*Am I iNvOlVeD*

I would describe myself as an active member in my community. I am active when it comes to helping out and doing volunteer work and contributing to activities on and off school's campus. When it comes to issues in politics in my community and as a whole in world politics, I would consider myself concerned and informed but not active. I do not know everything there is to know about politics, and I don't have a desire too. However, I think that what is happening around the country and around the world effects me and so I should have a basic concept of what is going on. I do not go to political rallies or engage in any political debates, nor do I consider myself an active citizen when it comes to politics. I vote in elections, and I try to stay current on what is happening. I watch the news everynight and try to read the newspaper or articles online whenever I can.
I think that the media contributes to my status a lot. If it were not for the media's coverage of political events and of news I would be unaware of what is going on. often times when I watch the news I feel like I am out of the loop and that leads me to want to know more and learn more about politics. The media is what stems my interest in politics and news. When I see a news story about political issues that I know nothing about, I want to learn more about it.

*TV WaTcHeD tHiS wEeK

Thursday:
American Idol: 1 hour
Survivor: 1 hour

Friday:
General Hospital: 1 hour

Saturday:
Golf: 2 hours
Saturday Night Live: 1 hour

Sunday:
Nothing

Monday:
The Bachelor: 3 hours

Tuesday:
American Idol: 2 hours

Wednesday:
American Idol: 1 hour
Seinfeld: 1 hour
Friends: 1 hour

Total: 14 hours of television watched this week!

*MoViEs, MoViEs, MoViEs*

*List of movies I have seen in theaters in the past six months and why I went to see them*

• My Best Friend's Girl: It looked funny and my friends wanted to go see it.
• Eagle Eye: I think Shia is a good actor and the movie looked really intriguing.
• Nights in Rodanthe: I read the book, and I was curious to see what the movie was like.
• Body of Lies: Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor, so I go to see whatever movie he is in.
• Four Christmases: I love Christmas movies, and Vince Vaughn is hilarious.
• Seven Pounds: It looked really interesting and mysterious.

*Microanalytical Functions of going to the movies that have impacted me*

• Socialization
• Linkage
• Diversion
• Stimulation
• Relaxation
• Emotional Release

*Comparing the Number of movies I have seen in the past six months in the theater with those I have seen at home*

I love watching movies at home on a regular basis. In the past six months I have probably watched over thirty of them at home. This is a much higher number than what I watched in the theater.

*What are the differences I expect from a movie as opposed to a drama or comedy show on t.v.?*

When I watch a movie I hope to forget everything else that is going on in my life. I like to pretend I am a character in the movie and that everything else around me just disappears. When I watch television it is usually just to pass time or to be entertained for a short amount of time. I would much rather watch a movie!

*HaTe In ThE mEdIa*

People We <3 To Hate:

• Paris Hilton
• O.J. Simpson
• Britney Spears
• Terrell Owens
• Kim Kardashian
• Madonna
• Alex Rodriguez
• Miley Cyrus
• Tom Cruise
• Rosie O'Donnell
• Lindsay Lohan
• Amy Winehouse
• Victoria Beckham

People We Might Hate If We Had More Information:

• Alan Greenspan
• Rod Blagojevich
• Bill Clinton
• Martha Stewart
• Michael Jackson

Who Benefits From a Society in Which the People We Should Hate Are Not the People We Hate?

The people who are getting away with stuff, such as the people I listed that we might hate if we were given more negative information on them are the ones who are benefiting. I am sure that all of the crooks and criminals out there laugh at our news media when we are focused more on the weight of Jessica Simpson or what Paris Hilton is wearing than on actual news worthy people who have done something good or those who have done wrong.

Who Has Caused More Damage to U.S. Citizens, Paris Hilton or Alan Greenspan?

Alan Greenspan has caused more damage. Although some may think that Paris Hilton is detrimental to our society, she has never done harm or damage to us.

Who Had Caused More Damage to U.S. Citizens, O.J. Simpson or Alan Greenspan?

Again I will say Alan Greenspan. While O.J. "may" have caused harm to the victims of that night I do not think that he has caused we as citizens any harm.

*ReAsOnS fOr WaTcHiNg Tv AnD gOiNg To ThE mOvIeS*

Compared to the reasons given in the textbook, there are many similarities between why I watch tv and go to the movies and why other college students do. I watch tv for the following reasons that were also given in the book:

• I like to watch when there's nothing else to do.
• I don't like eating alone.
• Television keeps me informed and entertained and it beats the hell out of studying.
• I watch TV to be entertained.

I go to the movies for the following reasons that were also given in the book:

• Because movies take you to La-La Land, a fantasy place.
• I like the popcorn.
• To escape the everyday doldrums of life.

