Media Watch September 26, 2007

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

By PJH Staff

Media ‘laggards’
A recent study of how U.S. ethnic groups use media formats found that “Non-Hispanic Whites [NHW] tend to be laggards when it comes to new technologies while members of emerging minorities are venturesome and eager to explore.”

The study, by the Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, evaluated the news-reading habits of different ethnic groups in the United States and compared their use of “old media” to “new media.” The study, called “The Multicultural Marketing Equation,” surveyed 2,500 adult internet users. Respondents included non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics who mostly speak and read in Spanish as well as those who speak and read in English.

The results “reconfirmed” a 2006 study that showed that NHW tended to “stay with more traditional uses of media both in old and newer technologies,” it said. “Their heavier media usage seemed to be in television, newspapers, and the Internet in contrast to newer uses of old media and emerging technologies. This appears to go hand in hand with NHW being an older segment of the population whose interests remain linked to the past.”
— Grace Hammond

‘Don’t Tase me, bro’
The media coverage and internet sensation that was last week’s tasering of a University of Florida undergrad is but the latest example of not only how technology allows for the documenting and immediate diffusion of an event, but also the wide disconnect between mainstream media and the irreverent meta-media of the YouTube generation.

During a convoluted, multi-part question to guest speaker John Kerry that escalated in its reproach of the former presidential contender, Andrew Meyer, a fourth year journalism major in Gainesville, was pinned down and eventually tasered by campus police. “Don’t tase me, bro,” Meyer yelled to officers, giving birth to a new slogan for bumper stickers and T-shirts. “I didn’t do anything.”

By now most have seen the footage on television and the internet. Bill O’Reilly, who mentioned that he himself had once been tasered for the sake of a story, called Meyer “The biggest wimp in the United States of America.” Glenn Beck, a conservative host on the CNN Headline News network, said Meyer deserved “every single volt he got,” and that “Taser videos are a little bit like potato chips. I can’t watch just one.”

On the other hand, Chris Matthews simultaneously condemned the tasering and used the event to make a larger statement, calling the incident “an iconic moment” in the diminution of Free Speech during the Bush presidency, a comment that drew flak from O’Reilly and others.

And how does my generation respond? It remixes Meyer’s pleadings – which almost sound like those of a delusional, mentally ill young man ??? into kitschy pop songs, many of which are available for viewing on YouTube. When America, a nation at war, confronts a very public and disturbing incident, how do the young chime in? With sardonic irreverence. Go us.
— Ben Cannon

Ken Burns’ War
I’m not a history buff – I always enjoy gathering interesting facts and adding to my knowledge of the world – but I nevertheless have been looking forward to the start of Ken Burns’ latest documentary epic, “The War.”

The 15-hour series started on Sunday on public television stations (including KCWC in Riverton and KUED in SLC) and, as we’ve come to expect from the creator of “Jazz,” “Baseball” and “Civil War,” the program is compelling, with its mix of amazing archival footage and photos, personal accounts by survivors and eye-witnesses, and music that evokes a bygone era. 

Scenes of hard-core battle action and descriptions of terrible gore, brutality and destruction alternate with candid observations and even sweet moments of friendship. It’s remarkable to consider how young these heroic soldiers, sailors and marines were – teenagers, in many cases – and to ponder how this particular war shaped the world as we know it today, and even continues to shape it.

It was the dawn of globalization, the first boost that launched America on its superpower trajectory, and perhaps, if we look carefully enough, we can even note the sowing of the seeds of many of the world’s contemporary troubles. The series continues tonight and Sunday through next Wednesday, Oct. 3. Check local listings for details.
— Richard Anderson
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Media Watch September 26, 2007 | Planet JH News Article: Media Watch

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