In what ways does media & advertising work together?

The media uses advertising to help get the word out there about any upcoming product, event etc. that companies want to make profit off of. Media itself is merely a vehicle of communication that stores and delivers data to the masses. Advertising is used in the media as a promotion tool. It has become one of the primary sources of revenue for most companies (or the largest expenditure) due to its importance in society. Advertising has become a billion dollar industry. We are bombarded by it every day, everywhere. In television shows, commercial segments have become longer than the actual show. Internet websites are now riddled with ads on any inch of free space they have. Advertising in the media has become ingrained in our society, more and more do we desire things that we do not need. Advertising helps manipulate the consumer a certain way to make them desire their product. This is all done through the media, the vehicle of advertising. Together, they make profit.

In what way do media and advertising work together?

Media and advertising are not only complimentary to each other but are almost required in the modern world of mass media. With the struggling economy, advertising firms have been thriving on media companies to use advertising techniques within their media to help with financial problems. Media examples such as gaming, phone applications, internets sites, and even movies have excessive amounts of advertising. While advertising and media have always been a prominent correlation, advertisement have seem a bit overbearing. Advertisement companies are thriving on any source of mass media both old and new. There are always new way that advertisement firms are able to get their message out across another medium. Personally, I do not see advertisements in mass media as being a problem but I do see a problem in excessive amounts of advertisements. Another example of excessive advertising would be through the company Six Flags. Six Flags is in outrageous debt and needs help staying afloat. In order to stay afloat they rely on numerous advertisements on their commercials and inside their parks. I noticed this in the summer as I went to a regular theme park called Cedar Point then went to Six Flags. Upon my arrival to Six Flags I felt harassed by all the violating advertisements that surrounded me. I believe there needs to be a healthy amount of advertisements in the media in order for people to live a little more free.

In what way do media and advertising work together?

Since the dawn of media associated with communications there has been advertising. Look in any news paper, magazine, editorial, pamphlet, or listen to any radio station, or watch any television station, and anyone will be exposed to advertising. It’s obvious that advertising and media have developed a strong union over the years and have worked well with one another the whole time. Advertising and media constantly play off of one another. Advertising uses media for many different reasons. The different types of media each provide a new way for ads to be posted. Radio provides a sound medium that allows for advertising to make use of sound and dialogue to promote a product; while Print allows for a picture that makes a lasting impression. But the ultimate medium for advertising, since it came about in the 20^th century, has always been television. The medium of television has allowed for advertising to make use of bother picture and sound. While different forms of media help advertising become more creative, what does advertising do for the different media? Simply enough, advertising keeps media alive. Without companies promoting their products through print, television, or radio, then where would most of the media revenue come from? It’s the everlasting economic relationship that allows media and advertising to keep their union going.

How is public relations used as a persuasive tool in communications?

Public relations, from a business perspective, serve as the voice of the company or corporate enterprise that it represents. In relating public relations to communications there are many instances where it can be seen as a very persuasive tool. For instance, in advertising public relations is a vital tool whose objective is to reach out and rally the audience the advertisement is targeted to. Public relations can help people jump on the band wagon, buy the product, and become a new loyal customer. Also, the use of Public Relations in communications can also play a vital role in gaining public trust. Being persuasive in public relations can be used to help sway a large amount of the public back onto your side. In light of consumer crisis when a product turns bad and makes people sick, public relations is the part of communications that persuades their consumers into trusting that their product suffered a “minor” malfunction and that all is safe. Not only is public relations the informative voice that an audience needs to believe, it is also a force that creates policy. In order to be persuasive in the media, public relations must devise policies (appropriate to the company) that persuade their consumers to trust them.

In what way do media and advertising work together?

