A story that has been in the news a lot lately is the leaking of 92,000 classified documents about the Afghan war to Wikileaks.org, which in turn were made available to three newspapers (the New York Times, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel). There are several ethical and legal issues that are being discussed in relation to the case. For example, Steven Aftergood, an "anti-censorship leader" has accused the site of having a disregard for the privacy of individuals (as well as the law) in pursuit of news-worthy-ness. The New York Times felt protected under the first amendment's freedom of press, but talks about how they still struggled over what to publish (balancing right of public to know vs. prior censoring material that could "harm national security interests").
The story also brings up legal and ethical issues arising out of the global nature of the internet. Wikileaks operates its servers in several countries (including Belgium and Sweden) to seek greater protection against legal action. It has refused to reveal the name of its source (shield laws). Nonetheless, the Justice Department (presumably with support of the defense secretary) is seeking to charge Wikileaks under anti-episonage law.
*Another article claims the lukewarm reaction to this story has to do with the information overload provided (also pertaining to the new "rules" of electronic journalism).
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
9. Propaganda in Advertising(/PR)
"Happy peanuts soar over chocolate-covered mountaintops
And waterfalls of caramel,
Prancing nougat in the meadow sings a song of satisfaction
To-o the wo-orld."
This thirty-second Snickers advertisment uses several efficient propaganda techniques to make it memorable and effective at selling its product:
Common man: The advertisement's main character is at the desk in a drab (grey-filled), fluorescent-lit place (a carpet store, on closer inspection), a setting seeming to represent the boredom of all office workers. Snickers is thereby represented as a obtainable object that suddenly brings unexpected song and joy (a smile on his face) into that familiar environment to an average schmo.
Repetition: The song in use here is a very good example of a "hook"ing jingle- melodious and simple (musically consisting of two similar lines). Besides being run for an extended period of time, an almost identical version of this commercial was made, to consolidate the memory of the jingle through repeated runs. Furthermore, within the commercial itself, the office worker repeats the "the world" at the end of the song, to emphasize the "global" appeal Snickers is trying to convey.
Transfer (virtue word): The lyrics are an extended metaphor in which the ingredients of the candy bar are likened to an exalted landscape of a paradise. The flying peanuts, caramel waterfall, chocolate snow, etc. are clearly meant for the audience to associate positive feelings about nature onto the product. This positivity is reinforced through frequent virtue words: "enjoy", "happy", and "satisfaction" being the obvious, while other words are chosen for their subtler positive connotation ("soar" instead of "fly", "prancing" instead of "walking" or "trotting").
Sunday, July 25, 2010
5. (Movies or) Recordings
My uncle Phillip was born in Vietnam in the '50s, and grew up in Saigon. I know he learned to play guitar in this period (and possibly some piano, though they didn't own one). While being familiar with Vietnamese music, his favorite genre of music when he was a youth was rock and roll. He cited several English-language bands familiar to me: The Eagles, Wham!, and ABBA (being careful to point out the second "B" as being spelled backwards in the logo).
From the Eagles, he said "Hotel California" as a particular favorite. (Incidentally, also one of my dad's absolute favorite songs, which he says he always played on the jukebox when he was a student and new immigrant to the US.) From ABBA, he admired "The Winner Takes it All", and from Wham! he named "Careless Whisper". He said he and his friends listened to these artists on cassette tapes (and he's curious now to some of the more obscure lyrics). (Though I suspect my uncle picked particularly well-known artists throughout to be more accessible to me.)
He got more interested in more instrumental music in his thirties. Around the early nineties, he worked some years on the weekends as a wedding musician, on the guitar and the keyboard. Growing up, I frequently remember him editing music (and special effects) into wedding and family videos (this being a time when everyone took home videos frequently on their straight-to-VHS Panasonics). I also remember it was a great extended family activity to watch Paris By Night videos (a Vietnamese-American traveling music/variety show).
Later he part-time taught piano one-on-one. I was one of his students, and while he occasionally taught from a book ("In the Hall of the Mountain King"), he mostly arranged pieces to teach. A few of them were the traditional classical pieces, like "Greensleeves". But they were outnumbered by American folk songs (well-known as "The Star Spangled Banner" or children's songs taken from one of my CDs as "), Vietnamese folk songs (patriotic or traditional) , movie music (the themes of The Godfather and Love Story), and other modern Vietnamese compositions.
