[busummerchallengecomm]

PENULTIMATE DAY OF SUMMER CHALLENGE

I’m not crying, I promise. There’s no crying in teaching communication. 

Today we’re going to connect the dots between the units we’ve covered in previous weeks, which can seem fairly disparate. How do we make those connections, make sense of them, and make decisions that prepare us for our lives and possible future careers? 

Then we’re going to talk about tomorrow’s presentations. I’d like to hear the specific topic that you’re going to be presenting on so that I can provide feedback. Remember that you’re making a single, well-reasoned and well-researched prediction about how technology will impact one of the fields we’ve studied, and that you have 5 minutes to make it. 

I’ll also announce the winner of yesterday’s PR team vote, and you’ll fill out course evaluations. We’re probably gonna have some time remaining, but we’ll take it up by giving you some time to work on your presentations. 

Your assignment for today is simple: reflect on the course. Go back and read the first post you wrote for this course. What have you learned? What will this course do for you moving forward? Less than or equal to 300 words, please. Tag the post as below. 

[aelfers-blog]

I learned so much from this seminar. I didn't realize how much there was to communications. Going into the seminar, I thought it would he pretty straightforward, but the topic is actually really complex but still interesting. I thought the connections we learned on the lady day were really interesting. My interest in this topic has grown and I feel like I got a good understanding of the basics of the topic and a better understanding of what I would like to study in college.

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W2: PUBLIC RELATIONS

Today, we’re talking about the theories and practices of PR, and I’ll be countering some misconceptions about public relations, including the idea that PR is as easy as being able to talk really well. 

Well, yes, Elle Woods, it’s harder than it looks.

We’re gonna go over the various kinds of PR and the reasons why PR is important not just in times of crisis. We’re also going to go over the six steps of PR issues management. And then we’re gonna practice them in the second half of class in agencies of our own. 

The assignment is a change from what’s listed on the syllabus. On your Tumblr, please vote for which team did the best at our in-class PR activity and explain why you voted that way in less than 300 words. You cannot vote for your own team, because that’s too easy. As always, tag your posts!

[aelfers-blog]

I think that the group that did the best was the group representing Uber. They did a great job at researching the issues that uber is currently facing. I thought the issue of gas money and overcharging of the customers was a very difficult one but I believe that their solution of uber becoming more involved in the expenses of their employees was smart in the way that it would be beneficial to everyone

[aelfers-blog]

Journalism

Before last class, I had little idea of what sponsored content was. I assume that this is common to many others. It is interesting because when I am reading pieces of journalism, I do not think of how I may be subjected to advertising. When on twitter and facebook, it is very clear when sponsored content is present. I personally believe that sponsored content betrays the responsibly of journalism to the public because of the misleading that this allows journalism to give. People should be able to participate and observe in journalism without constant lingering of sponsored content. This being said, I believe sponsored content is beneficial for advertisers. 

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M2: Participatory Culture

Participatory culture is a set of ideas about a more inclusive vision of cultural production, one that isn’t characterized by divisions between official and unofficial, author and fan, and other such binary categories. This idea is at once familiar and strange, for reasons we’ll be discussing in detail. What does it mean to participate in culture? How can we characterize this participation? That and more will be discussed today.

The assignment is to find an example of participatory culture for a fandom that you could feasibly be a part of. If you do not self-identify as a fan of a piece of media, choose your favorite TV show, movie, book series or music group and look for an example there. Give <300 words of analysis. What does the example you’ve found do with the original text? Why does it do that? (Feel free to include examples that are critical of the original text.) 

[aelfers-blog]

<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/enhOp6n656V/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script>

This vine is a fan interpretation of one of my favorite TV shows called Friday Night Lights. This vine depicts the the strong football aspect of the Dillon Panthers, which includes both various clips of games of relationships. It highlights the masculinity of the team and the strong bond they have together. The music in the background adds emphasis to the already powerful clips presented.

[aelfers-blog]

Modern Family Episode

I thought the the episode’s unique style made it very interesting. When watching TV, I often get bored and am constantly switching to different channels. This show held my attention because I was intrigued to see how the story would end. I also enjoyed how the show was funny. The way they made the show filmed through the computer was interesting but sometimes it was a little overwhelming to me, but it also made the show relatable in some way. Overall, I liked the episode very much. It was able to keep my attention and was very entertaining which are both important things when referring to TV show.

[aelfers-blog]

W1 Assignment

John Green has a very interesting perspective on advertising for the younger generations. He explains how traditional advertising, which is basically used as distraction, is a shrinking business due to its minimal connection to viewers. He explains how the internet has become a place where people can share their passions and interests for a deeper meaning. He explains how many youtube and online communities are not valued by advertising. Advertisers can use this opportunity as a way to build up these passionate communities and the relationship between the creators and the audience and therefore help promote brands. I believe that an advertiser would be excited about the prospect of sponsoring a “community” because it very much helps their promotion. This would create a sort of relationship between the two which allows for people to become more loyal. There would be difficulty creating a profit on this kind of advertisement because of the large investment that would need to be made.

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Clint Dempsey (USA) celebrates an early goal in USA vs. Ghana at FIFA Men’s World Cup 2014

[aelfers-blog]

This specific gif appears to be an iconic sign. We can clearly see that the multiple images are real and are of a soccer player on a soccer field. This being said, I believe that this sign can be interpreted in different ways. If not given the certain context of the image, one could interpret Clint Dempsey’s emotion as many different things such as excitement or maybe anger. The brightness in light and color make the gif feel more alive. 

[aelfers-blog]

First Post

I decided to take communication because it was something that sounded really interesting to me. My school does not offer any courses that are similar so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to learn something that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. I am also going to college soon and think that this seminar will help me to get an idea of what I might be interested in studying. I think that I will really enjoy this seminar that I will learn a lot. I am hoping to come out with a much better understanding of the topic and new insight. I already feel like I have gained lots of new knowledge from the first day of class. I had a great first day and am excited for the next two weeks!