CMST 102
Kevin213
cmst102finalrequirementJ3.docxIntro to Mass Media – CMST 102
Instructor: John Knowlton, Room 207, Science Building, ext 4201
Chapter 4: Cybermedia
Chapter 5: Legacy Media
Chapter 6: News
Chapter 11: Mass Media Effects
Chapter 13: Global Mass Media
Here’s what you need to do: Reread your selected chapter, paying particular attention to content that a) should be added; b) should be deleted; and c) should be modified. Use these subheads in this order: Additions, Deletions and Modifications. Cite at least one source each to bolster your reasons for suggesting the changes. The more changes your recommend (and the more authoritative sources you cite to justify those recommendations), the better your chances for a good grade. See below for examples of how you should document your sources.
Important point: You are required to have at least one substantive recommendation each on things that need to be added, deleted or modified. That’s the minimum, and will earn you 400 out of a possible 800 points. If you don’t have at least one substantive recommendation for each, it just shows me that you haven’t given the subject serious thought. To get a good grade, you are encouraged to provide more than one recommended addition, deletion or modification. Again, the recommendations need to be substantive. Recommending the author change the point size or use a different font would not meet that requirement, for example.
Your recommendations should be put in the form of a letter to Mr. Vivian. His address is 23148 Highway 14, Lewiston, MN 55952. Your letter will be an essay of your comments and suggestions concerning the chapter you select. I will send the best papers to the author. He does pay attention to your recommendations. If you look on Page xxv of the Acknowledgements section in the preface of his book, you will see the names of at least four former Green River students whose suggestions Mr. Vivian adopted in subsequent editions of the book.
Focus: Some review and summarization of the chapter you are focusing on is probably inevitable, but don’t overdo it. I’m more interested in the suggestions – based on your own understanding, critical thinking and research – for improving the chapter. What material, for example, should probably be downplayed or omitted, and why? What should be given more emphasis, and why? Explain yourself fully. Where possible, refer to class lecture notes, videos and posting assignments to enhance your case. Include the course website in your recommendations.
Format: It should be at least 1,000 words long, not including the Works Cited page. Simple, short sentences devoid of jargon or computer language are preferred. Papers that fall short of the 1,000-word minimum will lose points.
Sources: Here are some potential sources, some of which are in the library: Advertising Age, American Journalism Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Editor & Publisher, Grassroots Editor, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post. Don’t forget to look at http://jimromenesko.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for additional sources.
You may use the Internet for your sources. Be sure to cite the full URL address when you make reference to the material in your essay.
Like this: According to the Society of Professional Journalists web site (http://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=860), which I examined June 6, 2017, only about 40 percent of professional journalists in the United States have a college degree. That same web site indicates that only about 10 percent of the reporters and editors at the nation’s 1,650 daily newspapers are African-American.
Here is how you would cite a newspaper used as a source: As noted by Kevin Maney in a Nov. 28, 2014 article on page 6 in USA Today, newspapers are dying a slow death in the United States. Maney argues that the reason is that too many journalists are incompetent and don’t know what readers really want.
Attribution: You need a Works Cited page following the MLA format. Details of how to do that are located here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/
Mechanics: Bad spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence errors will hurt your grade. Please proofread your paper and/or have someone else proofread it for you.
Grading criteria: Both content and style, so do a good job on mechanics and substance. The things I am most looking for are smart, thoughtful recommendations based on authoritative research. Show me that you have given serious thought to how the author can improve the chapter you have selected. Show me evidence of your critical thinking skills.
Deadline: The deadline for turning this in is midnight March 19. I will not accept any papers after the deadline. If you want to turn it in before deadline, that would be fine.
Good luck: This is a challenging, but meaningful assignment. It’s an opportunity to delve more deeply into one of these important mass media topics. I hope it puts you on to some ideas and information that will make you even more interested in the ever-changing world of the mass media.
Greetings one and all,
Below is the format you need to follow for your take-home final. Following it really helps you organize your material and respond better to the requirements of this assignment.
