Summary:
This article describes the broken media environment created by partisan news outlets that intentionally report political news from a biased position and how it has created suspicion and antagonism against traditional news media. It touches on how news environment allows viewers to tune out news media that they disagree with or completely ignore news altogether. The article also investigates the effects of partisan news on the viewers' perception of media in multiple laboratory experiments, finding that people have more hostility toward news outlets that they disagree with than news outlets they agree with.
Response:
There is a lot of information in this article that could help me with my essay expansion. I delves into the biased and unreliable side of the traditional media of television, magazines and newspapers. It also provides a counter example to Williams point about democracy of media allowing viewers to ignore news that they disagree with. It is important to realize that no matter what source you get your news from, there will always be a component of bias within it.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
"The Democratization of Information?" by Danny P. Wallace and Connie Van Fleet Response
Summary:
This article describes the concept of democratized information promoted by Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia resource where all the information is provided by its users. It provides a thorough inspection on Wikipedia's purpose, authority and objectivity, scope, audience, cost and format. Finally, the article concludes by highlighting the importance of Wikipedia's democratic process of information. Though it may not be the perfect system in which it was intended, it does a significant job in spreading reliable information.
Response:
This article will be very useful in my essay expansion. Wikipedia is a widely use source of information by many people and is run entirely by its users. Unlike Twitter, which keeps people updated on current events, Wikipedia is used to be knowledgeable of historic events or facts. I could delve on how social media informs people about things other than current events. The article also names a lot of the problems Wikipedia has which will give my skeptic section of the expansion more content.
This article describes the concept of democratized information promoted by Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia resource where all the information is provided by its users. It provides a thorough inspection on Wikipedia's purpose, authority and objectivity, scope, audience, cost and format. Finally, the article concludes by highlighting the importance of Wikipedia's democratic process of information. Though it may not be the perfect system in which it was intended, it does a significant job in spreading reliable information.
Response:
This article will be very useful in my essay expansion. Wikipedia is a widely use source of information by many people and is run entirely by its users. Unlike Twitter, which keeps people updated on current events, Wikipedia is used to be knowledgeable of historic events or facts. I could delve on how social media informs people about things other than current events. The article also names a lot of the problems Wikipedia has which will give my skeptic section of the expansion more content.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Essay Expansion Proposal
For my expansion essay, I decided to expand my Essay Two. This essay was done on the democratization of media through social media which used Brian Williams' "Enough about You” and Steven Johnson’s “It’s All about Us” as the source materials and with the following thesis: "Though Williams claim that the democratization of media may hinder our
democracy is very true, I believe that a democratized form of media is more
efficient than a reliance on traditional news sources." What makes this essay rich for expansion is the many examples of social media sites I could use and the many examples of currents I could use to specify on my thesis on how why democratized media is more efficient. I could incorporate Facebook and YouTube along with Twitter and how people use them together to become more aware of current events or even spread news that has been largely ignored by traditional news. I could also expand to the other forms of democratized media, such as independent news sites, and other forms of traditional media, such as newspapers and magazines. Finally, I could describe, in more detail, Williams' point on how an abundance of news sources could negatively affect the national conversation through confusion and misinformation and, I could give examples on how it has done so before, such as how many people believe Ebola could spread across the United States. The following are key terms I will use to find additional research:
- democratization of media
- effect of the internet on news media
- news media misleading
- democratization of information
- Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
- Fox News
- new media bias
- social media on news reporting
Sunday, October 26, 2014
"Enemies" by Tim O'Brien Response
Summary:
During a patrol, Dave Jensen accuses Lee Strunk of stealing his jack knife. It escalates to a fist fight that Jensen inevitably wins because of his large size. Jensen ends up breaking Strunk's nose and mercilessly beating on his face. It takes a few men to pull him away from Strunk and Strunk carried away to work on a chopper. When he returns, Jensen becomes nervous that Strunk will try to kill him over the incident. He becomes paranoid that will be shot at any moment until he finally snaps. He breaks his nose in front of Strunks to make the two of them even. Afterword, Strunk calls Jensen crazy, admitting to the rest of his unit that he did steal the jack knife.
