Propoganda Techniques

The explanation of propaganda techniques which you required us to read was very informative. The list of techniques utilized by the media to influence opinion and avoid the truth included techniques like; Doublespeak, fear, "glittering generalities" and name calling.
I remember how the Fox documentary mention that they would rather use the word "Sharpshooter" instead of "Sniper", because of the negative connotations associated with the latter. This is an example of doublespeak, where they use words that obscure the meaning of the word. It can also be used in the opposite way, for example to assassinate a enemy leader, the term "take out" makes assassination sound not so bad.
I believe fear is also a technique often employed by politicians to get the public to do their will, the government can convince people to go to extreme measure whenever a attack or epidemic is happening. It could be possible that political parties could use the same fear to their advantage.

Advertising

I was watching MTV a week or two ago and i noticed something that i thought was pretty interesting, and ties in with the whole media consumption concept.
In Lady Gagas video "LoveGame", the video keeps showing a shot of a lady dancing out of focus, with a bottle of Campari, a "party" drink, taking up half the screen and in focus. the video is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fDwRRZ7eUo&feature=fvsre3 , with the shot occurring at 21 seconds.
I think it interesting how pop icons advertise things so blatantly like this, and it shows that advertising has entered the music industry, even during songs. Many teenagers and even pre teens listen to her music and watch her videos, which are broadcast almost non stop on MTV, and i think it would be pretty bad if they start to associate alcohol with being famous.
Its also worrying at the sexuality which Lady Gaga shows of. "lets have some fun this beat is sick, i want to take a ride on your disco stick." She is trying to promote promiscuality, basically sluttiness, and making it seem cool and popular to sleep around.

Anti Fox Documentary

I noticed that the documentary we watched today contained many of the elements that postman referred to when he was giving examples of how news has become entertainment. There was no extended talking done by a single person, and every so often they would include something, like an exert from Fox's programming, that made it more visually appealing. This is comparable to Postmans views about only short flashes of news occurring, before anyone has the chance to change the channel.

They also used music, especially in the last part. It was talking about how we can "rise up" against Fox, and playing corny motivational music in the background. They also had humor, perhaps unintentional, with the whole "Shut Up" segment.

Irrelevant pictures were also used. In one section where they had a person who wanted to remain anonymous talking, they had a strange machine with a changing sound bar on it which wasn't coordinated to the talking, and was just added to look impressive. They would rather put a random video clip than not have anything moving on the screen.

I think its interesting they used these techniques because without them, the video would have been extremely boring and i doubt anyone in the class would have been able to sit through it. It proves that the methods used that make news into entertainment work at making more people interested and enable them to concentrate longer. I wonder if we would be able to concentrate more if traditional news wasn't presented in the way it is, and maybe the problems the younger generations have concentrating are due to news, and other media being presented in the way it is.

Norris 5

Using the “Norris 5”, find a news story online and analyze its merit according to the criteria.

Because of the video we watched on Fox News today, I went to the website of Fox News and found this story "Top White House Official Says Obama Team 'Controlled' Media Coverage During Campaign" Which is interesting because Fox is accusing someone else was controlling the media. link:
The article claims that Anita Dunn, Obamas press strategist told an overseas crowd that Barack Obama controlled every aspect, only giving information to the press if they could completely control it. It states Anita Dunn actually was in a argument with Fox News prior to the article, because she called them "opinion journalism masquerading as news."
The article seems to misconstrue some of the information. It claims that Obama preferred live interviews because it would allow only his opinion through, instead of TV editors to edit it and perhaps alter it, Fox claims that this is an example of how he would "control" the media. I believe this is not correct, and in fact Obama preferred live interviews because it prevented the Press from controlling what he wanted to portray.

The Norris 5
Informative vs. Superficial
This is more superficial. It seems to be looking for revenge on Anita Dunn rather than presenting legitimate data.


Accurate and Truthful vs. False and Deceptive
Im not sure how truthful this is, it states she said the comments regarding controlling the media to an unspecified "overseas audience". This coupled with the unsubstantial evidence used in the article make it seem as if this may have been a personal attack rather than a news story.

Objective vs. Biased
Biased, it also has negative remarks towards another of Obamas administration, without actually quoting any sources or having any legitimate information.


