Day 4: A Map of the World

Today we started out by looking at the website Worldmapper. It was fascinating looking at all of the different maps representing various topics like literacy or AIDS. The maps helped bring the issues to life by having the countries themselves represent the data instead of just a graph or chart. It created a great visual and also worked well for learning some geography. I could see it being a great site for every subject. I am a science teacher and there were several maps that I could use in my classes, including some that represented the amount of science research in each country. I think it could be a great way to start a discussion and I could see creating an assignment where students went to the site and looked at the data. A discussion forum could be used to have the students share what they have found.

We also looked at some websites discussing the results of the supreme court ruling on the healthcare plan. We looked at Rush Limbaugh's website and he presented it as a way for the government to levy unlimited taxes, since now behavior can be taxed. This seems like basic scare tactics. I think he needs the healthcare plan to be really bad so that he can rationalize why we should give up covering kids up to age 25 and not penalize people with preexisting conditions. This whole issue isn't over. At some point we have to decide as a society if healthcare is a privilege or a right. We pay for everyone's healthcare one way or another, so the real point seems to be about who pays and who profits.

 In addition we read two articles to see if the data matched the headlines. I have to say I missed the boat on the article that I read. It completely went over my head that the data didn't really relate the father's to the sons in terms of income. I just saw that they looked at two generations and assumed that they were talking about fathers and sons. That's one of the difficult issues in media literacy. How do you stop yourself from assuming things? I guess it just takes more practice.

Day 3: Ethics in Journalism and Images

Today we discussed ethics in journalism and did some activities relating to how ideas are communicated. I'm sure you could have a whole class on both of these topics. I am sure that people who run the media industry are very well educated on how to use visual images to send a message. At the very least, they would hire people who are. I think one of the powers of images is the ability to send a message that the viewer gets subliminally. People analyzing the photos might get the message on a conscious level, but even those who take the time to do that couldn't possibly do it for all the images coming at them. Here are some of the ideas that came from the Eye on Image-Making: Looking vs. Seeing article. -Angle we look at the photograph is important.
-How much space?
-Is it up close?
-Tonality and color. Is it dark or light?
-Colors used?
-Which way is the subject looking?
-Size relationships.
-Environment the photo was made in
-Historical, social and cultural environment.
-For example, many Americans probably go about their daily lives never questioning the basic premises of our social system, such as the value of hard work, the rewards of family life, the importance of obeying the law, and so forth. Ethics in journalism is obviously another huge topic. It seems to me that the free market system is probably not going to reward ethical journalism. The emphasis has to be on the money if the journalist depends on the marketplace to keep their job. The only way I can imagine having ethical journalism would be to have it subsidized by other parts of the newspaper or TV show. I think that's the way it was in the past at the networks, but as TV gets more competitive, I'm getting the feeling they no longer have that luxury. It's also harder for the public to worry about ethics in journalism if they are concerned with their own survival. I know that for myself, I can only stomach the news if my life is going okay. If I'm worried about my own job or future, I'm more likely to gravitate to escapism. So in the end, I think to have ethical journalism, I think you need a stable society with people who have the time to worry about such things.

Day 2: What Would Don Draper Do?

Today we discussed how companies put their advertisements in movies and TV. It's an interesting topic because we have all noticed how advertising has changed recently due to the ability to skip commercials. More and more of the advertising is placed into movies and TV within the content rather than as a separate commercial. This seemed to annoy some of the students in the class more than others. I find is annoying mainly when I notice it because it takes me out of the story I am watching. It also concerns me because the ability to advertise becomes more important than the actual content. Movies that sell cars, toys and phones more easily will more likely be green lighted, which makes for less variety in our entertainment. However, with all that said, I don't really think it is unethical. If we put up with ads in our movies and TV then they will continue to make them that way. If people gravitate towards entertainment that does not embed ads, maybe there will be a market for that. We are a society that puts such an emphasis on the bottom line that it seems that we are getting what we deserve. The only way I can see to avoid this sort of product placement in our entertainment is to reward those who don't do it. Perhaps premium cable will make it a point of being above product placement to draw in those who are willing to pay for it. That's what we used to have to do to avoid the ads, maybe that's what we'll have to do again.

Day 1: Zombies and the Media

While we were discussing media literacy and the possible problems of having so much of the media owned by so few corporations, I made the connection with a book I'm reading. World War Z is a novel that answers the question "Just how did the zombies take over the world?". The connection with media literacy is that it lays out the worst case scenario of what might happen when the media works only for short term gain an not for the public good. It seems silly enough, but our Chinese visitor commented on how the Chinese media did not really deal with the SARS epidemic in an honest way. In World War Z the zombie epidemic begins in China, because the author sees it as the place most likely to cover up the problem. However he also shows the American Government and media covering up the problem as well because it would interfere with the economy. I don't know if the author is really out to comment on the today's media and political landscape or if it's just a convenient rationalization for the book. I can see things continuing as they are as long as people don't see it as affecting their own personal well being. However, one would think that if people feel that they are being left in the dark about something important, there might be the political will to make some changes. That's my hope at any rate, that if the system gets too far out of whack, people will be motivated to set it straight.

Introduction

This is the place where I will reflect on what we have discussed in class and on our readings. I will use this space to gather my thoughts before each class so that our group discussions will be more productive. I will use it to keep track of ideas or resources that I would like to return to later.