Questioning the Media Chapter 4

1. Describe your earliest memories of listening to radio. Do you remember a favorite song? How old were you? Do you remember the stations call letters?

Why did you listen?

My earliest memoriesof listening to the radio station were when I was in earlier elementary school and in the afternoons when my parents were still at work i had a babysitter. I would hang out in my room and listen to the radio. It was always the country radio station KICKS 103.3. My favorite song, that my dad eventually got me a CD of was Something in Red by Lorrie Morgan. I grew up dancing and so I always imagined that I would one day dance to that song. That was my favorite song till about third grade and then I decided that I didn't for some reason like country music anymore. I still listen to that radio station because it is the local station in Lenoir, and has local news on it, broadcasts some high school sport games.

3. If you

could own and manage a commerical radio station, what format would you choose,and why?

If I could own and manage my own commercial radio station I would choose to use the Oldies format. Only 5.4% of the radio stations played today are oldies music. I never thought that I enjoyed oldies music, but I do love 50's music. I would play this music, because it does not need to get lost in the music that is played today. Some of the music that is played today is similar to oldies music, but it needs to be known and listened to that that music came from something else. Generations of today are growing up and not getting a full feeling of their past. They read in History books, and learn about the history but do not really get a teaching about the music during the history that they are learning about. Music is just as important as people that lived during the past.

5. How might radio be used in improve social and political discussions in the United States?

Radio could be used to improve social and political discussions by being more informational about situations going on. It is common that radio stations broadcast this information but not clearly enough so that citizens understand the full situation before drawing conclusions. I understand that some people think that all citizens do not need to know everything, but they do in order to draw the correct conclusions on either a social or political issue. Even if the issue is simply about education, it needs to made clear about what the situation is talking about, so that not more in brought up to make the issue harder to figure out.

Questioning the Media Chapter 3

Question 1: Who was your first favorite group or singer? How old were you at the time? What was important to you about this music?

When I was twelve years old, I got my first CD. Growing up I had many tapes and had many music groups that I enjoyed listening to. But the first one that I remember getting and listening to over and over, and being able to sing along was a CD by Aselin Debison. I was born in 1990, and I loved listening to Aselin Debison because she was the same age as myself. Aselin is a Canadian pop and Celtic music singer, and s

he continues to write songs. My grandmother traveled to her home in Canada, and when she came back she brought me a gift, which was a CD titled Sweet is the Melody. I enjoyed this music because it was from Canada, where my family is from, and was from a young singer. I was able to sing along and relate to some of her music. One of her songs was about, a friend that had moved away and how just a simple want to stay friends will keep two people together. A few years before this CD came out, I had my best friend from preschool move away. We struggled with missing each other, because we had lived every waking moment together. This song brought hope to each of u

s, as to how we were going to stay friends together as long as we wanting to stay friends. Her music was comforting, uplifting, and overall enjoyable for me to listen to.

Question 2: If you ran a noncommercial campus radio station, what kind of music would you play and why?

If I ran a noncommercial campus radio station I would play Religious music. All types of Religious music, because I think there is not enough of it played. I do not think that it should be just Christian music, but any other music that any religious groups enjoy. I think that all religions should be able to rejoice and celebrate with music together. There are not many channels that have religious music that is not Christian, and since we are all in one world everyone should be open to listening to all religious music. Living on a religious based campus, I do not hear much religious music. So if I had a campus radio station, I would choose to broadcast religious music.

Question 5: Do you think the Internet as a technology helps or hurts musical artists? Why do so many contemporary musical performers differ in their opinions about the Internet?

I think the Internet as technology helps musical artists, because then they are able to express their music on the internet. They can choose to have their music on the internet for free or for a cost. Except I do not think that YouTube benefits musical artists, because anyone can post anything for a free cost. Many contemporary musical performers have a different opinion because some of them want to be able to have their music available for anyone to listen to at no cost at all. But then they are some musicians who want their music to be only available to people that pay for the music and give back to the artists.

Questioning the Media Chapter 2

Question 1: What was your first encounter with the Internet like? How did it compare with your first encounters with other mass media?

