Niche Media

One concept that I believed needs to be further discussed is that of niche media. Niche media are forms of communication geared to a narrowly defined audience. It is notably different from mass media which are designed to reach and influence very large audiences. Niche media tries to focus on audiences with special interests such as raising cattle, gardening, or automobile racing, or to an audience with a particular demographic or geographic characteristic. When considering the media and all of its affects, it is easy to look at mass media and overlook niche media as mass media is arguably the one to have a greater affect on any given population. However, niche media is also an important part of the rise of media as well. Niche media panders to the specifics and focus itself on what certain people are interested in rather than the general things that everyone is likely to be interested in. I think it is very important in that it acknowledges certain groups and their interests rather than just lumping everyone together.

Question 2 (Likes and Dislikes)

I think my favorite part of the class was how interactive it was. The discussions and comments that were assigned every week really made it easy for me to get to know the others students and get a sense of who they were and what they stood for. I’ve found that, in most college classes, you’re lucky to get to know a few people in between the professors lecturing. That wasn’t the case here. I also enjoyed the content and the useful information that was provided throughout this semester. I can’t really think of anything that I didn’t like about the class and, if it was up to me, I would keep it the same as it was this semester. Everything seemed to work just fine to me. All in all, it was probably the class I like the most this semester and I’m really glad that I signed up for it.

Question 1 (What I've Learned)

I have certainly learned a lot in the last few months and much of it can be attributed to all that I have learned in this course. This course has taught me what it truly means to make an argument as well as knowing the different types of arguments there are. I’ve learned that it is sometimes necessary to questions the things you believe to be true in order to leave room for other perspectives. I’ve learned about ethics, morals, fallacies and plenty of other concepts that I had never given much thought to before taking this class. However, I think the most important thing this course has taught me is how to approach situations with a rational mind in order to make better decision in my life. I can honestly say that I have applied several of the concepts and techniques that I’ve learned in this course in my everyday life. I believe this course has helped me to become a more open-minded and well rounded person.

Psuedoscience

The part of this chapter that I thought was really interesting was that of Psuedoscience. Psuedoscience is described in the text as being a body of explanations or hypotheses that masquerade as the truth. It is often based on emotional appeals, superstition and rhetoric rather than the scientific method and can therefore be considered unscientific. Examples of Psuedoscience are astrology, psychic healings, tarot card readings, mind readings and numerology. The principles of most Psuedosciences are so vague worded that it becomes difficult to test their validity in a scientific setting. For instance, Horoscopes offer ambiguous statements that could apply to just about anyone which makes it hard to determine if it is truly falsifiable. Another example would be faith healing because, when someone is not healed, their healer can simply say that they did not have enough faith. Faith is not tangible and thus there is no way to say whether or not the healer was wrong. 

Question 2 (Scientific Research)

When I was a child, I thought I could get behind the sun if I just went far enough. Whenever my family and I went on a long drive or on a trip, I would stare up at the sun and wait for our car to pass it. It took me a little while to learn, mostly through school and science class, that my ambition was impossible. I had been looking at the sun as if it was a coin in the sky with a front and a back to it that could be seen depending on where you were in relation to it. Through reading and learning more about scientific research, I found out that the sun is spherical—a giant ball of fire in our solar system— and that Earth revolves around it.  Therefore it doesn't matter where you go on the planet; you will never be able to see the front and then the back of the sun. This is but one of many ways in which scientific research has changed the way I see the world around me.

Question 1 (Falsifiable Horoscopes)

Today, Virgo, don't be too surprised if you have difficulty getting into a work frame of mind. It's likely that you'd rather daydream than be in the real world. You're susceptible to daydreaming and taking imaginative trips. Consider making a list of everything that you need to do to help you focus. This will help you meet your short-term objectives, and you can take it easy this evening

My horoscope basically says that I will have a hard time focusing at work today and that creating a list of what I need to do would help me keep track of my short term objectives. This prediction felt a little vague to me. Most people get distracted when they are trying to work and yes making a list can help you keep on track, but that would be true for just about anyone on any day of the week. I’m finding that horoscopes tend to give practical advice and disguise it as something that is unique to your circumstances, so that when it works, you get the feeling they knew the future. It would seem that this horoscope is falsifiable because all it would take is one Virgo to say that this prediction didn’t apply to them today, however, I think it would be difficult to find someone who wasn’t distracted at all and who wouldn’t benefit from making a list of what they need to do.

Bias in News

The part of this chapter that I thought was interesting was bias in the news. This part explained how aside from selecting stories that appeal to the largest audience, the news is often reported in a biased way to keep us tuned in. It said that reporters may exaggerate or play down certain aspects of the story in order to keep us interested in what was happening. They also try to stay away from stories that might offend their sponsors, thus the news can seem one-sided at times. Furthermore, there are certain gender biases in news, in that the news is usually reported from a male point of view. I thought this was interesting because, before reading this, I hadn’t realized how much the news was affected by outside sources. I could understand why television shows or commercials might be biased on some matters but I figured the news was above all of that. 

