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