Today’s Agenda
-
1) Last time, we began to think about how advertisements can be critiqued for their Literary and Theatrical components.
-
As we did this, we came to understand that there was a LOT more to individual advertisements and paintings than first met our eyes.
-
We could focus on specific details, and these details would lead us to important questions.
Let’s get out our homework and discuss it in groups. Share and explaine with one another.
Part 2)
-
2) Another common literature in your daily life is the literature of the news. While you may not have thought og the news as literature before, it falls under the general definition for literature that we are using in this class: it relates to the basic events and concerns that impact you on a day to day basis, and also to the emotional issues that shape your world.
-
3) Journal Entry: For the next 10 minutes, I want you to write on the role that the news and news programs play in your everyday life. How do you get your news? What are the sources? How do you think your sources shape the kinds of news you get? How does the news contribute to your understanding of your world and your place in the world? What kind of role did the news have in your home when you were growing up?
-
4) Group work: In your groups I want you to discuss whether or not you think the news is objective or subjective. If it is objective, then why? If is subjective, then why? You are to come up with a specific listing of what you think the most reliable sources for news and, and a listing of what you think the least reliable sources for news are.
News Criticism: Let’s start with some familiar territory. Here are some ads for some major news services. Let’s break these ads down into their literary and theatrical components:
Fox News
CNN News
MSNBC
What do these different ads tell us?
Now we are going to consider two NEWS EVENTS
How can the literary and theatrical elements of these events help us better understand these reported speeches?
Barak Obama Victory Speech
John McCain
Let’s look at these speeches and dissect them for their literary and theatrical elements.
Homework for next class: Find a video of a news report and break it down into its literary and theatrical elements.
Advertisement
I lead a very busy life, work full time, and go to school full time… and have homework for 5 classes, so I rarely watch the news. If I am home, my time is spent doing hoemwork or sleeping. When I get up for work i watch to see what the weather is, but other than that, no news for me. My sources for the news are my friends and family, if something is happening, I will ask them, or just look it up in the newspaper. I do read that more often than watching the news. I think the newspaper does a great job of updating me, but I dont always keep up to date with it, I might get the first story of something, but now know the outcome of it. Growing up, my parents worked a lot of hours, so we always had babysitters taking care of us, so the news want normally on, only in the morning while we got ready for school. The newspaper was never delivered until a few years back when my grandmother came to live with us, then the news was on more, and the paper was delivered, but for me I dont make time for those in my schedule, so it’s only my fault I am not up to date with what is going on.
Comment by Jennifer Campbell — November 6, 2008 @ 5:53 pm |
My news comes from many different sources for me, and each source brings a different area of news that I am inerested in. For example, if I wanted to have news on the election, it really wouldn’t be that hard. I’d just flip on the T.V. and chances are that I would see something dealing with the election. If I was looking for news on sports, I could watch T.V. or read a magazine newspaper. When talking with my parents I get different types of news depending on who I’m talking to. My mother tells me about what my siblings are up to, the rest of my family, and what I’ve been up to. My father gives me news about the farm, and more globally concerning issues. Usually when I’m talking with dad I end up getting a life lesson as opposed to news but it will start out that way. I get news about what going on in my hometown from my family, and global news from the T.V. as far as Bangor is concerned, I really don’t get much news on that, not really all that interested. With each source comes a different angle based on how it effects them. Fox news bring me a fairly neutral point of view on politics and CNN or CBS will bring me a more democratic view. My father would look at the same information that they are giving out and tell me about how it effects small business, my parents class range, and the military. My family didn’t really watch a lot of news besides the local news because we only had three channels when I was growing up.
Comment by Gabe Cheney — November 6, 2008 @ 5:54 pm |
FOX News-
Name very basic, gets the point across that it is about news. Uses patriotic colors to appeal to Americans. Why is “channel” all lower case as opposed to the “Fox News”? White stripes used to catch attention to the name.
Comment by Gabe Cheney — November 6, 2008 @ 6:42 pm |
CNN News
Report on Show 4 Africa
Setting-Eastern Kenya, oppresed village
Motifs-shoes, running, a better life, violence in district
Theme-running is Kenya’s way to a better life
specific details-”Cradle of Elite Runners” “Don’t have basic equipment” All relating to the oppression and poverty that surrounds the area.
Characters-Toby Tanza-Iceland runner who looks for talent in that area. Marathon Runner champion from Kenya
Symbols-Shoes=a better life
Comment by Gabe Cheney — November 11, 2008 @ 4:21 am |
CBS News – Guitar Hero World Record
Setting: New York, New York, Big empty garage with only a tv, game station, and lots of teenagers.
Characters: Chris Chike- fastest GH player, Guinness World Record guy, teenagers.
Specific Details: Focus on hands while Chris is playing, and also on the audience. Audience is a group of teenagers- who the game appeals to.
Comment by Rebeccah Geib — November 11, 2008 @ 4:20 pm |