Authors and Audience:
Who produced this document, and for what purpose?
~TheBlaze is owned by Glenn Beck; produced and operated by Mercury Radio Arts. The magazine can be through a mail subscription or a digital subscription and is sought after for its news, information, and opinions. The magazine supports writers, journalist, and for online subscriptions - video producers (TheBlaze). I have to clarify the fact I added "opinion." Glenn is a political talk show host and I although "Truth Lives Here" is the subtitle of the magazine, I have a hard time not adding the word "opinion" to any politically slanted news reporter. While there are political news reports I love such as Jon Stewart, one must always be aware that their news reports are slanted making their news "opinions."
Messages and Meanings
What are the messages communicated?
~The new Common Core standards are killing creativity in the classroom. It will be the downfall of our future.
What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?
~Certainly though who are worried that our students are being forced into a standardized education are going to benefit from pointing out the evils of Common Core. Those who are proponents of Common Core are going to be victimized as "suits" who are trying to make our students less creative and more machine - pumping out information instead of inventing new ideas. And of course, the Common Core idea will be harmed.
Representation and Reality
Language of Persuasion
Starting on P.6 of the Intro to Media literacy document there are 40 persuasive techniques listed and described. Which ones are used in this magazine cover?
~Chris Field wrote the article Collective Threat, "to expose Common Core is a threat to our kids, our freedom and our future" (Chris Field, 2014).
When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?
When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?
~According to Wikipedia Beck left Fox News on June 7, 2011 and TheBlaze website was launched on 2011. It was meant to be an alternative to mainstream media where Beck felt that the facts where reportedly "distorted." In fact, it states in the title "Truth Lives Here" (Wikipedia). Through some searching it looks like the first magazine was released on July/August 2011 and titled Behold the Future!, which would put it in conjunction with the 2011 website launch (Mercury Radio Arts).
~This particular issue was produced in May 2014 and was meant to show:
~This particular issue was produced in May 2014 and was meant to show:
...the progressive education scheme in action—from leftist indoctrination to data-mining systems to emphasis on the collective over the individual (Chris Field, 2014).
The Blaze will provide the facts, arguments and words you need to buttress the case for conservatism’s belief that this country is still the best there is and, as President Lincoln said, “the last best hope of Earth” (Mercury Radio Arts).
Messages and Meanings
What are the messages communicated?
What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
~The word "BLAZE" pops off the page in overly sized letters and in a bright red color. Traditionally red is the color of the republican/conservative party. There is no mistaken who the magazine is written by. A bubble thought is coming up from each student but the students are not thinking separate thoughts - only one "collective." The author(s) is sending a definitely message - creativity no longer lives in the school room. The next thing I see is the word "threat." No one can mistake the message of "threat," which means there is something wrong and it must be battled.
How might people interpret this message differently?
~When I see the word "collective" I think of the Star Trek villain - The Borg. It is kind of scary for me because the individuals in the collective were not able to think for themselves. They did what the Queen told them to do with no thought of what the actions may represent. That was my first thought and it sent a shiver down my spine. It definitely represents a scare tactic from my point of view. I am positive many others would see it this way as well, especially since it is connected to a picture of students all thinking the same way. The message to people like myself might provoke paranoid fantasies.
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| WildStar |
~When I see the word "collective" I think of the Star Trek villain - The Borg. It is kind of scary for me because the individuals in the collective were not able to think for themselves. They did what the Queen told them to do with no thought of what the actions may represent. That was my first thought and it sent a shiver down my spine. It definitely represents a scare tactic from my point of view. I am positive many others would see it this way as well, especially since it is connected to a picture of students all thinking the same way. The message to people like myself might provoke paranoid fantasies.
However, there are proponents for Common Core. Janet B. Bray, CAE, Executive Director, Association for Career and Technical Education, states, "The K-12 standards work recognizes that students in the United States are now competing in an international environment and will need to meet international benchmarks to remain relevant in today’s workplace" (Common Core State Standards Initiative). To someone like Janet, she's going to see this title as the author(s) challenging her point of view. She sees common core as a benefit to our students in ensuring that students across America stay on the same track (especially in underprivileged areas) in receiving comparable education. William Brantley Bryant, Georgia State Board of Education, states the same thing, "This is an historic day for American public education and for our nation as we begin the journey to level the academic playing field for every student"(Common Core State Standards Initiative). To them this message is not going to make sense.
