Media Revelation 9-10

Media Revelation #9) Word to Image

Neil Postman in Amusing Ourselves to Death talks about how media trends have shifted away from the words and toward images (page 7).  This trend is due largely to television being a visual medium more so then a medium of sound.  Many people argue that there is a sort of advertising for things that happen because people get the idea through seeing it on television (postman bottom of page 7).  The difference between pictures and words is that pictures don't require you to think about it much.   They are mainly designed to target the limbic brain  in order to evoke an emotional response.  Advertisers have knowledge of this, and will use it when advertising to the mass public.   

Photography 

Media Revelation #10)  Personal Shifts

An important thing I learned from all of our books was that less and less people read newspapers and books while more people are using cellphones and computers.  The mass public has a computer with internet access at home that they use for a news source as well as keeping in touch with social networks such as facebook or twitter.  Our values are shifting away from personal and toward participatory partially due to advances in technology and their availability to the public.  As we get used to these things they will become a bigger part of our lives and I can guarantee the way we keep in touch will once again be revolutionized just as it has in the past years.   I feel as though this class has helped me become much more of a critical thinker about daily media issues.  I have learned a lot about media and how to use it as a tool to communicate.  Perhaps the most important thing I learned was to question what you hear and don't hear.    

Did You Know 

Media Revelation 7-8

Media Revelation #7): Cultural Shifts

One major revelation i had in this class was that media is changing our cultural values away from privacy and toward surveillance. This has partially to do with the connectivity available to us each and every day. I found it shocking to learn that advertisers monitor your internet searches, calls, ect, in order to build an advertising profile for each person. Then when you are online, pop-ups are designed to target you specifically. These profiles have also been used by politicians to narrowcast. These personality profiles are another way in which we are similar to the kids in Feed. This is evidence that we are moving toward an age of hyper-commercialism where advertising to us from as many mediums as possible as much as possible becomes the main goal. Also, sites such as twitter allow us to know what people are doing across the globe without even talking to them. This will eventually replace calling people because it's going to me much more convenient to check their tweet rather then calling them. As convergence continues to grow and we stay more connected social sites will continue to grow. In conclusion, what i gather is that we are only as subject to surveillance as we allow ourselves to be. I included the video below because it shows how surveillance can be used in a negative way rather then protecting our safety. The 2nd video below shows how each time you use technology it can be monitored, from computers to credit cards.

Harry The Hacker

Monitoring

Media Revelation #8) Media / Politics

A major thing I learned is that media influences the way politics are conducted. Page 97 in Amusing Ourselves To Death talks about how candidates were worried about their visual impressions rather then debating the issues. Television changed the way we elected our presidents because all of the sudden appearance began to play a role. One can argue that media has a positive change on the debates because now anybody could listen and watch them, but did it really? We as human being judge others, its part of our nature. If we see a candidate on television we will be influenced by their appearance even if we think we are not.

Also, now that advertisers are able to view individuals information they can narrowcast. This basically means telling certain people different things from other when door to door campaigning. This is shady business because everyone should know the same information about the candidate so they can make their best choice. Narrowcasting is a way for politicians to hide certain issues from some demographics because those facts will hurt their votes. The video below is Katie Couric talking about how the political news isn't really news because everyone knew who was going to run for president even before.

Announcing Presidential Candidates

Media Revelation 5-6

Media Revelation #5): Media is a GIANT Distraction

A big point I learned by reading Amusing Ourselves to Death was that modern media is changing society and its through the medias successful distractions. On page 52 Neil Postman talks about how meaningful content used to be the center of attention, now we are distracted by stories that have no influence on our lives. On page 16 Postman discusses how Tv sets the theme for the nation because it in a way defines us. This is because the majority of the country does not question the tube; many people rely on television as their only source of news. Television along with drugs, video games, amusement parks, and anything else entertaining is designed to distract the public off serious issues. Neil Postman on page xi says... the phenomenon whereby the reporting of a horrific event, a rape or a five alarm fire or global warming is followed immediately by the anchor cheerfully exclaiming... The video I posted below talks about how the Gaza story is below the fold on the main newspaper meaning it's not as important. They try to argue how we have more important issues to worry about then Gaza, but really its a distraction to take your mind off this serious issue. What i gather from this is that we are a very un-informed public, because we are far to distracted with living our daily lives which we take for granted.

