What Have We Learned?

In this class, I have discovered many facets about the mass media around me. For the most part, I focused on the news found on the internet. The many things that can be learned about the internet are so vast and would take so long to discover everything. The news can be accessed from nearly anywhere in the world since wireless interrnet became available, and the availability of the internet has affected many other businesses such as the newspaper and television news. The news found on the internet focuses not only on a national level, but also a international level. We can learn about events happening in China or Europe and any other part of the world. The impact of the news can have a strong effect on our decision making. We can learn about events that will be life changing such as the 9/11 attacks, or about the state of the stock market. For many, the news is a need to know thing, but other stories may not be so necessary. Some stories just are fun facts and have no real impact on our lives. The news keeps us updated to the changing world around us. Internet news is updated very often whereas newspapers or TV news comes out at certain times of the day. The news is always changing, and it is good to know about what is happening so that you can stay safe and be prepared for events to come.

From Book to Movie

How many of us read the books before we go to see the movie? I can't say that I do. One book that I read after I saw the movie was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I watched the movie a few times before I read the book. I found that there were quite a few things left out of the movie. It would be very difficult to cram everything in the book into the movie. The movie lasted three hours and only had maybe half of the stuff in the book. Another book I read after I saw the movie was the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This movie had more than what was in the book.
In both of these cases, I enjoyed the movies more than the books. I think this is true for many today. I've noticed that no too many people read for pleasure anymore. Movies have become more popular than books. I know this is not true of everyone, but I noticed that it is becoming a trend. Do you enjoy movies more than books, or books more than movies?

What Kind of Movies Do You Watch?

What genre of movies do most people go to see? According to boxoffice, most movies seen by people around the world are rated PG-13. Twenty of the top thirty one movies watched are PG-13. These movies were rated according the gross earnings the movie made. The top two movies of all time according to this list were Titanic and the Dark Knight. Many of the rated G movies had a tough time making the top 50 (only 5 made it). If these numbers are true, this shows that people in general like to go and see movies packed with action and some violence. The list mentioned above only shows the money that was made on these movies, which shows how popular the movie was but not necessarily their thoughts about what they just saw on the screen. To warn people of the content that is contained in these movies, the Motion Picture Association of America designed a rating system.

The ratings on these movies do not tell whether the movies are good or bad, they give guidance to those who may want to see these movies. Many movies on the Box Office list that are PG-13, I would say, are good movies to see, but may not be appropriate for younger children to see. This also does not mean that G rated movies are for kids only, nor Rated R movies for adults only. The ratings allow people to form a general idea of what the movie may contain so that they can form their own judgements. What category do most movies that you view fall under? What limits do you set for yourself when it comes to movies you are willing to watch? Do you consider the ratings before watching?

E-mail vs. mail

One mode of communication that isn't talked about too much anymore is mail. This medium can take a day or a few days to reach the desired person you wish to communicate with. E-mail though can send a message in seconds. So why do we still have the mail system? Well, more than just letters are sent through the mail. Without mail, businesses like E-Bay could not function. Packages are sent all over the world through the mail. One limitation of e-mail is that it is not able to send anything more than written information. Packages and such cannot be sent electronically. Companies like UPS deliver packages and can also track the package so that you can know when you will receive it.
Written letters are not sent as often anymore. I know I have not sent a letter to someone for quite some time now. There are many similarities between mail and e-mail. They accomplish the same goals in their own ways. One business that relies on both mail and e-mail is the card making business. There are cards that have a written message and there are also cards that can hold a sound message. Such cards are able to record a voice message and repeat it for the recipient. There are also e-cards that are similar. Each are fun ways to communicate with others.
The mail still plays an important role today, but e-mail is much faster in sending a quick message. Mail can't match the speed of e-mail, and e-mail can't completely replace the mail.

Are Some News Stories Really 'Need to Know News'?

There are many stories that can be found that may be good to know, but we cannot do anything about them. Some stories are not really something we need to know about. Much of this news is just disappointing and does not help us in any way. I learned of a car accident in Texas that killed five kids. Though this story is tragic, what can I do about it? Would I be better off not knowing about such accidents? What do stories like this one do for us? I find these to be depressing and I would rather not hear about them. There are other stories that are told that may be seen as entertainment. One story I found is about a man in Kenya who fought off a snake that attacked him. This kind of story, to me, seems to be a fun fact that you can tell a friend, but nothing more. Are these stories placed on a website to entertain readers in place of magazines or newspapers? I think that there can be sites that have these kind of stories, but they should not be on the same page as news about our country that really matters. News websites, in my opinion, should only have stories that have some significance to the reader. Other fun stories can be found on other pages. When I want to find out what is happening that would have some kind of effect on me or those around me. News posted on a site that everyone looks to for important news should post items that will have an effect on the most people.

Music- Jars of Clay

One of my favorite mediums is music. I listen to so much music during the day that if I didn't have it, life would be too quiet. Music makes us think about certain topics that we may not think about otherwise. One band that I particularly enjoy is Jars of Clay. Their music is very uplifting and the words are very convicting and true. Their songs sing about their faith in Christ, and his work in our lives.

One thing I like about the band is that they live out what they sing about. I think that is very important for a band to do. Jars of Clay is the founder of the Blood:Water Mission, which is a missions work in Africa. They strive to help fund the building of wells to give clean water to those in Africa and to help with their medical needs. HIV/AIDS is a major problem and many are in need of medical help. Taking on such a big project shows that Jars of Clay means what they sing about. In their song Light Gives Heat, they sing about the needs of many in Africa. I think that through their involvement overseas, it makes their music more meaningful. When I hear their songs, I'm reminded of what they stand for and what I stand for. Music is a very powerful tool in communicating our thoughts and beliefs.

Presidential news

   When we want to hear the news, there are many places we can look for it. For local news we can look to our newspapers, and for nationwide news we can watch the news on TV or find it on the internet. When we think of news we usually don't think about hearing it directly from the President of the United States. One of the first Presidents to be heard by the people was Franklin Roosevelt. His 'Fireside Chats' gave the people information about issues the country was facing at the time. During FDR's presidency and even a few times before, he gave a speech that was sent through the radio. Since radio was still fairly new for the public, this was a rare opportunity to hear the President himself. FDR gave a total of thirty speeches over the radio where he would inform people about current problems in the US. 

    Since then, other Presidents also have given speeches over radio, on TV, and now on the internet. President Reagan, George Bush Sr., Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all have given addresses to the people concerning news of the country. When the President tells us about the issues or problems that they are dealing with, we should be able to trust them because they are leading our country. We know that if a President were to say something he will not do, it can cost him his position and his reputation. When we hear the news directly from the top, we can get an idea of what our leaders are doing to take care of the issues they present. When we listen to news stations on the radio, or TV, or the internet, we listen to the stories about what is happening, but when we hear the news from the President himself, we are listening to someone who tells us the news and also has the power to do something about the issues he had addressed.