WilliamHartPhD's Notes: January 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016

GlobalMedia: Media Imperialism & the Mindset of "The Burden" (W3-P4) Sp16

Media Imperialism (Anglo-American Dominance)

Imperialism: “the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online)

Imperialism is justified under “the White Man’s Burden” views. (See 1899 poem by Rudyard Kipling entitled “White Man’s Burden”)

Part of Poem:

"Take up the White Man's burden‑‑
Send forth the best ye breed‑‑
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild‑‑
Your new‑caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child."

This is an example of the imperialistic mindset.

This cartoon from 1903 is a follow-up to the poem and the imperialistic, racist mindset.

To where is the "native" being taken? For what purpose?

And now...
Media Imperialism: “the imbalance and inequality in flow of mass media materials between developed and developing countries, and its subsequent effect on the developing country’s society and culture”(Araby in Frederick,1994).

Can you develop another definition related more to the definition of imperialism above?

Western (American) Media Imperialism.
Q: What American values can be found in its media products?
A: Individualism, materialism, adventurism, etc.

Effects of Media Imperialism?

See below the relevant quote William Loren Katz wrote in his book "The Black West: A Documentary and Pictorial History of the African American Role in the Westward Expansion of the United States."

"The 1890s, which opened with the closing of the [U.S. western] frontier, closed with the beginning of American imperialist expansion. From Puerto Rico in the Caribbean to the Philippines in the Pacific, industrialists and bankers found a new frontier brimming with opportunity. To justify the control of darker peoples abroad, white supremacy arguments again flooded the land. White racism at home or abroad employed the same rhetoric and wielded the same weapons" (Katz, 1996, p. 321).

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GlobalMedia: National Sovereignty and Transborder Data Flow (W3-P3) SP16

So, what are the issues with regard to of international communication, TDF, and national sovereignty.

Sovereignty: “a country’s right to protect its borders from military aggression; to preserve its natural wealth and resources; and to choose its political, social, economic, and cultural systems without interference by another state”(Frederick, p.121).

TDF (transborder data flow): the flow of banking, insurance, credit and other similar information across national boundaries via mainly computer networks (a.k.a. TBDF).

What's the relationship between TDF and national sovereignty? Take the two ideas and mash them together and what do you get?

Do nations have the right to "peek" over national borders and gather information about other countries?
Does a corporation, e.g., Google, have the right?
What can be done with the information gathered? Information is power!

Remote-sensing satellites can be used to gather information from the Earth’s surface.

Does one country have the right to gather information about another country via remote-sensing satellites?

A remote sensing satellite map of Nigeria by SEDACMaps

If interested, a Google Map of Google Maps’ Legal Troubles

GlobalMedia: New World Information & Communication Order (NWICO) (W3-P2) SP16

America's Problem with UNESCO Pt. 1

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

America's Problem with UNESCO Pt. 1 (2012)

Now some background, some context, some history.

“New World Information and Communication Order” (NWICO) [a.k.a. NWIO].

By the early 1970s many nations see the strong need to alleviate/lessen the problems related to international communication (see issues/controversies covered previously). They call for NWICO. They seek a new world policy.
Controversy about controversies. Debates about the debates.
Problem dealt with mainly within UNESCO.
"UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) – contributes to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations."

‘76-‘78	The Mass Media Declaration calls for “free flow and a wider and more balanced flow of information.” Declaration was passed, but will to implement was weak.
‘79-‘80	Begins to unravel. Western gov’t & media concerned. Agreed that MacBride Commission to study world “communication problems.”
‘80-‘83	Western press lobby groups and U.S. press begin to play a stronger role. Influencing U.S. gov’t.
12/84	U.S. (Reagan administration w/ influence from the Heritage Foundation) withdraws from UNESCO
‘85-	UNESCO’s stance of NWICO wavers. NWICO dead? We have a New Order but it is “the order of the advanced industrialized nations” (Mowlana).

Update:
2002: UNESCO welcomes back U.S.A.
2011: U.S. withholds funding to UNESCO [video]
2013: U.S., Israel lose voting rights at UNESCO over Palestine row
2015: The United States' Reelection to the UNESCO Executive Board

If you are interested, America's Problem with UNESCO Pt. 2 (Daily Show, 2012)

GlobalMedia: Important Global Communication Issues (W3-P1) SP16

List major global issues (“controversies”) relevant to an understanding of international communication.

