MEDIA LITERACYREFERENCE POINTS

CHAPTER 5 PP.213-272

What is the role of mass media in our society?

Provides: Found in…

Information Entertainment Advertising

Print wise- Magazines Newspapers Books

Visually- Posters Billboards Corporate logos

Media Literacy

Heard World Wide Web

CD Radio

Heard and Seen: TV Film Video tape DVD

Internet Face book ?

?

?

How do we respond to this information Explosion?

Any Suggestions?

Media Literacy

Can we take everything as true from what we see, hear and read?

How do we create critical awareness?How do we keep up with changing values and trends?

How does media shape our society?

Our personal lives? Our beliefs? Our values? How is media

monitored? Should it be

monitored?

Engaging in media literacy

Analyze the point of view being expressed.

Identify and understand the form of media being used and be analytical of its message.

Evaluate the presentation for accuracy and balance.

Respond critically to the message by asking these questions:

What is the medium of the message?

Who is the audience? How was this media text

constructed? What conventions are

being used? What values are being

conveyed? Who owns the media

construction and what impact does this have?

Refer to pp.214-15 Reference Points

Discuss pp.216-218 of Reference Points

Arguing in a Circle

Weak Analogy

Attacking the Person

Presumed Cause and Effect

Slippery Slope

Two Wrongs

False Dilemma

Hasty Generalizations

Misuse of Statistics

Bandwagon Approach

Snob Appeal

Questionable Authority

Think about…Booking computer lab and have students in pairs research the various types

Common Logical Fallacies: Helping you to think more clearly.

English 1201, 2201, 3201

Writing 2203

Notes compiled by C. Quigley & G.Collins

Media Strategies

Media Strategies: G.Collins

Propaganda in advertising from Transitions text, pp.212-214

Desire for conformity

1. Bandwagon - to convince the audience to do or believe something because everyone else is doing it. 

2. Cartoons or Cute Characters: Why does this strategy work? G.C

3. Celebrity Endorsement Nikon Aston Kutcher

Pepsi Micahel Jackson

Make-up Jessica Alba

Got Milk Campaign

G.C

4.Testimonial - Using a famous person to endorse the product. 

Can be written or spoken by consumers of products. They back up claims that their product works best and is of the highest quality and standard.

Who do you recognize?

Info commercials

Exercise programs

Testimonial /Bargain: Technique to make you feel you are getting more than your money’s worth when you buy this product..

Exigency: With this technique in a limited time period you will get a great deal.

5. Emotional Appeal G.C

And of course…

THIS ad

Emotional Appeal /Transfer - Transferring good looks, feelings, or ideas to the person who the propaganda is meant to influence. Suggests the positive qualities to be associated with the product and the user. 

Transfer: This technique transfers our positive feelings for certain things to the product being advertised.

What does this say? Who is the target audience?https://www.google.ca/search?q=dove+poster+for+self+esteem+weekend&biw=1366&bih=573&tbm=isch&imgil=jG04GiEpdyXjeM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcTRmaKsEwg573Y6PDeLWD5uAihZ-bgxcoRwxzziOPg_cyiNMx2RCA%253B410%253B155%253B_RKxJNU8SqzSpM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.sofii.org%25252Fnode%25252F98&source=iu&usg=__bceRGPcG7kmTgQOY8MS6E1mrcdw%3D&sa=X&ei=rVOBU-HpMvSt8gHu8IDoCw&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=jG04GiEpdyXjeM%253A%3B_RKxJNU8SqzSpM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sofii.org%252Fsofii_assets%252F195Dove6.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sofii.org%252Fnode%252F98%3B410%3B155

Facts and Figuresa/Scientific Slant

This technique is an attempt to convince the consumer that the product has been scientifically developed and tested to ensure improving daily living.

Facts and Figures

The media use facts and figures in order to show credibility.

They convince you of something by showing you data.

However, the data can be misleading or can exclude important information.

Who is the target audience here?

Youth Appeal: This technique is often directed at those who fear aging.

7. Gender or Sex Appeal G.C

Why does this appeal to people?

How does it appeal to men? To women?

Are there differences in how both genders react to advertisements?

Does this poster fit the ad message?

Gender or Sex Appeal

8. Name callingG.C

Usually found in political ads, name calling is tended to discredit an opponent.

