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1998-1999 Archive

Do the Media Reflect My Life or Does My Life Reflect What's In the Media?

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ACTIVITIES
created by the author of Media Alert!, Sue Lockwood Summers

  1. Have students watch movies or TV over a weekend and list all the stereotypes students recognize.  Then have each student add to a bulletin board a collection of all they observed.
  2. Dress paper models in the most popular hats, shoes. logos, etc.   What makes him or her so "hot"?  What makes these clothes so special?  Then have groups within the classroom defend their choice of clothing for their model and debate as to whose is the hottest.  How do the media help shape our decisions?
  3. Make a list of subsets of society ( i.e. handicapped, overweight, ethnic groups, kids in glasses, women, elderly...).  Have students look in magazines and newspapers and find several people in each subset.  How are they featured?   Do this activity for a week.  What conclusion can you draw on how the media represent or fail to represent diverse groups?  Is there a pattern?
  4. State a blind taste test on different types of cola.  Are our choices of soft drinks and other foods determined more by taste, price or advertising?
  5. State a fashion show with characters from media (i.e. the Nerd, Cool Guy, Beauty, Model, Intellectual, Good Guys...).  Discuss how choices were made to dress the models in the way they were dressed.
  6. Have students record a "laugh track".  Then have them write a 3 - 5 minute "sitcom" and have them then perform it with and without the laugh track.  Is there a difference in audience reaction?
  7. Have students choose their favorite comic strip and cut it out every day for a week.  Select one day's strip and "white out" the dialogue box.   Then have them fill in their own dialogue relating to a current health or lifestyles issue.
  8. Invite a model to come talk to students about the modeling industry and the "tricks of the trade".  Have students prepare questions including questions on lifestyle, health, image, attitudes and stereotypes.
  9. Collect magazine ads of tobacco and alcohol products for a week.   Have the class analyze the ads focusing on:

    1. target audience

    2. purpose

    3. background of ad

    4. accuracy of representation

    5. message

        Then have each student select one ad and create a more realistic version of the product's impact on individuals.

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DISCUSSION STARTERS

  1. Observe how friendships are portrayed in stories on TV or in the movies.  Have them discuss if the characters behavior might influence how they handle a similar situation?  See if the students think the characters they are discussing made good or bad choices?  Ask them if they would make the same or different choices and why?

  2. Consider who holds talk shows or news magazine shows (like Dateline or 20/20) accountable.  What questions would they like to ask them?

  3. Think about what medium impacts them the most:   TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, comic books, billboards, commercials, Internet...?

  4. Consider if media exposure can help or hurt a public figure?  Have them explain their opinion.

  5. Discuss what role the media play in their personal decision making?

  6. Discuss whether they think celebrities really use the products that they endorse?  Ask them to give reasons as to why or why not.   Discuss why they think advertising companies use celebrities?

  7. Think about health issues that are highlighted in magazines and tabloids that relate to teenagers.  See if they think the media endorse certain looks for teenagers?

  8. Reflect upon types of people that are seldom featured as TV news anchors, as heroes in series, as game show hosts...  Have students discuss who they would hire if they had the chance to create a TV crew or produce a show.   Have them give reasons for their choices.

  9. Identify a TV or movie character or sports figure that best depicts their attitude when they are:  happy, frustrated, mad, scared, mistreated, winning, losing...  Have them explain their choices.

    10. Consider if they have ever thought about telling the media what they think?  Help them to devise strategies that they could use to give feedback to the media?

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