KARE 11 10 o clock News. Rick Kupchella.
-Story of the Red River flooding- slow decline. Reporter on scene. 3 minutes
-Spring snow storm. Sven Sundgaard. 1 minute.
-Shooting in Lakeville. 3 arrested. 30 sec
-Fire in duplex 30 sec
-8 dead in nursing home shooting. Feed of press conference. 1min.
-GM CEO out after nudge from White House. 30 sec
-Northwest to Delta Changeover. Scott Seroka. Coverage of union meetings. Footage. Interviews with Union officials. Hamline Prof Daly phone interview. Info from anchor. 2.5 minutes
-Commercials: Chrysler. Southwest Airlines. Alltel Wireless. Toyota. Omnitheater Science Museum. Yellowstone Nat’l Park/Wyoming Tourism. 4 min.
-Feature. Real estate story/short sales. Interviews with homeowners. Rick Kupchella. Interview with real estate agent. 4 minutes.
-Outskiing avalanche in Norway, video footage. 30 sec.
-Banter.
-Weather. 3-4 minutes.
-Broomball tourney. Juliana Olson. Interviews with players. 2 min.
-Commercials: HOM Furniture. Dodge Chrysler. SoDak Tourism. Syngenta. Comcast. Kare11.com. Coburns Delivers. Sears BMW. 4 min.
-Sports. Eric Perkins. March Madness coverage. MN Wild. NCAA Hockey Tourn. T Wolves. Twins Spring Training Game. Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer Tourney. Nascar. 5 minutes.
-Banter.
-Before we go – story on Twins commercial.
What was most interesting about this newscast was the seventh news story of the evening. The Northwest to Delta Airlines changeover story was exceedingly one-sided. The footage was highly positive images (cheering and clapping) from a union meeting. Two interviews followed; one interview was with a union man who seemed slightly more desperate, saying that the union was in a “fight for its life” since Delta Airlines has non-union workers. The other interview, with another union member, was more optimistic and upbeat. All in all, the union was presented as a force that was possibly under attack, and certainly a positive entity for its workers. The only other interview was with a Hamline Law professor with union expertise. He offered a few benign comments about union survivability in the recessed economy. At no point was anyone from Delta Airlines interviewed; the only comment about Delta was that they offered good salaries and benefits, even without a unionized labor force. That being said, at no time was the union ever portrayed in any sort of a negative light, or having unreasonable demands of the airline industry. Considering the fact that Northwest Airlines LOST two billion dollars last year, and still their union has been constantly demanding raises and increased benefits, this strikes me as skewed, to say the least.
The rest of the news cast was rather boilerplate. We had a sense of urgency early on, in regards to the “hard” news, such as the flooding and shootings. Later the mood lightened with sports and the weather.
The only other really notable trend in the news was a kind of motif of negativity about big business. In addition to the (in my opinion) pro-union piece about the airlines, there was also a story about the resignation of GM’s CEO (at the urging of President Obama), and a feature piece on the inefficiency of banks and their ability to handle houses facing foreclosures or short sales. Considering the current state of the economy, however, I don’t think it’s particularly surprising that much of our news would be pejorative towards the continued seeming incompetence of banking or automotive executives.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Ethnography!
I examined a specific website as the focus of my media ethnography. http://www.whenshtf.com/ is a website dedicated to preparation and survival in emergencies. “SHTF” is an acronym referring to “sh!t hitting the fan” and is a general catch-all term for civil unrest, natural disasters, riots, breakdowns in infrastructure, or – of course – the biggie, TEOTWAKI: “The End of the World as We Know It.” (I got linked into the site from an outdoors/hunting/fishing/camping website which I frequent; I must admit, some of the stuff is highly entertaining and interesting!) The site is mainly comprised of men, and most of their preparation is done in anticipation of some sort of short-term collapse of society. Many of the members of the site are Southern, Gulf Coast residents. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were life-changing events for many of these site contributors. Others are Midwestern residents who have been variously concerned with flooding or tornadoes or ice storms. A few big city dwellers worry about the possibility of riots. Of course, in this recession, economic issues and emergencies are frequently discussed. By and large, most of the members are middle-aged white men.
