perfect home and a perfect yard? Do you believe that the woman standing at the bar in Cosmopolitan magazine really goes out in that skimpy outfit looking perfect like she appears on the page in front of you? If you think these pictures portray real life, you are heavily mistaken. The media creates a sort of idealism in which effort is put towards the sales of certain products and services. The pictures that we look at and think about are supposed to do just that: make us think.

Often times pictures in magazines and publications are altered to appear idealistic to the publisher or designer of the image. This is done to maximize the effect the image is supposed to have on its audience. Take a look at this image of Kim Kardashian, a Hollywood celebrity, posing for the cover of Complex Magazine. Complex Magazine describes itself as, "The Men's Guide To Consumer Culture." Having said this, what does a half naked woman with only her bra, underwear, and five inch heals on doing on the cover of this magazine? Promotion is the key to this issue. Kim Kardashian is a new up and coming celebrity and she has been featured on new hit television shows on MTV and VH1 including "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" at 10:00pm. This specific image I believe has been digitally enhanced to give Kim a more toned core and smoother all over appearance. Who can have skin that looks that perfect and thighs that are completely free of cellulose? Not to mention the glow that is radiating from her is almost like she is staring at lights which specifically were made to highlight certain parts of her body. This is a completely acceptable use of alterations because they were not drastic that I know of and they are harmless. It is not like they made Kim look emaciated promoting anorexia because Kim Kardashian is anything but skin and bones. She is a curvy woman who is proud of what she was given and she is not afraid to show that.

Magazines have the final say in an alteration of a photo because they own the photo. In today's world, a lot of things are not what they seem and it takes a deeper look to uncover the truth but a deeper look we will take. What is natural? Most everything has been enhanced only for the sake of a company's benefit or the benefit of the person in the photo. If a publication enhances something and creates an offensive image, that should be forbidden. Also forbidden enhancements should include something that is enhanced which promotes unethical behavior.

Assignment 4: Print vs. Online Sources

Anywhere you go, anything you look at, you are constantly surrounded my media. Since we can't escape it, we might as well embrace it. Pretty much everyday right before I get on the bus to head over to campus, I pick up some sort of light reading which highlights current events or stories that have happened in Buffalo or on the University's campuses. My choice is obviously the Spectrum Newspaper because it is the only circulated newspaper around campus. From this source of media, I can retrieve information regarding events, sports, and the latest happenings around Buffalo. Many people rely on this media source for their touch into the outside world. Newspapers and media in general allow us to feel included and up-to-date on current events without having to attend every function and participate in everyday research.

The Spectrum is a student run, student written newspaper which circulates 10,000 copies every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday that the University at Buffalo is in session. In examining the print version and the online version, basically only one similarity arises. Many of the same stories are shown both in the print newspaper and in the online version. Although many of the stories have been shortened online, they are still the same basic stories when you compare them.

Besides the stories being the same, a plethora of differences is displayed between the sources. In the print newspaper, whole stories are printed whereas online, they have been shortened and lack detail. Sometimes in print newspapers in order to get the reader to keep reading, the editors start a new story before finishing a previous one and write: continued on page 5 or whatever page the story continues on. In the online version of the Spectrum, it appears that where those stories were cut off and continued later in the print newspaper, the continuations are left out online. Normally I would say that this is due to fees of newspaper reading. In my hometown Corning, The Corning Leader, a local newspaper has an online source. It only allows you to read a few sentences of every article online because in order to read it fully they want you to buy the newspaper or subscribe daily to it.

Online in the Spectrum Newspaper, there are directories and search engines for anything Spectrum related. There also is easily accessible contact information if you would like to advertise or post your resume.

Although the print version of the Spectrum seems more dense in its content, the online version has many great attributes like searching for past news articles. Both media sources are great ways to catch up on local news and get yourself up to date on events and happenings around the campus and Buffalo, NY.

I thought this was a funny advertisement for a newspaper. It shows that to some people, reading the paper with their cup of coffee in the morning is the most important part of their day.

As far as advertising goes, the print source had great advertising whereas the online Spectrum had none. Some ads in the printed newspaper were full pages, and were very informative. They seemed to be placed very carefully taking into consideration how someone, most likely students and faculty at UB, would read the newspaper. One thing I did notice was that most of the ads were towards the outside of the paper which makes sense because a person reads from left to right, having to go over the ads in order to get to the story and then back over more ads on the next page.

Works Cited

Staff, (2008, Feb 4). The Spectrum

Staff, (2008, Feb 4). The Spectrum. Retrieved February 5, 2008, Web site: http://spectrum.buffalo.edu/

Assignment 3: Censorship or Garbage?

Books are an integral part of American Society. Many times, professors say on the first day of classes, "The book needed for this course is _______. You know, those things in libraries that are filled with paper." This was funny the first twenty times I heard it. As a nineteen year old, I still know what books are. I am not just addicted to the internet like many adults may believe children and young adults are today. Books teach people the past but they do more than that; they do so in a way that allows for interpretation of understanding.

The text explained that 2 out of every 3 American children has read one of the Harry Potter series books. With that said, how are people censoring this information and these specific books? I have not personally read any of them but I know that the information contained in them is all the rage. They allow for one's mind to run free and for one's imagination to let loose. Is this not what we want the children of our society to possess: animated imaginations?

