Final
Hum/176
January 29, 2012
Angela Thomas

Final

Part One- Option #3
My reporter was caught fabricating sources and making up facts. The way I would deal with this situation is first evaluate how much damage was done. I would want to know the facts of the actual story and compare it to the fabrication. I would then attempt to control the damage to the best of my ability by removing it the best I could from the Internet and our website. After I evaluated how much damage was actually done, I would want their reasoning for doing something that they knew was wrong? I would explain to my employee that our role as a news station is to deliver the most credible information that we have, because we owe it to the public to give them the facts. I would ask them if they knew the importance of ethical and legal compliance to online information. The next step is to find out if any copyrighted information was used. If there was copyrighted information involved, lawsuits could be filed against our network. I would also explain that we could lose ratings and face penalties for giving inaccurate information. I would make sure that they understood the seriousness of their actions and the legal consequences they may face because of their poor choice. I would make sure that they understood that the media has changed dramatically in the last century and now everyone has access to the false story they wrote. The significance of immediate news media is that now people can get the news on their cellphones, ipod, even through word of mouth on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The Internet is one of the greatest disadvantages of modern media. Once the story is on the Internet millions of people have already read the story. We now live in an age of technology, so it is hard to contain an error that is already on the web. One advantage of old media such as the newspaper, I could stop the story from being printed without so many different readers having already been given bad information. Another advantage to the way old media was delivered is the news typically did not come on until later that evening. I would have had the opportunity to go over the coverage before the story broke on national television.
After giving the reporter that information I would suspend them only after I made them publically apologize for their misconduct. I would have them explain to our readers why they choose to fabricate the story and make up their own facts. Since there are so many different media outlets such as the radio, Internet, social networking sites and television I would make sure that all bases were covered. First I would have my employee tweet the apology because social networking is a key way to spread news quickly. Next they would have to write on our news station that the information was indeed inaccurate and do the research for the actual story. I would then make a public apology on behalf of the news station on television telling them that the situation has been dealt with. I would also give my audience the true story on what actually happened. I would then close by explaining that my role as the director of the station is to ensure that the news delivered to the public is credible and that we take our social responsibilities to the public very seriously.

Part Two When you turn on the television you can see how movies and television is reflected within our culture. We are living in a completely different era than the early 20th century. Gay culture has become increasingly accepted. This is shown through shows such as Modern Family, the LWord, and countless others. These types of shows portray homosexual people facing the same issues that heterosexuals face. They cover topics such as parenting, relationships and family issues. I also see the same with interracial relationships. Just 50 years ago it was illegal to marry outside of your own race and now we have shows that portray plenty of interracial families. The one show that sticks out the most to me is Grey’s Anatomy. On this particular show there is a Korean girl in a serious relationship with a Caucasian male. I feel that these changes show that our culture is evolving and accepting many different lifestyle choices. Movies show reflections of culture as well. There are more movies that focus on the “perfect” bodied female. I feel that this is a direct link to the way society portrays women and the manner in which movies are being made. When watching most movies, the main female actor is slim and pretty. Also in action movies such as the Fast and the Furious sexiness is emphasized. My Sister is one of the people I watch being sucked into popular culture. Jersey Shore has not only changed her appearance, but her vocabulary as well. She feels the need to dress and act like Snookie to be popular amongst her peers. Movies and television are reflections of our culture but so are video games.
Video games are blamed for many different controversial issues such as laziness and violence. Many people believe that if you play video games you must be a “couch potato.” This stigma has been addressed by video game designers. They now have released game systems and peripherals such as the Wii the Kinect so gamers have to move more in order to play. Exercise games such as Wii Fit and Just Dance have also become increasingly popular. I feel that by making these games it makes children and adults more active and gets rid of the “couch potato” stereotype. They have also catered now to a wider range of audiences such as grandparents.
The other main issue is video game violence. This will never go away because game designers and promoters argue that the game clearly carries an M rating and it is up to the consumer to use their own discretion when purchasing the game. The effect this has had on our culture is quite bad. There have been stories of people murdering their own parents for not being able to play a violent video game. I also feel games such as Grand Theft Auto glamorize gang involvement and activity to teens.
The most influential games that have been released in the last few years are World of Warcraft, Deus Ex, and Grand Theft Auto. World of Warcraft is influential and it reflects modern culture because you can communicate with people online, all over the world. This capability was impossible 15 years ago. With World of Warcraft you can also make characters of different races, shapes and sizes. I feel that this reflects that all people are different.
Deus Ex, I feel is an important game because it shows technology being made such as artificial limbs and enhancements. They also show a futuristic world. I think that this is important because it shows that technology has advanced and will continue to advance.
Grand Theft Auto is important and influential because some youth have turned to violence, stealing cars and selling drugs. I feel that this game shows how violent urban culture can be and how violent it has become. Our television shows, movies and games are direct reflections of the society we live in today. They also show how our culture has evolved in the past century.

Reference
Zurowski, C. (2011, June). Daniel Petric Assassinates Mom, Shoots Pastor Dad in Head Over Video Games. Retrieved from http://truecrimereport.com