NO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST!Mass communications can also be examined through the lens of rhetoric. Rhetoric is commonly considered the art of persuasion. While the term is most often used to discuss public speaking, rhetoric has rapidly evolved in the Twentieth Century to incorporate mass media techniques, such as photography and audio recording. Today, when audiences encounter a mass communication, such as a magazine advertisement or a public service announcement, the message often forms a subtle (or not-so subtle) argument. In other words, the message tries to convice the receiver (YOU) to agree with an idea or to do something (like buy the latest iPhone or vote for George W. Bush).
Mass communications use many techniques to persuade their audiences; these techniques (part of the art of rhetoric) generally use images and sound to evoke ethos, pathos or logos in viewers. Media literacy must teach us how to analyze (and critique!) these techniques, allowing us to make more informed decisions about the arguments being presented.
- EXTRA CREDIT JOURNAL -
Select any mass communication you have encountered during the past week. (A mass communication includes any communication presented to a mass audience, such as a subway poster, a radio or television broadcast, a magazine ad and so on.)
First, describe the communication using the SMCR model.
- Who sent the message?
- What is the message?
- What channel was the message sent thru?
- Who was the intended receiver?
- What argument did the message make?
- What techniques did the sender you to persuade the audience?
- What function did the message serve?
12 comments:
While taking the train home from church on Sunday afternoon, something very striking caught my eye. It was an advertisement for college. The sender was Interborough college. The message that caught my eye was; We believe in our students. The channel was an poster ad on the MTA subway. The reciever of the ad was the public, and anyone who's looking to attend a college, and not sure of the best college to fit their time frame. The argument is to prove that Interborough is the right choice,and by listing programs benefical for today's job markets. In addition, to get students to enroll in Interborough college.
Linda Shorts
Eye-Fi: First Wireless Memory Card for Digital Cameras.
I saw this on the internet and it caught my eye, also some friends e-mail it to me.
The message was sent by Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. The message is the Eye-Fi a normal-looking 2GB SD card with a wireless chip to it with 2GB of storage (about 1,000 photos). The techniques are if you stick the whole thing into your camera, you've got a wireless camera. The added software smarts onto the SD card to manage the whole thing. You get a quick wireless ticket straight from your camera to any one of 17 different social networks or photo-sharing sites including Facebook, blogging sites like TypePad, photo-sharing sites like Flicker and Snapfish, or your PC or Mac. If you've been lamenting how your photos never seem to make it out of the camera, lament no more. The card has everything, including the software necessary to get you up and running. All you need to do is tell the card which service you want your photos sent to. It also archives the photos on your PC or Mac. And while you can belong to multiple services, you can't send your photos to more than one at a time. Currently the card supports JPEG files only, but transmits photos without any degradation in resolution. It will resize the photos if the online destination requires it. It was channel through the internet and e-mail. The intended receiver is the general public. The function is that the digital cameras made it extremely easy to take pictures, but the rest of the process is a hassle. Wireless will make things much easier.
Sharon Teekasingh
The sender, Con Edison sent a message via a subway poster. Con Ed informed their customers that they are buring energy and their money at home. They argued that customers are not energy conscientious. They illustrated that from the computer to opening the refridgerator that 30% to 15gallons of hot water is being carelessly wasted. Rhetorically speaking they illustrated an energy saving tip that stated,"turn your water heater down to "warm and you won't get burned". Who wants to get burned physically and financially? No one.
DW
The trains (MTA) in our city has so many interesting advertisements posted. The advertisment that caught my eye said the following messeage: "Have a Gun", "Your Next Step is Jail"
The sender was the Police Department. The Message is - you have a gun and you will go to jail. The Channel was MTA's advertisement board located on the subway. The Receiver is a Mass group the millions of people that ride the subway on a daily basis.
The argument the message eludes to in this advertisment is- if you have a gun and your next step is jail. No if ands or buts about it.
The art of persuasion is the technique used in this advertisment. The wording of the statement was very powerful and convincing; in as much as that you believe you will go to jail if you are caught with a gun. In other words the message served is "why risk the chance of getting caught carrying a gun."
This topic of the gun is a not so subtle argument in my opinion. It does convince me as the receiver to agree with the advertisment message. Guns have caused so many tragedy's in so many lives.
