What I have learned from this class

When first signing up for this class I figured there would not be too much to learn about because I felt that I already knew a lot of the information that was going to be taught; however, was I in for a surprise. This class taught me about mass media and touched base on a lot of topics that I did not know too much about. Different topics such as film and digital technology, which I believed I knew a lot about; however, there was a lot of information like the creators of the forms of technology and how it affects the mass media. Another thing that I really attained a lot of information from was from the media pioneer presentations. I learned a lot about creators of different mass media technology tools and how they used these tools to affect the mass media and mass audience. I attained a lot more information than I was expecting to get out of this class mainly because I thought I knew a lot of the information that was going to be taught. However, as a whole I found this class very beneficial for me to gain a better understanding of mass media and how it affects a mass audience.

How does mass media shape the public’s agenda of issues?

Mass media has become such an important aspect to people’s everyday life that there is no doubt that mass media shapes the public’s agenda of issues. The mass media shapes the public’s agenda of issues by deciding what people should think about and making that the main focus of the media. This is done through numerous forms of mass media technology such as television, radio, newspaper, and social media sites. Due to the fact that the topics within the mass media are so easily accessible it makes it a lot easier for the mass media to shape the public’s agenda of issues. The public should know that the mass media is not trying to tell them what to think, but to show and tell them what is important right now that they should be thinking about. This can be a positive and negative thing. On the positive side the public will be informed of breaking news and crucial information. However, this could be viewed negatively because certain information that may pertain to an individual may be over shadowed because it is not considered crucial information that should be portrayed in the mass media.

What I Have Learned This Semester

Over the course of this semester, I have learned many things from the different types of media and the effect they have on individuals and society, to the specific laws that pertain to certain mediums. However one of the most important things that I learned this semester was the massive effect that media can have on society as a whole. Television, radio, books, and magazines can have huge impacts on people and they way they think and act. Media acts as an agenda setter meaning that it dictates what should be on people's minds at a given point in time.

One of the things that I found most interesting was the way mass media varies from culture to culture. In China for instance, media is extremely monitored and censored. Characters on television are not allowed to use words such as "ok," and other slang terms that are ever present in our culture and society. I also find it interesting how Western culture continues to creep into other societies.

Lessons Learned

In this class, I learned a lot about mass media that I was unaware of before. Before this class, I had no idea what mass media actually was. I thought it was just newspapers and television broadcasts. I did not realize there was so much more to it.

Out of all of the mass media topics presented in this class, I think that mass media and globalization was the most important topic. Media globalization is happening throughout the world quickly due to the Internet and social networking. It has pretty much taken the world by storm, and I do not think most people are aware of the effects it is having on the way we communicate with other countries now.

Another thing to consider is the new integration of social networking into mass media. The addition of social networking is able to spread news faster than ever before. With a simple click, the news can be spread to millions of people all over the world. It is incredible how people can be instantly connected to the news while others can be disconnected.

Without mass media, there would be no way of communication with others in the world.

What I learned

I have learned so much from this class that will help me in the business world. I have learned many ways in which the media is incorporated into our daily lives and that there really is no way of escaping it. I also learned a lot about advertising and what the techniques of a good catchy ad and what they do to draw you in. Also I was able to learn about the different ways that news can be twisted and lean to one side depending on the news channel that is broadcasting and how it can be very biased. I was able to learn about public relations and how it is a persuasive tool to helping companies and other things get out of trouble when they are taking a lot of heat. I was also able to grasp the concept of how mass media has an enormous impact on society and how mass media can reflect a political system globally not just the U.S. I was able to learn about how widespread media is and how every country have their own rules and regulations on how media is perceived.

What I learned

This class was always entertaining and even on the days we stayed for the full hour and 20 minutes I was consistently interested. I really enjoyed all of the videos we watched and I feel I really learned the most about advertising. I now watch ads with a critical eye, and am often criticizing them on my own and with friends. I also learned about media conglomerations and their motivations for conglomerating, something I previously had not thought about.

