M.I.A Guest Speaker

My first class on Monday started off how it normally did. Me walking in tired; still wondering why I feel like I have been run over by a truck and wondering why this class is at 8 o’clock in the morning. I sat down and remembered we had a guest speaker. Then I began to get excited. Minutes went on till professor Falk announced that the guest speaker was not coming. I was let down at first but eventually we got into an interesting discussion like we always do. While listening in on the discussion in class about having diversity in the newsroom a lot of thoughts came to mind. I do agree there should be diversity in the newsroom. It first attracts listeners of different backgrounds. If you only have one kind of race represented, then other races will not be able to relate. Also by having a diverse newsroom, it shows all listeners that you accept everyone, and you care about them too.

Referring back to what was said in class; now in our generation we do not look at race or skin color anymore. While that is true, I do not think that crosses over to television. I agree our generation does not look at color, however I feel when someone of the same race is on television you can relate better. Also maybe a news story would be better covered by another race.

Another thing that came to mind while reflecting on the previous class was the issue about how news channels go about hiring the news reporters of different races. Will they hire a news reporter of a different race over a white person who is better qualified? I agree a news reporter should be hired on their capability not their skin color. I am very interested on reading other students blogs who decide to blog about this same topic. I want to hear the opinions from people on the other side of the discussion. I got the impression that the other students in the class had a strong opinion about this subject.

But in my opinion, speaking from a person of a minority, I do not think or feel that people of different races get special treatment or should get a job over a white person. I feel that minorities actually have to try twice as hard to get jobs or to prove themselves. While listening to other students opinions in class I felt like they thought minorities were getting unfair treatment, but I disagree.

Leaving from this discussion I still had lots to say so I decided to write a blog about it. Until this topic came up I never thought twice about it. When I watch the news on television I never think to myself that the newsroom is not diverse enough. But now thinking about it all I really see is mainly to different races shown, white and black. Now that we have had this discussion in class I think I will be more aware of it.

Violence in the Media for 200 Please

In America there is a big controversy over violence in the media, and whether it affects people and their actions. Some say it is the media’s fault for putting violence out. Others say it’s the consumers fault for watching it. I think it could be argued either way personally. Violence is everywhere now. It’s in cartoons children watch, movies, daytime television, and video games. But as the consumers, we do have control over what we look at, watch, and buy. Is it okay to blame the media for what our children watch and is it really fair to fault someone else? Maybe we are making the media the scapegoat. I think this topic of violence will forever be a hot topic, but I wish people would realize that if we (the consumers) keep watching it the media will create it. I definitely believe the consumers are part of the “circle of violence”, as long as we are watching it there will be violence in the media.

Illustration by Christopher Hinton.


With all this violence in the media you can not help to think that the consumers in America have been desensitized. According to Mass Media in a Changing World by George Rodman, desensitization is “a process by which viewers of media violence develop callousness or emotional neutrality in the face of a real life act of violence”. Can this be the reason why violence is overlooked many times, or why onlookers do not help people in need when they are in a violent situation? “Desensitization became a popular explanation for the failure of onlookers to come to the aid of mugging victims in major cities,” according to Rodman.




Personally, I feel like I am desensitized by the violence in the media because when I hear about violence on the news it does not even strike a cord with me. I think that goes for a lot of people. We hear about people dying and getting shot in the news all the time. It is sad to say but now we are numb to it. The only time it affects us is when it has something to do with us. For example if someone got killed in our town we would then pay attention. The topic of desensitization brings the question, is this why America is so violent? Television is not real, so it does not show all the repercussions of violence. So viewers are desensitized from all of the effects of violence. Viewers do not get a true representation of violence. So is this why people behave so violent?




I am not sure who is to blame for all the violence in the media. But I do think everyone is part at fault. I also think desensitization also plays a big part. I am unsure what part it plays, but I know it definitely plays a part. But the big question is how are we going to stop the violence? However these are questions I wonder about. Are people acting violent because they do not realize the effects of violence? Or is it because they believe they can get away with violent behavior? Also when do people first start acting violent?



After writing this blog I decided to look around the web for other people's thoughts on violence in the media. I then came across this video that a student made for their class project on violence in the media, and whether it effects people. There is a clip in the video from the Dave Chappel show mocking the video game talked about at the begining of chapter two in our book. I thought the creator did a good job, and wish Icould make a video like that.

United States Travels to England

For my interview I interviewed my friend Sam Howarth, from Liverpool, England. He has lived in Liverpool for 21 years. Sam described the media in England as very mild compared to the media in United States. He said the media that the United States presents to the consumers is an overload. He also thought that the majority of the media that the United States creates is negative. He stated too that he thought the United States media affects children and makes them vulnerable to picking up bad behavior they see in the media. Sam believes media is less of a big deal in England because some of their laws are different. Their drinking age is eighteen, and fourteen with parent permission. Also their smoking age is lower. So these activities are not that big of a deal in England. The similarities of both United States and England media are they both have a lot legal commercials, both advertise with billboards, radio, and television. The differences between media in the U.S and England is that media on television appears a lot less. In England commercials only come on once during a whole show. Unlike in the United States they come on several times and 30 minute shows are really only 15 minutes. Sam also explained that England is very Americanized, especially Europe. When I asked him what his favorite show was back in England, he answered with an American show, Rob and Big. According to Sam, a large amount of the media here in the United States gets to other countries such as England.

After doing this interview with Sam, most of the things I thought were confirmed. The amount of media that the United States puts out is too much. I know that the United States is a big country; however, I think it is out of control. Media in the United States is more to control people, rather than inform people like in England.