Pluralistic vs. Insular Viewpoint
The story is very pluralistic, if this actually occurred then it would serve as an example as to how media manipulation can effect our choices.

Balanced vs. Weighted Side

Weighted, it carries only the opinion of the writer without getting professional opinions or quotes from any of the people incolved.

Coporate Ownership

I remember you told us to write down what identifies us as unique, and then link it to corporate ownership, but we never got around to handing it in, here it is anyway:
Tv
• Entourage- owned by HBO which is owned by Time Warner
• Flight of the Conchords- owned by HBO, owned by Time Warner
Movies
• Lords of Dogtown- owned by Columbia Pictures, Owned by Sony pictures.
• Boondock Saints- Owned by Franchise Pictures, a independent company which is now bankrupt.
Music
• Hilltop Hoods- Independent with there own record label, Golden Era Records.
• Funkoars- Independent, have their own label “Peepshow Entertainment”
• Pace Won- Signed to independent record label “Row Poetix Records”
• Ciecmate- Signed to independently owned “Broken Tooth Entertainment”
Other
• Australian Flag- Owed by the country
• Rugby ball- Often made by Nike, Sherrin.
• Star of David- Not owned.

You should watch a national or local news program on television and apply the criteria used in the newspaper evaluation exercise today. You should list the stories that were covered and write answers to questions 4 and 5: Did the newspapers meet the criteria for what is news? Explain.What news was relevant or useful to citizens of the local area, including young people? In what way was it useful or relevant?

I don’t have cable TV, so instead I watched a streamed version of BBC, and selected three news stories with varying subjects and relevancy. The stories I chose are;
US balloon boy case ‘was a hoax’- Which is about the recent story were a six year old boy was supposedly accidentally lifted up in a hot air balloon for two hours.
This news story is very superficial, being based an another superficial story, there is nothing really informative about it, however it may interest people to see how many people believed the bogus original story, since it displays how media can quickly and efficiently spread a fictional story.
I believe it has a more pluralistic viewpoint than the original view than the original story, since it is relevant to anyone who saw the original story. By itself, there is a very small amount of people who it effects, however it may interest people to see how many people bought the original story, since it displays how people believe the media.
It is a truthful news story, stating the facts, as you would expect from BBC.
The article is slightly biased. It had a few quotes from the police, but it lacked quotes from the family, instead the reporter only stated their side of the story, but this seems logical as they had already admitted the story was fake.
I believe this story is considered news-worthy, putting aside the news worthiness of the original story, many people would have seen it and believed it to be true. This article would serve as to show that the original story was fake, and without it people would just go on believing false news. The original story would be more interesting, “filler” entertainment news.
Iran 'doubts' over nuclear deal- Which involves the long time controversy over Iran wanting to build legitimate nuclear enrichment plants.
This story was very informative, and the situation in Iran regarding nuclear material is one which could have an impact in the world, and represents a big step forward for the country.
It seems to be a truthful article, and if it wasn’t I wouldn’t know.
It has a pluralistic viewpoint. Many people in the world are concerned about nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran, this story would interest many people over the world. It also states that Iran has a second illegitimate nuclear enrichment facility, which makes it a more interesting article.
It was very balanced and objective, stating the positions of both sides, while avoiding advocating one side. It mentioned that America was worried that nuclear weapons could be produced, as well as stating that Iran claims to have no harmful intentions.
I believe this is definitely a news worthy story, since it is a development in a long and often considered intractable conflict between countries.
And Scientists announce planet bounty- Where scientists have discovered many more planets in our galaxy.
I believe this is a pretty superficial story. There are so many planets we already are aware of, and there is no point in telling us ore have been discovered. Also, the technology used only shows very basic data, if there was evidence of a planet which could support life, it would be more informative.
The news is vague, but accurate and truthful.
There is no viewpoint to be biased towards, and no side to be weighted towards. There’s only facts in this story.
This is relevant only to a few people in the scientific community. There is not much point in knowing there are planets there, without any information about them.
I believe that this is considered news, but should only be broadcast on specific channels that have to do with astronomy and space science.