I think in general I am wiser about media in general, I learned about so many media pioneers and I enjoyed the presentations. I feel more informed in general and was actually able to put my knowledge to use by impressing my boss with my knowledge of who created Amazon. I really enjoyed the class, and in general would recommend it to other's.

What did I learn?

Through this class I have learned the many effects of mass media across all areas of life, business, and global reach. Mass media in its many forms has the ability to reach many individuals, with a goal of influencing the people it is reaching. Mass media has become a form of mass communication used in many different ways. News has the ability to keep the individuals watching up to date of what is going on across the world. It can also be used as an advertising outlet, which can have negative effects on the audience. All forms of mass media have transformed over the years into mass media as we know it today.
Mass media can also be used as a watchdog to government. Mass media can be effective as a watchdog because it has the ability to make sure the most accurate information is given to the audience, and keeps government as honest as it can by showing these true facts. Another form of news that is effective in giving accurate information is muckraking, which is a reporters chance to dig deep to find the real facts about a story. All of the forms of mass media have an effect on the audience that it is being shown to, making it an effective form of mass communication.
-Michael Bouchie

What is the significance of the First Amendment with speech and press?

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is a provision against government interference with free citizen expression, including media content. Freedom of speech is what makes mass media flourish and without the First Amendment in place this would not be possible and mass media would be considered censored. The First Amendment allows speech and press to tackle any issues regardless of the topic and how it portrays our government. It allows people to express themselves freely without any recuperation from the government. By having freedom of speech and press people are encouraged to think independently and not have to be persuaded into believing things that they disagree with. At times the government can get away with things that go against the First Amendment, but by having this amendment in a written document allows citizens the right to fight against government censorship, which usually falls in favor of the citizens rather than the government. The fourth estate is another aspect that helps keep the First Amendment in tact because it is the mass media that acts as the monitors of government behavior and then relies their findings back to the public. The First Amendment is a significant amendment that entitles the freedom of speech and press and by having the court systems abide by this prevents the government from censoring speech and press.

Lessons to be Learned

I have learned from this class about the power of mass media and how much our society focuses their attention on media and how much we rely on it as well. It is a part of our daily life and forever will be. We use media to be entertained but also we use media to be informed about important information and issues in our society.

I also have learned about the business aspect of mass communication and the two ways they thrive in our capitalist society; advertising and direct sales. Advertising is the core of media, by promoting the sale of a product/idea/or program to the people. It is used to express messages that influence us in a powerful way.

Finally, mass media is our way of communicating. It is how messages can be sent to a large population in the matter of one push of a button.

Molding the Public's Agenda of Issues

Since the media is where the public receives all of its information about the world, what is going in society as well as in politics, they therefore have total control in what the public hears or learns about. The media molds the stories they want us to focus our attention on which is extremely easy to do. We are exposed to news everywhere, and even if the viewer is not interested or could care less about a topic such as the royal wedding, at some point, the viewer will sit down and listen to the report on it. Our class has learned that they are the gatekeepers, the people who decide what stories are told, usually the most crucial story of the time, though sometimes our attention is diverted to other topics. Whatever is on the breaking news or in the headlines, we are made to think it is the most important issue and it must precede every other issue. Hence, the media decides what the public focuses on and what deserves the most attention.

How mass media shapes public agenda

Mass media shapes the public agenda of issues in various ways. For one, with all of the new forms of social networking media out there such as Twitter and Facebook, people are beginning to hear about global news not just quicker but they are able to see other people's reactions as well. This can greatly affect what issues are being paid the most attention to and what people really care about. For example, last night President Barrack Obama announced via Twitter that he was going to be making a live address online. People all over the world got the message and tuned in. In a way, social networking sites really humanize certain global issues. Seeing reactions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by certain global disasters for instance can draw a great deal of emotional attention to certain news.