Media and advertising work together in that ads placed in mass media forums generate the finances needed to keep the media afloat. “ Advertising, in fact, is essential to a prosperous society. Advertising also is the financial basis of important contemporary mass media” (Vivian, 297). Advertising is a major component of modern economics because it is the vehicle that provides information and rationales to the people to help them decide what to purchase. Although it may be hard to see, advertising works with the media in an important way, because it provides the funding needed to keep mass media forums on top. Advertising is a product of great forces that have shaped modern society, but without the mass media there would be no vehicle to carry advertisements to mass audiences. Media relies on advertising for its revenue, and similarly advertising relies on media to spread the word about products in which it seeks to gain an audience from. Media and advertising have a beneficial relationship with one another because they use each other for financial purposes, the media relies on the money that advertisers pay to place ads within them, where as the advertisers rely on the space that they pay for to generate a mass awareness of their products and hopefully acquire potential buyers. “Modern consumer economies are driven by the demand stirred by advertising for products” (Vivian, 319) and the media is the place where these advertisements are placed.

In what way do media and advertising work together?

Media and advertising are meant to work together. Without one another, they lack appeal to their audiences. Media cannot survive without advertising because in order to appeal to the masses you must advertise. Theres no option. If you do not advertise, no one will know about your media venture and therefore you will not make any money which is the ultimate goal in mass media. You also need advertising to make money in another way. Mass media in the form of television for example consists of many commercials. Without commercials, certain stations and programs wouldn’t get much of the funding that they receive from these advertising outlets in order to keep their programming on the air.

Advertising also needs media in order to exist. Advertising needs a media outlet in order to be produced. Whether it be television, film, a newspaper or a magazine, advertisements need a medium in order for them to be displayed. In the end, advertising and media are produced to make money. And without each other, the other would lack necessary funds to produce their product. Media and advertising are virtually combined because neither lasts without the other and both are necessary to produce the other. As long as media is around, advertising will be too and vice versa.

How is public relations used as a persuasive tool in communications?

Public relations is used as a persuasive tool in communications because its primary focus is to motivate people and institutions to achieve their goals. Public relations is a management tool used by businesses to set up beneficial relationships with other groups and institutions. When institutions are making policy, they need to consider the effects it will have on its constituencies. It is the job of a public relations firm to advise and address the best way for a company to go about its business by anticipating the effects the policy will have on the masses. Public relations is a persuasive tool because it is used by corporations to to promote and create publicity for the business. Public relations is also used as “damage control” when a company does something that the people find to be disheartening. Public relations steps in and creates an open and candid relationship with the mass media in order to ensure that the business will be able to tell their side of the story while attempting to defend the actions of the company. Public relations is an important part of communications because it has several functions that ensure a beneficial relationship between leaders in business, government, and other institutions.

How is public relations used as a persuasive tool in communications?

Without public relations, a company would basically have no contact with its audience and in return receive feedback to improve themselves. Public relations is very important in the way that it is the main line of communication between an audience and a larger company or institution. On example of how public relations helps in communications is the way in which it acts as an open line of communication between an organization and reporters. If something happens internally in this organization, news media of all sorts will come running to seek out the truth. If there were no public relations department in this particular company, there would be no clear person or group of people to handle the press. The public relations department of this organization would take the role as the spokes-people for the company.

Public relations also plays a large role in “Publicity and Promotion” says Vivian. When a group needs to promote something, they have to do it in a large fashion yet keep it organized. This is where the public relations department come in. They act again as a group who can handle the task of promoting and publicizing for the company while keeping an open line of communication to the public and between the companies internal workings. Public relations handles most contact inside and outside of particular organizations and without public relations communication would be very difficult.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Mass media technology has changed drastically over time. The new media technology that we have today has completely revolutionized the way consumers are entertained on a day-to-day basis.

For instance, horror films such as, the original, Halloween and Friday the 13th were frightening movies to most back when they were originally released but as technology keeps advancing, those films tend to become less and less frightening. Nowadays, movies are only scary when they use 3D technology and gory effects.

Mass media technology such as laptops, iphones, kindles, etc... have created a world of consumers that have the mentality that every want or desire they have must be fulfilled in that moment with no question. For example, if you happen to miss an episode of The Office on Thursday nights, there is no reason to worry because you can simply watch the full episode online the very next day (legally) or download it on to your ipod for two dollars shortly after. Years ago, if you missed your favorite movie or television show you would have to wait for the next week or airtime to watch it.