Is this a prime minister?

During the 1993 Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservative Party produced a televised attack ad against Jean Chrétien, the Liberal leader. The ad (sometimes referred to as the "face ad") was perceived by many as a focus on Chrétien's facial deformity, caused by Bell's palsy. The resulting outcry is considered to be an example of voter backlash from negative campaigning.[1]

9.Plain Folks - Suggesting something is practical and a good value for ordinary people. 

9. Plain folksG.C

Why would people want to be considered “simple folk”?

9. Shock Appeal G.C

Advertisements with shock appeal deliberately startle and offend its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals.

Shock advertising is designed to break through the advertising “clutter” to capture attention and create buzz.

10.Snob Appeal

This technique appeals to an person’s desire to be better than the next person.

10. Snob Appeal G.C

Some companies brand themselves as only being for rich people. Why do you think this is?

Other techniques to note…

Continued…

Public service: This technique makes you feel that the company is doing something positive for community or country on the whole.

Logos

What is the purpose of logos?

Are they effective in this poster/advertisement?

Checklist for assessing or designing an advertisement p. 244 Reference Points

Designing Assessing Decide on product or service Establish your purpose Consider your values- how will

you convey them visually and verbally

Establish your target audience Determine size, shape, layout,

images, colors, shapes… Create consumer desire Balance text and visual Must hold the attention of your

audience. Effective use of buzz words –

refer to p.243

What is the product and /or service being advertised?

What is the purpose of this advertisement-identify the technique and the message being given to the consumer.

Assess values being presented verbally and visually

Analyze the layout, image, color, fonts, the balance between text and visual appeal-once again think about technique chosen-does it appeal to a target audience?

Does it create a desire for you to have this product?

Critical analysis

Critical awareness

Viewing and reviewing an advertisement

Television Commercials require critical awareness from viewers

Visual + Audio Effects

Color Images Camera angles Camera movements Lighting Characters Locations

Music Voices Sounds Silence

Analyzing a television commercial of your choice

Consider each element in terms of mood & effect.

p.263 Reference Points

Watch commercial once through without stopping-Determine: product/service, target audience, specific slogan,

feeling evoked.

Watch commercial without the sound and focus on characters, actions and setting.

Is anyone stereotyped?

Examine camera shots and angles monitor pace of action

Now play commercial without the images and concentrate on sound and music.

Describe what you hear:

the pace-fast, slow –does it change?

Transitions between sound and music

Now view commercial with both sound and visual noting special effects that are used- how o they communicate the message?

Identify the television program the commercial is shown during and tell why you think this is so.

Journalistic Media

Lloyd Robertson Peter Mansbridge

Journalistic Media

Checklist for Good Journalism The Do’s and Don’ts

Accurate observation of events and issues

No personal bias must be objective

Aim to inform and stimulate newsworthy items

Avoid sensationalism Are the interviewee’s

statement s on or off the record?

Avoid profanity Avoid invasion of

privacy Avoid bias and

stereotyping Check your sources

reliability False

information=libel or slander $$$$

Do NOT plagiarize

What do you enjoy?

Television Broadcasting p.261 Reference Points

Radio Broadcasting Breaking news stories Feature stories How much does event matter to

target audience? Timelines-when did events happen-

viewers want up –to-the-minute reporting

Proximity Uniqueness Prominence Suspense Conflict Emotion Innovation The 5 W’s +How

Radios accompany us as we walk, jog, work, do chores

Provide background music On our telephones… Public radio: Read p.252

Reference Points Open-line shows Commentaries Private radio-what station is

your favorite and why? What do we hear on the radio? What is the challenge of radio

in today’s society?

TV & Radio

TV Radio Dramas Sitcoms Reality-based TV Music Videos

Movies/ Films: Action/ Adventure Comedy Romance Drama Family films Horror Musicals Science fiction Westerns

News briefs

Advertisements

Public service announcements

Sports news

Music

Editorial commentaries

Monologues

interviews

Movie

Movie Review

What makes a movie great?

What to include:

Paragraph 1 Name of film Prominent starsTime and placeType

Paragraph 2 Write a plot summary-5 events- BUTDO NOT REVEAL THE ENDING

Paragraph 3 Discuss 1 aspect of filmmaking: Acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, back-ground music, etc.

Acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, back-ground music, cinematography and lighting, etc.

Paragraph 4 Discuss another aspect of filmmaking that is a different one from paragraph 3

Acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, back-ground music, cinematography and lighting,etc.

Paragraph 5 Give overall reaction to filmYour opinion on the quality of the filmYour recommendation for potential viewers

Note: Your Audience Edit your Work

Movie Review Format

Handout on “Writing a Movie Review”Avatar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR

dxXPV9GNQ Critique: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a

vatar-2009

Documentary Films

Before viewing: What do you know

about the topic? What are your

attitudes towards the topic?

Interest(s)? Concerns?

What do you expect to learn from this documentary?

While viewing: Pay close attention to

point of view being expressed.

Does the director focus on one person, family, or side of issue?

Are multiple view points expressed?

Do the sequencing of scenes affect your viewpoint?

Continued…

After viewing: Note what was your

initial impression? Did your attitude

change? Did your film

conflict with or contradict your previous knowledge on the topic?

Was there evidence of bias?

Did the film change your perspective on the issue?

Did the film reinforce your perspective on the issue?

Documentary-Tatoos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQVurF_J5RU

Watch the following 3 minute documentary and follow the steps previously outlines on what you should look for before, during and after viewing a documentary.

Documentary Film Making Techniquespp.271-272

Omniscient voice over:

Interviewee narration:

A narrator with no connection to topic of film is used. The use of a voice over tends to provide an objective tone.

Commentary is made of film’s subjects.

Allows filmmaker to explore scenes without having interviewees on camera all the time

Techniques continued

Interview:

Dramatic re-enactment:

Range from formal, scripted sit-down studio interviews with experts to walkabouts with the participants, or snippets of their casual conversation.

Filmmakers may interweave fictional recreations of events with factual accounts

To tell a story or to stress a point

Big brother is watching…

Concealed camera footage:

Close –up:

Extreme close-up:

Documentary makers may act like surveillance cameras trying to catch people unawares.

Permission normally must be given.

Viewers given a chance to study a face for

nuances of expression. Particular area or

physical feature is highlighted (nature documentaries).

The art of skilled documentary filmmakers lies in their ability to summarize issues without trivializing or distorting them. p/272

Panoramic scan of location:

Background and music and sound

Wide scan

Music used for transitions between scenes

Opening and closing segments.

Ambient sound-use of “natural” background noises

Hard News=current events/immediate

• sports

•Politics

•War

•Natural disasters

•Special features

Soft news=lifestyle, arts and entertainment articles

Columns

Editorials

Newspapers

Newspapers

Analyzing newspaper writing

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Deadlines have to be met!

January 7, 1830

Big changes…

• Voice of the editorial page•Reflects the viewpoint of a specific columnist: Bylines Syndicated Columnists•Based on fact, appeals to reader with logic and emotion•Persuasive writing style: thesis, examples and illustration technique, and evidence.

Opinion Pieces Discuss Sample Opinion Piece pp.230 -231in Reference

Points

Rick Mercer’s Rant on anti-bullyinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1jNAZHKIw

Does this count as a documentary?

Is social media a help or a hindrance? Sarah Holmes | 08:37 UK time, Wednesday, 23 February 2011

The ongoing protests across the Middle East and Africa are still dominating online conversations. We will be doing our best to bring you the latest about what is going on in these places and you can follow this link for regular updates throughout the day.

As well as this, the last few weeks have highlighted a number of talking points, one of which has been the importance of social media in these protests.

Ben Allen is in Dubai, where a conference has been organized to discuss how important things like Twitter and Facebook have been. This is what the conference organisers have to say:

“While some have portrayed these programs as "game changers" creating a whole new paradigm for mobilization, others have placed them in the same social context as photocopy and fax machines, cassette tapes, radio and other media which, in their own day, empowered uprisings and revolutions.”

Continued…

Referring to Libya, this piece says social media has been invaluable as a source of information about what is happening.

“The importance of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in a completely closed society like Libya-a country which, unlike Egypt and Bahrain, journalists generally cannot access-cannot be overstated.”

In this interview Clay Shirky argues that social media can help accelerate the process

“Social media doesn't necessarily change the social dynamic...it just speeds it up.”

