EOTO 2 Reflection

The second round of EOTO's focused on more modern journalists, examining their impact on the field of journalist, whether it is print, broadcast, or even radio. One journalist that immediately stood out to me was Ernest Hemingway. My peer, Ally Ortolani, talked about Ernest Hemingway, his work, and his impact on the journalism industry. 

In high school, like most of my peers, I had to read "The Old Man and the Sea", examining the work of Ernest Hemingway and his impact on American literature. Although I enjoyed listening to Ally talk about Hemingway's time in literature, it was interesting to see her analysis on his journalism impact. 

One thing that stood out to me was the 'Iceberg Theory'. The idea that the words and sentences that you see have more depth and meaning is very important, not only to literature but to journalism as well. When writing as a journalist, you must convey as much information as possible in order for the reader and audience to understand the story you are putting out there.

Often times, certain stories must be short, so the intent behind the word choice must be powerful, which is where Ernest Hemingway's "Iceberg Theory" comes into play. 

Another interesting aspect of Ernest Hemingway that Ally talked about was his idea of using 'simple, true' messages to get ideas and stories across to a wider audience. As a journalist, the most important thing to do is spread the truth no matter what it is. Hemingway emphasizes this idea, which as we have discussed in class, is one of the most important roles
of a journalist.

All in all, it was interesting to examine Ernest Hemingway's journalist side, when I was so used to learning about his impact on english and literature. I had no idea all of the work he had put in as a journalist and how it has affected the field. 

My Online Media Presence

There have been a few times where I've wondered what about me is actually out there for anyone to see. I've thought about the media presence I've set for myself in the past, especially since my career will put me even more in the public eye online. The online footprint I've made for myself so far has already made an impact, and I know there's more to come.

I use social media almost daily, through Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, FaceBook, TikTok, and YouTube. I don't use every one of these sites daily, but more than often I'll use at least two of these throughout the day each day. I use privacy settings on these sites, but my profiles are still accessible to anyone through Google.

I've been very cautious and responsible with the content I post online, and I was not necessarily surprised by any of what I could find from my name online. The content attached to my name is information that I did not feel the need to edit and that I feel represents myself in a positive light. I also have been cautious of my media presence since I have known that I will be involved in the media industry in my future through my career.

When I actually Googled my name, I was not super surprised by the results. There were some results that were from other people who share my name, and then there were links to some of my social media accounts, my LinkedIn account, and a profile picture from my social media account, pictured above. If someone who were considering me for a job in the future were to Google me, I feel confident that I am well represented as the positive person I believe myself to be.

Media plays a huge role in my life. The way I create content and watch content be made is what has helped me to grow and discover my passions for entertainment and content creation. I am continuously using my media platforms to creatively express myself and to find inspiration from other media creators. I continue to use media platforms for my professional development in school as well, through LinkedIn, YouTube, and podcasts. 

Digital footprints and social media have their downsides. Without being careful, it's easy to create an image of oneself that is not an accurate representation of character through one post that will remain online forever. Social media also leads to possible feelings of loneliness or low self-esteem. 

The video of the "Mad World" remix shows the emphasis of where social media and technology can cause feelings of loneliness or FOMO. The video of the Futurama ride shows the positive possibilities of technology and how it could advance and help our world rather than hurting it. 

Which is the most accurate? I talked a lot about my use of social media and technology and it was mostly in a positive light. I feel that I have this positive experience with the role of social media and technology in my life because it's what you make it. These technologies in themselves are not destructive or evil, but rather the way people chose to use them could be. Because of this, I find the Futurama video to be more accurate. The incredible potentials and possibilities with technology today are some of the greatest of all time and they have truly helped to make life easier and to advance the way we live our lives daily.

Regardless of the cautions with putting yourself on the internet, or how people view the media, with the career field I aspire to go into, it is almost inevitable for my information to be online. Something that I will be able to control however, is how in depth the information is and how it can affect me and my future career. I currently do and will continue to prioritize my safety, especially through my online footprint. What is out there online about someone could make or break their career, and can even cause privacy issues, so while I still plan to be in the public eye, I will prioritize my private life. 

EOTO Reaction 2

False information is a very prominent issue in today's society, and there is a multitude of ways to spread it and to receive it. Whether it is propaganda, disinformation, or fake news, people are expose to false information every day. 

This is done through a lot of ways. One of the presenters talked about the idea of an echo chamber. But what
is an echo chamber? According to GCFGlobal, an echo chamber is "an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own". A majority of people are involved in an echo chamber, whether they are aware or not.

Getting news through just CNN or just Fox News, is an echo chamber within itself. It is only exposing you to biased, one sided information, blocking the opinions of those who disagree with you. The presenter talked about how echo chambers can affect one's way of getting information and this is a very valid statement. If you are only following a certain dynamic of news, you may be left in the dark from some aspects of the truth.

