Year 9 Persuasive Media

What is Media?

Click icon to add picture

Can you Write your own Definition of media? Don’t

forget to include a reference to the numerous

media sources

Think of PIE:

Persuade Inform Entertain

What is the purpose of advertising?

What is advertising?

The purpose of advertising:

There are t_________ main purposes or goals in advertising. They are toi____________ and to persuade. Usually advertising a_________ to bothinform and persuade. When s_____________ or advertising a product (or a service) the marketer first aims to p__________ information about it to the consumer. By doing this the advertiser tells the consumer the positive things about it; how it will b___________ the consumer’s life. For example, when advertising a car the marketer night highlight the fact that the car is e________________ or cheap to run. Once the marketer has informed the c______________ about the product they then try to persuade them to buy it. This means that they try to convince them they want the p_____________ so they will then buy it. An advertiser or marketer does this by using descriptive language, (e.g. “great, new, innovative, life-saver”) commands, (e.g. “go on try it, buy it today”) or special offers. Advertisers also use p____________ or images to convince people to buy their product. For example, pictures of b____________ women wearing make-up , make women b____________ by buying that make-up they too can look beautiful.

believe two consumer aimsinform benefit pictures product

beautiful selling economical provide

What’s in the Newspaper?

Front page National &

International news Local news Feature articles Television & radio

program guides Reviews Weather report Comic strips

Classified advertisements

Sport Environmental

news Social issues Opinions page Obituaries Finance Travel & Tourism Etc.

The problem with the mediaThe problem with the media is that they choose what they want to inform us about. The media also choses the way they want to convey this story.This leads many to raise the question; WHAT IS NEWS WORTHY?Why is it that some events are reported on while other events are ignored? What are the motives behind presenting the stories that we read?

Bias: A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.

Bias can exist in all forms of writing as it is often impossible to write an impartial piece of writing. A bias can be based on personal experiences or beliefs. Sometimes a particular publication or network has a particular bias that colours the views expressed.

Who is Our media?Media ownership in Australia is distributed between commercial, national public broadcasters and not-for-profit community broadcasters. Australian media ownership has been described as one of the most concentrated in the world. For example, 11 of the 12 capital city daily papers are owned by either Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation or by John Fairfax Holdings.

The Australian Government legislated specific controls over the ownership of broadcasting on television and radio in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. These effectively prohibit ownership of more than one television station or two radio stations in a given market. The Commonwealth's legislative reach over print media ownership is largely limited to general competition law such as the Trade Practices Act 1974.

Don’t believe everything you read

(or see for that matter!)

While it is the media’s job to report news to us it is important to remember that they have their own motives.• Sensationalism- Presenting stories that are overly dramatic or

aimed at stirring up an emotional response in the responder. A sensational story will attract more readers/ viewers etc. (after all the media is a business)

• Politics- The politics of the owner of a network or newspaper often plays an important role and the ‘news’ they report and the way in which they report it.

• Advertisers- the media answers to those who advertise on their network or publication. Advertisers do not want to alienate the people who buy their products.

So what about the internet?The internet has created a whole new world. People now have the opportunity to share their own news, videos and photos. We now have the opportunity to see some different perspectives. But beware! It is still not safe to believe everything you read or see!

Techniques Used

Hyperbole: dramatic over exaggerationEmotive language: language that is used to evoke a emotional response in the reader.Persuasive language: language that is used to persuade a responder to agree with the composers point of view.Colloquial language: modern day language that is used to relate to a particular target audienceJuxtaposition: When two view points, images etc. are placed side by side for the purpose of comparison.Imperative: Language that directs the responder to do something (you must)Quotations: are used to add credence to a news story.Expert Opinion: This makes a news story seem unbiasedDramatic Images: Sometimes real and some times skilfully edited.Tone of Voice or facial expression: Used to convey an opinion without actually saying anything

Effective Headlines

When the newspaper boy or girl on the street corner yells ‘Extra extra read all about it!’ He or she often adds a few additional words such as ‘Trains stop at midnight! Read all about it!’ The headlines are designed to persuade you to buy the newspaper and ‘read all about it!’

The most important headline in a newspaper is the one that runs across the top of the front page of the newspaper, below the masthead. This is called the banner headline.

Identify the banner headline in the following ad:

The purpose of a banner headline

The purpose of a banner headline is to attract attention and to sell newspapers. Look at the following headlines and note the methods used to attract the attention of potential readers.

