Operation Infektion

The U.S. certainly has its differences based on gender, race, political preferences and other matters. But is the growing level of anger natural, or is it being encouraged by an outside force? According to some researchers, our internal divisions are being intensified by Russian disinformation experts, and have been doing so since the days of the Soviet Union. PBS News Hour reports.

Questions...

•Why would the Soviet Union and later Russia want to create division, distrust and confusion in the United States?

•What are some of the hoaxes created by the Soviet Union and later Russia? How did they create these hoaxes?

•What makes the U.S. among the nations more vulnerable to this sort of manipulation?

Privacy in Public in Europe?

The following is a MediaNote Classic. This MediaNote was originally presented to MC101 classes in Summer 2018.

In general, Europeans protect their personal privacy a bit more than Americans do. The latest example of this is a European Union law that gives people the right to not have their image posted online if they don't want it posted. This means, for example, that if your sister takes a picture of you in front of the former Berlin Wall and posts it on Facebook, a local person identifiable in the background of the photo can demand that it be removed. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What do you think of this law?

•Should photos have free speech protection? Why or why not?

•Could this law have an impact on photojournalism?

•In the US, people who get photographed in public cannot claim a right to privacy. Journalists are free to photograph things that are newsworthy. People whose likeness is used for profit--your face is on a can of soup, for example--can sue if they have not agreed to have their likeness used. What do you think of this?

•In the example above, how can you deal with the EU citizen who doesn't want to be in your tourist photo?

How Hate Spreads

There are probably more ideas floating around our society than ever before. This isn't always a good thing. The Internet has been identified as a prime place where extreme ideas--some of them potentially violent--spread. Adolescent boys are often being targeted for exposure to these ideas. NPR reports.

Questions...

•When was the first time you were confronted with hateful or otherwise dangerous material on the internet? How old were you?

•Have you experienced recommendations that are more and more extreme?

•"Neurodivergent" boys and men with career or relationship setbacks are particularly likely to receive these hate messages. What can they do to keep themselves from going off the deep end? What can we do to help them from doing that?

•Is this a serious problem? What will you do as a parent to make sure your children are not affected by extreme ideas on the Internet?

Alexa Is Listening

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently addressed the United Nations. Those in attendance thought he was going to speak about Brexit. Instead, he delivered a remarkable (and entertaining) speech about how the Internet and related digital technology is leading us toward a potentially terrifying future. We will watch the first 6:11 of the speech from The Sun, a London newspaper. Questions...

•Is this speech brilliant or bonkers? Why?

•Is it true that the human race is losing control in the digital age? In what ways might digital technology make our lives worse?

•What does PM Johnson mean when he says you can keep secrets from your family or doctor, but it's very hard to keep secrets from Google?

•What is your reaction to the statement that "data is the crude oil of the modern economy?" How is your data being harvested for profit on a daily basis?

•How do you feel about the "Internet of Things" (everyday items that have a connection to the internet)?

•What can we do to make sure that PM Johnson's worst predictions do not come true?

Coronavirus Vs. Fear (and Flu)

Fear is a powerful thing. It can lead to panicky, destructive decision making. In the opinion of Your Humble Blogger, Coronavirus has sparked concern in many and fear in others. But is Coronavirus really more dangerous than the flu? NPR reports.

Questions...

•Which are you more scared of: Coronavirus or the flu?

•Dr. Paul Slovic of the University of Oregon has created a fear index that he calls the "Dread Factor." For something to rate a high Dread Factor it must be perceived as uncontrollable, have catastrophic potential, have fatal consequences and people have involuntary exposure to it. How high does Coronavirus rate on the Dread Factor index?

•Why isn't the flu getting more attention than Coronavirus?

•Who are the sources for this story? Who are credible sources for this story? What sources are not so credible?

•What bad things could happen if people overreact (i.e. panic) over Coronavirus?

Coming Up Next ... Watching Paint Dry!

The following is a Medianote Classic. It was first presented on Nov. 25, 2013.

Norwegian TV is apparently quite different. We have TV shows about cops, robbers, teenage sexpots and vampires. They have TV shows about knitting. Are they just desperate for shows, or are they redefining the idea of what a TV show is? NPR reports.

Questions...

•How often do you give TV your undivided (or nearly undivided) attention?

•When is watching TV a stimulating activity?

•When is watching TV a soothing activity?

•When does TV let you experience something?

•In the future, when there are an unlimited number of channels, will television be a companion medium, like radio?

Forget This!

This is a Medianote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in September 2015.

There is an amazingly unfortunate video of you going around the Internet. Should it be allowed to haunt you forever, or can search engines and social media sites be forced to take that video down. Large online companies like Google and Facebook are running into conflicts over the European idea of "The Right to be Forgotten." NPR reports.

