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Communications 201 has been a great course for enforcing the basis of what communication and media studies really entails. From national identity to our personal connection to media this course has covered a wide range of communication topics.

With that said, the most compelling topic we covered this semester in Communications 201 is advertisement media and audience commodity. I found this topic stood out to me because it gave me another perspective of how marketers use advertisements not only to sell a product but also engage a group of consumers. Audience commodity has altered the way I think about advertisements in my everyday life by adding a perspective I had never considered before. Smythe’s theory of audience commodity is a concept I will take with me into other classes and discussions!

Understanding the complexities of media, specifically advertisements, is a topic that challenged me this semester. Dissecting the polysemic nature of advertisements is a complex process that Communications 201 has taught us to do. This has challenged me most this semester because it challenges rational and basic thinking. This task requires a deeper understanding of media, culture and propaganda studies.

Not only has this class set an example of the basics of communication and media studies, it has also impacted my use of media in the everyday. I now face social media, advertisements and news reports with a different perspective. Being able to have a deeper understanding of these topics will be an essential asset to my courses in the following years as well.

Thank you for a great semester:)

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Modern media has taken control of our consumption of news media. From online articles to video clips on social media news has taken many different forms. This has increased the accessibility of news media and improved society's ability to be educated on current events. Although this is very positive, the concept of fake news has risen with the improvements of new media. This makes finding credible sources difficult and confusing.

My main form of news consumption comes from Global News which is obviously a creditable and privately owned source. I think I turn to this more traditional form of news media because I know I am getting an unbiased and fact-checked form of news.

Although I do use social media and often encounter articles online, I prefer to fact-check with government or Canadian media-owned news sources.

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Media policy is important to the structure of Canadian and international media because it actively shapes the way we think about media's influence on our nation. Policy has often been implicated to protect the rights of media producers and media as a cultural industry. Not only does it prioritise media producers it also considers our national interests as consumers of media. This is why media policy often outlines the promotion of national identity through media.

Without media policy the structure of our national media landscape would be anarchic and relatively hard to regulate. This is because media policy also protects national industries and prevents the circulation of illegal materials. This can be done at a national and international level as communication media often takes place across borders!

Media policy in Canada has always had a strong influence on protecting the means of production of Canadian producers. Due to the strong influence of American media, Canadian media policy makers have often commissioned for the protection of Canadian media as it promotes our national identity. This is most evident in the work of the Air’d commission and the Massey-levesque commission. The Air’d commission specifically created the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission with the intention of preserving Canadian media.

Canadian media policy has also placed a strong emphasis on the federal funding/support of Canadian media producers and channels of distribution. We saw this happen in the Massey-levesque report of 1951.

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In today's digital age, the extent of surveillance that individuals are subject to is undeniable. We are constantly under the watchful eyes of various tracking apps, information-gathering algorithms, and surveillance technologies. These mechanisms monitor our online behaviour, track our physical movements, and collect data on our preferences and activities. When one takes a moment to reflect on the sheer number of ways we are being monitored, it becomes unsettling. This extensive surveillance can be more than what many individuals expect, as the digital ecosystem has become an integral part of our lives.

Whether we live in a "panoptic society" is a matter of debate. The concept of a "panopticon" refers to a prison design that enables a single watchman to observe all inmates without them knowing when they are being watched. In a broader societal context, the term "panoptic society" suggests that constant surveillance and self-censorship result in a kind of social control. While we are certainly under continuous surveillance, our level of awareness, autonomy, and the ability to evade some forms of monitoring still exist. Therefore, the analogy to a true panopticon might not be a perfect fit for modern society. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that surveillance technologies have the potential to influence behaviour, impact privacy, and raise ethical concerns, making it crucial to discuss and address the implications of living in a surveillance-oriented world.

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This week in class we viewed the film No Logo which defines the importance of brand image in advertising. This film emphasized the specific culture brands have created for themselves in the wake of digital media advertising.

This film helped me understand the influence brand culture has had on our society. The speaker's discussion of “Brand Nirvana” while speaking about the town Celebration Florida really emphasized the way branding could be considered a monopoly of influence. She described this type of brand culture as “something that cannot be interfered with” which really helped me understand the strength of influence brands can have on how we live.

Most compelling to me was the connection between advertisement culture and globalisation. The way the speaker drew a connection between the outsourcing of products by sweatshops and the monopolisation of influential brands was really interesting to me. How come the most popular/successful brands are able to unethically outsource and get away with it? The influence of brand culture really hides these unethical practices through their use of advertisement.

The film connected this week’s readings by discussing the concept of ideas being considered a commodity. The speaker evaluated the way social ideas can be commodified to grasp an audience of consumers. (They sell the idea) This is similar to the textbook connection of the commodities becoming a part of the brands.

