Final Project: Television News Vs. The Internet

McLuhan once said, “To fully understand anything, you have to look at it from several point of view,” (Gordon 13). In today’s society, individuals have many mediums that can be used in order to be informed. It is crucial that the people of society use more than one of these mediums. This will allow a well-rounded understanding of global issues. By analyzing news stations like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox, one will find that each station has a form of bias. The Internet, however, is a growing source for news. Blogs target a specific demographic, which causes loyalty between the writer and the reader. Although the Internet is growing at a rapid rate, individuals cannot only depend on blogs as news source, rather; each individual should look at several and investigate on their own.

CNN was the first twenty-four hour news channel. The channel was dedicated to the news and only the news. This caused the idea of the news to evolve into a major business. Wikipedia states, “CNN is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24- hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States,” (CNN 1). CNN transformed American news. News was constantly available. There was not an excuse to not know what was going on because CNN was on twenty-four hours, something that no other station had done. Edward Turner states, “Big media wants to own the faucet, pipeline, water, and reservoir. The rain clouds are next.” Turner was searching for a way to develop independent news away from the corporate television world. He was successful in some ways, by developing CNN, however; now CNN has the same corporate mentality and bias.

The video has a bias, however; the ideology is a little questionable. CNN usually is fairly moderate with a slight liberal lean. In the video, the news anchor states, “Is he in denial? Does he get it?” These are harsh questions to be asking the president, but at the time society was becoming reckless towards Bush and needed answers. It was the job of the media to ask. CNN did that. The question itself may have been harsh, however; the media needs to question the government for the people. At the end of the clip, the anchor states, “President Bush did not just drink the kool aid. He made it. But perhaps now it’s a little less sweet.” Once again, CNN is holding President Bush to his actions. He lead the United States into Iraq and very little happened. CNN has a moderate liberal bias, however; at the time that was necessary to question the actions of the government.

MSNBC is a corporate collaboration between Microsoft and NBC. The two corporations joined together in order to tackle the twenty-four hour news market. Wikipedia states, “Two partnerships with the names MSNBC were founded in 1996 by Microsoft and General Electric’s NBC unit,” (MSNBC 1). CNN had exploded onto the cable news scene and other corporations were trying to break into that market. By joining together, Microsoft and General Electric were able to engage in the market that was dominated by CNN. MSNBC is known for having an extremely liberal bias, with shows like Rachel Meadows and Chris Matthews, both were not afraid to question the GOP motives during the eight years under President Bush. The network’s anchors are known for intense and demanding question, however; Chris Matthew’s true colors slip in the below clip:

This clip shows how liberal MSNBC can be. In the first seconds Chris Matthews says that the country wants “a little bit of fascism. Just a pinch.” A conservative nor a moderate news station or anchor would ever say that. Fascism is the biggest fear for majority of Americans, and by saying that that’s what America needs or wants proves that one is extremely left winged. Along with this, the anchor says, “The right winged nuts,” meaning that he is not part of the right winged, thus he is part of the left wing and stating the liberal opinion. At the end of the interview, Chris Matthews ends a rant stating, “I’m so sick of Southern guys with ranches running this country. I want a guy to run for president who doesn’t have a fuckin’ ranch.” Chris Matthews was not defending a liberal politician; rather it was Rudy Guiliani, who used to be mayor of New York City and presidential nominee for the Republican Party. Chris Matthews was voicing his opinion against the current Bush administration. MSNBC has a very liberal bias, however; it is still questioning the government, at least during the Bush administration. Will the network ask President Obama the same intense and difficult questions or will they not because of his political party?

Fox News Channel was also created in response to CNN. Wikipedia states, “Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly referred to as Fox or Fox news, is a cable and satellite news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporations,” (FOX 1). Fox News Channel is the conservative response to networks like MSNBC. The network is known for having an extremely conservative bias. The network will even edit clips in order to appear in their favor. This is not journalism. The lack of journalistic theory has caused a negative impression of the network from several political leaders, especially the United States current president, Barack Obama.

