Blog Assignment: Topic 5

Blog Assignment: Topic 5 :

Dear Media Culture students,

Here is your fifth topic for your Blog Assignment.

Obscenity, pornography and indecency: What are the differences between these terms?

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 5th April 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days

*critical reflection means:

1) Think, ponder, reflect, debate and discuss the issue given
2) Make clear connections to the topic of discussion
3) Include supporting details and examples (you can use videos, audios, photos) to elaborate your points
4) Use correct spelling and grammar

Personal reflection week 7

This week's lecture was a bit hard to understand and to take in. But I can understand the part about cultural stereotype.

I wrote this for my online tutorial discussion.

In the lecture for week 7, one information that I find most interesting is definitely regarding cultural stereotype. In most culture or even among us, there are always a form of stereotype. I don't think that we fully realize that or we are just oblivious to the stereotypes of our culture. For instance, take women for example. Women have become "labeled" and become part of a stereotype of how a woman should be and how each woman should fulfill a certain criteria. But if they do not, it seems like they are not "worthy" enough of other people's attention or rather, be taken seriously. I guess, I can say that is a form of stereotype that we do not realize the existence of it in our culture and also among us

I definitely feel that cultural stereotype is still here in our society and is very much strong. It will be hard to change a person's concept or mindset about something. It is possible but it will be hard. Overall, the class was rather interesting.

What is Media Literacy and why is it important for you as FCM students to have it?

The meaning of Literacy:

• the ability to read and write
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• the ability to read; understanding of something (ex. computer literacy)
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/literacy

So, What is media literacy? From my understanding, Media literacy is like the understanding of media. What is there to understand about media? It is the ability to analyze and be wise when seeing the message of the media. It is knowing what to believe, knowing the right questions to ask and knowing who the message is intended for.

Why is it important for us FCM student to have it?

As a FCM student, We work very closely with media. Media literacy is very important for us. It's not about knowing the right answers but asking the right questions. It is making the right choices and knowing what intentions of the message. Media literacy is actually also like critical viewing. It is to critically analyze that particular media and seeing through the hidden messages. Media literacy is a skill that can be acquired through experience, Learning to analyze, interpret, evaluating the many different kinds of media of various genre, forms and many more.

Media literacy 2

Taken from:

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/what_is_media_literacy.cfm

What is Media Literacy?

What do the experts have to say about media literacy? What's the difference between media literacy and media education? Here are a few answers.

Jane Tallim

What is Media Literacy?

Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It's the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media— from music videos and Web environments to product placement in films and virtual displays on NHL hockey boards. It's about asking pertinent questions about what's there, and noticing what's not there. And it's the instinct to question what lies behind media productions— the motives, the money, the values and the ownership— and to be aware of how these factors influence content.

Media education encourages a probing approach to the world of media: Who is this message intended for? Who wants to reach this audience, and why? From whose perspective is this story told? Whose voices are heard, and whose are absent? What strategies does this message use to get my attention and make me feel included?

In our world of multi-tasking, commercialism, globalization and interactivity, media education isn't about having the right answers—it's about asking the right questions. The result is lifelong empowerment of the learner and citizen.

What is Media Literacy? - Flash Version

Source: Jane Tallim, Education Specialist, The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

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Elizabeth Thoman

The 3 Stages of Media Literacy

Media literacy is an overall term that incorporates three stages of a continuum leading to media empowerment:

The first stage is simply becoming aware of the importance of managing one's media "diet"— that is, making choices and reducing the time spent with television, videos, electronic games, films and various print media forms.

The second stage is learning specific skills of critical viewing— learning to analyze and question what is in the frame, how it is constructed and what may have been left out. Skills of critical viewing are best learned through inquiry-based classes or interactive group activities, as well as from creating and producing one's own media messages.

The third stage goes behind the frame to explore deeper issues. Who produces the media we experience—and for what purpose? Who profits? Who loses? And who decides? This stage of social, political and economic analysis looks at how everyone in society makes meaning from our media experiences, and how the mass media drive our global consumer economy. This inquiry can sometimes set the stage for various media advocacy efforts to challenge or redress public policies or corporate practices.

Although television and electronic media may seem to present the most compelling reasons for promoting media literacy education in contemporary society, the principles and practices of media literacy education are applicable to all media— from television to T-shirts, from billboards to the Internet.

Source: Elizabeth Thoman, Founder and President, Center for Media Literacy, 1995.