VIDEO

Media Revelation #6): Convergence

Media is shifting away from discrete and toward convergence. What this means is that new technologies allow us to stay connected to anybody in the world at any time. Cell phones revolutionized the way we communicate when they became available to the mass public. Now cell phones have evolved into internet phones that allow us to keep in touch with individual people as well as our social networks. This new convergence allows advertisers to build personal profiles for people depending on their searches. The advertisers are then able to use this information to target audiences with individualized advertisements that will pop up. If this trend of connectivity continues to grow, which I'm sure it will be may soon be living in a world similar to that in FEED. On page 97 the book talks about how everything they grew up with, from the stories on the feed to the games, is just stem lining their personalities so that it is easier to sell to them. The video below touches on how print media is down while cell phone and internet usage is still increasing. Sites like myspace and facebook are also majors in pushing this trend of convergence because we are able to access them and keep in touch remotely.

Did You Know ? Convergence Video

Media Revelation 3-4

Media Revelation # 3:) The Triune Brain

One of the first things we learned about in this class is the triune brain. The triune brain consists of three parts; the reptilian brain, the limbic brain, and the neo-cortex. The reptilian brain controls all of our natural functions such as breathing, mating, fighting, ect. The limbic brain processes emotional stimulus such as pictures and music. The neo-cortex is the newest part of the brain, this is engaged when you are reading, writing, learning, or just in deep thought. If you have every worked on something and not realized how much time has passed that is because all three of your brains are engaged and you are very focused on what you are doing. Knowing about the triune brain is important when studying media because we can understand how the media is trying to target us. Many commercials aim to target the limbic brain because people have such strong emotions and will often act on them. Whenever an add begins with capturing photographs or music it is targeting your limbic brain. I am now aware of how advertisers will try to engage different parts of your brain through their commercials. Our cheat sheet we got for class lists many persuasive techniques found in modern day media. Each of these are designed to target different parts of the brain.

Example of limbic brain targeted video: There's a war going on for your mind

Media Revelation #4:) Ownership

When addressing mass media it is impossible to overlook the ownership of these outlets. What one will find is that all major companies are owned by one of 6 corporate conglomerates; Disney, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner, Sony, and Vivendi. Our textbook Media/Society talks about the issue of media ownership and how we cannot believe anything we hear because it is controlled by the same people. This ownership impacts what the public is told and is even the main cause behind media censorship. Media/ Society on pages 49-52 talks about how as these conglomerates continue to grow narrower the information available to us will become less diverse. In other word though more concentrated the ownership becomes though increasingly uniform the content will get. This is crucial because people don't realize that their lives are run by a few of the super wealthy that make up these corporations. The video below shows how this control is broken up between corporations.

Rich Media, Poor Democracy

Media Revelation 1-2

Media Revelation #1.) Hyper-reality

Media has created this hyper reality altering our image of reality. Most people don’t understand that media is just a tool of distraction and that it is designed to entertain us. Amusing Ourselves To Death on page 76 talks about how thing are not really as they appear. What we see is just a snapshot, which is often misleading when taken out of context. On page 87 the book talks about how television is turning media into pure entertainment. Even the news is structured to entertaining when it’s often presenting every serious context. The issues covered don’t get the airtime and the attention they deserve to be properly interpreted by the public. Therefore, one cannot simply believe everything that the media tells us. One must learn to critically question the media in search of the truth.