Communication, TDF (transborder data flow), and National Sovereignty^
Increasing Concentration & Transnationalization - see video below
Deregulation and Privatization
The “News Values” Controversy (Biases in News) - see video below
Media Imperialism (Anglo-American Dominance)^
Communication Policies / Codes of Ethics for Media Practice
Protection and Licensing of Journalists^
The Status of Women in INC^
“New World Information and Communication Order”^

Biases in International News Coverage

Increasing Concentration & Transnationalization

^ To be covered in more detail later.

(Originally based on Frederick, 1993; updated)

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

DigPhotog: Apps for the Dig Photog Beginner - Flickr, Instagram & Pinterest (W3-P3) Sp16

As beginning digital photogs, there are obvious apps and online services that you should be familiar with and should be using. Apps and online services like Flickr and Instagram come to mind. You can use Flickr and Instagram to show off the photography skills you are learning.

However, a little less obvious app/service that you should be using is Pinterest. Pinterest can help in two key ways. It can help you collect and share photographs from around the web that you like. It can also help you specifically collect photographs from photog mentors that you should have. Unlike Flickr and Instagram, Pinterest is designed to help you collect other peoples photos.

In his book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography, Miotke suggests that beginning photographers should keep a visual notebook.

"One excellent way to define your goals is to keep a collection of images that inspire you. You could simply write down a list of photo ideas, but as photographers are generally visual people, it’s usually more effective to collect pictures. Subscribe to magazines or visit the library. Look though catalogs, books, and Web sites like BetterPhoto.com—anything with the kind of photographs you enjoy" (Miotke)

I agree. However, we can use Pinterest and update Miotke's idea of a visual notebook.

There are also photo editing apps/services, but we'll get to those later.

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DigPhotog: Photo Composition (W3-P2) Sp16

Remember our bumper-sticker saying: "You don't take a photo, you make a photo"?

Put another way: You compose a photograph. You don't just take it.

Composition is the arrangement of the objects in the photograph or any other work of art. As a photographer you have some control of this arrangement in your photograph. You can move objects around. You can move yourself around to shoot your photograph from a different perspective. You take some control over your environment and not just take a photo of what you are given.

In general there are rules of composition that are used in art in general and photography specifically.

One of the best online sources for an introduction to the rules (or guidelines) of photo composition can be found at Photoinf.com. Go to this site and study carefully the six rules of composition discussed there.

Now, how would you apply these rules in your photograph. Go try it. Now go take some photos -- I mean go make some photos.

Of course, there is more to composition than the above, but the above are the basics.

For example, Itten's contrasts provide another way of looking at and exploring composition. For an online exercise using Itten's contrasts, see The 12 Days of Itten’s Contrasts from the Wild Beat blog.

To go beyond the above basics about composition, I'd recommend The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

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DigPhotog: Intro to Photography: The 4 Stages of Competence & Photography (W3-P1) Sp16

When studying photography you are learning some knowledge/facts and some skills. For example, you are learning how to compose a photograph.

How do you take a good photograph? What's the process? How do you do it?

Learning how to shoot a good photograph is like learning how to shoot a good foul shot in basketball.

Photo by mollyali (flickr.com).
Photo used under Creative Commons license and embedded using the Flickr share feature.

Whether we are learning how to shoot a basketball, how to study for an exam or how to take a good photograph, we go through some stages.

The Four Stages

1. Unconscious Incompetence - We don't know that we don't know.
We are unaware of what it takes to accomplish a task. We don't know what it takes to make that foul shot. We don't know what it takes to get the perfect photograph.

2. Conscious Incompetence - We know that we don't know.
We may not know exactly how to do the task, but we recognize there are things we need to learn. We become aware that there are certain things we need to do to consistently make that foul shot. We become aware that there are certain things we need to do to consistently make a good photograph.

3. Conscious Competence - We know that we know.
We are very consciously aware of the steps to doing a task and we can carefully work through the steps of the task. We know what is needed to make the foul shot and we consciously think through those steps when taking the foul shot. We know what is needed to make a good photograph and we consciously think through those steps when taking a photograph.

4. Unconscious Competence - We don't know that we know.
We know the task so well, we don't think about it any more. It has become second nature. We take that shot with little conscious thought.