When Barack Obama was running for president, he did interviews with every news station. Once he was elected as president, he did an hour-long interview and explanation of his policies for the American people. ABC, CBs, NBC, and CNN were allowed to interview the president on his policies. Fox was denied the right. Anita Dunn, the White House Communication Director stated, “Fox is opinion journalism masquerading as news,” (USA Today 11a). Fox is known for having a conservative bias, however; the news is more for entertainment. While shows like The Daily Show and Cobert Report, which have a liberal bias, put entertainment first and then news, Fox New Channel puts news first then entertainment. This influences the people to believe that it is a reliable news source, while the channel is entertaining the people by preaching an extremely conservative viewpoint. The following clip demonstrates the extremes of editing Fox News will use in order to show a conservative viewpoint.

The video clearly shows that the majority of the room raised their hands in favor of Obama over McCain. However, the news anchor states “See it’s split. A little heavier towards Obama in the room at the moment. And that’s why northeastern Pennsylvania is a battle ground area and a battle round state.” The whole room raised their hands for Obama, besides one man, whose wife pulled his arm down. The room was not split in half, but Fox News was not willing to admit defeat. Needless to say, Pennsylvania was not a battle ground states. Obama won the state by over a million votes. Fox has a distinctive conservative spin on the news that is unlike any other network on cable news.

All three stations have some form of bias. CNN is moderately to the left, MSNBC is significantly left winged, and FNC is extremely conservative. These biases cause a difficulty for society to find the concrete news. Newspapers do not have a hardship with informing individuals the news and keeping the opinions in the editorial section. An article in USA Today states, “Some of our biggest newspapers have strong partisan political perspectives- the liberal New York times and Washington Press and the conservative Wall Street Journal. But they keep their views on the opinion pages,” (USA Today 11a). Television and newspapers are two very different mediums. Writing allows the author to analyze and think about the message that is being said, however; anchors on news stations have a prompt, often emotions and freedom of speech can be hazardous and cause a bias. Individuals are becoming more aware of the news bias, and because of this are finding new ways to find the news, blogs.

The Internet is a growing medium that has changed the communication world forever. The number of people using the Internet grows every day. It is accessible for majority of people around the world and easy to understand. The individual is spending more time on the Internet today then ever before. The average person is spending about twenty-six hours a month on the Internet (Weinberg #4) that is a little less than an hour a day. In this time, the population is visiting blogs like Perez Hilton. Perez Hilton is a blogger based out of Los Angeles, CA. He shares celebrity and political news. He also shares his opinion on about everything. Matthew A. Baum and Tim Groeling, performed a study to find out why the use of blogs have increased. They state, “Many other internet outlets- including but not limited to, blogs- are overtly niche-oriented seeking to attract a smaller but more loyal, segment of the overall audience,” (Baum and Groeling 347). Perez Hilton appeals to a specific group of people. His audience is primarily female sixteen to twenty-five year olds. Perez is also openly gay and a gay activist, thus his audience is also gay men and women.

http://perezhilton.com/2009-12-09-uganda-proposes-death-penalty-for-gays

He includes quotes from the article he read but he also injects his own opinions and views into the story. He asks questions in the middle of the story like, “Oh, really????” The punctuation causes the readers attention to immediately go to that. From this, it is obvious that Perez has an issue with Uganda’s new death penalty legislation, however; his audience has grown significantly and is loyal to his blog; thus, Perez Hilton has power in the news media arena.

The increase in Internet use is causing a new term to be use. The term is integrators. The People’s Press defines integrators as, “get the news from both traditional sources and the Internet, are a more engaged, sophisticated and demographically sought-after audience segment than those who mostly rely on traditional news sources,” (1). Integrators are intelligent individuals who rely on television for news, however; do spend a great amount of time with finding news on the Internet. They use more than one media outlet in order to find the news. This is key for every individual with the new influence of the Internet and blogs.

This major evolution between television and Internet news can be see through the 2008 election. Andrew Kohut directed a survey and found, “A solid majority of voters (59%) say they have sought out election content online or had some type of online communication about the campaign. Younger voters and Democrats are outpacing older voters and Republicans in suing the Internet for campaign information and activity,” (Kohut 4). The Internet and blogging are changing the information world. Individuals are having more outlets to find information, and thus are able to logical decide what really happened in the news.

