Are public relations activities like image consulting ethical? Explain.
I think that it depends on what kind of image you are consulting and what you are hiding. For example, I think that someone running for public office should not be able to hid ugly aspects of his or her life whereas in other areas I think that it is important.
Public relations is important display the best possible face to the public. We saw what a good job Tom Cruise's image consultants did all those years in covering up the crazy. He always seemed like a very normal guy, but then as he stopped using as much image consulting his crazy side came out for the public to see in a very unflattering way. This hurt his career. I think that it doesnt matter too much with his occupation of making movies what he is really like in real life and so i think that he could have benifited a little more from image consulting but that is just cause his job is a little more superficial, whereas if I am voting for president, I dont want to see Barrack Obama jumping up and down on Operas couch in a few years and I realize that I got douped.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Advertising
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.
I really like these Old Spice comercials that play up the fact that Neil Patric Harris used to play a doctor on TV and jokingly pretend like makes him an authority on body odor. I thought it was funny and it made me want to buy old spice.
I think that this obesity add is powerful. It got my attention right away and seems very controversial so I think that it does well.
I think that the GEICO TV spots with the cavemen are horrible. It was an Idea that was funny about 5 years ago but they just seem uncreative and irksome to me now.
This windows add seems very weird to me. I dont know what she means by wanting a "server secure enough to stay home with the kids" and she looks crazy. I am concerned for her kids one way or another.
Is advertising effective? Why? List some examples of where it did and did not influence one of your buying decision.
Of course advertising is effective. Companies wouldn invest billions of dollars a year if it weren't. It is the best way to get the word out and to draw people to your product. I have been effected by advertising. The Old Spice comercials really hit home with me and while I used their product a while ago I stopped. Now I have switched back to the brand because the commercials renewed the idea I had about their product that it was cool.
I really like these Old Spice comercials that play up the fact that Neil Patric Harris used to play a doctor on TV and jokingly pretend like makes him an authority on body odor. I thought it was funny and it made me want to buy old spice.
I think that this obesity add is powerful. It got my attention right away and seems very controversial so I think that it does well.
I think that the GEICO TV spots with the cavemen are horrible. It was an Idea that was funny about 5 years ago but they just seem uncreative and irksome to me now.
This windows add seems very weird to me. I dont know what she means by wanting a "server secure enough to stay home with the kids" and she looks crazy. I am concerned for her kids one way or another.
Is advertising effective? Why? List some examples of where it did and did not influence one of your buying decision.
Of course advertising is effective. Companies wouldn invest billions of dollars a year if it weren't. It is the best way to get the word out and to draw people to your product. I have been effected by advertising. The Old Spice comercials really hit home with me and while I used their product a while ago I stopped. Now I have switched back to the brand because the commercials renewed the idea I had about their product that it was cool.
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 realized that I watch a lot of TV. A lot of it is for social reasons I think. My roommates and other people are constantly coming over and wanting me to watch some shows with them. I figured that I average about 2 hours of TV watching a day, which is more than I thought I watched. There just always seems to be some sports game or television show that everyone wants to throw a little party and watch together. I think that the need that I get most with television si the the fulfillment of social expectations that other people have for me.
Critiques argue that in trying to “offend no one,” the networks tend to offer TV programs that appeal to the “lowest common-denominator.” Do you agree? Can you name programs that are definitely for the LCD? Can you think of any network (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW) programs that defy the LCD label? Explain.
I think that a lot of the mainstream shows do try to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I was watching the Survivor Reunion show and they were talking about the portrayal of different contestants and whether the contestants thought that their portrayal was accurate or what they would have wanted to see. One girl said that she liked the "edit" of one contestant a lot better than her own. Jeff Probst immediately told her to stop using production terms I guess because he felt that the lowest common denominator would not be able to understand or piece together what she meant by "edit". His reaction was interesting to me and i think that this case evidences the fact that TV shows do tailor themelves to the lowest common denominator. A lot of times i feel insulted as a viewer that the creators so greatly underestimate my intellegence.
I realized that I watch a lot of TV. A lot of it is for social reasons I think. My roommates and other people are constantly coming over and wanting me to watch some shows with them. I figured that I average about 2 hours of TV watching a day, which is more than I thought I watched. There just always seems to be some sports game or television show that everyone wants to throw a little party and watch together. I think that the need that I get most with television si the the fulfillment of social expectations that other people have for me.