Dr Don Betz, president of North Eastern State University, also says that social media is playing an important role in connecting people.

One reality is that we have a potent new tool of domestic change and international influence - social media that are connecting real people in a common cause.

This blogger argues that the importance of social media is in its ability to facilitate communication between groups of people

Continued…

“The point isn't the medium used. The point is that now we have more media at our fingertips than ever, which makes it much harder to shut down mass communication and organization than ever. The point is also that, with all of these new technologies, there are more forces encouraging people to communicate, expand networks and come together, that there is now a degree of inevitability to social change. We might find that social media don't always make the best tools for organizing a mass movement (considering that tech savvy governments like Iran can monitor them and weed out the dangerous), but they have become a crucial source of information.”

Continued…

But not everyone agrees, this piece says that social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, are being given too much credit.

Writing about the Tunisian revolution, social media expert Jillian C. York is more skeptical about the significance of Twitter

“To call this a "Twitter revolution" or even a "WikiLeaks revolution" demonstrates that we haven't learned anything from past experiences in Moldova and Iran. Evgeny Morozov's question-"Would this revolution have happened if there were no Facebook and Twitter?"-says it all. And in this case, yes, I-like most Tunisians to whom I've posed this question-believe that this would have happened without the Internet.”

Continued…

Writing in Tech Crunch, Devin Coldewey says the desire by some to elevate the importance of social media is distracting from what is really important:

“While it's plain that these things were part of the process, I think the mindset of the online world creates a risk of overstating their importance, and elevating something useful, even powerful, to the status of essential.”

This piece from the New Yorker also warns against over hyping the importance of social media.

“People with a grievance will always find ways to communicate with each other. How they choose to do it is less interesting, in the end, than why they were driven to do it in the first place.”

Is social media a help or a hindrance?  So has social media been a

crucial part of the success of these protests? Is it more important for those of us following what is happening than for the people involved in the protests? What about the dangers of misinformation and manipulation? Is social media a help or a hindrance?

 

And Comic Strips Techniques

Cartoons

How cartoonist communicate a point of view…

CartoonNote: Dialogue –All capitals! Communication Balloons: Speech balloon is used

here Tone: observational

humor/satiric Coined language: Jargon,

buzzwords, puns, and figurative language

Contrasting sizes Distortions of sizes-reflect

situation or problem

Philosophical Cartoon -Pun

Descartes: I think therefore I am

Which one is the speech balloon?

Note all capital letters

Is dialogue/written text consistent with your visual message?

Comic Strip

•HyperboleRidiculous/extreme exaggeration•Surprise ending

Note: frame 3

Note: border and /or lack of borders around frame.

Techniques continued…

Reversal Understatement and Irony

Techniques

Symbolism Irony

Surprise ending!

What message is being given?

Are symbols being used? What other techniques?

What is your emotional reaction to the cartoon?

https://www.google.ca/search?q=editorial+cartoon+on+rob+ford&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ib-KUoLvIuWu2AWwoICgBQ&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1160&bih=594#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=edTcUmDVLrvq6M%3A%3BPnFK03Jl3P_bOM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.pri.org%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252Fstory%252Fimages%252F15Nov2013.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.pri.org%252Fstories%252F2013-11-15%252Fall-kings-horses-and-all-kings-men-couldnt-get-rob-ford-out-office-again%3B1067%3B600

Are real life personalities depicted?

What type of person is being featured?

What characteristics of society or values are being reflected?

The Visual Link to…

a newsworthy item?

Editorial Cartoons

Techniques and Questions

Caricature Questions

What event inspired the cartoon?

Who is the target audience?

What is the message- does it have a purpose?

What do you think of the cartoonist’s opinion is about the topic?

Do you agree with cartoonist? Why?

Magazine Articles

Brainstorm list of magazines read by students

The analysis and assessment of the form and content of a magazine.

Why do we read magazines?

Note: News as it happens!

What is the impact of on line magazines?

E-zines

Which is more appealing to you?

One of top 10 most famous cover pages for

The Magazine

What is the purpose of the magazine?

How does it appeal to the reader?

Assess the content

Assess its appearance

Who is the target audience?

What is the style of writing?

