RWGNYC's Blog
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Screening Messenges or The Power of Words
Martine Hackett’s presentation “Screening Messages” about the utilization of different electronic media categories was informative and enthusiastic. She introduced us to the origins of public health messages, posters from the 1920ies and progressed to WWII Syphilis campaign ads. She advanced further to electronic media we are using today, namely official websites of organizations, list-servs, professional bulletin boards, to parent memorial sites and discussion boards conveying information about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Scientific evidence was provided that showed SIDS was reduced by having babies sleep on their back, but we also seen that many babies prefer to sleep on their stomach.
The title might have come from the process of silk-screening the posters in the past or the necessity of screening messages released to the public through modern day technology.
Further, we analyzed the different mechanisms how audiences are reached and applied this information to real life settings. Interestingly enough to mention, the email we received reminding us to do this assignment, also reminded us about the problems electronic media can cause. The ones who can access it have the upper hand, the ones with the strongest voices take over and the rest usually falls back and watches, ethnocentric approaches of understanding a situation lead to misconceptions, negative reactions have negative counteractions, and all can become personal. Reactions or comments are perceived as personal attacks and because of misunderstandings finally lead to frustration on both sides.
This sociological or even psychological pattern can be observed on discussion boards, there a wrong word can cause a heated discussion, in academia, where a missing citation can cause the hypothesis to crumble, and in professional discussions where egos can collide and drag a professional discussion into a personal vendetta. After the whole presentation, I still wonder if values are assumed or created by others and forced upon minorities or individuals less powerful.
The title might have come from the process of silk-screening the posters in the past or the necessity of screening messages released to the public through modern day technology.
Further, we analyzed the different mechanisms how audiences are reached and applied this information to real life settings. Interestingly enough to mention, the email we received reminding us to do this assignment, also reminded us about the problems electronic media can cause. The ones who can access it have the upper hand, the ones with the strongest voices take over and the rest usually falls back and watches, ethnocentric approaches of understanding a situation lead to misconceptions, negative reactions have negative counteractions, and all can become personal. Reactions or comments are perceived as personal attacks and because of misunderstandings finally lead to frustration on both sides.
This sociological or even psychological pattern can be observed on discussion boards, there a wrong word can cause a heated discussion, in academia, where a missing citation can cause the hypothesis to crumble, and in professional discussions where egos can collide and drag a professional discussion into a personal vendetta. After the whole presentation, I still wonder if values are assumed or created by others and forced upon minorities or individuals less powerful.
:: posted by R. W. Graf, 8:31 AM
3 Comments:
Interesting post.
for me it is a typical ethnocentric approach, someone always thinks they know better than individuals actually affected.
Lina, thank you. You should have a conversation with my mom, she is the one in the family speaking swedisch fluently. Maar, ik praat netherlands ;)