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Chris Worsnop

Media Study, Media Education or Media Literacy?

Media teachers today use the terms "media education," "media study," and "media literacy" almost interchangeably. My personal preference is to use the term "media education" as a broad description of all that takes place in a media-oriented classroom, whether the subject matter is English, history, geography or science. (There's plenty of media learning that can be done in all those subject areas and others.)

"Media study" occurs when schools or teachers organize specific courses or units to study the media.

"Media literacy" is the expected outcome from work in either media education or media study. The more you learn about or through the media, the more media literacy you have. Media literacy is the skill of experiencing, interpreting/analyzing and making media products.

Source: Chris Worsnop, from Screening Images: Ideas for Media Education, Wright Communications. Mississauga, ON. Canada, 1994.

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Maureen Baron

Literacy, Then and Now

The traditional definition of literacy, when print was the supreme media format, was the ability to decode, understand and communicate in print. But the world has evolved, and print is no longer the dominant media format—that role has been usurped by the electronic media. To be literate today, people must be able to:

• decode, understand, evaluate and write through, and with, all forms of media
  
  
• read, evaluate and create text, images and sounds, or any combination of these elements.

In other words literate individuals must possess media literacy as well as print literacy, numeral literacy and technological literacy.

Source: Maureen Baron, Multimedia Administrator, The English Montreal School Board.

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Neil Andersen

Media Literacy and Media Education

"Media literacy" is a quality, like a tan, which can be achieved.

For example: "Yo! Check it out! I am media literate!"

"Media education" is an ongoing process, which can develop and evolve.

For example: "Every day, my media education is getting more powerful."

Source: Neil Anderson, Association for Media Literacy.

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Rick Shepherd

An Informed, Critical Understanding of the Media

Media literacy is an informed, critical understanding of the mass media. It involves examining the techniques, technologies and institutions involved in media production; being able to critically analyze media messages; and recognizing the role audiences play in making meaning from those messages.

Source: Rick Shepherd, "Why Teach Media Literacy," Teach Magazine, Quadrant Educational Media Services, Toronto, ON, Canada, Oct/Nov 1993.

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Wally Bowen

Citizens for Media Literacy

Media literacy seeks to empower citizens and to transform their passive relationship to media into an active, critical engagement— capable of challenging the traditions and structures of a privatized, commercial media culture, and finding new avenues of citizen speech and discourse.

Source: Wally Bowen, Citizens for Media Literacy, Asheville, NC, U.S.A, 1996.

Media literacy

Taken from Wikipedia.com

Media literacy is the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms. It uses an inquiry-based instructional model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, see, and read. Media literacy education provides tools to help people critically analyze messages to detect propaganda, censorship, and bias in news and public affairs programming (and the reasons for such), and to understand how structural features -- such as media ownership, or its funding model^[1] -- affect the information presented. Media literacy aims to enable people to be skillful creators and producers of media messages, both to facilitate an understanding as to the strengths and limitations of each medium, as well as to create independent media. Media literacy is an expanded conceptualization of literacy. By transforming the process of media consumption into an active and critical process, people gain greater awareness of the potential for misrepresentation and manipulation (especially through commercials and public relations techniques), and understand the role of mass media and participatory media in constructing views of reality.

Blog Assignment Topic 4

Blog Assignment Topic 4 :

Dear Media Culture students,

Here is your fourth topic for your Blog Assignment.

What is Media Literacy and why is it important for you as FCM students to have it?

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 22nd March 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days

*critical reflection means:

1) Think, ponder, reflect, debate and discuss the issue given
2) Make clear connections to the topic of discussion
3) Include supporting details and examples (you can use videos, audios, photos) to elaborate your points
4) Use correct spelling and grammar

TAKE NOTE: Please read your Blog Assignment Brief thoroughly for instructions first before emailing me your questions.

If you are still not sure what to do after reading the brief, please email me at helena.song@mmu.edu.my.

Stereotype

I do not really recall personally experiencing media stereotype in a movie or on TV.
But I do recall watching a typical american teen movie. It was a parody of another american teen movie. I do not remember the name but it speaks of all the stereotypes of an american teen movie or any other teen movies based in a high school.

It showed of how a typical high school should have the popular gang which consists of the jocks(mostly the american football team) and the pretty girls, there will also be the nerds or the smart alecs, the skaters, the gothic kind and many other cliques I should say.

