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This Fourteenth Edition of ANNUAL EDITIONS: MASS MEDIA 07/08 provides convenient, inexpensive access to current articles selected from the best of the public press. Organizational features include: an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites; an annotated table of contents; a topic guide; a general introduction; brief overviews for each section; a topical index; and an instructor’s resource guide with testing materials. USING ANNUAL EDITIONS IN THE CLASSROOM is offered as a practical guide for instructors. ANNUAL EDITIONS titles are supported by our student website, www.mhcls.com/online.
Unit 1 Living With Media
1. Off Course, Michael Massing, Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2005
Michael Massing discusses entertainment media, public concerns related to media effects on society, and his analysis of The New York Times’ reporting on media and popular culture.
2. Sixth Graders Take on Television: Media Literacy and Critical Attitudes of Television Violence, Erica Scharrer, Communication Research Reports, December 2005
This article reports results of a study on the effects of media literacy training on sixth graders’ attitudes toward media violence.
3. Parents Fret That Dialing Up Interferes with Growing Up, Mireya Navarro, The New York Times, October 23, 2005
Parents worry that hours spent with electronic media interfere with their children’s healthy lifestyles and developing face-to-face social skills. This article draws on reports by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
4. 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.
5. The Beauty of Simplicity, Linda Tischler, Fast Company, November 2005
How consumers use media is directly related to ease of use. This article looks at Google, the MIT Media Lab’s Simplicity Consortium, and Royal Phillips Electronics among case examples of achieving “the right balance between man and machine.”
6. Are Newspapers Doomed?, Joseph Epstein, Commentary, January 2006
Joseph Epstein provides statistics on newspaper readership and commentary on changing content, technology, and “the national attention span.”
7. The CSI Effect, Kit R. Roane, U.S. News & World Report, April 25, 2005
The popularity of television’s CSI and its spinoffs has influenced jury trials, where prosecutors report jurors expect conclusive forensic evidence beyond that yielded by most real cases. However, interest in fictionalized forensic science has also been associated with moves toward increased professionalism in forensic science practice and certification.Unit 2 Telling Stories
8. Images of War, Lori Robertson, American Journalism Review, October/November 2004
Photographs of war can be both disturbing and revealing, with potential to shape as well as report events. This article discusses gatekeeping choices and criticisms.
9. The News Media and the “Clash of Civilizations”, Philip Seib, Parameters, Winter 2004/2005
Drawing on Samuel Huntington's ”clash” theory, Philip Seib discusses news coverage of Islam—related issues, and how difficult it is for Americans to make knowledgeable judgments without better coverage of international news. The article also includes perspectives on the Arab news source Al-Jazeera.
10. Inside the Hero Factory, David Ansen, Newsweek, October 23, 2006
David Ansen’s review of the World War II movie, “Flags of Our Fathers” looks at the military and PR—“the practice of turning wartime exploits into convenient fictions” via media.
11. Re-Thinking Objectivity, Brent Cunningham, Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2003
In context of coverage of the Iraq war, Brent Cunningham analyzes the ideals of journalistic fairness and balance, and how news reporting is shaped by human perception and public relations spin.
12. Other Voices, Kiera Butler, Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2006
This article is about personal narrative radio. It focuses on StoryCorps, its low-tech focus on capturing personalized stories of ordinary people, and why mass media audiences are interested in them.
13. Rocketboom!, Paul Farhi, American Journalism Review, June/July 2006
Rocketboom is a videoblog, or vlog. It exemplifies the state of media “in the hands of people, not just the pros.” This article captures the quirky creativity and expanding reach of vlogs, and includes commentary on their effect on traditional journalism.
14. Journalism’s Backseat Drivers, Barb Palser, American Journalism Review, August/September 2005
Barb Palser explores the relationship between mainstream media and bloggers, including bloggers’ impact on mainstream journalists’ credibility as sources of feedback, and as sources of information.
15. Campaign Trail Veterans for Truth, Lori Robertson, American Journalism Review, December 2004/January 2005
Lori Robertson looks at aggressive fact-checking practices instituted during the 2004 Presidential campaign.
16. Myth-Making in New Orleans, Brian Thevenot, American Journalism Review, December 2005/January 2006
Brian Thevenot reflects on reporting news following hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Gatekeeping choices are framed in examples of second- and third-hand accounts, “official” information, race, and class.
17. Return of the Sob Sisters, Stephanie Shapiro, American Journalism Review, June/July 2006
This article analyzes the appeal of sad stories about fatal illnesses, agonizing moral decisions, accidents, and adversity. Such stories often run long and win awards. Differing views on their intent and effects are proposed.
18. Novel Takes on Climate Change, Nathan E. Hultman, Geotimes, June 2005
Two recent novels, Michael Crichton’s State of Fear and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Forty Signs of Rain, illustrate the pros and cons of using fiction to inform and persuade about risks and uncertainties of climate change.
19. Channeling History, Kevin Mattson, Dissent, Fall 2005
Kevin Mattson describes the History Channel as “the couch potato version of popular museums, reconstructed historical towns, and military reenactments.” In this article, he offers his views on “intellectual populism” fostered by cable and the Internet.
20. Wonderful Weeklies, Julia Cass, American Journalism Review, December 2005/Janaury 2006
Small-market media are frequently left out of analyses of mass media sources and audiences. Their role as local watchdogs and community voices has in rural areas been little affected by larger media trends.Unit 3 Players and Guides
21. Break Up This Band!, Ted Turner, Washington Monthly, July/August 2004
Ted Turner, founder of CNN and Chairman of Turner Enterprises, expresses his views on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership rules and consolidation of media companies.
