Final Blog

Throughout the semester we were given numerous opportunities to write about various subjects. In particular, my personal favorite piece of writing had to be analysis blog three. We were given the opportunity to analyze a show and I analyzed Entourage. I enjoyed this because it forced me to actively view the show and the different connections it made from particular things the characters had mentioned. Also, along with this I felt that the song analysis blog has made me pay more attention to the lyrics of songs in which I had not done before.
Learning how to properly cite using MLA has forced me to use more credible sources in my papers. In the past, I would often use sources that I would just find on the internet which are not always appropriate. With this class I have begun to direct more of my research towards credible newspaper and journal articles. The powerpoint presentation also allowed me to work on my presentation/speech skills which I think is always important to practice.
Throughout the semester the class engaged in intellectual conversations about various subjects. I was looking forward to learning new things from my classmates at the beginning of the semester and I definitely feel that I got just that. Being a biology major I am not given many opportunities to actively write about what I am feeling and I think I received that in this class. Overall, English 1020 was an excellent class and helped improve my writing in various ways. Thank you Mrs. Welter for being a great professor.

Blog #9-McGowan

“The result has been that an increasingly authoritarian agenda has been sold to the American people by a massive, multi-tentacled media machine that has become, for all intents and purposes, a propaganda organ of the state. McGowan goes along with Eisenhower and discusses in his claim that the media is a powerful, influential advertising agent that is basically trying to take over the lives of American people.
McGowan mentions that “lying is an integral element of the business of government.” In this context it can be perpetuated that the media and the government work along with one another. The government (ex. Politicians) will favor a specific media source in a positive light that covers their positive side and that does not mention any of its lies or disinformation.
Another interesting point that McGowan brings up is how the media determines what the “issues” are. He discusses how the media portrays guns, rock/rap music, and video games are the ones to blame in youth violence and as a result school violence. However, it is noted that youth violence has actually declined. Since the media has created this issue we as a society begin to question whether adolescents should be exposed to these sorts of things. Media does not want to send the real message out that it is society as a whole to blame. It is considered to become too complicated that way when it is much simpler to blame pop culture.