The significance of The First Amendment

The First Amendment gives the people of America the freedom of speech and press which directly impacts mass media in a profound way. This country is famous for giving their citizens these rights and the media would not be the same if these rights did not exist. Censorship and control by the government over information distributed by the media would be filtered and blocked. Though, almost every statement in the media is protected, unless it is an exception that harms the public which is known as public endangerment.

With the freedom of speech, people can express their opinion and thoughts without receiving any penalties or consequences. As for the freedom of press, material that is published and viewed by the public, is protected by the First Amendment since the material is a free expression. Another side of freedom of expression is prior restraint which is a concept in which the government cannot interfere with a person’s expression in the Supreme Courts. Overall, the First Amendment allows people to express their opinions freely and the press to release the truth on situations.

Mass media shaping the publics agenda

Mass media has greatly shaped our counties agenda. Because of our advances in technology and sites like social networks we have become a society of fast paced thinkers. We want to know what is happening immediately and at all times of the day. Because of this, mass media has made the publics need for world issues in constant demand. At every moment of the day someone is plugged into some form of technology that connects him or her to the news. Therefore the public’s agenda of issues has changed, some would say for the better. We no longer wait for the daily or weekly newspaper to find out what is happening; now all we have to do is press a few buttons.

Significance of the First Amendment

The First Amendment has been very important to our press and speech. Freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceful assembly and petition of the government are guaranteed by the amendment. Each person in our country likely uses at least one of those a day, whether it's speaking their mind, going to church or protesting a government action. But it also allows the journalists of the country to print what is actually happening in our world with out it being biased because the government wants to keep the issue secrete. Because of our freedom of speech the press can discuss issues that may not be in agreement with the President or other members of our government. But the first amendment grants us the right, this way our country’s citizens can be fully informed.

The following is a link to an article that discuses how we have used the first amendment to share information.
http://hlpronline.com/2011/04/wikileaks-the-first-amendment-and-the-press/

What have I learned in this class?

I think I have learned the most about media pioneers and how they have shaped today's media landscape. hugely important people such as Philo Farnsworth were unknowns to me before this class and it is improtant to know that history of such an important information outlet. I have also learned a great deal about the process that media has gone through to get to the Facebooks and Twitters of today. Many people have dedicated their lives to media and the innovations that they have come up with are amazing.

The Fourth Estate

The fourth estate has been throughout the years the press and the media that regulated the other three "estates". In mideval timesthe three estates were clergy, nobility and common people. At that time the press monitored the three estates and was the watchdog of the people. In today's times the three estates are now the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The media continues to remain the fourth estate and watch over the other three. Throughout history, the fourth estate has been hugely improtant in managing corruption throughout all of the other estates.

How does mass media shape the public's agenda of issues?

Mass media shapes the public's agenda of issues by determining which information will be heard and when it will be heard. Mass media outlets are the gatekeepers of information and they determine what is important and what is not important. Small issues can be blown up by media that thinks the issue will draw viewers. On the other hand, major isses can be pushed adide and ignored by the media. once issues are out of the media and out of the public eye, oftentimes they are quickly forgotten. The media outlets only want to show issues that will draw viewers and therefore bring in revenue. They focus on what they think will be popular and that shapes the public's agenda of issues.

Mass Media-Shaping The Public Agenda

There is no doubt that mass media does a great job at shaping the public's agenda of issues. With the power mass media has today, whatever it chooses to provide to it's audiences, individuals are going to listen. It has become so popular in today's society that when mass media throws a story at us, whether it is important or not, the public is going to at least hear what it is all about. Another aspect is that mass media is always changing and different types of mass media are going to have different agendas. This brings variety to the different news stations we watch or the magazines we read. I think in a way it shows individuals how accustomed to mass media we have become, we seem to just listen whether we are interested in the topic or not, which helps us learn even more about different issues going on around the world.