I can see both sides of the argument. The odd thing is that standardizing education is meant to move our students in an internationally competitive market. However, creativity will be a big role in moving our students in that direction. "Thinking outside the box" is how you compete internationally. We can't have the same brains inventing new ideas. With that being said, the root to American issues is deeper than standardization. But where do we start to fix the issue. It certainly is not speed lessons to fit so much curriculum into one year. It doesn't fit childhood development of scaffolding knowledge.
Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?
~Certainly though who are worried that our students are being forced into a standardized education are going to benefit from pointing out the evils of Common Core. Those who are proponents of Common Core are going to be victimized as "suits" who are trying to make our students less creative and more machine - pumping out information instead of inventing new ideas. And of course, the Common Core idea will be harmed.
Representation and Reality
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| Blogger |
What information or perspective is left out of this message?
~I don't see the teachers' or students' perspective in this message or supporters of Common Core. Since it is a political forum, I see the politics of Common Core.
Is this an accurate and credible representation?
Is this an accurate and credible representation?
~Whether I agree or not - it is one sided. From the quotes of Common Core supporters I inserted above, there are certainly no supporters in the message.
How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?
~Without multiple sides of the argument (at least in the title) it makes the perspective an opinion, certainly not a fact.
Text and Subtext
Describe the text and subtext presented in this magazine cover. You can find a example of what this means on p.5 in this Intro to Media Literacy Project.
~The "text" of this media image is a classroom of forward facing students with one thought. The written words describe this image as a "collective." The words also defer to the collective as a "threat."
How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?
~Without multiple sides of the argument (at least in the title) it makes the perspective an opinion, certainly not a fact.
Text and Subtext
Describe the text and subtext presented in this magazine cover. You can find a example of what this means on p.5 in this Intro to Media Literacy Project.
~The "text" of this media image is a classroom of forward facing students with one thought. The written words describe this image as a "collective." The words also defer to the collective as a "threat."
~The "subtext" I derive from this media image I see is a forward facing classroom void of original thought. This brings to mind a traditional classroom that I was raised in, not the progressive educational goals I've been learning about over the last 4 years. The goals that make the classroom fit the students needs. Instead the student is forced to conform to the 4 walls, chalkboard, and the "sage on the stage" teacher.
Language of Persuasion
Starting on P.6 of the Intro to Media literacy document there are 40 persuasive techniques listed and described. Which ones are used in this magazine cover?
~The media message is "advocacy." The media image definitely has a political stance, in which it is supporting a particular belief - Common Core is threatening our future and our students (Media Literacy Project).
Citations
Field, Chris. (2014, May). Blaze mag: Collective threat. Retrieved from http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2014/04/24/blaze-mag-collective-threat/
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Quotes from supporters. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Quotes-from-Supporters.pdf
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Quotes from supporters. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Quotes-from-Supporters.pdf
Media Literacy Project. (n.d.). Introduction to media literacy. Retrieved from Introduction to Media Literacy
Mercury Radio Arts. (n.d.). Blaze magazine. Retrieved from http://www.glennbeck.com/content/magazine/
TheBlaze. (n.d.). Theblaze magazine: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.theblaze.com/magfaq/
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Theblaze. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheBlaze
1 comment:
Media Deconstruction.
Jaime went in a different direction for much of her media deconstruction. I chose to pinpoint the assistant editor Sharon Ambrose to mention of those who produced the magazine, while she went to the top honcho, the owner Glenn Beck. I feel in this case we are both right, it took several people to ok the issue before it went out for print. Jaime went into much more detail, where I gave my readers the gist.
Jaime found a few more attention grabbing elements in the cover. The boldness of the print color in red, and the link possibly to the republican/conservative party. I don’t necessarily think these elements were consciously meant for these components, but good to mention them as possible alternatives.
We both noted the idea of “one mind” – no creative or free thinking here. Threat is a simple association as well. The danger to our future. Jaime made an association to Star Trek, which I know nothing about, but I enjoyed her explanation and can understand her angle here, so appreciated the inclusion.
Jaime mentions understanding both sides of the conflict. I can empathize with the desire to achieve through rigorous exams and set curriculums, but as an artist and teacher I hope this is not the absolute curriculum. Students need to be free for expression and letting loose. School is becoming too structured in its goals that we tend to lose students early on and have no connections to ground them back. It is hard. Jaime and I both love thinking outside the box.
Jaime brought to my attention that I forgot to include citations in my blog posting. I should have and will correct this in future. Overall hers was much more technical than mine, although I feel we both reached similar conclusions, so this is further interesting how the mind works and how different, yet similar minds like ours can be.
Well-done Jaime! As always.
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