Miley Cyrus is dead!? WHAT!?

When I think of “fake news” there is one specific incident that come to mind, Miley Cyrus’ apparent death. The rumor began on September 5^th, 2008 when Miley had reportedly gotten into a “fatal car accident” on the way to filming an episode of Hannah Montana. This rumor was created by an unknown source, on websites like wikipedia and digg.com. It truly amazes me the pleasure people get by making up terrible rumors like this and how insanely out of proportion they are blown. This truly is over the top. I mean think about all those young fans of hers who were crushed by this horrible lie, and that is all it was, a horrible lie. This is unnecessary. Things like this make me think maybe everyday people should not be allowed to make random postings all over the Internet. How would it make you feel waking up one morning and everyone thinks your dead?

Citizen journalism has its ups and down as does everything else. It gives people the chance to speak their mind and get the word out about news they believe is important. On the other hand, it can also mean people making up stories just so people will listen to what they have to say. I completely support citizen journalism I just wish people did not feel the need to lie or stretch the truth just to be recognized, it is not worth hurting innocent people.

Works Cited

Right Celebrity. Miley Cyrus Dead Rumor. 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2009.

Mass Media

Mass media is a very broad term and may be interpreted differently by different people. When I think of the term “mass media” there are various things that come to mind. Mass means a large unspecified amount and media can refer to millions of different things. Mass media, to me, refers to any form of media commonly known to have in a household. For example things like television, cell phones, and computers are mass media; these items are common in almost every household.

Media is used for communication to larger audiences. The media is constantly communicating to the public. Whether it is through billboards in downtown Toronto, what you watch on television, or a simple text from your best friend, they are all forms of communication.

Britney Spears' Shoes.

This advertisement jumped out immediately for a very stupid reason. It’s pink, girly, and has Britney Spears (which I am comfortable admitting I actually like). These three simple things would attract many ‘girly girls’ eyes, which is what the advertiser wants. Britney Spears’ is wearing quite a sexy bathing suit but not too sexy because that would take away from the product trying to be sold, the shoes. Since she is wearing very little clothing you are not drawn away from the purpose of the advertisement it actually draws you in further. Having a celebrity model is another positive way to advertise, many young girls look up to Britney Spears and want to be just like her which will make them want the same shoes she wears. This is a very well done advertisement. It is simple, the point is clear, and the target audience is obvious.

And who wouldn't want to be in her shoes, right?

Television, purpose & function.

The technology with the largest impact in my opinion is television. There are many other technologies which have impacted us greatly too, but almost everyone has a television or at least has access to one. The main purpose of a television is to provide entertainment but it does much more than that. While we can spend hours on end watching useless shows rotting our brains we can also be alerted of important events going on in our world. Watching breaking news is the perfect way to always know what is going on, this is a great function of television. If there is a child missing, a natural disaster, or an event the news can broadcast it across the province, country, or even the world. Television helps to keep us informed of what is going on which is very important.

Television has the largest cultural impact because of how broad it can be. You can broadcast things from any part of the world to another through television. It shows people the different ways of life, different countries, and many more interesting things you would never get to see without the invention of a television. The purpose of a television is entertainment, the function of a television can be whatever you want it to be.

Blogging

Setting up a blog is very simple as long as you know your way around the Internet. There are a multitude of different domains to choose from and you can pick the one that appeals to you the most. When I first found out that we were required to produce a blog I was slightly worried. I have never been someone who took a great interest in blogging so this was very new to me. I began warming up to the idea; I like knowing I can get my opinion out there so easily with the click of a button (or mouse I should say). It is really good to know absolutely anyone can have a voice over the Internet. You do not need to be a celebrity or famous figure in order to be heard. By having your own blog, anyone who searches your topic on the Internet can be subject to reading your thoughts and opinions on the subject.

By having a blog it really give you the chance to express exactly what you are feeling without having to worry about what people will say. You can express all your emotions, thoughts, and opinions while still having the comfort of being behind a screen. By reading blogs you can learn so much about a person, and learn new things aswell. It feels good to know I can have an impact on someone else. Blogging gives you importance.

Save Your Cash.

On November 25^th people around the world will be asked not to buy a single thing for the entire day. When I first found out about this I was intrigued. At first it doesn’t seem very difficult to not purchase anything for just one day. You think well I do not normally shop everyday as it is, so this cannot be too challenging. Well your wrong. Something as simple as turning on the tap for a glass of water can count towards “buying” something. You pay for the water coming in to your house. Electricity is something else; technically electricity is not free either so turning on a light in your house can be purchasing something also. The idea of this is fantastic; I just do not feel too optimistic about it being possible. I do not know how so many people could last without using water, electricity and other essentials. Does this mean you’re forbidden to eat as well? In order to eat you need to buy food. The idea is excellent, the execution may not be.

Works Cited

Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.