Who are the gatekeepers? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

One gatekeeper of the news is the government. The government is able to control which information is released to the public and which information should be withheld. Investigative reporting is effective to an extent. Investigative reporters are driven to dig deeper and find the truth regardless of how big or small the story is. Investigative reporting often does reveal truths about people, events or places that the public wouldn’t have necessarily known. Although investigative reporting is effective most of the time, the government and law enforcement is still in control of the majority of information released to the press.

Another gatekeeper of the news is the medium in which the news in being reported. On television the news is often reported in a fairly unbiased manner, however some news channels have the reputation for being more liberal or more conservative. Although there is bias in broadcast journalism, there is a level of professionalism and education that is still maintained. However, on the internet there is far more room for bias news to be reported. Blogs and other internet news outlets are notorious for swaying to the left or to the right, heavily, as opposed to publications.

How have blogs and the internet changed the way news is reported?

The internet has made news much more easily accessible. The news is quickly updated on the internet which gives people the information that they want and need as it is happening. Although broadcast journalism is able to accomplish delivering the news in a quick manner, it is not nearly as convenient as reading the news on the internet at your leisure, whether it is on your iphone, at work, during class, on an airplane etc... The internet has revolutionized the way the news is reported and it has, consequently, lead to the continuous downfall of print journalism. (However, I am a firm believer that print journalism will never go completely out of style.)

Blogs were originally used for gossip and as a way to truly exercise our first amendment rights. Blogs evolved from mere, angsty status updates to a commonly used way of retrieving news. Blogs are used by people from all over the world, ranging from various ages, professions, genders and classes. This diversified range of consumers can create a media bias for many of the blogs. Again, similar to the revolution regarding the internet, blogs have created a much faster way to report the news. However, due to the wide range of people updating their blogs, the news posted on blog sites is subject to being untrue and bias.

How has conglomeration changed the movie and television industry?

Media conglomeration is when large corporations join forces in the movie and television industry. Conglomeration creates room for hundreds of new channels/stations, as well as, introducing a more diverse audience to advertisers. Conglomerates, essentially, have revolutionized the movie and television industry.

The three largest media conglomerates, that dominate the movie and television industry, include; The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner and the News Corporation. Critics agree that these media conglomerates have made it very difficult for any smaller businesses, in this competitive industry, to survive. Another major criticism of conglomeration is that the conglomerates tend to dominate the news. They choose which news is ‘newsworthy’ and which news does not. This creates a media bias which is not beneficial for the public.

Conglomeration has opened new doors for advertisers, producers, directors, etc...however, conglomerates have also closed doors to many small, up-and-coming businesses in the movie and television industry.

How is Public Relations used as a persuasive tool in communications?

Public relations are used to help shape the media landscape in order to reach a certain goal. Although they do not produce mass media themselves, they act as gatekeepers in a way to help form and maintain strong beneficial relationships. Since the 50’s, Public Relations have increased significantly. They are used as a backbone in many organizations to help mediate and react in crisis situations. As a result of Public relations, much reform has happened in companies. There is both external and internal PR. External PR engages with groups and people outside the client’s organization. This includes customers, suppliers, community leaders and policy makers. Internal PR covers communication for optimal relations amongst employees. Public Relations can influence public policy and can help correct the problem, not just cover it up. Although, unlike advertising where results can be tracked in sales; PR ‘sells’ an image so there are no quantifiable results. Public Relations is a ‘behind the scenes’ influencer of media in a lot of ways.

How has mass mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

There has been entertainment ever since the dawn of man. Starting with even the simple reaction of laughter. Cave drawings have been found. Music and drama has also been ingrained into culture for thousands of years. In the past century though, there has been a substantial change in the way we get our entertainment. There has been a boom of communication through new innovations such as the radio, television and most recently, the internet. This has allowed audible information as well as visual stimuli to reach out to anyone nationally or internationally. As a result, entertainment has been geared to reach large audiences. The media uses sensationalism and appealing images to make the most profit. This has started a huge flow of advertisement that has become inescapable in our fast-paced lives. Our entertainment has become high-speed, often crude and certainly sensational. The caliber of entertainment has been lowered because of the massive growth in audience. With this boom in technology we should be trying to expand ourselves, but our machines have made us apathetic and comfortable. Society wants quick laughs and a character they can latch onto.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained ?