Doves "Real Beauty" Campaign

Looking at Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, its appears as if it is a legitimate program designed to bolster the confidence of young girls who suffer from self-esteem issues, by limiting the influence that beauty stereotypes have on them. It is partnered with reputable associations like the girl scouts, and claims to have helped almost four-million young women with self esteem issues, with a target of five-million by 2010.
It includes many facts and statistics about how beauty is defined, and how unrealistic these standards have become. It features many headshots of women, who are attractive, but not supermodel attractive.
I believe that this is definatly a good concept, and I agree with all the statements the site makes about having to redefine beauty to prevent self esteem issues. However, I do wonder at the legitimacy of a program like this created by Dove, a billion dollar corporation that makes a large amount of money from people who believe they can be more attractive by using Dove’s products. If all women were satisfied with how they look, then Dove would probably eventually cease to make money. I am skeptical as to whether there is not a hidden motive behind the campaign, perhaps Dove is aimed at trying to disassociate themselves with the beauty stereotype, and so the average person who aspires to be only attractive will purchase it, intending to only look good, not perfect. Maybe Dove hopes to associate itself with a new stereotype, where beauty is not unrealistic, and this way many people will encourage its positive message, by buying Dove products, or perhaps using Dove products to enhance their natural beauty. This association could enable them to make more money in the long run, by being the first to promote realistic stereotypes they could also be known as the first to do this, and maybe a symbol that represents realism.
I doubt this campaign is completely noble, it goes against the usual unethical practices of the beauty business, and the fact that they used photoshoped models shows that they are still promoting some kind of standard. Watching the commercials for the Campaign, you can see that non of the girls in it are downright ugly, and it appears if certain aspect of some shots, for example the skin looking very clean, eyes being brighter, teeth being whiter, may have been photoshop enhanced. They are still advertising happiness and confidence, even though they are using a different technique to deliver it.

TV characters

1. Name of program- Entourage
2. Medium- TV show
3. Genre- Comedy, Drama
4. Name of Character
a. Ari Gold
b. Vincent Chase
c. Turtle
d. Sloan
e. Lloyd
5. Gender
a. Male
b. Male
c. Male
d. Female
e. Male
6. Main Character
a. Not the main character, but a large part of the show
b. The main character
c. Secondary Character
d. Backup Character
e. Secondary Character
7. Occupation
a. Agent of main character
b. Actor
c. Doesn’t work, just went back to college to get a degree.
d. Girlfriend of Eric, works as a party planner of some sort
e. Ari Gold’s’ secretary
8. Level Of education
a. Harvard Graduate, MBA from University of Michigan
b. Dropped out of High school
c. Dropped out of high school
d. College Graduate
e. MBA at Stanford Business School, and a Art Degree from Sarah Lawrence College.
9. Race
a. White
b. White
c. White
d. Filipino
e. Chinese America
10. Marital Status
a. Long term marriage
b. Single (bit of a player)
c. Just broke out of a long term relationship
d. Recently Married to Eric
e. Dating (He’s gay by the way)
11. Age
a. 30-40
b. 42
c. 32
d. 28-35
e. 40
12. Number of Children
a. 2
b. 0
c. 0
d. 0
e. 0
13. Appearance
a. Attractive, Buff
b. Attractive, Bit of a pretty boy
c. Short, bit overweight
d. Glamorous
e. Not really… Very small of stature
14. Body Type
a. Very muscular+ athletic
b. Slim, tall
c. Above average weight
d. Slim, tall
e. Average
15. Personal characteristics
a. Devious, straightforward, self reliant, dependant, intelligent, in control of situation, aggressive, slightly sexual, emotional (yells, laughs) extreme confidence, intimidating, dedicated
b. Very sexual, laid back, flirtatious, confident, humorous, dependant on his friends, laughs a lot
c. Sarcastic, dependant, emotional (cries very occasionally, laughs), object of ridicule, flirtatious, not very confident. Not the smartest of characters
d. In control, abrupt, nurturing, emotional (cries, laughs, yells, occasional whine), intelligent,, straightforward, direct, down to earth, sexual, humorous, passive
e. Object of ridicule, not very confident, explosive anger, emotional (cries, yells) intelligent, intimidated easily, passive
16. Role of the Character
a. A lead character, essential to the show,
b. Hero, main character
c. Secondary character, comedic character
d. Love interest, supporting character
e. Comedic character, backup
17. Impact of character in narrative
a. Positively effects storyline
b. Positively effects
c. No Effect
d. Positively effects
e. No effect.


