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[ceceys]

Blog Post #11 Due 11/18

I would want to create a site that is a social media platform for peoples pets. Basically like instagram but specifically for sharing pictures and updates about pets. This site would collect an email and general location, like a zip code, from its users. It would also collect the species of pet. I would use this information to show people other pets in a similar area or let them filter by species. The email would not be available on the profile and would only be used to verify the account.

I would not collect age or any other demographic information as I envision the site being safe for all ages and things like race or sex would not play into the algorithm. There would be a comment function and a react function, with options of like, heart, exclamation mark, or sad face. 

I would not include a dislike or downvote button, but the algorithm would allow people to filter out posts with lots of sad face reactions. However, this would have to be selected manually by the user. There would also be a button to report an image as sad, at which point the algorithm would review it. If it had more sad faces than other reactions, it would be put behind the filter for users that had selected it. 

The other option I would have is a relevance filter. If a user is posting offensive or irrelevant content, the algorithm would be trained to spot it and hide those posts for review by a moderator. People could appeal hidden posts to have them reviewed. If an appeal is lost, the post will be permanently deleted. If the post was deleted for trolling content, that account will be flagged. If an account posts to many irrelevant posts it would be suspended. If the algorithm flags several posts of similar content that are appealed and found to be credible, it would push the factor it was flagging to the bottom of the severity list and make it less likely to flag those posts. 

I think that the most likely place bias could be built into the model is the spam filter. The other filters are user controlled, so people moderate their own content, but the spam filter will run automatically. This makes it ripe for bias or being trolled. Thats why there will be physical reviewers for the algorithms decisions. This way there is a check on the algorithms power. If the algorithm begins acting incorrectly, the moderator will catch it and fix the issue.

One important piece of the model is the right to be forgotten. If a user deletes their account, they will receive an email confirmation, at which point their information will be hidden on the site. After a week, they will get a final email. If they confirm, all of their info and posts will be permanently removed. The site will also protect against trolling by having no race or gender functions and hiding potentially offensive posts for further review. The appeals process will protect people from having posts targeted by other users.

[ceceys]

Blog Post #10 Due 11/11

How does law enforcement take advantage of the public nature of social media?

Since social media posts are public, law enforcement agencies can use posts to monitor a persons movements and build a case against them. People may think that their online speech is protected, but their data can be sold to or accessed by almost anyone, including cops. Sites like Facebook will share personal information with law enforcement that may lead to searches or arrests they would otherwise not have had evidence for. Social media can also be used to find a persons location, as most sites geotag posts even if the poster is not aware. 

How does the ‘soft cage’ of the surveillance state trick us into believing it is for the best?

The trick of the surveillance state is that each piece, when viewed in isolation, does not seem particularly dangerous if it will keep us safe. Under the guise of stopping terrorism, US law enforcement has illegally tapped phones, intercepted electronic communications, and stalked and taped citizens without cause. In addition, there has been a huge rise in the use of administrative warrants, which don’t require the same burden of proof as judicial ones. When each incident is looked at without context, it may seem necessary for the greater good of the country. But each piece feeds in to a larger eroding of privacy and freedom that is used almost surgically to target already oppressed groups. 

Why are tools like password protectors and VPN’s necessary in todays digital landscape?

Online privacy tools are needed to help people protect themselves from both government surveillance and hackers. A tool like a VPN blocks locational data and keeps browsing habits safe from surveillance. This keeps ones private internet use out of the hands of those who may want to use it to either sell products or prove suspected criminal activity. A password protector similarly keeps potentially sensitive information out of the hands of those who would use it to harm people. These tools are necessary because as the internet becomes more connected and commercialized, personal data becomes a commodity. Sites are incentivized to sell that data and hackers to steal it. Protecting ones digital footprint is part of being a safe online citizen. 

Why is it so easy to spread misleading information on social media?

Due to the personal nature of social media, people tend to be more trusting of what is shared. A news article from a friend or family member may be taken at face value and believed without thinking critically. However, there are more and less reliable sources, and it is easy to fake things like screenshots or headlines. Because social media encourages outrage over critical thought to garner more clicks, misinformation can take hold and be shared thousands of times before being discredited. This makes it hard to keep up with and even more essential for digital consumers to investigate information before sharing.

[ceceys]

Blog Post Week 11 Due 11/4

How have online information networks changed the advocacy process?

