1. Spider-man $115m opening weekend $40m + day Expectation: $75 to $80m Raising the bar for everyone? Jump starts the summer

2. Why did it do so well? Why more than Harry Potter ($90m)? Shorter film, so shown more per day Older audience, post-midnight Tickets prices (kids v. adults) Huge megaplexes – with as many as 6 screens for one movie (7500 screens)

3. Popularity due to weak competition (little to detract from it, screens open) Attraction to all ages Superb marketing campaign

4. What’s Ahead? Star Wars Ep. 2: Attack of the Clones Opening May 16 – Thursday. Lucas on number of screens Spider-Man 2 Columbia announces: Opens May 7, 2004

5. What’s ahead? More comic book character movies The Hulk (Universal) Daredevil (Fox) Superman? Batman? Wonder Woman?

6. Race and television Networks tend to ignore people of color IF people of color appear: more likely on cable Network shows: frequently segregated Advertisers fear: whites will ignore integrated or black-themed shows Reality: Cosby, Fresh Prince, Jeffersons, etc.

7. Race and television Pressure on black writers to add whites, but not on whites to add blacks Other races obvious invisible

8. Race and television Why? 1. Economics: Fragmentation of audience 2. Narrowcasting 3. Target marketing toward upscale whites 4. Very limited targeting of African Americans: UPN, BET 5. TV overly cautious?

9. Bill Cosby: TV Isn’t Us “there are no characters anyone could imagine graduating from college, working beside them in a steel mill or doing anything that might make for a better nation…African-Americans, like everyone else, are just as civil, as bitter, as correct, as evil, as ignorant and full of compassion..”

10. First Amendment Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech or of the press

11. Airwaves limited (first technology, now economics) Broadcasters must serve the public interest, convenience and necessity

12. Shaping News Content Media and the law

13. Government Censorship Limits on governmental control: First Amendment Congress shall make no law abridging….freedom of speech or press Presumption against governmental control

14. Vietnam Few limits on press No pre-publication review (unlike earlier wars) Government relies on public relations, appeals to patriotism, propaganda

15. Post Vietnam Military blames press for Vietnam Vow by military: reduce press access, reduce information, Grenada 1983. Secrecy. “Sanitized” war. Sidle Commission: Protect military secrecy but accommodate press; press pools Panama: how well does this work?

16. Persian Gulf War Press pools Close military observation Pre publication review by field censors Military goals Source control Result? Debate

17. Libel Limits on what media can publish Damage to reputation – how people will treat you Cannot libel the dead -- why? Defenses: truth, public interest

18. Media fears about libel Time Money Huge damagers possible Losing at trial, winning only on appeal

19. Public People and Libel Wide latitude to press New York Times v. Sullivan. 1964 – civil rights issues Debate on public issues Public officials should expect scrutiny; can rebut Error inevitable in public debate Actual malice rule

20. Who are public officials? Elected Substantial responsibility

21. Public figures and libel All purpose public figures Limited public figures (voluntarily attempt to influence resolution of issues)

22. Other libel issues Public Proceedings Participants: absolute privilege Press report on public proceedings: qualified privilege Public Performance: inviting comment

23. Privacy Is it really private? Publicity about private facts: public interest Limits on private facts: sensational and morbid prying for its own sake

24. Obscenity Average person, applying contemporary community standards, finds the work, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest Content patently offensive/ sexual content No serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value

25. Pornography not the same as obscenity. Variable obscenity