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Module 4: Activity 2

How would you decode their message? In particular, which elements are operating as signifiers and what concepts – signifieds – are you applying to them?

How is the ‘language of fashion’ working in this example?

Reference:

https://starmometer.com/2017/08/17/exo-on-the-cover-of-vogue-korea/?fbclid=IwAR3BzFRRursdyztC_1KRUz-FhbzuHy7nYIbOqmDR1uYk5jx_7ggwhV_znLg

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Module 4: Activity 6

1. What signifiers can you identify in the ad? What do they mean? What are their signifieds?

 Alcohol – suggests that the advert’s timeline is in the middle of the pandemic

Online Delivery – alludes to the advert’s real intentions: to utilize McDonald’s delivery service.

McDonalds - this is a food advertisement

Rosary – they are a religious family, the mother is particularly prayerful

A picture frame of the man in white uniform, figurines of Lady Liberty and Big Ben beside it (most likely souvenirs) – the father is working abroad.

The digitally painted panels being visibly soft with the lack of line art matches the tone of its background music and the narrator’s gentle retelling - This backs up the idea we should look at our situations kindlier, celebrate more.

2. Now, look at the ad as a whole, at the level of ‘myth’. What is its wider, cultural message or theme? Can you construct one?

We believe the author intended for viewers to look on the brighter sides of this lockdown. That instead of whining so much about not being able to go out and do things as we usually did pre-pandemic, we can learn more to appreciate the little things this lockdown can offer us in our own homes. The ad also encourages us to appreciate our mothers for their undying support. Well, our mothers and the rest of the family of course. The wider, cultural message or theme here is that family is most important. It is the foundation of society and is your primary support in trying times such as now in midst of this pandemic.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vafPUyU5_v8

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Module 3: Activity 3

1. Describe the social interaction or communication situation that you have been involved in recently

Recently, we have played the game Among Us. It is an online multiplayer game where up to 10 players are placed in a space ship and are required to do tasks. The twist is one to three players are actually “impostors” tasked to murder everyone on the ship to win. We were impostors in one round of the game and we had to pretend to be innocent crewmates to not be caught.

2. What identity were you “performing” and how or in what sense were you “performing” that identity in that context? What impression of yourself were you trying to create in the mind of the other person?

The three of us were impostors and pretended throughout the whole game that we weren't and did tasks alongside the crewmates and innocently reported dead bodies even though we were the one that did the act. Being convincing to make it look like we care about finishing the total tasks for the crewmates were a challenge because everyone doubts each other in the ship.

3. Does the idea of performance of self or identity mean one is being inauthentic, deceitful, and a phoney? Explain.

Generally, we don't think so but, in this case, yes it was. We did what we had to do to win as impostors and that meant we had to lie and trick other people in believing that we're good.

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Module 3: Activity 2

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Module 2: Summative Activity

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Module 2: Activity 2

Every week, the President addresses the nation through his weekly report of the country's situation. Specifically, he uses this time to lay out plans for the pandemic and update the people about the allocation of the money in the Bayanihan act.

Duterte's latest speech happened last October 5, 2020. Here are some rhetorical strategies he exhibited during the almost one-hour speech:

On the beep card issue, the president picks a side by catering to the needs of the ordinary commuters who will carry the burden of increased payment for beep cards. By doing this, Duterte attempts to win the approval of the masses. 

“Ang masakit sa 'kin, yung kulang ang pera at hindi sapat yung dala niya... If that is how it is being implemented, make provisions for these people, those who have not heard, those who will never hear it, and those who have nothing in life."

The President has always been on the police's side. By referring to himself as one of them as an example in the situation thereby wining the approval of almost a hundred thousand officers. 

"Kung ako ang pulis at ako daw ay magnanakaw, maalis na rin  ako sa pwesto eh todohin ko na." 

Duterte then shifts the focus on drugs, he once again uses his strategy of "the promise of change" by envisioning a world without drug addicts lurking around. He tries to project a place that is safe for everyone to live their lives.

