Media Meditation #9: Extra Credit - The Truman Show

'The Truman Show' is a fascinating movie about a guy named Truman that has been living a 'fake' life as an actor in a TV series. He was the only character that was real and his wife, friends and his job were all part of the show until one day when he wanted to get out and experience something new, he discovers the whole truth to his life.

This movie ironically produced by Hollywood shows how the media shapes and manipulates our life everyday. It has become so powerful that it is nearly impossible to act against it. As Professor Williams likes to put it, the media 'massages' information in a way that it manipulates public opinion.


It is fascinating that media has such a big influence on people's lifes and the way they shape their opinion. But if you think about it from your own experience how many times have you heard something on the radio or picked up a magazine where the cover page said something like "Hugh Hefner goes to jail". ( I made that up)
You will probably call one of your friends up and say "dude did you hear Hef went to jail". It is not hard to convince people to believe something and no one wants to make the effort to research a specific topic to find out if it is true or not. It is much easier to just believe it.


Going back to the great example of Truman who was trapped in a fake world his entire life. This movie is a wake up call to a lot of people that the media is influencing their lifes more than you might want it to. But how do you change that? Can you even change it?

Here is a short clip of "The Truman Show' when he finds out that he has been living as a TV series character.



Truman makes the decision to leave his 'life' behind and go out there in the real world. This clip shows a great use of reality construction because he had just found out that his entire life was not even real. Card stacking and and production techniques also influence this movie to how it is perceived today.

As we have learned in class Public Relations has a great influence on media and how news are being communicated. I found an article that explains PRs role in relation to the media. Check it out

So my question is: How do we change the way Public Relations and Media influence our daily life? This is a very intersting topic and if I had a lot of free time I would definately research the postive and negative effects that media has on me, a regular, average college student.

Media Meditation #8: Techno? Techyes!

Today is November 25th a day before Thanksgiving and I am impatiently waiting for it to be Friday. Not because I don't like Thanksgiving, in fact we just started celebrating it when we moved to the states, but because I am going to NYC on black Friday to see my favorite Techno DJ David Guetta.

You are probably asking yourself what this has to do with Media, it's just some European DJ. Well since I grew up in Germany I have always listened to Techno/House music mainly because that is what they play at clubs. People in the states always picked on me for listening to this kind of music because they weren't used to it. My friends here listened to the top 10 charts while I was rocking out to Techno.



This is a live video of David Guetta performing in Amsterdam. As you can see people get very excited and the atmosphere is just incredible.

David Guetta was never really famous in the states mainly because people did not know him or weren't used to the techno music. With the technology today, it has become possible to advertise and distribute his music all over the world and that's how he has become known in the states. In fact he has a number one hit in the charts called "Sexy Bitch" feat Akon.


I find it fascinating that 5 years ago when I first moved here people thought I was crazy listening to that kind of music but now with the help of the Media and technology the two different cultures have clashed and American citizens are starting to like his music.

It is awesome to think about that every country has their own cultures and values but in this era today we are able to experience or take a glimps at the differences with the use of technology or the help from Media. Check out his Website

My American friend Melissa is coming with me on my adventure to New York City and I am very excited to show her what my life in Germany looks like. ( On weekends)

Media Meditation #7: Technology

Today I was surfing the Internet when I came across this picture provided in the right. I looked at it for a while and then realized that with the technology today you can access information anytime anywhere.
This obviously is not the first time I noticed it but it certainly made me think about how many hours of my day I am on my cell phone, computer, listen to the radio or watch TV, because it certainly takes up a lot of of my time.

It is funny to think about that even my parents generation did not grow up with nearly as advanced technology as I did. I am used to going everywhere with my Blackberry ( I can access the internet, record videos, send pictures or send Blackberry messages to other users) and have to admit that I do not like being without it. I feel connected and like being in touch with people which a view years ago seemed to be impossible. People did not have cell phones that they could use whenever they wanted. They had to send out letters that took days, weeks or even months to be delivered and were perfectly fine with it because they did not know anything else.

I find it fascinating how the way you grow up affects your life because my parents often seem annoyed when I come home and am constantly texting on my cell phone because they do not understand why I have to talk to my friends 24/7 about pointless stuff. I can understand where they are coming from because in their generation they might not have had cell phones or own computers at a young age. Also I sometimes text in class ( sorry Professor Williams) and while I can still pay attention to what is going on my teacher might think it is rude.