The stereotype is here and how the groups are protrayed and all. I see it as a stereotype.

Media Stereotype

Give a very short basic explanation of what media stereotype is? (Keep it short please!) From your personal experience, what other media stereotype (besides the example from the article) you have seen either on TV or in the movies?

It took awhile to read the entire article, Some parts were a bit hard to understand but it was manageable.

Media stereotype. What does media stereotype mean to me? After reading the article that was provided, It became much clear on how the media can have it's stereotype. For me media stereotype, is like generalizing the characters. It is like a way the character of a certain race, culture or background should be. For example, of how the portray an arabic character, a chinese character or any of the other races.
This is not good in a way as if the audience has not met or know anybody from that particular race, background or culture, they may assume that that is how they are. They might make assumptions that they are as such. For example of how chinese people are stingy and good with money, of how koreans own laundry shops, of how all sundry shops are own by Indians. So therefore, Media stereotype is like brainwashing people into believing something that might not be true in the first place.

Topic 3.

Blog Assignment - Topic 3 :

Dear Media Culture students,

Here is your third topic for your Blog Assignment.

Please read through this interesting article on media stereotype: http://web.media.mit.edu/~ayah/MediaTheories/

Give a very short basic explanation of what media stereotype is? (Keep it short please!) From your personal experience, what other media stereotype (besides the example from the article) you have seen either on TV or in the movies?

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 15th March 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days

*critical reflection means:

1) Think, ponder, reflect, debate and discuss the issue given
2) Make clear connections to the topic of discussion
3) Include supporting details and examples (you can use videos, audios, photos) to elaborate your points
4) Use correct spelling and grammar

TAKE NOTE: Please read your Blog Assignment Brief thoroughly for instructions first before emailing me your questions.

If you are still not sure what to do after reading the brief, please email me at helena.song@mmu.edu.my

Critical reflection 2.

To relate to this topic of whether to take everything on the internet as truth without taking into consideration whether it's true or fake. For me, One example is clearly forwarded mails. I am sure that many of us receive various kinds of forwarded mails from our friends and sometimes strangers as well. But how many times have we consider the fact whether it's true or false? Many of us would believe that information or the content of the mail as it is backed up with images and links and so on. Take for example...

I once received an email concerning a man eating sushi. He later died and when they opened up his brains... they found maggots or worms..

The article may be found on this site.

The pictures may be found on this site.

After reading the article and looking at images for support, would you still eat sushi?

So, Sometimes, I guess it's best that we do not simply forward forwarded mails, but check out first whether it's true and the validity it. I also once received a rather disturbing mail concerning woman and their undergarments. It was rather disturbing and couldn't get the image out of my head. But I went to search a few sites on whether it was true or not. There some sites that said, they combined two pictures together to make it look like the real thing.

So, Like I said, Everything on the internet may not be true and may be altered by various sources and taken from other references. So it's best to take it with a pinch of salt and to do your own research concerning that particular event or thing.

Evaluation on class week 5.

The lecture was good. Even though I did not really understand it... but it was short and simple.
I feel that I have to read and refer back on the notes to better understand it.

Critical reflection 1

Do you often take what is on the Internet as truth without thinking much about it? If yes, why? If no, why? Discuss this in your own words.

I feel that people take everything on the internet too seriously. They believe everything that they find on the internet, regardless of the source. For me, I take everything I find online with a pinch of salt. I do not only visit one site and believe everything that is written there. Some information on this particular site may state as such and the other might state the opposite. So I feel that it's very important to have various sources and various references. References may not be only from the internet but also from books, newspaper and so on.

Topic 2

Blog Assignment: TOPIC 2 :

Dear Media Culture students,

Here is your second topic for your Blog Assignment.

Attached here is a comic strip entitled "Rumors, lies and innuendo spread far, wide, and fast on the Internet." taken from "Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture" by Stanley Baran, pg 324. (You can post this up in your blog)

Do you often take what is on the Internet as truth without thinking much about it? If yes, why? If no, why? Discuss this in your own words.

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 8th March 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days

*critical reflection means:

1) Think, ponder, reflect, debate and discuss the issue given
2) Make clear connections to the topic of discussion
3) Include supporting details and examples (you can use videos, audios, photos) to elaborate your points
4) Use correct spelling and grammar

If you are still not sure what to do, please email me at helena.song@mmu.edu.my.