Via online information networks, organizations and individuals can share things that used to take weeks or years to disseminate. Atrocities committed by governments or companies are now easier to expose. This helps organizers gain new followers in their movement and create advocacy networks around the world. It is also easier than ever to connect with those who have the power o make change happen, like politicians. As advocacy moves online, these people are more pressured to respond to those calling them out as advocates usually make the process public on social media.

How to hacktivists use media sensationalism to further their goals?

Online attacks from hackers often dominate the news cycle due to the fear of hackers in the general public. These headlines are almost guaranteed to draw viewers. Hacktivists use this media attention to their advantage by publicizing their causes in the media before or after their cyber attacks. They can also use the media to issue threats or demands to their targets. Victims of cyber attacks can also be less likely to come forward or more likely to comply with hackers if the media is pressuring them for a resolution. 

Why is it important to present counter narratives to the mainstream reporting on Black people killed by police?

When police in America kill and unarmed Black person, they consistently present the narrative that their victim was aggressive or threatening and that they feared for their lives. Before the era of video phones and social media, it was difficult for witnesses and the community to present their version of the story, as mainstream media was inclined to publish the official account uncritically. With the rise in social media and Black twitter, the other side of the story is easier to disseminate. The Black community can rally behind those killed and question the official account, as well as publicize the ways in which mainstream media often reinforces biases with their portrayal of these cases. This is important because it calls into question the attackers actions and makes it easier for the families to seek justice.

What are some of the limitations of Twitter activism?

One issue with Twitter activism is that it falls victim to the same biases as its users. For example, while hashtags like ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ have brought attention to many cases of police misconduct and violence, a majority of those cases involved victims who were Black men. Black women, particularly Black queer women, are often excluded or given less attention despite also experiencing police violence. Another issue with this kind of activism is that it is public, and therefore easy for government entities to surveil. The DHS has admitted to using social media to surveil protest movements, and social media posts led to several arrests after the summer of 2020. While Twitter can be used to bring people together and share information not covered in the mainstream, it should still be used critically and with caution.

[ceceys]

Blog Post Week 10 Due 10/28

Why was Leslie Jones specifically targeted as opposed to the other women in the Ghostbusters cast?

Black women online are particularly vulnerable to harassment. While this isn’t to say that white women don’t receive plenty of online vitriol themselves, women of color are often specifically singled out and targeted, especially when they are the only people of color in a space. This was the case in Milo Yiannopoulos’s review of the Ghostbusters movie, when he attacked Jones specifically and directed his fans to go after her. Jones received the loins share of harassment about the movie despite having a smaller role than her white costars. White women are afforded more humanity and are therefore more likely to garner defenders when targeted online. For someone like Yiannopoulos, who wants attention more than he actually cares about how he gets it, this made Jones the obvious target, since he was more likely to get away with harassing her.

Why does troll content vary so widely, from innocuous to dangerous?

The variation in trolling comes from some confusion on the definition of a troll. Some people define trolls as those who make silly or off-topic comments on others posts for entertainment purposes. Others group those who actively harass people or make fun of serious and emotional topics under the troll umbrella. Trolling has given rise to funny and harmless pranks like Rickrolling, but there are also those who call themselves trolls that harass school shooting victims and politicians relentlessly. The issue is where the line is drawn. Some troll-adjacent behaviors can cause real harm, and it is important to separate those behaviors from the wider internet comedian troll culture.

How can trolling behavior, even the less actively dangerous kind, still be upsetting?

One issue with trolling is that it can encourage people to make light of serious topics online. Trolls generally encourage each other not to take anything seriously, leading them to troll people who are trying to express real opinions or have serious conversations. When a person who is trying to be serious ends up a target for trolls, it can be upsetting for those who want to talk about real issues. Even trolls who are just making jokes or memes can, perhaps unintentionally, cause real distress in their targets. The internet culture that says everything is a joke can make it hard for people to consider the possible consequences of their actions.

What are some creative ways to combat trolls online?

The problem with trying to fight off trolls is that often, a response will just encourage them. Most trolls see any engagement as a win for them, because a reaction means more attention. The best way to combat trolls is to ignore and block them. Reporting any trolls that produce content violating a platforms rules is also a good way to combat their behavior. Since trolls are usually anonymous, any action against them personally is difficult, but getting their side accounts suspended may help. Unfortunately, the wider issue of trolling will continue without a larger response from the platforms that host them, and that is unlikely given most platforms reluctance to ban content that generates so much engagement.

