Media Literacy
Are you 'bout it?
Dangers of Media
In our world today, social media is tool used by practically everyone. It is a way to communicate, stay on top of important information, and find people and even jobs. Of course it has been stretched and twisted into different meanings. So how do we find the true meaning in midst of the confusion? We look at the media. The media is any form of TV or computer or radio information. So to understand the media that we are bombarded with constantly, we need to be proficient in media literacy. Media literacy is the ability to find truth and purpose in the simplest of media. It is being able to distinguish opinion from fact through social media. Many sites claim to have the most factual information, but do they really? A great deal of informative sites don’t always have the most accurate information, just the information they believe their viewers would respond the most to. So how can you truly combat this? There a few surefire ways to have a keener eye when it comes to false information that you receive from the media. One thing you could do is find multiple sources. Be a researcher and look for the same story of different reputable sites. If you continue to find the same story with the same precise facts, then you probably have a real event. Another way to practice media literacy is to only use sources that have a very widespread influence. Sites such as ABC, CNN, and CBS are good tools because they have so much influence that they would be heavily criticized if they made a mistake. Those sites can’t afford to make mistakes. Being media literate is nearly as important as the media itself.
Danger!
Don't Get Caught Up!
Media!
Super Bowl Precis
The Purple and Gold Dilemma
The NBA is a vast conglomerate of some of the best basketball players and teams in the world. Leading the world in the top rankings are the awe-inspiring Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, some may speculate that their current record of 20-39 may take them down a few notches but I disagree. It is a clever ruse that many cannot see through. Do we really believe that the 17 time NBA champions would have such a rough time with the mediocre play of the rest of the league? Of course not. Do we really believe in Kobe Bryant's season halting "injury"? Of course not. Bryant doesn't get injured. He steps in to relieve Jesus from sitting on God's right side when Jesus needs a bathroom break.
As a devoted Lakers fan, I can tell you that the way that the Lakers have been playing is very disappointing. But I have learned why the season is as it is. While Jesus and Kobe Bryant were relaxing in the heavenly realms, Jesus got a mischievous gleam in his eye and challenged Bryant to a game of horse. Bryan looked up from his beach chair, took a long slip from his challis filled with vodka and grape juice, and accepted the challenge. Now, this wasn't an ordinary game of horse. They played on heaven rules: The hoop is on the Sun and the participants cannot shoot from anywhere closer than Jupiter. Needless to say, this battle was of extraordinary proportions. Trick shots that are inconceivable to humans were attempted and made over and over until Jesus and Kobe became bored. So Kobe decided to make a wager to determine the winner. But he didn't make this bet with Jesus. He went to the Devil himself to cast his bet and the Devil gladly accepted. If Kobe won, he would play basketball in the NBA forever and every year he would play even better than the last. But if Jesus won, the Lakers would have the worst season in franchise history. To make the wager more difficult, Kobe had Jesus go to the neighboring galaxy and don a pitch black blindfold. The shot went up and well... He's Jesus. The shot fell, and here we are today with the Lakers.
But as unfortunate as this is, there is still a way for the Lakers to win another NBA championship. If we assassinate every single NBA player that is not on the Lakers, clone the players on the Lakers, place them on every other team, and rename every other organization Los Angeles Lakers, no matter who won on any given night, the Lakers would win and lose, while also going to the NBA championship and keeping the losing end of the deal. The deceased NBA players would be a small price to pay for the glory of the Los Angeles Lakers to once again be realized.
The Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon Bombing was one of the most devastating and tragic events since September 11th of 2001. On April 14th, 2013 a group of North Korean terrorists infiltrated the country through Alaska and took a series of plane trips to hide their movements. But during all of the evading the police, the terrorists made a mistake and one of them was captured by the ever-present Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was questioned, and some say even tortured and he gave up information on the reason why they had come to America. The man’s name was Teorka Hitaru and he said that his squad came to American to push American into the next war that North Korea, China, Sudan, Ethiopia, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, Germany, Greece, Italy, Chile, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Spain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Greenland, Antarctica, India and Madagascar were going to rage against the rest of the world’s remaining countries. When asked why these countries were going to attack, Hitaru said that a perfect utopia shall be created once all of the “filth” of the world was eradicated. The interrogators asked him how were the people in his squad going to force America into a war and the response was only a small, sadistic smile and the phrase “You won’t be the only people running today”. The Federal Bureau of Investigation sprang into action, trying to locate the 8 other North Koreas that had slipped through their fingers. They searched tirelessly through the day but not a single soul could find a scrap of evidence leading them to the hidden North Koreans. But finally they found out where the Koreas went when they showed themselves at the Boston Marathon. Hitaru’s message made sense. The others that were running were the participants of the marathon. Each of the 8 remaining Koreans planted 3 bombs each and placed them around the finish line and waited for the weary and determined runners to come through. As soon as the first person crossed the finish line, the first bomb exploded with such magnitude and force that it started a chain reaction that in turn exploded the other 23 bombs. All of the buildings collapsed around the last leg of the marathon. 351 people were killed and 97 were injured. The frightened police, SWAT teams, and firefighters could only save the people who were farthest away from the blasts due to the immensity of the debris. Entire buildings were now horizontal and lying on top of one another. Not an hour after the awful event, the remaining 8 North Koreans turned themselves in with their flag waving in the breeze. They told the authorities in only slightly accented English their motives, and how they committed the crime step by step. They were uncharacteristically calm and even gave small smiles to the police and Federal Bureau of Investigation and exchanged numerous pleasantries with anyone they laid their eyes on. America had to react. When they declared war against North Korea on April 19th, 2013 North Korea, China, Sudan, Ethiopia, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, Germany, Greece, Italy, Chile, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Spain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Greenland, Antarctica, India and Madagascar declared war on the United States the following hour.