Please note that the details of whether you really liked the book or not is entirely up to you. The same applies for the number of recommendations you make for the chapter you choose, although you are required to have at least one recommended addition, deletion and modification to chapter contents.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.
John
Dear Mr. Vivian,
I am writing to let you know how much I have enjoyed your book, The Media of Mass Communications, Twelfth Edition. We used it in the Intro to Mass Media class taught by John Knowlton here at Green River Community College.
I understand that you will be revising your book soon. As our final assignment, Mr. Knowlton has asked us to write detailed recommendations on what should be added, deleted or modified in a particular chapter in the hopes that you might consider them in your revision. I have chosen Chapter 7 on the New Media Landscape for my review. I think you should add A (your first recommendation), B (your second recommendation) and C (your third recommendation) to the chapter, delete D and E, and modify the portions covering F and G. (Please note: the number of recommendations here is just an example; the number of recommendations you make is up to you.)
Additions
Re: A, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxthis part says specifically what your recommendation is and what research you are using to support the recommendation. Remember to cite specific URL when you cite a web page. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I recommend that you also add B becausexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Keep going down the list of recommendations. Be sure to put subheads to separate additions from deletions from modifications. When you are done, wrap it up with a nice concluding paragraph to the author.
To one and all,
Below is an example of how to do the take-home final. It is by a student who did an excellent job critically evaluating the content (or lack thereof) of the chapter on Sound Media. Please note that this is from a previous edition of the book, and that there is no longer a chapter devoted to Sound Media.
I am giving this to you so you can see how to do the final correctly. Please note the number of excellent recommendations, as well as the depth of research here. That's what I need from you.
Remember that i will send the best of the papers in this class to Mr. Vivian for his review. At least four previous students prompted him to make changes in subsequent editions of the book because of their excellent recommendations.
Good luck, and please let me know if you have any questions.
John
Mr. John Vivian
23148 Highway 14
Lewiston, MN 55952
Dear Mr. Vivian,
I am writing to let you know how much I have enjoyed your book, The Media of Mass Communications: XXXX Edition. We used it in the Intro to Mass Media class taught by John Knowlton here at Green River Community College.
I understand that you will be revising your book soon. As our final assignment, Mr. Knowlton has asked us to write detailed recommendations on what should be added, deleted or modified in a particular chapter in the hopes that you might consider them in your revision. I have chosen Chapter 5 on Sound Media for my review. I think you should add additional information on Steve Job’s revolutionary iPod and iPhone, as well as file swapping’s successor: torrents. Also, it is highly recommended you delete Country as the leading format in radio and the belief that the radio News format is diminishing in numbers. Finally, modify the portions covering the Big Four to the Big Three in the music industry and the relationship between Majors and Independents.
Additions
It is in the reader’s best interest to know more about Steve Jobs and his innovations in music, instead of a quick overview of his accomplishments. Throughout the textbook you touch upon the iPod and iPhone briefly, but a larger grouping of information is needed to understand the importance of these two inventions. For example, the iPhone is greeted with praise from critics and reviewers, as noted by Lev Grossman in Time on Nov. 1, 2007, “Inventions of the Year: The iPhone – Best Inventions of 2007” (http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/ 0,28804,1677329_1678542_1677891,00.html) (Examined: Dec. 5, 2011), the iPhone is equipped with OS X, a computer operating system, which makes the iPhone not just a phone, but a computer. Grossman also predicted the iPhone is just the beginning and with Steve Job’s creativity, there are no limits to what Apple can accomplish. At the time, 1.4 million units were sold putting companies of the music industry in a dilemma. Jeremy Caplan of Time also praised the iPod Touch in an article, “iPod Touch – Best Inventions of 2008” on Oct. 29, 2008 (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1852747_1852746_1852745,00.html) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011). The iPod Touch made the list for the best innovations of 2008, just like its counterpart, the iPhone, in 2007. Caplan continued, going over the features of the iPod Touch and how it beats the rest of the competition. The advent of iPods and iPhones are important to note because of all of the changes it has brought to the music industry and adding complexities to the equation of sound media.
