Final Comments

Case Book Prompt: Final Thoughts

                Honestly, I cannot choose a single idea or message that I found the most interesting in this class because I enjoyed the course as a whole. I believe each category covered (television, radio, film, journalistic reporting) hitched in relation to each other to create a web of analysis to which the student body can apply to any form of media. I enjoyed our critiques of television and film the most though, if I had to choose in specific. Even though the film review landed as a final project at the stressful end of the semester, I still enjoyed dissecting and analyzing the content of a movie (and the television show preceding the final). The history of the various media and the development of the laws that restrict them did not entertain me as much has the hands-on critique and content analysis that followed. 

                This class has definitely changed how I view media. I cannot watch news broadcasts without questioning the authenticity of the reporter’s information. If I spot a phrase, image, or subject that might be racist or sexist, I immediately announce it to those around me and a discussion begins. My boyfriend has begun to get annoyed at my new views, thinking I am looking too much into what I am watching and reading. I tell him he is not looking closely enough.

                The casebook format worked well for the class. I am biased against my judgment of it, however, because I have a weekly, two-entry blog for Journalism and the four-entry casebook blog for Diversity. In other words, I have been case book overloaded. Having to write  more than one entry per day in addition to my art and economics classes overwhelmed me, even though I got it all done (and well, if I don’t say so myself). 

                Because of my personal experience in relation to other classes, I would suggest knocking off either the “concept explorations” or the “hot topics.” I felt overloaded. This is also due to my recent and persistent health problems—being in constant pain from a neck injury and having a fluttery heart disease distracts one from one’s schoolwork. But like I said previously, I did get it all done, so it is not unreasonable. Overall, I adored this class and I am sad to part with it. My experiences in Mass Media made me want to sign up for Intro to Film Studies—which I have, and will be seated in come Spring.