(2) Discussions for Mass Communication

Attached is the Assignments!

In the journal activities for this course, you will be asked to view media that relates to the course content, but explores the bigger picture of the impact the media has on culture. Prepare and enter a 250 – 500 word personal journal reflection to the topic.

Journal Topic – Digital Photo Manipulations And Body Image

Watch this short video on digital photo manipulation:

https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1700302/uiconf_id/32654372/entry_id/0_j9cqvhwu/embed/dynamic

And also this video on The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty:

https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1700302/uiconf_id/32654372/entry_id/0_6lglr7t9/embed/dynamic

Do you think it is possible that long-term exposure to altered images in the media can have a negative effect on how children, adolescents and adults view themselves?

Click on the “Week One Journal Assignment” link above to submit your assignment, as well to get more information regarding the due date and grading rubric.

WeekOne Discussion

Media Analysis & Discussion

Assignment Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to interact with their colleagues to discuss class material for the week.

Requirements: There are two parts to this assignment. The first is a 250-word response (Media Analysis), the second part is where you interact with other course participants (Discussion).  See below for further details.

Media Analysis: Examine the weekly media prompt and corresponding question(s), and provide a response using a minimum of 250 words.  You are encouraged to take a position on the issue and to support it with deductive reasoning, logic and reference to the readings or links to outside online research.  Your topic response should be well written, insightful and free from grammatical errors (college level writing).

Discussion: The discussion part of the assignment provides an opportunity for student interaction and the exchange of ideas. Please respond to posts from at least two different students, for a total of three student responses. In other words, do not focus on just one student’s responses. Each post must be substantive: Do not simply agree with someone else’s position but rather expand on, challenge, or question the perspective.

When to Post: Please make your initial post (Media Analysis) by Thursday at 11:59pm PST.  The discussion portion will take place on Friday through Sunday after all initial posts have been made, due Sunday at 11:59pm PST .

Netiquette: Please be respectful to other members of the class.  The goal is to have an open discussion without insulting one another; disagreeing is healthy, but please do so in a respectful manner.

1 Media Analysis + 3 discussion posts = 4 posts weekly required to earn maximum points for Media Analysis/Discussion

Media Analysis Instructions:

Step #1 – Before responding, watch the short video below titled “Is Journalism Dead?”

https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1700302/uiconf_id/32654372/entry_id/0_ex50y20t/embed/dynamic

Step #2 – Before responding, also read the article below that proposes an alternative viewpoint from the video:

·

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/opinions/zuckerberg-journalism-and-democracy-ibargen-opinion/index.html

Step #3 – Select and answer 2 of the following questions below.  Please write in narrative form and don’t just treat them as individual questions, but as a part of a overall theme with each question being one point to support your views and reflecting back to the video and article, addressing connections between the material and questions.

·

As we rely more on receiving news from online sources, should we be trying to save newspapers or journalism in general?

·

What would happen if news came only from citizen sources that were not required to adhere to any journalistic and/or ethical standards such as truth seeking and fact checking?

·

If anyone has a voice to publish “news,” are journalists still needed for data organization and interpretation?

· Why do books (another traditional print media) seem to be in not as dire a situation as newspapers facing extinction?  Is it the difference in the content they deliver and the timeliness of delivery?  Consider the same for magazines and the non-reliance of advertising for books versus the other two print media vehicles.

· What would happen if newspapers disappear?  Consider researching a historic event in the past, a newspaper article tends to have more credibility over online sources such as Wikipedia since the content was written as the event was taking place.  What could happen if we lost that?

· In developing countries, newspapers are still thriving.  Are they still valuable worldwide in helping close the digital divide of information access?

To answer this particular question, click the link above.  Once you are in the forum, click the “Create Thread” button to view the question again, as well as, create and submit your answer.

RESPONSE TO THESE PEER REVIEWS BELOW:

PEER REVIEW 1: N. HARMON

1.

What would happen if news came only from citizen sources that were not required to adhere to any journalistic and/or ethical standards such as truth seeking and fact checking?

I think if the news came from any person without it going someone who’s qualified and fact checking it’d be a disaster. Without anyone fact checking people could put anything on the news. For most people they’d steer the news to anything that benefits them. Making it completely opinion based on what they believe in. They’d only show part of what’s happening and not show the whole picture. Making it a bigger story or make a victim seem like he’s the criminal, or even worse make up stories they consider newsworthy. If any citizen wants to know what’s going on in their country they should be able to turn on the news and know. This is especially important right now because of the conflict right now with Iran. We have to know what’s going on with our country and Iran. 

As we rely more on receiving news from online sources, should we be trying to save newspapers or journalism in general?

In my opinion I think as technology progresses we should still keep newspaper or some form of hard copy evidence of news. Currently I think the older generations Generation X, Baby Boomers or Traditionalists grew up mainly on newspaper and they continue to pursue that as the main news source out of habit and trust. I also think even 50 years from now if for some reason something happens to technology and it’s down or we take a huge step back we should continue to have newspaper as a fail safe system for news. I also believe we should continue to have journalist on local or national news because they follow a more ethical guidelines. For the most part we can expect to get a decent idea of what’s happening in the world in a professional manner due to journalism.

PEER REVIEW 2: R. SANTOS

What would happen if news came only from citizen sources that were not required to adhere to any journalistic and/or ethical standards such as truth seeking and fact checking?
If anyone has a voice to publish “news,” are journalists still needed for data organization and interpretation?

As I watched the required video and read the CNN article the ideas that interested me the most was the concept introduced by Michael in his response to the question, “Is Journalism Dead”? I will lead by saying that I completely agree with his points regarding how journalism died but for me it is only in the sense that the journalist has changes. Aided by media platforms, the average person with a media device can record and post content that can circulate and go “viral” passing information faster than a traditional journalist could’ve ever dreamed of. The mere fact that a citizen passing information via social sources doesn’t however make that information “news”. The ethical standards used by journalist to validate information published to the public is what makes the public trust the content. This is why i believe it is important to incorporate a system for bonified journalist or members of the media staff to screen information posted for accuracy before categorizing it as “news”. So it is here where I agree with Michael that journalist do have a way back into the media streaming world.

Social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social sites are littered with information that supports any position and bias. Social media is not subject to the same ethical standards as journalism because it carries the voices of millions of users along with their interpretations and personal bias. Journalism has a place in social medial and that is as Jack Knight wrote, “get the truth and print it.” For journalism now while so many people are consumed with social media, journalist can use that as an opportunity to reach those people with actual validated and screened content rather than simply allowing themselves to fade into the background.