Obama Revelations [Final Exam pt. 2]

1. NEW MEDIA
President Obama has tapped into a whole new market using new media. He is using social networking sites to connect to his audience, like Twitter and a YouTube Channel. This is a use of Ambient Awareness because not only is Obama making himself socially aware using new technology, but he can also see what is being said about him through the same tools. Project Censored states, “Your fans and supporters are never more than a click or two away, and they’re ready to help you make history—or change it” (Censored 403). The Obama “fans” or supporters are right online, waiting for information to come to them. They can then help “make history” by sharing this information in a quicker way than possible before. They have the ability to embed the videos from YouTube on their blogs, and share the information over Facebook or Twitter. It is a lot easier for people to access information in a more user friendly way with these tools. “Daily newspaper reading in the US had declined from 58 percent in 1993 to 34 percent in 2008” (Censored 356). People don’t need to read the news paper anymore if they can receive live updates on their Twitter feed. This is also an example of convergence, how different media has come together.

Here is an example Obama updating the public. He is inviting everyone to join the Facebook event.




2. NOSTALGIC SPEECHES
It is no secret that Obama is an excellent speaker. He has a way to control a room. He knows how to use persuasive techniques to engage the audience. “When he peppers his speeches and comments with references to the United States as a ‘magical place’ with a mission and qualifications to give the world hope and rule world affairs—by force, when and if necessary,--he is tapping into a deeply rooted American exceptionalism he hardly invented” (Street 177). He is painting a picture using mystical words to remind people of American core values. His speeches are an example of an epistemological shift: from word to image. He is speaking words, but what they are meant to do is paint an image in the audience’s mind.

Here is an example of a great speech from President Obama. It is from when he was speaking in Tuscan in memory of those who died in the shooting. He contextualizes the people, and humanizes them by telling their story. He does a remarkable job.



3. TIMING
In Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics, a Washington Post writer named Liza Mundy, at the time the Democratic Party was looking for a new candidate. The new candidate needed to have a youthful feel that would get the open senate seat. When Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm was not up for reelection and Obama took charge and headed forward for the seat. It seemed like a simple choice, a Democratic Party Official said, “‘So Obama it was,’” (Street 24). The timing was perfect. Obama took advantage of the opening, and so the hegemony of Obama began.


Photo came from NYDailynews.com

4. IMAGE
Neil Postman commented that we are now in an “Image-centered culture,” (Postman 61). This is definitely a part of epistemology. The idea that elections were going from simply words heard on a radio, to actually seeing candidates on television. Seeing what the candidates look like for the first time and having that be a factor into the election. An example of how this connects to politics is through Nixon’s presidential campaign, claiming that “he lost an election because he was sabotaged by make-up men” (Postman 4). This was only the first example of people becoming superficial when it comes to politics. A large part of the Barack Obama’s buzz was that he is African American. In this particular election “voter’s decisions for or against Hillary or Obama often came down to Questions of gender and race—to simply who was black and who was white; who was male and who was female” (67). Though this information would have been released, if it were not for cameras always shining on them, it was a big visual factor.

A picture of Obama Hillary:


Photo from TopNews.in


5. BRANDING
Obama and his team really branded the Obama campaign with a few words. When I first think of Obama, I think of “change” and “hope.” These marketed ideas,or words really stuck in people’s minds. “Mendell’s characterization of Obama was itself part of a distinguishing characteristic of the Obama phenomenon: the astonishing intensity and breadth of the adulation with which he and his call for ‘hope’ and ‘change’ were received and transmitted by dominant U.S. media” (xviii). This is a use of Representation. Obama stood for all of these words that he branded. They were the basis of his campaign, and how he won the election. The Obama brand even won Advertising Age's Marketer of the year! He won with a total of 31.6% of the votes, while his competitor, John McCain only received 4.5% of the votes. Now, to put Obama's percentage of votes in perspective, other brands in the running were Apple, Zappos, Nike, and Coors. Those are all big-time competitors with very influential, cleaver marketing.


Photo from The Logo Factory

6. MEDIA COVERAGE
The media seemed to love Obama. They had a lot of positive things to say about him throughout the campaign. Obama had a handle on the media coverage about him. He essentially won over the media, they loved writing about him, and giving him coverage. “Once he attained dominant media favor, this coverage became perhaps the critical driving force behind ‘the Obama phenomenon’” (Street 178). The Obama phenomenon wouldn’t have been to the degree it is now without the media. They were the “driving force” behind it. The media almost acted like a testimonial for Obama because of how much they were pushing his stories.

