Blog #3: Media Coverage Of Hurricane Katrina

From Newseum.org. See here for bigger picture

The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Friday, September 2, 2005.

"Death in the streets: As anarchy erupts in New Orleans, plans begin to open McClellan for refugees"

"Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Lootings, car-jackings and other violence"

Some language that really stood out to me in these headlines were the use of the words "anarchy", "refugees" and "looting". All of those words are very strong. Anarchy is associated with chaos due to lack of government help and that is interesting to me because the newspaper is putting out that the government is absent. As for lootings, there are other words that could be used in place of looting. The idea of looting vs searching for food is controversial. It is so hard to tell whether someone is actually looting and by using that word in a newspaper article, it makes the situation seem that much bigger. The use of the word refugees is also very controversial. Many people think that the people who left New Orleans are evacuees, but they are being called the very heavy word, refugees.

In my opinion, the article is biased, but I think that it's biased to show how bad the situation is. This article was written right around the time of the storm, near the storm, so they used words like 'anarchy' and 'refugees' because those are the loaded words that catch people's attention. They are able to show the severity of the storm with the words they chose to use for the headlines. If they would have chosen to use lighter words or just by saying that the storm was bad, it would not have made people realize the severity. I think this article could have something to do with race, but it is not super obvious. The main photo on the page is of a group of African American people and the caption under it calls them refugees and has looting in the article.

The purpose of this article is to show people who are not in the storm, just how bad it is. They want to show people the aftermath of the storm and how it is affecting the people. If someone had no prior knowledge of the hurricane or the aftermath, and they read this article, they would be very scared. The big thing is death and looting, with a picture of a man who had collapsed. It doesn't say anything about relief efforts of what good has been done already. This is what makes the article newsworthy. Stories about relief and government could seem very boring so those stories don't make the news. The writers and publishers for the newspaper want to put in something that will be interesting to outsiders, like death, so they can sell more of their product.

In some situations, I believe there could be a relationship between race and news coverage. From looking at multiple headlines, I saw that they tended to use looting and refugees for the African American people in the storm and they used searching for food and evacuees for the white people. Even if there is a relationship that i noticed in the articles, there is no way to tell whether it was on purpose or not. I think the biggest reasoning behind it is what newspapers put for their front pages and how the specific writer felt the story should be written. It is unfair to say that all of the newspapers considered race in their writing about Hurricane Katrina and used different language because of race.

Zeitoun: Interview With Character

The Girl On Her Own Agenda:
By Natalie Holdahl
It is 2004 and Kathy Zeitoun is living in New Orleans with her husband Abdulraham and their four kids. Kathy Zeitoun lives her life for her. She has never done what anyone else has told her to do and lives by her own rules. She grew up in a Christian family and in her early 20's decided that she wanted to convert to Islam. That is a big change for a young woman.

N: So Kathy, what was your life like growing up?

K: I lived the stereotypical life of a white family living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but we lived in very small quarters with each other. There were nine kids sharing a one story, 1,400-square-foot home.

N: How did you manage to live like that?

K: We had three kids to a room and all of us shared one bathroom. We were very crammed into our house but it made us closer as siblings. When I was younger, we would always play with the many kids in the neighborhood. My siblings are a pain at times, and some I don't even talk to. Even though we fought a lot, without them, I don't think I would have had four wonderful kids of my own. Also, my family grew up very strongly christian. We went to church every sunday, said our prayers at night and always looked to God.

N: What was the hardest part of your life growing up?

K: My school, Sherwood Middle School was very multiethnic. I was one of only a handful of white kids in the school and got picked on a lot. They would push me and laugh at me. From a young age, I was always quick to fight and argue.

N: What was your outlet from your hectic life?

K: My friend Yuko. We became friends when she was only three years old, but age never stopped us from being best friends. I would run away from home and go straight to Yuko's house. Her mother, Kameko, always took me in and kept me safe.

N: What's the best thing Yuko has ever done for you?

K: Yuko has done infinitely wonderful things for me in my life but I would have to say the most important thing she has ever done for me is to introduce me to Islam.

N: What was your conversion to Islam like?

K: It was a long, very thought out process, but it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

N: What first made you want to convert?

K: I was in my early twenties when Yuko first started to research it. At the time, I thought she was crazy to convert, but I trusted Yuko's decisions so I thought I would look into it. I started to read a little more about it and I had a run in with the Pastor of my church and told him about the problems I was having with Christianity. He made me get up in front of the whole church and tell that that I was thinking about Islam. They all laughed at me and thought that that was a huge mistake and they were glad I was keeping my beliefs with their God. I was so angry. That was the day I knew that becoming a Muslim was the right choice for me.

N: Why do you think your Pastor laughed at you?

K: People are very misinformed about other cultures. Some strong christian believers think that Christianity is the only allowable religion to be a part of. I bet nobody in that church that day even knew that Muslims and Christians believe in the same God!

N: What does your family think about it?