The social purpose of the website/forum is discussion of various preparations for anticipated disruptive events. The members exchange information, ideas, photographs, and anecdotes about their experiences. Often members will also meet in “real life” for camping trips or “bug-outs” (hiking and camping trips wherein they test their gear). Their social agenda is highly politicized: survivalists are strongly libertarian in their views, and pride themselves on self-sufficiency. They view anyone who disregards the possibility of SHTF as being “sheep” or “sheeple” (Sheep/people). The most commonly shared stance is one of self sufficiency and a general mistrust of any sort of “authority” in an emergency.
Within the social interaction of the on-line communication, authority within the forum is derived from “experience.” Members who provide first hand, real world discussion of actual emergencies are held up as the leaders or moral authority of the discussion board. Law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, former and current military personnel, and people who have BTDT (been there, done that) are generally expected to be treated with respect. Of course, verisimilitude is necessary. Since this is on the Internet, any story which seems fabricated or manufactured will immediately be met with calls of “BS” and “Troll”. That being said, it is seldom that anyone asks for any sort of documentation of expertise or experience.
More authority tends to be given to rural residents, rather than urban residents. All members/contributors to the forum are treated with respect, as long as they share the viewpoint that in an emergency, it is important to be self-sufficient. Any sort of expectation of government assistance is anathema to the general mindset of the website. Also, the membership of the website is not surprisingly pro-gun. Any sort of support of gun control is roundly discouraged.
The most popular threads seem to be the ones displaying pictures of the various preparations or “preps” made by the various members. It was surprising to me how the various members would disagree on what is necessary; most seem to think that a supply of non-perishable food, a sturdy vehicle, and a family emergency plan are a suitable set of preparations. However, great authority is given to the forum members who have gone above and beyond these (in my mind) practical steps, and into a world of bunkers, ammunition stockpiles, vast quantities of food, and various BOL (bug out locations). Apparently, the most basic belief is that you can never be TOO prepared.
The construction of meaning of the text within this group is fascinating. They are constantly writing and re-writing their own text, and the authors who support, amplify, or expand the basic philosophical underpinnings of self-sufficiency are held as the moral authority of the on-line community. Those with real-world experience or who provide documentation (photographic, especially) are held up as teachers or wise men. Resistance from the group is also easily identified; anyone who suggests that these members are paranoid or overly imaginative is instantly faced with multiple arguments or is treated as if he or she is simply too foolish for words.
The social purpose of the website/forum is discussion of various preparations for anticipated disruptive events. The members exchange information, ideas, photographs, and anecdotes about their experiences. Often members will also meet in “real life” for camping trips or “bug-outs” (hiking and camping trips wherein they test their gear). Their social agenda is highly politicized: survivalists are strongly libertarian in their views, and pride themselves on self-sufficiency. They view anyone who disregards the possibility of SHTF as being “sheep” or “sheeple” (Sheep/people). The most commonly shared stance is one of self sufficiency and a general mistrust of any sort of “authority” in an emergency.
Within the social interaction of the on-line communication, authority within the forum is derived from “experience.” Members who provide first hand, real world discussion of actual emergencies are held up as the leaders or moral authority of the discussion board. Law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, former and current military personnel, and people who have BTDT (been there, done that) are generally expected to be treated with respect. Of course, verisimilitude is necessary. Since this is on the Internet, any story which seems fabricated or manufactured will immediately be met with calls of “BS” and “Troll”. That being said, it is seldom that anyone asks for any sort of documentation of expertise or experience.
More authority tends to be given to rural residents, rather than urban residents. All members/contributors to the forum are treated with respect, as long as they share the viewpoint that in an emergency, it is important to be self-sufficient. Any sort of expectation of government assistance is anathema to the general mindset of the website. Also, the membership of the website is not surprisingly pro-gun. Any sort of support of gun control is roundly discouraged.
