Knowledge Claims: Chapters 16, 13 & 15

Chapter 16

1.) “A recent international survey of the news media in 192 countries, conducted by the human rights organization Freedom House, reported that about 73 percent of the world’s people lived in countries with a less than free press.”

The book continues to say that there are 71 nations that have virtually no press freedom. While I was aware of the fact that the United States was a country that allowed much more freedom of the press, I was not fully aware of how very few countries also share this freedom. This statistic led me to think about the idea of free speech in regards to the idea of free thinking. Just because citizens of other countries are not legally allowed to vocalize some of their thoughts, I wonder if they are in fact as free thinking as Americans can be. I wonder how much they are really affected by this idea of controlled press and media.

2.) “The biggest single legal worry that haunts editors and publishers is the issue of libel, another form of expression that is not protected as speech under the First Amendment.”

This section of the chapter cleared up an idea that I did not fully understand prior to this reading. Slander differs from libel in that slander is defamation of character in spoken word, whereas libel refers to defamation of character in written or broadcast form. I can understand how a journalist would have to be careful of this because, as the book explains, there are many different ways that instances of libel can occur. It would seem to me that it could be easy to misconstrue information that would in turn translate falsely into an article or broadcast.

3.) “One of the major criticisms of recent criminal cases concerns the ways in which defense lawyers use the news media to comment publicly on court matters outside the presence of a sequestered jury.”

This fact is one that I instantly identified with. Just recently I have had a friend become involved in a fairly serious case that gained quite a bit of local media coverage. It angered me to see how some people were presenting things to the news outlets that they were interviewed by. I found the things they were saying to be untrue and certainly one-sided. It seemed unfair to me that this would be allowed prior to the case. How can it be allowed for someone to so easily take a shot at swaying the opinion of the public – even before any real evidence has been presented?

Chapter 13

1.) “During the rise of industry in the nineteenth century, entrepreneurs such as John D. Rockefeller in oil, Cornelius Vanderbilt in shipping and railroads, and Andrew Carnegie in steel created giant companies that monopolized their respective industries.”

The book defines a monopoly as a company that dominates production and distribution in a particular industry, either nationally or locally. In 1890 Congress passed an act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, to outlaw the practice of a monopoly. The company that first came to mind as a recent example of this was Microsoft. I wondered upon reading this about how our economy might be different if this act was never signed into law. I would assume that prices would go up and innovation would go down, as these companies would not be forced to compete.

2.) “To understand the contemporary story of media economics, we need only examine the transformation of Disney from a struggling cartoon producer to one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.”

This point interested me because, only being familiar with the Disney Company of today, I had no idea that it was once a struggling entity. Even after the company raised its head above water, they were only breaking even because of the extended period of time it took to produce hand-drawn cartoons. Beginning in the 1950s, Disney began to venture into other areas and became more successful as a whole. This is an example of the chapter’s idea of diversification, and how it can be beneficial to a company. Today I can think of many companies that own and produce a variety of other companies and products.

3.) “American VCR, CD, DVD, and TV manufacturers lowered costs by moving production plants outside the country.”

This idea is one that has been discussed in many of my college classes. On one hand it would seem to benefit us, as Americans, to outsource production to other countries where products can be produced for less money because we, in turn, will pay less for them. However, this loss of jobs for Americans here is also harmful. This debate seems to be one of economics and ethics. Is it right for American companies to hand off jobs to citizens of other countries? If these companies continued to produce their products here would they be able to compete with other companies who had less production expenses?

Chapter 15

1.) “In 1985, the popular heavy-metal band Judas Priest made headlines when two Nevada teenagers shot themselves after listening to the group’s allegedly subliminal suicide message on their 1978 Stained Class album.”

The book continues on to say that the parents of these teens lost a lawsuit in which they sued the band for liability. I remember when this same issue arose shortly after Columbine. Personally, I do not feel that bands should be held accountable for any actions their fans might take. It seems ridiculous to me to blame a band or a song for something such as this. I feel that upon more research these teenagers probably had more going on in their lives that had a much greater affect on them then the CD’s they played in their stereos.

2.) “Another mass media phenomenon – the cultivation effect – suggests that heavy viewing of television leads individuals to perceive reality in ways that are consistent with television portrayals.”

This made me stop and analyze myself and how I might be affected by my television watching. When watching television I usually find myself either disagreeing or agreeing with the ideas that are portrayed, and I like to think that I still think independently regardless of any swaying the program I’m watching might be trying to do. However, after reading this part of the chapter I wonder if this really is true, or if I am more affected by what I watch than I think I am.

3.) “Developed by German communication theorist Elisabeth Noelle-Neuman in the 1970s and 1980s, the spiral of silence is a theory that links the mass media, social psychology, and the formation of public opinion. It proposes that those who find that their views on controversial issues are in the minority will keep their views to themselves…”

This idea is not one that I have ever formally learned about in a classroom setting, but have definitely experiences among friends and classmates. It was interesting to read that this idea had a name and had been studied. It makes me think back to the idea of free speech. Although we have it in this country, some people will probably always be afraid to act on it, for fear of appearing different from their peers.