Ethics

1. You’ve just been hired to work in the Standards and Practices Department at CBS. Your first task is to devise a list of 5 items that you think constitute inappropriate content for your network’s prime time schedule. In other words, what should be censored? Keep in mind your network still needs to make money so, if you place too many restriction they may lose viewers, which translates into you losing your job, and you would really like to keep your high paying, very prestigious job.

 When I first thought this through, I thought that, sex sells.  But that goes against my beliefs and what I stand for.  Then I thought of my favorite TV show, The Office, and it is a show that I can watch with my parents and not be offended.  So I thought of my censoring in relation to The Office.  Because even though they don’t use sex to sell their show, it is still an extremely successful show. 

1. Sex
1. Sexual material should not be something that is aired. 
2. Swearing
1. Swearing should not be used, or should be bleeped out if they really want the effect.  On Arrested development they will bleep out a swear word and it makes it funnier in my opinion.
3. Very revealing clothing
1. I thought of Pam and Angela from The Office and everyday they are in cardigans and knee-length skirts.  They do not need to show off their body in order to catch the attention of the audience. 
4. Homosexuality
1. I feel like these days homosexuality is something that is viewed as being completely normal and natural, and I am a firm believer that it is not.  I think by showing it on television that over time it has become acceptable because its on TV.  I feel that by eliminating this it could help reduce the acceptance of homosexual relationships. 
5. Racist stereotypes
1. I feel like stereotypes are a huge part of our society and minorities can be the brunt of many jokes that only those not of that minority believe to be funny.  I feel that by elminating minority stereotypes we can bring in more viewers from many different races and backgrounds. 

 

           

 

Controls, Laws

1. Describe a situation in which you thought personal or public expression went too far and should be curbed? How might you remedy this situation?

I feel like the protestors that voted No on Proposition 8 took their personal expression too far by going public with their riots, rallies, and demonstrations.  I felt like the issue was settled when California voted and Proposition 8 was passed; the issue should have been over and done with because we wanted the people to vote, they voted, but didn’t get the response that they wanted.  I thought about if the situation had been the other way around and we, as members of the LDS, had not gotten the results form the ballot that we had been hoping for, you would not have heard a sound from us.  We would have been sad at the situation but gone on with our everyday life.  I felt like the protestors took it too far by going to extremes like violence, vandalism, and posting untrue media on the internet and TV.  I’m not exactly sure how I would rememdy this situation, because if we tell people they can’t protest, then it takes away their freedom of expression.  The only way to remedy this is to hope that in time, people that are in the losing seat of a vote can accept that we people voted and the majority won.  Police were trying to control the violence and rage, but there is really no way to put a remedy to people taking things to an extreme. 

 

 

 

 

Public Relations

1. Are public relations activities like image consulting ethical? Explain.

I feel like image consulting can be both ethical and unethical depending on the situation.  If someone has been wrongly viewed by the public eye and they hire someone to improve the situation and correct the wrong views, then I feel like it is ethical. But if someone has done something terrible and is just trying to make themselves look better by covering up their past with an image consultant, then I feel like it is unethical.  For example, if someone like OJ Simpson were to have an image consultant to make himself look better than I feel like that would be unethical.  But if someone like Britney Spears who did no harm to anyone else, but was going through psychological issues has an image consultant then I feel like it is ethical.  

 

2. Showman P. T. Barnum epitomized 19^th-century press agentry with exaggerated claims such as those about Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind. Do such promotional methods exist today? Are there examples?

 I feel like everything in our media today is exaggerated, maybe not to the extent of P.T. Barnum’s success with people, but I feel like everything is stretched.  Models are airbrushed to make themselves appear more beautiful.  Weight lifters in magazines appea to be stronger than in real life, everything is just bigger and better than normal people.  One thing that I feel is very exaggerated personally, is Water Parks and Theme Parks.  On the commercials you see people having endless amounts of fun, friends, and entertainment.  But in reality, when arriving at one of these parks you find yourself overpaying for the tickets, standing in what seems to be endless lines, and paying way too much for cheap food.  This is something that does not even apply to most people, but I have felt much disappointment as a child after actually going to these kind of Parks. 