-Taylor Johnson

How does mass media reflect a political system globally?

Mass media reflect a political system globally by usally acting in the same manner as the government of a specific country and the way they run themselves. In a democratic country such as the United States, mass media is free to speak as they want and they are not told by anyone what they can say and what they cannot say. Then there is countries such as Egypt who have the government monitoring what can be said and determining which information is able to be spread globally. The media of the country reflects the political system and therefore is more limited. I think that as more developing countries harness the use of mass media you will see a greater wealth of information and media will be less monitored by political systems.

The First Amendment-Speech and Press

The First Amendment protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference or for exact wording, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It allows for people to state what they feel. This becomes a beneficial law for the press and speech because it helps individuals communicate a message more clearly. Being able to communicate a message without interference from the government allows for a better understanding to people listening, especially with speeches. Another beneficial aspect for having the First Amendment is that it allows for the press to publish newspapers, magazines and newsletters without the government having to approve them. Although this may cause certain problems when dealing with issues individuals feel strongly about and take a side to, it allows our news and speeches to diversify.

-Taylor Johnson

The First Amendment

I think i can safely say that the first amendment is THE building block of our nation. Its what gave us that ultimate freedom that our settlers were looking for all that time. And its what allows us to grow as a country making us more diversified and opinionated. Without this freedom of speech mass media would not be mass media. Anything anyone wants to say has the right to say it and publish it whether it be in a book or in a song or a paper they can say what they want to say which is a monumental right to have. And because of it our way of life is the way it is and the media has bee able to grow in the way that cannot be surpassed.

Mass Media In The Public Eye

Mass Media is what we know because its in everything we do. Depending on what market you look at there will be different mass media types. Mass media allows us to see the world quickly and in most cases in depth. However it does change according to the audience which is why certain audiences like certain types of mass media such as what news channel people prefer. Mass media depends on a few things one is what the readers and watchers want and two is what the Media conglomerates want to show. And what drives the media is what there is to advertise because as we all know thats where the money is and thats where it always will be. Its all controlled and the people have very little influence but with this inception of social media that has changed a little bit because now news is so instant the media has to change with what the people are talking about just as fast making it harder for the big dogs to contol it.

Mass Media's public agenda

Mass media is reflective of the market in which it is placed within. Most forms of mass media are dictated by the demand of the audience to view, or see something in particular. This demand shapes what mass media can show. This being said, much of mass media is dictated by the most current and important news within the United States. Through this mass media can shape the public’s agenda of issues. Much of mass media takes focus away from smaller issues that may be more relevant to the information gainer, and places the large spectacular stories on the front pages to carry the eye of the reader. Mass media has taken the news and shaped it to house larger issues with more spectacles to keep the audience interested in what is going on across the country. As more mass media venues head towards spectacular news the agenda of issues become skewed, being lead towards less important extravagant news, most of which usually has a negative connotation. As mass media stands today most of the news that is given to an audience now has a skewed agenda of issues, based from stations need to keep an audience interested.
-Michael Bouchie

First Amendment Rights

Without the first amendment much of what is portrayed across media today would be completely different. The first amendment is the freedom of speech, which gives all citizens of the United States the ability to say what they wish about anything. The rights gained from the first amendment are huge, allowing mass media to play, within reason, anything they feel is appropriate for their audience. Many counties sensor their people, and do not allow them to see or say certain things. With the first amendment of the United States the people of the country gain the ability to say and show the feelings they please.
Without the first amendment every American would have to keep in mind what they are allowed to say and what they aren’t allowed to day. The first amendment gives all people the right to voice their opinion, once again within reason. Mass media has grown bounds as a result of freedom of speech, expanding itself to reach the ever growing and changing viewpoints of its audience. The first amendment is one of the main sources of freedom within the US, and has given mass media, as well as the people of the US the chance to grow.
-Michael Bouchie

Weekly Informing

Mass media has the ability to present issues to the public. They are generally as research point to the primary and major form of all information citizens of the United States turn to get their news, entertainment, and advice. Media presents issues, and ideally raises questions that the public should be asking. AS the mass media companies also tend to be conglomerates affiliated with business however; there seem to be very serious issues on the questions asked by the major media companies and their interests in the news.