“network”

Media Revelation #2.) Censorship

Media has no obligation or inspiration to tell the truth. Many stories are censored or put out of context so that we don’t think too much about them. Once someone realizes that a few corporate conglomerates control the media they can understand why these stories are censored. These conglomerates will not let stories that will hurt their business get out to the public. Censored directly addresses many of these stories that never made it on the air. One of the more shocking stories in the book that I figured would get a lot of air time is the United States selling toxic products to the public. I never heard this story before reading the chapter in the book. Selling cloned meat to the public is another one of those stories that didn’t receive enough airtime to raise awareness of the issue. Yet both these things are happening as we speak, yet the news is not addressing them as serious issues as they really are.

Media / Truth –Short Video

Cloned Meat –CNN Story

Media Meditation #8: Racism in Modern Media

Oprah Racism Clip

Racism can partially be blamed on the media and the image it has created for the minorities other then white people. The video above with Oprah is shocking to see kids picking out the black doll as the "bad doll" without much hesitation. The black person is always shown as being a drug dealer, mess-up, or just bad person in general. Our book Media Society book talks about race created stereotypes. The media is what creates these stereotypes and after we are exposed to them for a while they start altering what we believe.

We teach our kids to be racist at a young age, this is evident through children's cartoons. The clip below shows Popey attacking a Japanese ship. We expose kids to these ideas and images at a young age, this is how racism is created. The kids then grow up thinking that it is alright to discriminate against other races. The other video below shows a number of cartoons being racist specifically toward African-Americans. If we expose kids to these ideas at a young age what kind of adults do we expect them to grow into? Obviously they will consider the white race superior therefore being racist. Other races are portrait as evil and inferior.

Racism in Children's Cartoons Video

Racism Cartoons

Media Meditation #7: Body Image

Body Image
Modern media has created an unrealistic image for both men and women. We tend to see these beautiful people on television and when we compare ourselves we tend to pick out our imperfections. A hyper reality has been created where everybody is beautiful and slim, but really the average person is much bigger then the average person in hollywood. There are always ads on television that want to incourage us to loose weight, why is this? The weight-loss industry makes a lot of money in this country, and that is more important to these rich elite then peoples image of themselves. Media once again is the cause behind the mass public being insecure with their body image because it doesn't conform with what media potraits as being beautiful. The Dove ad below is a great PSA that shows what a women really looks like before she is prepped for a photo shoot. Virtually everything about her is changed with makeup so that when the transformation is complete one cannot even recognize her as the same woman.

Dove Evolution
Media influence on Womans Image

Old Spice Man Commercial

I also saw this commercial the other day and it made me think of this media meditation. The image for men being rough, tough, and beastly is created by media through ads such as this one. The average man is nothing like this, yet the media has created this super rough, violent image for men, it is just as unrealistic as the image created for women.

Media Meditation #6: New World Order

CFR MEDIA CONTROL
This video starts off by giving you a background of how the modern mass media was created. In 1917 JP Morgan hired 12 high ranking news managers to determine the most influential newspapers in the US in order to establish how many news organizations it would take to control the daily press of the United States. They found that if you control the 25 leading papers you could control the general source of information people refer to. From here on editors were hired to make sure everything being printed was keeping with the new policy. This video reveals that these men want to have one world government controlled by them. They are able to do this because they are so wealthy they can control each countries economy system as well as the world as a whole. Americas weathies typhoons, and government elite are some of the members of CFR (council on foreign Relations) which is an organization that is the ruling establishment in the United States. As these companies merge they become more and more powerful controlling virtually everything we know. This video draws close ties to Neil Postman in that you cannot trust everything you see on television because of the consorship. It alos makes close connections to Feed in that it reveales this master plan of having the world run by corporations. These men are so rich and powerful at this point that they have more say in what happens then the president himself. These men own the media and have used its power to persuade people into beleieving them.

Rockefeller
This video is interesting because it shows the power on man David Rocefeller actually has in our government. Not only does he have dirrect tie to politics and politicians but he is also the chairmen for The Council of The Americas, The Americas Society, The Forum of the Americas, The Institute for International Economics, and The Trilateral Commision. This not only makes him a very wealthy man in our contry but also one that is in charge of policies, ect.


