Part 2 - Language and Media
The learning outcomes for this part of the syllabus are that you will:
- examine different forms of communication within the media.
- Show an awareness of the potential for educational, political or ideological influence of the media.
- Show the way mass media use language and image to inform, persuade or entertain.
Textual Bias (news reporting, sports coverage)
(Thanks to Mark Kilmer for sharing many resources below on his Diigo list.)
Various news sources: e.g., CNN, Fox News, BBC, The Sun, Wikileaks
New York Times article: For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage
Slate Magazine article: More Single Moms. So What.
Reuters Handbook of Journalism: Freedom from Bias
Article: Media/Political Bias
Podcast: How Biased is your Media?
NPR Podcast: Balance vs. Bias in Journalism
Article on ethics of censorship in journalism and reasons why
Website: News Bias Explored
Lesson Plan: Bias in the Media
Article: Do People Actually Believe in Objective Moral Truths?
Video: The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives
Pp. 178-9 from the Course Companion: types of media bias (extract from Critical Media Studies: an Introduction)
pp. 182-183 from the Course Companion. How are blogs different from newspapers?
pp. 184 from the Course Companion. Considering Wikileaks.
pp. 72-77 from Philpot's English Language and Literature: Journalism and Linguistic Devices, de-constructing a tabloid article.
Stereotypes (gender, ethnicity)
Gender Stereotypes and their ideological influence: Killing Us Softly 4 - video by Jean Kilbourne
www.about-face.org - a website intended to equip women and young girls to resist harmful media messages.
Article from The Onion: Increasing Numbers of Men Pressured to Accept Realistic Standards of Female Beauty
Use of Persuasive Language (advertising, appeals)
Handout: Example ad with guiding questions (created by Saba Nizami). This add created a stir on social media, causing it to be taken down.
Thanks to Mark Kilmer for sharing many of the links below on his Diigo list.
Blog: Speaking the Right Marketing Language
Handout: The Language of Advertising Claims
Website resource: The Language of Advertising
Video: What is Branding?
How to Get the Right Tone of Voice for Your Brand
Video: English Vocabulary for Marketing: Branding, Part 2
How to Define Your Brand's Tone of Voice
Sainsbury's Slogans Through the Years
Video: What is Marketing?
The Visual Language of Brand
Ghirardelli Chocolate Campaigns
Talent Imitates, Genius Steals: Advertising Doesn't Work (on me)
The Cultural Impact of Advertising
Documentary: The Persuaders
Advertising Appeals
Rhetorical Techniques
List of Rhetorical Devices with examples
Rhetological Fallacies: Errors and Manipulation of Rhetoric and Logical Thinking - a good resource
Language and the State (public information, legislation)
Popular Culture (comics, soap opera)
Language and presentation of speeches and campaigns (elections, lobbying)
Media institutions (television channels, internet search engines)
The Internet
(many of the resources below are from Mark Kilmer's Diigo list. Thanks!)
Video: TED Talk: The Case for Anonymity Online
Article: Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg: Anonymity Online 'Has to Go Away'
Article: The Growing Cowardice of Online Anonymity
Video: If You've Never Checked Your Facebook Privacy Settings, This Couple Might Persuade You To
Wikipedia: Cyberculture
Video: Cairo's Facebook Flat
Article: So, Was Facebook Responsible for the Arab Spring After All?
Article: Facebook, Twitter: Just Tools in Arab Spring
What is Flaming?
Video: Blogs in Plain English
Blog: Motherhood Uncensored
Video: How is the Internet changing language today?
Article: How the Internet is Changing Language
Video: Massive-Scale Online Collaboration
Video: How the Internet Enables Intimacy
Video: The Worlds of Viral Video
Video: The Art of Web Design
Video: David Crystal on It's Only a Theory
Video: Advertising and the End of the World
Role of editing (news bulletins, websites)
Arts and entertainment (radio and television drama, documentaries)