Critiques argue that in trying to “offend no one,” the networks tend to offer TV programs that appeal to the “lowest common-denominator.” Do you agree? Can you name programs that are definitely for the LCD? Can you think of any network (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW) programs that defy the LCD label? Explain.
I think that a lot of the mainstream shows do try to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I was watching the Survivor Reunion show and they were talking about the portrayal of different contestants and whether the contestants thought that their portrayal was accurate or what they would have wanted to see. One girl said that she liked the "edit" of one contestant a lot better than her own. Jeff Probst immediately told her to stop using production terms I guess because he felt that the lowest common denominator would not be able to understand or piece together what she meant by "edit". His reaction was interesting to me and i think that this case evidences the fact that TV shows do tailor themelves to the lowest common denominator. A lot of times i feel insulted as a viewer that the creators so greatly underestimate my intellegence.
Movies
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 that both factors play off of each other. I think that movies especially have a way to desinitize people to these depictions of sexual and violent conduct. I think that the more that people are desensitized to it the more that they want it and the more the movie industries are able to provide it. It is easy to argue that there is a definite demand for these movies because if there were not a demand for these movies then they would never get made. But likewise, the more of these movies that get made the more people are going to be desensitized to them and want to see more. It seems like a very vicious cycle that will continue to get worse and worse.
If you were a movie producer, what would you do to make a box office hit in 2008?
I would just make and action unlike anyone ever seen before. I would just write it so that every four pages i would either insert a big explosion or a jump kick to someone's face. The hero wouldnt want to be the hero in the first place but would have to because no one else is tough enough to do the job to take down the bad guys. The bad guys would be armed with the automatic rifles and the latests weaponry of every kind but they would never be able to hit the hero because they all have server tourette's syndrome's and shoot all over the place whenever they try to hit him. Or they would just wait until they got close enough to him that he could punch the guns out of their hands. Even when the hero was out numbered and out gunned he would just break out his super high jump kick to the face that trumps any weapon.
I would spend all of my budget on special effect explosions and advertising and save money on actors. The hero would just have to talk in a raspy voice to be cool so it wont take a lot of talent and his female counterpart would just wear really skimpy clothes so no one will really notice her acting either. It really isnt that hard to make a successful movie. I dont see what all the fuss is about.
I think that both factors play off of each other. I think that movies especially have a way to desinitize people to these depictions of sexual and violent conduct. I think that the more that people are desensitized to it the more that they want it and the more the movie industries are able to provide it. It is easy to argue that there is a definite demand for these movies because if there were not a demand for these movies then they would never get made. But likewise, the more of these movies that get made the more people are going to be desensitized to them and want to see more. It seems like a very vicious cycle that will continue to get worse and worse.
If you were a movie producer, what would you do to make a box office hit in 2008?
I would just make and action unlike anyone ever seen before. I would just write it so that every four pages i would either insert a big explosion or a jump kick to someone's face. The hero wouldnt want to be the hero in the first place but would have to because no one else is tough enough to do the job to take down the bad guys. The bad guys would be armed with the automatic rifles and the latests weaponry of every kind but they would never be able to hit the hero because they all have server tourette's syndrome's and shoot all over the place whenever they try to hit him. Or they would just wait until they got close enough to him that he could punch the guns out of their hands. Even when the hero was out numbered and out gunned he would just break out his super high jump kick to the face that trumps any weapon.
I would spend all of my budget on special effect explosions and advertising and save money on actors. The hero would just have to talk in a raspy voice to be cool so it wont take a lot of talent and his female counterpart would just wear really skimpy clothes so no one will really notice her acting either. It really isnt that hard to make a successful movie. I dont see what all the fuss is about.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Radio
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?
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?
Kawz FM 90.5- This station focuses on a Christian audience. They have Christian talk and gospel music that they play for their specialized audience.
KONY FM 94.3-- This is a country music station.
KLVR FM 89.7-- Another Christian radio station that focuses on "Positive and encouraging" broadcasting. They have self help programs where listeners can call in to get help with problems and they play music they claim to be uplifting.