 

Advertising

Chapter 11

 

1.Select 2 advertisements you consider good  and 2 you consider bad. Include the ads (or copies) and explain what makes each a good/bad ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyO-z_7Ip9c

Muffin Top

After watching this ad I was dying laughing.  It was for lifesavers and it was just so clever.  The term muffin top is something a phrase that has become very popular lately and the way they used it in the commercial I felt was absolutely genius. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

Dove campaign

After watching this ad it made me feel so much better about the way I view myself. It showed the process of what the media does to create the perfect woman that obviously doesn’t exist.  I felt like it can help girls become okay with themselves and hopefully can help girls with comparing themselves to these unrealistic models ( that are not real, but computer generated). 

 

2.Is advertising effective? Why? List some examples of where it did and did not influence one of your buying decision.

I believe that advertising is highly effective.  If a company has an amazing product but a bad execution plan to get it out in the media, it may not be as successful.  I believe that with the right person as a spokesperson or appealing to the right audience at the right time, advertising can be the make or breaking points for some products. 

-I recently saw an advertisement for this hair product by Mark.  It was a sea salt spray that helped your hair have a natural “beach wave look” to it.  As I first read about the product I didn’t have a second thought about it.  But then as I looked to the next page to see a beautiful Lauren Conrad with gorgeous beach wave locks I knew that I had to have it for myself and maybe with this product my hair could have the same results. 

-I have also seen many ads for Diet pills lately, or some exercise enhancers.  As I looked at the before and after picture, it appeared that the before picture had a girl that was pregnant and the after picture had a girl who was not.  So in my mind I thought, it wasn’t the pills that made her lose all this weight, but the lost of a baby and everything that comes along with it.  

Television

 

1.Track your television viewing for one week. (If you don’t watch television, WATCH SOME!!) What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about television? What does television provide you (fulfillment of a need -- See Chapter 15)?

 

I must admit, after putting a T.V. in my room, (I grew up with a mother telling me never to do this) I have become pretty addicted to watching it! I enjoy the background sound and the constant entertainment when I am doing various things in my room.  But I have learned that I like mindless TV.  I have realized that when I am watching TV I like to zone out of my stressful, busy life and focus in on, “Rock of Love Charm School” which provides me with nothing but the feeling of being dumber after, yet I am totally satisfied as I get to see girls get eliminated off the show.   I enjoy watching “Kath and Kim” a mindless show that requires no thinking whatsoever.  I live for The Office so I can pretend that my life is somewhat associated with the characters for 30 minutes of my week. 

I learned that Television provides you with what you want.  If you want to watch sports, it has channels with every game you can imagine.  If you want the news, they’ve got it covered.  If you want mindless entertainment, you’re golden.  TV hits every person, catering to the wants and needs of each person. 

So for me, TV provides me with my escape from reality. It gives me a break from my life where I can literally think about nothing, and during these stressful college years, that’s exactly what I need. 

 2.Many people would say that television has had a greater impact on society than any other form of media. Do you agree? Why or why not

I believe that TV has a huge impact on society, but for myself personally I believe that magazines influence me more.  When I am on TV I rarely compare myself to characters because they seem real.  They are portrayed as real people with real lives that can relate to the viewers.  They aren’t cropped, or photo shopped, or made to look skinnier than they are; they seem like real people.  But when I look at a magazine I immediately do a check list of what is wrong with me compared to every model or Hollywood star in the magazine.  Its like I go through this process of self loathing where there is not one good quality about myself as I look through a fashion magazine. 

