PSA-final assesment

Most of all, I have learned how much planning and time goes into making just one minute of quality film. We had to take the time to come up with an overarching theme or purpose of our PSA, as well as a target audience. Those two focuses would determine the language, facts, music, and visuals we would use. For the story board, we came up with three or four topics that we would cover in the minute long film with text. Each group member came up with background facts for a topic, and we compiled them and ended up narrowing our storyboard to just a few keys facts that we wanted to convey to our audience of voters in VT. It seems like filming was one of the easiest parts. Just one group member, Nate, took an hour or so to gather a group of people at his home, Slade, and filmed a live smoking scene. We will use just the one visual as background, and have our facts come across the screen one at a time. We really wanted to emphasize a group of people peacefully using marijuana in a pleasant setting, while pointing out logistical reasons why it has unjustifiably become illegal in society.
Our group worked together okay. It could have been more efficient and cooperative. We never met as an entire group outside of class, and so email was a key to communication. We were all really busy, and had conflicting schedules. The final product is due in two days, and we are not finished. I emailed my group members a few hours ago to figure out how and when final editing will take place, but haven’t heard back.
I think that we were effective in educating the public about an issue that effects the social environment of our state, and many places around the world. The key point is that, by making marijuana illegal: excessive time, money, and jail resources are wasted on a so called “crime” that is relatively passive.
Our intent is quite clear, because we state our intention at the end of the PSA and give resources for viewers to act upon what they’ve seen. It is educational because we use real facts that have an effect on real people in mainstream society. Everyone should be aware of the implications of marijuana legality. We didn’t really use props, movement is no too intense, and we haven’t decided on background music yet. My hope is that my group can agree upon a calm, familiar song that won’t offend anyone or give bad connotation to our subject matter. Media of any kind is certainly good for activism of any kind, including environmental, because the media is what people see on a daily basis in our society. The media is how messages are relayed to millions of people, across state and national borders.

Media literacy assignment #12

1. Ad Analysis

Seventh Generation: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Who is sending the message?

Seventh Generation, a Burlington, VT based corporation committed to social and ecological responsibility.

Techniques:

Symbols-the green leaf is a symbol used to represent nature to appeal to an audience who is interested in the outdoors/environment.

Simple Solutions-the Seventh Generation site certainly tries to promote their household products on the basis that if you use their products exclusively, your home will be safe. This is a simple solution because it doesn’t take into account the toxins coming into the home in food, for example.

Plain Folks-although the website is not directly targeting mothers and homemakers, it is obvious that their ads are directed towards [probably] mothers. The constant message is about keeping your home and family safe from toxic chemicals.

Warm Fuzzies-this is a big one. There are multiple images of babies and young children all over the website. This supports their overall mission of preserving the environment for future generations.

Scientific Evidence- there is a “Did you know?” section, in which statistics are given. One of them is: “If every household in the US replaced just one box of 48oz petroleum-based powder laundry detergent with our vegetable-based product, we could save 96,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 5,500 US homes for a year!” This is a great fact that will certainly help to sell their products to a certain audience, but it is unclear if the company took into account the energy costs that go into creating detergent from vegetables. Obviously, it must take a lot of processing to get from a vegetable to a detergent, package it, and get it to the store.

What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in this message?

The lifestyle of a stay at home Mom is the first that comes to mind from the pictures displayed on the site. This could be expanded to include anyone with a home that needs to be cleaned, whom values socially and environmentally sound products. This tends to encompass younger, educated people with a stable income.

How might different people understand this message different from me?

Some people may see these products as weaker than what they are used to, silly or too expensive. The main consumers of these products are probably people with a strong environmental ethic to start with.

What is omitted from this message?

It is unclear how much these products cost, or where/how they are made. The ingredients in the products are included, which is great.

