Jeopardy in class was a great way to review for our test. It helped me understand the topics even better than after doing regular studying. Even though it got a little competitive (red team for life), it was super helpful and I wish more classes did it.
The game also helped me better understand the ten elements and seven yardsticks of journalism. I had trouble remembering them before the test, but now I think they're pretty easy.
I hope Mr. Miller does more stuff like this with us in the future, because it really helps me internalize the information. When I'm under pressure, I'm very productive, so things like Kahoot and Jeopardy are fun to do.
I think I'll do well on this journalism test, thanks to Mr. Miller's lectures and his review game. Kudos to you, Mr. Miller.
Friday, September 16, 2016
Class Response: Elitism and Populism
In Mr. Miller's class, we learned about the elitist-populist binary model. This is a model used by the media to determine profitability and whether the medium will focus on what the people want or what the company wants.
Elitist media don't last long on their own. They usually get bought out by a conglomerate. The conglomerate then can decide whether if it's worth it to keep the medium alive, or if it would be better off closing up shop for that specific medium.
Populist media, however, are customer-focused. They print what's popular, not just what they want to print. A real world example would be People Magazine.
More can be found about the elitist-populist binary model here.
Elitist media don't last long on their own. They usually get bought out by a conglomerate. The conglomerate then can decide whether if it's worth it to keep the medium alive, or if it would be better off closing up shop for that specific medium.
Populist media, however, are customer-focused. They print what's popular, not just what they want to print. A real world example would be People Magazine.
More can be found about the elitist-populist binary model here.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Class Response: Conglomeration
What do Disney, Time Warner, and NBCUniversal all have in common? They're all media conglomerates. But what is conglomeration?
In Mr. Miller's lesson, I learned about what conglomeration really is. It's different than a corporation because corporations are just one company and/or brand. However, conglomerates are sometimes referred to as "umbrella corporations". Some companies even choose to use the term in the place of conglomerate to make them sound less far-reaching. A real-world example is Alphabet, Inc., best known for being the owner of Google. They go by the term "umbrella corporation", although they act as a conglomerate in almost every way.
Conglomerates are often formed and reformed depending on financial situations. A good example is Time Warner. Despite its name, Time Warner actually does not own Time Warner Cable, and actually hasn't since 2009. It started in 2001, when Time Warner and America OnLine (AOL) merged to form AOL Time Warner. In 2009, the companies split, becoming Time Warner and AOL again (AOL is owned by Verizon as of 2016). Executive Jeff Bewkes says the merger was "the biggest mistake in corporate history". Time Warner also spun off their cable company, Time Warner Cable (TWC), for financial reasons. Now, TWC is owned by Charter.
Conglomerates are almost always populist as a whole. They care about profits more than anything else, which leads to the elimination of unpopular media. Only certain niche, elitist media survive.
In Mr. Miller's lesson, I learned about what conglomeration really is. It's different than a corporation because corporations are just one company and/or brand. However, conglomerates are sometimes referred to as "umbrella corporations". Some companies even choose to use the term in the place of conglomerate to make them sound less far-reaching. A real-world example is Alphabet, Inc., best known for being the owner of Google. They go by the term "umbrella corporation", although they act as a conglomerate in almost every way.
Conglomerates are often formed and reformed depending on financial situations. A good example is Time Warner. Despite its name, Time Warner actually does not own Time Warner Cable, and actually hasn't since 2009. It started in 2001, when Time Warner and America OnLine (AOL) merged to form AOL Time Warner. In 2009, the companies split, becoming Time Warner and AOL again (AOL is owned by Verizon as of 2016). Executive Jeff Bewkes says the merger was "the biggest mistake in corporate history". Time Warner also spun off their cable company, Time Warner Cable (TWC), for financial reasons. Now, TWC is owned by Charter.
Conglomerates are almost always populist as a whole. They care about profits more than anything else, which leads to the elimination of unpopular media. Only certain niche, elitist media survive.
Class Response: Hot and Cold Media
Before Mr. Miller's lecture, I honestly knew nothing about the hot and cool binary model, nor had I ever heard of the terms. Now, however, I think I understand the topic completely after taking notes and studying.
The difference between hot and cool media is simple. Hot media require full attention by the subject for them to successfully internalize the information being transmitted. Examples of this include books and magazines.
On the other hand, cool media allow information to be internalized without the decoder's full undivided attention. Examples of this type of medium include television, radio, and podcasts.
Hot and cool media are good for different things. I personally prefer cool media because I don't like being focused on one thing at a time; I like to feel like I am being as productive as possible. But everyone has their preferences, and each medium is good in its own way.
The difference between hot and cool media is simple. Hot media require full attention by the subject for them to successfully internalize the information being transmitted. Examples of this include books and magazines.
