#10 Newspapers

It is interesting to see the same downward trend that is affecting books is affecting newspapers. I can't remember the last time I saw someone actually pick up a newspaper. Now everyone gets their information from either watching the news on the internet or television or they read it from online sources.
I think that newspapers are really struggling because anyone can produce news. For instance, when Osama Bin Laden was killed earlier this year, there was a man from Pakistan blogging about the event as it was occuring.
Also, newspapers are struggling because it is get advertisements because there are more effective places where ads will attract more people. Newspaper advertisements still consist of classified ads, which include cars, houses, and jobs. However now there are websites like craiglists and monster.com to help people find things  they used to look for in the local newspaper ads.
Newspaper are continuing to struggle because production methods are out of date and national distribution is difficult.

#9 Books

For the past few days we have been studying books and the difference between trade books and textbooks. To be completely and totally honest, it kind of irritates me that the book industry is taking money away from poor college students by jacking up the prices of textbooks to help pay for books that people read for entertainment.
We learned that books are dwindling away as more and more technology emerges. I suspect that in the next couple of years textbooks, especially for college students, will no longer be printed but rather viewed online with the option of printing at a low price.
With the rise of the world wide web and all the resources found on the internet not many people actually sit down at a library and do research that way, especially with the rise of e-books.
It will be incredibly interesting to see what happens with our children and how they are raised. In class we watched an ad for the ipad about how kid books on the ipad can interact with the child. It's crazy how much technology has changed.

#8 Youtube

So, the Justin Bieber movie came out in RedBoxes yesterday, and yes although sad to admit, my roommates and I rented it. I think that his story is absolutely fascinating. It is amazing to see how much time has changed. In the movie, Scooter, the man who discovered Bieber on Youtube, is trying to get people to labels to sign him and every single one of the labels Scooter went to told him that they needed Disney or Nickelodeon. However, Justin Bieber showed them wrong by using the mass media to gain fans and in a year he was able to sell out Madison Square Garden. He revolutionized youtube and in a sense hollywood. Now you see stars like Rebecca Black singing Friday, who isn't even good, becoming famous through youtube and the mass media.

#7 Globalization

Today I was thinking about the effect that the mass media plays on our society and on the global community. For some reason lately, the idea of globalization has been on my mind lately. Although this happened a while ago, I was thinking about the role that the mass media played in rally Egyptians together to stand up to their Authoritarian government. Because of social networking and other uses of the mass media, the revolution was able to take place and they were able to make a difference. Not only were they able to make a difference among Egyptians, but they were able to have a profound impact on other Arab countries as well.

#6 Journalism

Lately, I have been analyzing the news and what determines newsworthiness. It has been interesting to watch the news and to see how although journalists and news reporters are supposed to be unbiased and seekers of truth, they all have an agenda. Their agenda of course is to get viewers or readers. The other day in class we were discussing how the news and entertainment are now being meshed into one. In class we used to the example of Glenn Beck, who would not consider himself a journalist, held to the same standard as a news reporter for Fox news. It is interesting to see how two very different things are meshing into one and how viewers visions of what is news verses what is entertainment is becoming blurred.

#5 Impact on me

I think it is interesting how fast the world is expanding and how quickly news spreads and messages around the world can be heard. Mass media has played such a significant role in my life. Even when I don't want it to, it always does, whether my roommates are watching TV or listening to obnoxious music I feel as if I can never escape the messages that are being taught.
The other day I could not make it to devotional, but thanks to modern technology and mass media I had the opportunity to listen to it on my radio.
In class, we have been studying the news and what defines news. It's been really interesting to see the objectives and motivation that news reporters have in delivering news to us.

#4 Social Networking

As many of us know, Osama Bin Laden was killed by US CIA agents late last week and the DNA tests to the confirm that it was in fact Bin Laden's body was reported to live Sunday evening. This event was huge in US history and many of us would not have heard about it for days or maybe even weeks without the mass media. I have friends who found out because of friends status' posted on facebook, or by watching the TV late Sunday afternoon. I found out because my roommate sent me a text message. I think it is fascinating that not a single person I know found out through a newspaper. This is evidence that times are changing and that newspapers are being replaced on online media.