Reading comprehension

1.- Pan African is a term that relates to people form all African countries and is usually used as a reference to the Pan Africanism, which is an ideology that tries to conceal the unity of the African country. This concept is important because it reaches to all people so they feel identified with this term, which unifies them.
2.-  idk

3.- Thao Mbeki was deputy president when Mandela was the president of South Africa. He was the first chairperson-in-office of the Commonwealth of Nations. Mbeki reduced the unemployment of the population and raised the country's economy by 4.5% per year during his term.
4.-
Repetition: I have seen the corruption(...). I have seen concrete expression(...).  This repetition contrasts the idea he is trying to conceal. He is trying to show people hat he knows what is really going on.
Allusion: "(...) to remind ourselves of the Latin saying: Gloria est consequenda- Glory must be sought after. ". He not only advocates a phrase that makes him sound smart, but the phrase has the purpose to create a feeling on the people, by alluding a concrete famous phrase.
Metaphor (figurative speech): "My body has frozen in our frosts(...)". He is alluding to having lived through the weather of Africa.

This rethorical devices really complements the speech, giving it more authority and giving it the ability to reach the audience, appealing to Ethos and Pathos, as well as Logos.

A Deconstructed Ad

 

This is a Name Calling ad, targeting the McDonald´s brand. As an image is worth a thousand words, the massive space that this fat Ronald McDonald is using atracts the customer´s view in a matter of seconds, which is crucial to contrast the point that the picture is trying to achieve. The slogan is the traditional one from McDonalds, "I´m loving it", which in this case is not used because of it´s catchiness, but because it uses a phrase said by the brand, which is now being used to tell people the fact that "they are loving the unhealthy food". This ad has no copy, given that the only and central text is te one we just mentioned. As this is not an ad directly from McDonalds but a name calling ad, the brand signature  wouldn´t exist. However everyone can refer to McDonalds given the classic clown and the colors, as well as the slogan. A rethorical device used is the allusion, given that they are referring to McDonalds famous "I´m loving it", using it against them.

Procrastination refers to the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, posponing tasks. This is another good example for name calling ads, given that it targets the famous social media Facebook. The image is simple and concrete, so people could relate it inmediately to Facebook, creating a more direct message to the viewer. The slogan is not taken in count, but the text says "procrastination" instead of "Facebook", which stands for people who probably uses too much Facebook, being characterized by being apathetic and laid-back, there the term procrastination. Copy is again inexistent, as well as the signature, because it obviously isn´t an ad directly from the brand, but an ad that represents a critic to the social network.

Assignment, Persuasive Techniques

2.- The worst technique its probably the Name Calling, because if people know you are creating a negative point of view, independant of what's about, they will consider you an unfair producer and probably turn against you. In the Burger King example, its obviously referring to the McDonalds franchise, saying that their hamburgers are not as big as they say.

1.- I believe that the best persuasive technique is the Testimonial. I think its the best one because it reaches a specific audience which makes it more effective. It appeals to someone that you probably know and consider famous, so you'll probabl feel comfortable with the product. In the SmartWater ad, Jennifer Aniston is promoting a product, which is what most women would probably consider a stereotypical women, wanting to be like her, so they would drink the water she promotes.

Written Task ; Letter To The Editor

Rationale:
 
This written task relates to my study on every topic that's related to the mass media, particularly the media manipulation involved in a certain type of media, specifically newspaper.
   In addition, my written task is structured by my study of media manipulation, independent of what type of media it's in. In this task I considered the effects that a trademark would have on a newspaper by sponsoring it, having to deal with concepts like the censorship and bias in articles and the body itself of a newspaper.
I have learned that censorship matters and that it shouldn't be ignored. I have written a letter to the editor making a critic about how the "LionSprouse" bank has affected the content in the articles of the "Daily Reader".
  Furthermore, I adopted a tone made out of anger and disconformity to critically discriminate manipulation on the newspaper.
  My letter tries to show the point of view of this mad reader. I discuss how articles have changed their content due to this sponsorship.
  The letter is concrete and intends to look authentic. That is to say that I included rhetorical questions, recommendations and a counter argument that sets the tone and mood I wanted to convey.

Relevant links/bibliography: "Language and Literature for the IB Diploma" by Brad Philpot, Cambridge Editorial

Letter To the Editor:

Santiago de Chile
Chile
Anthony Lang
Driver Lane 334
California - United States of America.
 Dear Mr. Lang,
As a foreign reader of your online newspaper "Daily Reader", and a student from "The Mackay School" where I studied mass media and mass communication, I feel the necessity to write you this letter to inform you about some changes that have been troubling me in terms of the newpaper you're an editor in. I personally don't feel so comfortable with the last changes that have been taking place between articles and format of the online page I so graciously read.
As an online community that reads your newspaper, we are grateful for all the news you have provided and published online for everyone to read, however, I believe that since your newspaper has started to grow, it has been affected by certain sponsors, particularly the LionSprouse bank. As a result of this your content has changed in many ways affecting the actual newsworthiness of the articles that you published. Articles have been censored and the main idea of some articles has changed totally, as I see it, to protect the identity that a bank is representing. This has totally been an unfair decission to your public, since we have the right to know the truth in each article we read.