Questions...

•In Germany, once a law-breaker has paid his or her debt to society, record of the criminal conviction is erased from the public record. What do you think of this concept?

•Should public figures (politicians, celebrities and other famous people) have the right to be forgotten, or should this only be for regular people?

•What other types of problems with content on their sites do multinational Internet companies run into?

•Should the right to be forgotten be extended to the U.S.?

•Are there any practical problems with "The Right to be Forgotten" on the Internet?

Window on the World or Terrorist Tool?

The mass shootings that killed 49 people in two New Zealand mosques were livestreamed for 17 minutes on Facebook. The social media company took down the video, but by then it had gone viral. Obviously, the role of Facebook Live and other forms of livestreaming will come under close examination. NPR reports...

Questions...

•What are the ways livestreaming can be used for good? What are the ways it can be used for evil?

•On balance, does livestreaming benefit the larger society or harm it?

•Does the First Amendment apply in this case? How much or how little?

•Should livestreaming have a delay, as with live callers to radio shows.

•Would international internet standards be a good idea or a bad idea?

No Pants, No Problem

Publicity stunts are nothing new. P.T. Barnum organized circus parades in the 1800s to make sure locals knew the circus was in town. Monopoly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the iconic board game by having real investment bankers play Monopoly for real money. And this Sunday transit riders in cities around the world will ride the subway pantless.

International No Pants Subway Day started as a joke, but it also has the beneficial side effect of publicizing subways and streetcars as a youthful, fun and efficient form of transportation.

L.A.'s no pants day is being promoted on various social media platforms. Videos promoting the event are on YouTube.

Questions...

•Other than not being alarmed when large numbers of (mostly young) people suddenly show up without pants, how much should Metro promote this event?

•Why might Metro NOT want to promote the event? What could go wrong? Does it matter that pantsless riders are encouraged to meet at designated locations and be part of a group with a ride captain?

•Is this a good publicity stunt? What types of media attention could you imagine the pantsless riders getting?

•From a publicity perspective, why is it a good idea to do this on a Sunday?

Ultimate Sacrifice for Free Expression

Journalists are often disparaged, sometimes sued, and occasionally killed for exercising their freedom of expression. There is a growing belief that Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have made the ultimate sacrifice for having his beliefs published. NPR reports...

In solidarity with Freedom of Expression, here is the link to Jamal Khashoggi's last column.

Questions...

•Why is free expression important? What would you lose if we didn't have it?

•Should the US be a champion of free expression around the world--or are we just imposing our cultural preferences on others?

•Do we have too much free expression in the US, too little, or is it just about right?

•Will Mr. Khashoggi's suspicious death make his columns more read or less read?

Russian to Anger

There are obvious deep and angry divisions in American Society. Your Uncle Fred wants to put Hillary Clinton in prison. A coworker thinks anyone who eats a hamburger is an accessory to murder. Your neighbor is deeply suspicious of immigrants.

But where do these extreme attitudes come from? Does the decline of the "Gatekeepers" (this term will be explained) have anything to do with this? And is there a systematic campaign by the Russians (or others) to support extreme ideas designed to destabilize American society? NPR reports.

Questions...

•Where do your thoughts and ideas come from?

•On what issues could extreme talk (rhetoric) deeper the divisions in American society?

•What responsibility do social media companies have to make sure American Society is not destabilized by outside influences?

•Does the First Amendment help us or hurt us in this situation?

•What can we as individuals do about this?

With New Technology, What Is Acting?

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in April 2016.

We're used to digital retouching of still photos, but what about movies? Apparently, the technology now exists to give an actor more (or fewer) wrinkles, greater facial expression and a lot of other things the actor might not be able to do on the set. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Is this the end of acting? Why or why not?

•Is this an example of disintermediation? Who is being disintermediated?

•When does live action end and animation begin?

•What jobs will be created by this technology?

•Will audiences care if actors don't look in real life the way they look in the movies?

Free News or Fake News?

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in July 2017.

Al-Jazzera is an interesting news organization. Global in its ambitions, it is funded by the small, oil-rich nation of Qatar. As you might imagine, its English-language broadcasting service is controversial in the U.S.. However, it is the Arabic-language broadcasts that have led to demands by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others that it be shut down. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Why is the news media controversial--both here and in other places around the world?

•Is it possible to have journalism that has no point of view? If that is impossible, what ethics should journalists live by?

•Should we in the U.S. want Al-Jazeera to close, continue, or do something else? Why?

News Drones

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was first presented to MC101 students in May 2014.