The most popular threads seem to be the ones displaying pictures of the various preparations or “preps” made by the various members. It was surprising to me how the various members would disagree on what is necessary; most seem to think that a supply of non-perishable food, a sturdy vehicle, and a family emergency plan are a suitable set of preparations. However, great authority is given to the forum members who have gone above and beyond these (in my mind) practical steps, and into a world of bunkers, ammunition stockpiles, vast quantities of food, and various BOL (bug out locations). Apparently, the most basic belief is that you can never be TOO prepared.
The construction of meaning of the text within this group is fascinating. They are constantly writing and re-writing their own text, and the authors who support, amplify, or expand the basic philosophical underpinnings of self-sufficiency are held as the moral authority of the on-line community. Those with real-world experience or who provide documentation (photographic, especially) are held up as teachers or wise men. Resistance from the group is also easily identified; anyone who suggests that these members are paranoid or overly imaginative is instantly faced with multiple arguments or is treated as if he or she is simply too foolish for words.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Media representations of race.
I’d like to start with an apology for this journal entry: it may not possess a clear focus throughout! I have many disconnected thoughts in regards to the subject of media representations and their effect upon thinking about race, class, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. So some of these paragraphs not seem clearly connected.
In regards to race:
Three days ago I was watching the History Channel. The program was about organized crime in America – specifically Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes, the most prolific heroin dealers in New York City in the 1970’s. In light of the recent reading I’ve been doing on media representations, I began to ruminate on the frequency of the portrayal of blacks as criminals across all media. From gangsta rappers to gangster movies, from The Wire on HBO to the 10 o clock news, we see black criminals almost incessantly. There is certainly some basis for this media representation in reality. According to the Department of Justice, offender rates in homicides for black Americans are seven times higher than that of whites; blacks are much more likely to be murdered (http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm). The leading cause of death for black males, age 15-24, is homicide (http://www.hhscenter.org/bonbstat.html) and has been, for years.
Yet, at the same time I was watching this program about black gangsters, I saw something interesting. The judge who eventually prosecuted Frank Lucas was a black man, named Sterling Johnson. And I began to wonder: how many of my students would know the answer if I asked the question: “Who is Thurgood Marshall?” How infrequently we see black Americans as judges, doctors, teachers! The media representations of ethnic minorities are typically negative, especially in news media. This causes an expectation of certain types of behavior in certain individuals in our society. I know that I myself, especially early in my career, would have knee-jerk reactions to certain students based upon their race and clothing. I wouldn’t go so far as to pre-judge, but I would have a frequent reaction that I would need to “keep an eye on” a young black man who was wearing baggy clothes. (Although, I am happy to say that as I have become more experienced as a teacher, I have learned that sort of judgment is seldom correct; some kids who look like angels on the first day are my worst problems, and that kid in the back row with a Tupac t-shirt on will write the best essay of the year).
TBC
In regards to race:
Three days ago I was watching the History Channel. The program was about organized crime in America – specifically Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes, the most prolific heroin dealers in New York City in the 1970’s. In light of the recent reading I’ve been doing on media representations, I began to ruminate on the frequency of the portrayal of blacks as criminals across all media. From gangsta rappers to gangster movies, from The Wire on HBO to the 10 o clock news, we see black criminals almost incessantly. There is certainly some basis for this media representation in reality. According to the Department of Justice, offender rates in homicides for black Americans are seven times higher than that of whites; blacks are much more likely to be murdered (http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm). The leading cause of death for black males, age 15-24, is homicide (http://www.hhscenter.org/bonbstat.html) and has been, for years.
