Week 9

     The case that I found is about a Sacramento juror named Arturo Ramirez who posted Facebook statuses/ posts prior to a criminal trial in 2010 concerning the trial. He posted, "Back to jury duty can it get any more BORING than going over piles and piles of metro pcs phone records . . . uuuuughhhh." This was then used against him after the defendants of the gang-beating case lost, and their attorneys said that this may prove that Ramirez may have been biased or influenced by his friends.
       This case was a controversy because it was an invasion of privacy and the privacy was used against the person himself since Ramirez was ordered to release those Facebook posts. In the end, it was the laws that did not keep up with the current technology and I believe that laws need to be updated.

http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11807

Week 8: Propaganda in Advertising/ PR

   The commercial I found that includes two factors of propaganda was this Neutrogena one. The techniques this ad used was "Beautiful People" and "Testimonial."
   The "Beautiful People" technique is when advertisements use good-looking people, usually celebrities, to get the viewers' attention and make them want to identify and have/ do similar things the celebrity or attractive person is doing. This technique takes advantage of the fact that most people like looking at pretty people, and usually would want to be similar to them as much as possible. This commercial features the famous actress Jennifer Garner.
    This Neutrogena also uses the "Testimonial" technique, which is having a quote or something reputable cited in order to make the product seem reliable. At the end of this commercial, the speaker tells the viewers that the product is recommended #1 by dermatologists, to make viewers feel like this product is even better.
   

Week 7: Internet

I often shop online whenever I'm feeling lazy and want to just add a couple new things to my closet. Although it is convenient, I find it less appealing than shopping in stores. This is because the clothes I buy online often do not fit me right or look as good on me in person than when I saw it online. I end up never wearing those clothes and they go to complete waste.
I know many people in my life that are addicted to computer online games. My brother would be the best example. He is a junior in high school, and although it is a very important year for him to do well in school, he spends the majority of his time playing games online. He was so "addicted" to the point where his grades are dropping, and his temper seems to be getting pretty aggressive every time something comes in the way between him and his gaming. Whenever I talk to him while he's playing, he often ignores me or other family members, and has a really bad attitude. It's really obvious that games made a big impact on his life because whenever he's not playing, he is a really patient and caring brother.
My mom tries really hard to get him to stop playing, but most of the time, she fails and he just becomes even more agitated and mean. However, he does acknowledge his own "addiction" which is a sign of improvement.
It seems to be very difficult to end a gaming addiction, and I've seen how badly it damaged many people's lives around me. This internet article: http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2001/12/48479 talks about just exactly why and how we can stop the people around us from gaming addictions.

Week 5:Favorite movies

My favorite movie of 2010-2011 would definitely be Tangled(click on title for link). It is a very cute animation movie remake and rewrite of the story Rapunzel. It's weird because I have lost interest in cartoons and animation up until the end of 2010 when all these new animations like How to Train a Dragon and Megaman came out. Tangled has a really fun plot with humorous and attractive characters. What really attracted my attention to this movie was the beautiful style the beautiful scenes created. The scenery of the movie was really realistic at times, and the creators used breath-taking colors created amazing pictures. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants a good laugh.

My favorite movie of all time would be Inception. It was a story that focuses on the concept of dreams within dreams, and brings to focus the idea that our world might not be the real world. This movie was very intriguing and suspenseful, and after watching it for four times, I finally was able to solve all the questions that I had when I watched it the first time.

Magazine Cover

      The name of my magazine is called "Solo." I am keeping it very simple because this magazine will be generated towards a specific population/type of people. This magazine is mostly targeted at single females in their early adulthood to late 30's who are not looking and trying not to feel the constant need to find a significant other and are trying to be content with what they have/ who they are now.
      This magazine is different than existing magazines because most other magazines created for singles are always mentioning how to meet other singles and catch their eye etc. However, this magazine will be focused on how to improve yourself by loving yourself and treating yourself the right way. It will focus on the fact that if you don't love yourself and have a healthy self image and respect, you will not be able to love someone else in a healthy way and have a successful relationship. 
      "Solo" is focused on raising self-esteem and giving tips to girls and women how to not rely their lives solely on the purpose being just a part of a whole but instead on being the whole themselves.
       Advertisers I believe would like to be promoted in my magazine would be 24 hour fitness, yoga, airplane companies, real estate agencies, and dating companies. 
      Five articles I would include in my premier issue would be:
             1. Reasons why people should be single in some points of their lives for a while. 
             2. Advantages that come with being single and beneficial things it may bring. 
             3. Top 50 spots for singles to hang out at without the pressure of dating. 
             4. Top 35 activities/ hobbies for the singles to enjoy; like solo-hiking or traveling etc.
             5. Celebrity advice on those who are constantly searching for "Prince Charming." 
      This is my magazine cover. I chose a young woman who seems to be very happy and relaxed to represent how stress-free it is to not have your life revolve around a guy in your life but rather about yourself. The colors I used are all very bright soothing colors.