I think brand culture has changed since the film was released in 2003 because of the rise of interactive social media platforms. Branding culture has become more integrated into our lives as we can physically partake in advertising by liking, viewing, and commenting on brands as they show up on our feeds.

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Reception studies focus on the consumption of media in relation to how consumers interpret the message in their own lives. Although those who consume media like the Harry Potter movies, often do it for entertainment they also unconsciously internalize the lessons of the narrative. Reception studies can be used to analyze the behaviour of consumers in relation to the media they participate in.

Harry Potter fans (often millennials) have become known for their political activism and support of equality within society. The reason for this may be the narrative of Harry Potter indirectly implies real-life political struggles and a more modern way of responding to them. As Harry Potter watchers engage in the movies they are subjected to these narratives in which they often reside. This is a key idea of reception studies that media consumers can interpret media in their own way and apply it to their own lives. Media helps establish consumers' opinions and interpretations of the world.

Rosenberg's theories can be applied to the activism of Harry Potter fans as well. This is because new forms of participatory media make it easy to connect people from around the globe including those who are fans of the same media content. This gives people a forum to connect with one another with similar values and even political opinions! Ultimately pop culture texts influence their consumers' perception of society through narratives and themes that can be reflected in society's political struggles inducing fans alike to become activists.

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The Birmingham School of Thought closely resonates with my own perception of audience studies. This theory analyzes audiences as free agents of interpretation but, it is the social constructs that persuade what they think about the media. These scholars also theorized that the dominant ideologies are almost always conveyed in mainstream media through the use of primary definers.

With that said, I believe this theory of audience studies is most accurate in reflecting our society's perception of media. As consumers, we know that we have critical agency to interpret media as we see fit but, this relies on our own social position and cultural influences. Our level of education, geographical location and, political views are examples of the cultural ideologies that will influence the way we perceive the media.

I also agree that dominant ideologies are easily applied to a lot of mainstream media we engage in. This is because those who produce and distribute media of any kind are wealthy and powerful. This makes it easy for them to convey a message of the prominent ideologies of their culture and block out those that are not.

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The Coca-Cola tagline "Taste the Feeling" is a prime example of polysemy and multiple meanings in advertising. On the surface, it suggests a literal experience, encouraging consumers to try the taste of Coca-Cola. It taps into the idea that Coca-Cola's flavour is enjoyable. However, at a closer look, the tagline also conveys a broader emotional and psychological message. It implies that drinking Coca-Cola is not just about the physical act of tasting, but about the emotional connections and experiences that come with it. Coca-Cola is positioning its product as something that can evoke feelings of happiness. It goes beyond the literal taste and associates the product with the intangible, positive emotions that can be triggered by enjoying Coca-Cola. The polysemy of the tagline and advertisements makes it versatile and capable of resonating with a wide range of consumers, regardless of whether they are focusing on the actual taste or the emotional aspects of the product.

"Taste the Feeling" is open to individual interpretation, allowing consumers to decode it with their own meanings and experiences. This polysemy in Coca-Cola's tagline encapsulates both the tangible and intangible aspects of the product, appealing to diverse consumer sentiments and desires. Ultimately, the tagline captures the essence of Coca-Cola as more than just a beverage; it's a symbol of shared moments, happiness, and the simple pleasures of life.

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Creating a national identity is not an easy task especially when you're dealing with a vast geographical area like Canada. Over 9.9 million square kilometers of people that all have one thing in common, the land they live on.

Colonial media did an adequate job of bringing together Canadian regions into one imagined community of Canadian culture.

For example, the development of communication media like the telegraph and the railway, played a central role in connecting the vast and geographically diverse regions of Canada. This allowed for the rapid spreading of information and the beginning of long-distance communication. Newspapers and telegraph wires stretched across the country, enabling Canadians to stay informed about events and developments in other regions. This sense of interconnectedness and shared communication fostered a sense of national unity and identity.

Another way Canadian identity was created through media is, the Broadcasting Act of 1932 put forth by RB Bennett. This legislation aimed to regulate and promote Canadian broadcasting content, asserting Canada's power over its own broadcasts. By imposing restrictions on the amount of external content available to air in Canada the act encouraged the creation and dissemination of Canadian programming, including news, entertainment, and cultural content. This was important to fostering Canadian identity by allowing Canadian creators to share their voices, stories and, artwork throughout the nation.

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I am excited to begin Communications 201 because I am very passionate about media studies. From a young age I have had an interest in social media marketing as well as journalism. With that said I believe taking Communications 201 is really a step in the right direction for me as an undergraduate student.
Concepts like, representation in media, advertising and, media policy are all things I look forward to learning about in this class. As well as just learning more about the communications field in general!