The Not So Friendly Skies

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

United Airlines used to have an advertising campaign with the tagline "Fly the Friendly Skies." They had to retire that line after the beating of a paying passenger in April 2017. Here is the cell phone video of the incident. NPR discussed the public relations fallout.

Questions...

•How should United Airlines have handled the situation with Dr. Dao? What part of it is the worst for the airline's image?

•Is the United brand name damaged beyond repair? If two flights are nearly the same price and time, would you fly United or avoid it?

•Does it matter from a PR standpoint that passenger cell phone video exists?

•What other public relations disasters can you think of where a company's image was badly damaged?

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?

Screens Great and Small

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

Academic researchers have done a tremendous amount of research over the potential damage that can be done to children if they are allowed to watch too much television. But what about children (8 or younger) who spend a lot a time online? NPR reports.

Questions...

•Which do you feel is worse: letting small children watch a lot of TV, or spend a lot of time online? Does anyone want to make the case that a lot of screen time is beneficial to small children?

•Which is more addicting: TV or the Internet? Why?

•Which is a better teacher: TV or the Internet? Why?

•Under what conditions would you allow an 8-year-old go online?

Your Cellphone: Not a Stoolie

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 classes in June 2018.

A "Stoolie" (AKA "Stool Pigeon") is archaic American slang for a police informant. In the 1940's movie version, the cops arrest a petty thief and threaten to charge him with something serious unless he tells all he knows about the murder that police are trying to solve. The petty thief cooperates. That's a stoolie.

According to a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision last week, your cellphone (under most circumstances) will not act as a stoolie. Police will have to obtain a search warrant from a judge before they can search a cellphone. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How much does your cellphone know about you? What does it know about you?

•What do you think about this ruling? Why?

•Police do not need a search warrant to search your car or a homeless person's tent. They DO need a search warrant to search your home or your cellphone? What's the difference?

•Could someone explain the differences between Libertarians (usually conservative) and traditional conservatives? How does that apply to this ruling?

My Refrigerator Is Squealing on Me!

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 classes in March 2018.

Your Humble Blogger recently purchased a GPS device for his bicycle. With it, he can not only record data and maps of his rides, he can also download data and maps of other people's rides. However, he began getting emails stating that he has turned in the 26th fastest climb on this hill or the 105th quickest trip along this route. This was a little unsettling since Your Humble Blogger never entered these competitions... but his bike computer did.

This NPR story looks at the privacy implications of smart devices. In light of this, would anyone want a smart bathroom?

Questions...

•Do you want to live in a smart house? Why or why not?

•What could a smart TV do for you? What could it do to you?

•How about a smart refrigerator?

•What smart devices would a life insurance company or a medical insurance company like to get data from?

•What would you like to automate in your house? What things in your house would you like to operate remotely?

When Can Police Search Cell Phones?

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented in May 2014. After we discuss the MediaNote, Your Humble Blogger will tell you how the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in this case.

You are stopped for a minor traffic violation. Police find guns in your car. Concerned that you might be a dangerous criminal, police seize your cellphone. They search for photos, emails, text messages, phone numbers and anything else indicating criminality. Is this good, attentive police work or is it unreasonable search and seizure? The Supreme Court of the United States will soon decide if a cellphone search is more like a search of a suspected criminal's automobile (which does not need a search warrant) or more like a search of a suspected criminal's home (which DOES need a search warrant). NPR reports.

Questions...

•What types of information do you leave on your cellphone?

•In terms of providing information about you, is a cellphone more like a wallet, or more like a person's home? Why?

•Do you think the police acted responsibly in the San Diego case? Why or why not?

•If police are able to search cellphones of suspected criminals without a warrant, how will it affect us as individuals and as a larger society?

Eurofornia

Californians are perhaps a little more willing to accept European-style government regulations than, say, Texans. Furthermore, California is too big a market for companies to ignore, even if it isn't always the easiest place to do business. So it probably makes sense that California is at the forefront of Internet privacy laws. NPR reports.

Questions...

•If things go as planned, in 2020 we will know what companies know about us. Will this be an important right or a trivial one? Why?