Another presentation that I found interesting was the idea of muckraking. Throughout the different communication classes that I have taken this year, I have learned a lot about muckraking and how it affects the news and the truth. The google search definition of a muckraker is someone who performs "the action of searching out and publicizing scandalous information about famous people in an underhanded way". 

There are so many popular muckrakers who have changed the landscape of American government. Government officials fear muckrakers, as their top secret information could be revealed. The presented did a great job at discussing how muckrakers effect the way that we get out information, but they pay a different role than things such as echo chambers.

Rather than limiting the information we get, muckrakers try to give the truth, no matter the political party or
affiliation. Muckrakers tried to avoid bias, whereas echo chambers promote it. There are so many different outlets to receiving the truth, but it is up to the person looking whether they will fall into the trap of things such as echo chambers.

EOTO: Propaganda

Propaganda is a term that many people are aware of and that many people draw negative conclusions about. These people are not incorrect for having negative thoughts about this term and probably have reason for thinking so.

Propaganda is defined as the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Although many may disagree, propaganda is often true information, however it intentionally leaves out other important information in order to hurt an opposing side. 

Propaganda inflicts bias into communities and forces opinions onto society in order to get them to agree with the intended agenda. There are different techniques and tools used within propaganda that successfully appeal to society and force them to be drawn towards the idea. They are as follows: Fear, Bandwagon, Promises, Inspiration, Anger/Hate, Commonality, etc. 

The aforementioned list of techniques used in propaganda help to appeal to individuals rather than general groups. Specifically, fear is common with propaganda, due to the fact that if you fear something, you will most likely do what it says. Additionally, the technique of bandwagon is an easy way to catch someone's eye. For example, Uncle Sam is an iconic American symbol. The use of his character, his pose, or even his catch phrase is a bandwagon technique because it latches onto the popularity of Uncle Sam.

Although Propaganda has been around for centuries, it did not really become popular until World War I. The parties involved in the war used strong propaganda techniques to not only promote their side of the war, but also to diminish the opposing side, essentially creating a right and wrong. 

WWI kickstarted the common use of propaganda in war. This lead to war propaganda being separated form regular propaganda, almost having different intentions and ideas. In the linked article above, the author writes, "Today's war is four-dimensional. It is a combination of military, economic, political, and propaganda pressure against the enemy". 

The fact that propaganda is now included as such an influential part of war, and it on the same level as economics and militarily forces is somewhat concerning. War propaganda does not stop and has become extremely prominent over the years. In today's age though, it just goes by a different name: Fake News.

Fake news is perhaps one of the most controversial terms today, not only in politics, but in the media in general. The term automatically inflicts negative thoughts and creates a politically motivated agenda, whether it be from the right or the left. What people don't realize though, is that fake news is nearly the same concept as propaganda, just more modernized with a different name.

Whether its reading a headline from CNN or a tweet from Donald Trump, anything said from an opposing viewpoint of one's beliefs may be considered fake news. Republicans believe that any news article that has any democratic ideas are automatically fake news, and democrats believe anything that a republican writes could be fake news.

The propaganda that is fake news has created the most politically separated nation in history. This is because each side is using proper propaganda techniques to inflict their agendas and opinions onto society. Whether they appeal to emotion or appeal to logic, propaganda is used in today's world much more than anyone thinks it is.

Propaganda has a very strong effect on society as it forces opinions and ideas onto everyone, without giving them proper time and reason to form their own beliefs, Society feels targeted through the use of individualized terms, including "you", "we", "us", etc. People fear negativity and propaganda thrives off of that. Even though there are instances of positive propaganda, there has been such negative uses that people seemingly skip right over any propaganda that may be positive. 

EOTO Reaction: The Power of Apple

The Apple company has taken over the world since its beginning in 1976. The company started with a focus on computers by co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Before 1997, people doubted that Apple would survive, according to an article discussing the history of Apple. 

 From there, the founders sought out refuge for their company by developing the iPod, and later on the iPhone. Each of these devices were discussed in EOTO presentations, and the growth of these technologies in a short time period proves how strong the technological generation truly is.

The iPod came in with the revolutionary idea to create a device that could be used for portable music. Capabilities of this first generation iPod did not extend far, but over time it was developed from a simple MP3 to versions with ranging colors, to colored screens, and eventually the complex device we know today as the iPod Touch which functions as a cellular phone without the data connection.

This concept was discussed through the EOTO as the device that parents can give their children who are too young for a phone, but old enough for an entertainment device with some forms of communication. The growth of the iPod was revolutionary and led to multiple other inventions. 

Shortly after the iPod came the iPhone. The iPhone started with the 2G model. The presenter of the iPhone EOTO discussed the differences in capabilities from the first iPhone model to the most recent release. One of the most impressive facts on the development of the iPhone was the difference in storage. 