[ceceys]

Blog Post Week 8 Due 10/14

How does the ‘textualization’ of modern life ignore the complicated issues of domination still present in our realities?

‘Textualization,’ or the way in which we view technology as a method of engaging with the world (Haraway 355), is necessarily removed from the realities of the physical world. By viewing life through online interactions, the outside contexts of life are excluded. Online, it can be hard to distinguish ones race, class, or gender, which in turn makes it harder to examine the other factors that play into what we read or write. Our opinions are formed in the physical world, and we bring those opinions to the online world.

How has the legal system failed to keep up with online harassment?

Online harassment has been a growing problem as the internet has become more integrated into everyday life. For example, people who are targeted by online harassment can be doxxed, threatened, and stalked all from behind a computer screen (Daniels 61). However, since the US law enforcement system was designed to target minorities in physical spaces, they are often far behind on online hate, particularly when to perpetrators are white. White supremacists online get away with harassment because online speech is considered less overtly harmful that physical acts of violence, and therefore not a problem for police to handle. When a person is doxxed and harassed online, they are expected to deal with it themselves.

How do ‘women only’ threads on white supremacist websites illustrate the difference in how women and men interact with white supremacy online?

‘Women only’ threads on white supremacist websites often contain different content from the mainstream threads. These threads discuss things like family life, health and beauty, and other lifestyle content that doesn’t always directly relate to the overall website theme. The women in these threads use white supremacy as a common starting value, but then go on to discuss a wide range of topics outside of it. This shows that women in online white supremacist groups are building community based on those values, rather than focusing entirely on the racism. It fosters a sense of sisterhood in them and can drag them further into these spaces.

How do the feminized voices of automated technology make us more comfortable with them?

By making digital voices like Alexa female, developers want to make them seem friendly (O’Riordan 245). They are also designed to be spoken with like you are having a conversation. This friendly female voice makes users more comfortable conversing with a machine, and more likely to rely on it in their daily lives. As these machines become more integrated into daily life, they are able to hear and sell more personal information. As they become more advanced, they may develop other functions as well. If consumers are already comfortable with them in their lives, they are less likely to object to more surveillance, giving those who own these voices undue power.

[ceceys]

Blog Post #7 Due 10/7

How does the internet make it more difficult to distinguish bias when discussing history?

As we move further away from historical events, people are less exposed to the context of them. Therefore, they are more susceptible to biased accounts of events, since they have no first hand experience. The internet facilitates this by allowing biased people to present their opinions in polished websites or forums without additional context. When people search for information on a particular event online, they find a seemingly factual account of events from a deeply biased source and accept it as fact, since it seems legitimate without that additional context (Daniels 9). Then the algorithm of their search engine will start suggesting similar content, further confirming that incorrect information with the user being none the wiser.

How does online white supremacy affect people in real life?

The most immediate way online white supremacy affects real life is in the form of violent attacks on vulnerable populations (Daniels 7). Recent examples include the capitol riot, which was organized through far-right websites and stoked by online conspiracies like QAnon. People are indoctrinated through online platforms and later commit atrocities, citing online conspiracies as their reason. Online white supremacy also causes the slower but more insidious shift in political discourse exemplified by the growing white nationalist movement in both state and federal elected offices. 

Why do characters of color in popular media often receive such one-dimensional stories?

Characters of color in popular media are often written in to draw in viewers rather than as an integral part of the story (Benjamin 43). Marketing teams can use their faces to promote a show and point to them as proof that they aren’t racist, but their stories and growth are seen as secondary to the white lead. They end up with limited lines and screen time because they are not seen as interesting characters in their own right, only supporting roles. Actors of color are also excluded from top honors and awards because they are not given leading roles or dynamic characters, further enforcing the divide between the white leads and all non-white roles. 

How does the “colorblind” mindset reinforce systemic racism?

Colorblindness ignores the very real social and institutional structures that have kept people of color out of positions of wealth and power. It also reframes any discussion of race as inherently racist, limiting the ability of POC to bring their grievances to light. By refusing to “see color,” white people remove their own responsibility in the conversation of systemic racism. Colorblindness makes the struggle of POC to advance a personal problem rather than a societal one, and if its a personal problem, then white people hold no responsibility in fixing it.