It is imperative for individuals not to rely on one news source. In order to have a well-rounded, informative, knowledge of the world, one needs to have multiple news sources. This way the individual can highlight the biases and realize the facts and opinions. McLuhan states, “Yet, while stepping into a newspaper is inevitable… stepping back from it, to perceive it as an environment, is indispensable to understanding its power and its effect,” (Gordon 16). Society cannot believe everything they hear. News is full of bias that leads the people into a misinterpretation of the actual events. The key to solve this problem is for individuals to go out and find news themselves. Groucho Marx once said, “Are you going to believe me, or what you see with your own eyes.” If one wants to find the news and the truth, it is imperative for the individual to investigate and find the truth.

Works Cited

Baum, Matthew A., and Tim Groeling. “New Media and the Polarization of American

Political Discourse.” Political Communication; Oct2008, Vol. 25 Issue 4, p345-365, 21p, 4 charts, 2 graphs 25.4 (2008): 345-65. Academic Search Premiere. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. <http://flagship.luc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=35484161&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live”>.

“CNN -.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2009.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN>.

“Fox News Channel -.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2009.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_Channel>.

Gordon, W. Terrence. McLuhan for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary

Comic Book, 82). New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Print.

“Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources.” The Pew Research

Center for People and the Press. 17 Aug. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.

Kohut, Andrew. “More Than a Quarter of Voters Read Political Blogs LIBERAL DEMS

TOP CONSERVATIVE REPS IN DONATIONS, ACTIVISM.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 23 Oct. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.

“MSNBC -.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2009.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSNBC>.

Neuharth, Al. “Why Fox will outfox an ill-advised Obama.” USA Today [Washington

D.C.] 30 Oct. 2009: 11a. Print.

Last Blog

I thought Weinberg number five was an excellent way to end the class. It brought everything together and highlighted the main theme of the class. Weinberg states, “My premise is that the on-screen images are deliberately generated to have a life of their own: sound and pictures that flash us to other images and pictures that are directly connected to feelings, perceptions of the world, and to behavior. In these pages, I am trying to use my singular experience and history to provide a perspective you’re not likely to get any where else.” Through out the semester we all watched and analyzed independent films We thought about what makes independent film “independent”. We investigated what made independent film different from corporate film making and how this system is developing. Independent film is on the up swing right now with films like Juno, Paranormal Activity, and Bruno, leading the box offices and setting new records. However, the premise of the class was not just independent film rather there was an emphasis on us as individuals who are part of society to go and make our own films. This was displayed through Weinberg’s stories and his own personal experience. One does not need a lot of money, corporate support, or a large audience to make a difference in the independent film world. The independent film world is driven by individuals willing to take the risk of telling a story that has not been told.
Weinberg continues stating, “We wanted to change it for the better. This is in distinct contrast to ‘regular,’ commercial TV where selling ads, eyeballs and enhancing corporate bottom line was the only goal.” The only way to make a change is to go out into the world and try to do it. Individuals hold the power. This can be done through film. The only way for society to achieve a non-bias news system is if the people of the society go out and try to find the news themselves. This has been preached to us week after week in class. I really enjoyed Weinberg number 5. It put all the messages in class together and emphasized the individuals responsibility to society. I also enjoyed and Tom said that this was not a scholarly work but rather a memoir. The best way for someone to learn is from understanding history and other people’s experiences. I think that is the best way for someone to go about trying to teach another.

Video File
This week I watched Run Lola Run. I actually watched this movie when I was younger with my older sisters, but decided to rewatch it. The film is about a young girl, Lola, whose boyfriend loses 100,000 DM on the subway. Lola has twenty minutes to find a way to raise the money before her boyfriend robs a store for the money. The story has three different possibilities to what will happen if she gets the money, does not get the money, or gets the money but not in time. The film is written and directed by Tom Tykwer. It was produced and distributed by X-Filme Creative Pool. I screened the film in my house. The average viewer will see a film that is interesting and done in a completely different way. I enjoyed the film because it does not show just a happy ending, rather it shows the three possibilities that could happen. The viewers gets to decide what kind of an ending the film will have, in a way.

