Now they tell us

Iraqis were made to looked lie terrorist, extremists. All muslims and islamics were radicals, that they hated the US and its freedom. The attacks we made were seen as heroic acts, there was pre war intelligence and knew that the similarities from between Iraq and Al Qaeda on 9/11 were inaccurate. Theres are soldiers who are going through the same thing Iraqi civilians but the media only showed progress and happiness compared the horror they live everyday. The media becomes disrupted and manipulates whats told. If the war was looked down upon it was unpatriotic, reporters were censored and forced to not talk about certain topics. The media refuses to show sympathy and understanding of the war.

Media and Culture 11, 12, 13

It talks about the internet, how it's the next great massive personal medium. Huge for advertisers like omnicom, wpp, interpublic, publicies. 99% of googles $16.6 billion revenue in 2007 came from advertising. Boring, but effective. "Product Placement" is a huge thing and "15 min"commercials for primetime. Since 3000 B.C.E people have advertised by carving in stone or people announcing store openings. In 1990's women read 70 to 80% of newspapers and magazines. While 99% of ad agencies were Men based in Chicago and NY. The used stereotypical appeals, simple ad's with emotion and irrational content worked. Criticizing the Media grew as an industry appeared to be dictating values as well as driving the economy. PSA's became more popular. VAL's divided consumers into types. News VNR's were put to mimic news reports even though they are not. News Corp. Rubert Murdoch is the 3rd largest media empire after time warner and disney. He owns San Antonio Express News and the NY post.

The News about the News

I enjoyed the knowledge gained from the book, but also it's frustrating that information that should be free to the public is very censored. The first chapter tells a lot about Chalabi's involvement into why the US went to war with Iraq, but also why wasn't the news doing its job on informing the public correctly about what was true and unbiased. In the next chapters they talk about Cheney's speech when he declared Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Four years had passed since the US declared that Iraq had no weapons or bombs, so why is it such a serious issue now? Bombs were never used during 9/11 therefor why did we become so fearful of them but many experts reported that Baghdad had weapons and intentions to make them. Also that Saddam was trying to attain aluminum tubes. I liked it a lot because it talks a lot about how the News is there to keep the government in check, but once the government controls the news, whose telling the truth?

It's also very sad that newspapers are no longer being used as much. I think people no longer appreciate getting the news on hand, you don't need a TV or computer to read paper. I think that if something doesn't change our news will be filled with stupid stories that are pointless and news that isn't worth being told. The whole book is very interesting.

Maxim vs. Cosmo

What was in these magazines was ridiculous, both didn't have much substance at all! Cosmo is horrible, I did enjoy making fun of it and pretending what is says is truly helpful but for the poor people who actually live their lives by what they take from these magazines is sad. I feel bad for the generation that grows up feeling they have to be a size 0 and where this or that, do this or that to your partner, be this and that cause "cosmo" is saying so. It's all fake, a way to suck people in. Maxim wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be, it does portray women a bit more as naturally beautiful. Though it would never display someone who was natural in the way society has refused to accept curves, blemished skin, natural everyday bodies. Just horrible... but I love magazines, the ones with art inside rather than bullshit.

Ch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

3. Was all about sound recording. Probably the fastest way people retain information is by heard words and sounds. By being able to record sound and broadcast it the radio became huge part of the media as well as music. Later on certain things we're banned because people were afraid of the bad influence it could have, but it became one of our biggest assets. Music was then brought to peoples home at their own use with audiotapes, then CD's and now MP3 players. Ownership of the music and how its distributed became an issue which leads to a downfall in the industries sales, but now more music is shared and a performer should work harder in concerts which is true art of music!

The radio was the biggest leading media until the TV, but before this came the telegraph. People actually took in sounds known as "morse code" because of curiosity and drive to know more. Now people have to much to listen too they don't care and would watch anything to give their brain a break. The TV is an amazing asset to knowledge, providing quick news, but it also has a lot of downfalls to its new reality era, though I learned a lot and enjoyed TV's influence in the 60's to the 90's with MTV and coverage on news. Though radio is the hardest to escape for anyone who owns a car, but most people use it to listen to music and others are interested in the news. Whose to say what they broadcast is accurate but the same person speaking over the radio is the same person whose on TV, or writing for the paper?

At first TV was sent through radio waves and anyone with an antenna could watch TV. Now it's expensive, only owned by those who want to pay, and unavailable to the public. Then those who do have it use it for sports or TV shows, nothing truly education besides entertainment, which is sad people can no longer entertain themselves.

Film has a huge influence on society, and always has. At times what was put in theaters could be controlled, and if someone were to create a film like the day after tomorrow it could create a bad affect on society but if put in the right hands someone could influence more positively. It's a huge art as well as a message to society, to those who chose to see it and how someone views it is up to them.

1, 8, 9, 10

Interesting Chapters on how the Media came into play! How Obama's election had a lot of help from the Media, and its change on broadcasting Political policies. Newspapers and Magazines have come a long way, most magazines now target an "ideal" of americans than before like cosmo. Books have become much more popular with media as well now every book can become a movie, and the movies get people to read the books. For example if you never read where the wild things are... you should or would at least want to for the movie! The chapters are telling me how the media came into effect as it was developed, how it's affecting us now and how it could ruin our future. That if put into the wrong power it could be treated as a weapon, but also helps inform the public like the civil rights movement.

When criticizing the media we also must criticize those who make it and those who are influenced by it. It talks about less people enjoy fine art because TV, top 40 music, brainless ads everywhere we go but society has eaten it up and those are the people who mass produce it. We have to be smarter, have more reality in suburbia than urban New York. People are bored with their lives and live off whats put in front of them rather then opening their minds but how do we do that when the media is controlled. Even without cable I know about the top shows, it's not like I look it up on the internet, I'm exposed to it living my everyday life, but how many people know about what OBama is doing in the office? Thankfully there's youtube. I thought about the newspapers we read in class during chapter 8, how the post was louder and less intellectual and the Times still had a classical newspaper look with a mature typography and probably better written articles, although they did have more ad's then articles, showing how even those who say they bring the "NEWS" they fall into the game of the advertising aspect of the media. I blame the media of magazines for women's "gender roles" and insecurities because the lies, and pointless information they provide for their viewers. I love the aspect of magazine that their visual, colorful and a huge expression for artist such like me who want their photo's seen. I hope the magazine era goes into a new session where those who have one give it more importance and art.

Media Unlimited

The book has a lot of truth to it, basically about how the media has affected society, how the world started out slow and less dramatic. Society now lives faster, you can't escape the media because it influences you everywhere, on the streets, in a cab, at a bar, in the elevator it's either news, music, TV, new trends or celebrity gossip. Everyone owns a TV, radio, computer, or is exposed to one practically once a day. It talks about how those who live in an urban setting, like me, get affected by the media the most compared to a suburb, but we also now move faster, retain more information quicker, life is always at a faster pace but living in a city exposes you to know situations that the media is in your face. Billboards, posters, magazines and music everywhere is always in your face. The book also talks about how if nothings done the next generation will take everything for granted, all the knowledge available to us, having a computer or TV won't be valued.

I agree with the book and it disturbs me how the "MEDIA" is everywhere, even in other countries, but also the fact that there is no escaping, even if you had a choice to ignore it all, it's uncontrollable.