3rd RTF Blog Post-Radio & Audience Demand

     There are many factors and forces that influenced the progression of the radio industry, but the most influential is audience demand. Audience demand is so important because it was and is ultimately essential for the formation and survival of radio, even though the demand for it has gone down over the years. The media and radio cannot survive if they have no one to listen to them. When audiences listen to the radio, they show the creators and producers of the media/radio what they want or don't want and what they like or don't like and the radio has to adapt to what listeners want.
    
     In the 1920s, radio was the main source of entertainment. It was where the people got their news, music, and other varieties of radio shows. Once radio entertainment was up and running for a while, people began to realize what they liked about radio and what they wanted from it. It was of course a sense of entertainment, but could also bring families together to listen to the news or their favorite show as a family. But when television was created and began to sweep the nation in the 60s, radio seemed to somewhat fizzle out in the news and variety show department, bringing radio's focus to mainly music with some news. Since TV was created, the main function of radio and reason people listen has been for music. Now most people only listen to radio for the purpose of music, if they even still listen. Many people use the internet as their source of music such as iTunes or other legal music download sites, and then listen to their iPods or MP3s in their car. But most people listen to the radio solely for music and it is rarely heard or listened to anywhere else but the car. So even though audience demand is highly important for radio to survive, the demand for it has dropped dramatically because of new advances in technology.

2nd RTF Blog Post-Social Learning

In lecture on the 13th, Professor Straubhaar discussed understanding media's effects onindividuals with both strong and limited affects. A theory of strong effect is social learning which was defined as "users modeling or imitating attitudes or behavior observed in the media". Examples of social learning are teen pregnancy becoming "normal", the idea that all men have to be tough 24/7, or in this case, the media portraying women as all being thin and fit as if it is required to be considered beautiful. In today's society the media portrays models and actresses as being thin and fit, leaving almost every girl in America thinking they have to be like that as well. Every famous actress or model is typically around one hundred to one hundred and twenty pounds and they are always being exposed in the media for their bodies and fashions, almost more than they are for their talent. Photos of them are usually from premieres where they are decked out from head to toe in the lastest fashions, paprazzi pictures, or from attending celebrity/charity events. When a typical girl sees this, an instant thought of "I want to look just like that" is running through their head. The media puts these women out for us to see, but they don't realize it kills most girls self esteem because they automatically wish to be fit and thin just like the women they see in the public eye. Even not-so-thin celebrity women are now starting to make headlines from losing a substantial amount of weight, which might inspire some girls who want to lose weight but might bring down other girls also. Many times the way these women are shown in the spotlight causes girls to act or start to want to look or even become exactly like these starlets. However, it can be negative though due to girls becoming harmful to themselves by becoming anorexic or bulimic because of how fast it seems these celebrities lose this weight.   Video discussing Jessica Simpson's weight gain:                                                                    
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/celebrity-body-image-picture-perfect/60olmz8

Photos from Google

1st Blog Assignment

     Hegemony is displayed through all types of media and influences readers and/or listeners by what is being filtered to them. I am choosing to focus on Obama's Healthcare Reform and the people in all social classes opinions and influences on this issue.
     Hegemony is defined as a "leadership or predominant influence by one group". The leading news networks used this stragegy to receive the public's attention by spreading ideas and reactions to Obama's idea of a new healthcare reform system. Intentionally this new system would benefit the lower and some middle class citizens of America, rather than the upper class.
     Most middle class and all upper class citizens were, and still are, against this idea because it would make their health care costs rise, while benefitting the "not-so-privileged" people of this country. The people formed their ideas and opinions by watching the news about this issue and were influenced by what information the news anchors and thier featured guests provided to the viewers, knowing they had prodominance in the discussion or subject of the matter. Watching and anazlyzing what these anchors,politicians, and other important individuals discuss in the media helps people understand just how strong their opinions and influences are swayed by listening to what these publicized people are saying.

Here's a link.