Here is a graph from Politico showing the vast media coverage of Obama.



7. OBAMA BACKLASH
Not everyone was on the Obama bandwagon. He received some harsh criticism. “Obama earned Rev. Jesse Jackson’s criticism for ‘acting like he’s white’ when he failed to meaningfully support the significant mass struggle against the decision in Jena, Louisiana, to charge six African American teenagers with attempted murder for engaging in a school fight with racist white teens” (Street 95). Jackson later apologized for what he said, but it doesn't dishearten the influence he has had on the public about Obama. Then, on a more superficial note, he has been criticized for his appearance, name, and race. John Judis asked, “How could a black man whose middle name is Hussein and who looks like he is 25 years old win the White House?” (Street xvii). Some people did not have confidence in him based off from a few attributes. This sort of ambient awareness was picked up by some other people, and then they began to take a step back to re-evaluate Obama.

Here is some controversial news coverage from Rev. Jesse Jackson on his opinions of Obama.



8. OBAMA IS A CELEBRITY
Obama has become a celebrity. He has become very popular with young people, and his family appeals to the everyday American. I often hear about Michelle Obama wearing J. Crew, and her fashion styles being related to Jackie O. This is an epistemological shift. If it were not for the image of these women, people wouldn’t be as intrigued into what they are wearing. “Brand Obama’s’ pure media-created celebrity-hood has been a major factor in his ascendancy, particularly with regard to younger voters” (Street 169). The media created Obama’s image, and he has definitely become a celebrity. He has appeared multiple times on the cover of magazines, like Rolling Stone.



Photo is from the Huffington Post.

9. FILLING A NICHE
Barack Hussein Obama has received backlash for his name, as seen in observation 7; however, his ethnic background and experience has brought him positive attention as well. “Some foreign policy elites hoped that, partly because of the Islamic sound of his name and partly because of his unusual upbringing (he lived in Indonesia for three years as a young boy), he would be uniquely positioned to advance American interest in the Middle East and across the Muslim world—areas of special concern and danger for the United States in a world where extremist Islamo-terrorist threats have been further by the proactive, deadly, and prolonged American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq” (Street xxvi). It is thought that because he has a diverse background, he is more relatable, especially on issues that we have been walking on glass with. It was hoped that Obama would bring a connection from the Middle East to the United States, and people may stop stereotyping Muslims. This is an example of hegemony. He is a leader, and in this particular instance, he is thought to be a leader with cultural power, over both the Middle East and the United States.


Photo from crethiplethi.com

10. LIKEABILITY
By looking at Obama, listening to his riveting speeches, and feeding into his big ideas of “hope” and “change” it is hard not to like him. He seems like a natural likeable guy. He also seems honest and sincere in his speaking. Most people are had at hello. But does this makes a great leader? “In 2004, roughly one in ten U.S. citizens chose, in an open question, ‘agendas/ideas/platforms/goals’ as a top rationale for their decisions. A much larger number and percentage voted in accord with their sense of candidate ‘qualities’ and ‘character,’ including ‘likeability,’ ‘honesty,’ and ‘religiosity’” (Street 166). Without having to look at Obama’s agendas or goals, people would vote for him. Again, this is an epistemological shift. Word to image. His image outweighs his word. People like him because of his likability factors. He has good character and seems to be honest. He acts and dresses the part well.



Photo Source: morgenpost.de

An Awesome Blog [Media Meditation 4]

For spring break, I travelled to Nicaragua with a group of 5 classmates for a service trip. Everyone in the group has great attitudes. A positive bunch, because attitude gets you a long way in life. Being back in the United States, we like to share with each other things we "StumbleUpon" that are positive, or quotes, or even cute pictures of kittens. Basically, anything that will make the others smile, we will send along.

Last week, my friend Dave sent the group this link with the following message, "So I stumbled upon this the other day and I thought you would all really appreciate it. Thanks for being amazing guys, every one of you!" The link is of a children's book that you can read online called An Awesome Book of Thanks! by Dallas Clayton.