Question 2 (Internet Plagiarism)

Although both seem to make a compelling argument, I am more inclined to agree with Sadler than Hunt. Brooke J. Sadler, an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of South Florida, poses several reason why internet plagiarism is wrong. She explains how plagiarism, at its core, is an intent to deceive, a violation of trust, theft of another’s ideas, and unfair to those who didn’t plagiarize. She believes it is important for students to educate themselves on the different forms of plagiarism and how serious it is. On the other hand, Russel Hunt who is a professor of English at St. Thomas University believes there are some unexpected benefits to internet plagiarism. He believes that internet plagiarism in school challenges the faculty, and essentially the system itself, to come up with new and perhaps better ways to teach their students. Hunt’s argument seems to be more inductive in that it is focused on something that could possibly happen rather than something that certainly will happen. He can’t know for certain whether or not allowing students to plagiarize will have all of the benefits he speaks of. Whereas Sadler’s argument strictly focuses on what plagiarism is and how it affects those who do it and those who do not.

Question 1 (Worldview)

As much as it pains me to admit it, I believe that much of my worldview has been and still is affected by the media. When I was a child, watching cartoons and children shows, my idea of the world was roughly defined as a place with both good and evil, but also a place where good would always win. I think this worldview was reinforced by watching sitcoms and cartoons where all the problems they faced were solved in less than thirty minutes. This had me believing that things would always work out for people who had good intentions and that those with malicious intentions would somehow fail. Though my worldview doesn’t quite fall in line with that anymore, it is still challenged and influenced by the mass media. Hearing about all the misfortune, and in some cases tragedy, on the news can still making me question my current worldview.

Product Placement

The part of this chapter that I thought was interesting was that of product placement. Product placement is an advertising strategy in which a real commercial product is used in fictional media, and the presence of the product is a result of an economic exchange between the media company and the business that produces the product. Basically, these business pay for their products to be integrated into the television shows that people are watching. Although now it can stretch as far as movies and sports uniforms as well. Some consider product placement a deceptive means to get consumers to buy the product as the advertisements are slipped in their without disclosure. I don’t think I really agree with this though. It does seem slightly underhanded for these business to pay to have their products put into these shows but it is still fairly harmless. No one is telling people they have to buy the products. Their just putting the idea there.

Question 2 (Advertisements)

Margo G. Wootan, in her Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children, suggests that we protect children from unhealthy food advertisements by limiting what the advertisers can show. She mentions how marketing advertisements for low nutrition food undermine parents’ authority when they are trying to encourage their children to eat healthier foods. On the other hand, Robert Liodice reminds us that, as Americans, we are all entitled to freedom of speech. He warns that chipping away at such an important right can be dangerous. He believes that restricting unhealthy food advertisements to children would trample upon our first amendment rights and diminish the whole idea of free enterprise. I am inclined to side with Liodice in this matter. Although I do understand where Wootan is coming from, I believe Liodice makes a better argument. Advertisements, no matter how suggestive, do not force children to eat unhealthy foods. Advertisements merely put the idea in their heads and it is entirely up to their parents to say yes or no to it. If anything, I think we should be encouraging parents to buy healthier foods despite how their children may protest.

Question 1 (Marketing Strategies)

One marketing strategy that I encountered this week was one which encouraged my impulsive buying. I’ve learned, through the reading, that research has found that over seventy percent of purchasing decisions are made on the spot in retail stores. It seemed a little off to me at first but, after giving it some thought, I realized there was some truth to it. I almost always go into the drugstore for one item in particular and end up leaving with a handful more than I had planned to buy. This week I went into Walgreens to get some Tylenol and decided to get some gum and chips that were by the checkout line. Before reading this chapter, I had no idea so much thought was being put into how and where the products are being displayed in the store. Though I don’t like the thought of being manipulated by marketing research, I have to admit I’m impressed by how effective it seems to be.

Perceptual Errors

The part of this chapter that I thought was interesting was that of perceptual errors. It explained how our minds aren’t quite as accurate or precise in collecting information as a say a camera or video recorder. They actually filter out our perceptions and fill in missing information with our expectations. The filling in of missing information with expectations is what leads to perceptual errors. A good example would be the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast. The broadcast featured a play based on the novel and, when listeners heard it, they actually believed the world was being invaded by aliens. Many people panicked in the wake of the broadcast and claimed they could smell the poisonous gas and feel the heat rays that had been mentioned. As they had no true empirical evidence to back up what they believed, their minds filled in the gaps with perceptual errors. I thought this was interesting because it showed how our strong belief in something can overrule the reality in regards to perception.

