The Media

1. The Media Year 9English

2. What is the mass media?

3. What is the mass media? Definition : Mass Media is those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people, especially newspapers, popular magazines, radio, and television. In recent times the internet and ‘social networking’ is another important part of the media. Purpose: To inform, entertain and persuade. Types of mass media Print-newspapers and magazines Television- news current affairs and advertising Radio The internet and social networking The problem with the media The problem with the media is that they choose what they want to inform us about. The media also choses the way they want to convey this story. This leads many to raise the question; WHAT IS NEWS WORTHY? Why is it that some events are reported on while other events are ignored? What are the motives behind presenting the stories that we read?

4. Bias: A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment. Bias can exist in all forms of writing as it is often impossible to write an impartial piece of writing. A bias can be based on personal experiences or beliefs. Sometimes a particular publication or network has a particular bias that colours the views expressed. Who is our media? Media ownership in Australia is distributed between commercial, national public broadcasters and not-for-profit community broadcasters. Australian media ownership has been described as one of the most concentrated in the world. For example, 11 of the 12 capital city daily papers are owned by either Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation or by John Fairfax Holdings. The Australian Government legislated specific controls over the ownership of broadcasting on television and radio in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. These effectively prohibit ownership of more than one television station or two radio stations in a given market. The Commonwealth's legislative reach over print media ownership is largely limited to general competition law such as the Trade Practices Act 1974.

5. Don’t believe everything you read (or see for that matter!) • While it is the media’s job to report news to us it is important to remember that they have their own motives. • Sensationalism- Presenting stories that are overly dramatic or aimed at stirring up an emotional response in the responder. A sensational story will attract more readers/ viewers etc. (after all the media is a business) • Politics- The politics of the owner of a network or newspaper often plays an important role and the ‘news’ they report and the way in which they report it. • Advertisers- the media answers to those who advertise on their network or publication. Advertisers do not want to alienate the people who buy their products. • So what about the internet? The internet has created a whole new world. People now have the opportunity to share their own news, videos and photos. We now have the opportunity to see some different perspectives. But beware! It is still not safe to believe everything you read or see!

6. Techniques used Hyperbole: dramatic over exaggeration Emotive language: language that is used to evoke a emotional response in the reader. Persuasive language: language that is used to persuade a responder to agree with the composers point of view. Colloquial language: modern day language that is used to relate to a particular target audience Juxtaposition: When two view points, images etc. are placed side by side for the purpose of comparison. Imperative: Language that directs the responder to do something (you must) Quotations: are used to add credence to a news story. Expert Opinion: This makes a news story seem unbiased Dramatic Images: Sometimes real and some times skilfully edited. Tone of Voice or facial expression: Used to convey an opinion without actually saying anything

8. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/racism-links-to-aussie-car-flags/story-e6freuy9-1226251927222http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/racism-links-to-aussie-car-flags/story-e6freuy9-1226251927222

10. Sensationalism?

11. Questions Look at the date of the article. Why do you think the newspaper decided to publish the article on this particular date? What kind of language was used in the article? Do you think it was successful? What do you think the motive of this particular article was? Do you think they achieved their purpose? Give evidence. What persuasive techniques were used? Give at least two examples. How does the news paper create more interest in their story? Do you think this is a news worthy story? Why or why not?

13. Task Using one of the images below you are to write a news report twice. The first time your write your news report you are to be completely unbiased. The second time you write your report you must include bias. Remember that your bias must be subtle.

14. Example Biased Crime Rampage A local convenience store is the latest victim in what appears to be an Italian crime rampage. A large utility vehicle drove through the Maryvale premises at 2am, destroying larges volumes of stock and the stores ATM. Residents of the local area have been living in fear after a spate of violent crimes. Local business man Bob Davies is fed up. “It’s pretty scary mate. It’s like living in some Mafia movie! Something needs to be done about these Italians” This version of the story contains some bias. How could we remove the bias and still report the facts?

