Blog 14

Both modern communication devices in their times, the telegraph and the internet served as breakthroughs in media history. Although they are from separate time periods, seemingly, both systems had similar issues with how the government related to the advancement. The telegraph and the internet were intended for communication and information, but they were extremely cost efficent for their time. It was the problem of laying out the cable. The meager cost of the cable was only avaliable to more established locations.  Towns and other villages farther from these places were hung out to dry based on geographic luck. Although the term is usually used in more of a broader sense, i am going to make my own subfield and calling it, Americans Geographic Luck. But i digress and think that the more rural places experience the inferior affects of this concept. My point is that during both time periods of government controlled communication, Rural and distant locations seemed to lack the ability to advance their technology. In both the 18th and 20th century, cost and increasing prices seem to be the main concern.

The expansion of both devices is what separated the two devices. The telegraph was owned by Western union as they formed a monopoly on the telegraph industry. Since it was new technology, it made sense that only one group had the success and the money to make this all happen. Because technology became more advanced in the later 20th century, more people could find ways to enhance the quality. With more knowledge pertaining to technology in the later years, the technology bomb took off. Everyone wanted a piece of this industry and it was a very successful one. Television grew farther across the country as people could now afford T.V’s. Just like the government taping in on telegraph wires, T.V’s FCC was created to monitor television. Both are relatable in some way because the government has both tried to shut them down.

The history of technology is recently traceable. Our past has displayed a linear progression of advancements over time and it doesn’t show signs of abating. without these advancements, our technology would be nowhere near where it is today.

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

My Research BLOG 13

For my final paper, I am writing about small alternative news source, Alternet.org, and am comparing it to the eminent media outlet, Fox News. I chose two articles, from each source, pertaining to topic of whether to pass a bill, allowing students in Texas to carry a concealed weapon on campus. Both media outlets question the material, and have framed the situation as an ethical dilemma. Because i don’t know much about Texas and it’s laws concerning guns qualitative research will be my primary focus. Using mostly online ethnography, i think i will find myself more immersed in the subject and the details of the research. As Pavlik Says, ” Qualitative research, if done properly,  helps you see the world from another perspective in a way quantitative can never do (399).Not knowing much, using this style will help me relate this topic to issues surrounding my media world.

Although most of my research is going to be qualitative, there are times when both, qualitative and quantitative, research can be linked together. While trying to become more in-depth with the subject, statistical data will help provide more evidence towards the story. Using both of these methods will help provide all the information i need to be persuasive. The variety of stories and stats will help me branch my research to more in-depth sources and findings.

Lastly, i think that Media ecology will also play a huge role in my paper. Because this is in an area that i am not familiar with, i will have to research the media environment. Knowing that Texas has altered their gun laws, there is still a division about who can carry a concealed weapon. Probably being broadcasted on local news station, the story has reached the general public through television. Looking at the Alternet.org article, it primarily focuses on procedural aspects of the case, making the reader immerse themselves deeper into the situation. The Fox News entry is concise but illustrates specific realistic scenario’s of how you would feel if this happened to you. For my research, I will mainly use qualitative. But aspects like, Quantitative research and media ecology, cannot be over looked as it provides a deeper understanding of the subtext of the situation.

Channel 7

It was my first time viewing and out of state news program, and channel 7 was not the slightest bit different than News broadcasts in Chicago. Depressing topics such as violence and tragedies litter the everyday media world. The idea of reporting the news seems to focus on more of a negative light than a positive one. The daily weather and sports seem to be parellel supplimentary cities like Chicago, which both seem emphasize on local and national news. The regular news seems to follow the same pattern, but tends to shed more light on the negative aspects. Which such rivals such as NBC news as well as the recently popular altitude sports news, Channel 7 has to Brand themselves in a way that differentiates themselves from the competitors. A way we can see this is through Channel 7’s advertising. Aside from the corporate grocery and medical insurances, something i interestingly saw a good amount of commercials supporting GM products. Commercials featuring automakers such as Ford, Buick, and Saturn were scene throughout advertisements. In theory, i believe Channel 7 is trying to promote an “American Style” of living. With the global market expanding, consumers have more options at their fingertips than ever before. By supporting GM, an American car producing empire, ABC is supporting their patriotism and are hoping to give back to the U.S economy. Another ad that supports this idea is a University of Phoenix commercial i saw on the internet. the commercial is what appears to be a student working on an electric car. the subtext of the commercial is scratching at the idea that we are the ones who are preparing for the future. They want to make you believe that by attending this online college, you will be starting to attain a road to success. Although the image of the electric car is inspiring, something about this ad touches me the wrong way. Although they do show people succeeding, it does not show the hard work, and the extra work they must have put in to become what they desired. Aquiring and online degree is a start, but is no where to finish. By framing it as a “then and now” it tricks the viewer into thinking that college is simplest, which is ultimately the wrong idea. Challenging the mind and exploring new theories is what college consists of, and, i believe, cannot be summed up in 15 seconds.

Forsberg, a good call?

Lately in Denver media, the former Colorado hockey super star, Peter Forsberg has just signed a one year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Forsberg was a key element to both 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup victories, and has been plagued with foot injuries ever since. He has been traded several times and could not find a steady home. He has been playing in a Sweden for the past couple of years and now wants to make a comeback with Colorado. Adam Foote, the veteran captain of the Avalanche and once Forsbergs teammate, heard of this news and invited Peter to skate with the team a couple of times. Word got out, and reports were all over. Videos of Peter in practice were released and the Media starting asking questions if he was going to return to the Colorado Roster.

