- What is media literacy? Discuss at least three ways consumers can become more media literate and the benefits or drawbacks of this. How would you describe your own media literacy and how has this helped or hindered you?
Media literacy is the ability to have media access, comprehend the media and have an analytical approach to media’s content or message. It is about creating communication in several contexts (Potter, 2005). Being media literate means that we are able to make use of information or content shown through different medium and be able to analyze these data. It also means the proper perception of special symbols used in media and the ability to apply critical thinking (Potter, 2005).
At times, media literacy can also be confusing and misleading because there are a blast of information in all channels of media (Potter, 2005). People may be misguided in ways that they perceive the right things to be wrong or they take wrong details to be correct. The power of media’s persuasion is very powerful and the way it bombards people is also a factor in accepting the message it sends. When media mainstreams certain issues, the people are easily swayed to believe what it conveys.
My own media literacy has been advanced, as I so guess. I always have an easy access to media since I have a smart phone, a tablet and a laptop. I also have a wi-fi connection at home and in most places I go to. I also never fail to watch television for news and current events. At times, I verify what I see on television with what is available in the Internet. In short, I am always up to date with news and current media content yet I always try to verify what is being circulated. Hence, I consider my media literacy as being advance.
In many ways, my media literacy has helped me especially that I use every important information I gather from media to the best of my utility. In important meeting with people, I gain advantage by being in the know with every topic or social happenstance. I know a quite range of topics from fashion to food and trends. Hence, many people find me knowledgeable and they give me credibility. Knowing a lot of people also helps and social media has enhanced my knowledge about people in my line of interests. With different media content that I can access, I become more knowledgeable beyond my common educational experience and background. I am able to learn about certain skills or information which others may take time to gather information about.
2. In what ways does publishing reach beyond the printed page to influence the creation and transmission of U.S. culture?
The major way by which publishing reaches beyond the printed page to influence the creation and transmission of U.S. culture is by reaching through the different audiences through Internet and other digital media. At present, the current digitalization of media channels leads to an even expansive choices for consumers and advertisers. With the promotions of U.S. culture (in terms of movies, fashion, tastes, books, and other forms of literatures), a wide reach of global audiences are attained. Purveyors of U.S. culture have invaded the Internet as this new medium has become the standard channel for various product and service launches and introduction of different value-added services for consumers.
As technology made the American cultural content more accessible and easily distributed in several formats and with the pervading influence of the Internet and the World Wide Web (which are also invading the large business organizations and households), publishing has pushed the borders to promote US culture to a bigger audience. Before, the ability for information dissemination was limited to those with printing presses or broadcasting operations. Today, the Internet and the other digital technologies have allowed thousands of individual commentators to directly communicate with others via their own blogs and/or instant message services (Paul, 2011).
3. Choose either a magazine, film, or television show. I would like you to critically analyze it as a media product. Some questions you may want to ask yourself: Who is the audience and how can you tell? (This may include age, race, income, gender, etc.) What do the articles/plot/characters tell you about who this product is geared toward? What is the message this product is sending out? Can you see the politics behind it, or a social message it’s trying to send? Do your best to thoroughly analyze this piece of media and let me know not only what it says but why it is put together as it is.
I am picking up the famous Stanley Kubrick film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film was really way ahead of its class in terms of artistry, visuals, special effects and overall cinematic impact. In hindsight, I believe that Space Odyssey 2001 is a masterpiece. It is the essence of filmmaking, where one’s old notions and visual insights are debunked by the grandness of the film. It will never be superseded by any other major sci-fi movie. In contrast, all the other sci-fi movies will copy something from it.
It caters to a special set of audience, those who can appreciate the arts and the futuristic theme in films. The true subject of the movie is the exploration of the unknown. Kubrick himself made this exploration in film making when he set out to do this film. All of the four episodes of the classic film dealt with the exploration of the unknown from pre historic times to the more advanced space time. The kind of statement which this film seemed to evoke is that reality is how one interprets it. There was actually less dialogues and speeches in order to gather more of the self analysis or conclusions from each viewer about how he/she conceived the film and what truths he/she derived from it.
In the end, the viewer is left confused or loaded with various interpretations about what is beyond out there in outer space. The film did not intend to answer those crucial questions on what is out there. Hence, this is the attraction of the film. There is no definitive subject or conclusion to its theme and content or subject matter. Either the audience is blown away by the film’s visual and audio impact or he/she is left confused or obscured by the range of cinematic images and effects. The void is actually the subject more than the meaning it supplies, I guess.
The story is the main element of the film which contributed to its success. This is about the space future. The story is reinforced by the audi-visual effects, which were really hi-tech, scientific and very realistic. Space Odyssey achieved to make a magnanimous presentation of space travel which bordered between realistic and fictional. The production design, visual, and audio effects and the overall cinematography were all splendid. It was really a well thought, highly techical production.
For instance, Kubrick actually enlisted the help of NASA engineers to produce the compelling ships and its specific sounds. Kubrick's sci-fi exploration through this film has attained its glory by the interplay of each of the cinematic effect. All the scenes in the film either have a dialogue or music or silence yet it did not employ the usual dialogue and background combination which traditional movies have.