1) Killer bees raid parklands 2) Cyclone moves south 3) Boy chases lion 4) Flood creeps towards town 5) Sales break all records

Examine each headline and answer the question that accompanies it.

1. JUST DROPPING INTO THE OFFICE DEARThis headline, together with the photo of the parachutists jumping from the plane (previous slide) would undoubtedly sell newspapers. Why?

2. TOWN’S 10PM CURFEW FOR TEENSThis headline presents a fact. Why would such a fact be of interest to the general public?

3. WATER ON THE BRAIN CURED WITH TAP ON HEADExplain how this headline contains a humorous double meaning.

4. HUGE LOTTERY WIN FOR STRUGGLING FAMILY In what way is strong human interest present in this headline?

5. WHIRLWIND LEAPS TOWNHow is the whirlwind made to seem human in this headline?

Examine each headline and answer the question that accompanies it.

6. VIOLENCE. JUDGE HITS OUTWhat do you think is the meaning of this headline?

7. FIRE DANGER WORSENSHow would readers react to this headline?

8. SHARK TERROR SHOCKExplain why this headline can be classed as ‘sensational.’

9. THE BIG MEN FLYA dramatic photo is needed to illustrate this sports headline. Describe the kind of photo you would choose if you were the sports editor of the newspaper.

10. MAN RECOVERING AFTER FATAL CRASHExplain what is wrong with this headline.

Headlines Headlines have to grab attention. It is no use having a

headline with twenty or thirty words in it because most people will not read it all. Headlines are best when they are short, forceful and to the point.

Read the long-winded headlines below and then see whether you can reduce each of them to some attention-grabbing statement. If you can make it funny, even better!

1- A spokesman at Buckingham Palace said yesterday that the Queen was recovering quickly after giving birth to sextuplets on Tuesday.

2- A woman nearly drowned yesterday after driving straight through the back of her garage into a swimming pool.

3- A man was released on a good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife and causing grievous bodily harm. He claimed he thought she was a burglar.

4- Two students who assaulted a teacher were put on a six months detention detention at Goulburn jail.

5- Two men were caught trying to rob a bank after being injured by the dynamite they used to blow up the bank vault.

6- An old man from Sydney was severely injured when he tried to light his pipe with a handful of dynamite.

7- Police have discovered the killer of a man shot in the back. It happened to be the dog he took on his hunting trips with him and which had accidentally stepped on the trigger of a loaded gun placed in the back of the car when the victim was driving.

8- A crowd got out of hand at a concert on Saturday night and invaded the stage which collapsed under the weight of about a thousand rock fans.

9- A woman’s husband crept under her bed every night and made cat-fighting noises was granted a divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/racism-links-to-aussie-car-flags/story-e6freuy9-1226251927222

Sensationalism?

Sensationalism in the Media

Watch the following episode of Frontline, ‘Playing the Ego Card.’

PART 1-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4C8rsjlyA8 PART 2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OOnMKzuxh0 PART 3-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zcZ4Z8Y4k0

Discuss how and why the news report has been sensationalised?

Look at a variety of speaking delivery techniques and how they are used by the reporter.

Sensationalism in the Headlines What catches your eye when you first pick up a newspaper? Is it the

headlines? It is a well-known fact that many people are tempted to buy a newspaper when they read the headlines. Often these are deliberately written in a sensational way to encourage the public to buy the newspaper.

1) Read the following headline and discuss what it is implying: TEACHER STABS STUDENT

2) Now read the whole article.

Do you think it was a case of sensationalism? Why?

3) Write your own articles for the following sensational headlines. WOMAN SIGHTS BRIGHT OBJECT IN SKY PRIME MINISTER IN SHOOTING INCIDENT

TEACHER STABS STUDENTYear three teacher at Simpson Range Primary School, Ms Alison Harvey, was tripped over in class on Wednesday by an unruly female student.

When she fell, Ms Harvey accidentally stabbed another student with the nib of a pen she had in her hand.

WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW?

An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer and answered by the interviewee.

Structure of an interview

Person A- ...................................?Person B- ______________________Person A- ...................................?Person B- ______________________

Open-ended questions encourage your interviewee to elaborate on a point as opposed to providing a yes or no answer.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE AN INTERVIEW

Topic: Interview with Mike Moore on sensationalism in the media.

Activity: Using the example provided and the scaffold, construct your own interview on the topic above.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Layout- Front Page News Report

Masthead

By-Line

Photograph

Caption

Date

Graphic

Headline

Price

Photographer

Arrange the various features of the front page of a newspaper into an appropriate layout. Reflect on why you have chosen to arrange them in this manner.

