Chapter 11 summary

This chapter talks about Media and politics and how the explicitly of the political realm is a representation to us as reality. This chapter talks about the history of political life and how it was introduced in the media, including the topic of transformation of the newspaper from a so called class to mass also discussed in chapter four. In introducing this topic it discusses the lean towards one favored party or another including a more democratic side. In context the book also discussing defining news and how it is used. This chapter is very interesting however its a very controversial issue when discussing the topic and correlation of the media and politics.

Human Genetic Make-up

I completely agree with the statement that the way our society is ordered has nothing to do with genetic make-up. But what people need to realize is that the media is not to blame for everything. The way we are raised and where we are raised are all included in how we see the world. People come to this conclusion that what kids watch on TV or what they see on the Internet is how they get ideas and how they are influenced, however kids only see these things and view them as there world because there is not parent/guardian supervision. Adults are so easy to blame the media for there mistakes of not taking responsibility for their children. The conclusion I have come to is that the Media affects people only to a certain extent other factors need to come into consideration before blamming the media first.

Racial Cartoon

I don't understand why someone would spend the time to racial offend someone on purpose. This depiction of Obama as a monkey is crucially wrong. Although I understand the racial meaning behind this cartoon I don' t find it funny as maybe the cartoonist is trying to portray. I think that with this past election we were finally coming to an understanding of race and it's people like this who make our country taking an even bigger step back!

Chapter 2

Modernization is the large change since the industrial revolution it's more than just a broad term it describes capitalism and colonialism in Europe and America. It includes new ways of production, distribution, consumption and a new way of political life! Modernism is the ways in which people reacted to those rapid changes weather it was embracing or running away from the change. Lastly modernity is a combination of the two and refers to the changing structure and nature of the social realities to which both were shaped.

Gifts from Kenya

As far as Americans are concerned I think that in some way we are ignorant to other cultures and ways of living. The gift of cows from Kenya to America is a special cultural gift which was very tasteful and generous. We as Americans should feel blessed to have such support and encouragement of power from such a far away country.

Chapter 1 Media in Context

I believe that communication (or the media) we always be a crucial aspect of the human race. It is was entertains us and keeps us occupied. With the occasions like September 11 I feel somewhat blessed to have the media. We were able to witness what was happening to our country at that moment (a representation of what was happening). Although it was a gruesome and horrifying event we were able to whiteness and be apart of it because of the media, which makes us a part of history!
The two models talked about in the text were the transmission model-"the process of moving messages from a sender through a medium to a receiver". I think this is where we gain the game of telephone however this game and model can be tricky because of the reliance of the message, people may or may not take things out of context. Which makes you think is this really the true story or message? The second model being the cultural model is one which "sees communication as the construction of a shared space or map of meaning within which people coexist". This means that we already live in a world where messages are be relayed. This could give us the notion to take for granted communication altogether.

Representation

What in incredible way to think of the word representation. A representation in his meaning or definition if you will is to present, to image, or to depict. Their are many things in the media that are a representation (political figures) ones who we elect which we feel share similar views and even stand up for the values which we believe in. In someways they are a representation of us and what we stand for. Anything to the human race could be a representation a mental picture or idea of something that we feel has a designation by some term, symbol or character. His views on representation make you think of all the things that could represent something, what an interesting topic to pick apart!