But as far as other things like violence, language, obesity, or decreased levels of creativity  I believe that Television has a huge impact.  I believe that children these days are lazier than they used to be and not as creative.  I remember when I was young I was outside every day playing with my neighborhood.  I was making up games with my sisters and digging up buried treasure in my backyard.  Now I feel like it is a rare occasion to ever see kids playing out in the street because they have entertainment right in their living room.   

Chapter 8 : Movies

1. Why is the amount of sex and violence increasing in motion pictures? Is this a case of Hollywood giving society what they want or is it simply society’s acceptance of what we are given?

I think there is truth to both statements. I think that Hollywood gives us what we want, and as we are given something with not too many other options, we accept it.  It works visa versa.  I believe that Hollywood puts out certain movies due to reviews, and obviously the reviews of sex and violence related movies are coming out pretty well because that seems to be all we are getting these days.  I do believe though that over time we as a society have become desensitized to what is shown in our theaters.  I can remember my mom telling me the first time she heard “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” on a movie and everyone was completely appalled at the comment.  Now to have a movie with only one swear word is almost unheard of.  I think about the movies with Seth Rogan, it started with “Super bad” and the movie turned out to be super bad.  But then the next movie with him came out and the producers pushed the line a little farther, and then the next movie got pushed a little more.  Now we are to the point where Seth Rogan and another girl are making a porno together! Where does it end?! So in short, I think that Hollywood gives us what we want but only because we slowly accept what they put out there for us.  

 

2. If you were a movie producer, what would you do to make a box office hit in 2008?

I feel like this question has to be asked with immunity! Put all morals aside, all religion, any code of honor that I would have and completely forget about it.  IF I wanted to have a box office hit, I would do what everyone else does and keep in mind that sex sells.  I would keep in mind that teenagers and college students like to see partying, and violence, and girls and I would twist that all into one. Every movie producer is pushing the envelope, and pretty soon it’s going to be way past. 

But since I am a person with morals and some integrity I would try to get into the Disney Pixar Company and see if I couldn’t come out with a classic cartoon movie that would appeal to younger kids.   

Chapter 7

1. Come up with a list of 5 radio stations in the Utah area (choose some FM and some AM stations – music and talk). Write a description of each station including format, advertising, and target audience. What makes each station successful?

97.1 – ZHT
This radio station plays the latest hip hop music and new popular music. The target audience is mostly teenagers and those in their mid twenties, or just people who like hip hop music. The advertising that they have is for popular shows in TV, modeling careers are those pursuing a career in the entertainment business, Halloween costumes, haunted houses, and what is going on in the “Hollywood world.” This station is successful because people like to know what is popular and they play the top new hit music and keep people informed on what is “in.”

93.3- K bull 93
They play the hot new country songs and old country classics. The target audience is country music fans from young ages to those who have been listening to country music “forever.” The advertisements are aimed at people interested in Country music concerts, they had cheap auto insurance ads, bull riding contests, and free flat screen giveaways. This station is successful because they reach all country fans by playing the newest country music, and then the old country favorites.

92.5- U 92
This station plays the latest rap, hip hop and R&B. The target audience is mostly teens that like this kind of music. Their ads are talking about the latest concerts, celebrity gossip about the artists that they play on their station, they talk about popular TV shows. They are successful because they are for a specific group of people who like rap, hip hop, and R&B and they play what is new and hip in the rap industry today.

910 AM- Radio Disney
This station plays the latest Disney stars who have come out with new albums and popular young artists such as The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and Cheetah Girls. It is mostly targeting young “tweens” who watch the Disney channel and are aware of who is who on the Disney channel. They had advertisements for board games, shows in the Disney Channel, the latest Disney Channel Original Movies, shows in the Disney channel and when they are aired. This radio station is successful because they have interactive things such as call in and be a grand prize winner and things like that. They play the latest popular music for young teens and play the music that these kids see on TV everyday.