1320 KFNZ AM -- This station specializes in broadcasting sports radio programs. It has specialist talk about particular sports and critique them as well as it has coverage of games and sporting events.
To stay alive in the media after television radio has had to be very personalized and look for niche markets. Each radiostation is much more specialized than television channels so that listeners can know exactly what they can get by listening to it. Also, a popular trope of the radiostation is the call in where listeners can actually call into the radiostation and communicate with and participate in the radio program itself. This is one aspect that makes talk radio so popular.
People go to the radio to listen to what new songs are popular. They can also listen to other selective groups to hear songs they know they like and also to find knew songs they didnt know they liked yet.
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?
Kawz FM 90.5- This station focuses on a Christian audience. They have Christian talk and gospel music that they play for their specialized audience.
KONY FM 94.3-- This is a country music station.
KLVR FM 89.7-- Another Christian radio station that focuses on "Positive and encouraging" broadcasting. They have self help programs where listeners can call in to get help with problems and they play music they claim to be uplifting.
1320 KFNZ AM -- This station specializes in broadcasting sports radio programs. It has specialist talk about particular sports and critique them as well as it has coverage of games and sporting events.
To stay alive in the media after television radio has had to be very personalized and look for niche markets. Each radiostation is much more specialized than television channels so that listeners can know exactly what they can get by listening to it. Also, a popular trope of the radiostation is the call in where listeners can actually call into the radiostation and communicate with and participate in the radio program itself. This is one aspect that makes talk radio so popular.
People go to the radio to listen to what new songs are popular. They can also listen to other selective groups to hear songs they know they like and also to find knew songs they didnt know they liked yet.
Newspapers
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?
For national news it is very likely that people do not need a large variety of news papers. Therefore it is a lot more competitive of a market. It is harder to compete in this small head market. The top news papers seem to stay afloat and do well but it is the ones on the bottom that struggle to stay in circulation.
Also, some of the papers are struggling to find a way to create revenue from online editions. Many people go online for their news so it is important for them to discover that method.
However the suburban weeklies are part of a niche market where people in those communities are dependent on the newspapers to get their their news of the goings-on of their community.
Magazine
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.
What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?
A magazine that I read that I typically wouldnt read was called Wired Magazine. This magazine I assumed appealed to a more tech savvy audience whose first blog ever wasnt for a comms 101 class just this sememster. The magazine talked a lot about how technology is used in different businesses from videogames to television to film. It also had a lot of political information about the upcomming elections. It uses works like geek and tech throughout different headlines so I think that it is tailored for an audience that identifies themselves as such.
The electronic media is why this magazine is in existence because it is a magazine ABOUT the electronic media. It talks about phone gadets and the impact different website creators have had on different business markets as well as entertainment.
What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?
A magazine that I read that I typically wouldnt read was called Wired Magazine. This magazine I assumed appealed to a more tech savvy audience whose first blog ever wasnt for a comms 101 class just this sememster. The magazine talked a lot about how technology is used in different businesses from videogames to television to film. It also had a lot of political information about the upcomming elections. It uses works like geek and tech throughout different headlines so I think that it is tailored for an audience that identifies themselves as such.
The electronic media is why this magazine is in existence because it is a magazine ABOUT the electronic media. It talks about phone gadets and the impact different website creators have had on different business markets as well as entertainment.
Books
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?
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?
Out of the 10 people I polled, 7 of them had read books for leisure in the last 6 months. The books they read were wide in variety most being best sellers but ranging in genera. Almost everyone reported reading paperback books though. The book categories all fell into fiction, non-fiction, and religious book. The fact that 70% of the people I asked had read books shows that book readers are in the majority (at least on a college campus) and I found it interesting that people mostly read popular books like the Twilight series. A lot of people claimed they read those books because they felt that since it seemed like everyone else was reading them it was important to read them as well.
Right now I would rather read regular textbooks for my college classes. Whenever I have electronic reading assignments it always takes me a lot longer to finish them. It takes a lot longer and is more strenuous for me to read on a computer screen.
Plus, I typically like to read with a pen in my hand and all that writing on the screen makes a mess.But in all seriousness, I have not had much of a chance to use the new e-book electronic readers that supposedly are very easy to read and can store hundreds of books. You can also take notes on those, but still, there is something to be said for being able to leaf through pages.