Technology has lead people to multitask a lot more than we used to and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.

On the other hand technology has given great opportunities that still grow from day to day.


This video shows how technology has changed the world and will continue to change it. I find it fascinating that I am living in a time with so many opportunities and things to explore. In fact I am using the Internet right now from my portable laptop, sitting on my couch ( I could even be sitting on the toilet or use my cell phone) to express my feelings about technology through a blog that will then be published on the Internet and that millions of people can access all over the world. SO COOL.

The media has great potential to grow even more with the use of technology and curious individuals that want to be connected. I mean even my grandma has a cell phone now :)

Media Meditation #6: Fake News?

As I looked through the Wall Street Journal that was laying around my parents house, I came across an article about Barack Obama. Usually I find it highly interesting to read about what Obamas newest plans are on current issues but this time I was shocked to what News has come to.
The way I perceive News is the communication of information on current events that are important for society to be aware of.

This article in the Wall Street Journal was mainly about what kind of sports Barack Obama prefers. They discuss how Obama played more Golf than former president George Bush did and why he does not play as much basketball. I personally am not interested in what kind of sports Obama likes and why he does not play Basketball. I read the newspaper to find out current issues in the economy, politics or problems around the world.


Unfortunately newspapers or any other print are out for profit just like any other business is. I can't blame them because people strive for success which is often associated with money. Society today sometimes do not want to hear about politics or actual important issues but rather like to know about ridiculous issues such as Jon and Kate plus eight and how their marriage is going down hill or why Britney Spears shaved her head.

People get sucked into pointless news such as Britney Spear's life but magazines and newspapers play a big part in that. They use reality Construction, card stacking, beautiful people, name calling and much more to convince people that Britney Spears 'issue' is important.

Society gets sucked right into it and read more about 'Pointless Media' than actual issues that are important to the society or environment.


This Video shows how there is a great demand for Paris Hiltons new show considering it made it to the news and it had high ratings. I am not saying that I do not look at magazine covers and would want to read more about why Britney shaved her head but I find it shocking that media and news has come so far that pointless stories might be more important to people than actual issues that are going on in the world right now.

As we have seen in class media and news is driven by profit and it adjusts to people's demands which often leads to untruthful news that are carefully being created because that's what people want. Something to talk about.
I wonder how much of the news put out everyday is actually true and what is being added to make it more interesting?

Media Meditation #5: Censorships

When I first moved to the United States at age 15 I was shocked on the censorship laws of advertisements, TV or music. I was used to listening to American music without the beeping out of swear words. I find it very ironic that I listened to all the same artists as American teens did but I was able to hear the original song compared to the censored version.



Back in Germany no words get bleeped out no matter if it is on TV, radio or just music. You are also able to see private parts such as woman's boobs. In my opinion I think it is better if children/teens are exposed to this kind of reality but that might just be because I grew up like that. American parents often say that it is a bad influence if kids hear swear words or see someones private parts, but I don't think I turned out too bad. And come on how long do you want to try and "protect' your child from the reality? They are going to go off to college and go crazy because they are away from parents and for the first time can do what they want, listen to the music they want and watch what they want. In my opinion that is not the way to go and you should educate your kids before they go off to college.



This video shows a German soccer goalie that apparently likes to use swear words but we would never know because it gets bleeped out. It shows a great use of Reality Construction because not the whole truth is being told.

As I read in Chapter 16 in our Media & Culture book censorship and freedom of expression is a big issue and different in every country. The first amendment states that "Congress shall make no law.." restricting speech, yet the government has made many restrictions concerning freedom of speech.

The song "Hollaback girl" by Gwen Stefani came out when I still lived in Germany. I used to listen to it uncensored and never even thought about it that in other countries they would bleep out the word 'shit'. When I moved to the states at age 15, I heard the same song on the radio and was shocked to hear a censored version of it. I asked all my American friends if all the songs get censored and could not believe their answer. Check out Gwen Stefani's censored version

I find it very interesting that your surroundings shape someone to the way they are today. With me growing up in a different culture with different laws makes me have my own opinion on censorship laws which might differ from someone who grew up in the states.

