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One of our "chilling moments" when we were having fun together

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WEEK 1: Why did I choose to major in COMS?

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WEEK 1: Why did I choose to major in COMS?

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Signs, hidden messages by morse, semaphore code, etc., are some kinds of information transmission that I learned to have fun with my friends. This was the most significant period of my youth back in Vietnam. Growing up enjoying the happiness of social activities, I want to spread across and encourage people to join these meaningful interests. I got memorable moments in my 15 years of youth thanks to communication and the variables of its technologies. So, I want to deeply dig into the field and take advantage of its influence on the public. By gaining insights into the communication industry, I believe that I could create more value for at least the people around me (and society). This is the reason why I am pursuing my future career as a COMS student at the UofC. COMS 201 is one of the first steps to achieving my ambition. With the clear motivation, I am mostly interested in the topics about audiences and the media effects on them. The other topics would absolutely play a crucial role in providing me with a rich background in communication and media.

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The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was born and created under the Canadian Broadcasting Act on Nov 2, 1936.

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WEEK 2: Canadian identity in colonial media systems

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WEEK 2: Canadian identity in colonial media systems

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Canada represents a distinct and independent nation in colonial media systems. This was achieved by early Canadian films and radio programs, which usually portrayed the Canadian landscape and its people as unique and worthy of attention. By showcasing the distinctive qualities of Canada, such as the country's vastness, small population size, regionalism, cultural diversity, and so on, early Canadian media helped establish a national identity distinct from Britain or the US. Also, they fostered a sense of pride and ownership among Canadians. Undeniably, colonial media systems contributed to shaping a Canadian identity that would continue to evolve and change over time.

According to Gasher et al. (2020), colonial media systems also make a considerable contribution to constructing Canadian identity by providing a means to share cultural and social values and norms. Settlers approached national cultural practices and beliefs from such colonial media as newspapers, magazines, and radio broadcasts. These media platforms opened up an opportunity for immigrants to learn about Canadian history, culture, and values. In this way, colonial media systems helped foster a sense of shared identity among settlers and create a unified Canadian culture. The establishment of CBC in 1936 could be a prime example since its mandate was to promote Canadian culture, values, and identity through its programming as a radio broadcaster.

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An image of the print ads series calling for sponsors for children with disabilities in Switzerland - https://givechildrenahand.org/ 

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"Give Children a Hand" is a Swiss charity that depends on financial support to open up opportunities for disabled children to access modern hand prostheses. They launched a donation campaign that creatively utilized the new Swiss banknote series, whose defining visual feature is the human hand. The campaign created print ads that 'transformed' the banknotes into prosthetic hands for children with physical disabilities. The children, therefore, can perform activities such as riding bicycles, scooping up spring water, etc. which they could not otherwise be able to do. The provided image presents one of the print ads in the campaign.

From the perspective of denotative meaning, the print advertisement depicts a black-and-white photograph of a little girl catching water by the stream. The outstanding feature is a banknote with an image of a real hand connected to the girl's wrist, right at the center of the ad, which is the only component colored. In the upper right corner, there is also a tiny text conveying the campaign message:

HELP CHILDREN WITH A MISSING HAND TO LIVE THEIR DREAM.
Your donation helps children with physical disabilities to live a better life - with modern hand prostheses. Thank you!
givechildrenahand.com

The "Give Children a Hand" series of print ads is a powerful visual representation of how a prosthetic hand can change a child's life. The ad has tugged at the audiences' heartstrings by showcasing a young girl with a prosthetic hand by a banknote doing a simple activity that seems like anyone can do - scoop up the spring water. The banknote acts as a 'new hand' for the young girl in tandem with being a connection reminding viewers that their donation can change the young girl's life and allow her to experience such simple pleasure. It is evident that the visualization makes it easier for the viewers to visualize the impacts of their contribution. Also, by featuring the girl in a natural environment, the ad connotes a link to the natural world and highlights the importance of enabling children with physical disabilities to connect with and experience the world around them.

From my perspective, this print ad series is a compelling representation of the "Give Children a Hand" campaign's message. It illustrates the impacts of charity and encourages audiences to donate to help provide children with physical disabilities with the tools they need to lead fulfilling lives.

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"The Harry Potter Alliance was founded by a simple idea - what if fans used their passion and creativity to make the world a more loving, equitable place?"