Today mass media conglomerates choose the weekly agenda, in what generally seems to be based in their favor. NBC never really seems to discuss issues at GE and GE owned companies, and thankfully sometimes other media companies will talk about those issues.

Mass media is unfortunately today a for profit business driven by sales, advertising, and popularity. It shows what will sell, discusses these items and overall tries to make as much revenue from companies advertising and marketers as possible to increase revenues for their stockholders. They choose what to talk about in the beginning of the week and generally get the public interested in the topic for that week’s entirety.

First Amendment

The first amendment in the United States is one of our most valued rights. Today it is more important then ever to have the ability to have our freedom of expression and opinion more than ever. This applies to both individuals and corporations. Today our press is supposed to have the right present themselves and the issues at hand in the world truthfully, fairly, and unbiased. But how often does this happen?

Although I understand the belief that the US needs to protect itself from external threats that may pose a factor, I question our freedoms everyday as they have been pressed into our heads from an early age. Are the freedoms that we believe in really there? Are we really fighting for the beliefs that our founding fathers had for the betterment of our society and the world. I like to think so.

The press has a duty to its citizens to present and bring the truth to the public eye so that they can decide. In America we can protest our issues, and hope the media covers them and presents a fair unbiased opinion. The media can present our issues and their own we have the freedom to write whatever we want and speak whatever we want, and thankfully this seems to hold true today.

Chpt 15-17 blog posts.

How does mass media reflect a political system globally?

The media basically expresses everything that we know about politics and what is going on in the real world, therefore it provides us with all of the information we know about politics and political issues.  What the media tells us is what shapes our opinions on the political system.  If the media shows us one politic is bad and one politic is good we will most likely believe it, and we wouldn’t even know if all the facts are true or not.  Because this is the only way we really receive information about politics and the government, people depend on media to gain information about politics and other issues around the world. Without different forms of mass media, our nation would never receive information on governmental issues.

What is the significance of the First amendment with speech and press?

The First amendment of the Constitution of the U.S. guarantees the right of free expression; and includes freedom of assembly and freedom of the press and freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  The significance of this is that the media can say whatever they want about anything.  With this being said, I am sure a lot of mass media companies filter what they say, or have specific regulations on how they address a topic, because the way they act is going to affect their ratings and number of viewers or subscribers.  Although they do also want to be a reliable source and gain the attention of people so they will have to find a balance between how they address something and the truth of what they are saying.

How does media shape the public’s agenda of issues?

Media shapes the public’s agenda of issues because they present the people with facts, issues, and anything else going on presently.  The media decides which topics are important and which aren’t.  The media doesn’t necessarily tell people what to do or think, but it puts ideas in people’s heads, and then they react.

-Caty Draicchio

Mass media reflecting a political system globally

Mass media reflects a political system on many levels throughout the world. John Vivian writes, “At one extreme are nations in a libertarian tradition, which accords high levels of autonomy and independence to the mass media. At the other extreme are authoritarian nations with top-down leadership in control, sometimes overtly and onerously, sometimes less so” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Communication).

For example, during recent protest in Egypt, the government tried to eliminate mass communication outlets from broadcasting messages around the world of events that were occurring. The government tried to stop citizens and news outlets from voice their opinion. The United States, much different than Egypt, promotes a society in which advocates freedom of speech through media outlets. Allowing citizens and business to voice their opinion and broadcast messages makes for an honest and free flowing democracy.

Mass media ultimately reflects that of a political system in nations around the world. Although nations operate and conduct media affairs in very different ways, mass media within countries clearly reflects the operations and ideas of the political system within that country.

