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April 19, 2006:
According to an article in the National Journal, "the daily downloads of news photos [from the war in Iraq] include some that are staged, fake, or so lacking in context as to be meaningless, despite the Western media's best efforts to separate the factual from the fictional." The article discusses the huge challenges faced by editors who have to make quick decisions about whether or not to use a photo. Although Agency France-Presse's photo editors look hard for signs of fakery or staged events, "it is very hard to say what we show is the reality.... We have so many sources ... you cannot fully, fully verify them," said Emmanuel Dunand AFP's bureau chief in New Delhi.
The situation is further compounded by the deliberate use of media for terrorists to advance their agenda. "Clearly, terrorists and insurgents know the value of images. In an undated letter from Osama bin Laden to the Taliban's leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, bin Laden wrote about how important the media was in Al Qaeda's war with the West. 'It is obvious that the media war in this century is one of the strongest methods; in fact, its share may reach 90 percent of the total preparation for battles.' The translated letter was provided by the U.S. Army's Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point. "
Classroom focus/media literacy discussion: How does the human brain process images differently than it does text? Is this different brain processing the reason why we can remember images from many years ago so much better than we remember words or facts? What can we learn from this article about the value of using imagery to advance an agenda -- for more legitimate persuasion (such as a campaign to save the whales) or for political propaganda? As viewers of images, what do we need to know or do to protect ourselves from manipulation via images?
Aug. 10, 2004: The upcoming Republican National Convention's entertainment director, former Gospel Music Association president Frank Breeden, calls his part of the program "Preachers and Patriots." He explained, "Entertainment plays more of a prominent role in marketing messages today than ever before," and convention organizers want to use music and culture to sell their political philosophy "just like Cadillac uses Led Zeppelin." With limited network coverage, "we have to think like television, use a large pallet of creative ideas to convey the message." Breeden is also "competing with the many parties that are being held by politicians, elected officials, lobbyists and corporations. Many have booked performers who might otherwise have appeared at the convention." This citation is from PR Watch. Original Source: New York Times, August 10, 2004.
Classroom focus/media literacy discussion: The ancient Greeks said that arousing the emotions of an audience was one of the three keys to persuasion. Is that still true today? Do you think corporate and political advertisers use music in their advertising just as "background," or to arouse emotions and help persuade people? If for persuasion, does it work? Why or why not?
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