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WEEK 5: Fan activism - Harry Potter Alliance

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WEEK 5: Fan activism - Harry Potter Alliance

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Harry Potter fans have has reputation for their political activism, which illustrates the key idea from reception studies that media consumption can inspire audiences engage in real-world activism. According to Rosenberg's article, Harry Potter fans have used the themes and values presented in the books to inspire activism on issues such as social justice and child slavery. This illustrates the idea that media consumption is not a passive activity, but rather audiences actively engage with media to create their own meanings and interpretations beyond the original intention of the creator.

Rosenberg (2015) argues that pop culture texts can inspire real-world activism because they foster a sense of community and belonging. This shared experience provides the framework for like-minded individuals to organize and mobilize, leading to political activism. Pop culture texts, besides, may also motivate readers to take actions by educating them about complex social circumstances such as child enslavement. For instance, the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) exploited the Harry Potter narrative and characters to highlight anti-slavery initiatives and enhance fan awareness of the existence of child slavery. The HPA used the framework of the Harry Potter world to inspire and motivate fans to engage in activism, illustrating the key idea from reception studies that audiences use media texts to create their own meanings and interpretations.

In summary, the political activism of Harry Potter fans illustrates the active role that audiences play in interpreting and applying media texts to their lives, and the potential of pop culture texts to inspire and facilitate real-world activism. Pop culture texts provide a framework for audiences to connect, mobilize and take action towards issues that they deem important in their lives.

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"Small Mac is enough!" is designed for a culture-jamming type known as subvertising. Subvertising is the practice of subverting or altering the messages or images of mainstream advertising in order to challenge the dominant cultural narrative and promote social or political change.

In terms of color, there is a complete contrast between the two sizes of "Mac" which illustrates distinct food portions. By playing off with McDonald's color branding, it intends to draw attention and create a sense of familiarity and recognition (on the left side) when audiences first approach the ad. Besides, the stylization of the letter M in McDonald's into the shape of the letter S shows a better fit for the message of the "Small" rather than the "Big".

The tagline uses a well-known McDonald's (Big Mac) menu item to challenge the fast food industry's emphasis on larger portion sizes and promote the idea of smaller and healthier options. By utilizing the word "Small Mac" in lieu of "Big Mac", it suggests that a smaller portion size of fast food, such as a small McDonald's burger, is sufficient to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary energy and nutrition for the body. It also emphasizes the importance of portion control and encourages people to prioritize their health over convenience or price.

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WEEK 10: Are we living in a "panoptic society"?

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WEEK 10: Are we living in a "panoptic society"?

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Gasher et al. (2020) describe the concept of a panoptic society in which individuals are being constantly monitored by the state, private companies, or other individuals (pp. 164 - 165). This surveillance is enabled by a multitude of such technologies as CCTV, mobile AI assistants, social media platforms, etc. From my perspective, I do believe that we are indeed residing in a "panoptic society" where our lives are being watched and regulated in various aspects.

Surveillance technologies are increasingly ubiquitous in our daily lives. CCTV is installed in public spaces, from streets and buildings to transport hubs. The use of facial recognition software, which is currently utilized by both commercial businesses and government enforcement organizations, is becoming more pervasive. Entrepreneurs, in addition, are being permitted to track user activity and personalize advertising via online tracking tools such as cookies.

Social media platforms are another critical factor when it comes to panoptic society. Take Facebook and Instagram as prime evidence. These platforms collect a myriad of data on users' activities, preferences, and behaviors to create targeted advertisements and "control" the news on users' apps. This can create a feeling of being under constant surveillance and regulation, as users' actions are tracked and monitored every single time. The scandal between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica that emerged in 2018 can be deemed a significant consequence of panoptic society, which raises concern about personal data exploitation on social media platforms.

On a personal level, the reality of living in a panoptic society has not been a big problem to me as the way we are being surveilled has contributed to our safe and convenient life. However, it is a must that we should acknowledge our responsibility to keep private information to avoid bad things happen!

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An Introduction to Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish - A Macat Sociology Analysis

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A short video on CPSC which specifies some DO and DON'T on the media. This reflects Canadian's policies to ensure appropriate media operations.

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According to Gasher et al. (2020), the communication and media policy's purpose is to ensure that the media operate fairly and transparently, which is beneficial to society as a whole (p. 171). This also means that communication policy is brought in to regulate the behavior of media organizations to ensure that media serves not only the interests of its owners and content creators. Specifically, I believe that the policy can help expand access to communication services for marginalized or underserved communities, which could promote economic growth. Bringing in standard and strict policies could have significant impacts on democracy (freedom of expression and access to information), diversity (variety of perspectives and voices), innovation (supports in research and new technology development), and social development as well.

