Overview
ASSIGNMDNT:
Engage with at least three classmates in a meaningful manner. Opt to either
- challenge their viewpoints with well-reasoned arguments.
- agree while adding further depth to their discussion, or introduce entirely new perspectives.
- tie your response to the propaganda model or major ideas from lesson 5.
Be sure to substantiate your responses with specific arguments and, where necessary, cite any sources you reference.
Audrey Friedman:
I read "TSA agents are working without pay again: what this means for travelers. I found that instead of the larger political issue and/or the employees being the center of the article, it centered around the traveler's experiences. That relates to Chomsky and Herman's Propaganda Model, particularly with the concepts of ownership and advertising shaping the media. Media outlets rely on views and engagement, therefore they often structure articles in ways that will connect to their viewers. Travelers were the intended audience for this article, therefore the article focused on delays and travel tips and didn't delve further into the labor conditions or government accountability of the situation. It essentially reframed an issue of a political/worker rights problem as a travel delay problem.
This framing of an article can impact the way people perceive things and may have some people realize it later. A person who reads this article may say to themselves "I need to arrive at the airport sooner," instead of thinking "Why do essential workers have to work without pay?" I realized myself that I initially reacted in this manner when I read the article. This demonstrates how media does not simply report the event; it also quietly influences the issues that are brought to our attention and those which are ignored.
Additionally, there is a larger discussion surrounding profit and journalism. Most of the large media organizations are for-profit organizations, and these organizations are driven by the desire to create articles that generate clicks/views/engagement. While this does not inherently mean that the reporting of these organizations is incorrect, it certainly can influence what is emphasized and what is omitted from the reporting. Additionally, when reporting is generated through the lens of what will sell the most, it limits deeper discussions of complex issues. This ultimately makes it more difficult for a society to thoroughly grasp the complexities of issues (such as government shutdowns and environmental issues) due to the fact that we are viewing the most attention-grabbing aspects of the issue and not the entirety of the issue.
The media is not simply a source of information, but is also a tool used by societies to learn about their world and to understand the problems facing society. If the media is primarily concerned with generating profits, then it is less likely to provide its readers with a complete understanding of the world.
Jo Schroyer:
The article I chose is a recent article from Fox News about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. This is a bit different of an angle than I feel most would choose for a discussion like this because it is about an ongoing investigation and is constantly being updated.Even as I write this, they have posted an update about reaching out to Mexican authorities as well for help with the case. It was published February 18th, 2026, and discusses when she disappeared, who she is, and the sheriffs pleading with the suspect to "let her go". Nancy Guthrie is an 84 year old mother of an NBC "Today" host who disappeared three weeks ago in Arizona. the FBI have been brought into this case and have been searching recent gun purchases, have given a description of what the suspect may look like, and has offered a one hundred thousand dollar reward for information regarding the case.
Advertisements: They are everywhere. You cannot scroll without seeing a new ad, and it gets to be a bit overwhelming and makes you not want to finish the article.
Ownership: Fox News is typically a very conservative media outlet, and their views tend to push this way, however, with this story, there was not much of this because of the story it covered, as well as no advertisements for memberships, which was a nice change from most media outlets.
Flak: This story does not really have much flak, as it involves the mother of a well known show host, and gets much more coverage because of this, it is carefully worded on what information is being given.
The media elite: This story primarily only contains things that have been communicated from the FBI or local sheriffs, there is no conspiracy involved, which allows the police and FBI to be completely in charge of what is stated and communicated, and they even go as far as to say that "this is the best FBI on the planet" which shows who is in control .
The common enemy: They give a description of a man who may be involved and what to look out for, giving a common enemy to the public on who they should be looking for, which then creates worry for people seeing any man that could fit, even if it may not be them.
Had this been a crime committed by me, it would have made me see people differently if they fit the description, and people reading it may end up getting more paranoid about the people around them or worried for their own safety.
If this had been on a non-profit site, the article would be much easier to navigate and keep up with because it wouldn't have the ads, on the other hand, it probably would not be able to be updated as much, or have the coverage the a big for profit media company can give.
Montie Esworthy:
I chose an article from the AJC about the only stork native to North America graduating off of the federal endangered list. The stork lives near the Okefenokee, and was close to being extinct. It’s been on the endangered species list since 1984. The article discusses that over time the population of the stork has suffered greatly based on the condition of its habitat in the wetlands and disruption of water flow. The article emphasizes the increasing number of nesting pairs and colonies, and how the population has been recovering. The director of Fish and Wildlife Services counts this as a conservation success. Some environmentalists are apprehensive, citing the deteriorating condition of wetland habitats and erosion based on climate change, and the proposed cuts to the federal environmental protections by the current administration. Just over two years ago, during the previous administration, the Supreme Court decided that the habitat of the stork was at risk, and therefore the bird stayed on the list. At the end of last year, the current administration proposed a rule removing much of the nations wetlands from federal protection. For this reason, the Southern Environmental Law Center feels that the habitat is under too much pressure and that these storks need their habitats to survive. Noted is the disappointment in the Fish and Wildlife Service and their seemingly lack of concern about the consequences of climate change in the area.
In my analysis of this article, the first thing that came to mind before I even chose the article is that environmental news and climate news was listed under the business heading. After reading the lesson for this week and accompanying material, this is not surprising. The state of our environment is absolutely directly related to business. The businesses and the corporations contribute to the issues, they contribute to what is reported about the issues and how, so it makes sense that this would be under the business heading - Something I would’ve questioned before. The article does mention climate change and the position of the southern environmental law center. With a current administration that seems to question the validity and extent of climate change, I think it was important that this specifically was discussed in the article. Further, it talks about how he campaign and accomplished, removing these environmental regulations that might hinder more development and growing more industry in the economy, regardless of the cost of these habitats.
According to the short bio at the end, the author writes about climate change regularly, and deals directly with people that have been personally affected by things like extreme weather, hiring electricity, bills, and insurance, premiums, and healthcare expenses. I do notice also at the end of the article that there is a disclosure that reads that the coverage is supported by a partnership with Greene South foundation and journalism funding partners. I did a little more digging about this organization and they provide “fill anthropic support to fact based communication projects.“ This might lend to my feeling that this particular article may not have been as completely biased as others. Though she seemed to only have direct quotes from the SELC, she did talk about the different sides of the issue, the current administration, the EPA and the fish and wildlife service.
Every advertisement on the page of the article was political campaign