Response:
Jensen plight during this chapter is a truly terrifying one. In a war, the only people you should be able to trust should be your comrades. However, when you cannot even trust your fellow soldiers, it becomes even worse. It also very funny because all his suffering was caused by a misunderstanding. Strunk believed that they were even because he did in fact steal Jensen's jack knife. Jensen was worrying for no reason. If he were to confront Strunk about the situation in the first place, instead of breaking his nose like a crazy person, he wouldn't have suffered so much.
During a patrol, Dave Jensen accuses Lee Strunk of stealing his jack knife. It escalates to a fist fight that Jensen inevitably wins because of his large size. Jensen ends up breaking Strunk's nose and mercilessly beating on his face. It takes a few men to pull him away from Strunk and Strunk carried away to work on a chopper. When he returns, Jensen becomes nervous that Strunk will try to kill him over the incident. He becomes paranoid that will be shot at any moment until he finally snaps. He breaks his nose in front of Strunks to make the two of them even. Afterword, Strunk calls Jensen crazy, admitting to the rest of his unit that he did steal the jack knife.
Response:
Jensen plight during this chapter is a truly terrifying one. In a war, the only people you should be able to trust should be your comrades. However, when you cannot even trust your fellow soldiers, it becomes even worse. It also very funny because all his suffering was caused by a misunderstanding. Strunk believed that they were even because he did in fact steal Jensen's jack knife. Jensen was worrying for no reason. If he were to confront Strunk about the situation in the first place, instead of breaking his nose like a crazy person, he wouldn't have suffered so much.
"On the Rainy River" by Tim O'Brien Response
Summary:
In this chapter, Tim O'Brien describes how he was drafted and sent to Vietnam despite his own objections to the war. He describes how he is not opposed to war but did not believe the war in Vietnam was justified. When he learned that he was drafted, he feels compelled by his community to join the war against his own views. One day, he decides to escape to Canada to avoid fighting in the war. He drives north, toward Canada, when he stops at a fishing resort. He meets Elroy Berdahl, the owner of the resort, who allows him to stay in the lodge. For six days, he stays with the owner, eating breakfast and playing board games together. One day, they go fishing on a boat along a river that separates the US and Canada where he finds his opportunity to flee to Canada. However, he decides to fight in the war because he is too embarrassed to flee from the war, believing he will be seen as a coward or traitor. He returns home and goes to war because he was a coward.
Response:
Tim O'Brien writes this chapter on the conflict he suffers within on whether or not to go to war. It is, however, the opposite of what is expected. Instead of being too scared to go to war, he is too scared not to go to war. The brave thing to do, he believes, is to not go to war. This is because of the shame he would feel from his community that makes him feel this way. This begs me to ask the question: What is more important? Your morals or your pride? This is a hard question to ask myself. I would like to think that I wouldn't care about being shamed by my community if I knew I was right. However, I don't know how I would react if it were to occur and I had to choose to defend my beliefs and be shamed, or conform and abandon my beliefs. It is a true test of courage.
In this chapter, Tim O'Brien describes how he was drafted and sent to Vietnam despite his own objections to the war. He describes how he is not opposed to war but did not believe the war in Vietnam was justified. When he learned that he was drafted, he feels compelled by his community to join the war against his own views. One day, he decides to escape to Canada to avoid fighting in the war. He drives north, toward Canada, when he stops at a fishing resort. He meets Elroy Berdahl, the owner of the resort, who allows him to stay in the lodge. For six days, he stays with the owner, eating breakfast and playing board games together. One day, they go fishing on a boat along a river that separates the US and Canada where he finds his opportunity to flee to Canada. However, he decides to fight in the war because he is too embarrassed to flee from the war, believing he will be seen as a coward or traitor. He returns home and goes to war because he was a coward.
Response:
Tim O'Brien writes this chapter on the conflict he suffers within on whether or not to go to war. It is, however, the opposite of what is expected. Instead of being too scared to go to war, he is too scared not to go to war. The brave thing to do, he believes, is to not go to war. This is because of the shame he would feel from his community that makes him feel this way. This begs me to ask the question: What is more important? Your morals or your pride? This is a hard question to ask myself. I would like to think that I wouldn't care about being shamed by my community if I knew I was right. However, I don't know how I would react if it were to occur and I had to choose to defend my beliefs and be shamed, or conform and abandon my beliefs. It is a true test of courage.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
"Black Children, White Preference: Brown v. Board, the Doll Tests, and the Politics of Self-Esteem" by Gwen Bergner
Summary:
In this article written by Gwen Bergner, Bergner describes the psychological experiment done by Kenneth and Mamie Clark on African American children. Called the "Clark Doll Experiment", a group of African American children were told to chose between a Caucasian doll and a African American doll. The white doll was shown the most favorable between the African American children. This was used in the "Brown v. Board of Education" case to provide evidence on how school segregation has harmed the self-esteem of black children.The article also discusses the changing views of psychologists on racial identity and self-esteem, and the use of these views in legal and political debates about race and society.