Duterte's speech has always been candid. It feels like he keeps on blabbering things without filtering his words. This kind of performativity appeals to the audience because they feel like he is being truthful, and that he is a man with pure intentions. 

We believe that Duterte’s strong suit is his capability to emotionally manipulate his constituents.

Overall, the speech is not convincing nor reassuring enough for us. The President did not achieve the purpose of his weekly report, and has not for many weeks. In the end, there’s no systematic and concrete plan about the pandemic we are facing today. Although he addressed some issues worthy of attention, he still hasn't provided proper actions to combat the health and economic issues (to mention a few) that we are facing right now.

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Module 2: Activity 1

The situations presented in the video are part of our collective memory as a nation, it’s part of our dark history we should not forget. The first video shows the destruction of Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban in November 2013. While the second video shows the speech of Joel Lamansangan a film director and a martial law survivor recounting his experiences during the dark era of Martial Law in a protest. Can any situation be rhetorical? According to Britzen, this is not the case. A rhetorical situation for Britzen consists of three constituents which are exigence, audience, and constraint.

So, which video showed a rhetorical situation? I think the second video presents a rhetorical situation if we follow Britzen’s definition of rhetoric.

First, the situation must allow for a change to happen. Joel Lamanasangan in his speech recalls the horrors of the past through his personal experiences. It is a first-hand experience that allows the audience to empathize and reflect on what they should do. There is a possibility of a movement of change. Unlike the first video that the situation is a natural phenomenon that no one can’t predict or stop, however, it is important to note that risk reduction management is important in a country prone to 20+ typhoons every year.

Second, the audience is an important aspect of a rhetorical situation. Based on the video, protesters who are against Marcos were the audience of Lamansangan’s speech, most of them are youths. Could they be a catalyst for change? Definitely, yes. The youths of today are very active in the conversation about social issues we are facing in this hard time.

Lastly, there are constraints present in a rhetorical situation. As for the history of martial law, there are a lot of paid trolls who tried to revise the history of dubbing ‘dekada ‘70s’ as the golden era of the Philippines. In this age where information is everywhere, we need to know what fact is and fake.

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Module 1: Summative Activity

Our world started with relaying every piece of information with their mouths; orally. The first newspaper to be published is dated as early as 131/130 BC in Rome and it’s called “Acta Diurna,” according to Mingren (2017).  They were carved in stone and metal, and eventually hand-written on papyrus. 17th century Europe then replaced hand-written news sheets with printed periodicals, thanks to the invention of publishing presses. This lessened the labor cost required to mass-produce newspapers and keep on publishing week after week. Also, it is more convenient to have your news on paper than just simply spoken from someone because one can keep the paper and read it again if they wish to do so. 

In between the invention of the newspaper and invention of the radio stands the invention of telephones but we'll skip it and proceed to radios, the next big thing when it comes to relaying news. Radio broadcasting began in the 1900s where instead of people carrying news around in their pockets or bags, they can now listen to it everywhere. (Bellis, 2019) Just like the shift of change from oral to written media, the reason is still the convenience it gives to the audience and to the producers themselves. Although it should be noted that newspapers were still widely produced and spread.

Television broadcasting started in the late 1920s with television sets produced and released commercially around the 1930s. (Defree, 2019) Now media can be both seen and heard, which increases the convenience for the common audience. Information is relayed everywhere with the mass production of televisions, the device becoming a staple appliance in the living room. But still, during these times, the newspaper and radio industry still thrived as some people still preferred the mobility of both.

Personal computers then came into the market around the 1970s. Its difference with mainframe computers is that it’s less expensive and it’s bigger so only large businesses and government organizations used them. Small and medium-sized businesses, and primary and secondary schools utilize the use of personal computers. Now every piece of information is inside one database, accessed by anyone as long as they are allowed to. This greatly increased the efficiency and productivity of people and therefore was more sought for, compared to the other ways of communication.

However, it should be noted that due to the advancements in hardware and software, the newspaper, the radio and the television can all be accessed with a personal computer with just one click, which is why personal computers will continue to be demanded and supplied. Also, oral communication is now improved with the boundaries of distance and time practically non-existent due to video calls and video conferencing. The whole world is now connected within a series of networks, providing more convenience to the ordinary person.