It seems that all of the most influential and important characters tend to be white, male, attractive, confident and pretty sexual.
In the show, Eric is often portrayed as being a long term relationship type of guy, and he is often ridiculed and labeled "Did she take your balls as well E?." Because he wants to be in a long term relationship, his friends consider him less manly. This is also evident is one episode where the main characters breaks down and cries, and he is ridiculed non stop for a long time. This was also after a long term relationship, and the show seems to promote that being in a long term relationship reduces the masculinity of someone. The only recurring married character is Ari Gold, and there are often scenes where he is seen being pushed around and occasionally humiliated by her. It promotes the stereotype that women are needy and will end up commanding you. Vince, however is never seen in a long term relationship, and he is portrayed as the most layed back character, sleeping with different women almost every episode.

The only really obvious sterotype is Lloyd. He is a homosexual Chinese/American, and he's shown as a weak and humiliated character, "Get in here Lloyd, before I kick your ass like its Pearl Harbour."Ari regularly ridicules his race and sexuality, and this is always hilarious, even if the things he are saying would be disgraceful in real life.

extra reading

Manhood on the Mat: The Problem is Not that Pro Wrestling Makes Boys
Violent. The Real Lesson of the Wildly Popular Pseudo-Sport is More Insidious

I believe that the article “Manhood on the Mat” gives sound reasoning to explain how professional wrestling has contributed to male violence, towards women and other men.
Male dominance has been a social and cultural norm in history, and this is seen in almost all cultures. The comparatively recent movements that introduced women’s rights and promotes equality, has caused some men, not all, who preferred being “in charge” to view wrestling as a definition of masculinity, where women are objectified, and brute strength, bullying and violence are promoted and encouraged.

Many children enjoy watching shows like WWF, and while it does not cause much imitative violence, it can influence them into believing that bullying and violence are part of being masculine. And in WWF, since the “tougher” man usually comes out the victor, it may cause them to aspire to be more tough, aka more of a bully. It also promotes homophobia, as the words “wimp”, which mocks the other mans masculinity, is a common insult, and this can lead children to children growing up and viewing homosexuals inferior, since they display less masculinity.

Women professional wrestling centers on scantily clad bimbos on top of each other, or the “ho-train”, where models are walked in front of the crowd. Wrestling regularly objectifies women, and this can lead children to objectifying women.

In conclusion, I believe that most of the conclusions drawn by the writer are valid, and that professional wrestling does in fact promote a ideology that violence leads to higher masculinity, and that those of less masculinity deserve less respect, even bullying. While from what I have seen, it seems only rural rednecks regularly watch wresting, but it still promotes an ideology that advocates many negative aspect, and is incompatible with many of the ideologies held by the general public. While watching professional wrestling may lead to spousal abuse, women abuse, violence and bullying, I doubt that wrestling is the cause of a majority of these cases. I believe that people outlook on masculinity and women is mainly influence by their parents, and who they grew up with and around.

Stereotypes

Some people assert that all stereotypes are based on some measure of truth. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

I believe that almost all stereotypes are based on a warped version of some people part of the stereotyped group. A stereotype tends to depict the negative traits of group of people, but the stereotype is created by what is most apparent in a group. An example of this is the Arab stereotype of terrorism. Arab are a foreign people, and the average westerner will not know to much about them and their beliefs, but when they see terrorist attacks by people coming from the Middle East, they will make the connection. Before terrorism there was probably a completely different stereotype of Arabs, but because terrorism from the middle east, and the media association created between the two, “Arab Terrorists” has unfortunately become a stereotype.

Stereotypes can also be created by history, and if many members of a group display similar behavioral pattern or traits it can be developed into a stereotype. Supposedly this is how the Jewish stereotype for being good with money was developed. In Medieval Europe, jobs that required money handling and lending were considered unfit for Christians, so Jews and other minorities would have to work these jobs. This, coupled with Jews being prohibited from many other jobs in that time, set up for the Jewish Money Handling stereotype that is still widely seen today.