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Final Paper #1–Marisa Pooley and Michael Vail

Most consumers of media rely on mainstream media outlets to access their daily news. Millions of viewers tune in to news broadcasted on mainstream sources, such as CNN and Fox News. In fact, 1,178,000 million viewers

Blog #13–Marisa Pooley

For the final assignment, I am comparing the alternative news source, Alternet.org, with a more conventional source, Fox News. More specifically, I am comparing a news story about potentially passing a bill that will allow students and professors to carry concealed weapons on college campuses in Texas. Most of my research about this article will be qualitative. Already embedded in the two articles are interviews and quotes about the bill. This lends itself to qualitative research. Some of the interviews sited about peoples’ beliefs on the subject could be considered an ethnographic study. For example, the article from Fox News is predominantly about their reporters immersing themselves in the “culture in order to directly observe it,” (Pavlik, p.398). The reporters interviewed college professors and students in Texas to hear first-hand their thoughts on the proposed bill.

There will also be some quantitative research involved in my final paper. The Fox News article sites statistics from previous school shootings, like the death of fourteen people in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin. I will further research school shootings in order to strengthen my paper.

I think semiotics will also play a role in my final paper. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols but can also encompass words. The word choice in the articles is very poignant. The words used in the alternet.org story are especially important in understanding the role of the media. A word like “scary,” is a signifier, and fear within people is the signified result. Words like scary are not used in the article from Fox News, but are used generously in alternet.org’s article.

 

 

Blog #12–Marisa Pooley

Both the Wall Street Journal and The Colbert Report reported on the story of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi’s charges. Berlusconi has been indicted on charges of paying a seventeen-year-old girl to have sex with him. In his report, Stephen Colbert stated that the girl went to Berlusconi’s penthouse for a ‘Bunga Bunga Party.’ He used quotes and displayed a picture of a news article to add credibility to the Bunga Bunga account, however I think it is disputable whether this is in fact true. Needless to say, The Wall Street Journal article did not talk about “Bunga Bunga Parties.” Also, The Wall Street Journal did talk about Berlusconi’s attempt to cover-up the crime, but did not go in detail. The Colbert Report gave more information of the cover-up. It said that the seventeen-year-old girl stole some money, and Berlusconi proceeded to help hide that fact. He alleged that the girl is the granddaughter of Hosni Mubarak. Again, it is hard for me to believe this story entirely, probably due to Colbert’s satirical and humorous style of reporting news.

Stephen Colbert could be considered a yellow journalist because of his over-dramatization of stories. He also makes parts of the story up, such as saying that the girl in question could not be Mubarak’s granddaughter, because his granddaughter is named “Heidi Mubarak.” This statement was followed by a picture of Hosni Mubarak, wearing blond braids. Because The Colber Report is not a “real” news station, he does not seem to have to balance his stories. He can represent sides of the story unequally to give the story his own spin. He frames the story in a comedic way which invokes pessimism and disbelief in the audience.

The Colbert Report could be considered alternative journalism. This is different from conventional journalism because of the tone. While most other news vehicles take on a more neutral, serious lens, The Colbert Report uses satire and a mocking tone.

The Colbert Report relates to International Mass Communication theories in several ways. Stephen Colbert does not oppose the authoritarian theory because he does not challenge the U.S. government. However, it could be argued that he does oppose and undermine other nations’ governments. For example, in the most recent episode, he mocked the Italian government along with Berlusconi’s job as the Prime Minister. The libertarian theory, similar to freedom of speech, says that they can publish what they like. Stephen Colbert seems to say what he wants, but within reason. Again, he does not undermine or criticize the government to the point where he could get in trouble or taken off air. As far as the social responsibility theory, Colbert does a good job of adhering to the guidelines. He analyzes, explains, and interprets the news to his audience. He does include his biases and own framing of the story, but he still could be considered a reliable media source. The soviet theory says that media should be publicly owned and not controlled by the government. Government agencies still have the capability, though, to regulate and censor the material that is being published.