With regard to the Canadian context, media policy in Canada has served to promote a diverse and accessible media environment that reflects Canadian values and supports the country's social and economic development (Gasher et al., 2020, pp. 171 - 189). Canadian content and culture are highly promoted, particularly in light of substantial American media influences on the Canadian landscape. Additionally, the Canadian Radio-television, and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the primary regulatory body responsible for overseeing the broadcasting and telecommunications industry in Canada, has implemented policies to develop diversity and also ensure an appropriate and evident manner of media organizations.

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Transcript

Transcript: Dos and Don'ts of Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant

What's the first thing you did this morning?

You probably checked at least one of your social media accounts. Over 94% of Canadians online have one.

As a public servant, you can leverage digital platforms to share your work, collaborate with others, and engage.

And whether it's personal or professional, your social media use is guided 24/7 by the Values and Ethics Code. Respecting the Code helps make sure that even when online, your focus is on serving Canadians, protecting the public's trust and remaining impartial.

Here are the top dos for navigating social media as a public servant.

Do shout out the great work that you and your team are doing and get permission to share team and event videos or photos.

Do find, tag and follow potential collaborators for future cross-promotion.

Do like, post and share information, like job leads and recruitment campaigns.

Do join the conversation using an event or theme #Hashtag that's accessible.

Do participate and contribute online. Verify your sources to avoid misinformation and disinformation.

And here are the top don'ts.

Don't mistreat others: Harassment, defamation, hate propaganda and copyright infringement are never okay.

Don't overshare: Disclosing sensitive, protected information, or information not intended for public consumption, even if by accident, can have consequences.

Don't forget the Values and Ethics Code: Try to avoid discussions that criticize or attack the government or its policies.

Stay impartial: Assess before tagging partisan accounts or political parties.

Don't disrupt or put GC devices or networks at risk by spamming.

If you're still in doubt on how to proceed, know that social media activity is full of gray areas.

Don't be shy to reach out to your manager, the Values and Ethics Office, your designated political activities rep or your department's Communications team.

Want to learn more? Register today for Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant!

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Dos and Don'ts of Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant (TRN1-V13)

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Transcript Transcript: Dos and Don'ts of Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant What's the first thing you did this morning? You probably checked at least one of your social media accounts. Over 94% of Canadians online have one. As a public servant, you can leverage digital platforms to share your work, collaborate with others, and engage.

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WEEK 12: Assess information credibility on social media platforms

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WEEK 12: Assess information credibility on social media platforms

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In this fast-paced technology era, I personally utilize social media platforms as a go-to source for keeping up with the latest news since it is simple and convenient to access an abundance of information with just a few clicks. As a result, I also think that a myriad of people are becoming more reliant on the Internet, specifically social media, to stay informed and updated.

Social media platforms are designed to encourage interactions between users and media content through such features as likes, comments, shares, retweets, etc. Users can also share their stories and other media content with friends and followers, which could go viral if resonating with a large audience. This could lead to information being manipulated and spread out without verification.

From my perspective, it is crucial to consider the source of information and whether a reputable media outlet has verified it. Besides, before deciding to share any piece of information, I usually look around to check whether the information has been reported by other trustworthy sources. There could be inaccurate information if the news is only up by one or two small sources. Sometimes, typos and other errors in a piece of communication can be a red flag when assessing a news source's credibility, as it indicates a lack of attention to detail. This should be approached with caution and an array of other factors as well.

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The course has provided me with fundamental knowledge about the communication and media industry which could contribute to building solid professional knowledge and skills for my future jobs. Through various assigned readings, discussions, and assignments, I have gained better insights into how communication and media shape our perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes. I have also had a deeper understanding of the role of communication and media in society.

On a personal level, I find audience reception theory and fan activism are the most compelling topics covered in this course. I have been provided a nuanced understanding of media's impact on culture and social change by exploring the active role that audiences play in media interpretation and the potential power of fan communities. This leverages me to keep thinking more critically about my own media consumption and to consider the ways in which I could use my own voice and actions to effect change in society in the near future.

Approaching diverse perspectives and theoretical frameworks in communication and media helps me be more conscious of media literacy and critical thinking. Thanks to the in-class discussions and the research essay, I have learned to analyze media messages more thoughtfully and consider the various ways in which they can influence our perceptions and attitudes. After the course, I was motivated to actively seek out varied viewpoints and representations in the media, which could enhance my knowledge and comprehension of different cultures and perspectives; developing a more nuanced and inclusive worldview.

COMS 201 has been a thought-provoking experience that has absolutely broadened my understanding of communication and media studies.
Thank you Dr. Thrift and Ms. O'Brien for a wonderful course!