Week 11: "Aha" moment

1) There are so many different types of media that affect our thinking and behavior. I am somewhat surprised that television is the most controversial of all media, with the largest concern focusing on what it does to us as individuals and as a society. I though internet would affect us the most because once something is posted, everyone on this planet would be able to see it online.

2)When we watched the video about guns, I was surprised that Canadian do not lock their doors even their house had been vandalised before. I was atonished that there are about ten thousand deaths that are related to guns in American in a year, while there are less than 100 cases related to guns in other countries.

Week 10: Media Ethics/Media Law

In southern China, New Apple Concept Digital Technology Co Ltd, which headquarters in Shenzhen, violated the media law involving copyright. It used a logo of "apple with wings", which was too similar to that of the Apple Inc. New Apple Concept Digital Technology Co Ltd was fined 400,000 yuan (about 58,000 dollars) to Apple Inc in 2008.

I think Chinese firms always try to get benefits. Those companies knew that they are violating the law to confuse the customers, but they still make infringement.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iu9ZnhoS3KWzLYEGkO78zZQvWF1A

Week 9: Propaganda in Advertising/PR

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2910700403_021e80f8cb.jpg?v=0

CoverGirl advertisement uses "slogan" and "beautiful people" as propaganda techniques. The cosmetics company hires American actress Drew Barrymore as spokesperson. The "beautiful people" propaganda makes people think that they will look as beautiful as Drew Barrymore if they buy the products. The slogan for the cosmetics brand is "easy, breezy, beautiful, CoverGril." The slogan will stick in people's mind and influence people to buy their products if they want to be beautiful too.

Week 8: Electronic News

Stories Reported (about 2-3 mins each):
1) President Obama's High-Stakes Summit in Asia
2) U.S. Troop Morale Down in Afghanistan
3) Holding 9/11 Trial in NYC Shows Obama Doesn't Get War on Terror, Giuliani Says
4) New Prison at Bagram Points to Shift in Approach
5) Authorities Acting on Tip Search for Missing Girl

Sports (about 5 mins)
Weather Reports (about 5 mins)

Ads Aired (about 10-20 seconds each):
1) UPS
2) iPhone
3) Golden Gate fields Horse Racing
4) Twitter
5) Carrows

Only about 10-15 minutes were devoted to news.

The lead story was President Obama's visit in Asia (China). It was chosen because it was his first visit in Asia after he was elected the president of United States. It is very important for him to meet with the prime ministers in other countries in order to build up friendship between countries. The anchor was quite serious.

Week 7: Internet

11749 sites are listed.

I have only heard of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter...

Bascially, all the sites that I know are listed.

InterNations is an international social networking site that allows people who are interested in international relation and/or international business to interact through forums, private messages, or newgroups. Users include those who work for intergovernmental organizations, those as foreign correspondents, or those who are interested in different cultures.

I usaully use Facebook to interact with friends and keep friendship with old friends. One time, I forgot there was a test. I was using Facebook as normal. I read the note that my friend posted, and I knew that I had to start studying before it was too late.

Week 6: Television

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-fL2XjCFE

Length: 0:15

Description: The video shows the stereotyping of African American people.

Chapter 9: Television

Question: Two areas in which antertainment programming comes under particularly heavy attack are in its perpetuation of violence and what?

Answer: The other area is its reinforcement of stereotypes.

Week 5: Movies or Recordings

My favorite movie of 2009 was District 9. I first saw it in a movie theatre. I liked it because I like the topics of aliens and the topics of racism and xenophobia.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/

Week 4: Magazines

Name: Top Magazine

Concept: It covers most of the things that teenagers and young adults encounter (from pop culture to fashion to school life to psychological issues other than fashion and beauty only)

Readers: All gender, all ethnicity, people between 15-25

Other magazines: Nylon Magazine

Advertisers: Vans, Ugg Boots, Apple Inc., Converse, CoverGirl Cosmetics, Zoo York

Articles:
1) How to Choose My Major? (School life)
2) Coolest Skateboard in Town! (Pop Culture)
3) Get Prepared for Winter!! (Fashion)
4) Am I Not Popular? (Psychological Issue)
5) Best Moisturizers For Your Asset..Face (Beauty)

Cover: A young famous person and celebrity will be invited to be the cover model. The title "TOP" will be at the top of the cover.