Although Peter probably wanted to keep this behind the scenes, he was forced to answer a plethora of questions asking when he would return and when. The media framed their reports around the fact that Peter would return to the Avs, but when? Since they saw him practicing, they assumed that he was going to make a comeback. Now 37, Peter says he still experiences foot pains but they are very slight and abrupt. The media is also making this a big deal because of Forsbergs former stardom. He was a ferocious player back in his day putting up two, 100 point seasons. The media is trying to portray Forsberg as the “answer” to all of the Avalanche’s problems. Because of this marketing strategy, more people are interested than ever, and are looking forward to seeing Peter return. After skating with the team a couple of times, Peter finally signed a one year contract. Although he probably knew he was going to join the team, he was most likely was persuaded by the media and their incessant questions. It just shows that the media today is very intrusive and does not give anyone the light of day. People want answers. This may be good for the Media ratings, but can take its toll on the team and the Peter as well. Focusing the attention on one player rather than the team might throw off team chemistry as the Avs might find themselves in a deeper hole if this situation does not work out.

Egypt Relations

It was a couple of weeks ago when Egpyt governement’s started to crumble after a public outcry for reform. Instability has plauged the country as people want certain parts of the government. The article talks about how Vice President of Egypt, Omar Sulieman, has started to make changes concerning the politics of the nation. They are pushing to become more of a democratic nation, as people want more freedom the criticise the governmemt. Not only that, they want the ability to have more of a say in the government, pushing to a more American model of governement to make sure everyone has a voice.

This article was released a couple days ago, but the original press release is untractable. Because it has been such a large topic, there have been so many articles on the Denver post that it is impossible to track the original press statement. Since the issue is concerning a nations state, Coverage surrounding the topic is vast. When looking at other newspaper articles involving the Egypt dispute, like the USA Today, the companies try to incorporate corporate advertisements in the paper. Showing that these enterprises had some interest in the topic. If two different sources are capturing the same news headline, than they do have the right to say whatever they want. The corporate companies from one paper can’t criticize what is being said in another news source. it can both help and hurt the companies advertising and reputation. One person could read another source and have an opposing view on the situation and take their actions out on the company that sponsored the article, resulting in a decline of popularity. the situation is reversible as well and can be viewed in many different lights. In the Denver Post article, i do not see signs of separation between editorials and business operations. the only prominent reason is that it is such a wide topic, that companies are willing to do everything to get their name on an article like this because of its recent popularity in the media. Within the article itself, there were no specific bias’ displayed, but there is a fight for space. The issue has been in the press for quite some time and is losing public interest. It was a race of the companies, and some were more fortunate than others.

Comcast. a good call?

After researching the top MSO companies i decided to pick the corporal conglomerate, Comcast. I thought this would be an easy thing to write about because i can also relate to myself, being a Comcast subscriber. Having been a costumer for years, i can safely say that i love Comcast, With it’s variety of features, the cable company has taken digitalism by storm. Offering a large collection of movies as well as having the option to record shows, Comcast seems to have it all. But after reading several blogs about the company, the fortune five hundred enterprise seems to be lacking in one area, customer service. There have been several instances where a new Comcast member has obtained new cable. and has received poor customer service. The client claims that the workers are uninformed and are very non-chalant about their jobs. The communication between the customer and the employer seems to be an area that Comcast is lacking in. Many people have said they have removed their membership from Comcast to satellite because of the lack of customer service available for the user. Yes, it might have all the digital perks in the world, but sometime when you come across a problem it would probably be harder to resolve. I must say, i have had no specific concerns with Comcast , but after seeing the reviews, i can clearly see why people do not like this company. It seems to be a consistent problem among customers and is something that Comcast should fix in the future. A little more time dedicated to the public aspect and less of the technological aspect is something i think needs to change within the system of Comcast. A change is not going to happen overnight, but they can start now to make up for lost time.

Blog 3

I am not a big watcher of television shows, but when my friends showed me the television series, Eastbound and Down, i couldn’t resist to not follow. The show is about a washed up baseball player who traded his career for living the night life. Kenny Powers, the main character, is a vulgar man who lives life to the fullest. Ramifications do not cross Kenny’s mind, or at least not as much as woman. Kenny developed a series drug problem when playing major league baseball, and it continued when he was considered to be a wash up. A common subtext that is illustrated is how the world of drugs can take over ones life and lead them down the wrong path. I think part of the shows that this is not the lifestyle that one should live. Kenny spends his time as a free agent, teaching P.E at an elementary school. You see the wacky teaching styles, as well as the remorseful side of Kenny Powers. He teaches more life lessons than he actually teaches P.E, which i think creates more of a positive subtext as well. Giving the show a nice balance of crude humor along with insightful comments. The print media on this show is very limited, because it is only a few years old. There are some online media present, but they are quick facts about the program. When talking about age, think that this show reaches out to young adults demographic, because of the boldness of the show. Older generations would not agree with Kenny’s approach to life as well as the unexpected twists the show has. I also believe that the music used in the show also does not appeal to older generations. Consisting of mainly rap and hip hip, older generations might be turned the use of music. So what does the audience who watches this show want to expect? They want to see Kenny Powers screw up, and somehow pull it all together in the end. The way he goes through everyday life and the steps he takes, is all apart of the humor. Seeing this makes people feel better about themselves in a way because of the stupid mistakes Kenny makes at times. But having that other balance of positives keeps the show on its toes and always up for something new.