The iPhone 2G started with a storage 4GB. The most recent model of the iPhone, the iPhone 12, can hold
up to 256GB of storage. The iPhone also developed to have customizations like the iPod with different color selections. A difference between the iPod and iPhone is that the iPod was originally developed as a simple MP3 while the iPhone was developed to be a multiple application device from the start.

The growth of the company Apple is one of the most impressive to date over a somewhat short period of
time for many of their devices, like the iPhone. According to statistia, Apple recorded maintaining an average sales growth of 23% over nearly 2 decades. The company does this through continuously launching new products of appeal to the public, from not only the EOTO presented iPod and iPhone, but also the iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and more!

Silenced Voices in Mainstream Media

With a quick Google search, you can find articles to several news networks, from CNN to ABC to Fox News. Each network reports from their own agenda and for their audience based on the audience demographics and political affiliations. Because these networks are the most present in the media and are the first to show up on a Google search, most people picked one or two of these networks to continue to return to for news. These mainstream sites, while the most present, are not the only news networks and opinions out on the web. But these other networks with more radical opinions are harder to find, and there’s a few reasons why.

Taking from MSNBC and Fox, each of these networks has very specific audiences and agendas. In an article titled, “Who’s watching? A look at the demographic of cable news channel watchers”, The Public Opinion Strategies website provides data on the differences in the viewership demographics of MSNBC and Fox News. According to this article, MSNBC appeals to the democratic political affiliations, with 62% of viewers identifying as democrat. The majority of MSNBC viewers (35%) educational status is having some college, and the majority (31%) are between the ages of 50-64. 

As for Fox News, 53% of viewers identify as republican. 35% of viewers identify as having educational status of high school or less, and this is the same (35%) for some college. The majority of Fox News viewers (30%) are also between the ages of 50 and 64. These demographics all play a role in how these networks share news, as they want to appeal to these specific audiences that they hold in their viewerships.  

These are only two examples of the specific and different viewerships that news networks hold; but because of these specific and split audiences, the mainstream news networks like MSNBC and Fox News will report on topics they know will appeal to their audience’s values. 

What are the less mainstream news sources saying then? American Conservative and Anti War are two websites who’s opinions are not presented in the mainstream news. This is because the networks do not want to include very extreme radical opinions in order to reduce the risk of upsetting their audiences who may not hold those extreme antiwar opinions, or find a specific passion for antiwar. 

Being that this is a smaller group of people, mainstream news stays away from it and appeals to their majority with their news stories. The demographics explained above for the examples of MSNBC
and Fox News are looking for specific news sources that are writing about topics in specific ways. 

America is extremely politically divided in today's society. With this division comes clear separation between news sources, with most mainstream sources leaning one way or another. Strong antiwar voices who write for the articles presented above are often silenced by mainstream networks because they do not fit the agenda that is trying to be pushed by other sources. This is clearly an issue, but it looks like it won't be changed due to the dynamic of today's media.

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has been surprising the world for years and has been a topic of conversation in the growing technological generation. People are both excited and astonished by what artificial intelligence can do. The uncertainty of artificial intelligence scares many people, and the stereotypical idea that AI will take over the world continues to resonate with many as it become more powerful. There is a wide range of positive and negative aspects on AI, and the video “Age of AI” explores this range throughout different tasks that AI is growing to accomplish.

Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Field

Artificial intelligence has proven to advance the medical field and has created life-saving technologies that can do more than previously imagined. The future can be a scary thing when there seems to be so much room for the worst possible outcome. But when it comes to AI, there is positive hope for the future of medicine. 

In today’s world of medicine, we are able to detect cancers earlier than ever before, allowing for quicker,
 more efficient life saving actions and procedures to be taken. Yet, there is still more that can be done. Artificial intelligence shows promise in this. There is hope that in the near future, AI will allow for even earlier detection of cancerous lumps in the breast. 

With earlier detections from AI imaging technology, could come a larger survival rate in women with breast cancer. This is a revolutionary advancement that brings a positive outlook on Artificial Intelligence and how it can help our society. AI is used in medicine in so many different ways than we think. 

Artificial Intelligence on the Road

While there are several positive aspects of AI that are even contributing to life saving advancements, the fear remains in many people. There is a stereotype around AI through pop culture and movies that AI will take over the world and replace all humans. 

In the “Age of AI” video, we see a truck driver who’s source of income is his job as a driver. AI is currently growing to include self driving trucks. In the case that AI takes over that industry, people will begin to lose jobs and possibly have trouble finding new jobs. 

On top of this idea of AI replacing people and jobs, people fear that the intelligence of AI will overpower human intelligence to the point that AI will outsmart humans and control them. One instance of this evident intelligence over humans was in the video when Artificial Intelligence was able to beat one of the best game players with a move that he did not even anticipate. The AI completely outsmarted the human in the game. People are fearing, how far will this go?