He says nowadays he's become more interested in softer intrumental melodies. And I've seen his giant CD collection which he takes pride in. His favorite composer is Trịnh Công Sơn, a prolific modern Vietnamese composer. His favorite composition is "Tuổi đá buồn", a melancholy song that is oft translated roughly as "It's Still Raining". Another famous Vietnamese composer my uncle mentioned is Phạm Duy (his "Cây Đàn Bỏ Quên", "the forgotten guitar").
From the Eagles, he said "Hotel California" as a particular favorite. (Incidentally, also one of my dad's absolute favorite songs, which he says he always played on the jukebox when he was a student and new immigrant to the US.) From ABBA, he admired "The Winner Takes it All", and from Wham! he named "Careless Whisper". He said he and his friends listened to these artists on cassette tapes (and he's curious now to some of the more obscure lyrics). (Though I suspect my uncle picked particularly well-known artists throughout to be more accessible to me.)
He got more interested in more instrumental music in his thirties. Around the early nineties, he worked some years on the weekends as a wedding musician, on the guitar and the keyboard. Growing up, I frequently remember him editing music (and special effects) into wedding and family videos (this being a time when everyone took home videos frequently on their straight-to-VHS Panasonics). I also remember it was a great extended family activity to watch Paris By Night videos (a Vietnamese-American traveling music/variety show).
Later he part-time taught piano one-on-one. I was one of his students, and while he occasionally taught from a book ("In the Hall of the Mountain King"), he mostly arranged pieces to teach. A few of them were the traditional classical pieces, like "Greensleeves". But they were outnumbered by American folk songs (well-known as "The Star Spangled Banner" or children's songs taken from one of my CDs as "), Vietnamese folk songs (patriotic or traditional) , movie music (the themes of The Godfather and Love Story), and other modern Vietnamese compositions.
He says nowadays he's become more interested in softer intrumental melodies. And I've seen his giant CD collection which he takes pride in. His favorite composer is Trịnh Công Sơn, a prolific modern Vietnamese composer. His favorite composition is "Tuổi đá buồn", a melancholy song that is oft translated roughly as "It's Still Raining". Another famous Vietnamese composer my uncle mentioned is Phạm Duy (his "Cây Đàn Bỏ Quên", "the forgotten guitar").
Friday, July 23, 2010
8. (Electronic) News
I logged the July 23, 2010 BBC World News program from 5:30-6:00 pm as it aired on KQED (my local PBS affiliate):
5:30:00-31:00 / Introduction to program; teasers of news stories to come.
31:00-33:15 / Results from independent auditor's 'stress tests' presented positively; only seven European Union banks fail (out of 91).
33:15-36:25 / Research by BBC Urdu has found "missile attacks by US drones in Pakistan's tribal areas have more than trebled under the Obama administration"; violence disrupts Taliban activities but also lives of civilians.
36:25-36:40 / plug for BBC News website
36:40-39:25 / Coming tropical storm will disrupt BP oil clean-up operations in the Gulf, as workers/boats must evacuate for at least two, if not several, days.
39:25-41:25 / Company Trafigura convicted of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast in 2006 and fined
41:25-42:50 / Quick headline news reports: Chinese oil spill clean-up continues; Kosovo bank chief taken into custody; Backed by French, Mauritanian troops raid al-Queda; Canadian prison riot.
42:55-44:50 / Scots turn down invitation to Washington to be questioned under suspicions BP lobbied UK to release Lockerbie bomber to secure Libyan oil deal.
45:25-46:50 / More on EU bank stress tests; critics skeptical.
46:55-49:50 / Infamous child-killer Jon Venables re-jailed over child pornography.
50:00-53:15 / Builders of (UNESCO Heritage) Sagrada Familia church (work-in-progress for 128 yrs) concerned due to new construction of nearby high-speed train tunnel.
53:15-53:55 / North Korea offended by planned S.Korea/US joint military exercises.
53:55-55:50 / World's largest flower, Titan arum blooms in Tokyo; is large tourist attraction.