2. Activist Website

Grist-a beacon in the smog (environmental journalism site): http://www.grist.org/

I chose to follow Grist.org because I am really interested in journalism/activism. This site fulfills its mission by providing up to date articles on a variety of topics that may be overlooked in mainstream media sources. They focus broadly on climate&energy, food, living, news, and business. I looked into the news section of the page, and the first article that came up was one entitled: What the green movement needs from the next Supreme Court justice. This is a topic that I hadn’t even considered because it isn’t mentioned in the media that I see on a daily basis (granted I don’t regularly read newspapers or online news, and don’t have a TV). I’m not sure that this site could be considered activism, in that there is no obvious effort at campaign participation or organization for change. Many websites have applications to write emails to legislators or sign petitions, but this one does not so far. There is, however, a way to ‘share’ any of their articles via email, Facebook, Twitter, or a blog. Participation in the Grist.org site feels meaningful for me personally because I am interested in journalism, and certainly many of the topics they discuss, but my involvement doesn’t have an impact on our greater community.

3. PSA Group Blog Post #3

The project is going well at this point. Everyone has contributed to the research that was delegated to them. Nate and I met in the library last week to nail down our plans for which facts to use, and when/where we will film. We will get footage immediately after class on Tuesday afternoon, and after that we will schedule a time for final editing. If you have any other questions, Professor Debrosse, I would be happy to answer them or even email you the research that we’ve completed.

Media literacy assignment #11

This final chapter opens with a quote from Australian scholar Alex Covey, "Taking the Risk out of Democracy". He is quoted again later on pages 202-203, defining the terms 'propaganda' and 'education', and relating these both to democracy. After finishing the chapter, reflect on the opening quote and the idea of democracy. What does 'democracy' mean to you? What have you learned about public relations and other media related topics as they pertain to democracy? How do we as concerned citizens exercise our democratic rights within a capitalist economic system? Share your vision of a just and truly democratic country. Where is the hope? What is your role in making this a reality?

In my mind, democracy is supposed to be a means of government in which every citizen has an equal voice in decision making. This is the beautiful picture that was painted for me during my elementary and high school education. Until about a month ago, I wasn’t told that corporations have constitutional personhood, or that news channels are owned by big businesses and can lie and make up stories. I feel as though democracy has been severely immobilized in the United States, and I don’t think that we really have the kind of ‘freedom’ that radical patriots carry on about. It has been made increasingly clear to me that we are all treated as mere consumers. Nearly everything we are exposed to is intended to persuade us to buy things. Individuality is emphasized and made to seem fashionable, and yet most of us are basically the same. Public relations corporations seem to have their hands in everything. It is completely unclear what I can and cannot believe to be fact.

The best way to exercise your rights as a concerned citizen in a capitalist system is to engage in civil disobedience and grassroots activism in order to catalyze positive change. When the majority of people are blindly being guided by corporations and a corrupt government…that’s when you know you’re in the USA. People need to create an outcry, and many of us are doing so. It is essential to live more simply, purchase less junk, watch less TV, and become more connected with your community. Public education is really important, as well. I think that if more people knew what was involved in producing the goods they consume, well, they wouldn’t consume those things. Although I am confused about that, because I know a lot of people who just don’t care about social, environmental and animals rights issues that much. I am wondering if the utter dysfunction of our democratic system has left people aware of their apparent powerlessness, and caused them to be apathetic? Or has an overdose of violent TV and games left us desensitized?

My vision of a true democracy is a bit of a utopian, idealist society. First of all, I would hope that corporations as we know them would not be allowed to exist. Companies would not have constitutional personhood, and would be taxed appropriately based on how rich they became. My ideal society would not be capitalist. Free, local food would be given to people when they went to the polls to vote. Education would be more equal and accessible to all people. Inner city schools would be given more access to funding so that those children would at least have the opportunity to get into a better socio-economic situation. Hopefully, racism wouldn’t still be such an issue in the first place, and minorities wouldn’t be so concentrated in slums. Animal rights would be taken much more seriously because, rather than corporations having so many rights under the constitution, animals would actually have some rights. For this reason, exploitation such as commercial hunting, factory farming, zoos, animal testing, rodeos, and puppy/kitten mills would be completely illegal. Genetically engineered organism would undergo more testing for safety, animals could not be genetically modified, and no life from could be patented. Monsanto would be shut down, George Bush would be in jail, less federal money would be invested in killing people and more would be invested to rehabilitate returning soldiers. I could rant on and on (obviously) about my visions, but the point is that these changes would make for a more just, equal society. The gap between rich and poor would be narrower, and this country would be less vicious and more compassionate toward all.