Yet, at the same time I was watching this program about black gangsters, I saw something interesting. The judge who eventually prosecuted Frank Lucas was a black man, named Sterling Johnson. And I began to wonder: how many of my students would know the answer if I asked the question: “Who is Thurgood Marshall?” How infrequently we see black Americans as judges, doctors, teachers! The media representations of ethnic minorities are typically negative, especially in news media. This causes an expectation of certain types of behavior in certain individuals in our society. I know that I myself, especially early in my career, would have knee-jerk reactions to certain students based upon their race and clothing. I wouldn’t go so far as to pre-judge, but I would have a frequent reaction that I would need to “keep an eye on” a young black man who was wearing baggy clothes. (Although, I am happy to say that as I have become more experienced as a teacher, I have learned that sort of judgment is seldom correct; some kids who look like angels on the first day are my worst problems, and that kid in the back row with a Tupac t-shirt on will write the best essay of the year).
TBC
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I thought I posted this yesterday!
Discussion of Conversational Agents
Like many of my fellow teachers, no doubt, I am mildly horrified but remain unsurprised by the nature of interaction between various students and Joan, the conversational agent. While we like to think that most of our students are like us – that is, value knowledge, intellect, and education – I think it’s important to remember that the average human being will very often get away with whatever he or she can. I think it’s also important to remember that our teacher-student relationships, be they in person, online or some combination thereof, are based upon the human interaction of learner and instructor. As a high school teacher, I am told incessantly that the most important factor for a successful student is his or her relationship with the teacher. Interpersonal relationships are the lynch-pin of education. A student might feign respect for a teacher based upon the teacher’s authority; a student respects a teacher for his or her character. Nowhere in this equation will you notice a respect for knowledge of subject material (although I add the disclaimer that if a teacher does not know his material, he may certainly lose the students’ respect; that does not mean that simply knowing the material makes students respect you). So how can we expect students to interact respectfully with an artificial construct which simply imparts information, and lacks human anima?
The truth of this strange phenomena surrounding conversational agents is that human beings often act as pack animals, working to establish their place as either dominant or subservient to those around them. Since Joan held no authority, nor would any authority figure inflict punishment for inappropriate conversation, the students’ interactions quickly devolved into degradation and profanity.
I find it also sociologically and psychologically significant that so many of the comments were sexual, and would be considered sexual harassment if addressed to a human female. I have little doubt that if the CA were male that many students would quickly have accused him of being homosexual, and made inappropriate comments to that effect. Domination and sexual degradation are often psychologically intertwined.
All this being said, in the end I don’t think it’s really anything significant. The average adolescent has a clear understanding what is appropriate interaction with another human being, and what is “fantasy” within a simulated human interaction. In spite of much of the hysteria surrounding violence associated with video games and television, the average adolescent understands that what they see on TV is often not acceptable in real life. In spite of the fact that we have all seen the Death Star explode dozens of times in the Star Wars films, we remained horrified on 9-11-01. Video game players who kill dozens in Grand Theft Auto do not (by and large) go on murderous car-jacking sprees. The average high school student, when faced with a conversational agent, is much more likely to treat the agent like a video game character than an actual human.
And since the CA is also a proxy for a teacher, the students might want to establish their dominance over the symbolic manifestation of the people who spend hours each day giving those students orders.
Like many of my fellow teachers, no doubt, I am mildly horrified but remain unsurprised by the nature of interaction between various students and Joan, the conversational agent. While we like to think that most of our students are like us – that is, value knowledge, intellect, and education – I think it’s important to remember that the average human being will very often get away with whatever he or she can. I think it’s also important to remember that our teacher-student relationships, be they in person, online or some combination thereof, are based upon the human interaction of learner and instructor. As a high school teacher, I am told incessantly that the most important factor for a successful student is his or her relationship with the teacher. Interpersonal relationships are the lynch-pin of education. A student might feign respect for a teacher based upon the teacher’s authority; a student respects a teacher for his or her character. Nowhere in this equation will you notice a respect for knowledge of subject material (although I add the disclaimer that if a teacher does not know his material, he may certainly lose the students’ respect; that does not mean that simply knowing the material makes students respect you). So how can we expect students to interact respectfully with an artificial construct which simply imparts information, and lacks human anima?