What was the last skill you remember learning in which you went through these stages? Can you describe what happened in each stage and when?

When it comes to photography, what stage are you in now? What's your goal?

Note: The Four Stages of Competence has been attributed to noted psychologist Abraham Maslow, Gordon Training International and William Howell in intercultural communication.

ResearchMethods: What is Research? (W3-P4) Sp16

Research is:

“Disciplined inquiry...studying something in a planned manner and reporting it so that others can replicate the process” (Frey et al.)

Keywords: planned, reporting and replicate
What do they mean in this context?

Research, as discussed here, is more than "research" done at the library. Instead of reading through books and online materials for answers that some other researcher has found, you conduct original research on your own to find the answer. That is, you conduct an experiment or a survey or a textual analysis or some other research method to find the answer. Somebody is not telling you an answer in a book or report, you are finding the answer to your research question on your own.

Two types:

Scholarly

conducted to promote public access to new knowledge
usually conducted by a professor at a university

Proprietary

conducted for a specific audience, results not shared
usually conducted by a researcher at a company

Why are results not shared in proprietary research?
Could you give examples of each of the two types?
Which of the two types of research would you be more likely to do in the future?

How does this discussion of research relate to the earlier discussion of science? Are the doing research as defined above?

How's this definition of research relate to the MythBusters clip shown earlier?

If you are interested, see also Do Larger Breasts Equal Bigger Tips? | MythBusters

ResearchMethods: How is Doing Research Like Being a Detective? (W3-P3) [VID] Sp16

Use the previous posts on theory and research and the video below to answer this question.

How is doing research like being a detective?

Theory: an explanation of how something works based on evidence.
Research: "“Disciplined inquiry...studying something in a planned manner and reporting it so that others can replicate the process” (Frey et al.).

Also note that a researcher does research to test and build theories.

What roles do theory and evidence play in this comparison?

From: The Mentalist

ResearchMethods: Curiosity, Magic and Theory (W3-P2) [VIDS] Sp16

In the previous post I discussed the Critical Thinker's Creed.

Which one of the traits given in the creed is most important? Open-mindedness? Creativity? Curiosity? Being knowledgeable?

After some careful thought, I'd have to say the key trait in the creed is curiosity. Without curiosity, the rest don't matter. If we are not curious about how things work, then what place is there for the others?

So, let's explore curiosity a little more by way of magic. Ever watched a magic trick and became curious? "How'd they do that?" When you ask yourself this question you are seeking a theory to explain the trick.

Let's define a theory as an explanation of how something works. How does that trick work? Why do people do what they do (what's the process)? Why, if you drop a book, it falls to the floor (how exactly does that work)? Got theory?

Back to the magic show:
To practice your curiosity muscle, check out this Lance Burton magic trick. Ask yourself, how'd he do that?

Seriously, stop and think about how he did what he did? What's your theory/explanation? Figure out some detail. Write down your explanation. Draw a diagram.

Did you think it through very carefully? Go back, if not, and theorize.

And, only once you've carefully thought about a possible explanation, then check out the next video. This is a video that I put together to explain the trick. Or maybe it was real magic? That's a theory, too.

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ResearchMethods: Critical Thinkers and Scientists (W3-P1) Sp16

One way of defining a critical thinker is to identify some of the traits of a critical thinker, a critical thinker's creed, if you will.

The Critical Thinker’s Creed

We are Open-minded.

We seek to understand other viewpoints.

We are Knowledgeable.

We offer opinions/claims backed with logic and evidence.

We are Mentally Active.

We use our intelligence to confront problems.

We are Creative.

We break out of established patterns of thinking and approach situations from innovative directions.

We are Independent Thinkers.

We are not afraid to disagree with the group opinion.

We are Curious.

We go beyond superficial explanations. We seek deeper understanding.

O-K-M-C-I-C [What's this?]

So, a critical thinker is a person who follows the creed above (or some similar creed)?
Do you follow this creed?

Note: The creed above is based on a section of Chaffee's The Thinker's Way

===

We could define a scientist as a person who does science, but that begs the question what is science. Below are some possible definitions of science based a presentation by Dr. William McComas (Skeptic Society).

“Science is what scientists do.”

So, science is what scientist do. Scientist are those who do science. This one isn't so helpful.

“Science is a method of testing claims and it is not an immutable compendium of absolute truths.”

This definition works. Highlights how science is a process, something we do.