22. Into the Great Wide Open, Jesse Sunenblick, Columbia Journalism Review, March/April 2005
This article focuses on the implications of spread spectrum technology on the structures of media organizations and on FCC regulations based on broadcast spectrum scarcity. Jesse Sunenblick explains the technology and speculates on the future of unlicensed radio.
23. Out of Thin Air, Daniel Schulman, Columbia Journalism Review, March/April 2006
A translator, or repeater, is a small device that receives and rebroadcasts a radio signal. This article is a story of “spectrum grab,” or how Clark Parrish worked the system to corner the market on FCC translator permits.
24. As Internet TV Aims at Niche Audiences, the Slivercast Is Born, Saul Hansell, The New York Times, March 12, 2006
Narrowcasting, aimed at small, niche audiences, came of age with cable. Slivercasting is a term coined to describe the further segmentation of Webcast audiences. This article provides examples of slivercast content and consumers.
25. A Movie Classic for a New Age, Karen Breslau and Daniel McGinn, Newsweek, October 17, 2005
This selection discusses the invention and growth of Netflix, and probes the underlying subjects of predicting change and consumer behavior.
26. The Decency Police, James Poniewozik, Time, March 26, 2005
This article describes efforts of the Parent’s Television Council (PTC) and similar activist groups to legislate decency.
27. Copyright Jungle, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2006
From Napster and file-sharing to Google’s virtual library project, copyright law is under scrutiny. This article discusses the difference between content and container, and how the purposes of copyright play out in digital media.
28. Attack at the Source, Douglas McCollam, Columbia Journalism Review, March/April 2005
This article focuses on Judith Miller’s refusal to testify before a federal grand jury regarding who in the Bush administration revealed the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame to the press, and the broader issue of the right of reporters not to reveal their sources.
29. Naming Names: Credibility vs. Deportation, Lucy Hood, American Journalism Review, April/May 2006
Anonymous sources are criticized as inviting fabrication and compromising credibility. However, reporting on undocumented immigrants, an issue of considerable importance in the United States, puts identified sources at risk of deportation.
30. Off the Sidelines, Rachel Smolkin, American Journalism Review, December 2005/January 2006
Covering Hurricane Katrina instigated a new round in the recurring debate of boundaries of objectivity. Journalism students are taught to report a story, not become a part of it. This article debates the ethical line between professional practice and humane response.Unit 4 A Word from Our Sponsor
31. Our Rating, Ourselves, Jon Gertner, The New York Times Magazine, April 10, 2005
Jon Gertner describes new audience measurement technologies under development by Nielsen Media Research and Arbitron, and how changes in “the counting business” might affect advertiser decisions regarding media sponsorship.
32. The Future of Advertising Is Here, David H. Freedman, Inc. Magazine, August 2005
Advertisers look for ways to “break through the clutter and connect with potential customers at lower cost.” This article takes a look at the work of an advertising agency specializing in targeted online advertising. Applications to cable broadcasting, cell phones, and place-based networked display screens are included.
33. The New Ad Game, Jessica Ramirez, Newsweek, July 31, 2006
This selection discusses product placement in video games, enhanced by Nielsen’s new videogame measurement service, and network-connected game consoles. These allow time-sensitive ads to change, with ad space sold using a broadcast television model.
34. The New Media Elites, Betsy Streisand and Richard J. Newman, U.S. News & World Report, November 14, 2005
Growth and aspirations of Google and Yahoo! has “changed the age-old relationship between the brokers of information and their audiences.” The article includes discussion of ad sales, focus on outbound versus inbound messages, user-created content (e.g., Facebook.com), and responses of traditional media.
35. The Power of iPod, Steven Levy, Newsweek, October 23, 2006
iPod changed the business model in the record industry. Audio podcasting changed the distribution model in radio. Now iPod has video, and offers programs made for TV for a fee rather than with commercials.
36. Pay for Play, Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, March 14, 2001
Eric Boehlert describes the influence of payola, independent record promoters, and deregulation of radio station ownership on what songs are played and how hits are made.
37. Low Power, High Intensity, Laurie Kelliher, Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2003
Low power FM radio licenses were introduced by the FCC in 2000. Despite legislative challenges that have stalled expansion, 220 stations are on the air, run largely by volunteers dedicated to serving niche audiences.
38. Journalism without Profit Margins, Carl Sessions Stepp, American Journalism Review, October/November 2004
Carl Sessions Stepp looks at reporting practices in noncommercial news organizations, including “The News Hour with Jim Lerher,” the St. Petersburg Times, and Ms. Magazine.
39. The Massless Media, William Powers, The Atlantic Monthly, January/February 2005
William Powers speculates on ramifications of a shift from “vast media spaces where [Americans] used to come together” to small, targeted outlets where “discourse happens only among like minds.” He compares this “new” landscape to pre-television media, and concludes that mass and niche media can and will coexist in a symbiotic relationship.
Overview
This Fourteenth Edition of ANNUAL EDITIONS: MASS MEDIA 07/08 provides convenient, inexpensive access to current articles selected from the best of the public press. Organizational features include: an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites; an annotated table of contents; a topic guide; a general introduction; brief overviews for each section; a topical index; and an instructor’s resource guide with testing materials. USING ANNUAL EDITIONS IN THE CLASSROOM is offered as a practical guide for ...