Media Blog Topics

In case anyone is still following this...

2009-07-08T10:56:00.003-05:00

Hello, Graduates!

I would like your feedback, if you see this and have a moment. If so, then read on...

Please reflect on how well blogging did or did not work in the classroom. Here are some questions that I'd love feedback on--feel free to pick and choose which ones you respond to:

What did you like or dislike about blogging?
Was it more or less meaningful then when you've written paper journals in the past? How so?
How well did commenting on others blogs work? How might it work better?
What value did learning to blog have for you?
What feedback did you hear through the semester from your classmates?
Did you have any conversations with students from a different semester that revealed changes in the system? If so, what did your discussion reveal that might be helpful to me in the future?
What other thoughts do you have?

Feel free to reflect as a comment to this post or as a post on your own blog. Keep in mind, oh graduated one, that this is still a school site. :-)

Have a wonderful summer and best of luck in life!

~ Mrs. Sheldon

Blog # 8: The Future of Television

2009-05-07T11:18:00.007-05:00

Due: 5-12-09

The nature of television is changing. The advent of DVRs and TiVo, along with the wide-spread use of the internet, has impacted programming content and styles.

Ever the innovator, FOX network is trying to keep advertisers and consumers connected. Their new shows Dollhouse and Fringe now tell the viewer whether the commercial break will last 60 or 90 seconds. The hope is that viewers will choose to "stay put" through the shorter break, thus viewing the commercials. This is merely one example of how programming is adapting in light of the changing technology.

Reflect on what else is happening or might happen as the networks attempt to stay relevant in the new millennium.

Blog #7 (All)

2009-04-28T14:16:00.002-05:00

Due 5-4-09

Open! Reflect on the different ideas related to media that we have discussed and that you have researched. You may write about anything related to the concepts we've examined this semester. Remember our goal: to be informed consumers of the media.

Periods 2 & 6: Blog #6

2009-04-21T16:56:00.009-05:00

Due: 4-27-09

One inconspicuous way that advertisers try to convince (step 4: conviction) us to buy their product is by placing it in the TV shows and movies that we watch.

Every time that you see a name-brand product on TV or in the movies, you can safely assume that the company paid for that well-placed, subtle advertisement. The prime-time comedy 30 Rock goes so far as to mock their own need for this type of ad revenue, as can be seen in the embedded clip from the show's first season.

Scott Leith, of the The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, posed this thought in 2000:

At one time, it seemed positively unusual to spot real products in the movies. But along came 1982's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and an accidental star: Reese's Pieces candy. That watershed event helped turn product placement into a business. ...

The question is how well placement works, especially in an age when much of the audience is downright cynical about advertising.

What do you think? Discuss product placement in TV shows and movies as an effective/ineffective means of advertising, especially to teenagers.

Note: We will be discussing your blog observations as part of the introduction to our next unit--Television.

Periods 2 & 6: Blog #5

2009-04-09T12:09:00.005-05:00

Due 4-17-09

Our in-class discussions cover print ads and TV commercials. However, these are not the only types of ads in our world. Spend a day or two observing billboards, contextual ads (pages 402-3 of the textbook), and radio commercials.

In a blog, use our notes to analyze these ads. Be specific; use the language from the notes; explain your ideas. Then, evaluate how effective you feel that these various types of ads are.

Honors P. 2 & 6 Homework

2009-04-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

This is not a blog topic, but a standard homework assignment!

Due: Monday, 13 April 2009

Watch TV commercials: at least four commercials, at least two different channels
Identify Advertising Claims (handout)
Identify Propaganda Devices (handout)
Analyze how each is used
Evaluate the effectiveness of each
Analyze psychographic segmentation (textbook, p . 406)

Periods 1 & 3: Blog #6

2009-03-16T12:09:00.009-05:00

Due: 3-20-09

One inconspicuous way that advertisers try to convince (step 4: conviction) us to buy their product is by placing it in the TV shows and movies that we watch.

Scott Leith, of the The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, posed this thought in 2000:

The question is how well placement works, especially in an age when much of the audience is downright cynical about advertising.

What do you think? Discuss product placement in TV shows and movies as an effective/ineffective means of advertising, especially to teenagers.

Merchants of Cool

2009-03-09T16:43:00.004-05:00

Did you miss class on the 4th? You can make up the video by watching the first four sections of Merchants of Cool. Make sure that you picked up a copy of the worksheet!

Periods 1 & 3--Blog #5

2009-03-09T16:26:00.008-05:00

Due: 3-13-09

We are discussing magazine ads and commercials in class, but not the ads found online....

As you spend time online--checking your email, looking at Facebook/MySpace, randomly surfing the web--observe the ads on various sites. What do you notice about the different types of ads? How do these differ from print/TV ads? How are they either more or less effective than the more traditional ads that we're analyzing in class. Blog about your observations!

Comment!

2009-02-24T15:29:00.007-06:00

Due: 2-26-09

Read the blogs that your classmates have posted. Respond to their thoughts. Here are your criteria:

Make sure that you are signed in to Blogger so that you get credit for your comment(s).
You may respond to the thoughts of anyone whom I teach.
Comments need to be academically focused and thoughtful.
Media: You need to post at least one comment.
Honors: You need to post at least two comments.

Blog #4

2009-02-17T20:51:00.007-06:00

Due: 2-26-09

Select one of the following topics to blog about.

Option 1:How do the media images & stereotpyes of men & women impact how we view each other professionally (at school, at work, in politics, etc.)?

Example: Mary Pipher commented that the fragmented images of women’s bodies in perfume ads decreased the likelihood of voting for a woman for president.

Option 2: Open the "Celeb vs Hero.ppt" file (located here) and complete the activity. Then, analyze the stereotypes represented by the media.

Blog # 3

2009-02-05T15:42:00.009-06:00

Due: 2-11-09

Choose a current TV show that you watch.

Consider how the ten American Core Values are represented in this show.
Analyze what the show tells viewers they should value.
Explain how it does so.

Periods 2 & 6--Blog #2

2009-01-28T12:03:00.004-06:00

Due: 2-3-09

Select one of the following topics to blog about.

Option 1: Watch this video about children and the media. Based on this video and our discussion of media saturation in class, share your thoughts about this issue.

Option 2: Read the Cultural Forum: Media Literacy as the Struggle for Power on pages 54-55 of your textbook. Visit and explore the Cultural Environment Movement's site. Based on these two sources, share your thoughts about this movement.

Periods 1 & 3--Blog #2

2009-01-28T11:49:00.006-06:00

Due: 2-3-09

Chapter 8 of our textbook discusses the regulation and ownership of the media. With the ideas outlined in the chapter in mind, select one of the following topics to blog about.

Option 1: Why should consumers be worried about media conglomerates? Explain your thoughts in detail. Support your ideas with specific examples, if possible.

A conglomerate is a company that owns many smaller companies, which may not all be in the same industry. The textbook discusses the Time Warner conglomerate.

Option 2: One topic of concern when discussing media regulations is information privacy. Read this short article and share your thoughts on how information privacy should be handled online, and why this topic is important.

Blog #1

2009-01-23T07:31:00.000-06:00

Compare your Note Card Interview responses. Consider as well the ideas we've discussed in class.