15. How to write an editorial An editorial is an article or a write up intended to voice the opinion or perspective of the writer. Though an editorial can be about any subject, most often it is related to some or the other current issue pertaining to the society. It can be an opinion from any point of view, but has to be compulsorily backed by sufficient facts. Mostly, editorials are written by the senior editorial staff, but some newspapers do provide some space for good writers to raise their voices through the editorial page. Writing an editorial may sound a bit difficult, but the editorial ideas and tips, given below, on how to write an editorial for a newspaper can make the seemingly difficult task much easier for you. How to Write an Editorial Essay? As the writer of an editorial, one needs to examine facts and analyse them to come up with a specific point of view. Through editorials, one can raise questions about various issues related to the society and suggest measures to solve them. Here are some tips to write a factual editorial and how to present it, to make it an interesting read for the reader.

16. Step #1: Choose a Topic Choosing the topic is one of the most important parts of editorial writing. You should ideally, choose a topic pertaining to some current issue. The number of people interested in reading an editorial titled 'Recession in the 1980's' would be much less when compared to those interested 'Impact of Recessions on World Economy'. Of course, you can use information about recession of the 80's as citations in your editorial, to stress the impacts of recession on the today's economy. The topic need not be a controversial one, unless, that's your motive behind writing the editorial. Read more on editorial topics to write about. Step #2: Choose a Stance The basic difference between a news article and an editorial is the stance of the writer. In a news article, as a writer, you are expected to cover the facts from both the sides of news, whereas in an editorial you can give your own opinion, based on various facts. After choosing a topic, you will have to take a stance whether you are against it or for it. A vague opinion, which is ill-researched, will have no takers, and hence, you need to back your opinion with some strong facts

17. Step #3: Prepare an Outline You have to be well versed with the content and layout of your write-up, even before you start writing it. Preparing an outline will give you a rough idea of, how you should go about it. Make sure that you have the necessary facts to support your claims. Simple things, like precise statistical data, pertinent quotes of eminent personalities and/or giving valid examples from the past, can boost your editorial by increasing its credibility. Step #4: Start Writing Make sure, that you choose a catchy headline, which will grab the attention of the reader. In the introductory paragraph, you should put forth your stance on the topic, without refuting the point of view you oppose. You may start refuting the claims you oppose from the second paragraph. Your editorial should have at least three arguments, each supported by some strong facts. You can use statistical data or give examples from the history to prove your point. When presenting arguments, make sure that you keep your strongest argument towards the end. However, this doesn't mean that you should go soft in the middle of the editorial. You can ideally, use these arguments to build up the reader’s anxiety.

18. Step #5: Concluding Your Write-up The conclusion of your editorial should provide a brief summary of your opinion and at the same time either offer solutions or trigger the reader's thought process. The length of your editorial will depend on the topic you choose and what, you have to say about it. There is no stipulated limit on the length of the editorial and generally, well written editorials are the ones with ample facts to support the writers view.

19. Writing a Review A review is an opinion piece. The composer of a review seeks to convey their personal response to a film, book, poem, play, television show etc. • Structure • The review needs to have a title. It can simply be the title of the text being reviewed or it can be another catchy or humorous title. • Some reviews will write the name of the composer or director (if applicable) and the year the text was released. • The composer then follows the structure below: • -First paragraph: Start by mentioning the title of the text, the actors that are in the film, the characters that are in the book etc. • - Second and third paragraph: Discuss the content of the text. Don’t give away too much detail as you need to leave room for an audience to respond ( Don’t give away the ending!) • - Fourth and possibly fifth paragraph: Give your opinion. Why would you recommend / not recommend this text. Give evidence. You can give a star rating.

20. Shrek United States, 2001 U.S. Release Date: 5/18/01 (wide) Running Length: 1:27 MPAA Classification: PG (Mild violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Seen at: Ritz Five, Philadelphia Cast (voices): Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Producers: Aron Warner, John H. Williams Screenplay: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, based on the book by William Steig Music: Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell U.S. Distributor: Dreamworks Dreamworks Pictures' wonderful, whimsical Shrek proves to be the latest family film to live up to its billing. With its blend of high adventure, light romance, and double-layered dialogue (which will take on a slightly different meaning for the under- and over-12 crowd), Shrek is capable of enthralling both children and their parents. In fact, this movie is so good that adults unaccompanied by offspring can venture into a theater without having to dress up in a disguise. Shrek is not a guilty pleasure for sophisticated movie-goers; it is, purely and simply, a pleasure.