I think that the best, artistic elements which were highlighted by Kubrick in this highly controversial movie are its visual images and audio-visual effects. This film has very intriguing imagery of outer space and space travel. In the first place, this has been an attractive image since this was the time when humanity was just attempting to reach the moon. A year after the movie was made; man has just stepped into the moon. Hence, the appeal of Kubrick’s visuals was very enticing for the film audience at that time. I think this has made the greatest impact in the world of cinema.
4. A significant recent change in the world of television is time/space shifting. Describe these terms and explain how the television industry has adapted or not adapted. How do you see these technologies affecting the future of television? 2
Time shifting refers to the recording of programming to a stored medium to be watched or listened to at a more convenient time for the consumer (Potter, 2005). Often, this pertains to TV programs but this concept can also apply to radio shows and conferences (such as podcasts) (Potter, 2005). Some DVRs have other possible time shifting systems. They may be able to be watched as a recorded show from the start, even if the recording is not yet finished. Previously, time shifting was done with a video cassette recorder (VCR) and its timer set, wherein the VCR tunes into the right station and tapes the show onto a video tape (Potter, 2005). In cable television broadcasting, time shifting may pertain to the accessibility of the network auxiliaries from various time settings. This is a similar task of making television programs ready for viewing at any time of the day.
Space shifting (or spaceshifting), which is also referred to as place shifting (or placeshifting), enables various media (i.e. music or films) to be stored on one device and be accessed from another device or another place (Potter, 2005). Space shifting is usually accomplished through computer networks. To illustrate, a viewer may view a television show as broadcast from a wi-fi equipped set top box on a similarly wi-fi armed notebook (Potter, 2005).
These technologies will change the way people watch their favorite shows and it will also pave the way for the traditional television medium to offer its services to its viewers. This will also change the overall platforms and advertising revenues for television. At present, people are greatly accessing media shows through their mobile phones and other digital gadgets. Most of the television programs will be formatted for the mobile screens and will be cut into shorter clips (Paul, 2011). To be ready for this shift, Sony has launched its new media product called “Minisode,” wherein it offers short form videos from some of their featured films.
The new technology does not necessarily impinge the television broadcasting since consumers are accessing these videos at times when they do not have access or cannot be available for ordinary television viewing. Usually, these videos are watched when viewers are on the go or when they are working. Mobile video viewing remarkably drops during primetime, which only evidences that traditional television is not negatively affected by this new technology (Potter, 2005).
Aside from media companies, the TV networks are also gearing up. Networks like CBS, ABC, MTV and ESPN are all intent on developing mobile content. Cellular phones are a vital media platform since most of the American consumers own them. There is also a growing trend for the increase of internet access for more users. The access to mobile video content is also being widely supported by the wi-fi technology. More smart phones are being developed and they become good medium for quality mobile video quality.
Slingmedia, for instance, developed a technology called Slingbox which enables users to stream live television from their DVRs or cable boxes to their computer screens. The videos are even streamlined through mobile phones, hence, giving varied platforms for accessible time and space shifting (Potter, 2005). With all of these new kinds of technology, the revenues from mobile video will increase and will make a so called “third screen” a significant trend in new media. Ultimately, their revenues will be gathered from the old revenue streams of television networks.
5. Do you believe that creativity and artistry are sacrificed in producing mass media entertainment? Can artistic vision survive the race for the bottom line, and where does the audience figure into it? Give specific examples to support your claim.
In this context, I firmly believe that creativity (in a more digitalized form) is being enhanced, not hindered. I also believe that artistic vision is not hindered by the budgetary considerations of new media entertainment projects. On the contrary, it is spurred by them. This is to say that the present times already have a more informed and sophisticated audience who appreciate art and know how to value them. This can be seen by the prevalence of independent films and new productions houses and creative agencies which synergize with large film production networks and entertainment entities to produce highly creative and artistic masterpieces.
As an assessment, it is best if the work and production in the creative agencies are provided by each national government institutional support. This will certainly promote creativity and provide ample support for the sustainability of competitive advantage in terms of the finished products (Banks, et. al., 2003). The main issue is the sustainability of cultural production which relies on a good pool of creative talents and which guarantee a strong pool of artistic diversity. This is also very much affected by the globalization of the creative industry. At this point, it is plain to see that new media entertainment has transcend the elements of social distinctions and more universal themes are used as vehicles for creative outputs. Hence, when we talk about new film genre, most foreign films are striking participants. Film makers and artists from different countries welcome this inclusive nature of the new media and arts that we have today. It is good to see that various artists and filmmakers from all over the world have input different elements of their artistry and global appeal to the works they produce yet they still capture a critical mass of audience which appreciates their works.
Bibliography:
Banks, et. al. (2003). Where the Art is: Defining and Managing Creativity in New Media SMEs. London: Blackwell Publishers, Ltd.
Paul, Gream. (February 23, 2011). Developing Online Magazines and Newspapers Publishing. Retrieved on September 11, 2013 from, http://www.a1articles.com/developing-online-magazines--newspapers-publishing-2062702.html.
Potter, W. James. (2005). Media Literacy. London: Sage Publications.
