Transition Lecture
Structure of Comms for 2016 Availability Remember – your tutorial teacher is your first contact General course outline Sample topics: Mass Media: Newspapers Mass Media: Advertisements
Timetable: 2 – 1 hour lectures per week 1 – 2 hour tutorial per week Availability time by appointment (only for your tutorial teacher) 1 lecture will be taught by Ryan, the other lecture will be taught by Lynn Each tutorial will have either Lynn or Ryan
4 categories of assessment: Text Analysis (writing about a given text; remember a text can be a film, short story, letter, advertisement, etc.) Text Production (making a particular text type) Communication Study (examining how language is used in a given text) Folio (collection of a text response and text production; this is externally assessed) There is no exam Overall: 10 assessments (2 of which are oral presentations) Average word count: 1000 words Average length of oral presentation: 5 minutes
Text Analysis: 3 assessments Written – film review Written – short story response Oral – poetry analysis Text Production: 3 assessments Recount (supervised; “exam”-like conditions) Exposition Narrative Communication Study: 2 assessments Comparison of mass media communication Practical application (produce a piece of writing and explain the production in an oral presentation) Folio: 2 assessments (externally assessed) Text Response with commentary Text Production with writer’s statement
Text Analysis: 20% 3 assessments in this category; each worth approx. 6.6% Text Production: 20% 3 assessments in this category; each worth approx. 6.6% Communication Study: 30% 2 assessments in this category; each worth 15% Folio: 30% (externally assessed) 2 assessments in this category; each worth 15%
Comms is moderated (like every other year 12 subject) So... you are responsible for keeping track of ALL of your work that you complete We will use Turn It In to check originality and also help provide an electronic copy in case of misadventure You will be given a folder; place all marked/returned work into this folder Your work may be called up for moderation at the end of the year – no advance notice If you have lost a piece of marked work, it will impact your moderation results and can impact the results of everyone else
Main emphasis: examining types of communication so that you can better understand it AND/OR reproduce that communication in an effective manner Key questions: How was a text produced? Why was it produced this way?
Sample article (source: AFP 29 th Nov 2010) WikiLeaks lifts lid on US diplomacy WIKILEAKS has unleashed a torrent of US cables detailing a wide array of potentially explosive diplomatic episodes. The cables range from a tense nuclear standoff with Pakistan to Saudi Arabia's king repeatedly suggesting bombing Iran, the New York Times says. The cables describe the bazaar-like bargaining over the repatriation of Guantanamo Bay detainees, a Chinese government bid to hack into Google, and quote Saudi King Abdullah as saying the United States should strike Iran to halt its nuclear program, telling it to "cut off the head of the snake". alliteration Emotive language; emotive action verb Emotive language; emotive adverb and adjective Note the use of names, titles; Appeal to Authority
What questions would follow? Why was emotive language used? What are some of the aims (purposes, reasons for production) of the article? Who might the target audience be? What shows this (how do you know)? For target audience we will also discuss / consider demographics Assignment: compare two articles, of different styles, on the same topic (i.e. a news report and an editorial) To use the article beforehand, you would need to find an editorial that covered the same topic
Remember: advertisements are persuasive communication (they express an idea to an audience) Use some devices found in persuasive texts (opinion pieces, editorials, expository essays, etc.) Advertisements are designed to persuade you to do/think something Follow the AIDA principle: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
Sample advertisement Circa 1950 Appeal to celebrity; appeal to authority Product, in colour, front and centre of spread Product in use; creates familiarity Note the appeal to action: “Buy...”; product appeal for holiday season Advertisement available: “Vintage Ads”, Accessed 19/11/2012
Sample advertisement; circa 1950 What do you see in this advertisement? How is it gaining ATTENTION? How is it generating INTEREST? How is it creating DESIRE? How is it encouraging ACTION? Advertisement available: “Vintage Ads”, Accessed 19/11/2012
Sample advertisement – advertising in the “public sphere” Consider context: where/when of a text; in this case consider where and why it was used What do you see in this advertisement? How is it gaining ATTENTION? How is it generating INTEREST? How is it creating DESIRE? How is it encouraging ACTION? Advertisement available: “Creative Ads – Jobsintown.de”, Accessed 19/11/2012
Mass media operates on two “levels” of messages Level 1 - Main Message: What info is imparted by the image and the text? What primary behavior is the desired outcome? Level 2 - Subordinate Message: What info is inferred or implied by the image or text? What other behaviors are encouraged?
Carefully examine the next advertisement you come across Use the AIDA principle to pick it apart Start reading a reputable newspaper (The Age, The Australian, etc.) your first assessment task will require you to use a newspaper Use your holidays to actually get some rest When you come back you will have an assessment in Comms due approximately every 3 to 4 weeks!