Online Textbook

HOMEWORK:

Rent & watch
Tyler Perry's film
Why Did I Get Married

This funny
but dramatic film
showcases yet
another side of
the African-
American experience.

It also showcases
how (economic)
middle and upper
class black men and women today
cope with the values
and beliefs
in our society
society today.

This last class focus
on the
African-American
culture is designed
to lighten our study,
have some fun,
but also see
how this culture
experiences life
very much like
every other culture
in America.

The more we
learn about one
another, we
find easy ways
as media people
too connect our
media efforts
to all cultural
communities.

You will be asked
to draw on this
film screening
in your class
project.
So take notes!

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Research Info:

The Black
Experience is
Unique in America

You've also seen how the documented history of some people in all cultures
have been deeply affected by issues of race, racism, and prejudice. 
In some cases, these experiences have threatened their basic human
rights and personal dignity, producing real pain, disadvantages,
and hardships.

For some, that long history of problem experiences have negatively and
profoundly affected their outlooks and goals in life.

The perception or reality of feeling beaten down have dampened some
individual and community spirits, and led to entrenched pessimism.

This continuous feeling of hopeless about having a better life leads many to
believe nothing will ever change...success will be limited or impossible,
and most other people don't understand because they don't take time to
learn and understand their history and circumstances.
 

The media draws attention to these serious
matters, and how they are intertwined,
to help the public better understand
why people from various cultures react
differently to news reports, movies,
online offerings, books, etc.
which attempt to highlight something important
the media believes all of society
should or needs to know.


This is the media's pedagogy function.
All forms of media are society's perpetual teacher.

Your free downloadable class textbook,
produced by professional and academic media
focuses on media behavior specifically in the
nation's newsrooms.
Online, print and broadcast news people are our
daily guides to living history. What they perceive and
understand is passed on to us as news to know.

STAY FOCUSED ON THIS AS YOU DO CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Here's the bottom line to remember...

All media collectively identify societal
beliefs, trends, opinions, and attitudes,
and shape our reactions to them.

Based on how WE present that information,
people in society learn what's perceived as
important "truths" to know and value
about ourselves and others...
and how to decide what we
like/dislike,
choose to avoid or embrace,
accept or reject
when we have limited or no experiences
of our own to drawn upon.
 

For us in MCOM 105,
Knowing who are the  MEDIA GATEKEEPERS
the people being hired in advertising, PR,
written and visual journalism...
what their cultural backgrounds are...
and how that affects their perceptions
and media decision-making
directly affects how reliable, effective
and helpful their media efforts are.
 

The potential for harming society is
great if media professionals
(& college students wanting to be in media)
fail to take time, do more to learn
about other cultures, then CRITICALLY THINK
before they take on jobs and create
powerful messages for and about
our diversity society.

After graduation, we become society's
 lifelong teachers !

As media educators we must ALWAYS
be willing to go beyond the easy,
identify and work to understand little known
circumstances which shape another
culture's thinking and reaction to life events.


   
If we have limited knowledge of life,
or limited understanding of others,
their cultural values, achievements, struggles,
setbacks, hopes and dreams
as THEY value them,
media leave a huge void of knowledge and
potentially enable widespread
misunderstanding and mistrust.
 

Once you completed all the film assignments,
you will be asked to critically think and
report about what you learned by applying
understanding to a timely diversity
current events issue! Stay tuned!