Mass Media 2005-2006 Annual

UNIT 1. Living With Media 1. A Defense of Reading, Marie Winn, The Plug-In Drug: Television, Computers, and Family Life, Penguin Books, 2002 In this chapter from the 25th anniversary edition of The Plug-In Drug, Marie Winn compares mental processes associated with reading and listening to the radio to those used when viewing television. 2. Parents or Pop Culture? Children's Heroes and Role Models, Kristin J. Anderson and Donna Cavallaro, Childhood Education, Spring 2002 Kristin J. Anderson and Donna Cavallaro report results of a survey of 179 children, ages 8 to 13, investigating the influence of media on choice of heroes and role models that influence identity. 3. Media Violence and the American Public: Scientific Facts Versus Media Misinformation, Brad J. Bushman and Craig A. Anderson, American Psychologist, June/July 2001 Over the past 50 years, news reports of the link between media violence and aggression have changed from claims of a weak link to a moderate link and back to a weak link. In this article, two Iowa State University researchers analyze statistical findings of scientific studies, and they conclude that the link, which has strengthened over time, is clearly a positive one. 4. The Whipping Boy, Jib Fowles, Reason, March 2001 Jib Fowles argues that the belief that television violence causes hostile behavior is "a whipping boy, a stand-in for other clashes, real or imagined." He sums up social conflicts that add to misdirected anti-television violence crusades. 5. Crime Scenes: Why Cop Shows Are Eternal, Lee Siegel, The New Republic, March 31, 2003 Cop shows appeal to the American promise of radical individualism, reflecting both contemporary social reality and timeless moral dilemmas. This article explores their roots in both westerns and medical dramas, tracing the evolution of the genre. 6. We're Not Losing the Culture Wars Anymore, Brian C. Anderson, City Journal, Autumn 2003 This article analyzes presence of conservative viewpoints in "non-liberal media" sources ranging from Fox News to Comedy Central to The Drudge Report and mainstream publishers. 7. Spirit TV: The Small Screen Takes on Eternity, Stephen Goode, The World & I, March 2003 Despite criticism to the contrary, Stephen Goode contends that television presents a broad range of spiritual content, inspiring viewers to ponder uplifting stories of faith, hope, and miracles. 8. The Triumph of the Image, Richard C. Wald, Columbia Journalism Review, November/December 2003 This article looks at narrowcasting effects of the growing number of media sources, compression of the news cycle, limited attention span, and the persuasive power of images in context of the 2004 election campaign. UNIT 2. Covering News 9. The Pentagon Is Fightingand Winningthe Public Relations War, Robert S. Pritchard, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), July 2003 This article provides an analysis of news coverage of the military conflict in Iraq, including historical context, perspectives on censorship in reporting from war zones, and embedded journalists. 10. Baghdad Urban Legends, Lori Robertson, American Journalism Review,Gorham, Joan is the author of 'Mass Media 2005-2006 Annual', published 0009 under ISBN 9780073217543 and ISBN 0073217549.