Thoughts that Count
Blog for media literates
Media Literates
Media is a communication device we use to spread many different types of news, like foreign issues, government issues, and Hollywood gossips. Newspaper, magazine, internet, and TV channels are all different types of media that we use commonly to spread our ideas and messages. Without media, we would not be able to know if there are any wars going on in other countries, if our government is doing well, or if Justin Bieber got a new haircut. However, media does not always provide correct information, so we have to become a “media literate.” To become media literates, we have to know how to filter out the correct information that are being presented in media. In order to do that, we need to first learn how to use different types of media. We especially need to pay attention to articles and blogs on internet. Printed news are usually filtered out for us since there are tens of editors and other people that go through each article to make sure that it contains only the correct information. And even though some credible news sources on internet do have editors and usually have correct information, there certainly are some sources that are just opinionated. We, as the media literates, especially have to watch out for these. Most of the times, people make these false or opinionated information sound so professional that it fools us to believe that it is true. Thus, we need to make sure to always check if the news source is credible and correct. If we do this one small thing, we would be one step closer to becoming media literates.
Types of Media
Words Describing Media
Connection
Axe Commercial
Infamous for their sexual commercials, Axe took a new approach and emphasized the importance of peace over war in its new 2014 Super Bowl commercial, “World Peace.” In this commercial, Axe decided to build up the tension by showing soldiers at war and some leaders that are known for their violence. However, to everyone’s surprise, the soldiers and leaders showed their affection towards their loved ones instead of hurting others. Axe contrasted the tension of violence with the peacefulness of love in order to illustrate how beautiful the world would be if peace replaced wars. The intended audience is women in this commercial, and Axe is trying to appeal to women to buy these products for their men by reducing the sexual contents and replacing it with more comforting and peaceful contents.
Entry #2
Grace Lee
Wed Apr 2, 2014
ATLANTA - The sickly worried parents of a high school student in her graduating year sued the school for not having enough electric outlets for their child's android device charger, reported the Gwinnett county public school attorney.
The parents of Linda Johnson filed several complaints about the shortage of electrical outlets in their child's classroom. Because they failed to receive a solid solution to the issue, they have decided to sue their child's high school. According to the parents, their child was not able to be reached after 1 p.m. because her phone battery was dead. And since her classmates rushed to plug in their chargers to four outlets that is available in each class, she could not charge her phone. The school officials reported that they have received the official documents on Friday March 29th and that they are consulting the county attorney for the case.
"I could not concentrate on my work or anything, in fact, because my daughter was not able to reply to my texts. What if there was a emergency and she had to call me? How am I suppose to know if she is in a safe environment? Me and my husband will not let this issue just pass by," said Mrs.Johnson in her interview with the local news station.
Adele-Skyfall
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again
For this is the end
I've drowned and dreamt this moment
So overdue I owe them
Swept away, I'm stolen
Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
At skyfall
That skyfall
Skyfall is where we start
A thousand miles and poles apart
Where worlds collide and days are dark
You may have my number, you can take my name
But you'll never have my heart
Let the sky fall (let the sky fall)
When it crumbles (when it crumbles)
We will stand tall (we will stand tall)
Face it all together
Let the sky fall (let the sky fall)
When it crumbles (when it crumbles)
We will stand tall (we will stand tall)
Face it all together
At skyfall
[2x:]
(Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall)
Where you go I go
What you see I see
I know I'd never be me
Without the security
Of your loving arms
Keeping me from harm
Put your hand in my hand
And we'll stand
Let the sky fall (let the sky fall)
When it crumbles (when it crumbles)
We will stand tall (we will stand tall)
Face it all together
Let the sky fall (let the sky fall)
When it crumbles (when it crumbles)
We will stand tall (we will stand tall)
Face it all together
At skyfall
Let the sky fall
We will stand tall
At skyfall
Oh
Entry #5
When I first received this smore entry, I immediately thought of the song “Skyfall.” This song fits with Winston’s struggle to resist the government throughout the book, even though Winston eventually surrenders to the government and declares that he loves Big Brother. In the first verse, a part of the lyrics says “For this is the end, I've drowned and dreamt this moment. So overdue I owe them….” This part describes the beginning of the book where Winston realizes that something has gone wrong with Oceania, and he is determined that there has to be an end to that nonsense. He has dreamt of the Golden Country for so long that he thinks he owes it. The lyrics to the chorus is, “Let the sky fall. When it crumbles, we will stand tall face it all together.” This part shows how determined Winston is as he chooses to go against the government. He knows that when he betrays the government, there will be an ultimate punishment, and it will cause the “sky” of his own world fall. However, he is ready to face everything together with Julia. The second verse goes, “Skyfall is where we start… You may have my number, you can take my name. But you'll never have my heart.” Winston knows that in order for him to change the Oceania and the government, everything has to fall apart first, and he is declaring that the government can have his written information like his name and his number, but it can’t get to his heart or his mind. Overall, the lyrics to this song fit perfectly with the story 1984. Even though it does not include the ending where Winston eventually surrenders, it is actually better because in that way the audience would never suspect the ending to be that way.
Thank You Mrs. Hicks!
My perspective of media literacy has definitely deepened throughout this course. At first, I just thought media literacy was just being able to filter out correct information from the internet and other news sources. However, after a semester of Media Literacy class, I realized that to be media literates, we have to dig deeper into the correct source and information and reflect and get something of your own out of those information. I learned how to correctly do an in-text citation (this will help me a whole bunch in college, thanks Mrs. Hicks!) and how to write a well written research paper. I also learned how to dig into an article or a story and really understand the author’s purpose. Plus, this class taught me how to really find the hidden messages and purposes of different advertisements. Media Literacy was different from other language arts class in that it gave us opportunity to learn stuff that would really benefit us after high school. Knowing different kinds of books, authors, and characters definitely matters and it deepens our knowledge, but learning how to write papers, how to cite sources, and how to receive and process information that we constantly receive from the media would save us some big trouble as we go off to colleges and to the real world. I think it would be better for students and Mrs. Hicks if there was a reading check every now and then to make sure that students are keeping up with the reading. As nonsensical as it sounds to give reading check to seniors who should know what they are doing, it is really easy to slack off during the second semester of the senior year. Other than that, I don’t think there is anything that needs to be changed to make this class better. It would make sense for this course to not have any tests because students learn more from doing online assignments.