Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fake News
Among the millions of articles, news stories and facts, written in newspapers, magazines and online every day, there are many that are a product of propaganda and are corporately funded, in the United-States and Canada, many networks and radio stations are owned by companies, Disney owning ABC news and Rogers owning various radio networks.
Even Chuck Klosterman admits in his novel Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs:
“Are media outlets controlled by massive, conservative corporations? Well, of course they are. Massive conservative corporations control everything.”
This draws the conclusion of what I have said before, in the case of networks and papers that are owned by corporations or are dominated by political ideology are “one sided and one sided alone”. Many stories have been written with intensions purely on interesting as many as possible with such things as pictures and interesting headlines but just as an advertisement you spot at a bus stop their intention is focused on manipulating the reader to one side. Buying that particular product or buying a news story. Readers of news papers or websites must use their discretion and reasoning to establish the facts that come out of an article that are on an objective level and the ones that come with strings attached.
Works Cited
-Klosterman, Chuck. Sex Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs. 2nd ed. New York City, USA: SCRIBNER, 2003. Print.
Even Chuck Klosterman admits in his novel Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs:
“Are media outlets controlled by massive, conservative corporations? Well, of course they are. Massive conservative corporations control everything.”
This draws the conclusion of what I have said before, in the case of networks and papers that are owned by corporations or are dominated by political ideology are “one sided and one sided alone”. Many stories have been written with intensions purely on interesting as many as possible with such things as pictures and interesting headlines but just as an advertisement you spot at a bus stop their intention is focused on manipulating the reader to one side. Buying that particular product or buying a news story. Readers of news papers or websites must use their discretion and reasoning to establish the facts that come out of an article that are on an objective level and the ones that come with strings attached.
Works Cited
-Klosterman, Chuck. Sex Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs. 2nd ed. New York City, USA: SCRIBNER, 2003. Print.
Theory/Praxis
Ideology in a nutshell means the study of the nature and origin of ideas which is basically the study of knowledge and its foundation. A lot of ideology came from philosophers and the root definition to the term ‘Philosophy’ meant the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.
A lot of the systems and principles of education, politics and law were founded by histories oldest philosophers who came to subjective conclusions of things but none the less provided well thought of ideas and beliefs under the influence of religion and their environment. These were philosophers such as Aristotle who developed the first University and created the first encyclopaedia. He was a pioneer in the Ancient Greek times and started what we know of today as structured and divided knowledge, things such as courses or degree programs. Another philosopher who was well known for establishing the idea that Greek Mythology was not an effective belief system had many flaws was Socrates who had many followers and posed such big questions of existence and truth. Both ancient philosophers however started their foundation of knowledge and conclusions through subjective ideas and thoughts which came from their peers but mainly from their perspective on the world and its existence.
Media in many ways is like this, any given day when I wake up to when go to bed I am affected by not just one ‘Mass Media’ but many mediums. My music, the newspaper, magazine articles, advertisements, online research, every given medium is subject to another. These mediums draw their knowledge and understanding from other mediums and so on and so forth. Any given medium is subjective but we also need to realize that like knowledge we hear or receive from others, media is the same basis of different sides and information collaborating together in an endless sea of discovery and knowledge.
Works Cited
-"Dictionary.com. " Dictionary.reference.com. 12 Oct. 2009. Random House Dictionary, Web. 13 Oct 2009..
A lot of the systems and principles of education, politics and law were founded by histories oldest philosophers who came to subjective conclusions of things but none the less provided well thought of ideas and beliefs under the influence of religion and their environment. These were philosophers such as Aristotle who developed the first University and created the first encyclopaedia. He was a pioneer in the Ancient Greek times and started what we know of today as structured and divided knowledge, things such as courses or degree programs. Another philosopher who was well known for establishing the idea that Greek Mythology was not an effective belief system had many flaws was Socrates who had many followers and posed such big questions of existence and truth. Both ancient philosophers however started their foundation of knowledge and conclusions through subjective ideas and thoughts which came from their peers but mainly from their perspective on the world and its existence.
Media in many ways is like this, any given day when I wake up to when go to bed I am affected by not just one ‘Mass Media’ but many mediums. My music, the newspaper, magazine articles, advertisements, online research, every given medium is subject to another. These mediums draw their knowledge and understanding from other mediums and so on and so forth. Any given medium is subjective but we also need to realize that like knowledge we hear or receive from others, media is the same basis of different sides and information collaborating together in an endless sea of discovery and knowledge.