A 362-kilo headache

A 362-kilo (57 stone) man- too heavy to move himself from his specially built bed was evicted from his dilapidated bungalow in Wesley Hills, New York, this week.It was no ordinary eviction. A forklift was used to place Michael Edelman, 24, on a flat bed lorry for a trip to the hospital.He will stay there until a flat is found that can be renovated to accommodate him. He cannot squeeze through an ordinary doorway.Mr Edelman had lived in the Bungalow for two years with his 170-kilo mother Arlene.He first came to public attention in December where he fell out of his bed and had to be lifted up by a tow-truck.

Having read ‘A 362-kilo headache’ consider the following important points of reporting:

1. The item consists of a photograph, a headline and five sections or paragraphs of description and comment.

2. Notice how the photograph has been angled to show the immense size of the man. This prepares us for the startling headline and story.

3. The first paragraph sets the scene for the unusual story that is to follow. What sad fact is revealed here?

4. The second paragraph tells us what was extraordinary about the removal of the over-weight man from his bungalow. What extraordinary facts are presented in this paragraph?

5. The third paragraph carries the story a step further and also brings to light another strange fact about the man’s existence. What is this strange fact?

6. The fourth paragraph gives us a glimpse of the man’s past life. How is this done?

7. The final paragraph produces one more instance of the great difficulties of the man’s life. What is this instance?

8. Having read this news item, are you satisfied with the way the news story has dealt with the overweight man’s problems. If you were a reporter covering this story, what other aspects of the man’s life might have interested you?

Analysis of a News Report

Deconstruct a newspaper article of your choice by identifying the six key components: who, what, where, when, why and how?

Using this knowledge write your own front page news report.

Who is involved?

What happened?

Where did the incident take place?

When did the incident occur?

Why did it happen?

How has the incident been dealt with?

Objective vs. Subjective News

Interpreting the News   Audience interpretation of news messages is a crucial intermediate step between exposure to

and effects of the news. 

In today’s democracy, knowledge of political and public affairs are seen as central to the empowerment of citizens. (Knowledge = power/confidence)

 However, most of our knowledge is second hand and acquired by the mass media. The news media is a powerful way to manipulate and persuade public opinion and knowledge.

What is objective news? 

News that is uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices. The news is neutral, bias free and factual.

  What is subjective news? 

News that is based on personal attitudes, beliefs and opinions as opposed to evidence. This news is full of biased information intended to manipulate and persuade the viewer/listener.

  What is bias? 

One-sided argument that does not present both sides of a story.

WHAT IS A NEWS REPORT?

Click icon to add pictureNews reports are found in newspapers and their purpose is to inform readers of what is happening in the world around them.

Structure of a News Report

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A NEWS REPORT

Topic: Refer to the visual stimulus.

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

Activity: Using the example news report provided and the scaffold, construct your own persuasive feature article on the topic above.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Photographs & Captions Photographs place an important role in attracting,

and keeping, a reader and in providing information. Newspaper photographs can be provided into 3

basic categories:1) Picture Stories- the picture tells its own story and

therefore needs very little text. Picture stories are often found in the first five pages of a newspaper and are usually happy, human-interest stories. The photo needs to be very good and contain a lot of detail and information.

2) Picture which accompanies a story but needs the text.

3) Headshots. These photographs contain only the person’s head. Often the person is a source for the story.

Activities: Generate captions for the photographs below:

Mini-deconstruction- Select one photograph. Explain why the image is effective in conveying meaning.

Activities: Find a headshot photograph in the

newspaper. Write a brief description of what you think this person would be like. Include occupation, personal characteristics, etc.

Listen to a television news program without watching the screen. Could you still understand the television reports? Why/Why not?

Get the picture?

Use a photograph or a picture from a magazine and write your own newspaper article to match the picture.

Select an article with a photograph from a newspaper, then answer the following questions:

1- What attracted you to this photograph? 2- How does the photograph make you feel? 3- What information just the caption give you? 4- How is the photograph related to the news

article?

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?

A written account of connected events; a story.

Structure of a narrative

Orientation- who, what, where, when, why

Complication- a problem arises

Resolution- the problem is resolved

Example of a narrative

Refer to your NPLAN

Preparation booklet for an

example narrative

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A NARRATIVE

Activity:Use the visual stimulus provided as the basis of a piece of creative writing.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Verbal vs. Non-Verbal Communication

Write down all of the different ways we can communicate (both verbal and non-verbal)

Define ‘communicate’

What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?