[ceceys]

Blog Post #6 Due 9/30

How is the idea of the “model minority” perpetuated in video games?

The model minority myth is mirrored in video games through the idea that players who are generally the target of in-game bias or harassment can ‘earn’ the right to exist within the game if they are just good enough at it (Fickle 5). However, talent at a particular game rarely exempts minority or female players from harassment, and in some cases even makes them a bigger target. The idea that one can protect themselves by just being better is the same idea that created the model minority, when East Asian immigrants attempted to assimilate by excelling at the American Dream, propelled by post-WWII propaganda.

Why do we lump Asian Americans into a single community, despite the huge diversity within it?

Asian Americans are often seen as a monolith, represented in the media either by a stereotypical portrayal of someone vaguely East Asian or mickey rooney (de-capitalized out of disrespect). This reinforces racist stereotypes like ‘all Asians look the same’ and devalues the diversity in Asian culture (Fickle 13). However, the Asian American experience varies wildly within the community depending on where people are from and when they emigrated. The portrayal of Asians in the media encourages viewers to see them as the same rather than acknowledging their differences.

How is race or gender signaled in cyberspace?

While cyberspace theoretically allows for an escape from the physical body, ones race and gender is often signaled in other ways online. For example, language can be used to assume someones physical characteristics and shape interactions (Kolko 9). Ones online avatars and communities also indicate real world characteristics. Race and gender, even when not directly mentioned, are often inescapable even in cyberspace.

How do games like 3D Realms portrayal of Asian women reinforce Western stereotypes?

In 3D Realms, the Asian women are usually shown naked, and the player characters interactions with them are limited to disparaging comments or brutal murder (Ow 59). This conception of Asian women as sexual and necessary to harm reinforces an imperialist narrative that sees Asian women as exotic and ideal sexually submissive partners, while also being expendable and easy to discard. The sexualization of Asian women in online spaces is seemingly constant and harms the real people behind the stereotype.

[ceceys]

“I think of too many of my white graduate students at Harvard who somehow feel perfectly comfortable calling me by my first name, but feel reluctant to refer to my white male colleagues– even those junior to me– in the same way. And I think about how my black students almost always refer to me as ‘Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot’ even when I have known them a long time and urge them to be less formal. The title indicates their respect for me, but also their own feelings of self-respect, that part of them that gets mirrored in my eyes. And besides, if their mothers or grandmothers heard them call me by my first name, they would be embarrassed; they would think that they had not raised their children right. So I completely understand when one of them says to me (n response to my request that he call me Sara after we have worked together for years), 'I’m sorry, that is not in my repertoire, Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot.’

  These private daily encounters with white and black students are punctuated by public moments– too numerous to recall– when the humiliation of being called by my first name seems to demand an explicit response; when I feel I must react to the assault not only for my own self-protection, but also in order to teach a lesson on respectful behavior. I regard these public encounters as 'teachable moments.’ I make a choice to respond to them; a choice that I know will both help to shield me and render me more vulnerable.

A few years ago I was asked to speak at a conference at the University of Chicago, a meeting for social scientists and their graduate students about race, class, gender, and school achievement. The other speaker was Professor James Coleman, a distinguished sociologist, a white man several years my senior who was well known and highly regarded for his large-scale statistical studies on educational achievement. Both of us came to the conference well prepared and eager to convey our work to fellow scholars. The language of the occasion was full of the current rhetoric of our disciplines; focused, serious, sometimes esoteric and opaque. I say all this to indicate that there was nothing playful or casual about either of our presentations. Neither of us said anything that suggested informality or frivolity. 