I wrote this article to tell the world of the origins of World War III.
1984 Song
Where is the Love?
Black Eyed Peas
What's wrong with the world, mama?
People livin like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that'll bring a trauma
Overseas ya we tryin to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin
In the U.S.A, the big C.I.A
The bloods and the crips, and the KKK
But if you only got love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate, then you're bound to get irate
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man ya gotta have love, this'll set us straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate, to the love ya'll
[Hook]
People killin
People dyin
Children hurt and
You hear 'em cryin
Will you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father father father, help us
Need some guidance from above
These people got me got me questionin
Where is the love?
(love) where is the love?
(the love) where is the love?
(the love) where is the love?
(where is the love the love my love)
[Taboo]
It just ain't the same
Old ways have changed
New days are strange, is world insane?
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin bombs
Chemical gasses fillin lungs of little ones
With ongoin sufferin, as the youth die young
So ask yourself, is the lovin really gone
So I can ask myself, really what is going wrong
With this world that we livin in, people keep on givin in
Makin wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin eachother, deny thy brother
A war is goin on but the reason's under cover
The truth is kept secret, and swept under the rug
If you never know truth, then you never know love
Where's the love ya'll? (i don't know)
Where's the truth ya'll? (i don't know)
And where's the love ya'll?
[Hook]
[Apl.de.ap]
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm getting older, ya'll people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin
Selfishness got us followin the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema, yo
Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality?
Instead of spreading love we spreadin’ animosity
Lack of understandin' leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin down
It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself
[Hook]
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Father, father, father, help us
Need some guidance from above
These people got me got me questionin
Where is the love?
[Outro]
Now sing with me ya'll (one world one world)
We only got (one world one world)
That's all we got (one world one world)
And something's wrong with it
Something's wrong with it
Something's wrong with the w-w-world
We only got (one world one world)
That's all we got (one world one world)
I believe this song is perfect for 1984 because of the way it questions all of the powerful and corrupt institutions of this day and age just like Winston did. The song asks for a world where love and equality are apparent and are not a rare experience. They haven’t found this love yet and neither has Winston, but they have a small hope and faith that someday, somehow, it can be found and shared with the rest of the world. This song mentions wrong information being displayed by the media and that is the heart of the Party. All the images are construed so heavily that anything you see may have been altered to great lengths to make you think a certain way about a subject. “Where is the Love” questions the world that the Party has created.
Reflection
I took away lot from the class. The fact that the atmosphere of the class was so relaxed and open really changed my perspective on how a classroom could be run functionally. I really enjoyed the fact that we were able to voice our opinions in class and it could be discussed and debated. I learned that one needs to question the world they live in in order to ever have a say or to know the truth. If you are spoon fed all your information and you’re satisfied with that, you will never know if the information you are receiving is true or not. Ignorance is one of the most dangerous states of being a human can be stuck in. If you are ignorant then that opens the door for people to take advantage of you and lead you down paths that you yourself may not be willing to go down if you were better informed. Another thing I learned in this class was the value of being attentive. If you have the brain capacity to look just a little past your immediate surroundings, you can see a world that is hidden to the common man and your creativity increases. You can see a world that not only is different but may also give you a new perspective on the way you should be living your life. For example, I have a friend whose life seems nearly perfect. Grades are amazing, all the classes she takes are AP’s, has a huge house, has purebred golden retriever (dubbed Grizzly), and parents who could buy nearly anything she ever desire. Yet there is a sadness in her so deep that only the most attentive people could see. And while I was in this class I learned that things and people are not how they seem. I asked her about her life to find out she is abused daily, she has been admitted into countless hospitals for numerous mental breakdowns, and the people whom she thought were friends would all abandon her at a moment’s notice. This class is different from other Language Arts classes because I actually learned something in this class that I could actually use in my daily life. This class could be made better if it was made up of people who actually cared about others enough to respect what they had to say and that they could shut up when someone else is talking.