Monday, January 31, 2011
Reply to La'dawn Fleming's review: Newspapers
Did you mean defiantly or did you mean definitely? Regardless, you are correct in the fact that it takes a lot of effort to decipher true statements. Even more so determining if the story or report itself is over-embellished, biased and/or exaggerated. Due to several press industries shutting down and the increase in conglomerate corporations that are controlling some of the major press industries left, rises a big concern. (E.g. News Corp., with a revenue of $28.65 billion in 2007, contains "New York Post" "Wall Street Journal" "Ottaway Newspapers"{containing 27 local newspapers}etc.) A dramatic increase of cities containing only one press source creates a lack of competition between individual stories and double coverage of the same stories with opposing reports in different perspectives. It is this competition that promoted and incoherently enforced this image of credibility in the first place. The bottom line is this. It is your responsibility as a literate media consumer to interpret, understand, and question all alleged articles you analyze. On the other hand, as for Internet newsgroups, save the traditional press industries extending their service online in order to attract and keep their readers, their credibility should indeed be severely challenged and investigated.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Can't wait untill the Super Bowl
Okay, I'll be honest... I'm not too interested in watching the Bowl February 6th, save the beer and food. However, commercials are the true reason I'm going to be tuned in on the channel. Sometime after the 6th I'll have my review posted here about the process and effects of the massive advertising campaigns sponsoring this anticipated event. But on a real note.... if the game goes into overtime, "Papa John's Pizza" claims they will supply everyone who comes into the restaurant with there very own pizza. For their sake lets hope it doesn't but on the other hand I wouldn't mind some pizza. Plus, free pizza always tastes way better, doesn't it though? Don't be shy. Interact with my page, post a blog or take a survey. Your time and involvement would be most appreciated.
Thank you and I anticipate your responses.
Thank you and I anticipate your responses.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Various media and their techniques
The media is like popcorn and we eat it up. According to my recent personal consumption log, I don't just eat it, I devour it. Unlike popcorn though, the media communicates through renowned mediums which include radio, television, books, etc. These mediums, also known as sources, are discovered byproducts of constructed paths through which the media can funnel messages. This can be better defined as mass communication, the process of creating shared media. My mass media consumption log gave me the opportunity to analyze each medium and devise a summary of their techniques and abilities to communicate. I took the top three preferred mediums of my two day log, critically examined them and determined their individual characteristics. In spite of the fact that they end in the same result, attracting mass consumer attention, each mediums specific method used in order to achieve said result is inherently unique.
Although not documented in my log, a huge portion of my life has been religiously consumed by video game media. They keep us highly entertained. One of the clever things about video games is the way they hold your attention. Really, they do it by giving you the power, letting you hold the controller. Yet another impressive tactic is their ability to keep that same attention for longer periods of time. Maybe this is why the average American video gamer is 34 years old. This smart and tangible method of media provides direct exposure and reaches out to the masses. This is achieved through many formats but mainly appeals to our inner child/ superhero complex/ primitive ‘survival of the fittest’ attitudes and allows us to free our imaginations in various fantasy lands.
Radio was one of the most prevalent forms of media. Is that really any surprise though? Music is what wakes me up every morning, what I sing along to in the shower, and what keeps me company during the ride to school. It plays an essential role in our everyday lives as a powerful commodity through which mass communication is effectively distributed. This, along with TV, books, magazines, and other various industries, has long been embraced as an integral part of our civilized culture. It has continued to grow in both content and areas reached, in proportion to society’s growth and expectations. Even knowing this, it wasn’t until this recent personal study that my eyes were opened to just how substantial is the amount of media I’m actually exposed to. If asked before, I’d have guessed I listened to about as much radio as the average American, 3 hours a day. In actuality, I listen to the radio an average of 4 ½ hours a day. In logging, I showed that in one day I spent almost 9 hours total listening to this medium. How was that possible? One of the perks of radio as mass communication is that it is heard instead of watched. This allows it to become a “normal” part of the background noise while we are busy with other activities. We don’t even notice it anymore, which opens the door for a steady stream of indirect, sometimes even subliminal, media exposure. In the U.S., even if you’re not looking for something to buy, you’re still likely to be exposed to 3500 advertising messages a day. That’s a powerful media tool.
What really threw me back in my chair though was the ever growing magnet, charting a whopping 5 hours per day in my log, (8 hours per day if you compounded me listening to the radio through it as well) otherwise known as the internet. With its limitless ability to evolve, enhance, as well as enrich itself, it also quite literally liberates the consumer to pick, choose, and tailor their personal media intake all the way down to the home page. This ridiculously advanced medium, already implemented into cell phones and portable devices, is obviously an unstoppable revolution. We should be extra careful not to be oblivious to creating things that are out of our own control.