When we had finished speaking, the moderator opened the floor for questions, and several hands shot up in the air. The first to speak was a middle-aged white man who identified himself as an advanced graduate student finishing his training at another prestigious university. He began, ‘I would like to address my question to both Professor Coleman and Sara…’ I could feel my heart racing, then my mind go blank. In fact, I could not even hear his question after he delivered the opening phrase. I saw there having a conversation with myself, feeling the same rage that my parents must have felt sixty years earlier in Jackson, Mississippi. How can this be? How can this guy call him ‘Professor’ and me ‘Sara’? And he has no clue about what he has done, how he has injured me. I’m not even sure that the others in the audience have heard what he just said; whether they’ve recognized the asymmetry, the assault. Somehow, I must have indicated to Jim Coleman (we were friends and colleagues) that I wanted to respond first. He must have seen the panic in my eyes and my shivering body. I heard my voice say very slowly, very clearly, ‘Because of the strange way you addressed both of us, “Professor Coleman and Sara,” I am not able to respond to your question. As a matter of fact,’ I say, leaning into the microphone, holding onto it for dear life, ‘I couldn’t even hear your question.’ The room was absolutely still. I was not sure that there were any people out there who had any idea how I was feeling, any idea that I was on fire. But my voice must have conveyed my pain, even if the cause was obscure to them. ‘Would you please repeat your question?’ I asked the man, who had by now slid halfway down his seat, and whose face revealed a mixture of pain and defiance. ‘And this time, would you ask it in a way that I will be able to hear it.’ …My ancestors were speaking, reminding me of my responsibility to teach this lesson of respect; reminding me that I deserved to be respected.” - Prof. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect: An Exploration, Chapter 2

[ceceys]

Blog Post #4 Due 9/16

How has the era of policies like “stop and frisk” evolved with the growth of technology?

As the fight to predict and prevent crime has moved from the streets to online, the racist policies that pervaded that era have moved with it. Now, data and algorithms control how police predict criminal behavior. The same racist attitudes that they held before are baked into those algorithms, leading to situations where infants are placed on gang member watchlists simply because of their name and location (Benjamin 24). Those on the list are surveilled heavily even if they have never committed a crime. Algorithms reinforce pre-held racist ideas and justify racist policies.

Why are nicknames so prevalent in minority communities?

People with non-white sounding names routinely face discrimination everywhere, from schools to the job market. Children with “hard to pronounce” names are often given nicknames without their consent, or are so often subjected to comical mispronunciations that they change them themselves. Adults with non-white sounding names receive less callbacks for jobs, even with the same qualifications and their white counterparts (Benjamin 22). Despite the fact that most Americans have little trouble pronouncing Schwarzenegger, “ethnic” names seem to stump them. By excluding people with non-white names society reinforces racial boundaries.

 What does the proliferation of porn in search results for girls of color tell them about their societal worth (Noble 33)? 

When girls of color are only seen online in fetishistic ways, it tells them that their worth is defined by their sex appeal. It creates a hostile and predatory online space that forces young girls of color to mature faster and excludes them from many online communities due to sexual harassment and threats of violence. Search results inundated with porn also gives other people unrealistic ideas of what girls of color are like and dehumanizes them.

What level of responsibility does Google have for the outputs of its algorithms?

Google employees designed and are constantly refining the tools it markets. As such, it is their complete responsibility to ensure that their algorithms do not promote racist and sexist imagery or language and that those maintaining its algorithms are creating a safe and sustainable environment for its users. When a tool is released that associates Black faces with apes (Noble 36), it is an issue of design, not and unpredictable error. Google is responsible for what it puts out. 

[ceceys]

WGST Week 3 Blog Post Due 9/9

How do online spaces reinforce segregation?

Much like in daily life, online segregation is not always explicit but rather an assumed part of the online community. While there may not be a specific tag or warning marking a space as white only, the participants interact with an assumption of whiteness that tends to implicitly exclude other races by targeting the content in that space to the white experience (Daniels 116). Users of color may have more trouble identifying with said content and will instead seek out spaces targeted towards them, further reinforcing online segregation.

How does the internet promote global feminism?

For many women of color, the internet allows them to connect with others who have been excluded from mainstream organizing and conversations about feminism (Daniels 107). These women can help each other organize and create global movements outside of the constraints of traditional organizing. The internet also creates a community for women to learn about each others experiences and give advise.

Why are people of color and the poor disproportionately targeted by surveillance and tracking technology (Eubanks 17)?

This country has a long history of testing new technologies on poor people of color before the general public. Because this group often uses government benefits and is systematically excluded from positions of power, they make the perfect test subjects. These technologies can also be used to further persecute marginalized groups, leading to further deployment of the technology to “catch the cheaters.” Thus, surveillance technology becomes integrated into our daily lives until everyone is being monitored (Eubanks 23).

How does automating the social safety net harm those who need it most?