Aaron Russo
He was a good friend of the Rocefeller family who ended the relationship after finding out what the Rocefeller family has planned for the future. This video talks about how the family wants to create one world order with one currency. The Rocefeller family is behind the lies of today as well as behind the federal reserve and other things that have happened in our society. They ultimately want to implant everybody with chips, but everything must come in stages. This is a dirrect connection with Feed as these microchips become a nessecity to life. We have seen the early stages of this plan develop, therefore leaving no doubt in my mind that this is happening.

Media Meditation #5: VIOLENCE IN MEDIA

TV VIOLENCE

This media meditation is about the influence of violence in media. The video shows how media in the 60’s and 70’s did not show direct violence. Even series such as spider man were entertaining without showing violence. Today’s programs rely on violence in order to entertain the audience. The problem is that many of these violent shows are targeted at an audience that is not mature enough to understand the difference between television and reality. Over half the programming today has some sort of violence, however most the programs dont show consiqences behind the violence. It goes along the lines of television creating a hyper-reality where the whole story is not shown and the violence is glorified. Kids tend to imitate what they see on television, that’s the danger behind violent programming. As the video states below by the age of eighteen a child will have seen over 200,000 acts of violence. This influences our perception of violence, as it is considered masculine, cool, and acceptable. Really though you cannot do what you see in the movies because its against the law, not to mention wrong. The 2nd video below shows the influence that media could have on a kid if the parent doesn't teach them the difference between TV and reality. Besides controlling what kids watch is so easy with DVR systems that allow parents to choose what kids can watch.

How TV Affects Children

PSA Challenging TV Violence

Media Meditation #4

McCain Rap Video

This is a rap video I found about John McCain. The minute I heard the chorus it reminded me of the medias role in politics. At the very beginning of the video the limbic brains is instantly targeted by the music. In addition this video uses repetition and scapegoating in order to persuade the audience McCain is the center of our problems. One can relate this video to our class because the chorus says the media is McCain’s base. This brings up the question of censorship because the media avoids bringing up issues that can hurt the politicians image. The media in this case is not selling a product but rather an image or personality. Our media and society book talks about this in Chapter Three. One can also relate this video to Neil Postmans Amusing Ourselves To Death because this is a serious issue that is being down-played. This is the way media is presented to us in this hyper-reality. Serious events are not given the attention they require to adequately be processed by the human mind. Nothing on television really effects you therefore its almost the same mind state as watching a movie, and even after something dramatic is presented, a humorous commercial targeting the limbic brain follows. These videos use the same concepts targeting the limbic brain only the videos posted here are user generated content speaking up against "the man" on the only mass medium that is shared with the public, the internet.

Television Drug of The Nation Video

Media Meditation #3: Entertainment To Distract

VIDEO
I found this great video that talks about how all mass media is really entertainment to distract us from national issues. It reinforces many points made in neil Postmans Amusing Ourselves to Death. The video talks about how since the government has subsadized schools, the quality of education has been steadily declining compared to other countries. Schools that are funded by the government therefore the government has a direct say in what is thought in schools. We are not thought to question the media, therefore a generation has developed that does not know anything other then they are told. This is because less then 15% of people read newspapers, and less then 3% read books. Everything we come to know as the truth is what we learn from the tube. They use entertainment to keep the human mind occupied so that "you don't get in the way of important people by doing too much thinking." (Jordan Maxwell)

A great example of a story that was never publicized was The Great American Union merging Canada Mexico and the US much like Europe. The government claims no treaty was signed but many people believe that it is a conspiracy. According to this video they are currently creating the new currency called the "Amero." However, if this is true shoun't we have the right to know about these events . This video claims this is censored from us because its controlled by the mass media who created the European Union and the African Union. This would benifit the coorporate conglomorates in that is closes boarders and allows them to market to a larger public. They are esentially trying to build a world government. This would benifit the coorportae conglomorates in that their messages could then reach everybody and their profit margin would grow tremendously. The media will continue to decieve us because the people on top want to continue maing money and do not realize the effects their influence is having on the rest of the world. When we ask controversial questions they are simply filtered out through one of the mass medias filters.