Mass media has evolved drastically among the years of its existence. From its beginnings over the airwaves to making its way into almost every household, mass media has become a staple source of entertainment. Technology surrounding mass media has had a substantial effect in how people are entertained. Now since the internet has such a large part in the modern world entertainment is now brought instantly to many people. Music, movies, tv shows, and even some live events are streamed onto the world wide web where many take part in being entertained. Also modern media technology focuses more on convenience and entertainment in the home. Besides the internet movies can make their way into homes through other media technologies. Cable services provide "on demand" services where a selection of movies can be watched through cable or satellite services and paused at the convenience of the viewer. As media technologies advance viewers and listeners will be able to access their media fix from a readily available source that may possibly be with them at all times.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Mass Media has undoubtedly changed the way audiences are entertained. There has been such a drastic metamorphosis over time from the radio to the new "Google Television" coming out within the next coming months. Today's society is focused on entertainment in terms of instant gratification and realism. With new "Instant Netflix" and "Google Television" families can watch full feature films in High Definition from a vast library of new movies. This is quite innovative as it goes above and beyond the concept of "On-Demand" which requires one to pay for each movie and with little selection. As for realism, this past year 3-D movies have blown up the box office. Between "Avatar" and "Jackass 3D", Three Dimensional movies do not stop at certain genres. In order to support this new way of viewing film, there are now 3-D televisions sets to endure the upcoming phenomenon. Entertainment companies have now announced that they are releasing 3-D television sets that do not require mass audience to wear glasses. This new technology is quite amazing and society is going to impressed time after time again. The evolution of the entertainment world is moving at an alarming rate and soon many will not be able to keep up with these drastic changes.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Mass media technology has changed the ways our audiences are entertained in many ways. As technology develops, new mediums are invented that push the limits of entertainment and make the audiences want bigger, newer and better things. One such innovation that is becoming more and more popular is 3D technology. Avatar sort of opened up the field as far as movies go. It brought this newer type of 3D which is more realistic become more common in theaters. People were amazed by the quality of these films and the effect it added. Now the technology has expanded to television sets that you can have in your house. This is just one example of how technology has changed the way audiences are entertained.

Another way that this is achieved is through picture quality. Movies and television sets and channels are now being broadcasted in Hi-Def. This makes the picture much clearer and makes you feel like you are that much closer to the action. In order to keep audiences entertained, mass media outlets are going to have to keep creating new technologies. Audiences wont settle for the same thing forever. As humans it is our nature to want newer and better things. And as long as mass media exists, audiences will always be begging for the next big thing.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Mass media technology has effected the way we are entertained greatly. So many forms of entertainment are different types of media technology. Television, iPods, radio, internet, and movies are all different forms of mass media technology that communicate to the world in various ways and serve as the most common forms of entertainment. As media is rapidly growing and advancing, new forms of entertainment come out of it. Years ago, items such as iPods never existed. However, I can’t imagine myself without one today. I’d be lost. This is proof that as media technology gets more complex and advanced it creates a greater and more modern level of entertainment that almost becomes a necessity to people over time. It is a fascinating process that will always keep growing and changing.

If you were to look back over the years you would see an enormous progression in technology. As you view this progression, you will see how along with it has come tons of new forms of entertainment. They go hand in hand. Technology breeds entertainment. People enjoy learning new ways of finding enjoyment in things they find important to them. Mass media technology allows this to constantly happen throughout the world.

Who are the gatekeepers of news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The gatekeepers of news are the government and law enforcement. They control what is released and what is not. Investigative reporting is definitely very effective in informing the public. Though there are many times where details may be left out, untrue, or exaggerated, if it wasn’t for investigative reporting, we would never even find out what is going on. It is their job to go out and find out the important details that the public has the right to know and then relay it. Really, there would be no news if it wasn’t for investigative reporting. Random people cannot just go around and investigate scenes on their own and tell people what is happening. The reporters have this specific job just so that us as a people can be tuned in to important happenings in our world today. This is very important in society all around the world. If we did not know what was happening around us, how would we be able to advance as a culture or even be cautious to dangers and such? The answer is simple; we wouldn’t. One can really learn a great deal from viewing the news and becoming in touch with modern events.