21. When it comes to computer-generated motion pictures, Shrek has once more raised the bar - and this one was already at an impressively high level in the wake of Toy Story 2 and Dinosaur. Yet Shrek outshines them both, boasting the most impressive detail and most amazingly rendered creatures of any motion picture in its class. And, although the human beings still don't look entirely realistic, they're getting close. In fact, this is the first major computer animated film in which human beings have had a significant role (they played secondary parts in the two Toy Story's), and their appearance is such that we have no more trouble accepting them than we do in traditional animated fare. Shrek is essentially Beauty and the Beast with a few clever twists. In the quirky, irreverent way that it views fairy tales and their conventions, it's not unlike The Princess Bride. Fans of those two stories will find much to like here. And, both kids and adults can play a game of "guess how many famous faces we can see". There are certainly a large number of cameos: Pinocchio (a "possessed toy"), Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, the Gingerbread Man, the Three Blind Mice, the Mirror (as in "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all..."), and many others.

22. Our protagonist is an ogre named Shrek (voice of Mike Myers, using a Scottish accent). Except for scaring off the odd knight who comes in search of his hide-out, Shrek leads a relatively peaceful life, until the day that he stumbles into Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy). Donkey is fleeing soldiers who are rounding up all the fairy tale creatures with the intent of resettling them. Unfortunately for Shrek, the local landholder, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow), has decided to deport them to Shrek's swamp. This causes the irritated ogre, accompanied by his new best friend, Donkey, to head for the city of Duloc, where Farquaad holds court. There, he makes a deal with the noble - in return for getting back his swamp, Shrek will perform a quest and rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from the tower where she is held prisoner. The catch: she's guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. Farquaad wants Fiona for his wife (he chose her over Cinderella and Snow White), and figures that the ogre might be his best chance to rescue her. But what he doesn't count on, and what Shrek doesn't expect, is that the beauty and the beast will develop feelings for each other. Many of Shrek's funniest lines (like "a castle that big must mean he's compensating for something") will go over younger viewer's heads, but there are still plenty that won't ("I'm going to save my ass", referring to Donkey). The screenplay was obviously written with all age groups in mind. Shrek is not on such a lofty plane that children will feel as if they're missing something, but it isn't lobotomized in a way that will insult the intelligence of older viewers.

23. As impressive as the visuals are - and they are very impressive - Shrek wouldn't be the movie it is without a quartet of effective vocal performances. As this kind of animation becomes more prevalent, the importance of choosing the right voices will need equal care and attention. Voices help to define the characters, and a bad choice can do irreparable damage. Just as not all silent stars were suitable for talkie roles, so not all live-action actors can do vocal performances. Fortunately, Shrek has four capable actors. First and foremost is Mike Myers, who is known as a vocal chameleon. Without seeing his name in the opening credits, you'd never know it was him. John Lithgow plays Faquaad as nasty and short-sighted, but not really evil, which makes a pleasant change from the usual animated villain. Eddie Murphy shows that a real comic genius can get laughs without relying on his own facial expressions and body language. Murphy's Donkey is one of the funniest characters he has brought to the screen. (Here, he improves upon what he did in Mulan.) Finally, Cameron Diaz's princess is equal parts sugar and vinegar. She believes in true love and Prince Charming, but, like her Charlie's Angels alter-ego, she's not afraid to do a little Matrix-style butt kicking. The interplay between Shrek and Princess Fiona is sweet and tender, while the exchanges between the ogre and the ass are often barbed and subversively funny. Like The Princess Bride, Shrek breaks with convention, but not so far that viewers will be put off by it. And, while there is a happy ending (as there must be in any fairy tale, no matter how unconventional), it's not necessarily the conclusion that many people will be expecting (at least up until the 2/3 point, when the movie reveals its hand). First-time co-directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson (he has worked as a visual supervisor on other films, including the two Joel Schumacher Batman's; this is her first credit) have crafted a movie to be proud of, and one that will hopefully receive a lot of attention, even during the crowded summer season. Shrek is easily one of the year's most magical experiences.