Although public schools may be censoring racist and foul language in music, they should not use the same guidelines when censoring books in their schools. Obviously sex catalogs and drug how to's should not be on school shelves but at the same time, stories involving these topics should not be taken off necessarily. Yes, if a man and woman are having sexual relations in a book and it is on an elementary school shelf, the book should be of elementary reading level which means that it would be put into words like, "They were seeing each other." Reading levels are a great way to censor books much like the way video games have ratings. In a video news clip of Katie Couric, she quotes Judith Croog in saying, "Anyone who thinks a book is inappropriate is free to stop reading it, but added, don't take away my right to choose what I want to read." (I would have posted the video but it was directly from CBS News and it was disabled)

I have never realized that such popular books that I read when I was a child are censored in many American schools due to topics such as sexually explicit, offensive language, violence, promotes homosexuality, promotes religious viewpoint, and antifamily (Baran, 76). While the 'labeling' of books is called censorship, it is not fair that they are taken from shelves altogether. There should be the same laws for all types of media such as video games, movies, television shows, etc. It is important that the many people who are media illiterate know where certain ratings stand on different topics. Ratings and warning labels would be an appropriate way to label books.

On page 75 of Baran's textbook, a compiled list of banned books is shown. I have read such books as Of Mice and Men, The Chocolate War, The Giver, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Color Purple, Beloved, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Outsiders. I have written and enjoyed almost every one of those books and have gone on later to write research papers on the background meanings of these stories. I also have learned some valuable lessons from them and some of the characters even stay in my mind. It is important to let these books stay on shelves because although children may be reading them only for the simplistic story today, they may remember them for the rest of their lives and get something out of them that lies beneath the pages. Remember, books allow for interpretation of understanding.


Works Cited

Baran, Stanley J., (2008). Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Assignment 2: Corporate Takeover...

Internet is a powerful tool; one in which a plethora of opportunity can be derived from. As of right now, just like I will be doing in the next couple of hours, one can post a blog where they can publicly voice their opinion regarding any topic. The Internet is just one avenue that allows people the opportunity of freedom of speech, something that is stated in the Constitution which pertains to all citizens of the United States. Having a voice is easy: point, click, type, post. Although giant corporations like Time Warner, AOL, and Verizon would like control over the internet, they absolutely do not have it yet and anyone has the freedom to voice whatever they want on the Internet.

Corporate domination will eventually take over and limit public dialog. The stage that encompasses the Internet right now is called Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is a term which means that no one single person has complete control over the internet rather, the millions of people who use it do. By giant media corporations having 'ownership' over the Internet would mean putting restrictions and filters on the information that is shown to you on your computer screen. Controlling the information that is available to Internet users is like playing God, corporations will only show sides of stories that make them look good and eventually the world will be controlled by one giant monopoly.
If large corporations were to take over the Internet, prices would skyrocket for Internet service and many people would not enjoy the freedom of surfing the World Wide Web. This is especially true for those that do not live directly in an urban area; rural dwellers would easily pay four times as much for Internet hookup and a monthly service. I do not see corporate domination as a good thing in any direction I look at it. The internet in many ways is like open sourced software, people can add to it for a minimal fee, if even a fee at all. That is what got the internet to what it is today, the thousands of people who come up with amazing ideas and implement them publicly for everyone to see.
On some levels, corporate domination is apparent already in relation to the Internet. Microsoft and Apple, the two computer software powerhouses, are being paid billions of dollars for certain brand advertising by other companies. Yes, it is true that businesses pay these software companies to display their logos or make them the default page when one opens their computer. This is where brand advertising steps into place. Corporate domination will continue to follow the flow of money which is always increasing. One can only wonder that if the Internet were to become completely controlled by one company, if advancements and technology would follow in the fast past footsteps of its predecessors.

Works Cited:
Network neutrality. (2008, January 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:49, January 24, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Network_neutrality&oldid=186552131

Assignment 1: Do Not Believe Everything You See

Whether we like it or not, the media is constantly surrounding us. It bombards us with new information or reminders about present situations on what is 'cool' in today's society. A popular current media outpouring is focused on 'going green', or saving the environment from further human damage. People are concerned that the environment and resources we have so greatly enjoyed might not be around for our grandchildren or even our children. Celebrities have even latched on to the campaign to bring awareness to the world to conserve natural resources and to help support the reduce, reuse, recycle method of living. Wherever you are or have been in the last year, you most likely have heard of this gigantic media message regarding a greener world.
The media literate person will inevitably gain more of an understanding of the culture that surrounds him/her. By being in an environment in which someone is actively interacting by asking questions and engaging in a deeper thought process, one will gain a multi-layered understanding of the culture around them. Taking the first step to use your mind to challenge the media will expose aspects of culture that may have been hidden. For example, how would someone know about the current military situation in a foreign country if they only were exposed to the media's side of the story? Often times, we only see one side of the story because we do not do our own research and investigation of information, we let the media do it for us because it is easier to turn on the news, or read the paper.
Not all media content will take an active role in clarifying the way we understand our culture. We might not always understand why the media will latch onto something and not let it out of their sight for months or even sometimes years. On the other hand, what some people might not comprehend is that everything the media does, they are doing it because they think that is what we want to see. They think we want to see Brittney Spears on the cover of every celebrity magazine and on every news channel being strapped to a bed and rolled into a hospital.

For some reason, that’s what they think we want to see. For the most part, we do want to see groundbreaking stories and hear of shocking instances affecting the world however, the bottom line is that the media controls what we do and do not see. This then affects what we interpret and evaluate when we are searching for and understanding our culture.
Understanding media may not always give you a clear picture of one's personal culture. Culture is the story that has been around and the new one that we are creating in our lives therefore; the media may be a misrepresentation of one's own culture. Gaining a personal insight into oneself may require challenges and questions and I am not sure the media is the right place to look for the answers.


Work Cited

WGBH Educational Foundation (1999-2008). Frontline: Merchants of Cool.
Retrieved Jan 16, 2008 from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/