An Awesome Book of Thanks is truly awesome. Everything about it is wonderful, from the art to the message. I love it so much that I want to analyze it for a media mediation.

First, I suggest that you read the book. Second, I suggest you watch this video that the author, Dallas Clayton put on YouTube.



I am going to base my observations off from the book, when I dive into the power tools.

Brain:
The limbic brain is definitely engaged. The book is full of colorful, unique pictures. It takes a while to soak in all that is on each page.

The neocortex is also engaged while reading the text.

Shifts:
This is an aesthetic shift. The book can be read online AND purchased online.

It is also a personal shift. Because this can be read online, people have the opportunity to share it with others, like my friend Dave did. I am now sharing it with you. It is no longer a single item novelty, that in book form, I would have to pass around to my friends.




Principles:
Production Techniques were used in the web-showing of the book. It scrolled horizontal instead of vertically, which made it seem like you were flipping the pages of the book, instead of reading it on the Internet. Another production technique was the cohesive art and font for the book. They all went well together, and each page you could tell that they came from the same book.

"Reality" Construction/Trade-offs were also used in this book. A line in the book says, "because thank you's are what make this whole world keep spinning." This makes me think of the ideals of the world- that there are a lot of bad things that happen, but because of the good things, we keep moving along.

Emotional transfer is a large part of this book. The images invoke a certain emotion, because of the cute-childish characters. It is a children's book, but I think it appeals to an adult aspect as well. The book reminds us of the simple things in life and of times that were simpler, like our childhood.

Persuasive Techniques:
Repetition. The first few pages of the book the line's start off as "there didn't use to be..."

Flattery. "and friendly folks in every state, thanks to them they're all so great." Makes everyone in the United States feel important, and great. Another line that uses flattery is, "I say "thank you" to you just for being yourself. Yourself's as important as anything else."



Warm Fuzzies: The animals and the furry creatures.

LaLa Land [Media Meditation 3]

I like blogging about blogs. One of my favorite blogs is StoolLaLa, written by a worker named Jenna from Barstool Sports.

The blog is a compilation of everything wonderful about the Internet. StoolLaLa mainly contains YouTube videos that have gone viral, or go viral because of the blog. Under each YouTube video, Jenna writes her own personal reaction to the video. She is sarcastic, straight forward, and hilarious.

She also creates her own YouTube videos each Wednesday, and has a vlog channel.

Here are three of my favorite videos she has created:







Now, to dive into the Power Tools...

The Brain:
This blog appeals to the limbic brain because of all the videos. It's a very visual based blog. It also appeals to the neocortex because of how Jenna analyzes the videos.

Shifts:
StoolLaLa uses several different shifts. First, it is an aesthetic shift. The blog is a perfect example of convergence on the Internet. It takes outside items, like YouTube videos, and puts them all onto one place. The website also represents the company Barstool Sports, and has all the Barstool information on the blog.

It is also a personal shift. Personal shifts are about a medium going from personal to participatory. The blog is very interactive. Jenna actively recruites people to send her any tips about things on the Internet that need to be shared. You can reach her on her Twitter account, Facebook fan page, and through tips@stoollala.com.

This is also a technological shift. The blog is on the Internet, using videos from the Internet, connecting with people on the Internet.

Principles:

This definitely touches on individual meaning. It is from the perspective of one girl, but there is also a spot for people to comment on what they think. Not everyone is going to like a video, or analyze it the same way as the writer, Jenna, but they have a place to express their thoughts on the blog.

It is also an emotional transfer. The blog is very geared towards the limbic brain, and it is trying to get people to engage their emotions. Most of the videos are funny, or cute, so they make people laugh.

Persuasive Techniques:

Humor is the main persuasive technique used here. The blog text written about the videos are normally sarcastic and meant to be funny. The videos are almost always funny.

Beautiful people is also used. The girl who writes the blog also is a dancer and models.

In contrast, plain folk is also constantly used for this blog. Jenna has her masters degree, and is completely broke from paying off student loans. She makes this clear on an everyday basis. She also has a UStream on her blog, where you are essentially "hanging out" with her. On the UStream she does normal Friday night things, like playing drinking games with her friends. It makes her easy to identify with.



Photo Source

Project Censored: Is This Blog Safe?

Internet Privacy and Personal Access at Risk, a section in the book Censored 2011, talks about cyber security over the Internet.


