Top Ten Media Revelations

Top Ten Media Revelations Countdown

10.)  Journalists face ethical dilemmas as the balance between freedom of speech and protecting national security becomes an important issue in the 21st century. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his team "released thousands of confidential U.S. embassy cables into the public domain." (Campbell 553) Many government officials argued this act could be considered espionage, exposing secrets the government would rather keep undisclosed to the public. However, is this treason or an example of the First Amendment? Journalists often think of themselves as watchdogs for the American public, "some journalist have acknowledged a social responsibility." (Campbell 513) As information is more readily available in the digital age, the discussion of whether the public has the right to this information is more evident. 

"We Steal Secrets" follows the organization of WikiLeaks and its distribution of sensitive information

9.) Traditional media outlets, namely newspapers, strive for survival and success in an era dominated by digital media. “While some observers think newspapers are on the verge of extinction as the digital age eclipses the print era, the industry is no dinosaur.” (Campbell 304) Mass media communication technologies have the potential to converge into modern technologies like the Internet. Newspapers such as the New York Times have established a paywall system in which papers “charge a fee for online access to news content.” (Campbell 305) The NYT charged readers for access to editorials and columns but allowed access to the rest of the site. Through this process, traditional media outlets hope to retain readership while increase revenue in the digital age. 

"Page One" follows the operations of The New York Times in the digital era

8.) Television programs and print advertisements advance a miss-representation of women in the modern day digital landscape. Advertisements often stereotype and objectify women. Women are portrayed as “brainless or helpless or offered as a man’s reward for drinking a particular beer, wearing cool jeans, or smoking the right cigarette.” (Campbell 401) This phenomenon has encouraged the categorization of women in gender roles, and has skewed society’s interpretation of beauty and body image. “Women, or even parts of women- with their heads cut from the frame- have been used as merely objects, associated with a particular product.” (Campbell 401) This miss-representation is an important issue still present in the 21^st digital era.

This image represents women as prizes for men who wear Redtape shoes

7.) Through likes and retweets on social media younger generations become not only target consumers but an army of brand marketers for corporations. “Companies and organizations buy traditional paid advertisements on social media sites,” (Campbell 398) social media users then "like" a certain product and share this promotion with other friends or followers. “When you mark that you like it, friends view it; as they pass it along, it gets more earned media and eventually becomes viral.” (Campbell 398) This advertisement is done without any compensation from corporations. Companies also reach out to celebrities for personal endorsements for further promotion of their products. Advertising has invaded social media and younger generations are fully accessible and capable brand marketers. 

Ian Somerhalder fan base allows him to translate a message or product with ease

6.) Digital technology leaves inquiries on how it will affect society and future generations in America. Today, we have the ability to access various mediums on one converged device. This convenience has led to media multitasking. "Media multitasking has led to growing media consumption, particularly for younger people." (Campbell 13) Today's youth is surrounded by media; it is readily available, but are we engaged in it? "Some critics and educators feel that media multitasking means that we are more distracted, that we engage less with each type of media we consume, and that we often pay closer attention to the media we are using than to people immediately in our presence." (Campbell 13) Digital technologies are changing the way younger generations experience, interact, and learn from each other. 

Today, a student's education is influenced by the media culture of the 21st century

5.) Advertisers use persuasive techniques and analytical tools to sell a product. "One of the most frequently used advertising approaches is the famous-person testimonial in which a product is endorsed by a well known person" (Campbell 399) or the plain-folk technique in which products are stressed as "new technologies that fit into the lives of ordinary people." (Campbell 400) Other techniques include simple solutions or beautiful people. By offering an easy solution with beautiful actors to match, viewers will be more likely to purchase the product. Persuasive techniques are featured in most advertisements to attract the attentions of viewers.  

The iPad Air commercial features beautiful people, simple solutions, bandwagoning and timing as persuasive techniques.

4.) Media culture is shifting from privacy to surveillance in the 21st century. A media users data is now monitored, collected, and analyzed by organizations like the National Security Agency. Advertisers also gather users online patterns, "by gathering users' location and purchasing habits, these data-collecting systems also function as consumer surveillance and data mining operations." (Campbell 66) Tracking the activity of users is a violation of privacy, but is justified as a necessary means of protecting the nation. "One common method that commercial interests use to track the browsing habits of computer users is cookies, or information profiles that are automatically collected and transferred between computer servers whenever users access Web sites." (Campbell 66) The shift to surveillance is a major feature of 21st century media culture. 

What we search in Google is constantly being monitored by the NSA

3.) Social media is the process of self-curation online. Users take part in this self-exhibition by selecting what to share about themselves on their profiles. People on Facebook select what is to be presented publicly, "the site enables users to construct personal profiles, upload photos, share music lists, play games, and post messages to connect with old friends and meet new ones." (Campbell 54) Other websites are adopting this method of online profiles and reforming who can view users self-curation. "Google+ enables users to develop distinct circles by dragging and dropping friends into separate groups, rather than having a long list of friends." (Campbell 54) Users of social media self-exhibit themselves to their selected friend groups. 

Our version of reality can be viewed by "our" circle of friend on Google Plus

2.) Appeals to the limbic (emotional) brain are heavily featured in advertisements. Through the use of music and images, commercials trigger emotional responses in the conscience human brain. Advertisers want to reveal a plot to the audience, "merely create a mood or tell stories about products without revealing much else." (Campbell 399) This industry "has continued to fascinate" (Campbell 415) viewers since its beginning. By triggering the limbic brain advertisements have more of an effect on our want to have the product being sold.

The iPhone Christmas commercial employs limbic appeals through a heartwarming soundtrack and images of family 

1.) Mass media has shifted aesthetically from discrete to converged devices. The convergence of media involves, "the technological merging of content across different media channels- the magazine articles, radio programs, songs, TV shows, video games, and movies now available on the Internet through laptops, tablets, and smartphones," (Campbell 11) Any modern smartphone can serve as the platform for new mediums. Old forms of communications are adapting to this aesthetic shift, "oral communication, for example, finds itself reconfigured, in part, in e-mail and social media." (Campbell 12) Convergence advances media technologies and reinvents the old.

New opportunities are possible on the converged Samsung Galaxy gear.