How has blogs and the internet changed the way news is reported?

Blogs and the internet has forever changed the way that news is reported and displayed. They are vital advancements in technology that have proved to be very efficient and relevant today. The internet has become such a convenient way to retrieve information and be an outlet for entertainment. It is extremely simple to find something that you want to learn about or discover. For this reason, it has become an extremely reliable way to gather news. People are constantly using the internet and can quickly find out what is going on today by simply browsing, especially if they’re in a rush. Also, if there is a specific topic or event that you want to read about, rather then looking through pages of a newspaper or waiting for it to be on TV you can simply google the exact thing you are looking for and pull up information in seconds flat. Blogging is another interesting form of relaying news because it allows any random people to post information that they find to be important and others can discuss it there as well. This is an interactive form of getting news and can actually help you to learn more then if you had just read an article.

How has conglomeration changed the movie and television industry?

Conglomeration has greatly effected the movie and television industry. Conglomerations involve corporations joining together to market through television and movies. This allowed hundreds more channels to spawn and advertising companies to market their products to all different audiences. This revolutionized TV forever. Especially now, with Tivo, companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Cox join together with certain channels and all offer different perks and advantages. This gave people multiple different options to choose a TV service, depending on what they like. More and more money gets poured in the television business because of this. Also, channels like HBO and Showtime need to be payed for, but they offer exclusive series and movies that certain people are going to want.

As far as movies, conglomerations have allowed them to be promoted by certain companies and advertisements that help business for both the movie and company marketing them. This process has been working very well for years and made TV and movies an enormous part of our society, economy, and culture. If it wasn’t for conglomerations movies and TV would not be nearly as complex and prominent in our society. Today, marketing is what movie and TV show success really depends on.

In what way has deregulation changed the radio and recording industry?

Deregulation has changed the radio and recording industry greatly over time. It took government control out of these two industries. This allowed a lot more freedom to artists and the radio and recording companies themselves. Talk shows on the radio became a bit more risque. With this said, the FCC still puts certain restrains on vulgarities and things that cross the limits on public radio. However, radio is still much different today then it was back in the day. Recording industries have changed a ton as well. Music years ago had many various restrictions. Now days, artists essentially have the freedom to write and record absolutely anything they want. The FCC does require an artist to put a parental advisory sticker on an album if it includes certain vulgar words or phrases.

Though there are still some restrictions on music and radio today, they still have loads of artistic freedom and music has gotten more and more boundary-pushing over the years, showing the progression of modern culture. Much of this is due to deregulation. If it wasn’t for that then the government would still be controlling music and radio, which would prove to allow a lot less artistic and commercial freedom.

How will the print industry survive? What is the impact of demassification?

Even though in our constantly advancing world today we have plenty of forms of computerized and televised ways to relay information and news, the print industry will always survive. Newspapers and magazines will never be taken out of society and the market. No matter what, they will always be a prominent way of receiving information and people will always buy them. Also, some printing corporations work hand in hand with online sites and have their articles or magazines put on the internet. This allows them to make even more money and still actually print all their information out and sell it.

Demassification had an impact because it was a new process of directing the focus in magazines to a more particular audience. This allowed many more different magazines to spawn. Then, advertisers spread their ads through all these different magazines and reached every different audience. News magazines, lifestyle magazines, and lots of other types of magazines all became a lot more appealing and began to sell much better. Though demassification specified audiences and didn’t try to appeal to the entire world, it allowed print industries to create more different magazines and in the long run get more money, due to the advertisement companies paying to have their ads in all their different magazines.

Why does economics drive most media companies?

It is clear that economics drive most media companies. There are reasons for this. The status of the social economy effects how people make purchases and spend their money in various different ways. If the economy is not good, people are going to lose money, jobs, and in a way, the desire to buy things on the market. When the economy is in good shape people will feel more comfortable putting their money in other places besides their pockets.

