I was surprised to read about the concept of femme fatale in Cynthia Carter’s Violence and the Media. Carter says this character, an evil, lethal woman, came about in the 1940s.
I guess I’m surprised she has been around so long. I think of characters from Kill Bill, where women are pure evil and deadly. I think those characters usually end up as weak fillers with little depth. If it has been around that long, you would think someone would develop something a little more interesting.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Iraq War
It’s not a question whether or not television is a good medium for news—it spreads information relatively quickly and can show more emotional aspects of situations.
However, sometimes the news feels a little like entertainment. I watch movies about war and soldiers and bombings—then I can tune into the news and watch the U.S. bomb Iraq. Reporters were in a frenzy during the initial stages of the Iraq War in 2003.
This morning, Iraqi officials reported the death of at least 10 civilians. Up to 52 civilians were injured. I know this is a gritty side of things, but unless I looked at pictures of mourners online, this story wouldn’t be real to me. Why give Americans a show with the bombing but keep the ugly aspects of war comfortably vague?
However, sometimes the news feels a little like entertainment. I watch movies about war and soldiers and bombings—then I can tune into the news and watch the U.S. bomb Iraq. Reporters were in a frenzy during the initial stages of the Iraq War in 2003.
This morning, Iraqi officials reported the death of at least 10 civilians. Up to 52 civilians were injured. I know this is a gritty side of things, but unless I looked at pictures of mourners online, this story wouldn’t be real to me. Why give Americans a show with the bombing but keep the ugly aspects of war comfortably vague?
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Frank Sesno at SMU
CNN correspondent Frank Sesno spoke to SMU students about media ethics at the Sammons Media Ethics Lecture last Wednesday. After 25 years in the news business, Sesno provided some sound advise for future journalists. The journalism field is ever changing—that involves making informed and often difficult decisions.
One issue Sesno discussed really resonated with me. He pointed out that it’s easy to get caught up in a “media popularity contest” with other media outlets, where competition for ratings rule the industry. I’ve noticed a heightened competition between cable networks the past few years, and it only seems to be getting worse.
For example, Fox News Channel commentator Bill O’Rielly, of “The O’Rielly Factor,” opens every show with the mantra, “the most-watched program on cable news.” I realize that journalism, like anything else, is a business, but the competition between channels seems ridiculous. It’s having an impact on the quality of news as well.
Not only are all the channels blurring into one, but the news content has changed a lot. Just this weekend, I’ve seen so much about Anna Nicole Smith’s ex boyfriend’s alleged boyfriend, I thought I would lose it. It’s a slightly more adult version of tabloids, and I never want to hear about it again. Unfortunately, I know I most likely will hear about it again and again if I tune into any major news station (even local news!).
I want facts—I’m tired of pretty news correspondents and fluffy news. Yet, there seems to be a growing trend of news becoming just as superficial as the rest of the media.
This issue leads to the question that begs to be asked: Who’s setting the agenda? Can I naively hope it’s the peoples’ interests? Or, is it the media corporation’s who fight for higher ratings?
Sesno recognized another agenda setter with more subtle influences—political parties. He lost an interview with President Reagan because he refused to allow the administration to dictate what the kind of questions he asked.
So, while it’s hard to know exactly which group dictates the obvious shifts in mainstream news media, the only think I can do is stay strict and remain critical.
One issue Sesno discussed really resonated with me. He pointed out that it’s easy to get caught up in a “media popularity contest” with other media outlets, where competition for ratings rule the industry. I’ve noticed a heightened competition between cable networks the past few years, and it only seems to be getting worse.
For example, Fox News Channel commentator Bill O’Rielly, of “The O’Rielly Factor,” opens every show with the mantra, “the most-watched program on cable news.” I realize that journalism, like anything else, is a business, but the competition between channels seems ridiculous. It’s having an impact on the quality of news as well.
Not only are all the channels blurring into one, but the news content has changed a lot. Just this weekend, I’ve seen so much about Anna Nicole Smith’s ex boyfriend’s alleged boyfriend, I thought I would lose it. It’s a slightly more adult version of tabloids, and I never want to hear about it again. Unfortunately, I know I most likely will hear about it again and again if I tune into any major news station (even local news!).