By automating social safety net systems, the most desperate people are excluded. All of their most personal information is collected and stored with little security, and this data can be used by police to further victimize poor communities. This discourages people from applying for resources they desperately need (Eubanks 26). These systems are touted as reducing the need for social services when in reality they are simply making it harder for people to get them.

Why is facial recognition racist?

Facial recognition technology does not exist in a bubble. There may not be a specific line of code that says “all Black men look the same,” but those doing the coding and those applying the technology have their own biases that affect its use. If a system is trained on overwhelmingly white faces and supervised by white coders, it will naturally have more trouble with identifying non-white people. If the system is applied by white operators, they are less likely to question the face it gives them. Whiteness pervades these systems and creates racist outcomes.

[ceceys]

Do you think that cancel culture on social media is consistently negative? Is there any way to be redeemed once one has been “cancelled”?

Blog Post #2: News Media & Social Media

19% of Americans believed the news media was keeping them informed, while 75% thought the news media were more concerned with attracting an audience (González, 2012). What percentage do you fall under and why?

I fall under the same category as 75%. I do believe that different news media outlets want to attract the biggest audience, but I also believe that they want to only cater to one market. For example, Fox News caters towards the red side of the country, while MSNBC and CNN lean more blue. If a news outlet wanted to keep Americans informed, they would not be biased towards one political party. They would remain neutral in news, but spreading information. However, if you are aware of what both perspectives are, you become more conscious when consuming news.

What are some examples of the news media and their racial biases?

Some of the most common racial biases in news media are those related to crimes. When someone who is a minority commits murder, they are labeled as a terrorist or a thug. However, when a white individual commits murder, they are labeled as mentally unstable or ill. I found this really good article by the Washington Post that covers this topic. With COVID-19 being a part of our lives for the past year and a half, the hate crimes against the APIDA community have risen. These news media outlets have been calling it the “China Virus”. This article by NBC states that there was a 800% increase in language like this being used about the Asian community.

Social media brings community online. What is an example of social media platforms that bring people together? What are some communities that you are a part of and why do you continue to be active in these communities?

Community involves the feelings of belonging together (Fuchs, 2021), so there are many applications that bring people together based on interest. A social media application I have that creates a community is Discord. Discord is essentially a real time chat room that people can use to communicate with others. This includes text chat, video chat, and voice chat. I continue to be active in these communities, because they are easily accessible. I can quickly access these communities and leave them when I want to. If I do not want to see anything from a certain community, I can easily just unsubscribe or leave the server. I think the convenience of these platforms is what keeps bringing me back.

What are some examples of the different power dynamics that you see on social media?

When I think of power dynamics on social media, the first thing that comes to mind is influencers. I believe that they have so much power at their disposal. With cancel culture being a hot topic on social media, influencers with a lot of followers and fans can easily “cancel” someone just because they do not like them. We have seen these multiple times between influencers and even celebrities. One that comes to mind is topics surrounding James Charles. He was cancelled by a fellow beauty influencer, however she was influenced by other influencers to post the video about James Charles. This whole situation seemed like a huge power struggle amongst influencers. Of course all of their fans got involved in the online scandal, making it an even bigger struggle to keep fans on their sides.

Fuchs, C. (2021). Social Media: A critical introduction. Sage Publications.

González, J., & Torres, J. (2012). News for all the people: The epic story of race and the American media. Verso.

Until next week! XOXO Jordan

[ceceys]

How do you think we can expand opportunities for journalists of color?

Blog Post #2 Social Media Due 9/2

Q1. How does the origins of media explain the racial stereotypes we see today?

The origin of media originally was to be a medium as almost as propaganda to incite the public to agree with the way the government runs the country. It is explain by Gonzalez and Torres that they would use this method to create bad images or stereotypes of minorities This way, we believe what we are told without question and without any proof these said “events” ever took place. For example Gonzalez and Torres state that this method can be seen during Americas great territorial expansion outward. We were told that it was free land when the Native Indians clearly resided there and we were also told that these “violent non white” (Gonzalez and Torres, 2014, 3) individuals no longer needed the land and thus, we shall claim it from their dirty hands. 

Q2. Why are the amount of news reporters/journalist predominantly white?

