Post #20: Rush Limbaugh

On the episode of Rush Limbaugh that I listened to on April 30, 2009; Rush discusses how people consider the Republican party to be too conservative and on their way out. They believe that in order for the Republican party to survive, they must move closer to the center. Rush believes that if the party was to follow this advice, the United States government would be dominated by Democrats. He claims that the Republican values should be upheld. He believes that policies should foster personal growth not governmental growth. Achievement and excellence should be rewarded. They believe to protect every life but to punish those who are wrongdoers. They emphasize fiscal responsibility and education. He argues that liberalism should be defeated and that when Conservationism is upheld "America Wins".

I thought the episode was okay. I may not agree with what he was saying but at least he was not as bad as some of those other radio talk shows that when you have an idea that disagrees with them, they will simply hang up your call.

However, I think that Rush's idea that liberalism should be "defeated" is nonsense. The principles set forth through liberalism will absolutely strengthen a country and they should be sought after. After all, is it not in our Constitution that bears the very essence of liberalism, that all men are created equal and have certain inalienable rights! Rush gives no explanation as to why he thinks that liberalism is such a "bad" thing. He just says it and moves right on. If you are going to address something, at least go through with it. It irritated me that he would says something like that when it is such a crucial part of how we became a nation. Maybe he should provide the listener with some more of his perspective so that they have a better means to understand what he is trying to get at.

Post #19: Network News vs. The Daily Show

I just want to start off this post by saying I love the Daily Show. I find Jon Stewart to be one of the funniest comedians out there. That said, I think that should be addressed, Jon Stewart is a political comedian...not a news anchor. He does not report the news, he jokes about it. One must keep in mind that although the program does mimic the network news, it is strictly a form of entertainment. After all, it does air on Comedy Central. This is the same station that plays South Park and Reno 911.

On this episode of the Daily Show, Jon addressed the Swine Flu Outbreak. This was also addressed hours before on ABC World News. Instead of giving details about the virus like the ABC did, Jon focused the coverage of "Patient Zero". Jon did not comment on how the boy's current health was. Instead, he talked about how cute and adorable he was. Jon then went on to discuss the name change of the virus. He talked about how the pork industry did not want them using the term Swine Flu because they feared it would detract people from buying their products. Then Jon joked about how they wanted it to be called the "Hybrid Flu" and then showed the Chrysler's decal.

Jon does not lie about what is going on in the world, he just adds a funny spin to it. I think that if you watch this type of programming along with the network news you would get more out of it. Let’s face it, some of the jokes that Jon tells can only be understood if you know what is going on in the world. Otherwise, you will have a hard time understanding them. Jon is also a very smart man. He is completely up-to-date on the news. He is a smart man and knows what he is talking about but it's our responsibility to understand what he is saying.

Post #18: Comparison of FOX News and CNN

For this assignment I watch a half hour of FOX News Channel followed by a half hour of CNN.





Verses



Hannity was playing on FOX News. First I listened to him rant about how when Obama was running for President, he said that he would excuse the Bush Administration for any questionable methods of interrogation. Now, Obama has switched sides on the issue by putting the blame on the Bush Administration. Hannity then did an overview of Obama's first hundred days in office. He claimed that the one good thing Obama did was buy a dog. Other than that he has done very little except for "bankrupting the country". Hannity criticized Obama's "socialist" agenda.

Then Hannity brought up what Joe Binden said about the Swine Flu. But Hannity says not to worry because the Democrats will surely blame the Bush Administration for the Swine Flu outbreak because they always blame former President Bush. He made the obnoxious comment that if the sun is not shining in the morning it was President Bush's fault.

On CNN I watched the show Newsroom. The first story they showed was on the collapse of the canopy of the Dallas Cowboy's training facility. They talked about a man who was now paralyzed because of the accident. Then they began to talk about the unstable weather that was occurring in the Southeast. Tornadoes were spotted in both Alabama and Tennessee today. The final story that I watched was on the Republican party trying to get a new image. Their goal is it conduct road shows to attract more supporters.

I do not believe that these programs cover events the same way. FOX News Channel was clearly favoring the right. They made annoying comments about Democrats. They attacked President Obama for his supposedly changing view on the waterboarding debate. On the other hand, CNN seemed like a more moderate news source. It provided the viewer with the facts and left very little room for commentary. Out of the two stations, I would much prefer to watch CNN over FOX News any day.

In my opinion the best type of news is one that provides me with facts. I do not mind hearing different sides of an argument as long as both sides have their voices heard. I would much rather be left with a space to make up my own well-informed mind on an issue than to have someone else tell me what to think. If I had to choose I would without a doubt pick objective news covering over partisan based news stories. It is just so much more interesting and informative to be educated on both sides of an issue.

Post #17: Hannity on FOX News

Last night I watched an episode of Hannity on FOX News Station. I was actually surprised at the show. I have never watched anything on FOX news channel before because of it's reputation of being uber-right sided. Therefore, I was shocked to see that Hannity had a panel on his show that had Democrat Lanny Davis. So I thought to myself if Davis is on Hannity is probably going to tear him apart. I was in awe at how civil of a conversation they had. The panel also contained Mary Anne Zoellner who is a correspondent on NBC as well as Collin Raye, a country music star. Hannity would ask the panelist questions and gave them the opportunity to respond. He did not cut them off if they had "liberal" opinions like I thought he would.