1230 AM- ESNP Radio
This station keeps live updates on sports games, and sports news to keep sports fans updated if they are unable to watch the game on TV or attend the game. The target audience is sports fans and mostly men. The advertisements were for radio shack, signing up for the ESPN magazine, what time games are being aired and played, sign up to get ESPN on your Ipod, and things aimed at men and sports fans. This station is successful because it gives the target audience exactly what they want; coverage on sports.



2. Radio is described as “the most personal of the media,” why is that? Why do you think music is an important part in radio programming? Why is talk radio so popular?

Radio is said to be the most personal of the media because each radio station is designed for a specific target audience. 93.3 is for country fans, ESPN radio is for sports fans, Radio Disney is for Disney channel fans. Also, listeners can call into radio stations and put their personal opinions on their air and contact radio stations directly. People can call in and interact with the radio DJ one and one.
I think that music is an important part of radio because it is entertainment and allows people to express themselves through music and it allows people to identify and relate to a specific artist and therefore gets people hooked to radio stations because they feel as if they have connected to a singer. I know that for me personally I like to have music while I am driving or while I am doing something in my apartment that does not require a lot of thinking, I like to have music as background entertainment.
Radio talk is popular, because like I said before, people can call in and make the radio a personal conversation with the radio spokesman. It gives people a chance to tell their feelings to those locally, and people listening can relate to the person that has called in. This is a big example of how radio is personalized. Radio talk always makes me think of the movie, Sleepless in Seattle when Tom Hanks calls in and talks about his wife and how the woman all around the world empathize with him and want to help him with his problems.

Chapter 6

Many metropolitan daily newspapers have lost circulation and some have shut down. Why? Any examples? Community newspapers however, especially suburban weeklies, are booming. Why? Any examples?

A reason for the shut down of metropolitan newspapers is because the articles that are being written are not broad enough to meet huge masses of people, yet they are not narrow enough to reach individual groups of people. They can’t meet the needs of every reader that they are aiming to reach with such a wide variety of readers in every area of the US. Community newspapers are good because they are intended for those in local community and they have topics that people in the community are concerned with.
I would personally rather read in the Daily Universe or the Salt Lake Tribune rather than the Wall Street Journal because the more local papers have more to do with my daily life and things that affect me personally.

Chapter 5

1. Go to a bookstore (not BYU’s) and look at the different magazines. Select one that appeals to a highly specialized audience (different from one of your own interests). Read through the magazine and based on the magazine’s content (including the advertisements) prepare a description of the magazine’s “typical reader.” Give specific examples to justify your generalization.

I read Sports Illustrated, which is very different from the magazines that I would read in my leisure time. But after reading through the magazine, I came to the conclusion that the “typical reader” is a boy/man who is lives, breathes, and sleeps sports, anywhere from the teenage years all the way to dads and grandpas. In the magazine, the pages have a picture of a specific sports player and then a little commentary telling about that person. The sports vary from golf to football and can appeal to all different kinds of sports fans. The advertisements are things that would appeal to men, such as Protein powder to help with workouts. Shoes that famous athletes wear, both sports shoes and business shoes. There were ads for Under armor showing that athletes wear their brand while working out and it would only make your workout that more intense. They also advertised Men’s cologne using very GQ looking men.

3. What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?

For me personally, I am a Hollywood junkie so I love magazines like US weekly, In Touch, Life and Style, ect. When I want to see what the magazine is like for the week I get online and get the top stories. It doesn’t give you the whole articles but just a little taste of what is in it so you will buy the hardcover magazine. It also makes it really easy for people to order subscriptions online with a couple clicks of the mouse, as opposed to mailing in the order form, which has a couple tedious steps to it.
But the electronic media can also have a downside because there are some websites that I go to frequently where I can get my Hollywood gossip without having to buy the magazine because the “sleaze” is posted for free.

Chapter 4

1. Poll 10 people by posing the question “Read any good books lately?” How many have they read in the past 6 months? What types of books have they read? What does this tell you about your sample and society?