I can not really remember my first encounter with the Internet. I am guessing that I was in Kindergarten, in elementary school, the school had internet that students accessed. The first time I can really remember using the internet to search for information was in fourth grade when I was did a project with my best friend f

or the science fair. We did our project on elephants, and we were able to learn about elephants, and then make a presentation. But I think when I was in third grade, was as far as I can

reme

mber back to that I first officially used email. I traveled to Canada with my mom, and the only way to communicate with my friends at home were by email. I would walk over to the library every day and get on the internet and check my email. Most of my first encounters with other mass media was when I was younger, and back to before I can remember. One of the newer forms of internet is Google Chrome and I have gotten to be introduced to it now. There are many mass medias, and many were in place before I was born. I do not recall remembering my encounters, because I was young in age.

Question 4: Do you think virtual communities are genuine communities? Why or why not?

I do not think that virtual communities are genuine, and I do believe that some people let themselves believe a little too much into virtual communities. Virtual communities are a way for people to get to know each other, and be part of a community, but I feel that a community is a group of people that can physically join together with one another and have a connection. With virtual communities, it is very rare that you are going to physically be standing side by side with one another, and that doesn't mean, having your character that you made in the virtual world to stand beside your neighbor. Many people use these virtual worlds instead of being social in the real society. This is not a good thing, and is why I think virtual communities are not genuine communities.

Question 5: As we move from a print-oriented industrial Age to a digitally based Information Age, how do you think individuals, communities, and nations will be affected?

Many individuals that have had their lives more than half percent in the print-oriented Age, is going to be completely thrown off, if we go to a complete digitally based Information age. Many of my grandparents friends, have no clue what I am talking about, if I refer to sending pictures via email, or blogging on the internet like I am doing now. Communities will be affected because there are many places that have people who can not afford to have a computer, let alone connection to the internet. This makes, things really complicated, because then the community will have citizens that are not getting the information and the news, if the print-oriented age disappears. Living in the United States, I am very lucky to have the access in internet, and not tightly censored by the government. As the United States, slowing move out of the print-oriented age and into the digitally based information age, it may limit news and information getting to other parts of the world. Everyone will be affected as this change happens, even those people that have a computer and have the internet.

The Sleeper Curve

Do you accept Johnson's Sleeper Curve argument that certain TV programs--along with challenging interactive video and computer games--are intellectually demanding and are actually making us smarter? Why or Why not?

I do actually agree with Johnson, that the interactive video and computer gamer are making us smarter because then you are not only learning what is on the computer, but also you are learning how to navigate computers. At young ages children are given games to play on either the computer or television. Even at early stages of understanding the computer, increase the knowledge into higher level games. As children reach college and even later in life their knowledge of computers, televisions and electronics are higher. These games are intellectually demanding, and they are in a different way making us smarter. Yes, someone may have a problem, with reading or mathematics and computer or video games do not help, but if there is someone who loves to play video and computer games, then this would be the ideal way to increase their reading or mathematic abilities. Often children, or younger age people are interested in something that is easier to do, then sit in a classroom and listen to a teacher talk and then write. If computers are incorporated into a classroom, those children would be more interested in learning.

Are you more persuaded by Postman's1958 account that the world has been displaced by an image-centered culture and consequently, that popular culture has been dumped down by its oversimplified and visual triviality? As you consider Postman, think about the Internet: Is it word based of image based? What kinds of opportunities for learning does it offer?

Yes the culture has been dumped down by its oversimplified and visual triviality. As i think about it, the world is word based. Everywhere you go there are words that need to be read and understood in order to continue what you are doing. On the internet, it is a must to be able to understand reading, most of the time there are not pictures explaining what a paragraph or article is about. You can find images, but not ones that are going to explain in an official way. Calendars, appointments, directions, and etc. are given in word form and can not be made clear through pictures. It gives a learning opportunity for all those that can not understand words, and for those that can to teach others. It is important for all to realize that you can teach others, and you will also learn from yourself while you are teaching.

Do you enjoy television shows and video games that your parents or grandparents don't understand? What types of stores and games do they enjoy? What did earlier generations value in storytelling and what is similar and dissimilar about storytellings today?