 

Blog #11–Marisa Pooley

Both the Wall Street Journal and The Colbert Report reported on the story of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi’s charges. Berlusconi has been indicted on charges of paying a seventeen-year-old girl to have sex with him. In his report, Stephen Colbert stated that the girl went to Berlusconi’s penthouse for a ‘Bunga Bunga Party.’ He used quotes and displayed a picture of a news article to add credibility to the Bunga Bunga account, however I think it is disputable whether this is in fact true. Needless to say, The Wall Street Journal article did not talk about “Bunga Bunga Parties.” Also, The Wall Street Journal did talk about Berlusconi’s attempt to cover-up the crime, but did not go in detail. The Colbert Report gave more information of the cover-up. It said that the seventeen-year-old girl stole some money, and Berlusconi proceeded to help hide that fact. He alleged that the girl is the granddaughter of Hosni Mubarak. Again, it is hard for me to believe this story entirely, probably due to Colbert’s satirical and humorous style of reporting news.

Stephen Colbert could be considered a yellow journalist because of his over-dramatization of stories. He also makes parts of the story up, such as saying that the girl in question could not be Mubarak’s granddaughter, because his granddaughter is named “Heidi Mubarak.” This statement was followed by a picture of Hosni Mubarak, wearing blond braids. Because The Colber Report is not a “real” news station, he does not seem to have to balance his stories. He can represent sides of the story unequally to give the story his own spin. He frames the story in a comedic way which invokes pessimism and disbelief in the audience.

The Colbert Report could be considered alternative journalism. This is different from conventional journalism because of the tone. While most other news vehicles take on a more neutral, serious lens, The Colbert Report uses satire and a mocking tone.

Blog #10–Marisa Pooley

After watching Channel 7 News twice, it has become obvious that the advertising is not random, but a very strategic plan. I watched the 11am news both times, which definitely influenced the commercials. The advertisers who partner with 7News realize that the target audience during the daytime is predominantly stay-at-home mothers and wives. The commercials were largely about groceries and new products. I noticed that in the two different days that I watched the news, Progresso and Green Giant Vegetables advertised. This made it clear that the 11 o’clock news is directed toward the grocery shopper of a household. This is an example of branding. Branding is the process of creating a clear identity for a particular company’s product, logo, or trademark. The branding of Green Giant is very successful. Green Giant has become synonomous with frozen vegetables. Progresso is advertised as being a healthier option for canned soup. This makes it more appealing to women and wives who are interested in nutritious but quick meals. Thus, these types of advertisements have helped to “brand” the 11 o’clock Channel 7News. It is clear who the target audience is, just by watching the commercials.

 

Blog #9–Marisa Pooley

Big news in Denver and among the NBA is Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony’s next move. One of many articles on the subject, the Denver Post’s, Chris Dempsey, discusses this in, “Nuggets Carmelo Anthony would take ‘real hard look ‘ at re-signing, if no trade.”

It is public knowledge that Anthony’s contract with the Nuggets expires at the end of the 2011 season. Rumors are also circling about Anthony being traded or voluntarily leaving Denver. Thought the New York Knicks have made their interest clear, the most recent rumors surround a trade with the LA Lakers. If Anthony is not traded by February 24^th, he said he would “Take a real hard look” at signing the three year contract extension with the Nuggets, promising him $65 million.

When reading this article, it is important to keep “framing” in mind. Framing is the idea that stories are told in “particular ways” to influence the reader. This article is from a local Denver newspaper. Denverites idolize Carmelo Anthony, dreading the thought that he may be traded. Thus, this article may be bias and have an intentional viewpoint. The article paints Anthony as an innocent, devoted Nuggets player, who would prefer to stay here. It seems as though the decision is completely out of Anthony’s control, despite rumors that he wants to leave. Also, the article is framed to reassure Nuggets fans. By using words like Anthony “brushed off recent reports…,” and “Although he is keeping his options open, he hadn’t talked publicly…until today.” These phrases are to ease the reader. If Carmelo Anthony is shrugging off the rumors about being traded, saying he had never even heard of a deal with the Lakers, fans must think the previous reports are incorrect. The frame of this article was to calm readers’ fears of the Anthony’s exit and to reaffirm his status as a prime basketball player.