With so many methods utilized in media distribution, you are almost constantly being bombarded with information, whether directly or indirectly, with or without your knowledge. When you vaguely hear a catchy song emitting from the Starbucks patio speakers, beat Campaign mode just to brag to your friends that it was easy, chat away on Facebook for hours on end, or a myriad of other multimedia activities, the result is the same; you have successfully been immersed in the ever-expanding world of mass communication.
If you'd like to learn more on this subject, click here
Although not documented in my log, a huge portion of my life has been religiously consumed by video game media. They keep us highly entertained. One of the clever things about video games is the way they hold your attention. Really, they do it by giving you the power, letting you hold the controller. Yet another impressive tactic is their ability to keep that same attention for longer periods of time. Maybe this is why the average American video gamer is 34 years old. This smart and tangible method of media provides direct exposure and reaches out to the masses. This is achieved through many formats but mainly appeals to our inner child/ superhero complex/ primitive ‘survival of the fittest’ attitudes and allows us to free our imaginations in various fantasy lands.
Radio was one of the most prevalent forms of media. Is that really any surprise though? Music is what wakes me up every morning, what I sing along to in the shower, and what keeps me company during the ride to school. It plays an essential role in our everyday lives as a powerful commodity through which mass communication is effectively distributed. This, along with TV, books, magazines, and other various industries, has long been embraced as an integral part of our civilized culture. It has continued to grow in both content and areas reached, in proportion to society’s growth and expectations. Even knowing this, it wasn’t until this recent personal study that my eyes were opened to just how substantial is the amount of media I’m actually exposed to. If asked before, I’d have guessed I listened to about as much radio as the average American, 3 hours a day. In actuality, I listen to the radio an average of 4 ½ hours a day. In logging, I showed that in one day I spent almost 9 hours total listening to this medium. How was that possible? One of the perks of radio as mass communication is that it is heard instead of watched. This allows it to become a “normal” part of the background noise while we are busy with other activities. We don’t even notice it anymore, which opens the door for a steady stream of indirect, sometimes even subliminal, media exposure. In the U.S., even if you’re not looking for something to buy, you’re still likely to be exposed to 3500 advertising messages a day. That’s a powerful media tool.
What really threw me back in my chair though was the ever growing magnet, charting a whopping 5 hours per day in my log, (8 hours per day if you compounded me listening to the radio through it as well) otherwise known as the internet. With its limitless ability to evolve, enhance, as well as enrich itself, it also quite literally liberates the consumer to pick, choose, and tailor their personal media intake all the way down to the home page. This ridiculously advanced medium, already implemented into cell phones and portable devices, is obviously an unstoppable revolution. We should be extra careful not to be oblivious to creating things that are out of our own control.
With so many methods utilized in media distribution, you are almost constantly being bombarded with information, whether directly or indirectly, with or without your knowledge. When you vaguely hear a catchy song emitting from the Starbucks patio speakers, beat Campaign mode just to brag to your friends that it was easy, chat away on Facebook for hours on end, or a myriad of other multimedia activities, the result is the same; you have successfully been immersed in the ever-expanding world of mass communication.
If you'd like to learn more on this subject, click here
Will newspapers die?
Even though investments have increased from 24% to at least 30% over the years, I keep hearing that newspapers are going to fail. Yes, it seems apparent due to the effects of Internet and its plethora of knowledge. My question to you is this. Are the sources you go to credible? This is just something for you to think about. Credibility is the reason newspapers have ceased to fail. The fact is newspapers are as healthy as ever. They didn't disappear when radio (1920's) and TV (1950's) threatened their existence. Huge conglomerates now own several newspaper industries. Shouldn't this only secure newspapers as a powerful and convenient medium source, providing a financial backbone preventing bankruptcy if it happened to occur? The problem about conglomerates, some say, is their influence on newspaper content. Newspapers are the most credible form of media but what happens if this is changed? Ads on the front page suggesting to eat at a particular restaurant as well as the rise of soft news and irrelevant articles, in my opinion, is what will eventually destroy credibility, thus killing off the newspaper. People need the newspaper to inform the public about real and imperative issues. Not about the latest pop-star on the rise. The last thing we really need is the Hollywoodisation" of newspapers. This will only taint the newspaper's reputation. We need to protect our traditional medium even if we don't read it ourselves. Let me know your opinions on this. I would be happy to discuss it with you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)