“Science is the quest for knowledge, not the knowledge itself.”

Again, science is a process, in this case, a quest.

So with these last two definitions of science, then how do we define a scientist?

I started this blog post with some questions: How should we define these three terms and how are they related? Are they three different labels for the same thing? Related, but a little different? How are they different?

Got some answers? If so, next...

Now, after thinking about how these three terms relate to one another, ask yourself, how do they relate to you? Are you a scientist? A critical thinker? A skeptic (i.e., practice skepticism as defined previously)?

And, what does this discussion have to do with related terms like theory and research?

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Early Stories of Philip K. Dick (Table of Contents)

I have not found this table of contents information any other place. So, I decided to compile it myself and post it here for any fan, SF writer or researcher who may have an interest.

Table of Contents for
The Early Stories of Philip K. Dick
(an audio anthology)

Title	Yr Pub	Audio Chap
"Beyond Lies the Wub"	(1952)	1-5
"Beyond the Door"	(1954)	6-8
"The Hanging Stranger"	(1953)	9-16
"Mr. Spaceship"	(1953)	17-31
"The Gun"	(1952)	32-38
"Tony and the Beetles"	(1953)	39-45
"The Eyes Have It"	(1953)	46-47
"The Variable Man"	(1953)	48-83
"Second Variety"	(1953)	84-106
"The Skull"	(1952)	107-118
"The Crystal Crypt"	(1954)	119-129
"Piper in the Woods"	(1953)	130-140
"The Defenders"	(1953)	141-151

Thursday, January 21, 2016

GlobalMedia: Fortner's Characteristics of International Communication (W2-P3) Sp16

According to Fortner, any international communication activity has the following characteristics. Think of an international communication activity (e.g., a U.S. film shown in China). Does it have these characteristics?

Intentionality

intentional - e.g., Voice of America (listen now)
unintentional - e.g., radio "spillover"

Channels

public - e.g., TV or radio broadcast
private - e.g., encrypted Internet message

Distributive Technologies

How is it distributed? Radio/TV waves, cables/wires, film/cassettes, CDs, Internet, etc.

Content Form

entertainment
news
information/data

Cultural Consequences

Dominant countries impose cultural values on other countries?
e.g., MTV stations in Asia? The results of MTV in Asia?

Political Nature

"All [INC] is political in one way or another" (Fortner).
Political = power/control

How does the following international communication news story fit into the above?
Twitter account associated with Iran's leader criticises France (The Daily Star :: Lebanon News, 2013 )

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GlobalMedia: What are International Communication and Global Communication? (W2-P2) Sp16

There are activities (things that happen in the world) and there are fields of academic study.

International and global communication can be seen as both an activity and a field of study.

International Communication: “simply defined, is communication that occurs across international borders, that is, over the borders of nation-states”(Fortner).

International Communication: “a field of inquiry and research that consists of the transfer of values, attitudes, opinions, and information through individuals, groups, governments, and technologies, as well as the study of the structure of institutions responsible for promoting or inhibiting such messages among and between nations and cultures”(Mowlana).

Global Communication: “the intersection of disciplines that studies the transborder communication of values, attitudes, opinions, information, and data by individuals, groups, people, institutions, governments, and information technologies, as well as the resulting controversial issues arising from the structure of institutions responsible for promoting or inhibiting such messages among and between nations and cultures”(Frederick). [Note: Frederick is a former student of Mowlana. I had the honor of being a student of both Mowlana and Frederick at American University's School of International Service.]

What difference do you see between "international communication" and "global communication"? Are they the same thing? What is Frederick adding to the discussion?

One thing that Frederick stresses is that "global communication" is "an intersection of disciplines" or put another way it is an interdiscipline.

Interdiscipline: "a field of scholars who identify with various disciplines but share a common interest in a theme that crosses traditional [academic] boundaries“ (Littlejohn).

Disciplines which study GC: international relations, political science, communication, sociology, anthropology, electronic communication, etc.

Another difference that Frederick stresses is:

International Communication:

communication between nation-states

Global Communication:

includes nation-states, but also acknowledges the growing importance of the role of the “non-state actors”

Types and examples of “non-state actors”

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

private interest groups
Grameen Bank
Greenpeace International
(See Union of International Associations (UIA) - 44,000+ NGOs listed)

Transnational Corporations (TNCs)

Examples

Microsoft
Coca-Cola
CNN

Mowlana acknowledges Frederick’s distinction and now uses “Global Communication” in later books.

