Class Highlights

I wasn't sure if I did the last blog entry right so I'll just do this one also. I thought this was one of the most interesting classes I've taken. I've been at De Anza since September of last year, which would be 4 quarters, and this is one of the top three I've taken. It was just so interesting having all the Youtube videos integrated into the lecture and it really made it easier to understand. Most other classes consist of boring lectures where the professor either clicks a simplistic powerpoint or they write words on a chalkboard... Ahhhh... It would be great if all classes had a little more action like this class.

One thing I would have liked to see more of in the class was the discussion of false stories created by governments. For instance the coverage of the Kennedy Assassination was absolutely abysmal if we go back and look at the history. Basically the supposed shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, was convicted without a trial, and his accusations seemingly went to rest after he was killed. And the media doesn't question this? We were also given the explanation that Oswald took 3 shots from the sixth floor of a nearby building - using a position and gun which virtually eliminates any chance of hitting a moving target... All the while the media handed us the governments story at face value without so much as mentioning these obvious inconsistencies... Where is the media when it matters? This can also be said about 9/11, Vietnam, Abu Ghraib prison, and many other issues. Basically the media goes lock-step with whatever the government says, and this wasn't quite mentioned in the class.

My favorite section of the class was on television. Since television has so much leverage over the way we think I thought it was interesting seeing the ins and outs of how it works. I would have suggested talking about the psychological effects of television, which would have made it even more interesting. On the internet they talk about the long term effects in terms of losing social connection, damage to the eyes, easy suggestion, and increasing gullibility. I used to watch a lot of tv (not anymore) so that too.

Having the blog assignments was one of the pillars of the class that made it what it was. I went around other people's blogs and read them and it was really interesting comparing different peoples' views on the same thing. I am  bit of a write and I write in internet forums about every single day, so I am more perceptive to other peoples argumentation and how peoples views compare to mine. I even learned a bit that I didn't know about. For instance I saw the videos people posted for propaganda and it gave me insight into that and they noted details I would have otherwise missed. The blogs definitely gave us an outlet of figuring out who other people are, and it improved the discussions when you talk with consideration to what you read the night before. The fact that you learn about someone's personality while seeing what they write made it all the more interesting.

The presentations were interesting. I learned more in some more than others, but they were fun nonetheless. It kind of gives the students a chance to be the professor for a few minutes, and it also gives us a chance to see people out age stand up and talk... Since each of of gained a sort of specialty in the area where researched, this was interesting in that it had more depth than simple comments made during the regular lectures. I thought the presentation on censorship in Iran was the best. I have an interest in foreign places in general, particularly the Muslim and Arab world, so he gave some insight into that, plus in a context of a modern medium such as the internet.

I think there should be more classes on media studies. If they can have multiple art history classes, multiple law classes, language classes, or others for instance, then why not multiple classes about how the media works? Our lives are guided by the media and we spend so many hours a day using it, so shouldn't there be a set of classes that reflect its obvious importance? They should have an entire class on television it itself if you ask me. I took Journalism and wrote for the school paper briefly, so I guess that would be a de facto class on how the newspapers work at least.

But yeah, the class was the bomb! I might not have looked enthusiasic (me, Cameron) but I guess my interest doesn't come out through my body as well as with other people. I don't know. It must be the flourescent lights. I hated them. It would have been better if they lights were off the whole time and we just used the light coming through the window.