This effects media companies directly because just like any other company, if the economy is low and facing struggles, it may not be a great time to put out a new product. Lots of times new technological products are expensive and require a good financial background to be payed for. Also, on another side of media, the economy can effect news media companies and television stations because if the economy is low they will mainly discuss this topic. Media communicates what is going on in the world and what is important.

It is interesting to see how economy can cause certain media companies to make more or less money through selling their products, but at the same time it gives the media something to televise and talk about.

What is technology dependence?

Technology dependence is essentially the fact that in today’s world we rely on technology for so many things. To think of a world without computers, TV’s, cell phones, or even iPods is just insane. It is almost scary. So many businesses and corporations depend on computers and other forms of technology for a large number of reasons. Without television it would be very difficult for people to stay in touch with modern culture, entertainment, and news. The world has greatly evolved from many years ago. I truly believe that we would not be able to survive without much of the technology that we have today. Sure, some may not be necessity and just serves us for enjoyment purposes. However, modern advancements show that many different technological inventions are depended on for some of the most important things one can imagine.

I know that I, myself, rely on much of the technology that I own. Without a computer I couldn’t do almost any of my homework, I wouldn’t know nearly as much information about the world around us, and I wouldn’t necessarily be able to keep in touch with many people. I am just as dependent on my cell phone. There are so many instances I can think of that if I didn’t have a cell phone on me, I would have been in some seriously bad or dangerous situations. Technology dependence is just something that we live with every day. Luckily for us, it only gets more and more advanced from here. There is no moving backward when it comes to technology.

What is media literacy?

Media literacy is possessing the knowledge to be competent in assessing messages carried by mass media (Vivian 6). Basically, media literacy is being able to understand the messages that modern technology is constantly conveying to us. Media is absolutely unavoidable, due to the fact that it is everywhere. It shapes our lives and is a testament of the advances we make over time as a human race. Having media literacy and being able to comprehend all of what is around us is crucial to live in today’s world. News, entertainment, advertising, etc... is all expressed and communicated through media and technology. If we didn’t have the ability to understand it we would be completely lost. It is interesting to think how many years back there wasn’t technology and media like there is today. It is so hard for people like us who are so used to how things are today to think of how they possibly survived and stayed current with the information they had and how they communicated it.

Thankfully, there is so much media around us all of the time that I believe it’s near impossible to not be media literate to some degree. Just from living in today’s world people will pick up on how to comprehend certain forms of media communication. It is the fuel that keeps our race going.

Who are the gatekeepers of the news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The gatekeepers of news are basically described as the mediums to what is being given to the public. They hear the information out there and from what they get they condense the facts and relay it back to the people. This is all great, but somehow along the way (most of the time) informational bias or exclusions change the article and instead provide a single sided story of ‘the truth.’ Gatekeepers literally decide, and know, what people are going to hear before they hear it. Gatekeepers and investigative reporting are directly related because gatekeepers are, in the end, the ones doing all the muckraking and exposing corrupt politicians and businesses. Investigative reporting is, after all, an attempt to uncover the truth that is sometimes proven successful by the gatekeepers. Investigative reporting is medias way of keeping today’s market ‘clean’ of foul play. When the people are aware of this happening, justice can be done.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Mass media technology has started a new era in entertainment. Story telling and card games are now a thing of the past. Mass media technology has changed everything. If someone wants to be entertained they can turn on the radio, the TV, or go see a movie at the theaters. There are so many different forms of media now that audiences have no trouble finding entertainment. Also, these forms of entertainment are becoming more and more convenient. You use to have to go to the video store to rent a movie. Now you can rent movies directly from your TV. Everything has become so advanced and also convenient. In some ways this change in the way audiences are entertained could have some negative effects. Plays and playhouses have taken a hit in profit. Not as many people are interested in going to see plays when they have the convenience of a TV right in their own home. Overall, the way audiences are entertained has changed entirely. They are now the receivers of entertainment and no longer have to put any effort into entertaining themselves.

