Information Neighborhoods Overview

Study Notes

Information Neighborhoods

Comprises six categories: News, Propaganda, Advertising, Publicity, Entertainment, and Raw Information.
Each category serves unique purposes and targets different clients.

Media "Text"

Includes various formats like advertisements, magazines, newspaper articles, television broadcasts, and video games.

Goals of Communication Types

Propaganda: Aims to persuade.
Entertainment: Intended to divert, arouse, or move emotions.
Raw Information: Offers entertainment, personal expression, and bypasses verification.
Advertising: Focused on selling products.
News: Designed to inform.
Publicity: Enhances the image of clients.

News Characteristics

Clients: The Public.
Practitioners: Journalists.
Methods: Emphasizes verification, independence, and accountability.
Outcome: Creates reliable and actionable information, fostering an informed society.

Propaganda Overview

Clients: Governments and political parties.
Definition: Spread of information, ideas, or rumors to influence perceptions or actions.
Methods involve manipulation of information through various techniques such as Assertion, Bandwagon, and Card stacking.

Techniques of Propaganda

Assertion: Statements presented as facts without evidence.
Bandwagon: Encourages following the majority for perceived success.
Card Stacking: Selective omission of negative information about an idea.
Glittering Generalities: Uses vague words that elicit positive associations.
Lesser of Two Evils: Presents a choice as the least harmful option.
Name Calling: Employs derogatory terms to discredit opponents.
Pinpointing the Enemy: Simplifies situations by identifying a clear antagonist.
Plain Folks: Conveys a sense of camaraderie with the average person.
Simplification: Reduces complex issues to binary choices.
Testimonials: Endorsements linking respected figures to products or ideas.
Transfer: Associates positive or negative feelings from one entity to another.

Clients and Practitioners of Other Communication Types

Advertising: Client is Businesses; practitioners include agencies and ad directors.
Publicity: Clients are celebrities and public officials; practitioners are public relations agencies.
Entertainment: Clients are the public; practitioners include entertainers and creatives.
Raw Information: Available to anyone, with no filtration or added context.

Newsworthiness Factors

Impact, Immediacy, Proximity, Prominence, Novelty, Conflict, and Emotions determine a story's appeal.

Media and Political Spectrums

Conservative is associated with right-wing politics; associated parties include Republicans.
Liberal aligns with left-wing politics; associated parties include Democrats.
Media outlets span a spectrum from MSNBC (far left) to FOX News (far right), with networks like NPR in the moderate category.

Media Bias Factors

Political correctness, institutional bias, and audience bias contribute to perceived leanings in news coverage.

Understanding Fake News

Defined as misinformation published as news to mislead consumers, often propagated through circular reporting.

Key Questions for Media Literacy

Essential inquiries include: What do I know? How do I know? What don't I know?

Political Socialization

A lifelong process influenced by family, education, peers, and media, shaping individuals' political views.

News Literacy Principle

Recognizing the neighborhood of the information source is crucial for navigating media content effectively.

Description

This quiz focuses on the various concepts within the realm of information neighborhoods, covering terms such as news, propaganda, and advertising. Test your understanding of how media influences our perception and the goals of propaganda. Explore examples from different media texts to deepen your knowledge.