•Why might this new law have an impact on your next refrigerator or home security system?

•Should we as Californians care that this law might add difficulty and expense for some Internet companies? Why might this be more of a concern in Northern California?

•Why do you think the big tech companies didn't just give big money to defeat the ballot measure?

•If you were CEO of a tech company that deals in consumer information, how would you want the new law to be crafted?

Hail to the Tweet

Would Donald Trump be President if Twitter didn't exist? It's an open question since it is certainly part of his success. As this NPR story suggests, maybe Mr. Trump is the first Twitter president.

Questions...

•Why is Twitter an effective medium for Mr. Trump? How are Trump and Twitter a good match?

•Is Twitter an inherently brutal medium? Is it anti-intellectual? How?

•What types of communications is Twitter good at? What types is it not so good at?

•What is the role of TV news and newspapers if the president doesn't hold news conferences, but tweets instead?

Forget Big Brother, What About Alexa?

Smart deices are nice to have. You ask Siri or Alexa or Echo something and you get a quick and usually helpful voice response. But can your smart devices keep a secret? Or do they blab out your most personal details to marketers and others? NPR reports.

Questions...

•Do you ever worry that your smart device is listening? Is there anything that you would not say in front of your smart device?

•Has your smart device ever acted in an unexpected way? Tell me your stories.

•Is it OK with you if your queries are turned into data for marketers? Ot should that be regulated?

•Is it OK if your queries are turned over to police so they can deploy their forces more efficiently? (A neighborhood where a lot more people are talking about walking, for example, could be used as evidence for more traffic cops)

I Can Stop Any Time I Want

Addiction is a nasty word. It suggests a loss of control, and an inevitable downward spiral into helplessness, or worse. Some large shareholders of Apple, including the California State Teachers Retirement System, think smartphones are addictive, especially to children. They want Apple to invent ways for parents to monitor and limit their children's smartphone use. NPR reports.

•In what ways are smartphones addictive? In what ways are they not?

•What tools should parents have to prevent problematic smartphone use?

•At what age should a parent give a child a smartphone? What could go wrong if a child is given a smartphone?

Anti-Social Media

The following is a Medianote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in Spring 2016.

At its worst, social media can be cruel, creepy and dangerous. Most of us are able to avoid the worst effects, but adolescents are disproportionately damaged by abusive posts, photos and texts. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Is the internet more dangerous for girls than boys? Why or why not?

•What is the line between acceptable and unacceptable online banter between middle school or high school boys and girls?

•What do parents, teachers and other older people not understand about cyberbullying?

•A Crescenta Valley student committed suicide a couple of years ago after being cyberbullies. The school district responded by hiring a company to scan student social media posts for mentions of drug use, gang membership, cyberbullying or suicidal thoughts. Was this a good idea or a bad idea? Why?

#HELP!

In response to the terrible flooding in Houston, some stranded residents have taken to social media to ask for help when the 911 emergency system was overburdened. But should you try to Tweet your way out of danger? NPR reports.

Questions...

•In what ways can social media be better than phones in a disaster situation?

•Can rescues and disaster resources be crowdsourced? What is good about crowdsourcing rescues and disaster resources? What is bad about it?

•What are the types of disasters where official first responders and other emergency services might be overwhelmed?

Alternate Fact News

The Democratization of Information is a cool concept. It is rooted in the idea that we now have the power of a tiny online publisher in our smartphones or through our social media accounts and blogs (including this one!). But Democratization of Information also has an unfortunate side. It can spread rumors and--to use a current phrase--alternate facts. A current rumor concerns the murder of a Democratic National Committee staffer. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How is the Democratization of Information good for us? How is it bad for us?

•Who is a credible source if we want to report on the murder of the DNC staffer and the investigation that followed? How should the story be reported if investigators don't know who committed the murder?

•Is it good reporting to report the rumor? Is it good reporting to report who is spreading the rumor?

•Is there any way we can get back to agreeing on basic facts?

