The spring 2006 semester is here and the Mass Communications department faculty has been busily gearing up for the couple hundred students we work with each semester. The radio station has brand new state-of-the-art digital audio technology (Santa brought it over Christmas), the television station is continuing its schedule of live programming, and the newspaper is getting ready with both its print and online editions. This list doesn't include the dozens of student projects that are produced each semester through courses in all the Mass Communications emphasis areas.
Ah, we love the media and its societal impact, don't we?!
We love learning about:
*Howard Stern and his satelite radio coup against the FCC;
*The sordid allegations of the Bush administration inappropriately using PR to sell the American public on policy;
*The iPod phenomenon (how many of you got them for Christmas?)and its associated issues with illegal downloading of copyrighted music (are you doing it?);
*The print newspaper industry's concern that our college generation is preferring to read news on-line;
*The competition between the advertising and public relations industries for who can best promote brands;
*The allegations that weblogs aren't real journalism, or for that matter, aren't even credible content;
...and the list goes on. What interesting stories have you encountered in the media lately? What controversies do you have an opinion about? What information can you share with all of us "media-junkies" who teach and study in Mass Comm?
What are your opinions about some of the issues I mentioned in this blog?
Share it with us and keep checking the Mass Communications blog this semester to participate in the ongoing discussion of media-related topics. It's our own online classroom discussion!
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5 comments:
I don't understand how Howard Stern can be so vulgar and disgusting on satellite radio, when he couldn't do that on broadcast radio without getting fined by the FCC? Doesn't the FCC monitor satellite radio?
We discussed this a bit in my Media and Society class and my instructor mentioned that the FCC doesn't monitor satellite news because it is privately owned. I think...don't hold me to that. :D
I really dislike Stern...anyone else?
I agree with Anna M. The more he is in the news, the more people will say, "Hey! He must be really gross. I better pay money so that I can listen to what he says!" Kind of like what happened with Marth Stewart.
It's America at it's best- and worst.
Adina is correct that the FCC has no regulatory hold over satellite radio content...at least not right now. Actually, it may "monitor" but it doesn't "regulate", that's why Howard is so happy now.
The reason is that satellite radio isn't using the "public airwaves" like broadcast radio does. The FCC determined a long time ago that broadcasters who are using the public airwaves must broadcast in the public "interest, convenience and necessity." Of course, that's open to interpretation, too.
For an overview of regulation of satellite radio see http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=1416697
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