At the end of the video a direct connection with Feed is present. This movement to bring the entire world under one government has been in place for 60 years. The last and final step when the time is right is to embed microchips in peoples heads containing all their information, music, finances, ect. This would essentially transform our world to that found in Feed.



Montoge on Media Influence

The Internet Effects On Society

Did You Know - effects the internet has had on society

THE INTERNET
-has created global demographics
-allows anybody to communicate to anyone else
-celebrates amature culture (creativity)

The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. Prior to the invention of the net broadcasting was a one way street. The advertisers did not know who was receiving their message. However, the Internet has made it so that advertisers can target specific demographics. The Internet on a more positive note gives everybody a voice, in that anybody can communicate their thoughts and ideas to anyone else, this is really how the internet transformed the way we communicate. Every other modern mass medium is controlled by one of the few corporate conglomerates. Currently there are debates about selling the Internet to a few major companies. This would mean the FCC would not control the Internet and load speeds for corporate websites would be much quicker then sites that host user generated content. This is a direct conflict with freedom of speech because these companies would give priority to their messages. If the corporate conglomerates purchase the rights to govern the Internet, they will literally be our only source for news. Reading Neil Postman this semester helped me understand the effect and history of mass mediums. The internet is in currently changing our world much like Postman suggested it would change. The fact that the internet has so many global users allowed it to create global demographics that did not exist, this has connected the world.

The other thing they are working on is developing software that can detect copyright issues and automatically delete the content. However, if someone is using the content as influence to create something new, is that not an original idea. Besides, user generated content is created out of passion and not to make money. This is why our creativity is being choked by the corporate world. I now realize that the ordinary citizen don't follow the law in the eyes of the government. A lot of user-generated content is considered a violation of copyright laws due to it being inspired by something already made. However, if your not making money off this content then should it be? Besides its not an exact copy of the predecessor but rater an inspiration that has created something new.

What we must realize is the power the Internet gives us. On a more positive note this is a video on how web 2.0 can allow us to see the world through someone else's eyes.

Apple Advertisement - shows how the internet is changing the world

Disney Effects On Society

Disney Effects On Society

I found this interesting video discussing media created gender roles. The video talks about how Disney has created gender roles through "ideal" images.

The female role is made out to be the domestic wife and caregiver. She is suppose to be the wife, mother, and homemaker. The feminine role is shown as being passive, naive, delicate, and emotional. Intelligence amongst women is not portrait in the media. In addition the cartoons always feature a thin, seductive and sexual female role. This creates a body image that is then considered the norm by society, when it truly is not.

The male role is to be the independent, courageous protector of his family. Disney movies emphasize violence and strength in male figures. Therefore, males are suppose to be fearless and dominant. However, not every guy is going to be violent or even strong.

Kids are exposed to these gender stereotypes at a very young age through Disney cartoons as well as other television shows. This image sticks with us and as we grow older we learn to conform by the norms of society.

Our textbook Media and Society touches on mostly all of these aspects shown in the video. In Chapter 6 on page 213 for example the author talks about traditional female roles being the mother, the homemaker, and a sexual object. The Disney video is proof of how early kids are exposed to gender stereotypes. The book brings up a good point which is that the media industry employs mostly men. Women account for 16% of executive producers, 24% of producers, 14% of writers, 11% of directors, and 19% of editors. These are tiny portions of the industry. Perhaps that is why women are portrait in this incorrect manner.

Gender Roles - Interviews with Kids

I also found this other video showing how young kids are when they have already developed gender role stereotypes. The girl answering that girls have long hair, or the boy saying men are stronger are examples of gender role stereotypes understood by 2-3 year olds. I find it amazing that at their young age they are already conforming with the norms our media has created for society.