K: I don't think that any of them are against it but it just seems like they haven't fully excepted the fact that I am no longer Christian. Like it hasn't set into their mind and that if they don't believe it, that it won't be true. Whenever I go to visit my family they tell me things like "you can take that silly thing off your head now. It's just family around." and they don't understand the culture. My mom is the worst, although there are some points that she seems to be slowly accepting of it.

N: Are you happy with your life?

K: Very. It may be a little crazy at times, but I couldn't be better. I have a great husband, four wonderful kids and something to believe in.

N: Well there you have it. Even when it seems like life may be tough, it will always turn out great in the end. Thank you so much for talking with me Kathy. It was great to have you.

Blog Post #7

Evaluative Question #2: Can we trust news media?:

I believe that we are able to trust news media in a way but all news is very bias. There is no possible way to tell a news story without being bias at all. The words you use, the way you speak, bod language, layout of the story. These all have an effect on how people read or listen the story. It makes a difference on what you think the story is about or really means. "Five years ago, Fox News Channel was launched on the idea that something was wrong with news media--that somehow, somewhere bias found its way into reporting. . . . And it's not just the way you tell a story that can get in the way of the truth. It's the stories you choose to tell" -Trace Gallagher, Fox news. http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/the-most-biased-name-in-news/. "And it's not just the way you tell a story that can get in the way of the truth. It's the stories you choose to tell."That is another point that is true. There are different forms of media that tell different stories based on the beliefs of the writers, producers etc. In the same article Fox says that they are the "only unbiased network". By saying that they are the only unbiased network is bias in and of itself.

I feel that news media is very biased but not so much so that it becomes untrue. They may stretch the truth or give different stories, but they don't change things to the point when they are no longer true and are untrustworthy. The best way to get news is to get it from multiple different sources and form your own opinion about what is true based on your information. The other problem with thinking about news media being untrustworthy and bias is that we are being biased just by thinking that. Every person is biased and looks at thinks with a biased point of view so it is all personal opinion on whether or not we can trust news media. Also, if you don't trust it, where else are you going to get your news from?

Shared Inquiry

Question #1, what is the relationship between Jack and his appearance? How does this relate to consumerism?- When Jack sees one of his coworkers at the supermarket he tells Jack that he is "a different person all together" (83) because he isn't wearing the same clothing he wears to teach. When Jack goes on his shopping trip and buys a lot of new clothing, he feels like he can hide behind the clothing he buys. The more he feels that his clothing makes others see him differently, it makes him consume more and buy more products.


Question #2, on page 92, Bee says that the airplane passengers went through the whole ordeal for nothing because there was no media coverage. Do you agree with this?- I do not agree with this. I do not think that media is the biggest thing in people's lives. This is saying that nothing matters if it isn't covered for the world to see but I do not think this is correct. When people have a big event happen in their lives, especially a disaster type situation, they will always remember it in their minds. It doesn't make a difference to the person if it is broadcast. If they do, I think that all they care about is attention.

Question #3, why do you think that Jack felt that Bee was trying to pry secret information from him?-

Question #4, what do you think Jack meant when he said death is strictly a professional matter in the classroom?- I think that Jack was saying that when death is discussed in the classroom it has to be talked about is a professional sense. You cannot put personal opinions into it. When talking about death in a classroom you need to not put your emotions into it.

Question 5, jack and Babette were both married before they met each other? How do you think they feel about each others ex's?- I do not think that Jack or Babette think about each others ex's. Throughout the book so far, Jack has not really mentioned Babette's ex's so I do not think it phases him. If he were to care and think about them, we would hear about it a lot in the book because all Jack talks about is what he is thinking.

Blog Post #6

I chose to do the effects of overexposure to media. This topic caught my eye because in my daily life I am constantly exposed to great amounts of media. Whether it be watching TV, reading one of the many People magazines I get or listening to the radio, media is always around me. There isn't a day where I don't learn something new because of media. This is what I first thought of when i read the topic. When you think more deeply into the topic, there is people who have so much media in their lives, it starts to form who they are as a person. They are so affected my what other people, especially famous people, are doing that it suddenly doesn't become their lives anymore, it becomes them trying to be someone else.

When I researched over exposure to media I found many different view points on the topic. Some said media helps us learn about life, which is something not taught in school, while others said that we are having way too much media in our lives and it is affecting us negatively. One study that i found interesting way saying that too much media can hurt a child's health. "Children and teens spend about as much time with media as they do sleeping, and the overexposure could take a toll on their health." The average 8-18 year old spends over seven hours of their day engaged in some type of media. Dr. Victor Strasburger of the University of New Mexico has been studying the overexposure to media in children and has came to some interesting conclusions. He found that the exposure can make kids prone to violence, early and unprotected sexual activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption and obesity. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/03/01/media-children-teens-health.html).

A survey given to teens got the opposite results. Teens in the study have said that media, especially social media, has helped them make and maintain friendships. It has also made kids feel more confident. Media is so informative in people lives. It teaches about what is going on in the world with news and magazines.