Use the definition given above and determine if the following are examples of global communication.

Transfer of funds from a bank in U.S. to a Swiss bank?
CNN broadcasts around the world?
An electronic journal produced in the U.S. read by a person in Argentina?
Voice of America broadcasts in other countries?
Television programming produced in New Zealand shown in Australia?
Pres. Obama talking with German leader?

GlobalMedia: Martin Luther King, Jr. and International Communication (W2-P1) Sp16

Martin Luther King, Jr., 1964
(Public domain/government photo)

Recently we celebrated Martin Luther King Day.

Are there any connections between what Dr. King did and the study of international (or global) communication?

What did Dr. King protest against? What was he fighting for?
Short answer: equal rights, peace and the end to poverty.

When you think of communication between nations, do you think of some nations (e.g., "developing nations" or poorer nations) which do not have equal representation on the world stage? Do you think of some nations that have a stronger media system and more media influence around the world? Familiar with the phrase "cultural imperialism"?

Some of these nations attempt to fight back against the unequal flow of media/culture (via books, movies, music) coming into their countries. Very often it is U.S. books, movies and music that are "conquering" other nations. Example: Top Films in Brazil right now.

Do nations have rights? What role does global communication play in this?

So, some countries fight back for equality and a right preserve their own culture. Also, some scholars in the field of global communication fight back. Sometimes in their writings they address this issue.

***

In the news coverage and in classroom discussions, newscasters and teachers often stress the "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 with little attention given to King's later work. This observations is not meant to diminish the very important 1963 speech, but to highlight how King grew and expanded his vision.

Please check out the "Mumia Abu-Jamal short video/audio clip and then see the clips of King after 1963.

"Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere" (King).

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The Secrets Cont'd: How to Study a Course Reading Sp16

How do you study a course reading?
There are three key steps in this process.

1. Start with an outline of the reading. For example, below is an outline for the first chapter of McPhail’s Global Communication (3rd Edition). Sometimes you may find an expanded/detailed chapter outline at the beginning of the book. If not, like below, you’ll have to do it yourself

Chapter/Reading Title: Global Communication (Background)

Introduction
Terrorism and September 11, 2001
Latin American Media

Left-wing Connection: Latin America
Chile: US Government Media Interaction

History of the War Correspondent
New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)
Electronic Colonialism Theory (ECT)

Four Epochs of Global Colonization
History of Electronic Colonialism Theory

What is Electronic Colonialism Theory (ECT)?
World System Theory (WST)
The Connection: Electronic Colonialism and World Systems Theories
Communication Forces among Nations

Breadth of the Problem

Format for the Balance of the Book

With this outline you can see the big picture and how things are related.

2. Fill in the outline with words and lists. Note that already in the outline there may be lists that you spot. For example, in the outline above, there is already a short list of global communication theories (ECT and WST). A possible quiz or exam question could be: Identify and explain two theories of global communication identified in the reading.

Below only some of the relevant words and lists are incorporated into the outline. This is not complete, but serves as an example. The few examples given are in italics and in blue in the example outline below.

Chapter/Reading Title: Global Communication (Background)

Introduction

Three Important Traits of the Cultural Dimension of Global Communication

How much foreign content....

How is this foreign content...

How are domestic....

Terrorism and September 11, 2001

Latin American Media

Left-wing Connection: Latin America

Chile: US Government Media Interaction

History of the War Correspondent

New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)

NWICO stands for New World Information and Communication Order and is...

Electronic Colonialism Theory (ECT)

Four Epochs of Global Colonization

1 Military colonialism - BC-1000 AD...

2 ….

3….

4….

History of Electronic Colonialism Theory

What is Electronic Colonialism Theory (ECT)?

World System Theory (WST)

The Connection: Electronic Colonialism and World Systems Theories

Communication Forces among Nations

Breadth of the Problem

Format for the Balance of the Book

3. Now carefully study the expanded outline. Maybe break it apart into flash cards or condense it and put it on one sheet of paper. Do whatever works for you. Now also, based on the expanded outline, try to anticipate possible quiz or exam questions. For example, a question from the reading above could be: Identify and briefly explain the four epochs of global colonization.

Pages

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Thursday, January 21, 2016