During pleasure reading it is even more important that I can have a traditional book than an electronic one. Again I have never really used one of those fancy reader gadgets but i like something i can hold and beat up. Take with me on a plane and not worry about loosing it or worry about spilling food on it as much. So all in all, I think that I still prefer books. Though I am open to letting some new gadget change my mind if it can.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Journal #2
• Do stereotypes exists in the media today? Explain and if yes, give examples - if no, explain why you believe they do not.
• There is the 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 see many stereotypes in the media today. College students are often depicted as over-indulgent party goers, binging on drugs, alcohol and sex.
Women are often depicted as vulnerable sex symbols.
Elderly are depicted as slow, senial, and an overall worthless burden on society. SEE SATIRICAL EXAMPLE
I think that it is very possible for people become overly immersed in the media to the point where their reality is distorted. I see a growing sentiment in my generation where people feel that they should be privileged to wealth and fame as an almost natural right because those are the lives they see depicted on MTV reality shows and in other areas of the media.
I have also heard about people becoming consumed by alternate universe role playing games like second life and world of warcraft. SEE EXAMPLE.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Journal Entry # 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?
Which of the mass media perform the informing the best? Entertaining? Persuading? Explain.
Newspaper Article
Sender: The Press, Journalist, Writers, Editors
Receiver: Subscribers, Readers
Channel: Written Text, still images (photographs, charts, cartoons ect.)
Message: The News
Feedback: Readers can write letters to editors
Noise: Reputations of Newspapers or Journalist being biased, Distractions in reading the article
Magazine Article
Sender: Magazine Editors, Writers
Receiver: Subscribers / readers of the magazine
Channel: Writen text, still images (photographs and other various graphics)
Message: What the author of the article wants to communicate
Feedback: Readers can respond through letters to the editor
Noise: Inaccess or disinterest int the magazine article. Distractions surrounding reader.
Radio Program
Sender: Radio broadcaster, disc jokey, radio talk show host
Receiver: Listeners to radio show
Channel: spoken word, music, sound effects
Message: What the radio show means to convey
Feedback: Listeners can call in, or comment on the internet if the radiostation has a webpage
Noise: poor signal, distractions that surround the listener
Television Show
Sender: Creators of show
Receiver: viewers of show
Channel: audio and video
Message: that which the creators of the show mean to convey
Feedback: TV rating reports
Noise: distractions, technical difficulties,
How well each medium lands the message it intends to with its audience depends on the individual audiences members preference for taking in media through various senses. While I am sure that each medium has its own particular groups of people with which it is most effective, I can only say for me I resonate most with visual images. To me, television shows are the most effective because they are able to appeal to me through moving images that I can see.
Which of the mass media perform the informing the best? Entertaining? Persuading? Explain.
Newspaper Article
Sender: The Press, Journalist, Writers, Editors
Receiver: Subscribers, Readers
Channel: Written Text, still images (photographs, charts, cartoons ect.)
Message: The News
Feedback: Readers can write letters to editors
Noise: Reputations of Newspapers or Journalist being biased, Distractions in reading the article
Magazine Article
Sender: Magazine Editors, Writers
Receiver: Subscribers / readers of the magazine
Channel: Writen text, still images (photographs and other various graphics)
Message: What the author of the article wants to communicate
Feedback: Readers can respond through letters to the editor
Noise: Inaccess or disinterest int the magazine article. Distractions surrounding reader.
Radio Program
Sender: Radio broadcaster, disc jokey, radio talk show host
Receiver: Listeners to radio show
Channel: spoken word, music, sound effects
Message: What the radio show means to convey
Feedback: Listeners can call in, or comment on the internet if the radiostation has a webpage
Noise: poor signal, distractions that surround the listener
Television Show
Sender: Creators of show
Receiver: viewers of show
Channel: audio and video
Message: that which the creators of the show mean to convey
Feedback: TV rating reports
Noise: distractions, technical difficulties,
How well each medium lands the message it intends to with its audience depends on the individual audiences members preference for taking in media through various senses. While I am sure that each medium has its own particular groups of people with which it is most effective, I can only say for me I resonate most with visual images. To me, television shows are the most effective because they are able to appeal to me through moving images that I can see.
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