Key Knowledge
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Key Skills
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TV, THE DRUG OF A NATION
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was an American industrial hip-hop band which was active in the 1990s. The band was known for their use of sampling and scratching, as a primary tool of music recording. The song (right) Television, The Drug Of The Nation was released in 1992, and had wide airplay on college and alternative radio stations. (source Wikipedia).
The song makes for an interesting discussion of the lyrics, and is a great start for us in our discussion of Media Influence.
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Television, The Drug of a Nation selected lyrics:
Television, the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation T. V. Is the reason why less than ten percent of our Nation reads books daily Absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us It shapes our minds the most Maybe the mother of our Nation Should remind us That we're sitting to close to. .. |
Where image takes precedence over wisdom Where sound bite politics are served to The fastfood culture T. V. Is it the reflector or the director? Does it imitate us or do we imitate it Because a child watches 1500 murders before he's Twelve years old and we wonder how we've created A Jason generation that learns to laugh Rather than abhor the horror Check out the full lyrics here (source: lyricsmode.com) |
2012 & 2013 VCAA EXAM REPORTS2012 Media Influence section
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/media/2012/media_assessrep12.pdf This section was well done by many students, with the majority showing a good grasp of major theories and models of media influence, together with a solid understanding of media regulation. ‘ Theories of audience’ was also well understood. The questions in this section asked students to apply their knowledge to a new scenario This seemed to be a skill that many students lacked. |
2013 Media Influence section
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/media/2013/media_examrep13.pdf This section was accessible for the majority of students, offering diverse questioning and the employment of a quote in Question 3 to initiate discussion. Questions were addressed with varying degrees of success. Most students had a basic grasp of major theories and models of media influence. Some responses appeared pre-learned by students and did not necessarily address the question – this was particularly evident in Questions 2b. and 3. Many students appeared to employ information from Unit 2, Media Area of Study 2: Australian Media Organisations in their response to Question 4. |
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REAL LIFE GAMING
Those of you who play video games will certainly be interested by this story ... are you a virtual gamer? Well forget that, now you can live the game. A gaming company in Melbourne has created a real life video game, in which participants run around in a 7000sqm warehouse, converted to look like an abandoned building that has been overtaken by zombies. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to play a character in the game, buy running around in the warehouse with infrared guns and working with your team to make it to safety.
This offers an interesting discussion on the effect of gaming - watch the video, as it discusses the tactics, the set up, and the fact that some people cannot handle this full-sensory experience. THE VOICE KIDS BANS CONTESTANTS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA & PLEADS WITH 'TROLLS'The Voice Kids producers have pleaded with social media 'trolls' to spare their young artists the “hideous” online criticism directed towards coach Delta Goodrem and contestants on the adult series.
Ina move that looks a little like self censorship, The Voice has also banned their young contestants from using Twitter, in an attempt to 'protect' them from online bullies. The ban has prompted some online critics to discuss appropriate song choices and styling, as well as the need for children to 'deal with' audience and media criticism if these young performers truly wish to 'make it'. Read the article (link below). Research on Television violence linked to the Cultivation Theory:
COUCH POTATO AUSTRALIAStudy finds that only 19% of Australian children get enough exercise each day, with children spending too much time in front of screens.
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ACMA TO LOSE POWER, WHILE SELF REGULATION BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT?Media watchdog, The Australian Communications and Media Authority, has invited radio and television broadcasters to propose a new regulatory regime that would see power move away from the statutory regulator, towards a system of self regulation.
THE MEDIA'S POWER TO INFLUENCEHere's a link to a story that ran on the ABC recently; a Queensland study suggests that children are better off playing video games than they are watching TV.
The study has found that video games helped boost self esteem, mental development, and even could increase physical activity levels. Immunity from adS? Eat Popcorn!
Who would have thought that eating popcorn can actually negatively impact the point of cinema advertising? Read the interesting findings in the article below.
IDIOT BOX PHOTO SERIES
In any given week, the average US child will watch more than a day’s worth of TV. This subject is the focus of a new photo series by Australian photographer Donna Stevens called Idiot Box. It’s a set of portraits showing blank expressions on kids' faces as they watch television in a dimly-lit room.
“TV is just one of the ever present Black Mirrors through which we negotiate our lives today,” the photographer tells PetaPixel. “Idiot Box hopes to explore the darker side of our love for technology ... Should we exhibit more caution about the role of technology in our children’s lives? Is our techno-paranoia warranted? No matter what gadgetry we may possess and blame for our undoing, do our problems still just remain human?” Regardless of what the answers are, it’s clear that these kids are completely lost in a different world while their portraits are being captured. |