The truth of this strange phenomena surrounding conversational agents is that human beings often act as pack animals, working to establish their place as either dominant or subservient to those around them. Since Joan held no authority, nor would any authority figure inflict punishment for inappropriate conversation, the students’ interactions quickly devolved into degradation and profanity.
I find it also sociologically and psychologically significant that so many of the comments were sexual, and would be considered sexual harassment if addressed to a human female. I have little doubt that if the CA were male that many students would quickly have accused him of being homosexual, and made inappropriate comments to that effect. Domination and sexual degradation are often psychologically intertwined.
All this being said, in the end I don’t think it’s really anything significant. The average adolescent has a clear understanding what is appropriate interaction with another human being, and what is “fantasy” within a simulated human interaction. In spite of much of the hysteria surrounding violence associated with video games and television, the average adolescent understands that what they see on TV is often not acceptable in real life. In spite of the fact that we have all seen the Death Star explode dozens of times in the Star Wars films, we remained horrified on 9-11-01. Video game players who kill dozens in Grand Theft Auto do not (by and large) go on murderous car-jacking sprees. The average high school student, when faced with a conversational agent, is much more likely to treat the agent like a video game character than an actual human.
And since the CA is also a proxy for a teacher, the students might want to establish their dominance over the symbolic manifestation of the people who spend hours each day giving those students orders.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
This should have been done long ago, but here it is!
Critical lenses, and their use in the examination of media texts.
1.) Rhetorical/Audience
Rhetorical analysis of a text or media text is fundamentally an examination of the “language” of a text in an attempt to determine how the text attempts to manipulate the audience’s reaction to the subject material. This critical analysis examines how media messages “position audiences to adopt certain responses, beliefs, or practices” (Beach 34). It is an examination of the relationship between author, purpose, and audience.
2.) Semiotic Analysis
Roland Barthes’s ideas about semiotics influenced this idea of critical analysis. Barthes believed that particular cultures had specific codes worked into objects, visual cues, and images. By examining the relationship between the “signifier” and the “signified”, one can find a subtextual message within the visual fabric of a media text. A extremely simplistic example of this is the idea in most Western cultures that green=go and red=stop.
3.) Psychoanalytic
Psychoanalytic criticism is derived primarily from the work of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, and is broadly summarized as follows: the subconscious workings of an author or a society can be seen in the works of art and media produced by those people. One of the most common subjects examined by psychoanalytic critics is the idea of gender and gender roles within a society, as well as sexual function as a driving force behind many illogical actions or neurotic behaviors. Examination of symbols as subconscious ideation is key.
4.) Feminist
Feminist criticism is an examination of contradictory discourse of gender found in media and literary texts. The construction of “myths” about femininity, especially myths created and propagated by a patriarchal society, can lead to static ideas about the nature of gender and sex. Modern feminist theory posits that gender is a constantly changing concept which is continually – and often contradictorily – redefined by the art, texts, and media of a society.
5.) Postcolonial
Postcolonial critical discourse examines the way in which Western society conceptualizes the rest of the world, especially defining non-Western, colonized civilizations as “other” or “different”. This definition of culture as either “normal” -that is Western - and “other”- non-Western -creates a specific value system under which all objects, images, and persons may be judged. From the colonial perspective, the closer something is to the Western norm, the better it is.
I already use each of these schools of thought within my classroom, sometimes with an explicit discussion of their philosophical underpinnings, or sometimes by simply asking questions which might lead students to think about a text from a particular critical perspective. However, my usage of various critical lenses is almost completely limited to the analysis of literature, seldom to film, and never to electronic media sources such as the internet, blogs, forums, or web communities like interest sites or networking groups (like Facebook or MySpace).