On the other hand, cool media allow information to be internalized without the decoder's full undivided attention. Examples of this type of medium include television, radio, and podcasts.
Hot and cool media are good for different things. I personally prefer cool media because I don't like being focused on one thing at a time; I like to feel like I am being as productive as possible. But everyone has their preferences, and each medium is good in its own way.
Peer Review (Evelyn Walford)
Evelyn's blog was very well designed and thought out. She made insightful posts about class topics and hot-button issues. I particularly liked her entry about the Washington Post article about police brutality towards people of color (post can be found here, article can be found here). She went in-depth on how racism is still alive in America today, and our work is not finished. I agree with this statement because America has little gun control, therefore America has more mass shootings per capita than any other Western country.
I applaud Evelyn for making a great blog (it's informational and aesthetically pleasing) and I think she'll be a great journalism student.
(Evelyn's blog can be found here)
I applaud Evelyn for making a great blog (it's informational and aesthetically pleasing) and I think she'll be a great journalism student.
(Evelyn's blog can be found here)
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Peer Review (Maggie Gediman)
This is a peer review of Maggie Gediman's post about demassification. The post can be found at http://bit.ly/2cE81KN.
Maggie did a class response to Mr. Miller's lesson about demassification. Demassification occurs when newer forms of mass communication arise, or existing forms become popularized. An example of this occurring in the real world was the invention of the radio in 1895. While the radio didn't immediately spread like a contagion throughout the world, it did within a few decades as they became more widely available. After the radio was present in most American households, it started to outpace newspapers, magazines, and books as the most efficient means to receive information. This was partly because it was a way to gain information as soon as it is transmitted, and it is also in part because the radio is a cool medium, so it was easier to multitask while decoding information.
I think Maggie did a great job explaining this concept thoroughly, while also making it easy for someone who doesn't already have previous knowledge to understand it. I liked how she gave multiple examples of demassification and her prediction that the internet will soon outpace the television. I feel after reading here entry that I understand demassification better than I did before.
Maggie did a class response to Mr. Miller's lesson about demassification. Demassification occurs when newer forms of mass communication arise, or existing forms become popularized. An example of this occurring in the real world was the invention of the radio in 1895. While the radio didn't immediately spread like a contagion throughout the world, it did within a few decades as they became more widely available. After the radio was present in most American households, it started to outpace newspapers, magazines, and books as the most efficient means to receive information. This was partly because it was a way to gain information as soon as it is transmitted, and it is also in part because the radio is a cool medium, so it was easier to multitask while decoding information.
I think Maggie did a great job explaining this concept thoroughly, while also making it easy for someone who doesn't already have previous knowledge to understand it. I liked how she gave multiple examples of demassification and her prediction that the internet will soon outpace the television. I feel after reading here entry that I understand demassification better than I did before.
Criticism of the Mainstream Media
Hello, I'm Andrew Meiners, and welcome to my blog, Duelin' Banjos! My launch post will be about a media criticism of the mainstream media.
The mainstream media (MSM), including CNN, NBC, FOX, and CBS, play a huge role in the political system. Over the past year, these outlets have shown almost exclusively coverage of Clinton and Trump, far before either candidate had won their respective nominations. Anti-establishment populists like Bernie Sanders were rarely covered, and when they were, it was usually negative.
The MSM has also prioritized unimportant political news above important news about disasters in order to get more views. They failed to meet the "newsworthiness" aspect of journalism, as listed in the seven yardsticks. For example, CNN one time had a segment about how Donald Trump ate fried chicken with a fork. Meanwhile, on scroll was a story about a terrorist organization using poisonous gas to kill over thirty people.
The downside to populist media is they prioritize news that will grab attention but do not show important news that people need to know, but don't necessarily want to hear. I believe they should do a better job in balanced media, and tell us news we need to hear, not just what we want to hear.
The mainstream media (MSM), including CNN, NBC, FOX, and CBS, play a huge role in the political system. Over the past year, these outlets have shown almost exclusively coverage of Clinton and Trump, far before either candidate had won their respective nominations. Anti-establishment populists like Bernie Sanders were rarely covered, and when they were, it was usually negative.
The MSM has also prioritized unimportant political news above important news about disasters in order to get more views. They failed to meet the "newsworthiness" aspect of journalism, as listed in the seven yardsticks. For example, CNN one time had a segment about how Donald Trump ate fried chicken with a fork. Meanwhile, on scroll was a story about a terrorist organization using poisonous gas to kill over thirty people.
The downside to populist media is they prioritize news that will grab attention but do not show important news that people need to know, but don't necessarily want to hear. I believe they should do a better job in balanced media, and tell us news we need to hear, not just what we want to hear.
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