There are a few of television shows that I enjoy that my grandparents do not understand, but then there was a point in my life, that I started to enjoy television shows that they enjoy as well. My Mum, enjoys telling stories of when she was growing up and hearing about sweet love stories. She enjoys playing games like scrabble, or intense games like sequence with her grandchildren. She enjoys to know what her grandchildren are interested in, but also to make it clear to us what she enjoyed growing up. Earlier generations valued the carrying on of the story through tellings it. They are similar to stories today, but a lot of the times, stories like what they would have told turn into to rumors and get passed on in that way.

Interview someone who is close to you but from an earlier generation about media and story preferences. Then discuss or write about both the common ground and the cultural differences that you discovered.

I discovered that the media from an earlier generation was a learning method. It taught about things that you would not learn on a daily basis but also was and is able to warn you about things that might harm you that you should learn. Television was not as open and did not show as much stuff when my mother was growing up. It was very personally to talk about your bodies. There were soap operas like we now watch, but there were not the reality shows that had all the drama.The television and media was a true learning place for a lot of information and helped bring what scientists learned to the common house hold. My mother was saying that it is interesting to see how much violence is shown and how much the television companies have to go and make it more of a "wow" for people to enjoy the shows. It used to be so simple to entertain someone, but now there is so much more. For example, you never saw someone get stabbed, but you may hear stabbing music. I learned a lot from this interview, and I am glad I asked my mother about it.

Questioning the Media Chapter 1

Question 1: Using music or television as an example, identify a performer or program you once liked but grew away from as you got older and your tastes changed. Why do you think this happened? Do you think you early interests in popular music or television have had an impact on shaping you identity? Explain.

A performer that I grew up listening to was Raffi. I loved his music and always asked my parents to turn Raffi on, his music was appealing to my age and taught me simple things, such as the different vowel sounds in the song, "I like to eat apples and bananas". As I grew older, the music did not interest me as much, because it was for the younger generation and I got into more age appropriate music. This music that Raffi produced had a catchy tune, and it always seemed to be a part of me. I know that I grew out of this, because I grew in life, and there came a time for me to continue growing up and move to finding a different performer to spend my time listening to. My early interests in music has made a positive impact on me, as I have shaped my identity, but you can never be sure if you made this music choice because you liked it, or your parents offered it to you. Either way, I enjoyed the music, and now as I am older I am open to listening to music that has a catchy way of expressing the love for music. I always have liked to sing along to music from the time I listened to Raffi, until now when I listen to all different genres of music.

Question 3: Pick on example of a popular media product that you think is harmful to children. How would you make your concerns? Should the product be removed from circulation? Why or why not? If you think the product should be banned, how would you do it?

Depending on who's opinion is being used to declare which magazine is harmful to children, but I am going to say that in my opinion the magazine, "Seventeen" is the most harmful to children. The Seventeen can have pictures on the cover or actor or actress, commonly known to children. For example, in the December and January edition, Miley Cryus was featured on the front. Any child that watched Disney channel is familiar with her, so the magazine grabs there attention. No matter what others may say, but I feel that the picture is portraying a sexual attitude. To children, which is like twelve and under, then feel they need to dress and look like the picture. I am concerned that the producers of Seventeen forget to remember that children see these magazines as well. Even though, yes, the picture pulls to older age people to buy the magazine, but a sexual picture is being given to children's eyes. I would approach the producers of Seventeen to rethink how the picture looks, and to instead us real life pictures of these actors. If someone enjoys reading the magazine, then it is not going to matter what it looks like. I do not think that it should be removed, but rather re looked over and determined how to make it safer to children's eyes. Everyone says, we need to keep our children safe, but most are meaning physically, you also have to remember what they see and hear determines how their act.

Question 5: Although in some ways postmodern forms of communication, such as e-mail, MTV, and CNN, have helped citizens participate in global life, in what ways might these forms harm more traditional or native cultures?

MTV is a prime example of a media that has helped citizens grow, but also decrease the self esteem. Many shows on MTV pulls the attention of teenagers and young adults. It demonstrates how to look and act, but are not positive labels for young people. Older people want others to watch out for the young children, but do not realize what the television is portraying. Young adults dress how the t.v actors do, and thus maybe are prone to being raped or abused sexual in another way. A traditional culture is to act proper and dress only attractive so that you are not expressing yourself in a sexual way. But the modern world of television on MTV has taught the young people to express themselves in any way they feel, to get what they want. I believe there is no way that MTV has a positive impact on the citizens of whom watches it.