I want facts—I’m tired of pretty news correspondents and fluffy news. Yet, there seems to be a growing trend of news becoming just as superficial as the rest of the media.
This issue leads to the question that begs to be asked: Who’s setting the agenda? Can I naively hope it’s the peoples’ interests? Or, is it the media corporation’s who fight for higher ratings?
Sesno recognized another agenda setter with more subtle influences—political parties. He lost an interview with President Reagan because he refused to allow the administration to dictate what the kind of questions he asked.
So, while it’s hard to know exactly which group dictates the obvious shifts in mainstream news media, the only think I can do is stay strict and remain critical.
Desensitized
I have a pathetic reaction to violence. Certain themes or emotions in movies make me very uncomfortable but violence just isn’t one of them.
So, I guess I’m a proof that a cumulative effect exists—just not in the sense one might think. I know repeatedly viewing media violence should increase my own violent behavior, but it increases my desensitization to violence.
I can watch a grisly movie or real news and my reaction is pretty similar. It’s sad how numb I’ve become. It’s been so long since I’ve witnessed actual violence, so maybe that’s added to distancing myself from it on TV.
So, I guess I’m a proof that a cumulative effect exists—just not in the sense one might think. I know repeatedly viewing media violence should increase my own violent behavior, but it increases my desensitization to violence.
I can watch a grisly movie or real news and my reaction is pretty similar. It’s sad how numb I’ve become. It’s been so long since I’ve witnessed actual violence, so maybe that’s added to distancing myself from it on TV.
Heat attack
A more dramatic effect media violence has had on me occurred in high school. I saw 21 Grams, a movie involving a woman (Naomi Watts) whose husband and kids die in a car accident and a man with a hear condition (Sean Penn), who dies at the end of the movie. Nothing about the movie is overtly violent but the undercurrents of the movie were.
I don’t know why, but I left this movie very disturbed. First of all, I have weird hear moments where it skips a beat—which happened multiple times during the movie, so that bothered me. (Especially sine the guy dies of a heart attack!)
When I was driving home, my arms and legs went numb—I pulled over on the highway and made my friend take me to the hospital. I truly believed I was having a heart attack. After calling my dad, who is a doctor, he told me to come home. Turns out, I hyperventilated.
I blame the large coffee I drank and the fact that the movie and the conflicts seemed realistic, which is proven to inspire fear in older children…or high school students.
I don’t know why, but I left this movie very disturbed. First of all, I have weird hear moments where it skips a beat—which happened multiple times during the movie, so that bothered me. (Especially sine the guy dies of a heart attack!)
When I was driving home, my arms and legs went numb—I pulled over on the highway and made my friend take me to the hospital. I truly believed I was having a heart attack. After calling my dad, who is a doctor, he told me to come home. Turns out, I hyperventilated.
I blame the large coffee I drank and the fact that the movie and the conflicts seemed realistic, which is proven to inspire fear in older children…or high school students.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Violent animals
Violence draws attention. Now, it’s not always obvious violence like a shooting or attack. A subtler variation was on National Geographic’ Dangerous Encounters. A scientist studying pythons entered a pitch-black cave filled with murky water. The scientists found the python, which proceeded to bite scientist Brady Barr. Those clips add excitement, so I guess violence sells.
Dillon Cossey
Another Columbine could’ve happened. Fourteen-year-old Dillon Cossey admitted he planned a shootout for Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania. Not only did he plan an act of violence, but his mother bought him the guns.
The whole situation is undoubtedly disturbing, but what surprised me most was Cossey’s possession of a video of the Columbine shooting.
This teen learned how to attack a school based from media coverage of an event. If people are learning violence from the news, maybe we should tone it down in the media.
The whole situation is undoubtedly disturbing, but what surprised me most was Cossey’s possession of a video of the Columbine shooting.
This teen learned how to attack a school based from media coverage of an event. If people are learning violence from the news, maybe we should tone it down in the media.
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