Of the 10 people that I polled I learned that each person read books according to their personal situations in their life. My friend who has a mother who was recently diagnosed with personality and bi-polar disorder is reading books on how to cope with her mother’s illness. My mother who has four daughters that are no longer living at home is reading books on how to deal with being an empty nester. Every single teenage or mid-twenties girl that I polled has read the twighlight series. My sister who has a 3 month old baby is reading books on being a new mother and how to cope with a child who wont sleep through the night. My other sister with a 19 month old who wont eat real food other than breast milk is reading on how to wean a toddler. My other sister who has neither a job nor children is reading entertaining books that are on the popular book lists in order to keep herself entertained. With this sample poll, I learned that people read books according to the issues that are occurring in their lives. I learned that only people with a lot of free time read entertaining books rather than reading a book to learn something. I think that my little sample has a good correlation with society because most people are constantly on the go and don’t have a lot of time to just stop and read a good book. I think that people read and search for things in order to solve problems in their lives.

2. Which would you prefer to use in your college classes, regular textbooks or electronic textbooks? Why? Which would you prefer for your leisure reading? Why?

I would prefer to continue using regular textbooks in my college classes. After looking at my computer screen for a long period of time my eyes are so blurry and I feel like I am beginning to go blind. I can’t imagine reading the amount of reading that I have to do every night on a computer screen. Also, I like to mark up my books by highlighting important things and taking notes as I go. If I were to switch to electronic books I would not be able to do this.
I would also prefer to use regular books for my leisure reading. I like to curl up to a good book and I can’t imagine that I would be too comfortable cuddling up with my laptop to read a good book. Also, the same thing as textbooks, my eyes begin to hurt and go blind when I read on a computer for so long.

Chapter 3

1. Do negative stereotypes exist in the media today? Explain, and if yes, give examples. If no, explain why you believe they don’t.

I believe that negative stereotypes do exist in the media today and have had my belief validated just by watching a TV show in the last thirty minutes, flipping through a magazine and listening to my mom talk about her new school down in New Orleans. I was watching “The Office” and they made references to black people being from the ghetto, Fat people were lazy, and women should be sexy and skinny. Each of these stereotypes are things that these type of people have to deal with on a daily basis. When I read a magazine or watch a TV show, I have the overwhelming feeling that I need to weigh 100 pounds, I need to attract men with my sex appeal, and I need to never eat in order for guys to find me attractive. This stereotype of women is not a reality in real life, yet is pushed at women so strong and is so influencing.

2. There is a possibility that people will be immersing themselves in the world of mass media to a point to where they begin to tune out the real world. What might happen if people begin to overly distance themselves from the reality of the outside world? Are there examples of where this has already happened?

I think that this submersion of mass media is slowly becoming more and more common today. As for myself, I have found myself less social at school with my Ipod in my ears and my Iphone in my hand as I am searching things on the internet, looking at my Facebook page, checking my email, and texting 10 people at once, while completely ignoring the thousands of other students around me. My friend recently told me that as long as I had my cell phone and computer I would never need human contact. Although this was a complete exaggeration, I did find some truth to it. It seems that my computer and my phone are my constant “necessities” in order for me to survive my daily life. I believe that if we as society continue to have our media grow and evolve as it has we will continue to lose as much personal contact with people and move towards the means of cell phones, emails, and the internet for a way of communication. My mom has recently started her masters program at the School of Tulane and is learning that the life of a college student is quite the busy one. Before starting school she got the new Iphone and a MAC to accommodate her scholastic needs. She is learning that the quickest way to communicate with her children is to send a quick text or email rather then spending a couple minutes on the phone. The conversation is quick, easy, and done the minute the text is sent.

Chapter 1

1. Using the communication model, define how each component could be applied to a newspaper article, a magazine article, a radio program and a television show. Does the model work more efficiently for some media than for others? Explain. Examples

Newspaper Article:
Sender: Author of article.
Receiver: Reader of the article
Channel: Subscribing or buying the paper after being published.
Encoding: The author writes to a specific audience and uses language with a level of knowledge and understanding that the author believes they will understand.
Decoding: The reader must have a knowledge and understanding of the point the author is trying to convey.
Noise: Not buying the newspaper. Having an article be too deep in the paper and go overlooked.
Feedback: Reader’s can write the newspaper and tell their opinions. By continuing to buy the paper the authors can assume that they are having positive feedback.