The art of rhetoric was used by placing the image of a white gun on a totally black background. This made the image of the gun to pop right at you. The advertisement also used the color red to write the word jail. The color red represented blood in my opinion. This allowed me to easily be persuaded and make my decision to agree whole heartly with the message on the ad.
Yes this is a subject that needs to reach a Mass Group.
Once again, It persuaded me to agree 100% about the consequences of carrying a gun; hopefully it will reach others.
T. Williams
I read an ad posted in a magazine promoting the new IPhone by Apple. The purpose of the message was to advertise the product to the consumer as a must have item. An item that can perform the operations of many electronic devices of communication in one. The message was sent by the producer Apple. The channels used was journalism and photography.The intended receiver is the consumer.
The arrugment presented by the sender was that their product could perform the operations of a cell phone, ipod, computer, and camera all in one. The techniques used by the sender was visual displays of the product in action.The meesage ultimatley serve the purpose of advertising and promoting the product for the producer.
Very rarely do i ride the train.
As i turn on the computer on the lower left hand corner sits and advertisment for dell computers,laptops, and so forth. Using the scmr model the message is being sent through America online. They advertise dell computers,laptops and computer accessories.The channel that it is being sent through is the internet.The inteded receivers are internet users and viewers.
the argument that is being sent is how dell is the top leading leader in selling computers, they offer buyers the opportunity of building their own computer opposed to buying one straight from the manufacture,dell offers a wide range of selections, what catches my eye the most are the very sleek designs modems opposed to the very famous black box modem. In order to persuade the audience dell offers affordable prices with todays market, at home delivery, order a pc or laptop straight from the computer. As far as the fucntions of dell computers they are compatiable for every person or family lifesytle wheather the use by business or personal use.
MICHELLE MOODY X_TRA CREDIT JEN
I took the bus home and I saw a poster on the bus stating.
Stop Heart-Decease -Know your risk.
Go Take The Go Red for Women Heart Check up.
The message was to get a heart check up
The receiver is the public
Sender is the American Heart Association
The channel is the poster
Martha Fuentes
I was watching TV and saw the commercial on smoking cigarettes and how it will effect you.
S - the message was sent by the American Heart Association
M - the message is telling how smoking cigarettes is bad for your health
C - the channel used was the television
R - the reciever is all smokers.
The argument the message delivered was if you continue to smoke this is what is going to happen to you. The techniques use to deliver the message was ex: one man states he cannot get out of bed with out a cigarette, the next man could not get out of the bed because he was sick from smoking cigarettes. You always hear people say how smoking cigaretts is bad for you and you see various commericals and advertisments relying the same information, i think that this commerical really showed you the reality of what will happen when you continue to smoke cigarettes. People give excuses why they continue to smoke, this particular commerical gives you the flip side of why you should stop. The function the message is to make people realize that their excuse for smoking is foolish.
I.I
Magic Johnson's poster on AIDS and AIDS awareness that is posted on bus stops and train station across the city really covers the SMCR process. 1.Magic is sending the message. 2. The message is about AIDS and AIDS awareness and prevention. 3. The channel is print media (a poster). 4. The intended receiver is society in general, especially the black and latino communities because these two groups have the highest risk factor for contracting HIV.
David Esquilin
While riding the subway you see many advertisements one such as the goodday new york dance poster that has Mike Woods Jodi Applegate Ron Corning. The sender is goodday new york. The message is if you watch good day new york in the morning you will learn the the good day dance. The channel is the posters displayed on the subway. The receiver of the advertisement is everyone that enter the doors of the public tranportation system. The poster is interesting because it teaches you step by step the moves to learning the goodday dance if you are a fan of fox 5 in the mornings. I like to listen to it in the morning because it very entettaining even though i don't have much time to watch it i can hear it as i'm getting ready for work.
Michelle Johnson
SMCR Model:
Scool of Visual Arts sent the message; "How bad do you want to be good" was the message; Print media poster on the subway train was the channel; Anyone interested in creative arts was the intended receiver.
Analyzing:
-To me the arguement was "unless you attend this college, you are not going to reach your peak potential."
-The techniques use was a picture of a computer mouse with pencils attached to it.
-The function was to recruit students with interests in computer art.
Michelle B.
Who sent the message- Bowflex
What is the message- To have a
better body you need to by the Bowflex.
What was the channel- TV
Who was the receiver- The public.
What technique did the sender use to persuade the audience- Only the Bowflex can give you the results you want.
What function did the message serve - To buy the Bowflex machine.
Jeannie
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