Who Controls What You See?

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Units/media/control.html

by

Cheryl Jones

Introduction

You have just learned that everyone in the United States is being brainwashed by the T.V. You are an investigative reporter who is trying to get to the bottom of the problem. Read on to find out how you are going to solve the problem.

The Task

Resources

You will need to investigate on the internet. Each students will have a different media outlet to investigate. Type your outlet into Web Crawler, this is a search tool that will help you find your information.

The Process

To accomplish your task and save the United States you will need to follow a few simple steps:

  1. I will give each person in the class a different media outlet. (e.g. a magazine, t.v. station, etc.)
  2. It is your responsibility to find out who owns and controls your outlet. Do this by going to Web Crawler and typing in your outlet. Search everywhere you can to find the information you need. Feel free to go to the library to find your information.
  3. The next day in class we will make a chart using the information you found on the web. We will see who owns what. We will look at how many outlets are owned by the same person or the same company.
  4. For you homework you will take the information we compiled as a class and write your newspaper article answering the following questions:
    • Does one person or group control a majority of the media in America?
    • If so, how can that effect us as consumers?
    • How can that effect us as American citizens?
    • Will it effect how we think and act?

Learning Advice

When we make the chart in class that compiles everyones information, you need to take notes. Analyze the information in the chart and write your newspaper article. Remember a newspaper article is short, concise and to the point. You need to write it from a nuetral point of view.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on your newspaper article that you write. I want to see that you analyzed the information properly.

Conclusion

You will be testing your internet search skills, analyzing skills and your writing skills. Good Luck!

Last updated May 21, 1996. Return to the Media and Behavior Page