One of the topics that was addressed during the panel was the switching of sides of Arlen Specter. They talked about the topic in a civilized manner. The panelist spoke about how this would not be a guarantee for the Democratic Party to be filibuster proof because not everyone of them is going to go along with what Obama wants. Likewise, they also must listen to their constituents and do what is best for their state (and probably what is best for them to get re-elected).

The show was quite different than what I was expecting. I am glad that I learned what I did and came out with a positive view on the show. FOX news may be considered right winged but at least they allow the other side's view to be heard, unlike some of those right winged radio stations found on the AM dial. Whenever they get a caller in who has an opinion that differs from theirs, they usually just hang up the call. It's so frustrating, I don't know how anyone could listen to that for more than five minutes.

Post #16: My Own Choice

Talk about pointless news. Here is a story that would not have been covered if it was not about someone "famous". Octomom is at it again it seems in a child welfare claim because her son showed up to school with a black eye and bite marks. Come on now! Young kids get banged up all the time at that age. When my sister was in preschool, she was at home and tripped over the dresser and gave herself two black eyes. My mom claimed that she was terrified to bring her to school because she feared that someone would call DYFS on her. Do you want to know what happened? Absolutely nothing. If it was any other kid in that class I bet that nothing would have come of it either. But because Octomom is the new household name, she just keeps making the news.

As for the bite marks, I used to work in a daycare where I was in charge of the pre-toddlers. It was almost expected that someone would get bitten each week. This is just how children are. They play dirty. Why should Octomom get all of this exposure?

Do I think that this type of news is good for America...absolutely not. It just takes up space. We could be talking about stories that can actually have an impact in our life...like the economy, the war, world affairs, what's happening in our government (local or federal). But no, people would rather watch this "light" news that will most likely never have an affect on them. The media should really cut back on stories like these and leave the room for more important news.

Post #15: Response to a Classmate's Blog

While I was looking at Logan's blog, this article caught my attention. I think that Logan overestimates how much control a parent has over his or her child. Logan fails to take into account that there are ways for a child to gain access to unsuitable media. It is so easy for a child that is being monitored closely by a parent to go over a friend's house where inappropriate forms of media is allowed and observe it there. The parent of the "innocent" child probably has no idea that this form of media is being viewed.

A parent cannot keep a child attached to their hip 24/7! That would only end with the child being resentful of the parent and the parent would probably never be able to accomplish anything if they have to watch every movement of their kid. There are plenty of ways for a child to gain access to things that the parent does not want the child watching. If the child wants to watch it bad enough, I am pretty sure he or she is going to find a way to see it. The child can wait for the parents to fall asleep and sneak the television on or the child can ask his or her friends about what was on the television the next day at school when the parent isn't around. By simply blaming the parent for allowing their child to view inappropriate forms of media is insufficient. There is more to the issue than just "bad parenting".

I still firmly believe that the best way for a parent to deal with violent media is through open communication with their child. Be honest with him or her and they will respect you enough to be truthful in return. It is probably better to be open with your child then to scold them. They will listen to you.

Post #14: 6:30 New on ABC

Now it's time for the World News on ABC. And the stories are....

~White House Briefing: Obama on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Souter.
~Justice Souter's Retirement Announcement: will step down this summer. History of his appointment and his voting history in the Supreme Court. Obama is reviewing the candidates. Perhaps it will be a woman.
~Reporters Discuss the Announcement: with two White House Correspondents. Did the White House know it was coming? Yes. Who might be the next Justice? Suspicion is he will pick a woman. Timing? Wants to be done before August recess but some complications may arise.
~Flu Outbreak: continuing to spread. Affecting airlines, churches, and the demand for drugs. In 19 states as of this moment. One Professor of disease says it does not look that threatening. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine.
~Cuba: relations with the US?
~Hillary Clinton Pays Tribute: gets emotional while telling a story of one of the officers.
~Bankruptcy Hearing for Chrysler: Combination with FIAT. What is the new look?
~FDA Recall on Hydroxycut: Leads to liver damage.
~Storms in the West: Flooding and heavy rain.
~Sports: Figure skating and manliness. End the outfits. Athletes talk about the dangers of figure skating.
~Sky Deck on Sears Tower: in the making.
~Person of the Week: Author who wants children to know they can do something in the world through projects.

I think the order of the news program was exceptional. They stated the program with the important issues (Supreme Court announcement and the Swine Flu) and then lead into the more trivial ones (figure skating and the Sears Tower).

I also felt that comparing this program to the 5:00 news that I watched, I feel like I took more away from me in this program. I feel like the stories were more meaningful and they focused on what was going on in the world rather than trying to find interesting stories that would be entertaining. It was very informative and I liked the coverage ABC presented.