Works Cited
-"Dictionary.com. " Dictionary.reference.com. 12 Oct. 2009. Random House Dictionary, Web. 13 Oct 2009.
Decoding/ Deconstructing Advertising
Advertisement has a huge play in our society and has a major influence on consumerism and what we by sometimes even subconsciously. Its intention is to draw us into a product or brand name with such tactics as appeal of the senses, sex appeal, humour or witty slogans, but there comes a time when advertisements push the envelope and go too far. This add from Nike, shows its logo on a beaten down wall and its slogan ‘Just Do it’ written below it and to the left we can see a young child urinating.
This add which had the intention of being comical comes off as both condescending and exploitative. This is obvious that this photo was taken in an impoverished place and quite possibly a third world country judging by the condition of the wall and the clothing the kid is wearing. The humour in the idea that the kid takes the slogan “Just do it” so literal to the extent of urinating on a wall is overshadowed by the discrimination against millions of people that this advertisement displays.
One dark side to media that many of us know of is the stereotypes that many advertisements, articles or stories can insinuate this add being one of them. It is condescending and offensive to many people who were raised in such communities and implies a false and hurtful message.
In the novel Ways of Seeing, John Berger gives a very strong fully worded depiction on adds and their methods of how to draw in consumers:
“Publicity principally addressed to the working class tends to promise a personal transformation through the function of the particular product it is selling (Cinderella); middle-class publicity promises a transformation of relationships through an ensemble of products (The Enchanted Palace).”
This advertisement is a perfect example of how kids such as our class have to become more media literate and have better discretion on the media world.
Works Cited
Berger, John. "Ways of Seeing". 3rd ed. Toronto,Ontario: Penguin Books Ltd,, 2008. Print.
The Ecology of Media
When the much anticipated Smartphone came out it was a form of technology that no one was accustomed to and had a lot of marketing and resourceful potential it practically came out and grabbed people by the collar. Soon the average user could check their emails, use their phone as a basic pc and do such things as get map directions and research facts straight from their phone. It was efficiency and usefulness at its best that made communication a little easier for the common human and everyone’s reach a little longer. This newly discovered technology meant a lot of marketing potential and a vastness of new applications and features that would mean a whole new meaning of the word ‘phone’. Eventually people came to the realization that the modern phone is now practically used for everything aside making calls to people. Many youths between the ages of 14-28 are using their phones for texting, email, news, games, music, video recording, cameras (some having as much as 8 Mp!), social networking and even blogs. With so many other uses aside from calling your parents or friends it makes you wonder, what the modern definition of a phone is?
With these new sides of technology that come with many modern phones: texting, news, 3 G networking and so on, it seems that the social component of a phone has changed as well. Calling is one of the most personal and social means of communicating with an individual but now it almost seems impractical. More communication is done through texting in one day then calling and everything else is done either through email or Facebook.
This observation of one’s everyday life of communicating with people truly reflects the idea that with more communication capabilities comes more miscommunication. I support the idea that a phone can be used for such uses as a camera, video camera and email but have we come to the point where such extensions of technology for something as simple as a phone have lead us to social isolation and lack of connection?
I feel that the Smartphone is good for some but worse for others because it can have a strong grasp on the habits and character of everyday people with so many usages and functions. As convenient and appealing these devices such as Blackberries and iphones may seem, it simply another medium that gives the idea that such a device is needed but is only another way to attract mass consumerism. Personally, I’ll stick with my old phone thank you very much.
With these new sides of technology that come with many modern phones: texting, news, 3 G networking and so on, it seems that the social component of a phone has changed as well. Calling is one of the most personal and social means of communicating with an individual but now it almost seems impractical. More communication is done through texting in one day then calling and everything else is done either through email or Facebook.
This observation of one’s everyday life of communicating with people truly reflects the idea that with more communication capabilities comes more miscommunication. I support the idea that a phone can be used for such uses as a camera, video camera and email but have we come to the point where such extensions of technology for something as simple as a phone have lead us to social isolation and lack of connection?
I feel that the Smartphone is good for some but worse for others because it can have a strong grasp on the habits and character of everyday people with so many usages and functions. As convenient and appealing these devices such as Blackberries and iphones may seem, it simply another medium that gives the idea that such a device is needed but is only another way to attract mass consumerism. Personally, I’ll stick with my old phone thank you very much.