File swapping was a major issue back then, but few realize torrents are becoming the new Napster, and people have started debating on whether it is legal or illegal to download music off the Internet. Steve Job’s iTunes and other Apple products have added weight to the conversation concerning torrents, because music is the most targeted amongst them. The government is alarmed with some websites on the Internet that promote or aid in acquiring copyrighted material through torrents. According to several agencies: the Department of Justice, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm of Homeland Security Investigations (ICE) in the article “U.S. Government Seizes and Shutters Torrent-Finder.com” written by Jolie O’Dell on Nov, 26, 2010 (http://mashable.com/2010/ 11/26/torrent-finder) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011); the website Torrent-Finder did not have copyrighted material on the site, instead acted as a search engine and promoted sites with torrents. The agencies also said recommending or encouraging torrents is illegal, and because of that, Torrent-Finder has been shut down indefinitely until further notice.
Several other groups are troubled by torrents and the power that they hold on people trying to make money in the music industry. One group in particular, USA Today, writes in an article, “Online File Swapping Endures”, written by Jefferson Graham on July 11, 2004 (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-07-11-fileswap_x.htm) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011), states Internet filling sharing continues, and it is far from being dead. A study conducted by BigChampagne, which tracks Internet file sharing writes, “8.3 million people were online at any one time in June using unauthorized services like Kazaa and eDonkey - up 19% from 6.8 million in June 2003”. This source of information is complimented with a poll conducted by CBS News in an article titled, “Poll: Young Say File Sharing OK”, written by Bootle Cosgrove-Mather on February 11, 2009 (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/18/opinion/polls/
main573990.shtml) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011). CBS News conducted a representative survey, interviewing 675 adults via telephone between September 15-16, 2003 and the margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points. One part of the study showed, “58 percent of Americans who have followed the issue of sharing music files over the Internet consider it an acceptable practice in at least some circumstances… 37 percent agree with the recording industry's position that online music sharing is never acceptable because it deprives musicians and music companies of their income”. The services mentioned by BigChampagne, like Kazaa and eDonkey use torrents. This rise in torrents is important to acknowledge with the increasing acceptance of downloading music illegally, your book on the other hand conveys the idea that the age of file swapping is over, when in reality it has just begun.
Deletions
Keeping up with sound media not only includes adding events, but deleting old data. A recent tallying of the number of broadcast stations in the US as of Sept, 31, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2009, which is stated in an article, “14,420 Radio Stations in the US” on Radiosurvivor, written by Paul Riismandel on March 11, 2010 (http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2010/03/11/14420-radio-stations-in-the-us) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011). The numbers concluded that there were 4,790 AM stations, 6,479 FM commercial stations, and 3,151 FM educational stations, which brings the total to 14,420, close to the textbook’s estimate of 8,403 radio stations. Additional graphs in the textbook should be deleted or updated. There are also 6,155 FM translator and booster stations, as well as 864 Low-power FM stations, which brings the grand total to 21,439 radio stations in the US.
Not only is Country the second most used radio format in the US, but also News actually exceeds Country with 3,446; contradicting that Country is the leading format in radio and that radio News format is decreasing in numbers of stations, respectively as stated in the textbook. Arbitron, as you know is primarily a surveyor of radio, and released “Radio Today 2010”, which shows a recent count of formats and other statistics regarding radio. This edition collected its data in the fall of 2009 to June 2010 and was edited by Ron Rodrigues (also viewable on the website: www.arbitron.com/downloads/RadioToday_2010.pdf) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011).As of 2010, there are 24,757 radio formats, 2,446 of which are Country and 3,446 are News. Radiosurvivor and Arbitron differ in numbers, because Arbitron counted streaming as a radio broadcast format, while Radiosurvivor did not. Information grows outdated with time; the world of mass media is constantly changing, and in need of new data.