I think a semiotic analysis of various popular websites could be absolutely fascinating. Of course, examining a commercial or product placement within a film from a rhetorical/audience critical perspective could be likewise insightful. This could be combined with a feminist perspective nicely. I do a unit already which requires a psychoanalytic analysis of Dr. Strangelove (which is rife with Freudian psycho-sexual symbolism).
However, I think my most effective unit which requires critical analysis of a modern media text is my “music as literature” unit. The students pick a popular song of their own liking and examine it from a critically analytical point of view. I often get students who combine feminist and psychoanalytic thought in their examination of modern pop acts like Britney Spears or Rihanna, and while I never thought of it before, one student’s examination of three Bob Dylan songs was strongly semiotic! I'm not sure it's possible to draw any sort of conclusion about "Subterranean Homesick Blues" without a semiotic analysis of the imagery within the lyrics.
1.) Rhetorical/Audience
Rhetorical analysis of a text or media text is fundamentally an examination of the “language” of a text in an attempt to determine how the text attempts to manipulate the audience’s reaction to the subject material. This critical analysis examines how media messages “position audiences to adopt certain responses, beliefs, or practices” (Beach 34). It is an examination of the relationship between author, purpose, and audience.
2.) Semiotic Analysis
Roland Barthes’s ideas about semiotics influenced this idea of critical analysis. Barthes believed that particular cultures had specific codes worked into objects, visual cues, and images. By examining the relationship between the “signifier” and the “signified”, one can find a subtextual message within the visual fabric of a media text. A extremely simplistic example of this is the idea in most Western cultures that green=go and red=stop.
3.) Psychoanalytic
Psychoanalytic criticism is derived primarily from the work of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, and is broadly summarized as follows: the subconscious workings of an author or a society can be seen in the works of art and media produced by those people. One of the most common subjects examined by psychoanalytic critics is the idea of gender and gender roles within a society, as well as sexual function as a driving force behind many illogical actions or neurotic behaviors. Examination of symbols as subconscious ideation is key.
4.) Feminist
Feminist criticism is an examination of contradictory discourse of gender found in media and literary texts. The construction of “myths” about femininity, especially myths created and propagated by a patriarchal society, can lead to static ideas about the nature of gender and sex. Modern feminist theory posits that gender is a constantly changing concept which is continually – and often contradictorily – redefined by the art, texts, and media of a society.
5.) Postcolonial
Postcolonial critical discourse examines the way in which Western society conceptualizes the rest of the world, especially defining non-Western, colonized civilizations as “other” or “different”. This definition of culture as either “normal” -that is Western - and “other”- non-Western -creates a specific value system under which all objects, images, and persons may be judged. From the colonial perspective, the closer something is to the Western norm, the better it is.
I already use each of these schools of thought within my classroom, sometimes with an explicit discussion of their philosophical underpinnings, or sometimes by simply asking questions which might lead students to think about a text from a particular critical perspective. However, my usage of various critical lenses is almost completely limited to the analysis of literature, seldom to film, and never to electronic media sources such as the internet, blogs, forums, or web communities like interest sites or networking groups (like Facebook or MySpace).
I think a semiotic analysis of various popular websites could be absolutely fascinating. Of course, examining a commercial or product placement within a film from a rhetorical/audience critical perspective could be likewise insightful. This could be combined with a feminist perspective nicely. I do a unit already which requires a psychoanalytic analysis of Dr. Strangelove (which is rife with Freudian psycho-sexual symbolism).
However, I think my most effective unit which requires critical analysis of a modern media text is my “music as literature” unit. The students pick a popular song of their own liking and examine it from a critically analytical point of view. I often get students who combine feminist and psychoanalytic thought in their examination of modern pop acts like Britney Spears or Rihanna, and while I never thought of it before, one student’s examination of three Bob Dylan songs was strongly semiotic! I'm not sure it's possible to draw any sort of conclusion about "Subterranean Homesick Blues" without a semiotic analysis of the imagery within the lyrics.
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