Reaction Paper #13 due Monday 12-6

Here's the article!

If it's making you register, try clicking the first link here.

In 600 words.. give me your summary and reaction. What implications does the story have for children now and in the future? Can you relate to any of the examples? Should anything be done?

Here's the post about sheet music copyright I was talking about. Here's a discussion about it.

I talked about Nate Silver a couple classes ago.. he did the FiveThirtyEight blog that did some groundbreaking work predicting the 2008 election results. Here is a recent article on TSA security: The hidden cost of extra security at airports.

Ch. 13 slides

Mass Media effects/theories lecture slides.

Reaction Paper #12 due 11-19 midnight

For this paper, I'd like you to come up with a hypothesis or theory about how we interact with the mass media or how the mass media affects us and how you would test it (experiment, survey, focus group, case study, etc.)

For example:

My hypothesis is that students who use Facebook for more than 2 hours a day will have lower grades than those who don't use Facbeook.

In my paper I would explain why I think this is so, then I would explain how I would use a survey to measure this.

Also explain any other factors that might affect my outcome (for example, those without access to a computer wouldn't use Facebook at all, but their grades might be lower because of less computer access, etc).

That said, please don't use Facebook in your experiment. :-)

Use these sites to help you decide on a qualitative study (case study, ethnography, etc.) or a quantitative study (survey, experiment, etc).

Qualitative vs Quantitative

Quantitative methods

Qualitative research

Remember, you don't have to do the experiment/case study/etc. only explain how you would do it.

Propaganda lecture.

Test #3 (Take-home)

Same rules as the previous -- open everything, must be written by you.

Remember to cite your sources!

DUE: Printed and handed in on class Thursday 11-18 (will only take a hard copy!) If you hand it in late, put it in my mailbox in Building 2 (near the dean's office). Late tests will be docked 15 points (out of 50).

LENGTH: About 700-800 words per answer (2-3 double spaced pages).

Questions (pick 2 of 3)

1. (Chapter 10) Choose and discuss what you believe are the top four most important or influential events in the history of American journalism. Explain why you believe each event is important and what effect it has had on journalism and our culture.

2. (Chapter 11) Choose three forms of entertainment discussed in Chapter 11 and discuss how the Internet (and the digitizing of information) has changed each one -- economically, socially, and technologically.

3. (Chapter 12) Pretend you have to explain to a friend the difference between advertising and public relations. How are they similar and different, why is each important to business, and what techniques are used for each?

Reaction Paper #10 due 11-12

Here's a fun one.

Visit this site that lists (according to them) the 100 Greatest Commercials.

Find 5 of them on YouTube and do a mini-review (a couple paragraphs) for each. What works with the commercial? Does it stand the test of time? Had you seen it before? How would you critique it?

Food blogger Monica Gaudio found out that Cooks Source published a piece that she wrote about apple pie, but did not get her permission to do so. Gaudio contacted the publication, half expecting it to be some kind of unfortunate mix-up, and asked for a nominal sum of money as compensation. That's when Griggs -- or someone using her e-mail address -- responded, blasting Gaudio for even raising the issue: "... honestly Monica, the web is considered 'public domain' and you should be happy we just didn't 'lift' your whole article and put someone else's name on it!"

Story here.

We were just starting to talk about propaganda (and we will more on Tuesday) but I thought this was interesting -- anti-sufferage propaganda posters.