1. Canadian & World Issues Global Media

2. Information Highway –Credibility of Resources –Perspective –Bias in Maps –Bias in the Media –Measuring YOUR Perspective Propaganda –The Global Media –Manufacturing Consent and The Assault on Reason –Doublespeak

3. Global Media Television –Analyzing the News –Toxic Sludge Magazine –The Genocide in Sudan Newspaper –Reported: “Beslan School Reopens” –Comparing Canada’s Newspapers Hollywood –Hotel Rwanda

4. Credibility of Resources Paradigm Facts Opinions Bias Ethnocentricity Propaganda Doublespeak Perspective

5. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

6. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

7. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

8. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

9. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

10. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

11. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

12. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

13. A Matter of Perspective What do YOU see?

14. Bias in Maps The Earth is a sphere (three-dimensional) and a map is flat (two-dimensional), so it is impossible to produce a map which combines the true shape, bearing, and distance. ALL map projections misrepresent the surface of the Earth is some way. There are errors in distance and distortions in shapes.

15. Bias in Maps Cartographers try to preserve four things on a map. Shape – an area’s shape is directly related to the actual shape in the real world Area – an area’s size is proportional to its actual size in the real world Direction – the lines of constant direction remain constant anywhere on a map Distance – distance measured on a map are accurate

16. Bias in Maps “A knowledgeable map reader, recognizing that a map is both a simplification and a distortion of reality, will look for clues to the cartographer’s purposes and biases.”

17. Bias in Maps Mercator Projection Used for navigation since 1569, is most common Compass direction along a straight line between 2 points on the map are accurate Distortion in shape & size of regions (north is larger, tropics are smaller) Polar regions are larger, equatorial regions are smaller Still used by ships & pilots, in many atlases for school use

18. Bias in Maps Robinson Projection In use from 1988 - 1998 by National Geographic Minimizes the distortion of size & shape of most regions Badly compresses & distorts the shape of countries in polar region

19. Bias in Maps Winkel Tripel Projection Created by Oswald Winkel in 1921 Prime Meridian & Equator are straight lines while all other parallels & meridians are curved Adopted by National Geographic in 1998, replacing Robinson as it better represents the size & shape of Earth features, especially in the polar regions

20. Bias in Maps Gall Projection Used in many textbooks Shows area-accurate view of the world Land mass size accurate, shape distorted

21. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

22. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

23. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

24. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

25. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

26. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

27. Bias in Maps Which one is “reality”?

28. Bias in the Media Every media story we see, hear, or read is the product of reporters, editors, camera crews, TV anchormen and women – people who hold points of view which may be different from our own; people who choose what events to cover, who to interview, and what words and pictures to use. In other words, the media story which is presented to you is not necessarily “the truth,” but rather one person’s or a group of people’s idea about the truth.

29. Bias in the Media Our news is brought to us by a surprisingly small number of organizations. 3 major TV news services use microwave and satellite to relay their camera footage to TV networks all over the world. –Viznews (British)‏ –UPIIN (British-US) –CBS Newsfilm (owned by VIACOM)‏

30. Bias in the Media Think you’ve never heard of VIACOM? VIACOM owns: CBS Television Network MTV BET Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI) United Paramount Network (UPN) Viacom Television Stations Group Paramount Television CBS Enterprises King World Productions Inc. Broadcast International King World International Productions CBS Entertainment CBS Productions Infinity Broadcasting Viacom Outdoor Paramount Pictures Paramount Home Entertainment Famous Players United International Pictures (UIP) Blockbuster Simon & Schuster

31. Bias in the Media Okay, but Canadians get their information from the Canadian Press, right? Canadian Press (CP) gathers up news from across Canada to be used in Canadian newspapers. But for its international coverage, CP relies on its agreements with foreign companies which allow it to “Canadianize” wire stories – changing the American spelling and adjusting other minor points – and print them as CP stories.

32. Bias in the Media This means most of our international news is reported from an American or European viewpoint. Here is the emphasis on “international” news that we see in Canada: –US 34% –Europe 28% –Asia / Australia 17% –Latin America 11% –Middle East 6% –Africa 4%

33. Bias in the Media September 1, 1983: A Soviet interceptor plane blows up a Korean passenger jet. The New York Times Editorial, “Murder in the Air”: –“There is no conceivable excuse for any nation shooting down a harmless airliner… no circumstance whatever justifies attacking an innocent plane.” July 3, 1988: US forces blow up an Iranian passenger get. The New York Times Editorial? –“While horrifying, it was nonetheless an accident… the onus for avoiding such accidents in the future rests on civilian aircraft: avoid combat zones, fly high, acknowledge warnings.”

34. Bias in the Media In each of these examples, what factors could have caused the difference in media coverage? Which government involved is a friend of the United States? Which isn’t? Would you expect to see a similar lack of balance in the Canadian media? Why or why not?

35. Bias in the Media Some people are trying to undo the effect that media has on us, such as “Adbusters” Magazine. On the next few slides are a few examples of their advertizements. www.adbusters.org/spoofads

38. Nearly 50% of automobile fatalities are linked to alcohol. 10% of North Americans are alcoholics. A teenager sees 100,000 alcohol ads before reaching the legal drinking age.

42. Bias in the Media Bring to school 2 different examples of articles or editorials on international topics: –One which you consider to be a good one: balanced, containing good factual material, and unbiased; –One which you consider to be an example of bad news coverage: unbalanced, distorted, lacking sufficient information, etc. Write a 1 page, (max. 300 words) response where you refer to these 2 articles, pointing out the differences between good and bad news coverage.

43. Measuring YOUR Perspective Complete the questionnaire Record your answers in the appropriate column on the answer sheet Map your score on the chart

44. The Global Media Exposure to media has become a major factor in shaping the economic, political, social, cultural and environmental make-up of the world. Not everyone has equal access to media and an information gap exists between rich and poor, and between the more powerful groups in society and those who are marginalized individuals cannot address serious issues if they are unaware of their underlying causes and interconnections.

45. The Global Media In a democratic society, information should be designed to help people become well informed and better able to protect themselves. There are so many opposing claims and ideas in all types of information that it is hard to tell rhetoric from reality. Accurate well balanced information allows individuals to form opinions and to make informed decisions on whether and how to take action.

46. The Global Media But what is the quality of the information received? Information itself is a resource. To be used effectively, it has to be turned into knowledge and understanding. A wide variety of views about issues must be studied and challenged before analysis of the issues can be effective.

47. Manufacturing Consent Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988)‏ Noam Chomsky Edward Herman

48. The Assault on Reason The Assault on Reason (2007)‏ Al Gore

49. Doublespeak Doublespeak is language deliberately constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning. NCTE awards an annual “doublespeak award” for particularly brutal usage of doublespeak by various officials in the U.S.

50. Doublespeak In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush says: –“As all of us saw on television, there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality.” However, a week before the President’s speech, he signed an executive order suspending the 1931 Davis- Bacon Act, thereby allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.

52. Think doublespeak only happens in the United States? When Eaton’s was still around…

54. Television Analyzing the News Toxic Sludge is Good for You

55. Magazine The Genocide in Sudan

57. Newspaper Reported: “Beslan School Reopens” Comparing Canada’s Newspapers

58. Hollywood Hotel Rwanda

60. Hollywood Shake Hands with the Devil

62. Hollywood Blood Diamond