Photo Source

Some of the initial facts that I learned from this section are:

-->Senate Bill 733, which is the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, allows the president to completely shut down the Internet in the state of a national emergency. It also gives him the power to "declare a cyber security emergency with respect to private computer networks, and to do with these networks what it deems necessary to diffuse the attack" (26).

-->“The 1008 FISA amendments also require electronic communication service providers such as AT&T and Verizon to “immediately provide the Government with all information, facilities, or assistance necessary to accomplish the [intelligence] acquisition,” while granting these companies retroactive and prospective immunity against civil suits, state investigations, and criminal prosecution” (27). The government does not need a warrant for this surveillance.

-->“In April 2009, the Obama Justice Department invoked the “state secrets privilege” to bar American citizens from suing the US government for illegally spying on them. It also went even further than the Bush administration by arguing that the US government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying and can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy laws” (27).



-->“As part of an effort to gather more “open source intelligence,” the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is investing in Visible Technologies, a data-mining company that analyzes the content of social media Web sites. Visible Technologies, which has offices in New York, Seattle, and Boston, was created in 2005, and in 2006 it developed a partnership with WPP, a worldwide communications firm. This company has the capacity to examine over half a million sites per day.” 28



-->“On January 30, 2009, IndyMedia, an alternative online news source, received a subpoena from the Southern District of Indiana Federal Court for the “IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information” of all the site’s visitors on June 25, 2008. IndyMedia was then prohibited from notifying visitors of this release of otherwise private and protected information because disclosure “would impede the investigation being conducted and thereby interfere with the enforcement of the law'”(28).

-->“The Obama administration is also currently working with a group of UN nations on the development of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), “a new intellectual property enforcement treaty” to prevent illegal downloading and copying of songs, movies, pictures, and other legally protected Web content. The new law is being developed in secrecy and might allow government access to personal content on hard drives thought to be in breach of copyright” (28).


Photo Source

-->“Company-issued laptops are also being monitored. Companies usually permit their employees to use such computers for personal purposes as well as for business. However, unbeknownst to the employees, all their private files (such as e-mails, photographs, and financial records_ are being inspected by company techs when the computers are brought in for upgrades or repairs. Consequently, anything the techs deem questionable can be disclosed to management. Further, if the company-issued laptop has a webcam, the employer can use it to eavesdrop on the employee, even if he or she is in the bathroom” (29).

There have also been cases of teachers and school administrators spying on children using school computers via webcam.

Confined Thoughts [Media Meditation 2]

I have taken several media related courses at Champlain in the past three years. For most of them I have kept a blog and have written about my favorite blog, PostSecret. Apparently, this blog won't be any different because PostSecret continues to amaze me every Sunday.

First, I will recap what PostSecret is for those of you who don't know.

PostSecret, according to Frank Warren, the creator, is "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard." Each week Frank picks around 20 secrets that he posts on the blog.

Here is a YouTube video project that PostSecret created in December, 2009.



I encourage you to visit the blog and check it out for yourself to get a better idea of the concept, as well as the website, and the Twitter account.

In the past, I have focused on the blog as a whole. This time I want to talk about one specific secret. It relates directly to media issues. I have been thinking about it for two days.

This is the secret I found this week:



The secret relates to the social media tool, Twitter, which restricts updates to 140 characters. Twitter forces people to start using short hand, for example "ppl" for the word "people." It is confining our thoughts and condensing our written language.

It is easy use the Action Coalition For Media Education power tools to break down videos. I often forget that these power tools can break down any medium. That's why I chose to critically think about this one specific secret, and apply the power tools to it.

The Brain:
The neocortex is engaged. You have to read the secret, and in this case, I continued to use my neocortex to think about the secret, and how it applies to life in the 21st century.

Eight Shifts:
This secret is part of a technological shift. It was sent into Frank Warren, and then he scanned and uploaded the secret to the Internet blog.

It is also a personal shift. This is a personal secret of a person who then chose to anonymously share it with the world. Who ever wrote it is now participating in the PostSecret community.