November 16th

In Weinberg number four, Weinberg states, “In my lifetime, we have gone from a ‘Television Society’ to a ‘YouTube Era’. It is a genuinely new media world. As for independent film and video, were just starting to understand what it means and will mean.” The creation of YouTube was the beginning of an evolution that has changed society forever. Now every individual has the capability of achieve “five minutes of fame.” However, this may not be the best for society. Individuals are spending more time on the Internet, especially on sites like YouTube than ever before. People are able to communicate in a different and more affective way then any other time in history. This allows individuals to share stories, events, and traditions from their societies to other individuals across the world. This is an epic change to the world. It furthers globalization at a more rapid speed than any other tool. The use of film is a different and can be more affective way to share thoughts and ideas. The audience is able to really see the emotion and ramification certain events cause to a society. For example, on MediaBurn, individuals are able to investigate historic events and see how the event changed the world in a non-bias way. This is unlike any other source for news. The message could have a bias depending on the individual, however; if the film is primarily just the event going on, one can make his or her own connections and analyze the impact in one certain way.

Sites like YouTube and MediaBurn have proven McLuhan’s theory correct. McLuhan believes in the global village. He states, “The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.” The global village connects individuals in a world that is entirely on the Internet. The Internet is special because it is available for almost any individual. Societies are skipping steps in the technology evolution and moving right to the Internet. This is possible because of the excessiveness of the Internet. Developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America all have some form of access to the Internet. It will be interesting to see how this furthers our understandings of each other and more importantly the affects it will have on the world.

Video File

This week, I watched Little MIss Sunshine (2006). It was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Michael Arndt. This is another film produced by Big Beach Films. It was later picked up by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Away We Go, Sunshine Cleaning, and Little Miss Sunshine were all produced by Big Beach Films. The audience would view this film as a story about a dysfunctional family. For me, it appears that Big Beach Films produces films that are coming to age and about dysfunctional families.

November 9th

I was researching more on McLuhan. I feel like the man is similar to Thomas Jefferson, they both have an opinion on everything and have said some interesting things. McLuhan once said, “American youth attributes much more importance to arriving at driver’s license age than at voting age.” Personally, I was excited for both, maybe more so to vote, but I’m a different case. My little brother and his friends are just starting to turn sixteen. This quote made me become nostalgic and think about the three times it took me to pass my driver’s test, when my parents gave me the keys to my first car, and that feeling of driving myself to school for the first time. It was a form of independence, an independence that every high school junior is craving. Then, I started thinking about May. I’m graduating from college and expected to find a job. I will officially be independent and have no support from my parents. While being a junior in high school, the little taste of freedom was refreshing and left you craving for more so you go far away for school. May scares me. The unemployment rate is at an all time high of 10.2%, the economy is never going to bottom out, and I’m graduating with a political science and sociology majors and a communications minor.

Two of my sisters live in California. California has the fifth largest economy in the world and the state is unable to balance a budget. My oldest sister works for the state and her job is constantly renegotiated every three months. The state government is even considering to revise the state constitution in a constitutional convention. This has not been done since the state became a state. This is huge, breaking news. But, I have not heard anything about it on the news or internet, besides the random clipping my sister will send via e-mail. Professor Weinberg talks about how he used to go to political conventions and shoot footage that the average individual would not see on the big news channels. In a way, he was providing the truth for the people. It was a complete nonbias news source. He realized that some big changes were happening in the political arena and investigated it. This is not being done in California. Maybe the American youth has become more materialistic. Maybe everyone is more concerned with having the new designer bag, brand new car, and nose job, however; if the youth does not become involved the future of the country is dark.

I agree with McLuhan. I find myself and my siblings becoming more concerned with the material things as well as turning 16 rather than 18. This out look on life needs to change. Individuals needs to become concerned with the future of the country. What is going on in California could trickle down to every state in the union. This is an issue that needs to be highlighted but is not. The youth needs to become more like Weinberg and invade the political arena demanding the truth, of course in a polite way.