Media Meditation #4: A second life?

Do you ever get sick and tired of your daily routine? Overwhelmed with your job or school? Do your parents call you too often to check up on you or are you mad at your friends? Are you not happy with how things are going right now or do you maybe just want to have some fun? Well I have the perfect solution for you to get out and forget about everything that is going on. SECOND LIFE!

Second life is a virtual world that is accessible over the internet and has become very successful and popular with marketers or just every day people that like to play. 'Residents' of second life can interact with each other, socialize, explore, do activities or participate in trade. This computer game is equivalent to real life only that you are looking at a computer screen.



Second Life is a perfect example of some of our tool sets such as Technological Shift because it is all digital. You can only play on your computer which shows that times have moved from analog to digital. Production techniques also plays a big part because the producers of this game spend massive amounts of time to create a game that almost seems like real life. The effects and colors in this game are phenomenal considering internet games have advanced so much from when I used to play them.

I found this article from the New York Times about a couple that have met on second life and got married that same year. They build a house and an entire existence in the game but had major issues when the husband died and their island/house got erased. It is a fascinating story because these people had an actual life on second life. Read more

If you go on 'Second Lives' website you can get a feel of how this game works and to me it is absolutely incredible. I cannot believe technology has come so far that people can life different lives on a computer screen. Businesses and marketers also have discovered the benefits of using second life to promote and establish customers relationships. Nowadays there are so many different ways of how you can get to your consumers as long as you have the right strategies.



I wonder how far second life will take this game and how many people will participate. As of now I think having a virtual life is ridiculous but you never know maybe one day I will be convinced of the benefits of this too.




Even Facebook has created their own version called "Farmville", an application that you have to download. You can build farms, grow crops and visit your neighbors ( if you have any). Sometimes when I am on campus I hear people, and teachers, talk about the game and how they need to water their plants or find neighbors. I personally like to live my real life instead of playing with digital people but everyone has their own thoughts on this :)


All I know is that technology, its benefits and downsides has become very overwhelming and hard to keep up with. There are new advancements and new versions of products out every day and I find it very interesting to find out what it is all about.

Media Meditation #3: Twitter!

I recently signed up for a Twitter account after my brother has educated me about the importance of Twitter as a marketer. When Twitter first came out, I refused to make an account and thought it was pointless because why would people want to know what I am doing RIGHT NOW? After researching and reading multiple articles about it, I realized how beneficial yet dangerous it can be for businesses.
As you probably know Twitter is a free social networking services that enables users to send and read messages from others. This can be used for private use or as I said for marketing purposes or promotions.
I find it fascinating how easily you can find out feedback, events or news over Twitter. Just a few years ago it might have been hard to find out about a company or its products and if it is worth buying or looking into. You probably asked neighbors or friends for feedback or just took the risk of buying it and not liking it. In the era today you can find out almost anything over the internet and Twitter has a big impact on that.

How do Marketers use it?
First of all Twitter is a great tool to communicate with your market and build a connection with them. I have heard from several students that when tweeting about a companies product they got right back to them with suggestions or more information. That I think is genius. Social media made it easy for consumers to talk to the company and even ask questions. Marketers also announce sales or new deals, live updates on events or promote blog articles.

Unfortunately Twitter has its downsides for companies when consumers tweet negatively about a product or business. The word spreads very fast and before you know it you have to come up with a strategy of how to gain your customers back.




This video focuses on how easy it is to tell the world what you are doing or thinking this same exact moment. It uses humor as a persuasive technique because who doesn't like to laugh? It also shows technology shift considering you have to go on your computer to update people but most importantly you can now also use your iPhone or Blackberry to send tweets. As I said before it so easy to make your voice noticed on the World Wide Web all from a little device while sitting in class :) , in a car or anywhere you go. How cool is that?

I personally think Twitter interacts with bandwagon and value message. "Everyone is doing it, so you should too". Companies have a little bit more pressure on them since they have to keep up with social media to not fall behind. The principle of value message is very important because some are intended and some are not. They can be positive and negative and isn't that what Twitter is all about?

I found this article from the New York Times that talks about Twitter success and marketing aspects. Check it out here

Twitter is a great tool and I know Rob Williams thinks so too.
If you want to get hooked too sign up now.

TWEET!