First it was the federal government. Then Amazon. And now your local TV news program?

Drones may change how journalists cover natural disasters, sporting events and other stories. But it won't happen right away. NPR reports.

Questions...

•When might a news organization want drones?

•What are the potential problems with news drones?

•Do you agree with the FAA slowing down drone journalism? Why?

Good Reporting or Manipulation?

Journalists know that great stories can come from anonymous sources or leaked documents. But information obtained by hackers--sometimes on behalf of foreign governments--adds a digital twist to this old controversy. NPR reports.

Questions...

•In general, how do you feel about anonymous sources in news stories?

•Is it ethical or constructive for American news organizations to report from information leaked by a hostile government?

•What types of embarrassing personal behavior of our leaders is it fair to report? What is irrelevant?

•Is it good or bad that our media has wildly differing standards of appropriateness, professionalism and newsworthiness?

Who Controls Social Media Posts?

Smart phones and social media are a powerful combo. They have been used to document political revolts, mass murders and police shootings, among other things. So it is no wonder that Apple came under intense pressure recently to unlock an iPhone that was used by one of the shooters in the San Bernardino tragedy last year. And social media companies have been under intense pressure to suppress videos of police shootings and other sensitive topics. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What are the five freedoms in the First Amendment?

•Is a social media company more like a newspaper or is it more like a telephone company?

•What are the reasons why police should be able to order a social media account turned off? What are the reasons why police should not have the power to order a social media account turned off?

•Why is it impractical from a business standpoint for a social media company to protect absolute freedom of speech on a global scale?

Why Ebola Freaks Us Out

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 classes in October 2014.

People are avoiding flu shots because they fear walking into an Ebola-tainted hospital. U.S. residents from West Africa (including those who have not been back there for years) report that they are being treated strangely. Some politicians have called for stepped up patrol of the U.S.-Mexican border, even though Mexico is nowhere near West Africa.

Over-the-top fear of the Ebola virus has scared us into some odd ideas and behaviors. What is it about Ebola that makes it so much more scary than other dangers that kill many more people? NPR reports.

Questions...

•One person has died of Ebola in the United States. The flu, on the other hand kills around 25,000 Americans per year. So why are some Americans afraid of going to the hospital to get flu shots because they fear getting Ebola?

•How do movies and television shows make us more afraid of deadly diseases?

•How does news coverage make us more afraid of Ebola?

•How should the news media cover Ebola?

•If Ebola does begin to spread more widely in the U.S., how might social media help spread information in a positive way? How might social media reaction make things worse?

Traveling Data

The Internet is bigger than the United States. Info on the cloud can be anywhere. Is it better from a privacy standpoint to stash your data outside the United States? NPR reports.

Questions...

•What are the advantages of stashing your data on servers outside the U.S.? What are the disadvantages?

•Does it hurt American companies if data stashed overseas is beyond American laws?

•The personal information of 100,000 current and former Glendale College students is obtained by hackers and the data is quickly put on a server overseas. Should we be able to do anything about that?

•What do you think of the proposed law that your information is subject to the laws of your home country?

Hollywood: Diversity Not Included

Hollywood--especially the movie industry--apparently isn't very diverse, according to a USC study. This NPR story discusses some of the possible reasons why the movies don't really look like present-day America.

Questions...

•Apparently, the movie isn't as diverse as America. Does that matter? Why or why not?

•Does diversity matter more on camera or behind the camera? Why?

•Why does it matter if the director is a woman and the screenplay writer is a person of color?

•Hollywood is a business of personal contacts? Is that part of the problem?

•Philharmonic orchestras have blind auditions. Would that help in this case?

•What do you recommend that Hollywood do?

National Security v. Personal Privacy v. Modern Marketing

One of the shooters in the recent San Bernardino mass shooting may have left valuable clues about the crime and his extremest ideology on his iPhone. The information is encrypted and the FBI would like Apple to tell them how to unencrypted (or unlock) the information. Apple has refused, claiming that unlocking one iPhone would endanger the privacy of all iPhones. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Who should own the data on your phone: you, the company that built the phone, or the government? Who else might have data regarding who you call or where you browse?

•What if you walk in to Macy's? Do you leave a digital trail?

•Some have suggested that the FBI demand information on the phone from Apple, which unlocks the phone and gives the FBI the data, but doesn't tell the government how it unlocked the phone. Would that be a reasonable compromise?

•Some have suggested that the FBI simply hack the iPhone. Would you support that action?

•What if China or Russia or France orders Apple to unlock a phone because of threats to their national security. Should Apple unlock the phone for other nations as well?

•Is it OK for Apple to have access to information about you even if you haven't committed a crime?