This is because in the past as explained by Gonzalez and Torres , America has always kept minorities away from the limelight and in the dark where they could not compete with the superior power or even think of possibly obtaining a higher stature. Even now the media remains this way having little to a few minorities as journalist or reporters. There was never a need for the minority to step into the white mans playing field, “the content they produced was aimed largely at white readers and listeners” (Gonzalez and Torres, 2014, 8) in Today’s society it is not all that different, however you will see that there are a bit more minorities making their ways in the spotlight of being a journalist or a news reporter.  

Q3. What are the benefits of social media?

There are many benefits from using social media.. You can use it to communicate with family and friends who are if far distance as Fuch explains “ it is social to send an email or chat with a friend on Facebook. Communication is a basic feature of all societies and all human activity. We cannot live and survive without communication, just like we cannot survive without food and water. Communication takes place routinely in everyday life.”  You can use it to complete a project through Google Docs with group members or co workers. You can also use it to keep up with the latest news or keep up with your favorite celebrity. You can easily create a petition or start a movement using social media, this is seen to be very common in today’s society.

Q4. What kind of power does the media hold?

The media is quite an interesting platform. The usages, range from informing to communication to exploitations  It all depends on the user or writer. Depending on the user they can turn the media into almost anything. The media is a very power medium, if you can convince your audience and gain supporters you may become your own power both by verbally and now physical with the added support from supporters, However you can use this to develop a fanbase and as easily make the whole world despise you. To put it short to take advantage of the media you need to critical think and have the brains to comprehend what you can personally do with media.

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social Media: A critical introduction. Sage Publications.

González, J., & Torres, J. (2012). News for all the people: The epic story of race and the American media. Verso.

[ceceys]

Blog Post Week 2 Due 9/02

How has the exclusion of minority voices in media in the 19th century influenced our media landscape today?

By excluding journalists of color from newsrooms, white media moguls were able to paint their own pictures of minority communities and their problems. This led to the perpetuation of negative stereotypes about these groups, who had few resources to counter them. The Black newspapers that did exist, for example, were often limited in their distribution due to racist policies, while white newspapers had a much wider reach (Gonzalez, 13). These racist stereotypes of minority groups are still present today in both news media and Hollywood. 

How has the rise of media conglomerates influenced freedom of press?

As news media has been bought up by a few big corporations, opportunities for minority and dissident journalists have decreased. When the news was still localized too many small stations, people of color, particularly African Americans, were able to have their own stations and networks. As the media became more consolidated, people of color were completely shut out. The government began regulating radio stations, forcing operators of color to shut down while aiding larger white media organizations (Gonzalez 14). This led to less opportunities for truly free press.

How does capitalism influence the growth of media?

The core goal of capitalism is to make a profit. When you have many smaller competitors vying for the same market, each can only gain some of the available wealth. This has encouraged media organizations to get bigger and freeze out competition. For example, the rise of Facebook led to the fall of many smaller or more specialized social media platforms (Fuchs 15). The platforms it couldn’t replace it simply bought out. These big companies have investors and shareholders who discourage certain content for fear of losing profit. As media becomes more consolidated, there are less opportunities for diverse voices and stories. 

Why is selling personal data such a big part of social media business models?

Since social media platforms need to make a profit in a capitalistic society, they need to commodify some part of their sites. While selling ad space may do that, the personal data of users is much more valuable. That data can be used to target ads and reach the audience most likely to be interested, or give other companies access to a new base of potential consumers. Therefore, companies like Facebook make sure that users waive their rights to their data when signing up and make huge profits of that data, even though they themselves didn’t produce it (Fuchs 18).

[ceceys]

Week 1 Blog Post 8/27

Describe a time when technology has failed you

One rather memorable time technology has failed me was a several summers ago in Oregon. I was dropping a friends dogs off at a very fancy boarding place in the countryside while they were on vacation. I don’t know how much y’all know about Oregon, but while cities like Eugene and Portland are full of liberal hippies, some of the more rural areas are much more conservative. I was not particularly comfortable in the area in the first place, and my GPS decided to deposit me on a random country road that was very clearly not my destination. You can imagine teenage me in my beat up old Jeep with a pitbull and a wolfhound in the back, suddenly very aware that I was quite far from the highway. Luckily, I was able to get directions from someone passing by, but you can bet I was white-knuckling the steering wheel the whole time. Needless to say I now keep a paper map in my glovebox just in case.