 

Blog #8–Marisa Pooley

After much anticipation, Peter Forsberg has rejoined the Colorado Avalanche. On February 7^th, 2011, Forsberg announced that “if nothing went wrong in practice, [I] would talk to Greg. Later in the day on February 6^th, Peter Forsberg talked to Avs’ General Manager, Greg Sherman to draft and sign a contract.  Forsberg spent three years out of the NHL, but has now returned to Denver. He helped to win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and again in 2001. Needless to say, Denverites and avid Avalanche fans are ecstatic for Forsberg’s return. The Associated Press released and modified it’s article all weekend as the fans’ excitement swelled. The article, “Peter Forsberg’s Avalanche debut may be delayed by visa issues,” by Terri Frei on February seventh, suggested different information than the Associated Press.  It says that Forsberg has indeed signed the contract, but has yet to be allowed to travel with the team due to Visa issues. Forsberg has spent parts of the last three years in Sweden, his home nation. He now is lacking an American Visa, a necessity to travel with the team. Colorado coach Joe Sacco and Forsberg are both hopeful that the necessary papers will be available in the next few days, however. The team is hoping that he will be able to join them in Phoenix later this week. Regardless, Peter Forsberg is definitely back with the Avalanche and will be welcomed back to Denver by eager fans. The article by the Associated Press was well written and was very detailed. It was more interesting to read and seemed more valid. The quotes seemed to not be skewed or infused with the author’s bias, but The Denver Post article seemed more up-to-date. They had the latest news on Forsberg’s status as a member of the team.

 

Blog #7–Marisa Pooley

Comcast Corporation was the number one MSO (Mulitple System Operator) in the year 2008, with 24,182,000 subscribers. Comcast is the majority owner NBCUniversal, which operates news and entertainment networks such as NBC, Telemundo, and local news networks. Comcast is also an Internet and phone provider. In keeping with current trends, Comcast offers HD, DVR, On Demand, Pay Per View, special sports channels, and is affiliated with Xfinitytv.com. All these features boost Comcast into the digital age and allow customers to receive a personalized cable television experience. Comcast is in direct competition with DirectTV, Verizon FIOS, and AT&T. The Comcast website even has a “Compare vs. the Competition” feature, where customers can make sure they are receiving the best in cable provider options.

In this feature, the website assures that it has the fastest Internet connection (when compared with DirecTV). However, the first article on Yahoo!Answers complains about Comcast internet not working correctly. There are several suggestions from other Comcast users, all with the final line, “I had the same problem.” A major complaint seems to be that Comcast is very expensive, and the cheapest option, the “Economy” package, offers very few channels and amenities. Also, Comcast is the only Internet and cable provider in many areas, so it almost forces people to spend a lot of money. About.com says that Comcast lost 270,000 cable subscribers in the last part of 2010. It suggests that users are switching away from an expensive monthly bill to a reduced rate online.

I have personally had trouble with Comcast as a cable provider. Before college, I always had Dish Network, but DU uses Comcast. A minor complaint is that the basic package that DU provides does not have a guide, which is a convenient feature of Dish. A bigger problem was that I did not have cable for a month and a half. Suddenly, the channels stopped working, most saying “This channel is temporarily not available. Call Comcast.” My TV was the only one experiencing this issue, so I thought maybe I had done something to break it. However, when the Comcast workers finally came to fix it, they said that this is a frequent complaint and a result of a faulty cable box.

Blog #5–Marisa Pooley

Many of the groups have successful wikipages, but the iPhone and Blackberry pages were the best. First of all, the iPhone page was visually appealing. The layout, pictures, and diagrams helped to make the page interesting. The information on the page was short and to the point, but obviously thorough. The group clearly took time to evaluate iPhone’s weaknesses and its’ future. However, there are also some problems with the group’s page. While the pointed out the weaknesses of iPhone, and came up with ideas for improvement, they did not think of how iPhone can solve these issues. For example, they said that the company, AT&T should work on its service and fewer dropped calls to improve iPhones. They did not come up with how AT&T should do this, though. They also took time to find iPhone’s competitors, but I would have liked more information in this section. They included a graph, but it would have been nice to have a little explanation along with it. It would have been interesting to see how and why the companies mentioned (Google Nexus One, the Samsung Galaxy S, etc) are in fact competitors.

The Blackberry page is also visually appealing. It includes pictures and graphs, which add interest and credibility to the wikipage. It is neat how they included links to some topics that may need additional explanation, like RIM. The group clearly put a lot of time into the research. They not only listed Blackberry’s competitors, but they also have a comparison section. The ideas for Blackberry’s next steps seemed well thought out and possible. When comparing the two companies, based on the wikipages, I would have to say Blackberry is more successful. They had about the same amount of information, but their ideas seemed more put-together and plausible. Blackberry is the winner in the market of smartphones.