And if that isn’t enough, the mass production of mobile phones also started around the 1970s although it’s main (and only) function was to bridge the gap of communication in different regions. Now, mobile phones are a different story. Just like a personal computer, it has become a portal to the online network, where one can simply open an application and can read news, watch news, listen to news, watch any shows and many more. It has become the pinnacle of convenience for humans. In relation to this, companies are on their way to heightening up the experience through what they call VR or Virtual Reality, because looking at a plain screen is not enough; it must also mimic what an average person can experience if he was to communicate face-to-face or to move things around with his hand.

With the changing times, as technology sought to surpass itself, mass communication made a rather undeniable impact on our society. To cite an example for politics, campaigning for a position is no longer limited to plastering posters on the streets and speaking platitudes towards an assembled crowd. Politicians can take their campaigns to TV advertisements, spread infographics on social media and pay a group of spammers to shout support one and bash the competition. For politics, there is the simple matter of controlling people's perspective by controlling the information that reaches the masses. With enough range and power, an official can shut down the widest reaching telecommunications company in the case of personal grudge. Not to make an example of anyone but two presidents have done this so far. 

Mass media communication has so far shaped what we know to be convenience, even economics was made to be within reach with the use of mobile banking apps. Payments can be made now with a few taps on your mobile phone with apps like GCash and etc.; stock markets can be observed over the internet, and not only that bit-coin is also gaining traction. Lifestyles have changed as almost everything can be done from the comfort of your own home, although that only applies if you have a stable internet connection. And will only progress forward from this.

At the moment, even as we are struggling through online classes with the ongoing pandemic, it is still a form of progress for mass communications. Though it is rocky at best and is not so thoroughly prepared with how the Commision on Higher Education (CHED) and The Department of Education (Dep-Ed) have pushed to rush the school year, it is still a start towards something new. Maybe 50 years in the future, online classes would be more immersive with a virtual reality simulator or perhaps education wouldn't need physical teachers anymore because everything we need to learn will be a chip installed to the motherboard of our cyborg bodies. Our devices will be holograms and people can have personal AI butlers to help with our daily tasks. But alas, one can only speculate.

References:

Bellis, M. (2019, May 11). The History of Radio Technology. Retrieved from ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/invention-of-radio-1992382 

Deffree, S. (2019, July 2). 1st American TV stations begins broadcasing, July 2, 1928. Retrieved from EDN: https://www.edn.com/1st-american-tv-station-begins-broadcasting-july-2-1928/

History of mobile phones and the first mobile phone. (2020, June 4). Retrieved from Uswitch: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/history-of-mobile-phones/amp/ 

Jasmin. (2017, September 17). The Evolution of Communication [Infographic]. Retrieved from Daily Infographic: https://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-evolution-of-communication-infographic.

Medhurst, J. (2019, September 27). How publiv TV broadcasting was born. Retrieved from The Conversation: https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/how-public-tv-broadcasting-was-born-120315

Norr, H. R. (n.d.). Personal computer. Retrieved from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/technology/personal-computer 

Tirosh, G. (n.d.). Timeline of Mass Production Computers. Retrieved from History by day: https://www.historybyday.com/inventions/timeline-of-mass-production-computers/ 

Venditti, P. Introduction to Communication. Lumen. Retrieved from Lumen: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introductiontocommunication/chapter/evolution-of-mass-communication/ 

Wu, M. (2017, December 23). Acta Diurna: The Telegraph of Ancient Rome, Bringing You All the Latest Gladiator News. Retrieved from Ancient Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/acta-diurna-telegraph-ancient-rome-bringing-you-all-latest-gladiator-021770

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More coming soon!

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Activity #3

Convergence is a coming together of two or more things thus media convergence constitutes information interconnectivity, communications technology & media network, and computer network (Spytsa, 2018). Naturally our smartphones, computers, laptops are convergent media, and what makes them convergent media are the operating systems (e.g. IBM, Apple, Microsoft), the apps and softwares installed in them that make things run as smoothly as they do and that we are able to connect with as many people all over the world.