Magazine Article:
Sender: Author of article
Receiver: Reader of the article
Channel: Having magazines in check-out lines of stores, readers subscribing to magazines.
Encoding: Author speaks to a specific audience with a language and terminology that they would understand.
Decoding: Reader needs a foundation of language and terminology of what the author is trying to convey in order to understand the article.
Noise: Not buying magazines, readers overlooking articles that aren’t advertised or as eye catching as others.
Feedback: Readers continually buying magazines. Some magazines allow readers to write in and give positive or negative opinions of articles.

Radio Program:
Sender: Radio talk-show host
Receiver: Listeners that tune into the program
Channel: People turning on the radio and going to a specific channel
Encoding: Sender using language and terminology relevant to specific audience
Decoding: Receiver understanding message being sent because of understanding of terminology and language used.
Noise: Literal noise in the car, not turning on the radio, not being near a radio.
Feedback: Listeners can call in and give feedback.

Television Show:
Sender: TV broadcast programs, Actors, Writers of television shows.
Receiver: Viewers that watch the show.
Channel: Advertisements endorsing the shows on the radio, internet, magazines, and newspapers. Also word of mouth.
Encoding: Targeting a specific audience and using situations that would apply to audience.
Decoding: Watching a show that the viewer can understand, relate to, and apply to their life.
Noise: Having too many channels and not able to watch all shows at once. Literal background noise. Not being allowed to view channels because of parental blocks.
Feedback: TV programs are able to see how many viewers.

I believe TV is able to utilitize the communication model the most efficiently because it uses all of the other media to advertise itself. Newspapers announce when shows are aired, radio gives sneak previews of characters voices in the show, hoping to captivate the listener and encourage them to watch the show being advertised. Magazines have ads of shows and when and where they are broadcasted. Just the other day while driving down the freeway I heard advertisements for the shows “House”, “Desperate Housewives”, and CNN news stories. TV has established a way to network using all forms of media.


2. Which of the mass media perform the job of informing the best? Entertaining? Persuading? Explain. Examples.

Informing: I believe that TV does the best job of informing the best because when a newsworthy story happens or some sort of disaster occurs, within minutes it can be broadcasted to the nation. Lets take 9/11 for example. The minute that first plane hit, it was on every news station possible. It was not published in the newspaper until the next day, magazines would not be published until the next time they print, which is usually once a week, and a radio program can only give details verbally as opposed to the TV, where the events become visual and more real to the viewer.

Entertaining: I believe that TV is the most entertaining of the different forms of media. The shows get viewers hooked by creating suspense, allowing viewers to connect with the characters, using comedy, and appealing to the viewers emotional needs. Also, having the ability to see what is going on, rather than hear, or read, the viewers feel more connected because they are able to feel as if they are right there on screen with the characters. TV also allows people to be entertained without much effort. It promotes laziness, but sometimes people need to sit back, relax, and escape the real world for a little bit. I personally am hooked on the show, Desperate Housewives. Although i personally do not connect with any of the characters, for 1 hour every week I am able to forget about the stress of being a college student and be entertained without having to lift a pinkie, and sometimes thats exactly what I need.

Persuading: I believe that TV is also the most persuading. Viewers are able to see and hear what is being dealt with. Also, having the stereotypical Hollywood actor sometimes leads a viewer to believe that if they agree with what this person is saying (or selling) they too can become like this beautiful Hollywood character. My sister recently watched the Oprah show where Oprah was convincing people to go and register to vote and immediately my sister called our entire family reminding us of the importance of voting. Had my mother told her this it would have been disreguarded the minute it was said.