Video File

This week, I went searching for a comfort movie, and for me that film is Juno (2007). Juno is one independent film that exploded once it entered the major cinema world. The film was directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. This film is another coming of age story, but with a twist. The audience would probably view this film as a story about a girl, who got pregnant, and dealt with the situation in a mature way. For me, the interesting part of this film, was to follow the controversy behind it. Because Juno gets pregnant but does not get an abortion, the pro-life and right winged conservatives, had a difficult time agruing that the film was inappropriate for teens. The film gave the average teen another option, adoption, which is not usually dipicted in films.

November 2nd

In my contemporary political theory class, we are currently discussing Hannah Arendts’ The Human Condition. Our discussion lead to the importance of history and making things part of history, through archives, libraries, and records. My professor made the claim, “The future will know more about the people of the twentieth century then they will know about the twenty-first century.” He continued to inform us that he used to work in archive, and that if we evolve to not having paper that archives will not be able to exist, thus, our portion of society will be lost forever.

This week in class, we discussed Weinberg #4. Weinberg discusses the idea of websites like YouTube and MediaBurn and the overall affects on society. The discussion lead us to the conclusion that if one wants to be educated they need as may primary sources, i.e. raw footage, as possible. Websites like YouTube and MediaBurn facilitate this process. The average individual can access several prime sources by using these websites. Weinberg stated, “The more primary sources, the more one can understand.” The internet is a global way for individuals to become educated. The sources and information are available for any one’s use.

I disagree with my professors claim that the internet and technology will hurt the future of society. I think it will only help. Now the future has the right to see any film footage etc. Film shows raw human emotions in a different way then writing. Both can be analyzed and interpreted in many ways, however; film can show the exact emotion and feelings each person has. The way of archiving and the tools one can use are evolving.

My oldest sister is an archivist at San Diego State University. I asked her about what she thought of my professors argument. She explained that archives not contain not only a paper record, but also a media record. Film and pictures are preserved so that the future can also benefit. She used Barack Obama as an example. She said that archives will probably not have letters or correspondence between Barack Obama and his wife, like they do for Napoleon and other world leaders. The archives and sites like YouTube and MediaBurn will have raw footage of his presidency, his speeches, and every aspect of his political career, which in a way is more beneficial then his relationship with his wife.

I agree with Professor Weinberg. MediaBurn and YouTube are imperative for today’s society as well as the future. The way history is being stored is changing and in the long run will benefit the whole.

Video File

This week, I watched the film (500) Days of Summer (2009). I screened it at the Landmark Theater in Lincoln Park. The film was directed by Marc Webb and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. The film is shot in an interesting way. The story does not take place in order, rather it makes the audience’s go on an emotional roller coaster. The film is portrayed to be a romantic comedy, however; it’s the farthest from that. The film displays the truth about love and the fact that it does not always work out.

October 23rd

I live with six other people off campus, and one of the six just caught swine flu; thus, I went back to Wisconsin for the weekend. I did a video file on the film Away We Go. I also planned on doing my presentation on this film and was watching it for the tenth time with my mother on my friday night. I was looking over the film’s IMDB page, trying to figure out what company produced and released it. It’s a company by the name of Big Beach. I know absolutely nothing about productions companies. A few names could ring bells but as far as what the company does… I do not have a clue what they do exactly.

So I decided to look into Big Beach production. The company is located in New York and was founded in 2004. The company’s website states, “Big Beach is a New York-based company that produces and finances independent feature films and documentaries. The mission of Big Beach is to produce intelligent, entertaining films that are life affirming, meaningful and memorable.” Interesting. This opening paragraph threw me for a loop. I continued looking on the website to see what movies they had produced and financed. The two big movies that stood out are Little Miss Sunshine and Sunshine Cleaning. Both movies did well in the box office and were nominated for several awards. the mission of the company is to produce and finance independent films… but if there is a corporation behind the a film doesn’t that not make it independent?