Must haves: Name Publisher Country of publication Subscription rate Frequency-weekly/monthly TARGET AUDIENCE Style of writing/language

level Articles-featured articles,

editorials, letters to the editor, advertisements and visuals

Posters

The Visual Link

Rate this poster…

What do you think?

Posters p. 241 Reference Points

What is the idea of the poster? Who is your target audience? Identify the purpose and message of the poster –

is it effective? CLARITY Does the poster avoided unnecessary jargon? Is its layout effective? Vertical or horizontal? Is there a balance between words/text and

images? Has the rule of thirds been applied? Does the typeface (font) suit the tone of the

message?

Check out the posters in the classroom

Which one appeals to you the most and why is this the case?

One picture is worth ten thousand words- Chinese Proverb

Photographs

The Kiss

V- J Day in Times Square

Still image

Read p. 247 in Reference Points

V-J Day in Times Square is a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Portrays an American sailor kissing a woman in a white dress on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) in Times Square, New York City, on August 14, 1945.

Note: Kissing was a favorite pose encouraged by media photographers of service personnel during the war, but Eisenstaedt was photographing a spontaneous event that occurred in Times Square as the announcement of the end of the war on Japan was made by U.S. President Harry S. Truman at seven o'clock.

Alfred Eisenstaedt signing his famous "V-J Day" photograph on the afternoon of August 23, 1995, while sitting in his Menemsha Inn cabin located on Martha's Vineyard. He died shortly after midnight about 8 hours later.

The official United States celebration is not on this date, however. V-J Day is instead celebrated on September 2, the date of the formal signing of the surrender.[3

Because Eisenstaedt was photographing rapidly changing events during the celebrations he did not have an opportunity to get the names and details.

The photograph does not clearly show the faces of either person involved in this embrace and several people have claimed to be the subjects. The photograph was shot just south of 45th Street looking north from a location where Broadway and Seventh Avenue converge. Soon afterward, throngs of people crowded into the square and it became a sea of people.

Vancover Riots

Photographer: Rich Lam

June 15, 2011 In the age of Facebook and Twitter, it was only

a matter of time before the world learned the identities of the kissing couple from that now-iconic photo of the Vancouver riots.

About 24 hours after photos of the smooch was passed on through emails, IMs and blog posts, the Toronto Star and the CBC are reporting that the boyfriend and girlfriend in the photograph are Aussie bartender Scott Jones and Canadian college student Alex Thomas, who was injured just before the picture was taken.

The papers report that Jones and Thomas have been dating since Jones arrived in Vancouver on a "working holiday." They attended Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which the hometown Canucks lost 4-0 to the Boston Bruins, and then somehow found themselves between the angry rioters and charging riot police later that night in downtown Vancouver.

The famous aftermath, as captured by Getty Images photographer Rich Lam:

Viewing a photograph

Checklistpp.245 Reference Points

1. Find out about photographer

2. Examine the title 3.Identify the form…

4. What is the photograph’s historical and cultural context ?

Why?

Why? Portrait? Photo

journalism?

Advertising? Fine Art? Documentary Film?

Where? When? Visual Message?

Viewing a photograph

Checklist pp.245 Reference Points

5.How is the photograph framed?

What is the focal point?

Determine the aesthetic elements used

What is included in the image you see?

What is the main subject in the image?

Light and shadow, camera angle, color, focus, composition, and shape

HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?

Identify the emotion found within the photograph itself and your own emotional response to it.

Soldier Holding Child

Nature Scene-emotional response?

RadioWebcastsInternetOn-line newspapersCan you think any others?

Electronic Messages

Media Literacy

Seeing

Hearing

Feeling

Clarifying

Assessing

The Goal of Media Literacy

Become Media Literate

References

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://socialmediaclub.pbworks.com/f/1219693251/toondotoh.gif&imgrefurl=http://socialmediaclub.pbworks.com/w/page/17043788/Project%253A%2520Media%2520Literacy&h=473&w=450&sz=56&tbnid=5Y1Ms2wZmTRdEM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=122&zoom=1&usg=__NmCne2QB5DYUqLhAugIq1XucRwQ=&docid=7WSkJz9dnzXoKM&sa=X&ei=19CLUtDtG4qA2wXaqYGAAw&ved=0CEQQ9QEwBw