Group PSA Project:

My PSA group (Morgan, Nate and Zack) will be meeting tomorrow at 1pm in the Bailey Howe Library to get the ball rolling. I have been doing some background research on the issue and coming up with some ideas to present to my group members tomorrow. I looked at the webpage for NORML that you emailed to us. It was really interesting. There are a lot of videos and news clips in the site that could be useful, along with a map that categorizes the laws regarding marijuana in every state of the USA. It seems that marijuana is decriminalized in about 12 states so far, which is pretty impressive. I have also noticed a lot of articles about the issue in local media over the past month or so. I thought it might be interesting to incorporate local news headlines. Your suggestion about not using humor as a focus of our PSA for this issue makes sense. I think my group and I will have to think about whom we are targeting. Aside from our classmates, who will see our message? If the majority of viewers are peers, it might be effective to use light hearted humor to get their attention, then provide resources to mobilize/get active toward changing marijuana laws.

Overall, I am a bit frustrated and stressed, not because of this class project in particular, but because I have 5 group projects due in the next three weeks. Two of these projects involve making a video, and I have no experience with media production whatsoever. It is also difficult to arrange times to meet with groups when everyone’s schedules are different. I hope that my group decides to make good use of out class time over the next two weeks.

30 Minutes outdoors:

Last week, I woke up early to catch up on reading before one of my classes. I ended up having some time to spare, and it was one of the first really warm beautiful days this spring. I walked to the Main Green on UVM campus and sat on a bench. There was still dew on the grass, and very few people were really out and about quite yet. I sat quietly and noticed that, after just a few minutes, small animals emerged from the trees and bushes to have breakfast. I watched several grey squirrels and countless sea gulls and other birds as they scratched and pecked the soft ground for bugs and seeds. I was comforted by the presence of some animals. I closed my eyes and began a mindful meditation. As I sat still, eyes closed, I noted the sounds of cars driving past, birds chirping, and the wind blowing from Lake Champlain. I find it really calming and grounding to meditate whenever a good opportunity presents itself. It is definitely easiest for me when I am outside. I think that a lot of information was conveyed to me as I sat outdoors. I observed a daily routine that the smaller urban wildlife go through each morning, I acknowledged that there were many people driving past my University, presumably on their way to work, and arguably most importantly: I had some time to decompress.

30 Minutes of TV-Friends episode:

It is 8:45pm on Sunday evening, and I am about to watch TV for thirty minutes and observe how I feel, as compared to my feelings when outdoors for thirty minutes. I spent almost my entire weekend outside because it was so beautiful, and so I am just now beginning to do my homework assignments. So at this point, as I sit down at my desk, about to play an episode of Friends on DVD, I feel a bit anxious. It seems as though I always feel a bit guilty when I watch a movie or TV show because I know that I should be spending my time more efficiently. This time at least I am making observations for a class, but still…

Since I was watching a TV show on DVD, there were no commercials and I had seen this particular episode before. When I first began to watch, I was completely aware of the fact that I was limited to 30 minutes and felt like maybe I would end up not wanting to turn it off. Although it is pleasant to be lazy and sit here starring at a screen, I was anxious the whole time. I fidgeted and texted throughout the episode. I feel like maybe a lot of people feel this way when in front of a screen. There is an urge to get up and do something else, but at the same time you’re glued.

The show itself is about a group of six likeable people in their mid twenties to early thirties whom spend all of their time together living in New York City. This episode in particular was all about two of the characters, Monica and Chandler, who were engaged and trying to write their wedding vows. All of the characters were reminiscing about how the couple got together, and so there was a lot of romance and ‘warm fuzzies’. Of course, all of the characters are attractive, have decent livelihoods, and end up happy in the end. Each character represents personality traits that we could all identify in people whom we know. Overall, I think that Friends portrays what people that age would hope their lives are like, and the problems which people deal with alongside their friends as they go from fresh college graduate to ‘real world’ adult. There is a definite emphasis on romance, and the need to have a lasting relationship. Monica in particular is obsessed with getting married and having children, which may say a little something about the American society, or even humanity itself.