*EmBaRrAsSiNg CoMmUnIcAtIoN bReAkDoWn*

The most embarrassing communication breakdown that has ever happened to me took place when I was 16. I was talking to my friend on my cell phone and I guess I wasn't paying too much attention. Since after a few minutes of me telling a story my phone starts ringing. It turns out she had lost service and I hadn't realize so I continued talking. To make matters worse, I was sitting in the doctor's office so everybody around me probably thought I was pretending to be on the phone or something, because I was talking into it and then it rang! I don't get embarrassed too easily but it made me turn a little red.

This communication breakdown happened to me because she had lost phone service and I was too busy with my story and what was going on with me that I didn't realize. This is due to mechanical noise and environmental noise. Mechanical noise in that the phone stopped working properly. Environmental noise because I was concerned with what was going on in my head and what was happenning around me so I did not notice my friend was no longer on the receiving end of the conversation.

*FeAr In ThE nEwS*

This week as I watched the news and looked at articles online, I found several instances where the media was trying to create fear among other emotions in their newscasts. Here are a few of what I found:

• http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482688,00.html : This article tells of a fire that raged over Texas. It focuses on the deaths that occured and on how the cleanup is far from over and the fire is not contained yet. Nowhere in the article does it talk about heroic ventures that saved lives or about a promising future for anyone involved. Instead, it inspires fear and panic in its viewers.
• http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6717623&page=1 : This article inspires fear and only fear, in my opinion. It describes how the rates of meth usage have went up in recent times. It goes so far as to say that even soccer moms are doing it now. This article portrays only one side of this study and it emphasizes how EVERYONE is doing meth it seems. It doesn't describe the efforts to stop meth use or say anything about the future looking better if we prevent and stop drug use.
• http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/23/business/main4750512.shtml : This article talks about the United States banks that are going under. While there is talk in this news story of what the government is planning to do, I think that as a whole this story is full of fear tactics. It's aim is to put panic into Americans who have their money in banks.

We should not be trying to scare citizens with our news stories and that is what is happening. Just from what I have seen on television and online this week I realize that there can be fear placed into any story whether it is about banks, meth, or a tragedy involving fire. I hope that when people watch these stories and read about them that they realize they need to take them with a serious grain of salt.

BiRd FlU pAnDeMiC

*What was the ostensible intent of this report*
The intent of this report was solely to create fear amongst its viewers. Saying things like, "Unfortunately we want good news in the vaccine area. But on a scale of one to ten, we're at 1.5 at the most. And if pandemic were to begin anytime in the next several years, we would virtually have no vaccine" does not do much good. This report came out with aims of putting panic into the eyes of people watching and reading about it.

*What kind of behavior did this report try to promote*
This report tried to promote fearful behavior. They wanted people to begin settling into panic mode. By discussing the family that stocked up with food and masks, makes people fearful that they will have to do the same thing. I am sure that many people seen this report and immediately panicked and ran to the store to prepare themselves.

*Was this report balanced, giving an objective sense of the risk of a bird flu epidemic, the mechanisms by which a bird virus might mutate to a human population, whether a mutated virus would be as deadly as direct infection. Did it cite any experts who questioned the assumptions of authorities interviewed for the report or presented an alternative viewpoint*
This report was not very balanced at all. It did not give an objective sense of the risk or describe the ways in which a virus might harm a human population. It simply discribed the harms that this virus will lead to and all of the dangers that America is in for. None of the experts cited were those who questioned the assumptions of these claims. Nor did this report present an alternative viewpoint. All this report achieved was that of scaring people. It does not seem right to me that a news report can place so much unnecessary fear into peoples lives. I guess if we look closely, however, this fear is common in a lot of the media we are subjected to.

*What is your personal feeling about the couple who have stockpiled a year's worth of supplies in their basement? Do you wish to emulate them? Do you think their actions are a reasonable or likely successful response to the threat of an epidemic*
My response to the couple who have stockpiled the supplies in their basement is a lot similar to my views on the people who panicked in the eve of the y2k. I do not blame these people for being fearful, I blame the misrepresentation of these events in the media. I do not wish to emulate these people at all. I think that life is way too short to spend it in fear. Their actions are a reasonable response not to the threat of the epidemic but to the threat of the medias view of the epidemic.

*Any other thoughts or feelings*
I hope that people will become more aware that the media is not always a legitimite source of information and that it can not only be biased but incorrect as well. The media wants to put panic into the minds of its viewers and that was the case with the bird flu news report. Sure, this virus could have been harmful but the way the presented it was very uncalled for. I am sure that it put a lot of fear into people that did not have to be there.