Public's agenda

Mass media shapes the was our agendas work in that depending on how big and important the story is we go out of our way to try and find out more about it. We try to focus on the more important issues that are going on out there rather than the stupid little things that no one cares about. We focus more time on news that is worth listening to like what’s going on in Libya with Gadhafi. The big issue now is that a NATO missile killed his family instead of him. That is a big issue right now and many people are focusing their attention to that. Another big issue is the presidential campaigns that are going on. The public listens to that news because they want to know who’s going to be up in coming in the presidential election. When little known news comes on that we don’t care about the public shuts off the TV or changes the channel because its not interesting. We tend to be drawn in by the bigger issues that may effect us or may effect everyone as a whole.

Media shaping the public’s agenda of issues

The mass media plays a major role in shaping the general public’s agenda of issues. The stories that the mass media decide to report on directly correlate with which news stories/issues the general public receives. The issues that they focus on and do in-depth research on are the ones that the mass audience will also focus on and be concerned with. The media tends to scan the domestic and international fronts to find the stories/issues that they feel will most interest us and be of the most benefit to us. If a particular news station devotes most of its research and news coverage to political news/issues and sets its agenda as such, then its audience will be more informed about politics. The mass audience can pick and choose which news station/show fulfills their needs the most and will tend to stay with that choice. When most of the media is focused on one particular issue in the news then that news issue must be something very important and will capture the attention of the mass audience quickly. In this respect the mass media is setting the tone of what we feel is important in the world today. Mass media fulfills an important role in keeping the mass audiences informed so we can make educated decisions about our lives.

Significance of the First Amendment

The first amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right of freedom of expression from government interference. This important constitutional right extends to the media as freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech and press, amongst others. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech or of the press” (Vivian). The first amendments significance with speech and press allows the media the privilege as well as the obligation to inform the mass audiences of issues that may concern them about the government. These issues are usually sensitive in nature which makes them all the more important to communicate to the masses. Free speech and free press has been the backbone of our democracy and will continue to be if the government does not tamper with it. The government however through the years has set some boundaries and limitations on what can be reported on by the media and press to us which they feel is in the best interest of the general public. However, critics of this feel that it is counterproductive in terms of keeping the citizens of the U.S. informed and able to form their own decisions on the issues.

The End

-I have learned a lot in this class. A few main things that stand out if my deeper understanding of what exactly mass media is and how we react to it every day. I found out more about the politics and regulations that mass media has and all the organizations that monitor every outlet. I also learned a lot from the media pioneer presentations that we did in class. There were great presentations and I found myself looking through things just to find out what media pioneers are out there. I learned about different issues such as advertising and ethics and children exposed to TV and the impact that might have on it. Overall, I truly enjoyed this class and learned a lot about mass media.        

                              

Democratic Mass Media?

Mass media reflects a political system in the U.S. We are a democratic country and our mass media reflects that. We are allowed to talk about issues and not be censored like in other countries. For example, when political uprising was happening in Egypt, the mass media was shut down because the government didn’t want the information getting out. However, if such thing had happened here, our mass media will have every right to report on the issues happening. Such examples can be seen in many other countries and the U.S. is a great example of a free mass media just like the free country we are. 

Public and the Mass Media

Mass media shapes the public’s agenda of issues because whatever the mass media is broadcasting will be what people talk about. For example, if mass media keeps talking about the Royal Wedding, the public will be concerned with that particular piece of news. Depending on the issue, the public could be swayed to think one way or another and even change their original mind set on the issue. 

1st Amendment!

--The First Amendment prohibits government interference in free expression, religion and individual and public protests against government policies however when it comes to speech and press there are a few more rules. A newspaper can’t just write anything about anybody, if the information is false, the newspapers could be sued for libel and if it’s spoken for slander. Overall, the First Amendment protects speech and press as long as it’s true information and with good intent.