Response:
This article does well in explaining the anguish caused by segregation and race superiority on the dominated race. I believe that it pretty much describes Marguerite's self-esteem issues growing up in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In the book, Marguerite constantly wishes she was a white girl and, throughout the book, suffers from self-esteem issues and internalized racism. It was due to the segregation done by school and society that caused her to feel that way.
In this article written by Gwen Bergner, Bergner describes the psychological experiment done by Kenneth and Mamie Clark on African American children. Called the "Clark Doll Experiment", a group of African American children were told to chose between a Caucasian doll and a African American doll. The white doll was shown the most favorable between the African American children. This was used in the "Brown v. Board of Education" case to provide evidence on how school segregation has harmed the self-esteem of black children.The article also discusses the changing views of psychologists on racial identity and self-esteem, and the use of these views in legal and political debates about race and society.
Response:
This article does well in explaining the anguish caused by segregation and race superiority on the dominated race. I believe that it pretty much describes Marguerite's self-esteem issues growing up in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In the book, Marguerite constantly wishes she was a white girl and, throughout the book, suffers from self-esteem issues and internalized racism. It was due to the segregation done by school and society that caused her to feel that way.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Ch. 23 of "I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou Response
Summary:
In Chapter 23 of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya describes her eighth grade graduation. This event is very important in this town because many of the people in Stamps have only made it to eighth grade. She is very excited to be there until she reaches her seat, where she becomes uneasy and believes something may ruin the event. A white speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, explains to her class that many of the whites will have the chance to become scientists and educated minds and many of the black boys may become the next great athlete. Maya is offended because he insinuates that only black boys can achieve greatness through athletics and not academics. She becomes ashamed and wishes that everybody, including herself, were dead. However, Henry Reed, the valedictorian, comes up for his speech at which he ends by leading his class in singing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing." Maya listens to the lyrics of the song for the first time and, for the very first time, takes pride in being an African American.
Response:
I enjoyed the roller coaster of this chapter. It begins in a higher note with everyone excited about graduating but then Maya foreshadows an unexpected event that will ruin it. I like how her pessimism is used as a tool to predict the terrible event. It's more like she can see the future than her just being pessimistic. How the white speaker angered her was also very important. Not only would she not be academically successful because she is black,but she will also not be athletically successful because she is a woman. It was an attack on both her race and gender. However, I was happy to see how the chapter ends. Maya was able, for the first time, be proud of her race and who she is.
In Chapter 23 of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya describes her eighth grade graduation. This event is very important in this town because many of the people in Stamps have only made it to eighth grade. She is very excited to be there until she reaches her seat, where she becomes uneasy and believes something may ruin the event. A white speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, explains to her class that many of the whites will have the chance to become scientists and educated minds and many of the black boys may become the next great athlete. Maya is offended because he insinuates that only black boys can achieve greatness through athletics and not academics. She becomes ashamed and wishes that everybody, including herself, were dead. However, Henry Reed, the valedictorian, comes up for his speech at which he ends by leading his class in singing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing." Maya listens to the lyrics of the song for the first time and, for the very first time, takes pride in being an African American.
Response:
I enjoyed the roller coaster of this chapter. It begins in a higher note with everyone excited about graduating but then Maya foreshadows an unexpected event that will ruin it. I like how her pessimism is used as a tool to predict the terrible event. It's more like she can see the future than her just being pessimistic. How the white speaker angered her was also very important. Not only would she not be academically successful because she is black,but she will also not be athletically successful because she is a woman. It was an attack on both her race and gender. However, I was happy to see how the chapter ends. Maya was able, for the first time, be proud of her race and who she is.
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