This company, in a way, is changing the way independent film is made. All that is needed is an idea, a vision, Big Beach will help some one take care of everything else. This idea made me go back to think about Tom’s Video #2 “There’s No Business Like Show Business”.  Through out the semester, I have gotten the impression that independent film is called independent because it is literally independent. Production does not rely on corporate America, or even making a profit. Individuals are making this film because they feel like the message is important and should be shared with the rest of the world. Companies like Big Beach are facilitating the process of making a film, however; they are destroying the beauty of independent film. In a way, independent film has avoided the burn of media, but once corporate America gets involved, media burn will be in every aspect of film.

I asked my friend Shaun, who was a film major in college and now a manager of my neighborhood Blockbuster, if he would consider Away We Go, Little Miss Sunshine, and Sunshine Cleaning independent films. He explained that they are on the cusp of independent film and mainstream Hollywood. All three have the feel of an independent film but overall, they were produced by a growing production company. Big Beach is developing a new kind of film, pseudo-independent film, however; if this trend catches on the future of independent film is questionable.

 

Video File

This week, I watched the film Sunshine Cleaning (2008). It was directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley. I screened the film at my friend’s apartment. Once again, it’s a different type of coming to age film. The main characters are older (late 20s early 30s) and are still trying to figure everything out. This film tackled a major category of film, the coming to age story, in a different and unique way, that should be appreciated through out the film world.

October 19th

In Professor Weinberg’s first article, he states, “To use video as a tool to reflect the world as we experience it, in order to change it for the better.” The typical person views video, movies, or television as a form of entertainment.  I’ve always been that type of person. For the most part, I viewed film and television as a way to escape the real world and to throw yourself into someone else’s life, problems, and story. But that is not always the case. Film formulates an argument and analyzes examples and proof of the argument until the end of the film when the viewer understands the argument. It is very similar to writing a paper for any class, only you do not write down your ideas and argument, rather you show it.  A film or television show can easily change the world like any book or philosophy. For example, this year’s winner of best movie at the academy awards was Slumdog Millionaire. The movie highlighted the difficult and dangerous childhood children have in the slums of India. The movie has caused a movement in some way to make sure that children in India are provided for. India, the country itself, is making changes, as well as several charities around the world are facilitating the process. Television shows have also changed the American populace. Survivor was the first reality television show in the United States. Now, majority of shows are “reality”. Has the show really changed the world for the better? That’s debatable. But it has changed the television business as a whole.

All of these things can be related back to Italian neorealism. Italian neo-realism was when individuals began taking the camera to the streets. A filmmaker would not use professional actors and told stories of the middle and lower classes of society. The filmmakers displayed a story that was overlooked but needed to be told. By doing this, this films changed the world. This is similar to boy Slumdog Millionaire and  Survivor. They both portrayed a story that was not often told and overlooked, and in the end changed the world for the better.

Video File

This week, I watched the film Garden State. It’s one of my favorite from high school. It was released in 2004, and was directed and written by Zach Braff. I screened it at my apartment, but the first time I saw it was at a movie theater in Milwaukee. The target audience would be the 18-30 age range and view the film as a coming to age film. I enjoyed the film because it made me think of how I would act if I was in the main characters situation.

September 28, 2009

“Many (including me) say that the juggernaut of consolidation of media must be stopped and reversed in order to assure the best chance for freedom of expression, particularly by “independents,” whose voices and visions keep getting less accessible to large audiences.”– Tom Weinberg, The Biz

I agree with this. Television is a relatively new media that can be used to express one’s opinions. This outlet should be open for any one to use. When major corporations take interest in television, they treat the outlet like a business. The main goal for a business is to make money. In order to this, the corporation will take complete control of the outlet and profit on every aspect of it. This should not be the case when it comes to the freedom of expression. The freedom of expression is an explicit right given to every American by the first amendment. This right needs to be protected by the government and the people. The main problem with major corporations taking interest in the television business is that they begin to monopolize the industry. The average person is not able to compete with a major corporation.