Week 3: Books

1. Why? (Chinese Version)

This is the book that I read when I was little. This covers a lot of information like why we dream, why there is earthquake...When I was young, I had a lot of questions in my mind. So I would go to a library and borrow this book to search for answers.

http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010304277


2. Into The Wild

I don't really like to read; I am like a required reader. This is the book that I read for the English Composition class in college, and I found it a great book. Christopher McCandless chose to live in the wilderness in Alaska, while he had a college degree. This story was striking, and it made me rethink the goal of my life.

http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0307387178/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255310620&sr=8-1


3. Bible

Bible can tell you how to be a good person. It tells you why things happen; it tells you how to act and how to be the children of our Heavenly Father.

http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-Giant-Print-Presentation/dp/0834003503/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255311128&sr=1-3

Week 2: Media Impact

Advertisements in magazines or commercials always have a huge impact on customers. The companies always exaggerate the functions or the effects of their products. Even I had been influenced by the dramatic commercials to buy the products. My hypothesis is that people will believe in the exaggerated effects of the products and will actually purchase the products. I will use the random sampling to see whether people will actually have the intention to pusrchase the goods. I would predict that people who are less educated will actually believe in the effects dramatized, and people who are more educated will be unlikely affected by the commercials and the advertisements as they have more critical thinking skills.

Week 1: Media Autobiography

When we talk about media, the things that came across my mind first are television and internet. Because we can get information so quickly from these two types of mass media. We just simply turn on the television or the computer, and we can find out what is going on in this world. These two types of mass meida may be the most popular among the eight types of mass media.

To me, out of the eight mass media, recordings, and radio are not my favorites because I have to use my imagination when getting information from these media. I would say that I am a visual learner. When I was a toddler, books would probably be the first medium that I used to receive information. My mother would buy me books that have big words and big pictures for me to learn. As I was growing up, I used books a lot more frequently like everybody else because we all learned things from textbooks at school. If the books consist of pictures or other visual aids, I would definitely read the books. Therefore, I do not like to read other books like fiction as they contain words only. Even though books are not my favorite, I would still read books as a medium to receive information. When I was growing up, I did not read newspapers because there are words all over the page. After I got into middle school, I started to read newspaper daily. The reason was that the newspaper was free and could be found in each subway station in Hong Kong. Therefore, I developed a habit to read newspapers on my way to school. However, after I came to the United States, my habit was curbed because I find the newspapers in US are boring. The newspapers did not attract me to read. In Hong Kong, the editors and reporters of newspapers and magazines always use big bold titles as headlines, which always make poeple curious and attract them to read. In US, I only read magazines, and I never read newspapers.

Television and Internet are my favorites. As I mentioned, they are very convenient. I can just sit at home and still be able to know all the things that are happening in the world right now. In the US, the drama and movies sometimes have some sex scenes or violence scenes; however, in Hong Kong, not a lot of sex scenes and violence scences will be shown on TV because people in Hong Kong are a little more conservative. Those scenes will not be banned, but there will be a big chance that parents will complain and report to the authority. In the US, people maybe a little more open-minded, and there more channels for parents to choose for their minors; therefore, the situation is better. In today's world, people (including me) cannot live without computers. People can barely live without turning on the computers everyday and do something else instead. For example, students will take online class, and they will be asked to read some materials online and write a response to it. Business people will send e-mails to their business partners, they have to check e-mails everyday. Internet is powerful, green, and it makes everything efficient.