Week 3:Books

     In my junior year of high school, my English teacher had a list of the top 100 books you should read before going to college that she suggested for any of us who were interested to read but was not mandatory. I made it my goal to complete all of it before the end of high school. Although I was not successful, I did manage to read the majority of it. From that list, I discovered a lot of books that changed my opinions and influenced me a lot and they also became my favorites.
    "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho would be my top number one. This book is basically about a young boy who goes on a journey to find a treasure but in the end, he found something much more valuable than any superficial thing can offer. This book made an strong impact in my life because it subtly conveys the message that people are in control of their own lives and they can determine how everything plays out.

       The second book that I absolutely love would be "A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines. This book for me was so powerful that I actually teared up towards the end. It is about a young African-American man named Jefferson who was convicted for a murder that he did not commit. At the trial, the lawyer who was trying to "defend" him, concluded that he was nothing but a hog, and was too dumb to do the crime. The words affected Jefferson's self-reflection so much, that his grandmother asked an inspiring school teacher to teach Jefferson how to die like a man and not a hog. In the end, Jefferson and the school teacher both learn a valuable yet heart-breaking lesson.

       The last book would be "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. This story would be about a more modern/recent time compared to the other two books. It is about the main character boy Holden, and his self-discovery as he is forced to grow up in painful ways and make the transition from a boy to an adult. The title was what really made an impact for me, because it was really catchy and clever. The "catcher" would be Holden, who wishes that he can metaphorically catch the children who are about to fall into the harsh reality of adulthood, and make the transition less painful than it was for him.

Week 2

In our current society, it is inevitable that we often blame the media and the environment for all the negatives happenning around us. For instance, there was a time when girls used to have an ideal mindset of what boyfriends or guys should be and act like. Many girls often believe what is portrayed by shows and movies about chivalrous guys who automatically put their girls first with unrealistic deep feelings like being able to die for them etc when they just meet. I remember when I was younger around high school, many of my female friends often complain about how their boyfriends do not act a certain way or look a certain way that movies say good guys are supposed to be like. As we grew older, some realized that it was the media's fault for making them believe certain fantasies of how guys should be like.

This article gives the description of how romantic movies are blamed for failed relationships.

Week 1: Media Autobiography

       People are always surprised when I tell them that one of my hobbies includes reading. I never said it just to sound more intellectual, but because I actually love reading books. Ever since I was a child, I loved reading all types of novels, mostly mysteries or romance ones though. However, as I grew older and started high school, I became very interested in more complicated books that invokes critical thinking. My favorite book for a long time was, "The Alchemist." I was pretty devastated when I found out that Borders and Barnes and Nobles in my area closed down. But I figured it is a good thing since books are now online and we can save paper. I haven't found any time for reading for awhile, but I'm glad I have Intro to Fiction this year because we read a lot of novels in the class.


        Even though books no longer popular, I believe it's good in general that there are ebooks etc on the internet etc. For me, the internet is a very convenient and accessible thing, because it allows me to research and look up information anytime I need it. It can also be a very distracting tool, because I spend at least 3 hours a day on it for social networks that are not related to anything school related. I use the internet occasionally to look up current events and news too because I like to stay updated. 

      I rarely read the newspaper because I don't like how the material goes everywhere on my fingers and clothes. I used to read the comics and the news section, but then I turned to the internet for all that. I also just use the internet to look up daily news. 


      I really enjoy reading fashion and advice magazines when I have the time to. It's interesting to see the different types of people and style that are featured in it. I find the articles on healthy lifestyles and relationships to be fun to read but not to be taken too seriously. I think some girls take these too seriously and are too gullible about the information inside them. 

       I rarely have time to read magazines anymore, but I do find the time to go to the movies a couple times a month. My favorite genre would be romantic comedy and suspense action movies. I can't stand horror or bloody/violent movies. For me, movies are a type of escape and allows the audience to imagine all kinds of possibilities and events that are usually rare in reality. I can't stand movies that do not flow well or make sense. A recent movie I watched was "The Source Code", and I thought that even though the overall theme was pretty intriguing, a lot of parts didn't make sense and it didn't flow well. 


       Other than movies, I watch the television occasionally but not as much. Shows that are on nowadays are mainly entertaining, but aren't exactly "powerful" or thought-provoking. I usually find most of the shows on the internet, so I rarely use the television anymore especially since our cable was canceled. 


      One of the most commonly used and needed media sources in my life would be music. I am able to find the positives in all types of music and can connect to them in unique ways.I especially love old songs because I believe that they are the most genuine. A good melody and lyrics are key for me, and once I find songs I like, I put them on repeat endlessly until I tire them out. My 30 minute daily drive to De-Anza would be unbearable if I didn't have any music in the car. Occasionally I would switch on the radio too, but the songs that are popular nowadays are just fun to listen to and sing along with but aren't all that interesting. 


     The media source that connects most to my major would be reading. My major currently is English because I wish to become a writer or teacher. Other than that, I wanted to work in the communications department like public relations.