Mass Media
After the lectures and discussions we’ve had in class I have come to terms that mass media has a different connotation to any given culture or group of people and therefore the word just like a language, always has a different meaning. In black and white on paper the definition of “mass media” is the means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people, especially newspapers, popular magazines, radio and television.
Despite the fact that the denotation for the word “mass media” reflects it as mediums or means of communication that effect large numbers of people, the connotation of the word media is always different form culture to culture or person to person. As a youth the mass media would typically be the internet and everyday information that they would get from websites and newsfeeds. Where for someone who is middle-aged mass media for their age group is radio or newspapers.
In the novel Ways of Seeing by John Berger it has been made clear that in ancient history paintings were the dominating medium or ‘Mass Media ‘that had the greatest influence ont he way many viewed their government and environment:
‘No other kind of relic or text form the past can offer such a direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer than literature.’
The uniqueness of “mass media” is that even if one medium, for example the internet had the greatest influence on the adolescents it is affected that every other given medium. Every medium, whether it’s internet or a newspaper has an effect or influence on the other, like us as individuals, we are responsible for all our actions and inactions that have an effect on each other than in time effects each and every one of us. Even when I found the definition of “Mass Media” on a website there is no straight generic meaning of the words ‘Mass Media’ and could have different meaning in a dictionary, encyclopaedia or in the connotation of a ‘newspaper’. Therefore there is no exact mass media yet until every government in the world perhaps puts telescreens into every persons home.
Works Cited
-Lloyd Sauza, Francis "Definition of Mass Media." Definition of Mass Media. 9 Jul. 2008. EzineArticles.com. 12 Oct 2009.
-Berger, John. "Ways of Seeing". 3rd ed. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Books Ltd, 2008. Print.
Despite the fact that the denotation for the word “mass media” reflects it as mediums or means of communication that effect large numbers of people, the connotation of the word media is always different form culture to culture or person to person. As a youth the mass media would typically be the internet and everyday information that they would get from websites and newsfeeds. Where for someone who is middle-aged mass media for their age group is radio or newspapers.
In the novel Ways of Seeing by John Berger it has been made clear that in ancient history paintings were the dominating medium or ‘Mass Media ‘that had the greatest influence ont he way many viewed their government and environment:
‘No other kind of relic or text form the past can offer such a direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer than literature.’
The uniqueness of “mass media” is that even if one medium, for example the internet had the greatest influence on the adolescents it is affected that every other given medium. Every medium, whether it’s internet or a newspaper has an effect or influence on the other, like us as individuals, we are responsible for all our actions and inactions that have an effect on each other than in time effects each and every one of us. Even when I found the definition of “Mass Media” on a website there is no straight generic meaning of the words ‘Mass Media’ and could have different meaning in a dictionary, encyclopaedia or in the connotation of a ‘newspaper’. Therefore there is no exact mass media yet until every government in the world perhaps puts telescreens into every persons home.
Works Cited
-Lloyd Sauza, Francis "Definition of Mass Media." Definition of Mass Media. 9 Jul. 2008. EzineArticles.com. 12 Oct 2009
-Berger, John. "Ways of Seeing". 3rd ed. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Books Ltd, 2008. Print.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Academic Blogging
When I first thought about the process of setting up a blog I began to think about the thought I had on the process of setting up a tent before I set one up. The idea of doing such a thing seemed very interesting to voice my own opinion, share an idea with the world and see what comes of it. The same idea applied to a tent, when it is put up it provided shelter, warmth security.....but come on! I didn't know anything about putting up a tent! As soon as I started thinking about the tedious process of setting up either one I was already discouraged and thinking of short cuts to take or to totally avoid doing such a task.
Maybe I could sleep under a big tree and hope it doesn’t rain? Maybe I could just use my Facebook status as a blog ? Maybe I'm native country? I could see if I could borrow one of their tepees! Hey! My old MySpace account is sill around from hishchool, I could use that!?
As soon as you start the process of either putting up a tent or setting up a blog you realize that it was nothing like you anticipated. After all setting up a tent's not exactly like putting up a pyramid, and setting up a blog took me all of about 3 minutes. After doing which your left with something that is very resourceful and leaves you with non-stop fulfilment both of which can only be used at full effectiveness when shared with other people.
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