55:50-56:45 / second plug for BBC News website, reading of Sponsors ("brought to you by")
56:45-59:59 / Commercials:
15 secs each for Union Bank, Clark Pest Control, Oakland Airpost, xfinity from Comcast
30 secs each for Wells Fargo and Subaru Legacy
35 secs for PBS network
15 secs total for KQED (local affiliate)
Omitting introductions, repetitions, transitions, and plugs; the total news time on the program was 23 minutes and 45 seconds (compared to ad time of 3 minutes and 15 seconds). The anchor was very brisk (and professional), often jumping into the next story at the very second right before the correspondent pieces ended. His authoritatively fast speaking seemed to fit the rest of the program, which overall seemed to try and hit many major headlines within the small time allotted. The correspondent pieces were all either clearly pre-taped or often from a previous live broadcast- leaving no "banter". The lead story was of the EU banks, clearly chosen for it's implications across many countries (rather than just two or three) and was the only story with any significant interaction between correspondent and anchor. They also discussed its role within the larger financial crisis and what this means for the future- interpretation that wasn't really present in any other stories. My overall impression is of a program with broad international appeal: providing the bare stories without much interpretation, if needing viewers who are already well informed on current events (and are willing to look up further information).
5:30:00-31:00 / Introduction to program; teasers of news stories to come.
31:00-33:15 / Results from independent auditor's 'stress tests' presented positively; only seven European Union banks fail (out of 91).
33:15-36:25 / Research by BBC Urdu has found "missile attacks by US drones in Pakistan's tribal areas have more than trebled under the Obama administration"; violence disrupts Taliban activities but also lives of civilians.
36:25-36:40 / plug for BBC News website
36:40-39:25 / Coming tropical storm will disrupt BP oil clean-up operations in the Gulf, as workers/boats must evacuate for at least two, if not several, days.
39:25-41:25 / Company Trafigura convicted of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast in 2006 and fined
41:25-42:50 / Quick headline news reports: Chinese oil spill clean-up continues; Kosovo bank chief taken into custody; Backed by French, Mauritanian troops raid al-Queda; Canadian prison riot.
42:55-44:50 / Scots turn down invitation to Washington to be questioned under suspicions BP lobbied UK to release Lockerbie bomber to secure Libyan oil deal.
45:25-46:50 / More on EU bank stress tests; critics skeptical.
46:55-49:50 / Infamous child-killer Jon Venables re-jailed over child pornography.
50:00-53:15 / Builders of (UNESCO Heritage) Sagrada Familia church (work-in-progress for 128 yrs) concerned due to new construction of nearby high-speed train tunnel.
53:15-53:55 / North Korea offended by planned S.Korea/US joint military exercises.
53:55-55:50 / World's largest flower, Titan arum blooms in Tokyo; is large tourist attraction.
55:50-56:45 / second plug for BBC News website, reading of Sponsors ("brought to you by")
56:45-59:59 / Commercials:
15 secs each for Union Bank, Clark Pest Control, Oakland Airpost, xfinity from Comcast
30 secs each for Wells Fargo and Subaru Legacy
35 secs for PBS network
15 secs total for KQED (local affiliate)
Omitting introductions, repetitions, transitions, and plugs; the total news time on the program was 23 minutes and 45 seconds (compared to ad time of 3 minutes and 15 seconds). The anchor was very brisk (and professional), often jumping into the next story at the very second right before the correspondent pieces ended. His authoritatively fast speaking seemed to fit the rest of the program, which overall seemed to try and hit many major headlines within the small time allotted. The correspondent pieces were all either clearly pre-taped or often from a previous live broadcast- leaving no "banter". The lead story was of the EU banks, clearly chosen for it's implications across many countries (rather than just two or three) and was the only story with any significant interaction between correspondent and anchor. They also discussed its role within the larger financial crisis and what this means for the future- interpretation that wasn't really present in any other stories. My overall impression is of a program with broad international appeal: providing the bare stories without much interpretation, if needing viewers who are already well informed on current events (and are willing to look up further information).
Friday, July 16, 2010
6. Television
Drawing Fire is a documentary about the work of Paul Conrad, a three-time Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist- and one time entry on Nixon's "enemies list". (Aired on PBS as part of Independent Lens, it is currently available to view in full on youtube.)
Clip: Censorship and Corporatization
Length: 44:20-50:35 (6:15)
Description: Talk about changes in the newspaper environment for political cartooning.
Chapter 4- Newspapers
Quiz:
1. To what two causes does the video contribute the increasing censorship of political cartoons?
2. What is the importance of newspapers in a democracy?
3. Why does John Caroll say "a newspaper that gets zero complaints is a dying newspaper"?
*Alternate links (Part 1, Part 2) if youtube doesn't work for you- Realplayer or Quicktime.
