Media Ownership

Comments about Media Ownership in North America

Whoever controls the media -- the images -- controls the culture.
Allen Ginsberg, poet and author

At this late stage, media companies have grown so large and powerful, and their dominance has become so detrimental ... that there remains only one alternative: bust up the big conglomerates.  ... We've done this before: to railroad trusts in the first part of  the 20th century, to Ma Bell more recently. Politically, big media may be on the wrong side of history.
Ted Turner, Time Warner board member and Turner Broadcasting System/CNN founder, in an article for Washington Monthly

Global media will be and is fast becoming the predominant business of the 21st century...more important than government. It's more important than educational institutions and non-profits. 
Gerald Levin, former CEO of Time Warner

A flawed media, I suggest, leads to a flawed democracy. Ill-informed citizens cannot make proper judgments about their leaders' actions, about the actions that take place in their names, about the laws that govern them. The media matter.
Distinguished former BBC news anchor, foreign correspondent and journalist Michael Buerk speaking to students at Ryerson University, Toronto

Quotes are from here.

Celebrating Canadians in Entertainment

We have spent some time looking at Canadian content and also focused on some entertainers, both in Canada and south of the border. Now you are assigned a project where you can select any Canadian entertainer (actor, musician, comedian, etc.) and explore their life and how they represent Canada. They can be entertaining in Canada, USA, overseas, etc. They can also be someone who has moved elsewhere, but still is identified as Canadian.

Use Google Slides in Google Drive or PowerPoint in Office 365 to complete this assignment.  Make sure to use around 16-20 pt font size in Google Slides so your text is easy to read. Below is the outline you should follow, how you will be assessed and a sample you can use as a guide. Don't forget to share your assignment with the teacher. 

CLICK HERE for a list of some Canadian entertainers. 

It's Canada, eh?

Perspectives on Canada and Canadian Content: 

Seeing ourselves through other eyes

We will be celebrating National Canadian Film Day on April 16 by looking at Canadian content. Today we will look at the perspectives/viewpoints from media that is created by other countries and how they portray what it means to be a Canadian. 

You will need to make a copy of the worksheet if you are not doing this as a class activity - CLICK HERE. As you do the activities below, make sure to answer the corresponding questions on the worksheet. 

When completed, don't forget to share the worksheet with your teacher at allancarterspace@gmail.com. 

SUGGESTION: You should watch each video at least twice. They are short videos and viewing them more than once should help you answer the questions as you consider each video's message, design and purpose. 

Exploring Codes of Gender in Advertisements

Source

We explored the documentary, The Codes of Gender. Now you will apply what you learned from the documentary to some advertisements.

Find three advertisements that include men and/or women in them. They can be traditional print advertisements that we would find in magazines. They could also be video advertisements. You can also have a mix of different types.

• In a slide show, include the three advertisements you found (or a link to them - always test your links to make sure they work). Also include links to cite your sources.
• Then determine how many codes are in the advertisements (see below for a review of the codes). Identify each code and briefly explain how the code is used. (NOTE: There are several examples given for each code. Keep in mind not all the examples have to be present to be the code). 
• Write a concise conclusion and identify/discuss which codes were used the most and what characteristics of "real men" and "real women" are being displayed. Consider also how this type of advertisement can "trap" us, as the viewer and consumer, in these cultural codes or characteristics.  
• Alternatively, you can select advertisements that challenge these codes and are critical of them. Again, make sure to identify each code and what characteristics they are challenging (or possibly satirizing). Also do not forget to complete your conclusion. 
• CLICK HERE to see an example of one advertisement which you can use as a guide. This example does NOT include the conclusion that you will do after exploring your three advertisements. 
• Don't forget to share your assignment in Google to: allancarterspace@gmail.com or Microsoft to: allan.carter@nbed.nb.ca
• If you need any help or have any questions, ask the teacher or discuss it with another student. 

Review of Codes:

• The Feminine Touch - (female hands shown as weak, cradling positions - women touching or holding themselves, tracing, caressing; male hands as powerful and assertive) 
• The Ritualization of Subordination - Women are lying down, submissive, sexual availability, head cant, bashful knee bend - to be looked at. Men are shown with face down, eyes trained upward - watching.
• Licensed Withdrawal - Women shown as withdrawn, spaced-out, asleep/dead, helpless, seeking - or protected - by men. Men are shown as active and in control. 
• Infantilization - Grown women look like little girls, childlike poses, anxious, shy, finger(s) in mouth, lying in fetal position, hiding behind objects.
• The Codes of Masculinity - Power, confidence, control, intimidation, independent and active. Upright positions, direct gaze. 

Searching for Advertisement Examples:

• Ads of the World is a possible site. 
• Both Diesel and Guess have created advertisements that would work well for this assignment. 
• You can also do Google image searches. 
• Using print advertisements with copyright for the purpose of education and review should fall under fair dealing in Canada. 
• Always include a link to your source (a direct link - not a Google search results link).  

Rubric 

• There are fewer than three grammatical errors or sentence structure issues in the entry.
• The ads are solid examples and the codes of gender are clearly defined and discussed.
• The assignment includes a concise and effective conclusion. 
• The required number of ads have been completed and the links are available and sources are cited.

Video Assignment: Technical Codes and Conventions

You will create a video where you will explore 8 (eight) different codes or conventions. You will use the codes and conventions that you gathered from the previous assignment. You will also receive some handouts in class.

Consider telling a little story as you explore your selected codes and conventions. The examples below give an idea on how you might do that.

 Click here to access the assessment rubric that will be used to evaluate the assignment. This rubric will also be used for peer and self assessment where you can make any final revisions before the evaluation.

ALSO: For a text to speech option click here. 

Techniques and Technical Terms

Photo by Bruno Massao from Pexels

Much of the meaning of video, whether it be in film, television or on the Internet, is created by how the camera is used. Additionally, meaning is created by the way a video shot is composed and framed. Camera work is, essentially, an art.

When you combine camera shots with music, sound, lighting and editing, it is clear that filmmakers have 

to make many decisions when telling the story.

This assignment involves becoming familiar with the different video techniques and technical terms and why and how they are used. Below is a list of the different terms and some links that will help you understand them better.

Define what each term is in a one or two sentence definition and explain, where applicable, why it is used (the effect it can have).

Sign into Google Drive and click here to access the worksheet for this assignment. Make sure to make a copy of the worksheet for your own use.

Or you can create your own chart, make sure to have the three sections for each term:

1. The technique or term
2. Definition
3. Why it is used (effect)

When completing the assignment use the sites below to help you gather the information you need. This assignment is a small part of a larger project where you will create your own video.

The Medium is the Message...

Original photo from morguefile.com

Canadian Educator Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) is well known for his idea that the "medium is the message."

In others words, the method of how something is shared with others should be the focus of study, not the actual content. The way something is delivered (the medium) affects a society just by its characteristics, not only by the message it carries.

Click here to watch the video created by Historica Canada. Also read the information provided on that site about Marshall McLuhan and his insights on how technologies affect our lives.

iPod discussion and videos.
Classroom Discussion and Activity

ASSIGNMENT: CLICK HERE to access a copy of the assignment.  

ASSESSMENT: Click here to see the assessment rubric.

Suggested online sources to help you complete the assignment

The Drum

Mashable

Wired

TechNewsWorld

The Next Web

ExtremeTech

MediaLens

OnTheMedia

Adage

Adweek