How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Nobody could have foreseen the mass production of entertainment at the caliber that it holds today. Entertainment far predates its modern eminence as a mass media enterprise. People since the beginning of time have been enjoying both music and story telling. However, media technology has changed the way that audiences are entertained. Before media technology, people were the entertainers, they were the ones who would come up with the stories and music to entertain both themselves and the small communities around them. Now however, people are consumers of entertainment. Instead of originating their own entertainment, people turn into mass outlets, like the radio and television, to provide entertainment. People use mass media technology to generate entertainment wherever and whenever they want. Mass media technology, starting with the printing press, has allowed for a large audience to receive entertainment at any given time. Mass media has affected the way audiences are entertained but also the performance. A stage product that is turned into a television series must duplicate an adaptation of the story through cameras. It is clearly evident that “people are being entertained more than ever before in history” (Vivian, 242). Some critics believe that the mass media technology has led to the spreading of low brow entertainment, which says to have no real “artistic value”, while others argue that the entertainment is just as evocative and social unifying as it has ever been. Nonetheless it is easy to see that mass media technology has changed the way audiences are entertained because they are now the consumers instead of the producers.

How have blogs and the internet changed the way news is reported?

Blogs and the internet have drastically changed the way news is communicated. Newspapers used to be the main source for news and then came the news channels on television. Now the internet has taken over. You can find news articles on any topic online. This allows the reader to only be informed on topics they want to hear about. Also, news is now always live. The websites are constantly being updated with the newest information so readers are aware of the news as its happening. Blogs allow people to post their own view on the news that they hear. They can write opinionated articles on what they are thinking about. Users can also comment on the blogs on what they are thinking so it is an easy way for everyone to speak their mind. The internet is also the fastest way to hear to the news because you do not have to sit like you do for the TV and wait for the topic you want to hear about. You can also quickly scan the information and not read the whole article if you have a short amount of time.

Who are the gatekeepers?

Gatekeepers are the people who select what the public should and should not see and hear in the media. They are often times the heads of major corporations. Media sources take polls and surveys and decide what the general public likes and dislikes. From there they choose what they think will 'sell' the most in the media. These corporations are about making money and want their news sources to gain the most attention. But because they want to appeal to their audiences, they chose news that they want to hear. Gatekeepers control a big portion of the media and without them, the media would be a free-for-all.

Who are the gatekeepers of the news? How effective is investigative reporting?

Gatekeepers are the vehicle in which people get news in the first place. They could be authors or broadcasters. Gatekeepers are media people that influence the news en route. They are in a position similar to ‘telephone’. They have the power of information and it is imperative they delve out the true facts. Investigative reporting has been monumental for informing the public. Reporters have uncovered dirt on some serious scandals of American History such as Watergate or ratting out Boss Tweed in the 1860’s. Investigative reporting gets down and dirty and does its best to break the ice of corruption. This has been proven to be extremely effective in initiating change in this country. Even though it is usually an uncomfortable article or segment, investigative reporting gets the job done at informing the public. This is done by the gatekeepers, who decide what the general public should hear. If the gatekeepers do not find a story worthy of informing, for whatever reason, it will not get to the public. So investigative reporting is nothing without the gatekeepers that supply it.

Who are the gatekeepers of news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The news is broadcasted in various ways depending on who is broadcasting it. Each station or paper has a different view on certain subjects. Some views may be biased but they can broadcast what they want. Viewers tune into a certain a station or buy a certain paper depending on if it's bias or not. The news can be presented in various forms of the media. Papers, blogs, and television are a few of these forms.

I believe investigative reporting is effective in informing the public. Corruption is unveiled daily because of the work of investigative reporters. In an article on www.newdeal20.org it stated," The center for investigative reporting warns that “the only ‘business’ protected by the Constitution, the business of informing the public, has been eviscerated in recent years. The role that journalism plays in a functioning democracy — informing the public and holding the powerful accountable — is at serious risk.” This shows that the number of investigative reporters could decrease in the near future. The internet could become investigative reporters new source for informing the public.