What I find interesting is that this point of view is usually one who identifies with the democratic party. This does not make sense. Yes, liberals are more inclined to protect individual rights to expression, but in a business sense shouldn’t the republican party be concerned with the protection of small businesses. The television business is monopolized by four or five major corporations. This needs to be stopped, not only for the freedom of expression, but because of capitalism. Capitalism only works when there is competition in every aspect of the economy. If the television market is dominated by four or five corporations, the market can not grow, and thus, the American people suffer. Every person should want the industry to be protected from having four or five companies dominate any market.

Video File

Tom Weinberg Video for Silver Circle Award June 15, 2004

The primary producer and editor is Joel Cohen and the film is made of segments of videos by Tom Weinberg. I screened the film on mediaburn.org. The film was made up of the best of Tom Weinberg’s films. The editing was very smooth. The target audience would be the board that is deciding the recipient of the award. I don’t think a “regular” viewer would see this because the target audience is someone who knows about film, but if a “regular” person did see this, he or she would see the accomplishments of Weinberg’s career. I searched on mediaburn.org the world “politics” and this was one of the first results. I really enjoyed the montage. I was able to see the type of career Professor Weinberg had, which was interesting and different from hearing about it in class because I actually got to see his work.

Link below:

http://www.mediaburn.org/Video-Preview.128.0.html?&uid=5713

September 21, 2009

In class this week we watched some very interesting videos. They appeared to be creations that we cheaply done, however; every film made was ground breaking in some way. The dancing video was the first time some one danced over a green screen. The other video had crazy color combination background, that was very 70′s and the first time it was ever used. In class Professor Coffman made a comment that to us (the students) the videos probably reminded us of something we saw on YouTube. I would completely agree with that, especially the dancing video. It just reminded me of something that my best friend from high school would send me, which would lead to me spending the whole night laughing my head off, and then showing it to my six other roommates. The idea, however; at the time and the actual act of making a film like that was completely ground breaking. These videos are the building blocks to what we have today on YouTube. These type of films can be made easily and by any one on their computer, cell phone, or even ipod.

Video File

Vito Marzullo Raw #11 January 1, 1978

The primary producer and director is Tom Weinberg. I screened it on mediaburn.org. It’s filmed in a really dark area. You can not really see Marzullo’s face. The target audience would be any one interested in politics, specifically Chicago politics. A “regular” viewer would probably view this film as confusing and very dark. I liked this film because one was able to witness one variable in the Chicago political machine and the effects that person’s views and opinions have on the city.

Below is the link to the video:

http://www.mediaburn.org/Video-Preview.128.0.html?&uid=2348

September 14, 2009

In class this week we watched the film Medium Cool. The director mixed real life footage with the scenes from the movie. He even went as far as shooting some films during the actually democratic rally. I really enjoyed this movie. It showed the way society had been evolving and how it should really think about how it had changed. In the beginning of the film, it opens with the main character filming a car accident. He does not call an ambulance or anything; rather he films the necessary footage for the news. The movie ends with the main character getting in a car accident and a car driving past, not calling an ambulance, but rather filming the accident. Individuals in society were no longer trying to help each other. They are simply trying to get the right shot for the news. Everyone has the right to know everything but when does that cross the line and one should be involved and help? I was reading about the movie on imdb.com and the tagline for the film is: Beyond the age of innocence… into the age of awareness. Cameras are everywhere. Everything can be documented. There is no longer a way for the individual to be innocent. He or she is able to know about anything at any time he or she wants. Society transforms into being aware, however; the society needs to realize that it cannot only be aware. Individuals still need to care for each other.  I really enjoyed the movie. I liked how he used both real footage and movie shots. I like how it was filmed and the overall message of the film.

Video File

Away We Go 2009

It was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. I think its an independent film because of the way it was shot and the overall feel of the movie. I watched it at my friend’s apartment. It was split into four different mini stories of their travels. The director really showed the different places that they went and how the atmosphere and people there changed their lives. The target audience is probably 18-28 year olds. A “regular” viewer would probably see this movie as a coming to age film, the characters are unexpected parents and are trying to figure out how to be good parents. I liked the film because I’ve never seen a film that compared four different locations that one might think would be similar but are completely different at the same time.