The internet is the network that connects us all. It is the "network of networks" as Baran (2011) had called it. The internet has users, people who are not only actively playing audience but also creating the content that circulates it. This content sharing is how convergent media empowers its users, giving individuals the power and means to assert themselves into the bigger society. At this day and age almost everyone in the population has at least one account in platforms that lets users share their life. And any single post can gain enough traction should its content be able to appeal to the masses. People can build connections with a single message, a comment or whatever. Influencers basically. I’ll make it make sense later.

The evolution of communication shaped the identity of our society and culture. As these changes unfold, our role in communication alters. Orality and literacy are the foundation of human communication being the primary and secondary modelling system of communication. Our ancestors used oral expressions or “speech” to communicate. After centuries the writing system was born out of orality. Literacy is structured and it can record oral speeches, theories, and ideas where it can be kept and be accessible for the next generation. This is the same to the evolution of media from traditional to convergent media.

The evolution of media also changes our role in medium communication. Media is one of the tools responsible for disseminating information and stories widely. In traditional media, corporations, government and those in power controlled media outlets.

Reference:

Spytsa, Valeriia. [Spizzastory]. (2018, June 19). Media Convergence - Explained [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV6rp7RCZw8

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Module 1: Activity 2

There are many pros when it comes to media accessibility. For the consumers, their endless need for convenience will be satisfied by the non-stop innovating technology of media. This is one of the industrial or economic factors in the evolution of media from print to radio to television: the desire to have something that does a better job.

The minimizing of cost on labor in producing media is another industrial or economic factor in the evolution of media. Manpower is reduced greatly because of the existence of video editing applications and special effects. These are also the same cases when it comes to the digitization of videos. For information producers, they can deliver excellent content while being able to minimize production costs because of the reduction of manpower. This allows the producers to be able to create quality content while still earning. This also allows the consumers to be constantly satisfied with their experience.

Digitization of videos for consumers means that videos in different platforms and devices are easily made accessible to them which brings another pro of media accessibility because news is delivered instantly; keeping people up to date to the current events and making information be easily disseminated to the masses. The existence of educational shows also gives more convenience to students for accessible learning. Lastly, everyone is happy and entertained by the different videos on the internet.

But because of the media being convenient to consumers and all the aforementioned things, the ones producing it can abuse their power and cause chaos and injustices by processing and choosing the information that comes out; just like the phenomenon we have right now called "fake news."

Media and information are indeed powerful, and the fate of our world depends on who holds them and how they use it.

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Module 1: Activity 1

Language is the tool we used to communicate to each other. The evolution of communication started in oral culture evolving to literary culture. Human society first learned to communicate through speech or what we call now oral culture. Oral culture differs from what we have now which is literary cultures. While literary cultures began with writing, primary oral culture is totally untouched by any knowledge of writing or print. Primary oral culture makes use of all senses to communicate, engaging the body to take part in oral communication. In primary oral culture, human beings learned through apprenticeship. But in literary culture, human beings learned by studying in a strict sense; studying language itself and its uses. It is important to approach orality and literacy synchronically but it is also essential to consider their dialogic relationship. Many of the characteristics of orality still exist today in literary cultures. Literary culture is a “secondary modelling system” dependent on a prior primary system, which is the spoken language. (Ong, 2002) Basically, literary culture is born out of primary oral cultures.

For Walter Ong, communication is intersubjective. This is due to the fact that human communication takes place with two conscious minds and more to create a community. Human communication differs from the medium model because it expects feedback in order for communication to take place. But in the medium model, the message from sender-position to receiver-position not demanding feedback. (Ong, 2002)

Chirographic conditioning refers to the evolution of communication from orality to literacy. The ‘media’ model of communication shows chirographic conditioning in the way that chirographic cultures regard speech as a source of information and more factual. Also, written text appears to be a one-way communication because there is no present recipient. (Ong, 2002)

In conclusion, orality and literacy are interrelated with each other.