As I see it, the content regarding any political news has changed in order to establish a point of view that defends the politician(s) involved in the article. Euphemisms and vague language are exposed to anyone within a critical thinking. Last Saturday's article about the politician Mark Green was so incomplete that it became vague to read. The facts presented were taken in a way that they wouldn't compromise the integrity of the politician, protecting him in every moral sense, while the article was about how he had committed fraud to the state by evading taxes. What's next? Changing facts to make him look like he had given away money? I arive at the conclusion that the bank's desire is to evade any conflict that could occur between  politicians at issue and the newspaper the bank is sponsoring. This has driven us to serious censorship that hide information form the community. News in which the truth lies are getting lost in oblivion because of the decisions you're taking.

What is more, articles involving artistry and music haven't been taken in consideration while editing the newspaper. They have been slowly disappearing from this one and taken over by any type of news that could create a single window to acclaim a politician or the bank itself. In other words, the ideal of the newspaper is slowly morphing into a controlled newspaper, that would only serve to benefit the image of politicians, instead of the modern unabridged newspaper we so like to read.

One of the other observations I have is how the online page has been getting full of advertisement. Online newspapers allows to browse through different types of news freely by the internet. In contrast to that, the ads that you have been setting throughout the page has barely taken over some news. As far as the comments on your page goes, I have read that many readers also share my thought. As a recommendation, I would suggest to organise better the space and layout of your online page, setting the advertisement in a way that in doesn't affect the news and freedom of what we read.
Although I agree that reading a newspaper that's made out of real paper is more comfortable and the community really appreciate that you also have a printed version of your newspaper. But as there is people that work almost all day and doesn't have the time or money to read a newspaper, you should also take more in consideration the online version that also covers a huge amount of your overall readers.

It seems that the recent sponsorship of your newspaper has affected not only the page layout, but the actual content that you publish. Therefore I cannot agree with the path you took. I am doubtful wether you should end the sponsorship or not because of obvious monetarily issues involved in the production of the newspaper, but I would recommend to reduce costs if needed to keep the newsworthiness you were giving, or taking a stand in the relation between your newspaper and the sponsors you relate to.

We have seen many changes in your newspaper, since the genesis to where you are now. You give us the alternative to read the news we couldn't, to us, the people that work all day and has just a little time to visit the online "Daily Reader" to get informed, and we appreciate it. I wrote you this to contrast the actual state of what's happening and for you to take a stand and realise the facts.

I hope that by writing this letter, I've helped you realize the changes that have been ocurring lately, and given you helpful advice.

Sincerely Yours,       

Kiyoshi J. Shinya

Activity 3.7

1. Make it Plausible :
The text on pages 84-86 focuses on a real person´s speech, which makes it sound authentic. It also shows the style of the related person, which shows the research done.
2. Be knowledgeable:
"I was accused of being biased toward my hometown."
"You may accuse me of propaganda and poor journalism."
3. Keep it relevant to Anglophone culture.
Michael Moore is totally relevant to the Anglophone culture. All he does is related to explore the correlation between media and violent acts in the U.S. Even one of his book covers has a big U.S. flag.
4. Know the right conventions for the text type:
 I think the author of the sample text was familiar with this type of text, the speech. He probably investigated and research other speeches before this one.

Technology Story

So after an exhausting day on France, we were about to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. Well, at least to the highest point for people to go.
I was so excited. I've been waiting all day for this moment. I was a little bit worried because I left my camera on the hotel room and I had no cellphone. I knew Mark had his cellphone with him so he would take the photograph we needed.
After reaching the top, I asked Mark to take me the photograph so he took his cellphone and got ready to take it. The cellphone suddenly fell from his hand and slip towards the side and fell of the Eiffel Tower.
He was shocked. He almost throw himself off the tower to catch it. But obviously he did not.
By the time we got to the ground we saw it and a  least it didn't fell on somebody's head or something. It was destroyed completely.After all this we just went to a store and looked for someone who could fix it and we really spent all the afternoon trying to find someone.

Graphic Novel Activity

Panel 1: back-to-front.
In the first panel, objectively there are two adults chatting in the background, in what it seems to be a living room with a rug hanging on the wall. A boy seems to be hiding by a staircase listening closely to what the adults say.

Panel 2: back-to-front.
You can see a kid standing by the staircase, with a curtain the background, seeming mad about something. He is wearing baggy clothes and he is facing the person in the front of the panel. On the front there is an adult smoking a pipe. The adult smoking a pipe has a long beard and he seems impressed by the kid

Panel 3: front to back.

The kid in the front starts running and he is crying a lot. He seems to be running from the adults. In the background of the panel an adult is yelling at the boy telling him to wait while the other adult doesn't seem to care too much about what is happening.

Panel 4: back-to-front.

The scheme is in the outside of a house and a boy just came out from the front door. He is looking to a another kid in the front of the panel that is swipping the ground with a broom next to an adult that is also swipping the ground.

Panel 5: flat view.

A panel representing parenthood in which you can see a kid and an adult who seems to be taking care of the kid that seems worrying about something while the adult keeps him from walking. The adult has a short beard  and wears baggy clothes .

Panel 6: flat

A kid running seems to be holded back by an adult running towards the kid that is also running. He is telling him that he's father didn't meant something and the kid interrupts him saying that he 'knows it's for his mother'. The kid is running towards the fence which is probably the exit of the house.

Panel 7: flat

A tall seeming adult with moustache and long hair is talking to th kid in front of him. The kid is looking at him while the adult holds his head and asks him why is he talking about the kid's mother. The adult seems worried about the kid.