Private Corporations Profit From The Occupation Of Palestine

- The Gaza Strip is the most densely populated places on earth
- 1.5 million people living within 140 square miles
- It's the largest open air prison in the world

- Israel controls 90% of land around The Gaza Strip
- Import export controlled by Israel so that they can’t go anywhere else

- Palestine people built over 1000 tunnels to smuggle flour, milk, cheese, cigarettes, computers, livestock, and any other essentials

- This is fueled by corporate interests in making money through supplying rebuilding materials, weapons, checkpoints, roads

-The United States is the primary source for weaponry and funding for Israel. They have supplied F-16 fighter planes,Apache Helicopters, tanks, and tactical missiles.

-The 7 days article talks about how the United States supplied the white phosphorous which was used against civilians and a UN base making it a war crime.

- it’s the business of war ( too profitable to stop it )

Gaza 2009: We Will Never Forget


Who Profits:
Boycott Israel

List of companies

Neil Postman

WEEK 2: Neil Postman

1. Discuss THREE specific ways in which Postman explains how the medium of television transforms the epistemological nature of each of the following:

A.) Religion
Television quickly changed religion from enlightenment to entertainment. it became all about the ratings and popularity, which is achieved through entertainment. In addition watching a service on TV is not the same as being there personally. It takes place in your living room where you watch entertainment shows, making it easy to get distracted.
B.) Politics
First TV is a visual media it has sculpted political campaigns into a beauty competition. A great example of this is Lincoln who would not get elected today because of his image. In addition the medium is so centered around entertainment that the campaign ends up going back and forth talking about mistakes the candidates have made.
C.) Education
They have shifted education toward entertainment. Educational programming is not considered worthy unless it is entertaining. television does not promote learning from books and classes but rather through TV. One can not learn through the TV though because the information is so scued toward entertainment and advertising rather then fact and knowledge .

2.)What specific solutions does Postman offer to improve public communication in our "Peek A Boo" world, and our challenges to communicate in a thoughtful and rational manner in "An Age of Show Business"? In other words, how might we prevent a world in which we are "amusing ourselves to death"?
Postman suggests educating people about TV through the medium itself. Rather then suggesting a solution on how to eliminate television, he thinks people should be thought how to observe it. One must understand what is true information, and where to find it. Most things on TV are entertainment, and this should be the sole
purpose of TV rather then a source of information.

3.)Does Postman's thesis about television still apply to our public discourse in today's Age of the Internet? Please explain your reasoning in 4-5 sentences.
I agree with Postman that our public discourse still exists in the age of the internet. The internet is basically just an extension of the TV meaning it's main purpose is entertainment. People watch videos online to get info on current events but these videos are not guaranteed to be credible, just like in TV most of them were created for entertainment purposes. Over the years I think our culture has gotten used to constantly being entertained, therefore we are more likely to reject a medium where we are not entertained. This however does not help us choose a credible source, just and entertaining one.

1.) My name is Zlatko Mladenovic (or just Z) and I am a senior studying mass communications at Champlain College. In the future I want to work on a production crew maybe as DV editor or a cinematographer. I have worked with video for upward of five years now. I am currently volunteering at Reycle North making training videos for new hires.

2.)

A.) Everything in media is centered around entertainment. Political and Social problems are not given the serious attention they require. Rather people are being entertained on every medium in fear that if they aren't they will switch the channel.

B.) Information is distorted to the point where the consumer has nothing to do with the information being delivered to them. News is unrelated to the community and is based on entertainment.

C.) Marketing has shifted to become personalized through the net. Advertisers are able to see what interests you through your online profiles and searches. This allows for them to directly market to you using the information they can obtain through the internet. Here is a link to a website that talks about online marketing.

http://www.netpopresearch.com/node/26573

D.) The internet is swallowing other mediums as it has changed our access to information forever. Therefore other mediums are likely to disappear as the internet makes room for all of them.

3.) I have developed an understanding for the four tool sets over the past few weeks. I believe that I understand all the different points made in the four tool sets. I do not have them memorized, but with the help of the trusty handout I am able to define the different points made by our toolsets.

4.) What is the impact media will have on society as it continues to play an even bigger role in our lives?