Your Digital Fingerprints

The Internet seems so anonymous. Who can tell that it was you browsing that adult entertainment website or that you are actually HottChevy126? But with increasing accuracy, advertisers know. And they know even if you and your neighbor use the same type of computer on the same network. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What makes your computer yours? How could you pick out your computer from a pile of similar-looking computers?

•What topics do you browse online?

•How is targeted advertising good for you? How is it bad for you?

•How can digital fingerprinting be used to exploit your weaknesses or problems?

•Do you think this is an invasion of privacy? Why or why not?

Journalism That Matters

Students sometimes see journalism as little more than entertainment. But at its best, journalism can reveal harsh truths, stand up to government, and present an unbiased viewpoint. For the last two years, the Washington Post has traced police shooting in the U.S. and has compiled statistics more complete than even the federal government has compiled. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Why is this valuable journalism?

•Are the Post's statistics more believable than police statistics or Black Lives Matter statistics? Why or why not?

•Why are cellphones and social media important in bringing this issue to the public's attention?

•How is live streaming of a confrontation with police an example of disintermediation?

•How can footage from officer cameras or social media posts be misleading?

Gotta Catch 'Em All

Pokemon is a little like a horror movie. Just when you think the monster is dead, it rises up once again.


Just when you thought you were through with Pokemon, it rises up in the form of Pokemon Go, which has become an immediate sensation. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Who has played Pokemon Go?

•How could the Getty Center use augmented reality? How could it be used for a Hollywood Boulevard walking tour?

•How much of Pokemon Go's success is due to escapism during a time of police shootings and other turmoil?

•How could Pokemon Go be used to get children (or adults) more physically active?

•What negatives could come rom Pokemon Go?

•Will this be a short-lived fad, or something that will hang around awhile?

Smartphones Vs. Guns

As this MediaNote is being written, Democratic legislators are staging a round-the-clock sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives. Their purpose is to force the Republican leadership of the House to bring gun control legislation to the floor for a vote. House Speaker Paul Ryan (a Republican) has responded to the sit-in by calling it "a publicity stunt" and ordering the House microphones and C-Span cameras turned off. Democrats responded with continuous live cellphone video streamed to Periscope and Facebook Video. C-Span (a nonpartisan, nonprofit channel that provides unfiltered coverage of the federal government) has responded by playing the live streamed internet feed. The Washington Post and other traditional media have taken up the story. The Republican leadership has responded by suspending the legislative session until July 5.

Questions...

•How would the sit-in have played out differently without participatory media on the Internet? How is the cellphone video an example of "disintermediation"?

•"Agenda Setting" is when the media gets us to think about a topic by giving that topic a lot of coverage? How is this an example of agenda setting? Can new media (internet video, Tweets, etc.) be as effective at agenda setting as old media (TV, newspapers, etc.)?

•How can individuals use the media at their fingertips to support (or oppose) what is going on in the House?

•How can Democrats keep the sit-in going without it fading into the background? Was it a smart tactic for the Republican leadership to adjourn until July 5?

•How can Republicans, the NRA and others use media to get their viewpoint out?

Will They Call It SmartRadio?

Your Humble Blogger is one of a dying breed who still owns a handheld radio... but he is using it less and less. It turns out, he may have an FM radio on him at all times without knowing it. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What is "device convergence"? How does it apply here?

•Is radio a dying mass medium? Why or why not?

•What are the practical uses for local broadcast radio?

•How much would you pay to turn on the FM radio in your phone?

•Would you listen to more radio if the chip in your phone was turned on?

•Should government order phone makers to turn on their FM radio chips, or should the free market decide? Why?

Tiny TV Stations, Huge Profits

Why should a TV station have a broadcast license? Most people have cable or satellite, and those who don't may stream video content over the web. But some tiny TV stations in big cities are finding that they can make big profits from their FCC-issued broadcast license. The Los Angeles Times reports.

Questions...

•Is this the beginning of the end for television? Why or why not?

•The broadcast spectrum is regulated for the public good. Which use should get priority: TV broadcasters or telecommunications? Why?

•You are manager of a TV station whose new owners are selling your place on the broadcast spectrum. What do you do? What are your options?

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?