People in our society, especially teens and kids, are so consumed with media and technology that it is shaping who they are. Some media is a good thing for people but when they are exposed to too much media, it can harm them, physically, mentally and socially.

Blog Post #5

In Claire's blog she is discussing the happiness index in Bhutan. She brings up a great point about the difference between the society in Bhutan vs. America. She says " In America, our "success" depends on how much money you are making, and that is just the nature of the country. It's a competing country where money=power (usually). In a place like Bhutan, no offense but there probably isn't too much competing, and money doesn't equal power. I feel like they live off of a day to day basis, while America is always looking to tomorrow." I think this brings up a different point of view on the topic. I never thought about it in that way. America is a very technology based country, that's why i think we are always "looking to tomorrow". Bhutan is the opposite. Television was illegal in Bhutan until 1999. They are not looking to advance their technology, so they are more focused on happiness rather than money.

In Chase's blog, she is talking about the fashion industry. We watched a commercial about the fashion industry and a little girl and at the end it says talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does. Chase brings up a great point saying that make up is "a gateway to being really insecure about themselves." Kids are starting to care about makeup and clothing at such an early age. There is elementary kids putting on makeup to go to school and shopping at expensive clothing stores to buy cute clothes that they are just going to grow out of in a year. I think that media has a huge part in this. Kids see their favorite actresses and singers selling a product and immediately want to buy it because that person is so beautiful. Media can make people believe that they are ugly without the use of their product and it leads to insecurities. In a fashion and beauty sense, i think media is negatively affecting our society.

In Logan's blog he is talking about the advances of technology. Some people think that our society is too reliant on technology where as others make it their whole life. Logan says "I think yhat without the progression of technology we would be no where and without the continuation of it, we would be dead very soon. Things like sickness that arise from other sicknesses would have no cure and we wouldn't be very well off." When we first started talking about the influence of technology in our society i immediately thought about cell phones, computers and televisions. I never thought about how important some advances in our society are, especially medical. There are so many things that are being discovered about health that are groundbreaking, and they are all due to technology. We would not be a very healthy society without technology. This is something I never thought about until now. 

Blog Post #3: Advertisements

My first photo is an ad for Kemps milk. It shows David Beckham, a professional soccer player, holding a soccer ball on his hip with a milk mustache. Near his head it says "Goal by Beckham. Body by milk." Under him are the words "Heads up. Protein in milk helps build muscle and some studies suggest teens who choose to be leaner, staying active, eating right and drinking 3 glasses a day of low fat or fat free milk helps you look great. So grab a glass and get in the game."  David Beckham is standing shirtless in front of a gray background with grey jeans on. The color scheme is simple but sleek. The photo itself is very simple. It is just him. I like the simplicity of it because if there was too much going on it would distract from the photo, and you wouldn't be as likely to notice that he has a milk mustache.I think that the intended audience is mainey women but it can play to almost all people. Women notice David Beckham shirtless, parents notice that milk is healthy for you and children see their favorite soccer star drinks milk, which makes they want to buy milk.

I think this ad uses pathos, ethos and logos. When think of logos I think of logic. This ad represents logic because of the facts it gives. Milk makes people healthier and makes you look great. Pathos is connected to your emotions and interests. Kemps strategically used David Beckham so that when people saw this ad they would want to buy milk. Men see him as a cool, professional and might want to be like him.  I also think it is pathos directed towards women. David Beckham is beautiful and when you put a photo of him with his shirt off on an advertisement, it makes women like the product. Ethos represents the truthfulness of the product. A lot of people recognize David and idolize him. If he drinks milk and is a professional athlete, milk must be magical and do great things for people.

I think this ad was someone persuasive in getting me to buy their product. I like David Beckham and i think he is very attractive so the photo appeals to me but it isn't super obvious what the ad is for. All we know is that is 'got milk', that David drinks it and that it is healthy for you. It is hard to fit every detail into a photo advertisement so I think they did a good job using their pathos, ethos and logos to persuade me into buying their product. 

My next advertisement is an ad promoting Head and Shoulders shampoo and conditioner. It involves Joe Mauer. It starts with Joe and a teammate talking about Joe not having dandruff because of the shampoo and progresses to Mauer surrounded by girls playing with his hair, all thanks to wonderful Head and Shoulders shampoo. I think that the target audience is men. It is saying that if you use Head and Shoulders you will get girls. I think they get men to buy their product but they leave out women. Head and Shoulders is a shampoo and conditioner for women too.

This commercial uses logos and ethos to get people to buy their product. It uses logos because Joe says it gives him a healthy scalp, great looking hair and it stops dandruff. People with dandruff would be sure to buy it. It uses ethos by using Joe Mauer. Joe Mauer has great hair, and if he is saying that Head and Shoulders is great he must be right. I mean, it is Joe Mauer we're talking about. You have to believe him.

I really like this commercial. I think it is greatly put together because it mixes up famous people, facts and humor. I love Joe Mauer a lot. He is my favorite athlete so this persuades me because he is in it. Also it makes me laugh, which is something that I think all commercials should have.