Post #13: Local News at 5pm

I am currently watching the local news at 5:00pm on channel 2 (CBS). Here is what is going on:

~Weather: weekend outlook.
~Money Talk: sales tax hike instead of firing more state employees like teachers, firefighters, and police officers. (Political).
~Supreme Court Justice Souter is stepping down: President Obama's reaction. Background on Souter's appointment. Who will be the next nominee? (Political).
~Swine Flu Outbreak: No more new cases in NYC. A few more in NJ but seems to be calming down. People, schools, daycare, and offices overreacting. Students staying home from school because they are afraid of the flu in Long Island. Schools are being cleaned and they are safe but parents too are worried. 146 concerned cases in the nation.
~Teen Tragedy: Student athlete died today during a warm up for a track meet in Edison, New Jersey.
~Child Killer: The police may have found the body of the man accused of killing his 3-year-old niece.
~Two men arrested for Robbery: perhaps as many as 16 in NJ.
~Chrysler: ideas on recovery.
~Stocks: up today.
~Hydroxycut Recall: Causes liver damage. Doctors have been critical prior to this recall.
~Rainfall Causing Flooding: Southwest very wet.
~Weather Report: Showers and cloudy for the next few days. Keep the umbrella handy ;)
~Entertainment: Madonna's fight for adoption. 51-year-old actress Kelly McGillis comes out to a website that she is a lesbian, Movie reviews.
~Man Falls Down Elevator Shaft: In Riverdale.
~Teacher possessing Child Pornography
~Overseas: Someone tried to drive car into royal family in Holland. May Day protests in Europe.
~Danny Gains Death: unexpectedly in Las Vegas home.
~Bike Lanes: Limits parking. Complaints from both sides.
~Building Blessed by Archbishop
~Preview of 6:00 News
~Alligator Trapped in Canal Across for Middle School in Florida
~Miss American Controversy: Questions on cosmetic surgery before the pageant.
~Go New York: Top foods to fight fat when over 40.
~More Weather: ...
~Speed Golf: New record for most golf balls hit in 1 minute.

I must say that at first I was expecting there to be a lot of stories on politics. However, it seems that the first two stories were deceiving. It seems that those were the only two stories that contained any politics. There was definitely a lack of political issues in the local news and it was kind of disheartening to realize this. There needs to be more political content in this programming.

The news itself did keep me entertained. I enjoyed watching the stories and hearing the differing perspectives that were addressed. There were some stories that could have been left out. There really was no need to report on any of the movie reviews because if I want to know about a movie, I will go to a website like rottentomato.com. I also think that we could have done without the Miss America piece because that could have been shown on E which I am sure it will be later tonight. And I would personally like to see them consolidate all the weather reports into one so that it is not so spread out throughout the program.

Post #12: My Own Choice

In class, we talked about the possible harmful affects of violent media. The main concern seemed to be that exposure to certain violent media by young children would result in them emulating the aggressive behaviors that they see. I also got to experience this same type of argument in my social psychology class. I thought that I would like to discuss the social psychological perspective on this issue.

Current statistics on violent media shows that 58% of all television programs contain violence and of these, 73% of them do not contain any remorse or consequence for the violent act. Current research states that there when one partakes in viewing violence, violence will be primed in their minds. This means that they are more likely to think about aggressive behaviors but this does not mean that they will act out those feelings. Research also suggests that watching violence can cause short term effects, like increased arousal and anger. (We even learned that there are more domestic violence police calls during the Super Bowl than any other time of the year).

Social psychologist claim that aggression from violence can create long term effects in three ways. First, when violence is always being shown and primed in ones mind, it will be all that the person will be able to think about, regardless of the situation. Second, by observing and modeling the behaviors seen on TV, people learn when and how to be violent. Lastly, people can become decentralized to violence because of all the exposure of violent media.

Yet, some research says that not all violent media is detrimental for children. By letting a child play a violent video game could lead that child to express their aggressive thoughts through playing the game and not through doing. This is why it is better for people to express their inner aggression creatively because it will provide them with a safe option for letting out their aggressive tendencies.

So what can you do if your child is exposed to violent media (which is practically impossible not for them to have this exposure). The best way to go about the issue as a parent is to talk to your child about what is occurring. Let them know that there are consequences for those types of actions. Be open to questions. That is what social psychology preaches.

Post #11: The Huffington Post

I decided to check out the blog known as The Huffington Post. This blog is considered an Internet newspaper and was founded by Arianna Huffington. At first glance, the blog itself seems very overwhelming. There are stories all over the front page of the website and my eyes could not process where to look at first.

The blog seems to cover a wide range of topics. It has politics, entertainment, health, and many other categories where one can view stories. As I was reading, I discovered an article on Hydroxycut, a product that is used for weight loss. I actually just bought it a few days ago but now that I learned about the recall I am going to get rid of it.

I found the blog to be very interesting because it did not just focus on one thing. I feel like no matter who checks it out will find something that can relate to them because of the variety. The articles themselves are just made up of pictures and links to the actual news story. I like how this is laid out because it does not give any opinions, just what is happening in the world. After a thorough investigation of the blog, I found it relatively easy to use and will most likely return to it when I want to find out what's happening.