Media and Manipulation FOA reflection

Link to my FOA plan and google slideshow

In my second FOA, I presented on how Osama bin Laden is portrayed through the media and how this impacted on American media viewers.

The research process was very interesting and fulfilling as I have been fascinated with the cult of Osama for a while and the conspiracies that surrounded his death. Being a history student also allowed me to make make historical and political connections which further develop a bigger picture of the situations Osama had been involved in. Lastly, as a keen, everyday lurker of the cyberspace, I felt that this research would also help be become a more conscious viewer of the media that surrounds me.

Upon starting on our topic of media and manipulation, I was instantly drawn to "Reel Bad Arabs" which enlightened me about the stereotypes placed on middle-eastern people. Having read "A Thousand Splendid Suns", I have been curious about the so-called "Arab World" and have also been inspired by other sources such as the movie, "My Name is Khan."

The world today is at a state of perpetual political unrest and it is hard to not realise just how involved we are in those turbulent tides as it is impossible to escape it when you are living it. Being in Malaysia right now, the national politics alongside the neighbouring politics of Thailand, the ongoing bloodshed in Israel and Palestine - it is everywhere, everyday and I honestly feel guilty for not knowing more and I feel that I'mg growing more desensitised to such matters.

Thus, with this research, I realize the importance of knowing such politics and a need to be more proactive into reading analytically as my research has been a revelation of knowledge that has simply been ignored.

Since the announcement of Osama's death in 9/11, I had always pondered on the legitimacy but had never dived into further research. The research process has opened a sense of curiosity towards the stark manipulation in everyday media as I had only just realise the subtle tactics of media manipulation and the dire consequences of it.

We are growing more accustomed to these media to the point where being brainwashed is easier and more effective than ever before. The best way to describe the generation of today are simply carcasses that hear but not listen, and see without thinking. Media is affecting the old and the young, and it is important to know that we are being targeted for such manipulation for reasons such as profit, support and many more. Hence, we have to harness an analytical lens towards the media around us and take charge of our knowledge by being smarter viewers as opposed to taking in the media at first glance.

It may seem tiring to be at look for these signs of manipulation constantly, but with practice, I hope that it will benefit us and prepare us for the limitless world of media today.

FOA reflection

Reflection on FOA

Knowledge and Understanding of the texts and subject matter

-I felt that my understanding of my topic was superficial as I did not intrigue my audience with more than what was outlined on each slide of my powerpoint presentation. If I had more knowledge and ideas of my text, I would be able to go on much deeper to explain my points.

Understanding of how language is used

- As I presented on the topic of Manglish, I understood the colloquial "Manglish" however this did not go well with my idea of presenting in an Ellen Degeneres/talk show host style as I do not identify the speech style of a talk show host thoroughly and could not present it in that essence. I assume that my ideas were not fitting and was probably not focused as I felt that I had clumsily gone through one-third later into my presentation as I lost character while speaking.

However, I felt that my attempt on this idea was original and creative as recreating a specific style of a well-known talk show host would require familiarity with the style and simply a sense of spontaneity which always appear to be the basis of Ellen Degeneres' fun and friendly appeal.

Organisation

-My organisation of this oral presentation was rather simple as I followed a simple structure of background and main content. I also make sure my slides could relate to the next to ensure a continuous flow of thought.

Language

-I felt that I had good command in my English as I used a variety of lexicon and technical terms to explain the characteristics of  "Manglish". Explaining these terms such a grammar, phonology, rhetoric and sarcasm allow me to understand them better as I teach as well.

My control in this area was something I was happy with as I was also able to capture Ellen's southern drawl and embody her sense of spontaneity in the beginning.

English reflection (16-22/9/13)

This week in English, I definitely saw an improvement on most of my classmates in our socratic circle discussing the Irish Language. Everyone definitely spoke up and contributed more which shows how we as a class is progressing towards a better conduct of the socratic circle.

The screening of Pygmalion was also extremely useful but I was only interested in Act 1 as I've only read that before the screening. However, now that I've completed Act 2, I regretted not catching the screening of Act 2 as well but I will try to download the play to watch. I would prefer watching the play only after I've read the acts as my mind would then force me to remember details from the text and combine it visually with the imagery from the screenplay. I found it really interesting to see the lines acted out and found some lines that made more sense when played out in the screenplay.

For the Further Oral Assessment, I felt that there wasn't enough preparation time this week. My thesis is still rather vague and my initial plans of wanting to do a duo performance cease to work out. Since our FOA proposals only started to get through the review process this weekend as well, I felt that I would need more time to get my FOA proposal to be better constructed time and more time for rehearsing.