Another game...

...by the guy who did Passage. Gravitation.

Study Guide Exam 2

Chapter 12 - News Gathering
Newsworthiness - what makes something news?
Hard news vs Soft news
Types of reporters
Print vs Broadcast news - pro's and cons of each
What is the AP?
Syndication
Jayson Blair
Online news trends
From lecture:
Nelly Bly, Ida Tarbell, Joseph Pulitzer, Watergate (Woodward/Bernstein), Gonzo Journalism, photojournalism, Edward R. Murrow
Infotainment
Herd/Pack journalism


Ch 13 - Public Relations
PR compared to advertising
modes of communication in PR
history of PR
External PR firm vs Internal department
PR messages/media
Steps in PR campaign
From lecture:
Reputation management
crisis communication
spin
PR blunders and disasters
astroturfing
propaganda vs PR


Ch 14 - Advertising
functions and dysfunctions of advertising
what changes in society had to happen to lead up to advertising?
different eras in the history of advertising
primary demand ads
selective demand ads
economics of advertising (how much is spent in what medium?)
effectiveness of ads?
online advertising tactics
role of the advertising agency
factual vs emotional appeals

from lecture:
viral ads
why brands
false advertising
advertising appeals/weasel words

Essay questions (I'll give you two, you pick one)
1. Our book lists many different settings or areas for public relations work. One would be PR for businesses. Please list four other areas and a description with example(s) for each.

2. Compare and contrast the presentation of news in both the print media and broadcast media. Consider the limitations and advantages of each.

3. Please describe the social and technological evolution that paved the way for modern day advertisers (starting around the Industrial Revolution).

4. List and describe two ways the Internet has affected 1. journalism, 2. public relations, and 3. advertising? Which has been affected the most in your opinion?

Reaction Paper #5

We had Constitution Day not long ago on campus, so I thought we might talk about the First Amendment.

1. Without looking, what freedoms does the First Amendment give us? (do your best)

Then, read this:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

and this

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=19031

and this

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6888837/

and this one, not long after 9/11

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/30/national/main520314.shtml

2. Are you surprised by the firstamendmentcenter.org and msnbc survey results? What surprises you the most?
3. Do you think it is fair to give up some rights after 9-11 if it keeps us safe? Do you see examples where the First Amendment goes too far, or does it not go far enough?

Opps..

What happens when a journalist relies on Wikipedia for information...

Reaction Paper #4

This one is a little more complex and involves playing a video game. Fun, huh? Here is the page:

http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/

Go to the "downloads" and you can get it for Mac or Windows (you might want to try on your computer if you have one, not a campus one).

AFTER you play the game (it takes 5 minutes or so), write a response and reaction of what you think the game means (or what it means to you).

Ok, now wait until you've written it. Now move on..

Read this statement by the maker:

http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/statement.html

...how does this compare to what you thought the game was about? Was there an emotional response for you? If so, how can something so simple draw an emotional reaction? Do video games have as much potential for an emotional story as movies, or even moreso?

Campaign funds

This is pretty interesting -- see how much each candidate is raising in the race to the White House.

Informal poll...

What are your thoughts on WebCT? Do you prefer a website like this or using WebCT? You can be honest. :)

Reaction Paper #3

Here's your third paper! Also, Henry Rollins is speaking next Thursday (the 18th) at Stephens Auditorium in Ames at 8 p.m. If you want to go and write a summary and reaction to what he says, you can get extra credit. Google Henry Rollins if you have never heard of him, he's quite the character.

Anyway, here is the third paper assignment:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE5DC1239F93BA15751C0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981132,00.html

http://www.walthowe.com/navnet/history.html

The first two are early stories about the World Wide Web. The third is a bit of history about how it came about. I'd like to hear your reaction to the first two stories and how you think things have changed since then. Do you remember your first time online? (I remember being impressed that you could talk to someone in Canada!). Why was the Internet first created?

McCain vs. Heart

Does the McCain campaign have to stop playing Heart's "Barracuda"?

What do you think should they stop because they ask?

Reaction Paper #2

Here's number 2!

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/school_law/2008/01/hazelwood_at_20.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/11/AR2008011102775.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/25/free.speech/index.html

Question: It's the 20th anniversary of "Hazelwood" -- a case that helped set precedent for high school journalism and the ability for schools to impose "prior restraint" (censorship). Do you think high schools should have as much freedom of the press as newspapers do? Are things different than 20 years ago, now that students are able to publish on their own on the Internet if they want? Is there a difference between a high schooler writing for a school paper or writing in a blog? Do you agree with the decision in the "Bog hits 4 Jesus" case?

Word count

I had a question about word count. It's fine if you go over the minimum word count if you feel you are on a roll.

Study Guide Exam 1

For our first test on Thursday, Sept. 11:

Chapter 1
Types of communication
Traditional mass media model / Internet mass media model
Traditional media vs. the Internet
Noise.. semantic, environmental, mechanical
Know the communications process chart
Gatekeepers

Chapter 2
Convergence
Functional approach to mass media: the five Macro approaches (surveillance, interpretation, linkage, transfer of values, entertainment)
Uses and gratifications approach (what it is, what the book says it assumes, it's four categories- cognition, diversion, social utility, withdrawl)
Dysfunctions of the mass media
Myths and Rituals
Status conferral, credibility

Chapter 3
Chronological order of mass media
Names associated with the inventions of mass media listed
The social impact of different types of mass media (TV, radio, Internet, etc.)
"Atoms vs Bits"

From lecture (if you missed, you might have to go online to look these up)
Know what the digital divide is
Demassification
Digitization
The Long Tail

Finally, I'm going to give you TWO of these four questions and you will pick one to write an essay:

(1) What is demassification and "The Long Tail"? Why are online retailers suited for "The Long Tail?" Why do advertisers like demassification?

(2) At the individual or "micro" level, the book talks about the uses and gratifications theory. Please explain the theory with examples of which gratifications are fulfilled.

(3) With several examples for each, please describe the social impact of 1) writing 2) printing 3) telegraph 4) Internet 5) Radio.

(4) The compare and contrast three eras of the critical/cultural media perspectives from Chapter 2 and what they say about the relationship between the mass media and control of power: The Frankfurt School model, the British model, and the 1970s Feminist movement.

Girl in the Window

Here's the story I was talking about in class today.