Who are the gatekeepers of news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The gatekeepers of news can be described through a multitude of mediums. The textbook describes the the mediums and "media people" and the way that they influence on their stations, shows, or other vessels. Through different mediums come different biases in which people can listen to according to their beliefs our interests. Many reporters try to stay neutral with incoming news stories to stay professional. However, other vessels such as "Perez Hilton" add a gossip and biased spin to his stories. While many people do not like his view, some people do which makes for a wide spectrum of new broadcasting. Investigative Reporting is extremely important to society as it unveils the secrets behind a larger story that tends to be too broad. Media Pioneer Edward R. Murrow paved this form of journalism for centuries to come. We use this technique to form more opinions on what certain people of the media might not want the public to hear. Too much information is held from the public and the people have a right to know. The government is very guilty in hiding information as many corrupt politicians do no want the public to know their dismal deeds. Alas, investigative journalism can solve this problem and serve justice to the community.

Who are the gatekeepers of news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The news is controlled not only by the medium in which the news is reported, but also in who owns those mediums. Each medium is able to broadcast different views on news stories. For example, on television, stations seem to be less biased although there are a few that are. On the internet, news outlets and online blogs can be biased, unbiased or say whatever they want because with the internet there can literally be an infinite number of news sites that can be about each and every topic and bias. With print, they also tend to be more neutral because when people read them they want to hear just the facts and be able to form their own opinions on those facts.

The people who own these news media outlets also control what stories make it to the public. The best example I can think of us Rupert Murdoch controlling Fox news. He sends out internal emails to all of his Fox stations around the country every morning telling them what topics they are to cover that day and in what manner they are to do so. In this way the news and stories shows are skewed while the audience barely notices.

I also think that investigative reporting is effective in informing the public. Although these types of journalists make it their job to dig deep into peoples lives and find dirt on them it brings out the truth and informs the public on that. In this way, all the facts are out on the table and the public audience is able to form their own opinions but this time its on the real facts.

Who are the gatekeepers of news? How effective is investigative reporting in informing the public?

The gatekeepers of news are typically considered to be “media people influencing messages en route” (Vivian, 230). A gatekeeper’s job is to exercise news judgements and decide what news is most deserving to be told. Also they decide how the news will be told. Gatekeeping can be considered a creative force because they are the ones who decide how a story is told to the audience, essentially having free reign. Most gatekeepers are invisible to the news audience because they work behind the scenes and make crucial decisions in almost absolute anonymity. The job of gatekeeping is unavoidable in the process of reporting news because if someone was not there to decide what is newsworthy and how it should be told, there would be mass confusion on what to report and how to report it. Investigative reporting is defined as “enterprise reporting that reveals new information, often startling; most often these are stories that official sources would rather not have told” (Vivian, 234). Investigative reporting has its roots in the muckraking period in the United States. Most investigative reporting uncovers stories about corruption in the government or by officials in high positions. Investigative reporting is effective in reporting scandals to the public, but because it costs a great deal of money to uncover these stories most papers have done away with it. Investigative reporting is important to preserving democracy and newspapers should consider spending the extra money because it is necessary for a fully functioning society.

Who are the gatekeepers of the news? How effective is investigative reporting?

The news is the main hub of information for many people. Its mass appeal to large audiences across the nation puts those in charge of the news in a very powerful position. Although news is broad and covers a wide variety of topics, there are a lot of issue and informative reports that go unpublished. The news is vast and it is restricting, not everything can be published at once and not everything deserves news spotlight. In order to trim the fat of the news there needs to be the proverbial butcher that does so, also known as the gate keeper. “Gatekeeping” is done by those not readily apparent within news, the editors and producers behind the scenes, and aims to keep the audience’s attention stimulated.

Many stories within the news are unleashing information on issues done through investigative journalism. Investigative journalism is often a very effective way of reporting the news. Reporters go into the depths of an issue and drag out the facts everyone yearns to read or hear about. As factual as investigative journalism can be, there are some faults within this raw source of news. Where investigative journalism can go wrong is by being biased. Sometimes investigative journalism gets deep into the facts but only revealing the raw facts of one side of an issue, thus becoming biased and narrow minded.