Media Literacy: Medium Matters, MEDIA LITERACY : DECONSTRUCTING MEDIA MESSAGES

Read the television ad below produced by the Utah Office of Tourism and answer the questions that follow. width="493" Snowflake #1: (Excited) "We're going to Utah, Dude!" width="489" Snowflake #2: (Excited) "I'm so excited, it's melting my brain-cicles!" width="503" Snowflake #1: (Silence. Brief shot of puzzled look directed toward Snowflake #2). width="503" Snowflake # 2: (In awe) "They have over 26 thousand acres of ski resort there." width="529" Snowflake #1: (Impressed) "Wow!" width="541" Snowflake #2: (Excited) "That means that our chances of landing on an actual ski run are astronomical!" width="533" Snowflake #1: "Is it getting kinda hot?" (Worried look. Pause) "Do you smell chlorine?" width="519" Snowflake #1 and #2 in unison: (Yelling) "AHHHHHHHHH!" width="477" Snowflake #2: (Panicked) "Why?" Snowflake #1: (Panicked) "Come on wind!" Snowflake #2: (Sad) "I'm so young!" width="488" (Sound of faraway, high-pitched screams presumably from Snowflake #1 and #2 as they drift into the hot tub) width="491" Voice-over personality: "Come ski the greatest snow on Earth, less than an hour from Salt Lake International Airport." width="489" Voice-over personality: "Plan your trip at skiutah.com. Utah. Life Elevated." (end) 1.Which phrase describes best what the ad creators most likely intend the viewers of this ad to think about? hot tubs and friends heavy snowfall and powdery slopes the sad fate of some unfortunate snowflakes the elevation of mountains in the state of Utah 2.Which value is not presented or suggested in this ad? Enjoy the joy of friendship and fun. Appreciate the outdoors. Live life to the fullest. Shop till you drop.

1. heavy snowfall and powdery slopes 2. Shop till you drop.

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Aggressive titling and animation with special effects and graphics keeps older audiences attentive.

Which statement is false? All media messages are negative and controversial. All media are defined as the physical or technical means of communicating a message. All media convey a message. All media are constructs.

All media messages are negative and controversial.

Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. width="507" Image courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism What is not a likely reason the creators of this ad chose the slogan "Utah. Life Elevated"? It is a play on the use of the definitions of the word "elevated," referring to the elevation of Utah's mountains and a life of joy. It is memorable because it is short but also relevant to the state's tourism features. It highlights Utah's ski industry and also suggests that Utah has more to offer than just skiing. It contains only sixteen letters and would be easy to design into a rectangular shape.

It contains only sixteen letters and would be easy to design into a rectangular shape.

Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. width="485" Image courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism What is the most likely significance of the tagline "The Greatest Snow on Earth"? It is a play on the words "The Greatest Show on Earth," suggesting that the snowfall is so spectacular it is like a performance. It is a reference to a scientific fact that Utah has far superior snow to any other state. It is a simple statement meant only to convey that Utah thinks it has better snow than anyone else. It is in the ad so that viewers will understand and appreciate snowflakes.

It is a play on the words "The Greatest Show on Earth," suggesting that the snowfall is so spectacular it is like a performance.

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Late breaking news typically goes to television coverage before the Internet because of accessibility.

Which of the following is NOT a positive quality associated with blogs as a medium for news coverage?

Many blogs are geared toward marketing but they do not always try to present that information up front to bloggers.

Which statement is true? Media messages are usually too complicated for most people to understand. Media messages frequently present multiple messages at a time. Media messages are usually creative without any logic behind them. Media messages are only powerful if viewed through television.

Media messages frequently present multiple messages at a time.

Which statement is false? Use critical thinking skills to break down and analyze media messages. Media literacy is the ability to read the words in commercials. Television, print, and film are examples of media genres. Internet, radio, and print are examples of media.

NOT use critical thinking

__________ is the main umbrella organization for all computer communications.

The Internet

Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. width="492" Image courtesy of the New Mexico Tourism Department Which statement about this image is false? The font style is being used to convey a certain message. This is an example of a slogan. The design around the words is irrelevant to the meaning of the words. The message is intended to be memorable.

The design around the words is irrelevant to the meaning of the words.

Which of the following statements about newspaper writing is FALSE?

The newspaper writing structure follows a circular structure that takes the reader through the events as they occurred.

Which statement is true? When designing an ad logo, it is important to keep it simple and clear in design. When designing an ad logo, it is important to keep all words away from the image. It is important to design logos that are easy for others to draw and copy. It is not important how you design a logo, only which colors you use.

When designing an ad logo, it is important to keep it simple and clear in design.

Typically, the most aesthetically pleasing type of story coverage is __________.

a documentary

Which of the following news presentations would most likely use colloquial diction?

a local radio show's coverage of an upcoming concert in the area

Which medium would most likely use a conversational delivery tone?

a radio talk show about sports

Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. width="193" Image courtesy of Texas Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism What is this logo most likely intended to get us to think about? adventure cowboys vacation family

cowboys

Characteristics used to classify a group of the population that shares common characteristics, such as age, gender, class, etc., is called __________. values media genres demographics

demographics

Read television ad below produced by the Utah Office of Tourism and answer the questions that follow. width="258" Snowflake #1 (excited) "We're going to Utah, Dude!" Which phrase describes the tone of this ad best? sophisticated and prim hard-hitting and extreme humorous and moderate sarcastic and edgy

humorous and moderate

Which of the following is the plural form of "medium"?

media

Which of the following is not a demographic classification? age gender race personality

personality

Which of the following does NOT contribute to setting the tone of a news story?

the 5 Ws + 1 H

Why do state tourism departments spend money on advertising? to encourage tourists to visit and spend money in the state to encourage the state's population to feel good about the state to establish political power to establish who is most creative

to encourage tourists to visit and spend money in the state