Why is it important to be able to communicate with other individuals and groups?

In pairs communicate a message to your partner using non-verbal methods (e.g. hand gestures/facial expression/body language etc.)

Write down the message you will try to communicate non-verbally:____________________________________________________

Did your partner understand you? Why/why not?____________________________________________________

Now it’s your partner’s turn. Have them communicate a message to you non-verbally.

What do you think they are trying to say?________________________________________________________

What were they actually trying to say?________________________________________________________

VERBAL COMMUNICATIONMatch the words with the correct definitions:

  

Intonation

Inflection

Articulation

Pause

Volume

Pace

Tone/Mood

Register

A variety of language typically used in a specific type of communicative setting: an informal register; the register of scientific discourse.

The pattern or melody of pitch changes in connected speech, especially the pitch pattern of a sentence, which distinguishes kinds of sentences or speakers of different language cultures.

The atmosphere created by voice expression

Alteration in pitch or tone of the voice.

The speed at which one speaks

A temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action

The degree of sound intensity or audibility; loudness

The act of vocal expression; utterance or enunciation

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONMatch the words with the correct definitions:

Facial expression

Eye contact

Hand gestures

 Stance

Sign/Symbol

Visual Aids

 

A symbolic gesture made with the hand or fingers, e.g. peace (index finger and middle finger) or thumbs up.

The way a person stands; standing posture, with special reference to placement of the feet.

The feelings expressed on a person's face; "a sad expression"; a gesture executed with the facial muscles

Something that you look at that complements a lesson to help you understand something or remember information.

Something which indicates something or stands for something else.

Direct visual contact with another's eyes

Braille , Morse Code & Sign Language See if you can communicate a message to a partner using

one of the following methods:

Wallace & Grommit- ‘The Wrong Trousers’

Watch the episode on YouTube Complete the following table. You might like to

think about facial expressions, colour, music, body language, signs/symbols, the use of shadow, film techniques which all assist in creating meaning and context for the program.

Description of non-verbal communication

What is communicated?

WHAT IS A SPEECH?

A formal address or discourse delivered to an audience.

Structure of a speech

In the Introduction, you state the topic of your speech. You tell the audience the main points of your speech. In other words, you say what you are going to speak about.

In the Body, you speak about each point in detail. For each point you must give the audience some evidence or information that will help explain and support each point. The Body is the longest of the three parts.

In the Conclusion, you should summarise the main points of your speech, and emphasise what you want the audience to remember.

Example of a speech on bullying:president obama- “it gets better”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/10/21/president-obama-it-gets-better

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Topic: Personal choice

Activity: Using the example speech provided and the scaffold, construct your own persuasive speech on the topic above. Write a response to persuade the reader to agree with your point of view.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

7PM Project Watch the following episode from The 7pm

Project ‘Oprah in Melbourne’ and analyse the use of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpkSpwlZm-4

Examine the use of subjectivity, subjectivity and bias in the news.

WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL?

An editorial is an opinion piece. It is a persuasive text where an

editor presents and justifies

their opinion on a particular

issue.

Example editorial: Parents who text while drive set poor example to kids

Imagine a parent, a child or two in the car with him, rocketing down the highway, taking a few slugs from a bottle of Jack Daniel’s as he goes.

It’s unthinkable, really. It’s a picture from a horror film, a graphic lesson in how not to be a parent.

No one in his right mind would risk his children’s lives by behaving in such a foolhardy and dangerous way. To say nothing of setting an astonishingly foul example.

So why then do people routinely careen down the road, the kids in the car, with their eyes fixed on their smart phones, sending and receiving text messages as though they were relaxing in the recliner at home?

Because the message might be important, right? It could be the boss. Or a change in dinner plans. Or fan mail from some flounder.

And so drivers routinely reach for the phone to take a look, taking their eyes off the road. It’s dangerous, foolhardy in the extreme – and has got to stop.

Not only does texting while driving put the driver, his passengers and others on the road at risk, there’s new evidence showing that kids whose parents text while driving are more likely to do the same once they are behind the wheel themselves.

Text as I say and not as I text?

Everyone has seen drivers whose attention is clearly not on the road as they focus on their phone. They weave across the dividing line. They go too slow, then too fast, fail to brake until the last second. It’s terrible. And terribly dangerous. And when these people are doing it with their kids in the car, it is unconscionable.