Media literacy assignment #10

Toxic Sludge is good for you:

Chapter 8-

1. “We weren't planning to write about ‘toxic sludge’ per se. We were trying to reach so-called ‘Generation X’ readers with a ‘Generation X’ title -- a cynical, exaggerate parody of deceptive public relations.” I found it entertaining that, in this book about media literacy, the author chose to describe why the title was chosen. The title is catchy, easy to remember, and satirical, all of which are attractive to our generation of media skeptics.

2. The German politician Otto von Bismarck once said that ‘those who love sausage and the law should never watch either being made’.” I just love this quote. It is simple and very much to the point. This quote basically describes what I’ve learned so far at UVM in just one sentence. I also feel that media literacy in general targets this phenomena. People tend to like what they like, and continue to blindly consume it, oftentimes intentionally avoiding information about how the product was produced. This can’t continue.

3. It is interesting that the toxic sludge has been renamed to “biosolids”, which sounds completely opposite, and gives a positive connotation to what, in reality, is toxic by-product.

4. It is interesting how much of an effect the economy has on the environment over time. In the reading, it said that in the 1970s water pollution was a big issue for the public, and steps were taken to improve the health of watersheds, etc. In the 1980s, politicians sought to reduce federal spending, and thus money was cut from Clean Water Act type programs. By the 1990s, funding for keeping water supplies safe and clean had been eliminated. Water is the most essential substance for all of life on Earth, every person uses water every day for many purposes. It seems as though water purification should be the number one priority for any government or group of people. How is it not a priority at all?

5. I was completely blow away by the list of chemicals, bacteria, and heavy metals known to be in what is now called “biosolids”. These substances are known to be poisonous, carcinogenic, and obviously just not good for any life form to ingest.

My question is: How is it legal that people are exposed to so many deadly substances without our knowledge or consent?

Chapter 9-

1. First of all, the opening quote of chapter nine is really frightening. This Vice Chairman of a public relations firm basically says that corporations need not be afraid of the environmental movement because big companies have so much money that environmentalist don’t stand a chance.

2. Monsanto spent a lot of money to publish and distribute a book, The Desolate Year, in response to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Monsanto’s book suggests that stopping the use of pesticides would create a mass outbreak of insects that would essentially take over our country. This is absolute bullshit, and I am not sure how anyone in their right mind could believe such a theory. There are places around the world which refrain from heavy use of chemical inputs to agriculture, and they get along fine (probably with lower cancer rates). This leaves me wondering how long Monsanto has been around.

3. Greenwashing has gone completely rampant just in the past couple of years. People mindlessly believe what is written on packages and advertisements about some products being better for the environment. There is certainly not enough public awareness of the fact that consumption in general is a huge environmental problem. I was talking about this issue with a friend the other day, and she said she believes that people are becoming “satiated” by consuming goods that they are told are ecologically sound. They may be so put off by all that they have been told they’re doing wrong that buying, for example, a T-shirt that says “Green is the new black” will sooth them.

4. The section “Good Cop/Bad Cop” was helpful in that it illustrates how PR will create a dichotomy among people involved in the environmental movement. The media certainly portrays some activists as being too radical, and therefore not justified in their concerns. Like with any other issue, the corporate-owned mainstream media seeks to convince the public that there is nothing that the public can or should do to improve society. They do this because if more people began to care about social and environmental issues, big businesses would be investigated, regulated, and boycotted.

5. It is a shame that corporations are trying to improve their image, but not their policies, just by funding things like environmental organizations, and events like Earth Day. On the other hand, though, they are contributing by giving lots of money that the movement wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

My question is: Is George Bush part of a Wise Use group? It seems like many of the eleventh-hour bills he signed (removing the Polar Bear from the Endangered Species Act, for example) were similar the examples given on page 141.

PSA-Marijuana Decriminalization

PSA GROUP BLOG POST #1: Our group members are Megan, Morgan, Nate, and Zack. We will be working on a PSA about marijuana decriminalization, which is an important issue in Vermont right now. Some tactics we may try to use to engage the viewer are humor, music, beautiful people (haha us of course), and presentation of important facts. I was inspired by the PSA about marijuana that you showed us in class, and I think that it could be done much better. The PSA could be helpful in gaining more support to pass a decriminalization bill in the Vermont Legislature. I do not have any valuable technological skills, but I would be excited to research facts, help film/act, and find people to interview.