24. Don't Buy It . Buying Smart | PBS KIDS GO! Advertising • We all know what advertising is but are we aware of just how much it manipulates us? Advertising has a distinct purpose- to get us to buy their product or service. • How do they do it? • Persuasive language • Imperative • Expert Opinion • Music • Colloquial language • Emotive language • Emotional images • Layout • Design • Camera angles • Small print • Branding • Product placement • Slogans • Celebrity endorsements • Repetition

25. Beware, it’s everywhere! As you can see the ways in which advertisers choose to manipulate us are endless and most of the time we fall for it. You can hardly blame human beings for being so susceptible to advertising, after all it’s everywhere!

26. Branding Some products, services or even celebrities have been so successful with their adverting that they have brand so popular that they don’t need to explain the purpose of their product, they just need to keep their brand in the public eye.

27. Group Work As a group you are to choose a product that you will create an advertising campaign for. Your campaign must include the following elements. Billboard Magazine advertisement TV commercial script Internet Advertisement Clothing Smart board presentation including the techniques used in your advertisement and why you think they would be effective. Your presentation must also include the above 5 advertisements. (If you wish to actually record your radio/ TV commercial rather than simply presenting the script feel free!)

28. Essay • Introduction • Answer the question • Mention the points that you will discuss in your essay. • Body • Each point that you mention in the introduction should be a paragraph in the body. • Each paragraph in the body needs to have a topic sentence and evidence to back up the points you have made in the paragraph. • Conclusion • Sum up all the ideas you have mentioned in the body. • Don’t mention any new ideas in the conclusion. Body

29. Essay task Uniforms should be abolished. Discuss You are to write an essay that discusses the above question. You can choose to either support the statement, all go against the statement.

30. 1 Audience: The writer's capacity to orient, engage and affect the reader. 0. contains symbols or drawings 1. Response is brief and ideas are basic. 2. Some evidence of writing to convince 3. Attempts to support the reader 4. Attempts to engage reader 5. Persuasive devices engage reader 6. Persuasive devices influence reader 2 Text Structure: The organisation of the structural components of a persuasive text into an appropriate and effective structure. 0. No evidence of persuasive structure 1. Minimal evidence of persuasive structure 2. Some components of persuasive structure 3. Development evident in two components 4. Coherent controlled persuasive structure

31. 3 Ideas: The selection, relevance and elaboration of ideas in a persuasive text. 0. Contains symbols or drawings 1. Few/simple/unrelated/unelaborated ideas 2. Limited elaboration of ideas 3. Some development/elaboration of ideas 4. Substantial elaboration of ideas 5. Ideas-elaborated/sustained/clear/convincing 4 Persuasive devices: The use of a range of persuasive devices to enhance the writer's position and persuade the reader. 0. no evidence 1. Few devices demonstrated 2. Uses some devices/use is ineffective 3. Persuasive devices sometimes effective 4. Effective use of persuasive devices

32. 5 Vocabulary: The range and precision of contextually appropriate language choices. 0. Little or no evidence 1. Few content words 2. Mostly simple words used 3. Some precise words used 4. Sustained use of precise words 5. Range of precise, effective words 6 Cohesion: The control of multiple threads and relationships over the whole text, achieved through the use of referring words, substitutions, word associations and text connectives. 0. No evidence 1. Little evidence of cohesion 2. Some correct cohesive links 3. Correct use of cohesive links 4. Correct/varied cohesive devices used

33. 7 Paragraphing: The segmenting of text into paragraphs that assist the reader to negotiate the text. 0. No evidence 1. Some awareness of paragraphing 2. Mostly correct paragraphs 3. Effective/accurate paragraphs 8 Sentence Structure: The production of grammatically correct, structurally sound and meaningful sentences. 0. Little or no evidence 1. Some correct formation of sentences 2. Most simple sentences are correct 3. Some complex sentences correct 4. Most complex sentences correct 5. Correct/varied sentences 6. Correct/effective/varied sentences

34. 9 Punctuation: The use of correct and appropriate punctuation to aid the reading of the text. 0. Little or no evidence 1. Minimal punctuation 2. Some correct sentence punctuation 3. Accurate sentence punctuation 4. Mostly correct use of punctuation 5. All applicable punctuation accurate 10 Spelling: The accuracy of spelling and the difficulty of the words used. 0. No conventional spelling 1. Few examples of conventional spelling 2. Most simple/some common words correct 3. Most simple/common words correct 4. Some difficult words correct 5. At least ten difficult words 6. Ten difficult/some challenging words