Answers:
1. a) Post September 11, people feared any criticism of the government would be labelled "unpatriotic".
b) Newspapers have become interested in profit over other motives, increasingly conglomerized and afraid of offending corporations in their interest in profit.
2. The press is supposed to inform the public and check the government's powers, both as part of individual civic duty and as intended by the founders by "freedom of press".
3. Alternate voices need to be heard. And maybe the controversy (having something to say) would make more people want to pick up the newspaper.
Bonus clips: Mr. Rogers is called by a senator to help defend funding for public television. And talks about the color tv tests to choose a format.
Clip: Censorship and Corporatization
Length: 44:20-50:35 (6:15)
Description: Talk about changes in the newspaper environment for political cartooning.
Chapter 4- Newspapers
Quiz:
1. To what two causes does the video contribute the increasing censorship of political cartoons?
2. What is the importance of newspapers in a democracy?
3. Why does John Caroll say "a newspaper that gets zero complaints is a dying newspaper"?
*Alternate links (Part 1, Part 2) if youtube doesn't work for you- Realplayer or Quicktime.
Answers:
1. a) Post September 11, people feared any criticism of the government would be labelled "unpatriotic".
b) Newspapers have become interested in profit over other motives, increasingly conglomerized and afraid of offending corporations in their interest in profit.
2. The press is supposed to inform the public and check the government's powers, both as part of individual civic duty and as intended by the founders by "freedom of press".
3. Alternate voices need to be heard. And maybe the controversy (having something to say) would make more people want to pick up the newspaper.
Bonus clips: Mr. Rogers is called by a senator to help defend funding for public television. And talks about the color tv tests to choose a format.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
4. Magazines
Name: Horizon Chaser
Concept: People nowadays are inundated with glossy over-saturated images of faraway places all the time. The public is desensitized to this glamorous world of helicopter views that it can easily get from the television and from movies and the like. What people are really seeking for travel -and in a travel magazine- is not naked consumption as seen through most travel magazines, but intimate and alternative experiences. It is this curiosity that is making travelogues increasing popular, along with the fact that most people can't travel to all the places profiled every year.
Horizon Chaser will fulfill this need through content that is not merely advertisement . Issues will feature guest travelers that will write of journeys they know better than any experts, as well as features by locals. I also hope to offer reader features (coordinated through the website) that will provide an element of interactivity. Staff members will inform readers about new kinds of travel- such as green or humanitarian- besides setting out how an non-professional can get an authentic and meaningful (and safe) experience in any time frame or at any budget level.
Competition: National Geographic Traveler, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, Conde Nast Traveler
Potential Advertisers: airlines (ex. United, Virgin), trains, traveler's cards (ex. American Express), gear, cameras (ex. Canon), language programs (ex. Rosetta Stone)
Cover: Title at top in orange, photo of market in Turkey
Articles advertised on cover: guest feature from a long-term traveler in Turkey & locals weigh in, "Top Alternative Travel Options You've Never Heard Of", profile on bicycle touring, and as an inaugaral issue mission statement to the reader in the "Letter from the Editor" on the first page
Concept: People nowadays are inundated with glossy over-saturated images of faraway places all the time. The public is desensitized to this glamorous world of helicopter views that it can easily get from the television and from movies and the like. What people are really seeking for travel -and in a travel magazine- is not naked consumption as seen through most travel magazines, but intimate and alternative experiences. It is this curiosity that is making travelogues increasing popular, along with the fact that most people can't travel to all the places profiled every year.
Horizon Chaser will fulfill this need through content that is not merely advertisement . Issues will feature guest travelers that will write of journeys they know better than any experts, as well as features by locals. I also hope to offer reader features (coordinated through the website) that will provide an element of interactivity. Staff members will inform readers about new kinds of travel- such as green or humanitarian- besides setting out how an non-professional can get an authentic and meaningful (and safe) experience in any time frame or at any budget level.
Competition: National Geographic Traveler, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, Conde Nast Traveler
Potential Advertisers: airlines (ex. United, Virgin), trains, traveler's cards (ex. American Express), gear, cameras (ex. Canon), language programs (ex. Rosetta Stone)
Cover: Title at top in orange, photo of market in Turkey
Articles advertised on cover: guest feature from a long-term traveler in Turkey & locals weigh in, "Top Alternative Travel Options You've Never Heard Of", profile on bicycle touring, and as an inaugaral issue mission statement to the reader in the "Letter from the Editor" on the first page
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