Texting motorists with kids who observe their wayward ways are unconsciously training a new generation of badly behaved and dangerous drivers.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE EDITORIAL

Topic: Oprah in Melbourne

Activity: Using the example editorial provided and the scaffold, construct your own persuasive editorial on the topic above.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

‘Social Media Without Electricity’cartoon by Michael Leunig

‘Social Media Without Electricity’cartoon by Michael Leunig

1) Debate the benefits of social media.

Two teams:Affirmative vs. Negative

2) Conduct a mini-deconstruction of the visual techniques used in the cartoon and how they convey meaning.

Environmental News

Design an anti-litter poster for your school news letter .

When designing your poster take into consideration the principles of A.I.D.A. (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)

WHAT IS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

A letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers.

Structure of a letter to the editor

Example of a letter to the editor

Dear Editor:            I would personally like to thank Jeremy Rifkin for his earth-shaking findings published in “A Change of Heart about Animals”. Without Rifkin’s article, I never would have realized that animals can experience pain, suffering, and affection (2). The global community is truly indebted to Rifkin for proving, for the first time ever, that animals are actually living, breathing creatures—a truly groundbreaking scientific achievement, no doubt. The truth is: Rifkin has proven nothing new and merely demonstrated the barefaced hypocrisy of the animal rights movement.The “discovery” that animals can experience simple emotions like pain and fear does not justify the adoption of laws protecting animals from lab experiments or human consumption (16). Would a starving lion restrain itself before savagely slaughtering an innocent child for food? Why should humans treat animals any more humanitarianly than they treat us? Since the beginning of time, animals have killed and consumed other animals as part of the natural course of nature. If, as Rifkin argues, humans and animals should be equal, then humans should have as equal a right to participate in the “survival of the fittest” game as any animal does (17). To pass a law restricting the human consumption of animals would damn the human race to extinction. Rifkin’s bigotry and hypocrisy doesn’t stop here.

Rifkin’s arguments against animal experimentation are supported by scientific studies conducted through the very same animal experimentation! From the laboratory crows (7) to the freak-show gorilla (8), to the imprisoned orangutan (10), Rifkin seems to support animal abuse only when he benefits from it. The same can be said about animal rights activists in general. Ingrid Newkirk, the President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), once told Vogue magazine: “Even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we’d be against it”  (CCF 1). Would Rifkin condemn life-saving treatments for diseases like diabetes (insulin) and breast cancer (chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants), all of which were first tested on animals? No doubt. Yet, I am willing to bet that if Rifkin’s own son or daughter was stricken with one or more of these diseases, he would not equate a human life with that of a barnyard pig’s so quickly.            Rifkin wishes to sacrifice countless scientific achievements and millions of human lives in order to save the lives of a few insignificant animals—unless of course he could benefit more by the animals’ deaths.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Topic: Littering

Activity: Using the example provided and the scaffold, construct your own persuasive letter to the editor on the topic above.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Social Media As a class create an anti-bullying campaign in

a variety of mediums. Each group is responsible for exploring their medium and producing an effective news report/advertisement.

Group #1- Persuasive news or magazine report.

Group #2- News editorial or feature article. Group #3- Web page. Group #4- Television Ad. Group #5- Radio Ad.

WHAT IS A PERSUASIVE ESSAY?

A persuasive essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject that attempts to convince the reader the composer is correct.

Click icon to add picture

Structure of an essay

Example essay

Refer to the persuasive essay in your NAPLAN PREPARATION Booklet

YOUR TURN TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Topic: Bullying

Activity: Using the example essay provided and the scaffold, construct your own persuasive essay on the topic above. Write a response to persuade the reader to agree with your point of view.

Edit Checklist: Once you have finished, swap your work with the person next to you and edit it using the editing checklist. You are looking for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

NAPLAN PREPARATION- Sample

Paper #1

Spelling Grammar Punctuation Reading Writing

Multiple choice

Short answers

Extended response

Sample Paper #2

Spelling Grammar Punctuation Reading Writing

Multiple choice

Short answers Extended

response

Class Task #1- Construction of a Class Newspaper.

In groups of 2-3 students are to generate one page for their class newspaper. Select from the list below:

Front page; school events; local news; book review; television guide; advertisement; comic strip page; puzzle page; sport page; weather page; world news; environmental news; social issues; opinion page; obituaries.

Students are to edit their own and others work prior to publishing.

Class Task #2 Part A: Speech on cultural or

environmental sustainability. Part B: Front page news report to

accompany speech.

Five topics to choose from: 1- Save the world 2- Put a stop to racism 3- Embrace a multicultural Australia 4- Sustain life on Earth 5- Technology saves lives