Author Archives: Reece Dorn

Reading Summary The article first introduces the video games “Special Force” by Hezbollah and “America’s Army” designed by the U.S. Army. The purpose of both of these first-person shooter games is to attract new recruits. Both organizations claim that their video games are educational entertainment. It then goes in to explain what propaganda is andContinue reading “From the Green Berets to America’s Army”

Summary The chapter starts off by saying that there are two approaches to analyzing stereotypes: laying out the problem and depicting the solution. It then connects these ideas to the concept of “othering”. The book states that as we see negative characteristics in certain groups more often as a pattern, it’s less likely that thoseContinue reading “Chapter 6 “Role Models and Stereotypes””

I have relocated back home in Dallas with my family, excluding my sister. Dallas is now on a sheltered lockdown so people can only go to essential places, and if they’re outside, they have to stay 6 feet away from everyone. I just have my laptop and Bose earbuds for the zoom calls. I amContinue reading “Activity 3/23”

Reading Summary The paper starts off with an example of an ad for Marilyn Peach, which uses a technique called “connotative chaining”. The paper reveals that this chaining is what causes ads to be effective. The paper then goes into another example of connotative chaining which correlates colors and signs of a cologne bottle toContinue reading “Persuasive Sign”

Reading Summary Kaufman’s article first starts by depicting a visual description of cooking shows that goes into depth on all the different aspects that occur behind the cameras. While the viewer may not initially (or ever) realize or ponder what goes on behind the scenes, much preparation and coordination transforms and elevated the viewer’s experience.Continue reading “Debbie Does Salad”

Reading Summary Semiotics is the study of what things mean. The thing of which a sign refers to is called the “Referent”. There are two types of referents: concrete and abstract. A concrete referent is something that exists in the real world, while an abstract referent is something that is imaginary or conceptual. The articleContinue reading “Messages, Signs, and Meanings”

Reading Summary Because quantitative research aims to find correlation between variables and organize the results in a systematic, organized way utilizing numbers and specific data, it seems much more reliable to use than qualitative research. Qualitative research focuses on using interpretive data that is more focused on the meaning of relationships that can actually provideContinue reading “Qualitative Research Methods for Media Studies”

Reading Summary While we perceive most aspects of media such as film and television to reflect the real world in great depth, there are actually many parts of it that fail to capture the realism of life. Smith brings to light two forms of realism originally introduced by John Caughie as the “dramatic look” andContinue reading “What is realism, really?”