Question 2 (UFOs)

Condon claims that the reason there has been so little study of UFOs and their sighting is because it is not a field that will lead to fruitful scientific discovery. Although he does encourage the continued study of it by those with adequate training and experience, he doesn't approve of their writing and spreading unsubstantiated claims. Hynek believes that the study of UFOs needs to increase their efforts. He says they should categorically compare large groups of sightings and investigate further into eye witness accounts. Hynek believes all of the confusion about the topic has prevented proper data collection and essentially kept them from making more progress. Paynter, although skeptical about the matter, believes it should be conducted in accordance with the highest standards of scientific inquiry. I believe that Paynter makes the best argument. As there is not enough evidence, he doesn’t claim that UFOs to be real but he doesn't discount the possibility either. He says that they need more research before they can know for certain.

Question 1 (Knowledge and Wisdom)

Knowledge is information or experience that we believe to be true and for which we have justification or evidence. Wisdom is our using knowledge or experiences to make good decisions. I believe I've been acquiring both knowledge and wisdom from my time here at San Jose State. I've found that, in most cases, what I learn in the classroom broadens my understanding of the world and thus leads me to make better decisions in my life. In essence, the knowledge I'm acquiring here is making me wiser. I think, in general, the information age has made people more knowledgeable but not necessarily wiser. Although the answers to our questions are almost always a few clicks away with search engines, it is still up to us to use whatever we might have learned to make wiser decisions. Having all the answers doesn’t necessarily change the person you are, that is up to us.

The Use of Language to Manipulate

The part of this chapter that I thought was very interesting was the use of language to manipulate people. I never really thought of all the ways in which we use words to make people think or feel a certain way about something. The chapter explained how manipulation can be carried out through the use of emotive language, rhetorical devices, or deliberate deception. Emotive language is used to elicit certain emotional impacts, which basically means you use certain words or phrases in your speech to invoke either positive or negative emotions in people. There are several rhetorical devices but, similar to emotive language, they use psychological persuasion to sway others thoughts. Deception can be described as the use of misinformation to affect someone’s thoughts or feelings on a matter. I think what I really enjoyed about this chapter was that it got me to think twice about the things I say. I’m going to try to be more mindful of how I might be using language to manipulate others.

Question 2 (Rhetorical Devices)

Rhetorical devices use psychological persuasion, rather than reason, to persuade others to accept a particular position. They include euphemisms, dysphemism, sarcasm and hyperbole. I've used both sarcasm and hyperbole this week. Sarcasm uses ridicule, insults, taunts, and or caustic irony in order to create a sense of disapproval towards an intended target. I was being sarcastic when I told my friend, who had kept me waiting for twenty minutes, that "it was cool how he was always on time". My tone of voice told him I did not actually think this and, as is the way with sarcasm, it was intended to make him feel bad. I used hyperbole, which is the use of exaggeration in describing something, when I explained the football game I had watched. I told my friend it was "the best game we had played this season" when it was actually a pretty disappointing game for my team. I guess making it seem better for us was easier than admitting how let down I was.

Question 1 (Critical Thinking Qualities)

I think the way in which Ride most exemplified the qualities of a critical thinker was in her analytical skills and effective communication. Her college friends described her as being the sort of person who can quickly think, figure out and crystallize something. Their description of her suggests she is the kind of person who has the ability to back up her beliefs with logic which is an important part of critical thinking. Critical thinking requires communication and literacy skills as well. Ride's majoring in English as well as Physics in college shows that she does have communication skills. I think that, most of all, her critical thinking skills were displayed in how she approached what seems to be her entire life with careful reasoning. She knew what she wanted and did everything she needed to make it happen for her. Her story was truly inspirational. It has made me want to take a closer look at what I need to do in order to make my own dreams possible.

Dreams and Problem Solving

I think what I found most interesting in this chapter was the part about how we can sometimes use reason in our dreams in order to solve our problems. The text explained that, although reasoning is usually viewed as a conscious activity, that much of reasoning is unconscious and automatic. Studies are also showing how dreams tend to take on a form of reasoning that helps solve visual problems. This is but another way in which using reason can happen without our knowing it. No one can really control their dreams, and yet in our dreams we unconsciously use reasoning. It seems to me that reasoning, at its core, comes naturally to people. Although there are instances in which we need to will ourselves and perhaps others to see reason, more often than not there are times when we use it without even knowing. I find that to be very interesting.

Question 1 (Strengths)

Identifying your strengths is important in choosing a career because, despite what you may want, not every career option is a suitable one. My strengths have always been compassion and empathy. I’ve always been able to easily put myself into someone else’s shoes and see the situation from their point of view. I’ve tried, when arguing with someone, to see it their way first and see if I can find some sort of common ground. More often than not I am able to find something we can both agree on. I think this is a valuable strength to have when pursuing a career in creative writing. An author who wrote a novel in which every character shared his qualities and way of thinking would likely have a difficult time selling it. You need to be able to step outside of yourself and into the mind of another in order to create a truly dynamic character.