Modifications
Keeping up to date on the relationship between Majors (companies on top of the music industry) and Independents (Indies) is crucial in this age of innovation and the numerous ways musicians can spread their music to the world. To begin with, there is one minor change you should make regarding the condition of the Major labels controlling the music industry. In the textbook, it states there are four Majors; Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony BMG (BMG), EMI, and Warner Music, now it seems there are only going to be three if the deal between EMI and Universal Music Group (UMG) is agreed upon. If so, the two will combine into one, costing UMG about $1.9 million dollars. This information was gathered from an article in the New York Times, written by Eric Pfanner on Nov. 11, 2011 (http://dealbook.nytimes.com /2011/11/11/vivendi-in-1-9-billion-emi-deal) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011).
Related to the topic is the relationship between Majors and Independents (Indies), which are opposite of each other. Majors are huge companies, while Indies are usually managed by a hand full of people. Some groups, bands, or musicians transition from Majors to Indies, because they believe it’s a dying business model. One group for instance, Nine Inch Nails, gave up on Majors saying, “I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate”. As stated in a post by steveosk8s on Nov. 08, 2007 on the website Sputnik Music (http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=4504) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011). Other groups have gone even further and left the cost of their album or song to the listener, because of the disgust they have for Majors’ business models. This idea is similar to what the lead singer of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, said, “I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'F*** you' to this decaying business model”. Josh Tyrangiel of Time stated this quote in an article on Oct. 01, 2007.(http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/ 0,8599,1666973,00.html) (Examined: Dec 05, 2011). The textbook does not emphasis the fact that Majors and Indies are at odds with each other, but the facts show that they do differ in opinion. Slight errors in facts can cause the reader to lose all credibility for the author, staying updated will help you regain that trust; especially information dealing with the Majors of the music industry and their relationship with Indies.
I hope these corrections help you to spread the word of the mass media clearly and accurately. So, remember to add additional information on Steve Job’s iPod and iPhone, as well as torrents, delete Country as the largest radio format and the belief that radio news is losing numbers, but most importantly modify and make note of the Majors that still exist and their connection with Indies. Mr. Knowlton has informed the class you take these letters very seriously and I have done the same. I hope you consider revising the textbook with some of my corrections and suggestions, because your book has showed me some light in this confusing and terrifying world that we live in today, and I believe I can help too.
Sincerely,
Works Cited
Arbitron. Radio Today 2010: How America Listens to Radio. Arbitron Marketing Communications, 2010. Print.
Caplan, Jeremy. “iPod Touch – Best Inventions of 2008”. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1852747_1852746_185274 5,00.html. Time. www.time.com. Oct. 29, 2008. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie. “Poll: Young Say File Sharing OK”. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/18/opinion/polls/main573990.shtml. CBS News. www.cbsnews.com. Feb. 11, 2009. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Graham, Jefferson. “Online File Swapping Endures”. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004- 07-11-fileswap_x.htm. USA Today. www.usatoday.com. July 11, 2004. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Grossman, Lev. “Invention of the Year: The iPhone - Best Inventions of 2007”. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1677329_1678542_1677891,00. html. Time. www.time.com. Nov. 01, 2007. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
O’Dell, Jolie. “U.S. Government Seizes and Shutters Torrent-Finder.com”. http://mashable.com/2010/11/26/torrent-finder. Mashable. www.mashable.com. Nov. 26, 2010. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Pfanner, Eric. “Vivendi in $1.9 Billion EMI Deal”. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/vivendi-in-1-9-billion-emi-deal/. New York Times. www.nytimes.com. Nov. 11, 2011. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Riismandel, Paul. “14,420 Radio Stations in the US”. http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2010/03/11/14420-radio-stations-in-the-us/. Radio Survivor. www.radiosurvivor.com. Mar. 11, 2010. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Steveosk8s. “Nine Inch Nails = Independent”. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=4504. Sputnik Music. www.sputnikmusic.com. Nov. 08, 2007. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Tyrangiel, Josh. “Radiohead Says: Pay What You Want”. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1666973,00.html. Time. www.time.com. Oct. 01, 2007. Web. Dec. 05, 2011.
Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication: Tenth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. Print.