Seven Principles:
"Reality" Construction/Trade-offs is definitely used with this secret. The secret says "I think I'm starting to constantly think in 140 characters." It appears on a screen shot from a Twitter update. The content of the secret is bringing up the goods and the bads of our media world. Twitter is an excellent social media tool; however, it has it's trade offs. One of them is the condensing of thoughts because of the limitations of the characters. Is this a bad thing? Is it a good thing? Is it changing the way our society is thinking and communicating? It brings up the "reality" of communication with social media.

Persuasive Techniques:
The person who sent in this secret probably wasn't thinking about persuasive techniques when they submitted their secret.

The secret can partially be considered as hyperbole. Does this person really think that eventually their thoughts will be completely in 140 characters?

They also used symbols while creating the secret. They use the identifiable Twitter forum for submitting a tweet.

Each week PostSecret makes me really think about life, and my own secrets. I've never submitted one, but each week I think about if I were to, what would it say? The secret saying, "I think I'm starting to constantly think in 140 characters" makes me think about my own fears of the media and how it will shape my future along with society. I wonder if one day all of our electronic communications will have a limitation. Language and expression is a key aspect to our interaction with others. What would happen if it were to completely change? How would it limit our means of communication? How would it change our lives? Has it already?

Bieber Fever [Media Meditation 1]

Teen pop star, Justin Bieber, seems to be appearing everywhere lately. There has even been a movie released about him called Never Say Never. I think the teenager is a talented musician and is part of a technological music revolution. The sixteen year old was discovered on YouTube in 2008. Two years later, he has the most viewed YouTube video of all time with his song "Baby" featuring Ludacris. I'm a little confused as to why Justin Bieber doesn't simply get his own special on E! True Hollywood Stories, but I can see how there is a huge market for this movie. His marketing team has outdone themselves with this one. The promotion of the movie has been plastered everywhere. I think everyone and their grandmothers know about the Bieber Fever going around.

One advertisement I found particularly interesting features reality star from MTV's Jersey Shore, Pauly D. The marketing team reaches out to a market a little older than the 10 year old screaming girls that will be dragging their parents to the movie. They caught the high school and college audience with this television commercial. I think it's simply brilliant. Take a look at it:



The Brain:
The video first hits the oldest part of the brain, the reptilian brain. This brain is the instinctual brain. The video uses this power tool in the very beginning of the commercial when it shows Pauly D. in dark lighting sitting on a chair. Viewers don't know what to make of the commercial at first, because it's not very clear what's about to go on.

Eight Shifts:
The commercial is a demonstration of an aesthetic shift because I originally found it on YouTube. It is a convergence of media. Before YouTube and the Internet, we would only be able to see this commercial when it came on TV. Now, we can watch it over and over on the Internet, providing us the ability to embed the video onto another medium to further share.

Seven Basic Principles:
The commercial definitely capitalizes on production techniques. The lighting of the commercial makes it a little spooky, which connects back to the reptilian brain. It sets a serious tone for the commercial, and for Pauly D's message. The lights then brighten when Justin Bieber walks in the room, and the whole mood changes.

Another part of the production techniques there are used in the commercial are camera angles and movement. The camera angles are pretty simple. They are either directly in front of Pauly D., or they are getting a profile shot of him. The shots have smooth transitions.

Persuasive Techniques:
Commercials are always loaded with persuasive techniques. After all, the point of a commercial is to persuade a consumer to do, buy, or think about something. This commercial is no different. I think that the persuasive techniques used in this video make it appealing, and an overall excellent commercial.

One persuasive technique that is used is testimonial. It uses Jersey Shore's Pauly D. This shows that Pauly D. supports Justin Bieber and his movie. This can lead to the persuasive technique bandwagon. Everyone is seeing it, even Pauly D.

Humor was also a technique strongly used in this commercial. Pauly D. is known for his "Guido" look with his hair gelled up like the picture below. In the video he is almost not recognizable in the beginning of the video because he has his hair down flat. He says, "my hair won't even stand up anymore." Another joke he uses is, "I can't stop buying purple pants."



Another strong persuasive technique used in the commercial is simple solutions. Pauly D's hair won't stand up anymore and he can't stop buying purple pants because he has the Bieber Fever. The solution? See the movie. He even states "I gotta see that movie."

Overall, the commercial did it's job. It captivated my attention, I remembered the advertisement, and I have shared it through my blog for my followers to see. The only thing left that the advertisement wants me to do is go see the movie,"Never Say Never." Will I do it? The marketing team sure hopes so.

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